The feast of the Three Virgins of Copoya is historically connected with the colonial institution of indigenous brotherhoods (cofradias índias) of New Spain, the system of its religious posts (el sistema de los cargos religiosos), and the Marian cult. It also reflects elements of the previous institution of the cowiná (extended family) and fertility rites. The celebration nowadays continues in the modern institution of mayordomia (stewardship) of Tuxtla Gutiérrez and witnesses to symbolic continuity and social and religious adaptability of the local Zoque indigenous population and the many economic, political and social changes. The article draws attention to the fact of historical dynamics and the universality of symbols through the historical prism of economic and political changes.
COBISS.SI-ID: 1597062
While the equinoctial Sun is commonly believed to have been an important target of Mesoamerican architectural orientations, the results of systematic archaeoastronomical research accomplished during recent decades do not sustain this opinion. Analyzing particular alignments that have been claimed to refer to the equinoxes, we show that such a relationship exists in very few cases, for which reason their intentionality remains questionable; instead of the true astronomical equinoxes, the quarter-days of the year were much more likely referents of several allegedly equinoctial alignments.
COBISS.SI-ID: 35761453
The first results of a systematic study of architectural orientations in the Maya area have revealed that the important civic and ceremonial buildings were oriented predominantly to sunrises and sunsets on certain dates separated by calendrically significant intervals, which suggest the use of easily manageable observational schemes intended to monitor the slippage of the calendrical year relative to the year of the seasons, apparently with the purpose of ensuring a proper scheduling of agricultural activities and the corresponding rituals. The results of this research shed a new light on the astronomical and calendrical significance of orientations of the main buildings of Chichén Itzá, one of the most important Maya sites, and allow a reassessment of former interpretations.
COBISS.SI-ID: 35769133
This contribution summarizes preliminary results of a study of orientations in ancient Maya architecture. The analyses of alignment data collected with field measurements on a number of archaeological sites indicate that the important buildings were oriented largely to sunrises and sunset on agriculturally significant dates. Additionally, two alignment groups were identified which refer to the extreme rising and setting points of Venus and the Moon.
COBISS.SI-ID: 34543405
The so-called 17° family of astronomical alignments is the most widely spread orientation group throughout Mesoamerica. It was a common opinion that these orientations, referring to the Sun and recording agriculturally important dates, had their origin in the central Mexican Classic-period metropolis of Teotihuacan, where they dominate the whole urban layout. However, recent research has shown that the orientations pertaining to this group characterize some Preclassic buildings in central Maya Lowlands. This finding, indicating that these alignments originated in the Maya area, has important implications for understanding cultural interaction in Mesoamerica.
COBISS.SI-ID: 37554989