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 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 indicates symbolic continuity and social and religious adaptability of the local Zoque indigenous population to the many economic, political and social changes. The article draws attention to 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
Analyses of data on orientations in Maya architecture have led us to conclude 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 Chichen Itza, one of the most important sites included in our study, and allow a reassessment of former interpretations.
COBISS.SI-ID: 35769133