Using Virtual Reality to Understand Astronomical Knowledge and Historical Landscapes at Preclassic Cerros, Belize

2014

The Maya site of Cerros, located on the Caribbean coast of Belize, was part of an early coastal trading network that linked the New River with Chetumal Bay and regions beyond. This site situated directly on the coast included a port and very early architecture that probably was used to formulate an early horizon calendar by observing the sun as it moved from the land to the lagoon, much like island to island alignments that helped people of the Caribbean navigate and make astronomical observations. This analysis uses the architectural history and landscape features to understand the development of the ideological system that began around the time one of the earliest pyramids was constructed at the site of Cerros, Belize between 50 BC and AD 150. Structure 5C marks a key point of the lagoon where an important agricultural date, the solar zenith, would have been naturally observed with the combination of the rising sun and the coastline. In a later building episode, Structure 4 was bu...

The Maya site of Cerros, located on the Caribbean coast of Belize, was part of an early coastal trading network that linked the New River with Chetumal Bay and regions beyond. This site situated directly on the coast included a port and very early architecture that probably was used to formulate an early horizon calendar by observing the sun as it moved from the land to the lagoon, much like island to island alignments that helped people of the Caribbean navigate and make astronomical observations. This analysis uses the architectural history and landscape features to understand the development of the ideological system that began around the time one of the earliest pyramids was constructed at the site of Cerros, Belize between 50 BC and AD 150. Structure 5C marks a key point of the lagoon where an important agricultural date, the solar zenith, would have been naturally observed with the combination of the rising sun and the coastline. In a later building episode, Structure 4 was built with an orientation toward the solar equinox which suggests a new interest in calendrical precision, and an establishment of hierarchy at Cerros.

Journal of Skyscape Archaeology, 2016

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.

Journal of Social Archaeology, 2010

Classic Maya inscriptions and iconography reveal more than just royal customs since their origins lie in traditional Maya practices. They provide a key to unlocking how commoners created their own domestic universe. To explore how commoners mapped their cosmology and recorded their history, I discuss domestic ceramic clusters based on color, placement, and association with other artifacts at the minor center of Saturday Creek, Belize. Results show that cached items served to contextualize their place in the cosmos. Commoners may not have had the written word, but they had the means to record their own history, one with which they interacted daily — under their feet, within walls, and under their roof.

Norwegian Archaeological Review, 2019

This paper explores possibilities for recognizing and analytically using culturally- specific understandings of artefacts and spaces at an ancient Maya archaeological site. In the case study that we present, we use Classic Maya material categories – derived from hieroglyphic texts – to re-envision our representations of artefactual distributions and accompanying interpretations. We take inspiration from countermapping as an approach that recognizes the positionality of spatial representations and makes space for multiple/alternative spatial perspectives. We present spatial analyses based on our work at the Classic Maya archaeological site of Say Kah, Belize, juxtaposing modern modes of visualizing the results of multiple seasons of excavations with visualizations that instead draw upon reconstructed elements of ancient inhabitants’ perspectives on the site, its spaces, and usages (based on information drawn from Classic Maya textual ‘property qualifiers’). We argue that even incomplete information, such as that available for archaeological contexts, allows us to reimagine past spatial perspectives and experiences. Furthermore, doing so represents a move towards inclusion that changes our understanding of sites in terms of ancient experience and usage. The outcome is a shifted perspective on the spaces of the site that decentres the modern, archaeological vision, accompanied by a more reflexive awareness of the processes we use to construct our interpretations. We end with larger reflections useful for archaeologists curious about translating these ideas to other cultural settings.

Cosmology, Calendars, and Horizon-Based Astronomy in Ancient Mesoamerica, 2015

Ancient Mesoamerica, 2006

Maya Cosmology: Terrestrial and Celestial Landscapes. Proceedings of the 19th European Maya Conference, Bratislava, Slovakia, November 17-22nd, 2014, edited by Milan Kováč, Harri Kettunen, and Guido Krempel, pp. 181-190.. Acta MesoAmericana Vol. 29, Verlag Anton Saurwein, Munich , 2019

California State University, Los Angeles, has conducted a multi-year study of ancient Maya sacred landscape in northern Belize at the sites of Maax Na, La Milpa and Chawak But'o'ob. The investigation shows that the terrestrial model formulated for the Petexbatun Regional Cave Survey functioned in this area. The model focuses on features associated with earth and water. Despite the lack of large and impressive caves, public architecture was built around small caves in both large centers and rural settlements. In addition, karst features such as sinkholes were formalized as sacred landmarks. Resumen La Universidad Estatal de California, Los Ángeles, realizó un estudio de varios años acerca del antiguo paisaje sagrado Maya en el norte de Belice en los sitios de Maax Na, La Milpa y Chawak But'o'ob, donde no se forman cuevas grandes debido a la blandura de la piedra caliza. Las investigaciones demuestran que los sitios están colocados alrededor de un modelo cosmológico asociado con la tierra y el agua. A pesar de la falta de cuevas grandes e impresionantes, la arquitectura pública fue construida alrededor de cuevas pequeñas tanto en centros grandes como en establecimientos rurales. Además, se formalizaron las formas artificiales tales como los chultunes n tanto que lugares sagrados. In:

2008

Abstract. Archaeoastronomical studies carried out so far have shown that the orientations in the ancient Maya architecture were, like elsewhere in Meso-america, largely astronomical, mostly referring to sunrises and sunsets on par-ticular dates and allowing the use of ...