Creation of the World (Maya Long Count Zero Date)
3114 BCE
Mythic start of the current Maya calendar era (13.0.0.0.0 4 Ahau 8 Cumku).
Historical Context
The Maya conceived time as a sophisticated cyclical and linear framework. Prior to the current era, several worlds had been created and subsequently destroyed by creator deities in Mesoamerican mythic tradition.
The Event
On August 11, 3114 BCE (13.0.0.0.0 4 Ahau 8 Cumku), according to the Long Count calendar, creator gods (including Tepeu and Gucumatz) placed the three stones of the cosmic hearth, establishing the current world era.
Key Figures
Tepeu and Gucumatz (Creator gods), Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque (from the Popol Vuh).
Aftermath
This date serves as the absolute epoch for the entire Maya Long Count calendar system, allowing Maya kings to anchor their reigns and victories into sacred cosmic continuity.
Legacy & Culture
The completion of the 13-baktun cycle in December 2012 sparked worldwide media fascination. In original Maya thought, it simply marked the fruitful renewal of a major cosmic cycle.
Historiography
The GMT correlation (Goodman-Martínez-Thompson) allowed epigraphers to correlate the Long Count zero date to the Gregorian calendar (August 11, 3114 BCE) with astronomical precision.
Sources and References
Panneau du Temple des Inscriptions à Palenque
Semantic cluster
Maya civilization clusterPreclassic to Postclassic: Tikal, Calakmul, Palenque, calendar and collapses.
Cluster internal links
- Next (cluster)
Foundation and Rise of Nakbe
1000 BCE
- Same cluster
Peak of El Mirador and La Danta Pyramid
300 BCE
- Same cluster
San Bartolo Wall Murals
100 BCE
- Same cluster
First Long Count Dated Stela (Chiapa de Corzo)
36 BCE
- Same cluster
Foundation of the Tikal Dynasty
Primordial times
- Semantic bridge
Invention of Cuneiform
3200 BCE
- Semantic bridge
The Myth of Osiris
3000 BCE
- Semantic bridge
Invention of Pictographic and Cuneiform Writing at Uruk
3500 BCE