It's not the End of the World: Emic evidence for local diversity in the Maya Long Count

Abstract

Examining Ancient Maya notions about prophecies and their calendar cycles, we find that they predicted no 'end of the Maya calendar'. Indeed, surviving texts and art indicate that they seem to have expected no change in the status quo whatever, for at least 4000 years into the future. This search also turned up evidence that different local schools of calendar-priests differed significantly from each other; it is entirely possible that priests in one city expected the End of the World, while their peers elsewhere believed the opposite. © International Astronomical Union 2011.