Earliest Long Counts
The earliest Long Count inscription yet discovered is on Stela 2 at Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas, Mexico, showing a date of 36 BCE. This table lists the six artifacts with the eight oldest Long Counts according to Vincent H. Malmström.
| Archaeological site | Name | Gregorian date | Long Count | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiapa de Corzo | Stela 2 | December 6, 36 BCE | 7.16.3.2.13 | Chiapas, Mexico |
| Tres Zapotes | Stela C | September 1, 32 BCE | 7.16.6.16.18 | Veracruz, Mexico |
| El Baúl | Stela 1 | March 2, 37 CE | 7.19.15.7.12 | Guatemala |
| Abaj Takalik | Stela 5 | May 19, 103 CE | 8.3.2.10.15 | Guatemala |
| Abaj Takalik | Stela 5 | June 3, 126 CE | 8.4.5.17.11 | Guatemala |
| La Mojarra | Stela 1 | May 19, 143 CE | 8.5.3.3.5 | Veracruz, Mexico |
| La Mojarra | Stela 1 | July 11, 156 CE | 8.5.16.9.7 | Veracruz, Mexico |
| Near La Mojarra | Tuxtla Statuette | March 12, 162 CE | 8.6.2.4.17 | Veracruz, Mexico |
Of the six sites, three are on the western edge of the Maya homeland and three are several hundred kilometers further west, leading most researchers to believe that the Long Count calendar predates the Maya. La Mojarra Stela 1, the Tuxtla Statuette, Tres Zapotes Stela C, and Chiapa Stela 2 are all inscribed in an Epi-Olmec, not Maya, style. El Baúl Stela 2, on the other hand, was created in the Izapan style. The first unequivocally Maya artifact is Stela 29 from Tikal, with the Long Count date of 292 CE (8.12.14.8.15), more than 300 years after Stela 2 from Chiapa de Corzo.
Read more about this topic: Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar
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