Research Catalog

Title

Skywatchers / by Anthony F. Aveni.

Author

Aveni, Anthony F.

Publication

Austin : University of Texas Press, 2001.

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Holdings

Details

Description

viii, 411 pages : illustrations; 26 cm

Subject

• Indian astronomy > Mexico
• Indian astronomy > Central America
• Archaeoastronomy > Mexico
• Archaeoastronomy > Central America
• Maya astronomy

Note

• Rev. and updated ed. of: Skywatchers of ancient Mexico, 1980.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. [365]-393) and index.

Contents

• I. Introduction: Archaeoastronomy and Its Components. Archaeoastronomy: Twenty Years of Hindsight. Additional Selected Readings -- II. The Historical, Ethnographic, and Ethnological Background for Native American Astronomy. The Civilizations of Ancient Mesoamerica. Chroniclers and Codices. Aztec Constellations. Astronomy and the Ethnological Record: The Importance of the Solar Zenith Passage -- III. Astronomy with the Naked Eye. The Celestial Sphere: Coordinate Reference Frames. Charting the Sun's Movement. The Moon, Eclipses, and Eclipse Cycles. Cycles of the Planets. Miscellaneous Observable Sky Phenomena. App. A. Glossary of Astronomical Terms of Importance in Archaeoastronomy -- App. B. Factors Affecting the Precise Determination of Astronomical Orientations -- App. C. Heliacal Rise and Set Phenomena -- App. D. Determining the Approximate Date of Sunrise or Sunset for a Given Azimuth -- App. E. Change of Direction of the Magnetic Compass with Time in Mesoamerica --
• App. F. Some Basic Formulas Useful for Fieldwork in Archaeoastronomy -- App. G. How to Determine Alignments with the Surveyor's Transit -- IV. The Mathematical and Astronomical Content of the Mesoamerican Inscriptions. A Brief History of Calendrical Decipherment. The Mesoamerican Philosophy of Numbers. The Long Count. The Calendar Round. The Union of Time and Space in Mesoamerican Cosmology. How the Calendar Works. The Supplementary Series and the Lunar Synodic Month. Tropical Year Calculations. Planetary Events in the Monumental Inscriptions. Astronomy in the Maya Codices, I: General Content of the Codices. Astronomy in the Maya Codices, II: Eclipses and Eclipse Tables. Astronomy in the Maya Codices, III: Venus. Astronomy in the Maya Codices, IV: Mars Tables. Was There a Mesoamerican Zodiac? App. A. The Problem of the Correlation of Maya and Christian Dates -- App. B. A Scheme for the Conversion of Maya Dates --
• V. Astronomy and Architecture in the Ancient Americas and Mediterranean Basin. The Orientation Motive. City and Cosmos: Urban Planning in Highland Mexico. Cosmic Order in the Aztec Capital. Maya Cities: Architecture and Sacred Landscape. Specialized Architectural Assemblages. Archaeoastronomy in North America. Archaeoastronomy in the Andean World. Summary: Astronomy in Ancient American Cultures. Circum-Mediterranean Archaeoastronomy. App. A. An Analysis of the Pecked Cross Petroglyphs.

ISBN

• 0292705042 (hardcover : alk. paper)
• 0292705026 (pbk. : alk. paper)

LCCN

00011974

OCLC

• ocm45195586
• SCSB-4176063

Owning Institutions

Columbia University Libraries