A groundbreaking discovery by a Slovenian archaeologist
The researchers made the discovery by analyzing lidar images of a large area along the southern Gulf Coast. The head of the Institute for Anthropological and Spatial Studies ZRC SAZU (ZRC SAZU) Ivan Šprajc, in cooperation with his colleague Takeshi Inomata from the University of Arizona, found that many buildings in the area in question can no longer stand. , which were built approximately between 1100 and 750 BC. n. no., were coordinated with certain orientation requirements and represent the earliest monumental architecture in Mesoamerica.
The dominant orientations refer to the positions of the Sun on the horizon, which allowed the use of observational calendars, the structure of which undoubtedly reveals a connection with the formal 260-day calendar. This unique time frame may have helped the Mayans make decisions related to agriculture, religion, politics, and other areas.
As Šprajc explained, the research confirmed their theses that the same principles of astronomical orientation have been valid since the earliest times, since we have known monumental architecture. “This is interesting because this was a time when the early hunter-gatherer lifestyle was just beginning to transition into permanent settlements of communities based on agriculture, primarily corn production,” he explained. Agriculture required the planning of activities throughout the year, which encouraged the growth and importance of astronomical observations. According to Šprajč, the latter have always had a very practical role, as they enable orientation in space and time.
The survey data represent the earliest evidence for the existence of a formal calendar, particularly the unique Mesoamerican calendar with a 260-day cycle. The oldest written evidence of this calendar, found on fragments of a painting at a Mayan site in Guatemala, dates back to the 3rd century.rd centuries BC, and the results of this research place the creation of the calendar at least a thousand years further into the past.
The researchers and Anthony F. Aveni of Colgate University in New York published the findings of their analysis in a peer-reviewed journal Scientific progress. The first author mentioned in the publication is Šprajc, who also discovered it.
This research is proof that archaeo-astronomical research can reveal much that written sources lack. In addition, it also sheds light on some aspects of the development of Mesoamerican societies, Šprajc added. “Whereas we once believed that the flowering of this sophisticated astronomy did not occur until the Classical period, we now know that it began much earlier.”
The Mayan calendar is considered one of the oldest in the world, and the peoples of the Mesoamerican civilizations, especially the Maya, are considered extremely knowledgeable about astronomy. It has also been known for some time that most of the important civil and ceremonial buildings in Mesoamerica from the period of pre-Columbian civilizations were built to face the sunrise or sunset on certain days that were ritually important in agriculture. cycle.
Source: STA