💭No. 07💭 Cicadas and the Maya Civilization
🪲Thought Experiment - Thirteen Hypotheses on the Cycle of Life: Cultural Transmission from the Origin of North American Period Cicadas to the Sacred Number 13 in the Mesoamerican Calendar.
An Interdisciplinary Examination of Natural Observation, Oral Tradition, and Calendar Structure.
(🪲思想実験 - 生命循環の十三仮説：北米周期蝉起源からメゾアメリカ暦の神聖数13への文化的伝播)
20251229_Ver19
ヨモツシコX(@YomotsushikoX)
Preface
This paper proposes the “Thirteen Hypothesis of Life Cycles,” which posits that the sacredness of the number 13 in Mesoamerican calendars and myths (particularly within Maya civilization) originates from observations of the 13-year mass emergence of North American cicadas (genus Magicicada).
The core of this hypothesis lies in tracing the origin of the number's sacredness not to traditional abstract concepts, but to observable biological cyclical phenomena.
It posits that groups migrating south via the Bering Strait at the end of the Pleistocene (approximately 15,000 years ago) transitioned from the prime number scarcity environment of Siberia before crossing the sea to the rich cyclical phenomena of the New World.
There, they witnessed the “rebirth after silence” of the 13-year cicada.
It is hypothesized that they transmitted this as a symbol of life's cycle through oral tradition.
During adaptation to tropical Mesoamerica, the motif transformed into jade cicada amulets and the Tzolk'in calendar (260 days = 13×20), scaling up to the 52-year cycle (13×4) and the long-count calendar's 13 baktun (approximately 5,126 years).
Synchronization with perceived lifespan (median ≈50 years) is noted, interpreting the 2012 digital information revolution as a modern “rebirth.”
Archaeological evidence is indirect, but examples of oral tradition persistence (e.g., Aboriginal 10,000-year epic) and biological distribution support the hypothesis.
This hypothesis prompts a reconsideration of the dynamics of environmental transition—like the cicada's cry from the earth, ancient observations are resurrected in the myth of numbers.
This hypothesis represents the first attempt to trace the cognitive chain of cultural symbol formation, starting from the concrete biological phenomenon of the cicada.
I. Introduction
In Mesoamerican civilizations, particularly the Maya calendar system, the number 13 recurs as a symbol of sacred “completion and rebirth”—manifesting in the celestial hierarchy (13 layers), the numeric wheel of the Tzolk'in calendar (1–13), the 52-year cycle (13×4), and the 13 baktun of the Long Count calendar.
Conventional interpretations (e.g., the 13 human joints or the 260-day gestation period ≈ 13×20) lean heavily toward physical and practical aspects, failing to adequately explain the deeper cultural origins.
The theory derived from the gestation period inherently involves a leap from the “number of the body (20)” to the “number of the cosmos (13)”.
Questioning this point led me to construct this hypothesis.
This hypothesis offers a more natural, stepwise cognitive chain model: originating from the 13-year mass emergence of North American periodical cicadas, it subsequently universalized through sequential recognition linked to sunflowers (spatial laws) and lunar cycles (celestial laws).
This hypothesis constructs the “Thirteen Hypothesis of Life's Cycle,” originating from the 13-year mass emergence of North American periodical cicadas.
It posits that late glacial migratory groups transitioned from the prime number scarcity environment (seasonal repetition center) of Siberia before crossing the sea to the rich cyclical phenomena of the New World. They mythologized the cicada phenomenon as the “mysterious rhythm of life,” integrating it into Mesoamerican cosmology during their southward migration.
While 17-year cicadas also exist in North America, the number 17 lacks sacred significance in Mesoamerican calendars, reinforcing this hypothesis's geographical basis (predominance of the southern 13-year type). The mathematical aspect that the 17-year type is less compatible with the vigesimal (base-20) number system also suggests selectivity by the southward-migrating groups.
This special status of 13 is also seen in the shared ambivalence of numbers across Old World cultures, suggesting that numerals globally function as mirrors reflecting the mysteries of nature and life.
However, this hypothesis focuses on the transmission dynamics driven by environmental changes during the southward migration from Siberia to North America. Its unique specificity lies in how, while 13 remained symbolic and ritualistic in the Old World, it evolved into the very foundation of calendars and cosmologies in Mesoamerica.
The hypothesis holds dual significance:
① It suggests the sacredness of the number likely arose not from abstract astronomical or agricultural observations, but from easily observable natural phenomena (the 13-year cicada cycle, observable 3-4 times within a 50-year span).
② It substantiates the mechanism of cultural transmission through biological evidence (cicada distribution) and oral tradition persistence (spanning millennia). The details, evidence, and implications of the hypothesis are discussed below.
II. Details of the Hypothesis: The Thirteen Constructions of the Life Cycle.
2.1 Origin: Observations and Mythologization of North American Periodical Cicadas.
2.1.1 From the Siberian Environment to North America.
During the late Pleistocene (approximately 2 million to 10,000 years ago), eastern Siberia before sea crossing was a high-latitude, cold, arid tundra-taiga zone.
Natural cycles were dominated by seasonal repetition (12 months of polar night/white night, animal migrations, river ice-melt floods).
Isolated rhythms emphasizing prime numbers (13) were rare, and plant Fibonacci structures (pinecone scales of 5, 8, 13) were visually inconspicuous, indicating a weak foundation for cultural numerical awareness.
Meanwhile, the route taken during the southward migration into North America (via the Bering Strait) overlapped with the distribution range of the 13-year cicada (genus Magicicada) (Mississippi River basin to northern Texas), allowing observation of the southern 13-year pattern: “13 years underground dormancy → explosive emergence and regeneration.”
◆ Mythologized as the “Cycle of Life”
The Hopi cicada (maahu) became a motif of healing ancestors and guides, while in Navajo creation myths it served as a scout.
The stark contrast with Siberia's monotony imprinted this extraordinary phenomenon vividly in memory. Crucially, 13 is a prime number cycle, rarely aligning with other natural rhythms. Its isolated precision was perceived as a sacred rhythm transcending human calculation.
The mathematical impracticality of the 17-year cycle within the vigesimal system (17×20=340 days, differing by about 25 days from the solar year) may also have reinforced the preference for 13.
2.1.2 Two-Stage North American Migration
It is generally explained that human migration southward into the North American continent primarily utilized the Pacific coastline.
However, the discovery of 23,000-year-old footprints in New Mexico (White Sands) strongly suggests humans likely ventured into the central and eastern parts of the North American continent at a much earlier stage.
Mammoth Hunting Bases:
In the middle Mississippi River basin (present-day Missouri, etc.), stone tools used by humans have been discovered alongside mastodon (large elephant) bones dating to around 13,000 years ago (e.g., Kimswick site).
Expansion of Settlement:
As the glaciers began retreating, humans rapidly spread deep into the North American continent, following the rich tributaries of the Mississippi River (such as the Ohio and Missouri Rivers).
The Mississippi River, with its vast watershed, traversed the North American continent from north to south. For ancient humans, it served as both a “superhighway” for migration and a “hub of survival” providing abundant food resources (freshwater fish, shellfish, animals).
Considering that groups lingered in that region for a time, acquired the 13-year cicada as a core experience → then migrated southward (or spread through trade with the south), this interpretation is by no means a leap of imagination when comparing it solely to the facts.
2.1.3 Auditory Experience Hypothesis
What groups encountered during their southward advance in North America was not merely a visual mass emergence.
What deserves special mention is surely the auditory shock, akin to the “cry of the earth.”
In stark contrast to the silent, ice-bound environment of Siberia, the sound pressure when North America's 13-year cicadas begin chirping simultaneously reaches 90 decibels (equivalent to a subway car or thunder).
This experience, where silence is suddenly shattered once every 13 years and the earth trembles for weeks, naturally led ancient peoples to believe that “the gods beneath the earth have awakened and are commanding the world.” It's not hard to imagine how this instilled a profound sense of awe.
The number “13” was likely not merely a counting object, but rather an inescapable “sound memory” deeply imprinted into the very rhythm (rhyme) of oral tradition itself.
2.2 Southward Migration and Cultural Adaptation
The southward group (Mesoamerican ancestors) passed through the habitat of the 13-year cicada, eliminating influence from the 17-year type (northern remnant group).
Cultural traces in intermediate regions along the southward route (Texas to northern Mexico)—e.g., early Olmec-style symbolic carvings—suggest a bridging role for cicada motifs.
2.2.1 Motif Abstraction in Tropical Mesoamerica (Lacking Period Cicadas)
Transformed into jade cicada amulets (symbolizing soul rebirth in funerals).
Linked to Popol Vuh's view of life and death (the hero twins' underworld challenge), solidifying 13 as the 13 layers of the celestial realm.
Furthermore, it is speculated that the Fibonacci-like spiral patterns of 13 or 21 segments appearing in sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus), native to North America, and pinecone seed rows, served to flesh out and extend the “Law of Thirteen” derived from cicadas into spatial order.
In Mimbres pottery from the southwestern United States, insects and specific plants (Datura) are depicted together, serving as symbols of trance and transformation.
Thus, the symbolic combination ‘Insect + Plant = Transformation/Crossing Boundaries’ itself is a pattern that actually exists on the American continent.
Sunflowers, in particular, possess heliotropism—the ability to follow the sun's movement—embodying a gentle prayer tracing the sun's orbit. This made them intuitively revered as “plants embodying celestial laws on earth,” reinforcing the conviction that the Law of Thirteen was not merely an insect cycle but a universal truth woven into solar deities and cosmic geometry.
In Inca and Aztec temple decorations, gold sunflower offerings were used as tributes to the sun god, suggesting this plant's sacredness was directly linked to the calendar's solar tracking concept.
Unlike cicada cycles, these plants' spirals are visually static, making them potential pictorial teaching aids for orally transmitting the “13 forms.”
Considering the irregular cycles of other cicadas inhabiting Mesoamerica, the jade cicada amulets functioned as abstract symbols of “rebirth,” though one possible explanation for their roots is the memory of the North American period cicada's precise 13-year cycle.
This represents a classic case of “cicada worship in cicada-free lands,” historically transforming into regional substitute motifs (e.g., Aesop's fable “The Ant and the Cicada” replaced with “The Ant and the Grasshopper” in cicada-free areas) and shifting from concrete insect imagery to the “concept of thirteen cycles.”
As an example of cultural localization, it parallels the pattern where Aesop's fable “The Ant and the Cicada” (original cigale = cicada) was replaced locally with the grasshopper—just as the cicada's “cry” adapts its form to the environment while preserving its essence.
2.2.2 Emergence from the Underworld
The memory of cicadas brought from North America deepened within Mesoamerican religious soil, transforming from mere insects into living teaching tools illustrating the “process of soul transformation.”
This transformation shows a striking biological parallel with the story of the hero twins' descent into the underworld (Xibalba) and rebirth in the Mayan sacred text, the Popol Vuh.
Underground Latency and Xibalba: The cicada larva's ecology, spending long years (13 years) in the dark earth, parallels the heroes' period enduring trials in the underworld. The earth is not merely soil, but the “realm of the dead” where the past and ancestors rest.
Shedding and the Empty Shell: The sight of the cicada emerging above ground and shedding its old shell (exoskeleton) visually embodies the concept of “leaving the physical body (corpse) behind in the mortal world while the soul alone is set free.”
Flight and Rebirth: The adult insect shedding its shell and soaring skyward with transparent wings embodies the very image of the heroic twins who defeated the lord of the underworld, ascended to heaven, and became the sun and moon.
Shouldn't the jade cicada amulets unearthed at sites like the Palenque ruins be interpreted within this context?
Green jade symbolizes “water, life, and permanence.”
Thus, by replacing the ephemeral insect carcass with an eternal stone, it embodies the promise of resurrection: “Like the cicada, our souls too shall surely rise from the underground darkness and ascend to the heavens.”
The concept of returning from the underworld is visible in ancient civilizations worldwide.
The cycle of “burrowing underground → emerging transformed” becomes a deeply ingrained memory, directly linked to views on life and death.
Thus, 13 becomes sacred not as a “calculation,” but as the “waiting time until return.”
2.2.3 The “Law of 13” Piercing Heaven and Earth: The Contrast of Cicadas (Time) and Sunflowers (Space).
In addition to the memory of cicadas (the 13 of time), the southward-migrating group discovered the geometry found in plants (the 13 of space) in their new land.
Notably, this included the sunflower (Helianthus annuus).
These two entities may have determined the “completion of the vertical axis” in the Mayan cosmos.
Ancient sages (shamans) must have been awestruck by the fact that both life emerging from the earth (the cicada) and plants gazing skyward (the sunflower) are governed by the same mathematical principle (the Fibonacci sequence) of “13.”
This became physical proof of “As above, so below,” instilling the conviction that “whether the dead beneath the earth or the gods above the heavens, every layer of the cosmos is permeated by a single law (13).”
This realization became the philosophical pillar of the concept of the World Tree (Wakan Chan), which spans the celestial, terrestrial, and underworld realms, elevating 13 from a mere lucky number to the very blueprint of the cosmos.
2.3 Integration into the Calendar
2.3.1 The Cycle of Scale-Up
Tzolkin (260 days)
13×20= Harmony between humanity (20) and the cosmos (13).
Pregnancy period≈260 days represents an individual's mini-cycle of rebirth.
Furthermore, the Tzolkin's 13×20 structure aligns with the Fibonacci sequence (13→21→34) frequently found in nature, embodying the incorporation of cosmic mathematical order into the calendar system.Long Count Calendar (13 baktun)
≈5,126 years = Completion of Creation. The December 21, 2012 (13.0.0.0.0) cycle end is interpreted as the “New Era.”
The “explosion after silence” of 13 represents a reset of human wisdom on a lifespan scale (52 years ≈ one generation).
2.3.2 Survival Strategy Logic
Biologically, the periodic cicada's selection of the prime number (13) may be seen as a strategy to avoid synchronizing with predator emergence cycles, thereby maximizing the species' survival probability.
Ancient observers, of course, lacked the mathematical concept of “prime numbers.”
Yet it is not unreasonable to think they intuitively grasped the fact that “only these creatures, adhering to the 13-year cycle, have prospered without ever facing extinction.”
Thus, incorporating the number 13 into calendars (the Tzolk'in) and architecture in Mesoamerica may not have been mere worship.
It could well have been an imitative magic—a desperate survival strategy—
believing that “by aligning with the 13-cycle, one could escape the fate of extinction (predation or disaster) like the cicada and achieve rebirth.”
The 17-year cycle was likely not chosen because, in addition to its incompatibility with the vigesimal system, the number 13 functioned as a more familiar “guardian number” for their survival cycle at the time.
2.4 The 13 Engraved in Heaven and Body
2.4.1 The Resonance Number of Cosmos and Life
The triple resonance of 13 full moons per year, 13 menstrual cycles per year, and a 260-day pregnancy (13×20) is decisive evidence that 13 functions as the intersection of “Heaven's 13” and “Body's 13.”
The fact that the lunar cycle (approx. 29.5 days) repeats about 13 times per solar year (365 days), and the female menstrual cycle (approx. 28 days) also occurs about 13 times per year, decisively reinforced the belief that 13 governs the fundamental cycles of the cosmos and the individual—the movement of celestial bodies and the abundance of life.
This connection to the feminine resonated with lunar goddesses of the Old World (e.g., Greek Artemis, Inca Mama Quilla), establishing thirteen as a universal symbol of regeneration.
The resonance between the “Heavenly Thirteen” and the “Bodily Thirteen” sanctified thirteen as “the sole number where celestial and human rhythms align.”
Symbols of 13 recur in the Maya moon goddess Ixchel and the Aztec moon goddess Coyolxauhqui.
Ixchel, in particular, is linked to 13 as the “Midwife, Moon, and Weaving Goddess,” projecting the 13-day menstrual cycle onto the spiral patterns of textiles, emphasizing the resonance between celestial and bodily rhythms.
The Dresden Codex's moon goddess illustration depicts a serpent's body folded thirteen times, interpreted as visualizing the waxing and waning moon as a textile rhythm.
→ 13 = The number of harmony between heaven and earth, the pulse of life.
2.4.2 Milestones in Life
A 13-year cycle is considered an ideal length for the rhythm of a human lifetime.
This concept aligns with the 12-year cycle seen in the Eastern zodiac.
For instance, 17 years is too long, reducing the number of personal life experiences.
Even living 50 years yields only 2-3 cycles, whereas 13 years allows for 3-4 cycles.
The natural choice for facilitating the “intragenerational transmission” of rituals is thus 13.
Humans would not have maintained beliefs for millennia based solely on reasons like “12 is a convenient number” or “13×20 is practical.”
The calendar is not a calculator; it is a memory device.
12–13 years old (Signs of Aspiration/Coming-of-Age)
Reviewing records from around the world reveals that from ancient to medieval times, performing a “coming-of-age ceremony” around ages 12 to 15 was a common cultural practice across humanity.
The age around 13 marks a suitable transition point as the body dramatically shifts from child to adult, coinciding with the “first awareness” of emerging social responsibilities.24–26 years old (Reproduction and Responsibility)
The period approaching life's peak.
Considering historical average lifespans and marriage ages, 24–26 is when the biological and social mission of “raising the next generation as a parent” truly begins.36–39 (Society's Pillars / Completion)
The period before reaching the age of “not being confused” (40), when experience and ability peak.
A symbolic time of being in one's prime working years, guiding juniors and acting as the core of a group.48–52 (Succession and Transformation)
A period where physical strength declines, yet wisdom and experience reach their zenith.
In eras like the Warring States or Edo periods, this marked the entrance to life's “twilight years”—preparing to hand over the family estate or stepping back from the front lines to shift into a “guardian” role.
2.5 Verification Framework for the “Cicada Origin Hypothesis”: Archaeology of Organic Matter Culture and the Cognitive Chain Model
The core of this hypothesis, the “Periodic Cicada Origin Hypothesis,” inherently faces the challenge that its origin lies in organic matter (insect remains and plants). This makes it fundamentally difficult to detect using traditional archaeological investigation methods, which primarily focus on stone and pottery.
To establish a verifiable academic framework for this hypothesis, this chapter examines the limitations of conventional “inorganic-focused archaeology” and proposes two methodological approaches to support it: the “Cognitive Chain Model” and the “Archaeology of Organic Matter Culture.”
2.5.1 Limitations of Conventional Research: Inorganic-Focused Archaeology
Traditional research on Mesoamerican mathematical concepts has inevitably relied on “persistent remains” such as stelae, pottery, and structures.
While this is an inherent constraint of archaeology, it has simultaneously introduced significant bias.
Specifically, because it involves reverse-engineering from the “final form inscribed on inorganic materials,” the “organic emergence and growth” of cultural processes becomes difficult to discern.
Conventional Approach: Stone Monument 13 → Abstraction from Celestial and Bodily Observations
This Hypothesis' Approach: The 13-Year Rhythm of Living Cicadas → Reinforcement through Plant Observations → Integration into the Calendar System
This “Cognitive Chain Model” suggests that the mystique of numbers develops as a dynamic process linking multiple lived experiences.
2.5.2 Innovation of This Hypothesis as a “Cognitive Chain Model”
This hypothesis presents not merely an origin theory, but a new model of the cognitive process by which cultural symbols are formed.
2.5.2.1 The Process of Cognitive Chains
① Intense Primary Experience (Mass Cicada Emergence): An extraordinary phenomenon that strongly appeals to emotions becomes the “core.”
② Routine Verification (Plant Spirals): The concept (13) gained from the primary experience is “rediscovered” in everyday observable objects, reinforcing the concept.
③ Integration into Systems (Calendars/Cosmology): The reinforced concept connects with existing knowledge systems (astronomy, mathematics), becoming abstracted and universalized.
This model provides a natural answer to the question “Why 13?” that aligns with psychology.
It is not “because it's convenient,” but “because it connects to an unforgettable experience and can be confirmed everywhere in the world.”
2.5.2.2 Leap in Conventional Origin Theories
◆ Validity as a “Cognitive Chain Model”
The derivation theory from the gestation period involves a large leap from “the number of body parts (20)” to “the number of the universe (13)”.
In contrast, this hypothesis explains the process of developing a worldview by tracing a logical and natural, multi-stage chain: from “the law of time (cicadas)” through “the law of space (sunflowers)” to “the law of heaven (sun and moon)”.
◆ Emphasis on Multiple Proofs (The Mediating Role of the Sunflower)
The cicada's cycle teaches the “mystery of time,” while sunflowers tracking the sun and the waxing and waning moon serve as mediators for the “law of heaven.”
This chain distinguishes itself from conventional abstract numerological mysticism, modeling how a grand cosmic view develops from concrete ecological observations.
2.5.3 Methodological Response to Anticipated Objections: Overcoming “Lack of Physical Evidence”
We acknowledge the primary objection to this hypothesis lies in the absence of physical evidence directly linking cicadas and the number 13.
However, this reflects not a weakness of the hypothesis, but rather the inherent “detection limits for organic cultural remains” inherent to archaeology as a discipline.
Traces of Organic Culture: Wood carvings, feather ornaments, plant-based rituals, oral narratives—most of these vanish within centuries.
Traces of Inorganic Culture: Stone monuments, pottery, metal artifacts—only these endure for millennia.
We can only view the past through the “filter of inorganic materials.”
Therefore, interpretations relying solely on inorganic materials represent only a fragment of culture—an “archaeology of finished products.”
This hypothesis attempts to reconstruct the living culture that existed before this filter—an “archaeology of processes.”
2.5.4 Conclusion: Toward an Archaeology of Organic Culture
The true significance of this hypothesis lies not merely in identifying the origin of Mesoamerica's “13,” but in prompting a methodological shift to understand human cultural creativity beyond the framework of inorganic materials.
If the chirping of cicadas transformed into the numbers on stelae, archaeology must have the courage to actively infer not only “what remained,” but also “what was destined to vanish.”
This is a challenging proposal that questions our very imagination of the past.
This model is considered applicable to the study of other cultural symbols.
Egyptian scarab: dung-rolling → evolution into a symbol of solar motion
Japan's eight million gods: natural phenomena → spirit worship → development into systematic Shinto
Celtic spiral patterns: observation of water flow → sublimation into cosmic symbols
III. Scientific and Cultural Evidence
Biological Evidence
Cicada Evolution: Pleistocene climate pressures caused 13/17-year divergence (southern 13-year dominant). Aligns with migration timing.
Observability: Major swarms occur 3-4 times per 50 years. Easier to observe than celestial cycles (Venus' 584-day cycle), enabling sacred veneration.
Cultural Evidence
North American Mythology: Hopi/Onondaga cicadas = symbol of rebirth. Oral tradition persistence: e.g., Aboriginal 10,000-year epic.
Mayan Adaptation: Jade cicada excavated (Palenque ruins). Absence of sacredness in 17 (merely a practical number).
Lifespan Synchrony: Average lifespan 20-30 years (including infant mortality) vs. median 40-50 years. Similar to the sense conveyed in Atsumori's “Human life spans but fifty years.”
IV. Discussion and Implications
This hypothesis redefines the sacredness of numbers not as “retroactive adaptation” but as a dynamic process born from ancient natural observation.
Its limitation lies in the lack of confirmed inscriptions or patterns directly linking cicadas and the number 13; the scarcity of physical evidence is its greatest weakness.
This also ironically symbolizes the ephemeral nature of oral traditions.
Therefore, I attempted to introduce the perspective of “organic material culture.”
The origins of cultural symbols often depend on organic materials, making them difficult to preserve in archaeological records. An indirect evidence convergence approach is thus effective for verifying this hypothesis.
The following research approaches are effective for future investigation:
Rock art surveys in southern North America (systematic analysis of cicada-related motifs)
Comparative studies of extant oral traditions (comparison between periodic cicada distribution and non-distribution areas)
Analysis of calendar patterns in plant motifs (correlation between sunflower spirals and calendar structures)
The 13 baktun transition point manifested not as a physical end, but as a stage shift in humanity's cognitive/information processing capacity (intelligence).
The 2012 smartphone proliferation (36% global share) and AI breakthrough (AlexNet) symbolize “information reincarnation” as individual-level information democratization and intelligence augmentation.
This hypothesis suggests a striking similarity between the modern concept of information recycling and regeneration in the digital age and ancient ideas of life cycles.
The 13-year cicada's accumulation and simultaneous release of information underground can be reinterpreted as a metaphor resonating with modern AI deep learning and knowledge emergence.
Future Research: DNA analysis for evidence of southern groups' North American stay, or AI simulations for oral tradition transformation models—these might recreate the moment cicada chirps become the pulse of the calendar.
Conclusion
The “Thirteen Hypothesis of Life's Cycle” offers a meta-perspective positioning the 13-year rhythm of periodical cicadas as originating from Mesoamerica's Thirteen.
It demonstrates humanity's creativity in inscribing life's mysteries into numbers and evokes the romance of cultural transmission.
If thirteen is not mere coincidence but the very breath of the cosmos, humanity may have been listening to the voice of life through numbers since ancient times.
The cicada's chirping transformed into the pulse of the calendar.
Thought Experiment End
References
Kritsky, G. (2004). Periodical Cicadas: The Plague and the Beauty. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Malotki, E. (1993). Hopi Tales of Destruction: Stories of the Grand Canyon. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
Milbrath, S. (1999). Star Gods of the Maya: Astronomy in Art, Folklore, and Calendars. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Nunn, P. D., & Reid, N. J. (2016). Aboriginal Memories of Inundation of the Australian Coast Dating from More than 7000 Years Ago. Australian Geographer, 47(1), 11–47.
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors We Live By. University of Chicago Press.
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