Year zero
Year zero does not exist in the anno Domini system usually used to number years in the Gregorian calendar and in its predecessor, the Julian calendar. In this system, the year is followed by . However, there is a year zero in astronomical year numbering (where it coincides with the Julian year ) and in ISO 8601:2004 (where it coincides with the Gregorian year ) as well as in all Buddhist and Hindu calendars.
0
Since the eight earliest Long Count dates appear outside the Maya homeland, it is generally believed that the use of zero in the Americas predated the Maya and was possibly the invention of the Olmecs. Many of the earliest Long Count dates were found within the Olmec heartland, although the Olmec civilization ended by the , several centuries before the earliest known Long Count dates.