Episode notes
How did the ancient Maya track Venus, predict celestial cycles, and understand the sky without telescopes?
From the temples of Uaxactun to the mysterious Dresden Codex, we explore how generations of Maya observers turned the night sky into knowledge, and why they were watching in the first place.
One Guatemala. Three Voices. Countless Stories.
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CREDITS
Created & produced by Adriana Estrada, Silvia Álvarez & Gregor Pechmann
Research & story: Silvia Álvarez, with Adriana Estrada & Gregor Pechmann
Audio editing & visual design: Adriana Estrada
Theme music & arrangement: Gregor Pechmann
SOURCES & FURTHER READING
- Smithsonian — Living Maya Time https://maya.nmai.si.edu/
- Smithsonian Libraries — Astronomy in the Maya Codices https://www.si.edu/object/astronomy-maya-codices-harvey-m-bricker-and-victoria-r-bricker%3Asiris_sil_1063950
- Saturno et al. (2012) — Ancient Maya Astronomical Tables from Xultun, Guatemala https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22582260/
- Cambridge University Press — Maya calendar & astronomical orientations https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/latin-american-antiquity/article/maya-calendar-reform-evidence-from-orientations-of-specialized-architectural-assemblages/656D86E67D61B6C2B147705149D7D1E4