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Cosmology, Calendars, and Horizon-Based Astronomy in Ancient Mesoamerica is an interdisciplinary tour de force that establishes the critical role astronomy played in the religious and civic lives of the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica. Providing extraordinary examples of how Precolumbian peoples merged ideas about the cosmos with those concerning calendar and astronomy, the volume showcases the value of detailed examinations of astronomical data for understanding ancient cultures.

The volume is divided into three sections: investigations into Mesoamerican horizon-based astronomy, the cosmological principles expressed in Mesoamerican religious imagery and rituals related to astronomy, and the aspects of Mesoamerican calendars related to archaeoastronomy. It also provides cutting-edge research on diverse topics such as records of calendar and horizon-based astronomical observation (like the Dresden and Borgia codices), iconography of burial assemblages, architectural alignment studies, urban planning, and counting or measuring devices.

Contributors—who are among the most respected in their fields— explore new dimensions in Mesoamerican timekeeping and skywatching in the Olmec, Maya, Teotihuacano, Zapotec, and Aztec cultures. It will be of great interest to students and scholars of anthropology, archaeology, art history, and astronomy.

Table of Contents

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  1. Cover
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  1. Title page, Copyright
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  1. Contents
  2. pp. vii-ix
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  1. Figures
  2. pp. xi-xviii
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  1. Tables
  2. pp. xix-xx
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  1. Foreword: Astronomy, Anthropology, and Anthony Aveni
  2. E. C. Krupp
  3. pp. xxi-xxiv
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  1. Preface
  2. pp. xxv-xxviii
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  1. Acknowledgments
  2. p. xxix
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  1. Part I: Introduction
  1. 1. An Interdisciplinary Approach to Cosmology, Calendars, and Horizon-Based Astronomy
  2. Susan Milbrath, Anne S. Dowd
  3. pp. 3-16
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  1. Part II: Horizon-Based Astronomy
  1. 2. Pyramids Marking Time: Anthony F. Aveni’s Contribution to the Study of Astronomical Alignments in Mesoamerican Architecture
  2. Ivan Šprajc
  3. pp. 19-36
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  1. 3. Maya Architectural Hierophanies
  2. Anne S. Dowd
  3. pp. 37-76
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  1. 4. Mountain of Sustenance: Site Organization at Dainzú-Macuilxóchitl and Mesoamerican Concepts of Space and Time
  2. Ronald K. Faulseit
  3. pp. 77-98
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  1. Part III: Cosmological Principles
  1. 5. The North Celestial Pole in Ancient Mesoamerica
  2. Clemency Coggins
  3. pp. 101-138
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  1. 6. A Seasonal Calendar in the Codex Borgia
  2. Susan Milbrath
  3. pp. 139-162
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  1. 7. Iconography and Metaphorical Expressions Pertaining to Eclipses: A Perspective from Postclassic and Colonial Maya Manuscripts
  2. Gabrielle Vail
  3. pp. 163-196
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  1. 8. The Maya Deluge Myth and Dresden Codex Page 74: Not the End but the Eternal Regeneration of the World
  2. John B. Carlson
  3. pp. 197-226
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  1. Part IV: Calendar Records
  1. 9. The Ancient Maya Moon: Calendar and Character
  2. Flora Simmons Clancy
  3. pp. 229-248
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  1. 10. Pecked Circles and Divining Boards: Calculating Instruments in Ancient Mesoamerica
  2. David A. Freidel, Michelle Rich
  3. pp. 249-264
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  1. 11. The “Las Bocas Mosaic” and Mesoamerican Astro-Calendrics: “Calculator” or Hoax?
  2. Prudence M. Rice
  3. pp. 265-284
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  1. 12. Some Alternative Eclipse Periodicities in Maya Codices
  2. Victoria R. Bricker, Harvey M. Bricker
  3. pp. 285-300
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  1. 13. Modeling Indigenous Mesoamerican Eclipse Theory
  2. John Justeson
  3. pp. 301-350
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  1. Part V: Conclusion
  1. 14. Maya Books and Buildings at Baktun’s End
  2. Anthony F. Aveni
  3. pp. 353-362
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  1. Contributors
  2. pp. 363-370
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  1. Index
  2. pp. 371-380
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