Archaeo-Astronomy Lecture

Alonso gave us a really amazing lecture on how the Maya used their calendars (based entirely on astronomical events) to create buildings that align perfectly with the sunrise, sunset, and moonlight on certain meaningful events. One example was a row of three pyramids. On the spring equinox, the sun rose along the left side of the left-most pyramid. Nine months later, the sun sets on the right side of the right-most pyramid. This nine-month period was based on the lunar calendar, and can be associated with the gestation of human life and the planting and harvesting of corn crops. It’s not surprising then, that the Corn God is the most revered of all.

We also learned about skybands, a strip of written characters that tell the stories of the sky and other astronomical events. Skybands are used as borders and central decorations in many sculptures and documents. I’m sure you can find more information on Wikipedia or the History Channel. I strongly encourage you to go check them out.