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Measuring deep time: the Sidereal Year and the Tropical Year in Maya inscriptions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 July 2011

Michael J. Grofe
Michael J. Grofe*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, American River College, 4700 College Oak Drive, Sacramento, CA 95841, USA email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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Maya inscriptions contain numerous examples of long intervals of time that count both backward and forward from a fixed point of historical reference to specific mythological dates, often thousands of years in the past or future. This paper considers the evidence that these intervals incorporated precise calculations of both the sidereal year and the tropical year. Furthermore, it outlines a specific methodology for assessing the likelihood that these distance numbers were either intentionally calculated to incorporate these astronomical measurements, or if these results are merely coincidental.

Keywords

Maya inscriptionssidereal yeartropical year
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 7 , Symposium S278: “Oxford IX” International Symposium on Archaeoastronomy , January 2011 , pp. 214 - 230
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2011

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