Short Count

After the end of the Classic Period, the Maya stopped using the Long Count. Instead they began to use a method of recording time called the Short Count. The Short Count only records the k'atun (19.71 years) in which an event happened. They used it to say that something happened during a given k'atun, similar to how we would say that Kennedy was president during the '60s. It is not specific about what days within the k'atun are being referred to, unless a Calendar Round date is also used.

The Short Count is determined by the day in the Tzolk'in a k'atun ends. Since a k'atun always ends on a day with the name Ahaw, this provided only thirteen different Short Count names, 1 through 13 Ahaw. Thus a Short Count was accurate within 256 years (19.71 times 13) before it repeated the given twenty year period. This might result in some confusion, just as we might say that Lincoln was president during the '60s as well as Kennedy and it is only by historical perspective that we know that we mean different centuries.

An example of the use of a Short Count was the founding of the city of Mérida on January 6, 1542 O.S., which happened during a k'atun 11 Ahaw.