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Test 5 study guide (Interpreting the skies) Introduction to Maya Astronomy: Information based on Maya Astronomy was found in Grolier codex and the Dresden Codex. - Agricultural surplus lead to SPECIALIZATION! Astronomers came from the nobles/priests class The Maya believed in 13 heavens and 9 hells - The bacabs held up the cardinal points: North: White, West: Black, South: Yellow, East: Red. Importance of Astronomy for the MAYA (reason they observed the sky) - They believed that the Gods sent them messages through the events in the skies. Agricultural planning, organization and scheduling depended on it. (WHY???) Was how they kept measurement of time. - They paid keen attention to; Sun, Stars, Venus, Moon Phenomena observed: Equinox (day and night of equal length), Solstice (shortest or longest day/night), Solar Zenith (highest point of the sun), Equatorial (tilt of the Earth relative to pole star). - Instruments/Methods/ Techniques used: solar dagger, gnomon, alignments, visual record keeping, zenith tubes. Major objects observed: - - - Select Two and Describe each of them. They observed the sun (kinich Ahau): They followed it year round, used it to say the time of the day, Kinich Ahau would shine in the sky all day before transforming himself into a jaguar at night to pass through Xibalba, the Maya underworld. The observed Venus; They observed the full cycle of Venus, the Maya made daytime observations of Venus, the Maya were timing some of their wars based on the stationary points of Venus and Jupiter, Humans were sacrificed on the first appearance, when Venus was at its dimmest magnitude. They observed the moon (ixchel): Was as important as the sun!, Ixchel the moon goddess battled the sun and made him go into the underworld every night! They observed the stars: The stars moved across the heavens but stayed in positions relative to each other, the stars shift seasonally and were used by Maya astronomers to predict when the seasons would come and go. Solar Calendar The solar calendar or Haab calendar Number - Dealt primary with seasonal changes and agriculture; Is similar to the calendar of today! Day name s month - Has 365 days -18 UINALS (MONTHS) Each month has 20 days -There is one month with 5 days (unlucky days- Uayeb) - Each Uinal (month) had a patron! - Each Month went from 0 to 19! (still The Tzolkin! -Used for agricultural purposes and beginning of religious ceremonies - has 260 days in a year, 20 day names, it works with 13 day cycles (trecena) Trecena 1 day- kin month-uinal year-tun century-Katun baktun- millennium Trecena 2 starts -E groups: Are Architectural structures aligned for astronomical observation (Solstice & Equinox) -Used to function also as religious center and was for agricultural predictions.