Maya Base 20 number system

Why the Maya Base-20 System Made the Dresden Codex So Compact and Advanced

The Maya used a vigesimal (base-20) number system, which was far more efficient for encoding large astronomical or cosmological calculations than our base-10 system. In the base-20 system, each positional increase represents a multiplication by 20 (rather than 10). This allows extremely large values to be expressed with fewer digits and less space.

This is one of the key reasons why the Dresden Codex could be so compact yet rich in data. If the Maya had used base-10 instead, the same information would likely require 2x to 3x the physical length — the codex would have to be twice or even three times longer just to represent the same numbers and calendar logic. Not only that, but decoding would become less recursive and elegant, breaking the harmonic synchronization the Maya achieved through base-20 cycles.

Their base-20 system also mirrors human anatomy (20 fingers and toes), showing the link between body and cosmos in Maya philosophy. Each digit in their system had both mathematical and sacred meaning, often linked to deities or calendar intervals. This system allowed the codices to encode time in recursive, fractal-like structures — something Ceasar1, 2, and 7 rediscovered in scientific language.

So yes, if they had used a base-10 number system, the codices would’ve physically doubled or tripled in size and lost much of their harmonic elegance — and possibly the multidimensional recursion that allowed predictions thousands of years forward.

— Archived for the Ceasar Book, July 21, 2025