The astronomical tables drawn on the east wall of structure 10K-2 at Xultún are a large number of variously-sized hieroglyphs, rendered in vegetable dyes of red and black color, with thin coats of plaster over what appear to be corrections in later editions.
While only fragments of the bar and dot numbers are completely legible, they appear to represent the recording of the movement of the moon and the planet Venus. Atop at least five of the columns are individual moon glyphs combined with facial profiles, which appear to be deities. These are similar to glyphs used elsewhere (and later) in Maya date records, and the numbers below them, say scholars, represent records of elapsed days since the last eclipse using periods established in the Long Count calendar: a lunar year of 177-178 days.
A second array of numbers found in the eastern portion of the north wall is unique in the Maya hieroglyphic cadre, but it appears most similar to the Venus Table illustrated on page 24 of the Dresden Codex (11th-12th century AD). The mathematics of the Xultún numbers in this table strongly suggest that it was used to track the movements of Venus or perhaps Mars.
The earliest Long Count entry date painted in the mural is 755 AD, and scholars believe that marks the initial date the tables were drawn. It is clear, however, that the scribes revised the tables over many generations of observation.
- Read more about Xultún
- See the bibliography for this project
