[Aztlan] 13 Baktun Date

[vgray (gotsky)]

If nobody objects I will continue this discussion with John Major Jenkins 
offline.

Cheers
Clifford Emeric

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Major Jenkins" <kahib at ix.netcom.com>
To: "'Aztlan'" <aztlan at lists.famsi.org>
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2006 5:45 PM
Subject: Re: [Aztlan] 13 Baktun Date


Hi Cliff,

I read with great interest your email. I agree that it is indeed likely
that different Maya groups may have counted the moon periods in
different ways. It's not surprising that there were variations in this
practice. Perhaps one method was preferred for astronomical
calculations, while one was used for the timing of planting. Variations
of this sort will be identified and clarified as our understanding
improves. We will be able to transcend generalizations that close the
door on deeper investigation. I took notice of your mention of a
1.7.0.0.0 periodicity between katun beginnings and seasonal quarters. I
noticed that too, and how it could provide a mechanism by which future
solstice dates could be projected. I have charts for tracking this and
other periodicities in my 1992 book Tzolkin. However, I hadn't taken it
further than that and I see you've identified a methodology of simple
iterations with which the Maya mathematician-astronomers could have
identified a solstice date over two millennia into the future. Your
method strikes me as the kind of oddly brilliant yet simple approach
that the Maya themselves used to solve problems. I've seen other
treatments of Long Count math that is much different than this approach
--- too over laden with modern assumption about how such a thing would
be accomplished. And therefore unnecessarily complicated and cumbersome.
Edmonson, in his 1988 Book of the Year, mentioned the solstice end date,
and how it would not be impossible for the ancient Maya astronomers to
have known the tropical year via the year-drift formula (1508 haab 1507 
tropical years). Of course I take this further and have argued in
my books how and why the ERA of the end date was also an intentional
choice, because of the rare precessional alignment of the solstice sun
and the center of the Milky Way / ecliptic cross (the "Sacred Tree"),
which is located at the southern terminus of the dark rift "xibalba be"
between Sagittarius and Scorpio. I have more questions for you about the
galactic alignment calculation (that is, the precession of the
equinoxes, which Marion Popenoe Hatch argued as early as La Venta ca.
1200 BC, and her recent work at Takalik Abaj, ca. 100 bc.) But perhaps I
should launch into that with you off list.

John Major Jenkins
http://Alignment2012.com <http://alignment2012.com/>