Maya calendar systems and the history of Tenochtitlan

The Maya civilization utilized a sophisticated system of interconnected calendars and almanacs, with the Long Count calendar beginning in 3114 BCE. This system reflects a cyclical concept of time. While New Age interpretations suggested a cataclysmic event would occur at the end of a cycle on December 21, 2012, researchers clarify that for the Maya, this period marked the end of one cycle and the celebration of a new beginning.

In historical developments, the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan was founded in 1325 on an island in Lake Texcoco, following a prophecy involving an eagle eating a snake on a cactus. The city grew into one of the largest in the world, with a population exceeding 200,000, before it was conquered by Spanish conquistadors in 1521.