If there is a culture that stood out in North and Central America, that was the Mayan civilization, which was located mainly in Mexico. The Mayan culture had a close relationship with religion and the study of the universe, which has given rise to the field that we know today as mayan astronomySeveral thousand years before Christ, the Maya had already mastered advanced techniques of astronomical observation and identification of celestial bodies and cosmic phenomena. For example, history tells us that on February 15, 3379 BC, The Mayans identified and studied an eclipseAn example of this knowledge are the inscriptions found in their temples and pyramids.
The Mayan Calendar
One of the most fascinating aspects of the Mayan astronomical advancement is the famous Mayan calendar. This calendar was designed thousands of years before Christ, and its final date was the December 21th 2012This sparked much speculation about the end of the world or the arrival of a new era. However, the calendar consisted of 365 days distributed across 18 months of 20 days each, with an additional 5-day month at the end of the year, known as the “Wayeb” days, which were considered unlucky.
El haab and the Tzolk’in These are the two main calendar systems of the Maya. The Haab, of 365 days, was associated with agricultural cycles, while the Tzolk’in, of 260 days, was linked to ceremonial acts and had a very important astronomical and ritual function. Together, they formed the Calendar Wheel, which generated 52-year cycles, after which the calendars were aligned again. This cycle was considered extremely important for the Mayans, who believed that the destiny of their civilization was linked to the stars.
Astronomy and the Mayan Temples
Mayan temples not only had a religious use, but were aligned with important astronomical events. Chichen Itza step pyramid It is one of the most outstanding examples of this harmony between architecture and astronomy. This temple, dedicated to the god Kukulcán, is aligned in such a way that during the spring and autumn equinoxes, the shadow cast by the sun creates the image of a serpent descending the temple steps, symbolically representing Kukulcán. Another remarkable feature is that when ascending the pyramid, visitors climb exactly 365 steps, which coincides with the number of days in the Mayan solar calendar. This shows that the Mayans designed their monuments with great precision, taking into account the movement of celestial bodies.
Another important example is the El Caracol Observatory, also at Chichén Itzá. This building was used by the Maya to observe the movements of Venus and the Sun. Its round structure is unique among Mayan temples and was designed to perfectly align with the equinoxes and solstices. Through this observatory, the Maya accurately recorded the movements of Venus, a planet that played a crucial role in their mythology and rituals.
Venus and the Planetary Cycles
Venus was the most important planet to the Mayans, and they were able to determine its synodic cycle with impressive accuracy. They knew that Venus took 584 days to return to the same place in the sky, and this knowledge was recorded in the Dresden Codex, one of the few Mayan codices that survived the destruction by the Spanish conquistadors. In this codex, precise calculations of the positions of Venus and its relation to times of change or war can be observed.
In addition to Venus, the Maya also studied other planets such as Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Their knowledge extended far beyond what we might expect from an ancient civilization. They were able to accurately calculate planetary cycles and used them to make predictions about both earthly and celestial events.
Eclipses in Mayan Culture
The Maya also had an impressive command over the cycles of eclipses, both solar and lunar. They used their knowledge to predict these events with great accuracy, recording them in steles and codices. They believed that eclipses were events of great cosmic importance and interpreted them as struggles between solar and lunar deities. During eclipses, the Maya performed rituals to appease the gods and prevent calamities.
The Mayans and Cosmology
Mayan astronomy was not a mere hobby, but was deeply intertwined with their cosmology and religion. The Mayans believed that celestial bodies were deities that directly influenced life on Earth. Milky Way, for example, was known as Wakah Chan, and was associated with the XibalbaThe underworld. According to their mythology, the gods traveled across the sky and directed the destinies of mortals from their throne in the cosmos. Mayan priests, the only group with access to this astronomical knowledge, used these observations to predict events such as harvest seasons, wars, and religious festivals, thus consolidating their power and control over society.
Knowledge that lasts
Much of the Mayan astronomical knowledge was lost after the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, who destroyed many of their codices and monuments. However, The ruins that remain and the few codices that survived remain invaluable sources of information for interested archaeologists and astronomers. in the legacy of this fascinating civilization. The Maya’s knowledge of celestial movements continues to amaze us and is a testament to their profound connection with the cosmos. Through their meticulous observations and the application of their discoveries to their daily and religious lives, the Maya mastered astronomy to a level that remains impressive even today. Today, scholars from around the world continue to uncover more about their civilization and its astonishing legacy.