Dresden Codex

The Dresden Codex is a pre-Columbian Maya screenfold manuscript, one of four surviving Maya codices. Its tables record astronomical cycles, including those of Venus and the Moon.

Maya codices: Maya codices are screenfold books made from bark paper or other materials and written in Maya hieroglyphs. The Dresden Codex belongs to this small surviving corpus of Maya books.
Venus cycle: The Venus cycle is the sequence of visibility phases produced by Venus’s orbit as seen from Earth. The codex’s Venus table tracks recurring appearances and disappearances of the planet.
Maya civilization: Maya civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization whose history spans ancient cities, writing, art, and scientific traditions. The codex emerged from the intellectual and scribal traditions of Maya civilization.
Dresden Codex Venus table: The Dresden Codex Venus table is a set of calculations tracking the planet’s recurring visibility phases. It is the codex’s best-known astronomical table and a landmark Maya calculation.
Maya astronomy: Maya astronomy is the observation and calendrical interpretation of celestial bodies in Maya societies. The codex is a major source for understanding Maya astronomical calculation.
Maya hieroglyphic writing: Maya hieroglyphic writing combines logograms and syllabic signs to record language and names. Its signs carry the manuscript’s dates, deities, and written annotations.
Lunar eclipse prediction: Lunar eclipse prediction estimates when the Moon will pass through Earth’s shadow. A table in the codex marks intervals associated with possible lunar eclipses.
Postclassic Maya period: The Postclassic Maya period followed the Classic period and lasted until the Spanish conquest, with regional centers across the Maya area. The codex is generally associated with the late Postclassic tradition of Maya manuscript production.
Dresden Codex lunar table: The Dresden Codex lunar table records a sequence of lunar intervals associated with eclipse possibilities. It demonstrates the manuscript’s attention to lunar cycles and eclipse seasons.
Maya mathematics: Maya mathematics used a vigesimal place-value system, including a symbol for zero. The codex preserves numerical methods applied to long astronomical intervals.

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