the mayan calendar is a system of different calendars and almanacs used by the mayan civilization in mesoamerica during the pre-columbian period. these calendars synchronize with each other in complex ways and are closely integrated to form broader and longer-term cycles. in 2012, american archaeologists discovered the oldest mayan celestial table in a mayan cultural site in guatemala, recording celestial phenomena and calendars. the calendar continues for more than 7,000 years, overturning the "end of the world theory in 2012".