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Mesoamerican Astronomy: The History of Celestial Observations Made by the Maya, Aztec, and Inca
Many ancient civilizations have influenced and inspired people in the 21st century, and the Greeks and Romans continue to fascinate the West today, but of all the world’s civilizations, none have intrigued people more than the Mayans, whose culture, astronomy, language, and mysterious disappearance all continue to captivate people. In the past decade especially, there has been a renewed focus on the Mayans, whose advanced calendar led many to speculate the world would end on the same date the Mayan calendar ended in 2012.
For the Maya, astronomy was not a purely scientific pursuit but intimately linked to religious, mythological, and ideological elements that were of the highest importance. The celestial realm held a sacred nature, as did the many gods and goddesses that dwelt there, so for all Mesoamerican cultures, astronomy was a fundamental part of their everyday lives. Thus, astronomy was present in their calendars, religion, and even agriculture, and in close relation to astronomy, the concept of time was also an essential part of their worldview. The Maya recorded time on almost every surface they could, including lintels, cornices, panels, stelae, friezes, ceramics, and paper. This insistence on capturing dates has led many scholars to suggest the Maya were obsessed with time. The Maya had some of the most advanced astronomical measurements in the world, and their work built upon thousands of years, spanning from around 2500 BCE until the the arrival of the Spanish in 1519.
Unlike the Maya, the Aztecs are not widely viewed or remembered with nuance, in part because their own leader burned extant Aztec writings and rewrote a mythologized history explaining his empire’s dominance less than a century before the Spanish arrived. Naturally, Cortes and other Spaniards depicted the Aztecs as savages greatly in need of conversion to Catholicism. While the Maya are remembered for their astronomy, numeral system, and calendar, the Aztecs have primarily been remembered in a far narrower way, despite continuing to be a source of pride to Mexicans through the centuries.
The Aztec recorded many of the astronomical events they observed in codices and hieroglyphic inscriptions, but the main evidence of their deep astronomical knowledge comes from their calendar system. This information was then used to plan the orientation of buildings and ceremonial centers, which were aligned to sunrises or sunsets corresponding to special dates, such as solstices or equinoxes. Observational calendars were also used to schedule agricultural activities, as well as rituals, festivals, and celebrations.
Though the Spanish physically conquered them in quick fashion, the culture and legacy of the Inca Empire has continued to endure throughout the centuries in both Europe and South America, due in no small part to the fact they were one of the most advanced and sophisticated cultures on the continent. Like the Aztecs, the Spanish burned much of the Inca’s extant writings, but it is estimated that as many as 35 million once fell under their banner, and the empire’s administrative skills were so sharp that they kept accurate census records. Their religion, organization, and laws were also effectively centralized and tied to the rulers of the empire, and their military mobilization would have made the ancient Spartans proud.
The sun was the main element present in the Inca worldview, so Inti, the sun god, was worshipped above all others and, even though the different parts of the empire were allowed to practice their individual beliefs, they were encouraged to venerate the sun. The connection with the sun even extended to their kings since they were considered to be the sons of the sun.
For the Maya, astronomy was not a purely scientific pursuit but intimately linked to religious, mythological, and ideological elements that were of the highest importance. The celestial realm held a sacred nature, as did the many gods and goddesses that dwelt there, so for all Mesoamerican cultures, astronomy was a fundamental part of their everyday lives. Thus, astronomy was present in their calendars, religion, and even agriculture, and in close relation to astronomy, the concept of time was also an essential part of their worldview. The Maya recorded time on almost every surface they could, including lintels, cornices, panels, stelae, friezes, ceramics, and paper. This insistence on capturing dates has led many scholars to suggest the Maya were obsessed with time. The Maya had some of the most advanced astronomical measurements in the world, and their work built upon thousands of years, spanning from around 2500 BCE until the the arrival of the Spanish in 1519.
Unlike the Maya, the Aztecs are not widely viewed or remembered with nuance, in part because their own leader burned extant Aztec writings and rewrote a mythologized history explaining his empire’s dominance less than a century before the Spanish arrived. Naturally, Cortes and other Spaniards depicted the Aztecs as savages greatly in need of conversion to Catholicism. While the Maya are remembered for their astronomy, numeral system, and calendar, the Aztecs have primarily been remembered in a far narrower way, despite continuing to be a source of pride to Mexicans through the centuries.
The Aztec recorded many of the astronomical events they observed in codices and hieroglyphic inscriptions, but the main evidence of their deep astronomical knowledge comes from their calendar system. This information was then used to plan the orientation of buildings and ceremonial centers, which were aligned to sunrises or sunsets corresponding to special dates, such as solstices or equinoxes. Observational calendars were also used to schedule agricultural activities, as well as rituals, festivals, and celebrations.
Though the Spanish physically conquered them in quick fashion, the culture and legacy of the Inca Empire has continued to endure throughout the centuries in both Europe and South America, due in no small part to the fact they were one of the most advanced and sophisticated cultures on the continent. Like the Aztecs, the Spanish burned much of the Inca’s extant writings, but it is estimated that as many as 35 million once fell under their banner, and the empire’s administrative skills were so sharp that they kept accurate census records. Their religion, organization, and laws were also effectively centralized and tied to the rulers of the empire, and their military mobilization would have made the ancient Spartans proud.
The sun was the main element present in the Inca worldview, so Inti, the sun god, was worshipped above all others and, even though the different parts of the empire were allowed to practice their individual beliefs, they were encouraged to venerate the sun. The connection with the sun even extended to their kings since they were considered to be the sons of the sun.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 21, 2022
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 21, 2023
One very interesting thing is how many semi-ancient and ancient societies construed things that would allow them to track the position of the sun at certain times of the year. This can be large things like Stonehenge or really, really big things like pyramids.
It probably had something to do with knowing when certain seasons were going to happen in order to organize planting and harvesting. This book goes into great detail about how various societies in South American went about tracking positions of the sun, stars, etc.
The book discusses the Mayans and their calendar, their math, their writing system and their knowledge of astronomy.
The book also discusses the Aztecs, the Incas, the orientation of buildings, unanswered questions like where did the Maya come from and the Olmecs, an even older group.
There's a major explanation of the Mayan calendar, their counting system, omens and prophecies and the importance of time. Also covered are zodiacs, imperial religions, ancestor worship, the lack of an Incan writing system and a reference to how the sun died.
The book is very detailed but will answer just about any questions about the early societies and their relationship to time.
It probably had something to do with knowing when certain seasons were going to happen in order to organize planting and harvesting. This book goes into great detail about how various societies in South American went about tracking positions of the sun, stars, etc.
The book discusses the Mayans and their calendar, their math, their writing system and their knowledge of astronomy.
The book also discusses the Aztecs, the Incas, the orientation of buildings, unanswered questions like where did the Maya come from and the Olmecs, an even older group.
There's a major explanation of the Mayan calendar, their counting system, omens and prophecies and the importance of time. Also covered are zodiacs, imperial religions, ancestor worship, the lack of an Incan writing system and a reference to how the sun died.
The book is very detailed but will answer just about any questions about the early societies and their relationship to time.
Displaying 1 of 1 review