katun
1
9.9
A period of about twenty years in the ancient Mayan calendar
- noun
- /kɑːˈtuːn/
- Specialized
:
katun
- A katun is a period of about 20 years in the ancient Mayan calendar system.
- a katun of 20 years
Examples
-
Each katun consists of 7,200 days, providing a framework for the Mayan timekeeping.
-
That date also marks the end of a katun and bears the same Maya month and day names as the date of creation.
Academic text (2009) -
Thus, 20 tuns make up a katun, and 20 katuns make up a baktun, or about 400 years.
Academic text (2009) -
Thus, 20 tuns make up a katun, and 20 katuns make up a baktun, or about 400 years.
Academic text (2009) -
The Mayan calendar includes cycles of katuns that help track historical events over centuries.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Katun in the Mayan calendar comes from the Maya word k'atun, which means a '20-year period'. So a katun here is simply a block of twenty years, an important time unit marked by ceremonies and history.