Podcaster: Nancy Alima Ali
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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