Astronomical aspects of Group E-type complexes and implications for understanding ancient Maya architecture and urban planning

In the 1920s, during the first archaeological excavations at Uaxactún, Petén, Guatemala, an architectural complex named Group E was interpreted as an ancient Maya astronomical observatory, intended specifically for sighting the equinoctial and solstitial sunrises. In the following decades, a large number of architectural compounds with the same configuration have been found, most of them in the central lowlands of the Yucatan peninsula. The multiple hypotheses that have been proposed about the astronomical function of these complexes, commonly designated as E Groups, range from those attributing them a paramount role in astronomical observations to those that consider them merely allegorical or commemorative allusions to celestial cycles, without any observational use. This study, based on quantitative analyses of a reasonably large sample of alignment data, as well as on contextual evidence, shows that many of the previous hypotheses cannot be sustained. I argue that E Groups, although built primarily for ritual purposes, were astronomically functional, but also that they had no specific or particularly prominent role in astronomical observations. Their orientations belong to widespread alignment groups, mostly materialized in buildings of other types and explicable in terms of some fundamental concerns of the agriculturally-based Maya societies. I present the evidence demonstrating that the astronomical orientations initially embedded in E Groups, which represent the earliest standardized form of Maya monumental architecture and whose occurrence in practically all early cities in the central Yucatan peninsula attests to their socio-political significance, were later transferred to buildings and compounds of other types. Therefore, it is precisely the importance of the astronomically and cosmologically significant directions, first incorporated in E Groups, that allows us to understand some prominent aspects of ancient Maya architecture and urbanism.

THE MAUSOLEUM ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT: REINTERPRETING PALENQUE'S TEMPLE OF THE INSCRIPTIONS THROUGH 3D DATA-DRIVEN ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS

The Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque, Mexico, is an outstanding example of Classic Maya architecture erected in the seventh century as the funerary building for ruler K'inich Janab Pakal. For decades, scholars have speculated on its construction sequence and the potential existence of hidden rooms on either side of Pakal's mortuary chamber. This article aims to advance understanding of the Temple's architectural context in light of new 3D data. After reviewing the application of drone-based photogrammetry and terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging in the Maya area, we argue that these techniques are capable of enhancing the architectural analysis of the Temple of the Inscriptions and showing that this structure was part of a larger architectural project, encompassing the adjacent Temple XIII, and the connecting stepped building platform. Our findings demonstrate that the basal platforms for the Temple of the Inscriptions and Temple XIII were erected contemporaneously and that the design of their mortuary chambers follows a tripartite layout we identified in Palenque's elite funerary architecture and associated mortuary practices. We conclude that these three buildings were part of a mausoleum architectural project, the construction of which was initiated by Pakal to reshape Palenque's site-core and enshrine the ruling family's power and ancestors.

Las cresterías mayas

Pre-Hispanic Maya architecture had different features that highlighted its visual impact. Among them were the battlements, like those registered in the Puuc region, but also present at the Chenes area, Edzna, or Chichen Itza. Another relevant top ending was the roofcomb, whose origins belong to the first centuries of our era and are associated with the Peten architecture. These elements were decorated with stucco images and evolved for many centuries through the Postclassic period. Considering their composition, they can be classified in four different formats, whose iconography included rulers, deities and symbolic motives.

4. The writing rabbit

“The writing rabbit” explores the central importance of art in the Maya world. At the highest levels of society, art lent ideological support to ruling lineages. Mayas at various levels of society were proficient in the ceramic and lapidary arts. Scholars have been fascinated by the “Maya code” for generations and we can read now almost all their extant texts. Their hieroglyphic writing was logophonetic, a combination of logographic and phonetic. The Maya made books from beaten fig bark, known as codices, four of which survive. Maya architecture, both domestic and urban, was formed around patios or plazas. Late Classic rulers advertised their political might through large-scale urban projects.

CONSTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS OF MAYA VAULTED ARCHITECTURE FROM PHOTOGRAMMETRIC SURVEY

Studying Maya architecture from a constructive perspective reveals new insights into the ancient building techniques and processes. Gaining deep knowledge of these structures is key to assessing the current conservation state of the buildings and to designing strategies for the excavation and preservation of this heritage. In order to study the Maya vault system, considering its regional variants and technical development over time, we performed field data collections at 48 Maya Lowlands archaeological sites with the aim of documenting and comparing constructive techniques from different areas and chronological periods. Surveying some of these buildings with digital photogrammetry made it possible to obtain geometrically accurate models with a high-quality texture that were used to measure, analyze and compare the features of the vaults in detail. The main advantage of this survey methodology is that it permits to achieve a high amount of information with affordable instruments. From the models obtained, a thorough analysis of stonemasonry techniques, stereotomy solutions and building processes was carried out, considering their implications for the stability and conservation of the structures. This paper presents the survey methodology used and an example of the constructive analysis of a vaulted building from a photogrammetric model.

La evolución de la bóveda maya a través de la forma de las dovelas

Over more than ten centuries, Maya vaults had great technical developments that allowed to achieve constructive and structural advanced systems and increasingly improved forms. One of the key factors to consider when studying its temporal evolution and the different regional variants is the stone vaults shape. This work is based on data collected during fieldwork and comparative analysis of a wide sample of vaults from different geographical zones and chronological periods, and as a result proposes a classification of the Maya stone vaults. The study of the influence of stereotomy on its form and the analysis of the use of different types of stone vaults by zones offer new data to understand the technological evolution of vaulted Maya architecture and the transfers of building knowledge.

Glify Majów jako najbardziej rozwinięty system pisma w Mezoameryce

One of the major achievements of the Maya civilization was an introduction and development of an exceptionally refined writing system. In the history of that civilization, three basic periods may be distinguished: pre-classical (2000 yBP – 250 yBP), classical (250 yBP – 900 yP), and post-classical (900 yP till the Spanish Conquest). It is especially the classical period in which a tremendous development of Maya architecture and art took place. It is also in this period that a growing number of inscriptions were produced, though the first glyphs had occurred much earlier.

SOULS OF THE ANCESTORS: POSTCLASSIC MAYA ARCHITECTURE, INCENSARIOS, AND MANA

In this article, we consider how the Postclassic Kowoj Maya of the central Peten lakes region of El Petén, Guatemala utilized mana in conjunction with their ritual objects and spolia to mediate between the natural and supernatural worlds. In many cultures worldwide and throughout time, mana (magical or spiritual powers that provide people and objects with a living force) transforms the ordinary into the spiritually powerful. The Kowojs imbued incense burners and buildings with mana, thus facilitating a connection with their ancestors. We examine the manufacturing recipe of a group of incense burners and the civic-ceremonial buildings at Zacpeten to argue that the Kowoj used these objects to mediate among the living, the dead, and the supernatural realms. Ultimately, by empowering these objects with mana, the Kowoj constructed a universe where they regularly communicated with their ancestors and built structures that ensouled their historical consciousness.

Astronomy and Architecture in the Maya Lowlands

This article summarises recent systematic research into the use and significance of astronomical orientations in ancient Maya architecture, and shows how by applying a more rigorous methodology to a large number of orientations we were able to detect alignment patterns that shed light on the validity of former hypotheses and provide a basis for novel interpretations. Our measurements and analysis confirm that orientations to the Sun’s position on the horizon, which largely prevail, allowed the use of observational calendars composed of multiples of 13 and 20 days and were also intended to facilitate proper scheduling of agricultural activities. Further, while some buildings recorded Venus extremes, a previously unknown orientation group has been found to refer to major lunar standstill positions. Some important buildings, aside from exhibiting astronomical orientations, are aligned to prominent features of natural or cultural landscape, implying a deliberate selection of these places for their construction. Discussing some relevant contextual evidence, we argue that Maya architectural and urban planning was dictated by a complex set of rules, in which astronomical considerations and their practical uses were embedded in a broader framework of cosmological concepts.