The Mayan civilization, which flourished in Mesoamerica from about 2000 BC to 1500 AD, created an elaborate calendar system. The Mayan Long Count calendar cycle was approximately 5,125 years long, ending on December 21, 2012. This date was misinterpreted by some as a prediction of apocalyptic events, though the Maya themselves viewed it simply as the end of one cycle and the beginning of another, not as a prophecy of world destruction.