Today In History with The Retrospectors

The Long Count


Listen Later

Rerun. The 7,885 year-long calendar that the Mayan people used to measure long stretches of time, ‘The Long Count’, began on 11th August, 3114 B.C.


The combination of a Haabʼ and a Tzolkʼin date identifies a day in a combination which does not occur again for 18,980 days (52 Haabʼ cycles of 365 days equals 73 Tzolkʼin cycles of 260 days, approximately 52 years), a period known as the Calendar Round. ARE YOU KEEPING UP.


In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover the rules of ‘Mayan Space Jam’; explain why people thought the world might end in 2012; and call into question the whole diary system on which their beloved podcast depends…


Further Reading:

• ‘Danger on the Court: The Deadly Ancient Mesoamerican Ball Game’ (Ancient Origins, 2020): https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history/ulama-mesoamerican-ball-game-deadly-sport-ancient-americas-003156

• ‘9 Interesting Facts About The Mayans’ (yocover, 2021): https://yocover.com/facts-about-the-mayans/

• ‘Maya Cosmology & the Real 2012’ (Mary Lou Ridinger, TEDxSanMigueldeAllende, 2013 ): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN6E5AFEb9M


‘Why am I hearing a rerun?’ We’re planning exciting new things for the autumn, and we’re banking that most of you haven’t heard it yet. So stick with us.


For bonus material and to support the show, visit Patreon.com/Retrospectors

We'll be back tomorrow with a new episode! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/Retrospectors


The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Sophie King.

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2022.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Today In History with The RetrospectorsBy The Retrospectors

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

97 ratings


More shows like Today In History with The Retrospectors

View all
Answer Me This! by Helen and Olly

Answer Me This!

824 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,138 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,916 Listeners

Comedy of the Week by BBC Radio 4

Comedy of the Week

493 Listeners

RHLSTP with Richard Herring by Sky Potato, Go Faster Stripe and Fuzz Productions

RHLSTP with Richard Herring

370 Listeners

No Such Thing As A Fish by No Such Thing As A Fish

No Such Thing As A Fish

4,842 Listeners

The Modern Mann by Olly Mann

The Modern Mann

145 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

822 Listeners

The Week Unwrapped - with Olly Mann by The Week Unwrapped

The Week Unwrapped - with Olly Mann

77 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

374 Listeners

Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster by Plosive

Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster

2,782 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

2,965 Listeners

What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel by WTF Productions

What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel

103 Listeners

Firecrotch & Normcore: THEY LIKE TO WATCH by Sara Barron/Geoff Lloyd

Firecrotch & Normcore: THEY LIKE TO WATCH

115 Listeners

We Can Be Weirdos by Global

We Can Be Weirdos

201 Listeners