A 2023 Science Advances study by Ivan Šprajc, Takeshi Inomata and Anthony Aveni analyzed 415 monumental ceremonial complexes across Mexico’s Gulf Coast and Olmec regions. At 91%, principal structures were oriented toward sunrise on February 11 and/or October 29, dates 260 days apart. The alignment practice is documented around 1100–750 BCE, preceding the earliest known 260-day notation at San Bartolo, Guatemala, from about 300–200 BCE. The Cascajal Block, a 62-sign serpentine slab found in road-building debris near San Lorenzo in 1996, has associated ceramics dated around 1200–900 BCE and may be the earliest writing in the Americas.
2023 LiDAR study links Gulf Coast alignments to the 260-day calendar
Key facts
- Ivan Šprajc, Takeshi Inomata and Anthony F. Aveni published the study in Science Advances in January 2023.
- The study analyzed 415 monumental ceremonial complexes across Mexico’s Gulf Coast and Olmec regions; 91% had principal structures oriented toward sunrise on February 11 and/or October 29, dates 260 days apart.
- The alignment practice is documented around 1100–750 BCE, preceding the earliest known 260-day notation at San Bartolo, Guatemala, from approximately 300–200 BCE.
- The Cascajal Block is a roughly 36-by-21-centimetre serpentine slab with 62 signs on one face, found in road-construction debris near San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán in 1996.
- Ceramics associated with the block date to approximately 1200–900 BCE; its signs may represent the earliest writing in the Americas.
Sources
allthatsinteresting.com
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mayaztequemexique.fr
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education.nationalgeographic.org
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archive.archaeology.org
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worldhistory.org
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Architecture, wealth and status in Classic Maya urbanism revealed by ...sciencedirect.com
Archaeologists have long associated high-quality Classic Maya (250-900 CE) masonry buildings with elite and perishable material structures with commoners.
Origins of Mesoamerican astronomy and calendar: Evidence from ... - PMCpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Šprajc, Astronomical aspects of Group E-type complexes and implications for understanding ancient Maya architecture and urban planning.
Ivan Šprajc - ORCIDorcid.org
Mesoamerican astronomy and calendar: Evidence from the Olmec and Maya regions Science Advances 2023-01-06 | Journal article DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq7675
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