Was the symbol post-classical Mayans used to represent zero really derived from a depiction of a turtle shell?
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I've done some further research, and I'd like to post my findings in a form of an answer.
I could not find any authoritative source mentioning the symbol is a turtle shell, so that section in the Wikipedia article should probably be revised.
Throughout their history, the Mayans used different symbols for zero. In the Classic period, they used the Quatrefoil, Shell-in-hand, and a Head variant. In the Postclassic period (Dresden Codex) they used various seashell symbols (see pictures here). There's also a simpler, more informal form, found on the walls of Structure 10K-2 at Xultun (source)
The earliest source I can find that make the connection between the pointed, oval-shape symbol for zero and seashells is Animal Figures in the Maya Codices (Tozzer and Allen, 1910): "the glyphs for various molluscs which are used not to represent the shell but to give the value of zero to the numerical calculations." See Plate 1.
For examples of the shells used, page 64 of the Dresden codex (shown below and page 49 from here) gives two different symbols for zero, with one looking clearly like a seashell.
They further deduce that the oval-shaped symbol is that of the Oliva (olive) seashell. "This is doubtless a species of Oliva, a marine shell. Mr. Charles W. Johnson informs us that O. reticulata is the species occurring on the Yucatan shores, while O. splendidula is found in other parts of the Gulf of Mexico".
Note: O. reticulata is found in the Indian and Pacific Ocean, so it is doubtful this is the correct species. It is probably more likely to be the Lettered Olive, which is common in the Yucatan. O. splendidula has been reclassified recently. This species can be found in the Gulf Of California so is another possible candidate.
Upvote:-3
To me it's always looked like a closed fist. The dots are fingertips. The bar is the side of the hand (5 fingers outstretched)
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I am an oyster aquaculturist. I believe they use sea shells for zero because it has to do with the way the Fibonacci sequence is expressed along a shell. This is especially true for oysters. If you follow the curve of the shell from newest to oldest growth, the point of origin for the shell lies outside of the physical shell. So 0 is the starting point of a number line just like the place of origin for a shell is a starting point and also nothing or an absence of shell. That's really the first time I wrote that out and it's incredibly hard to explain without visuals.
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