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Mayan numeration systemThe Mayan numeration system evolved around A.D. 300. It uses 3 basic numerals to represent any possible number: a dot for one, a horizontal bar for 5, and a conch shell for zero.   Initially, the base used in the Mayan numeration system was base 20 and their place values were 1, 20, 202,203, ... Then, they changed their place values to 1, 20, 20 × 18, 202 × 18, 203× 18, ... Using the base 20, 1, 20, 202,203, ..., we can write 20 as follow:  Still using a base of 20, we can write 100 as follow:  Here is how to represent 2007  How do we know which number is in what place value?. This is complicated part in the Mayan numeration system Starting from the bottom, a place value must have a number from the list above(1-19) Tease your brain with the following number. What is it?   The number is: 14 + 7 × 20 + 1 × 202 + 3 × 20 3 + 0 × 20 4 + 15 × 20 5 + 5 × 20 6 The number is 14 + 140 + 1 × 400 + 3 × 8,000 + 0 + 15 × 3,200,000 + 5× 64,000,000 The number is = 14 + 140 + 400 + 24,000 + 0 + 48,000,000 + 320,000,000 = 368024554 With the base 1, 20, 20 × 18, 202 × 18, 203× 18, ... computation is done the exact same way!  Group as shown below:  The number is 11 × 1 + 1 × 20 + 10 × 20 × 18 = 11 + 20 + 3600 = 3631 No doubt, the Mayan mumeration system was sophisticated
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