The Apotheosis of Janaab' Pakal takes up anew the
riddles within a number of Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions first
recognized by Floyd Lounsbury. Gerardo Aldana unpacks these
mathematical riddles using an approach grounded in a reading of the
texts made possible by recent advances in decipherment. Using a
history of science methodology, he expands upon (and sometimes
questions) the foundational work of archaeoastronomers.
Aldana follows three lines of investigation: a reading of the
hieroglyphic inscriptions of the Classic period (a.d. 250-900),
mathematical analysis to recover Classic Maya astronomical
practice, and a historiography of Maya astronomy. Quoted
hieroglyphs appear throughout the text for cross-examination.
Aldana reveals the social and political context of Maya astronomy
by explicating the science and calendrical calculations found in
the tablets of the Temple of Inscriptions and the Cross Group from
the city of Palenque. He offers a compelling interpretation of an
819-day count, demonstrating its utility as an astronumerological
tool that Maya scribes used to simplify complex calculations.
During troubled times in Palenque, Aldana contends, Kan Balam II
devised a means to preserve the legitimacy of his ruling dynasty.
He celebrated a re-creation of the city as a contemporary analogue
of a mythical Creation on three levels: monumental construction for
a public audience, artistic patronage for an elite audience, and a
secret mathematical astronomical language only for rulers-elect.
Discussing all of these efforts, Aldana focuses on the recovery of
the secret language and its historical context.
eISBN: 978-1-60732-072-2
Subjects: Sociology, Anthropology
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