Calendrical-astronomical alignment linked to fire rituals in the Mayan city of Ichmac
Keywords:
Mesoamerica, Maya people, Archaeoastronomy, CalendarAbstract
The city of Ichmac is located in the Yucatan Peninsula, its cultural apogee was between the 6th and 9th centuries AD. In one of the rooms of the so-called Building of Paintings, several polychrome pictorial scenes are conserved, although very deteriorated. In particular, an armed and richly dressed personage is holding an opponent warrior by the hair. This personage shows a solar hieroglyph in his headdress. The astronomical orientation of the building has been analyzed. Solar alignment occurs on localized dates at 65 days, before and after the winter solstice. Ethnohistorical sources describe four important ceremonies, every 65 days to complete a 260-day Tzolkin, dedicated to fire and performed by the Burners, priests who linked the directions of the Universe with the god Chaak and its associated colors. This practice reflects, on the one hand, the interest of the Maya priest-astronomers to assign to the architectural structure a symbolism of great ritual importance. On the other hand, the eagerness of the sovereign, who ordered the pictorial program, to express a message of political power.
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