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Podcaster:  Nancy Alima Ali

Cultural-Astronomy-700x700(1)Title: Cultural Astronomy – Maya Astronomy

Organization: Multiverse, Space Sciences Lab, University of California at Berkeley

Links: http://multiverse.ssl.berkeley.edu/, http://www.astroalima.com

http://web.stcloudstate.edu/planetarium/native_skywatchers.html

Description: Tzeltal Maya artist and archaeoastronomer Alonso Mendez shares his knowledge about Maya astronomy, including the ground-breaking research he and his collaborators are doing at Palenque. Topics discussed include the importance of Palenque to understanding ancient Maya culture and history, astronomical symbolism and kingship, and astronomical alignments of the Temple of Inscriptions and Temple of the Cross at Palenque.

Bio: Nancy Alima Ali, M.Ed., is a Coordinator of Public Programs at Multiverse at the Space Sciences Lab at the University of California, Berkeley. For over 15 years, Ms. Ali has been active in both formal and informal education as a classroom teacher, college instructor, museum educator, curriculum developer and program manager. Ms. Ali has a particular interest in exploring the ways in which multiple worldviews contribute to our understanding of the cosmos. She blogs about the intersection of astronomy and culture at www.astroalima.com.

Guest Bio: An artist of Tzeltal Maya heritage, Mendez was born in the highlands of Chiapas and raised in San Cristobal de Las Casas. His mother worked as a historian as well as a secretary for a famed explorer and archaeologist in the 1970’s. His father also participated prominently as a cultural informant, translator, and liaison in the emergent movement in Maya anthropology and ethnography that occurred during the ‘60s and ‘70s. As a result, Mendez grew up amongst anthropologists, botanists and ethnographers. With over 20 years of his own experience, Alonso is a recognized and respected authority and scholar in the field of ancient and modern Maya Studies and Maya Archaeoastronomy. Interviewed by Time Magazine Online and various other documentaries and articles, Alonso is an engaging storyteller and master teacher of the Maya way of life. He also spends his free time as a TV series actor.

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Transcript:

Introductions

Biographical Info about Alonso Mendez

Influence of Linda Schele at Palenque

Importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in archaeoastronomy

Palenque as a great example of Maya culture

Relationship between temples and their art to a much grander cosmic order

Astronomical connections and relationship to kingship

Connection to agriculture and corn

Observing and predicting cyclical phenomena

Mythological time & kingship

Zenith passage of the Sun and agriculture, symbolism, alignments, ceremonies

Solar symbolism of kingship accession ceremonies and temples

Temple of Inscriptions, King Pacal and winter solstice

Temple of the Cross, creation story, zenith and nadir passage of Sun and full Moon

Public and private ceremonial observations of Sun and Moon

Astronomical hierophanies

Paper: Solstice Observations in Palenque

Modern Maya religious observations and heirophanies

Importance of contemporary Maya language and living traditions to understanding the ancient past

Still lots to explore and discover about Maya culture both ancient and contemporary

Closing

End of podcast:

365 Days of Astronomy
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The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by NUCLIO. Audio post-production by Richard Drumm. Bandwidth donated by libsyn.com and wizzard media. You may reproduce and distribute this audio for non-commercial purposes. Please consider supporting the podcast with a few dollars (or Euros!). Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org. This year we celebrate cosmic light as light is our info messenger in the universe. Join us and share your story to celebrate the International Year of Light. Until tomorrow! Goodbye!