Archaeoastronomy and Ancient Technologies 2014, 2(1), 30-42
DOI: 10.24411/2310-2144-2014-00010
The astronomical significance of the clockwise misalignment from cardinal directions in the Maya lowlands
Silvia Motta1*, Adriano Gaspani2
1Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Via Brera, 28, Milano, 20121, Italian Republic; e-mail: silvia.motta@brera.inaf.it
2Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Via Brera, 28, Milano, 20121, Italian Republic; e-mail: adriano.gaspani@brera.inaf.it
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed
Abstract
In this paper we outline the results of our archaeoastronomical study dealing with a number of Mayan settlements located in the lowlands of Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo (Mexico), in order to try to explain the well- known clockwise misalignments with respect to the astronomical cardinal directions. In this work we present the results of our analysis and propose a solution of this problem. The methodology followed in our study is based on statistical methods as well as on the astronomical computations. In a preliminary research we at first analysed the topographic maps of the Mayan sites checking that the deviation of the main axes of the cities is always rotated by few degrees in a clockwise direction from the astronomical North, but with different azimuths. We have successfully tested various hypotheses on the astronomical criteria applied by the Mayan people in order to build and orient their cities, and we are able to show that exists a strict relationship between the architectural alignments and the astronomical observations of the most important stars in the framework of the Mayan religion.
Keywords: Maya, star, Orion, Archaeoastronomy, Astronomy.
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