Abstract

BARRERA ATUESTA, Carlos. Synchrony of ritual and solar times in the 4 x 65-day structures of the maya codices. Estud. cult. maya [online]. 2019, vol.53, pp.205-238. ISSN 0185-2574.  https://doi.org/10.19130/iifl.ecm.53.951.

This paper presents a viable methodology to maintain synchronicity between solar dates characteristic of the Mesoamerican agricultural cycle with recognized calendrical and celestial cycles. The established procedure combines simple techniques of modular arithmetic with the development of 4 x 65 day-structures centered on the solar reference of most probable origin of the Maya civil calendar: the winter solstice. The results obtained reveal new dimensions of computation between ritual dates, represented by multiple canonical and astronomical intervals that develop in parallel in both directions of time. The general scope of the intervals ranges from the order of days to centuries, and their accuracy is usually less than ±1 day.

Keywords : 260-day ritual count; Maya astronomy; agricultural cycles; Maya codices; horizon-based calendars.