From Newsgroup: sci.lang


https://phys.org/news/2025-10-mayans-accurately-solar-eclipses-centuries.html

The Maya Civilization, from Central America,
was one of the most advanced ancient
civilizations, known for its significant
achievements in astronomy and mathematics.
This includes accurate calendars and detailed
celestial records, but scientists don't fully
understand all the details of their
calculations. However, new research is
shedding light on how they predicted future
eclipses with remarkable accuracy.

A study published in the journal Science
Advances analyzes the Dresden Codex, the most
famous surviving record of Mayan astronomy. In
particular, researchers focused on the eclipse
prediction table which spans 405 lunar months.
Previous studies were unable to fully explain
the table's underlying structure or the
mechanism Mayans used to keep it updated for
centuries. This paper fills in those missing
details.

The research overturns a long-held assumption
that the table's 405-month length meant it was
created solely for predicting eclipses. Instead,
the paper's authors state that it was first
designed as a lunar calendar to align with the
Maya's 260-day astrological calendar.
...
The researchers also solved the mystery of how
the Mayans were able to be so accurate with
their predictions. Previously, it was thought
that once one table finished, they would start
a new one. But the latest study shows that to
maintain correct predictions for over 700 years,
the Mayans used a system of overlapping tables.
Instead of starting a new table, they would
reset the next table to precise internals of
223 or 358 months before the previous table
ended to correct for small astronomical errors
that accumulate over time.
...

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt9039
The design and reconstructible history of the
Mayan eclipse table of the Dresden Codex



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From Newsgroup: sci.lang


Ar an seacht|| l|i is fiche de m|! Deireadh F||mhair, scr|!obh Tilde:

https://phys.org/news/2025-10-mayans-accurately-solar-eclipses-centuries.html

[...] A study published in the journal Science Advances analyzes the Dresden Codex, the most famous surviving record of Mayan astronomy. In particular, researchers focused on the eclipse prediction table which spans 405 lunar months. Previous studies were unable to fully explain the table's underlying structure or the mechanism Mayans used to keep it updated for centuries. This paper fills in those missing details.

The research overturns a long-held assumption that the table's 405-month length meant it was created solely for predicting eclipses. Instead, the paper's authors state that it was first designed as a lunar calendar to align with the Maya's 260-day astrological calendar.
...
The researchers also solved the mystery of how the Mayans were able to be so accurate with their predictions. Previously, it was thought that once one table finished, they would start a new one. But the latest study shows that to maintain correct predictions for over 700 years, the Mayans used a system of overlapping tables. Instead of starting a new table, they would reset the next table to precise internals of 223 or 358 months before the previous table ended to correct for small astronomical errors that accumulate over time.

Thanks Tilde. Despite the reassurance at the bottom of the page that the summary was written by a human, this is a bit confusing: rCLInstead of starting a
new table they reset the next table [which means that they start a new table] ...rCY ?

From-athe article, predicting the ellipses seems to have been a secondary function of their calendar, and they kludged things with these tables such that the periodicity of their ellipse prediction tablets overlapped and as a result were more accurate.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt9039
The design and reconstructible history of the
Mayan eclipse table of the Dresden Codex

Not actually directly related to sci.lang, but glad to have it posted.
--
rCyAs I sat looking up at the Guinness ad, I could never figure out /
How your man stayed up on the surfboard after fourteen pints of stoutrCO
(C. Moore)
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From Newsgroup: sci.lang

Aidan Kehoe wrote:

Ar an seacht|| l|i is fiche de m|! Deireadh F||mhair, scr|!obh Tilde:

> https://phys.org/news/2025-10-mayans-accurately-solar-eclipses-centuries.html

Thanks Tilde. Despite the reassurance at the bottom of the page that the summary was written by a human, this is a bit confusing: rCLInstead of starting a
new table they reset the next table [which means that they start a new table] ...rCY ?

Erm, I think that it reads better as

"Instead of starting a new table, they would SET
the next table to precise internals of 223 or 358
months before the previous table ended"

which makes sense when the tables overlap.

From-athe article, predicting the ellipses seems to have been a secondary

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Codex
"The codex contains information relating to
astronomical and astrological tables, religious
references, seasons of the earth, and illness
and medicine. It also includes information about
conjunctions of planets and moons."

Wow, considering how wide ranging the codex is
you could say everthing was secondary ;)

function of their calendar, and they kludged things with these tables such that
the periodicity of their ellipse prediction tablets overlapped and as a result
were more accurate.

"to correct for small astronomical errors that
accumulate over time"

> https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt9039
> The design and reconstructible history of the
> Mayan eclipse table of the Dresden Codex

Not actually directly related to sci.lang, but glad to have it posted.

Mildly disagree. Translations of such texts is important
to understanding other times and cultures as well as
language development.

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