Was the Beginning Day of the Maya Month Numbered Zero (or Twenty) or One?

The ancient Maya left behind a calendar so precise it still puzzles modern scholars. In this careful study the author confronts a single, seemingly simple question: did the Maya number the first day of a month as 1, or as 0 (sometimes represented as 20)? By revisiting the long‑standing interpretation of Goodman and other pioneers, the book sets the stage for a fresh look at how the Maya counted days, uinals, and larger cycles.

Turning to the Dresden Codex, the researcher traces three rows of month dates, following the red markers that indicate how many days separate each entry. The pattern of glyphs that appear where a “1” would be expected instead suggests a zero‑or‑twenty notation, a detail that reshapes our understanding of Maya temporal logic. Listeners will be drawn into the step‑by‑step reasoning, feeling the excitement of a scholarly detective story without needing any prior knowledge of epigraphy.