[Aztlan] MAya Temples and Lightning.. How are the roofcombs of Tikal are constructed?

[Sven Röhrig]

Hello,

I am still looking into the special acoustical proppertys of maya  
temples especially thoose at the great plaza of Tikal.
But i wasnt able to find much architectonical detail information,  
especially how the roofcombs are actually constructed in detail.
Therefore at the beginning of this mail again the cry for help and  
hints...
Where can i find detail information about the construction of the  
Tikal Roofcombs?

The explanation why i am looking into this and some more questions in  
the following.


I think the whole arrangement of the great plaza of Tikal is designed  
or at least optimized for musical performances and not for ripping as  
many hearts out per hour as possible...

Because of:

1)
The especially nice reverbant space that the whole architectural  
arrangement at the plaza provides.
I was able to superimpose the room information in some field  
recordings i got, and can state that the reverb tails on the plaza are  
very wighted and fine sounding..
Usually the result of such an superimposing process dont sounds nice..
So i asume that in former times with no vegitation on the Plaza and  
all buildings intact the Reveberant quality of the place would have  
suitetd a Philharmonic orchester well.

2)
The whole arrangement between Temple 1 and 2 and also the other  
temples is done in a way that suggests some kind of acoustic/ 
performant interaction between the Temples during celebrations.

Temple 1´s inner rooms point directly to the platform bfore the roof  
comb of temple 2
http://archive.cyark.org/eastwest-section-of-temples-i-and-ii-media

And there is visual contact to the other temples aswell
http://archive.cyark.org/temple-ii-viewed-from-temple-i-media

Visual contact is important to conduct rhytmical events over distance  
because of the slow speed of sound.


3)
The steps at the side of temple 2 that only go up to the second step  
but not to the top of the pyramid suggest that this second step had  
the demand to be reached by people.
Why? Dancers, Actors or Musicans? It reminds to a Theater somehow.
http://archive.cyark.org/temple-ii-media

Question: Is any other Pyramid known that has such a feature of a back  
stairway that only goes to the midle area of the pyramid steps?


4)
The inner rooms of the temples are very reverberant spaces . This  
might suggest a musical use for hornplayers or singers.
But could they be a soundgenerator in themself? The layout of the  
inner rooms of the temples remind to some kind of pressure system.
Like a giant conga ?
But the force needed to excite such big resonant chambers would need  
to be massive... like a big ex or implosion..

Theorie:
I wonder if lightning might be a possible source of such an exciting  
force, and the temples have the neat side feature to resonate on  
lightning impact.

I heard from someone of the Atzlan list that lightning is positive  
posessed for the maya..
Opposite to our culture where lightning is the punishment of the gods  
the maya relate lightning that struck into a stone with the creation  
of mais/mankind..
What makes it likely that they embraced a lightning impact as a holy  
and positive thing.

And maybe tryed to atract lightning with their high temples???


The yucatan is a hotbed of lightning impacts.. Around the area of  
tikal 1300 strokes just in April 2009...
And thats not even the rainy season..or?

There was no or little big trees in and around Tikal... what rises the  
liklyness of lightning impact into the artfical structures back than..

Especially structures with conection  to water reservoirs are likely  
to be struck.
The great plaza of Tikal was a water reservoir.

The idea of sound imposement of lightning impact might also explain  
the strange fake pyramids to be found in some maya citys
http://mayaruins.com/xpujil/m2_100.html
http://mayaruins.com/rio_bec/Rio-Bec01000.html



This idea results in some questions:

a) Has anybody ever whitnessed a lightning impact on a temple in Tikal?
b) HAs it produced a sound?

If not...

c) have the temples been altered during reconstruction or by earlier  
populations themself?


This picture suggests that Tempe 5 had originally 3 doors and  
additional rooms (Theobert Mahle 1895..thanks to, and courtisy of IAI  
Berlin)
see the hole at the left of the door...
http://www.3phase.de/bilder/Temple5MAhler.jpg



In this text is mentioned that William R. Coe was able to climb into  
the Roofcomb of temple 5 from the inside.
http://mayaruins.com/tikal/a2_712.html

But was this opening really accidently or just enlarged by tresure  
hunters?
At least it apperas that the roofcomb chambers are not too far away  
from the inner rooms... and therefor an acoustical duct could have  
been possible...

This picture maybe shows probably an inner space of Temple 5 before  
reconstruction, maybe even the hole we see in the old Mahler foto.
Please note the tiny hole in the back that seems to be of older orgin  
than the big break thru in the front.

Question: Was such smaler ducts to be found in the other temples aswell?


To connect the roofcomb chambers with the inner spaces of a temple  
holes of this szise would be enough to transport the acoustical energy..
closing them would silence the system ..


That this might have been happened to the temples, not necessarily  
during reconstruction, is slightly suggested by this picture...
http://www.3phase.de/bilder/IMG73016.jpg

See the brown stuff below the wooden rods... looks a bit like added  
later.. At least i would expect the maya to use theire white stucko to  
cover holes if needed.

Within an acoustical system ment for amplifing a soundwave the  
position at the hightest point of the fault would be optimal...

If this brown stuff is covering vents that had access to the roofcomb  
chambers i might  have found the acoustical system i am looking for.


Questions:

HAs anybody more photos of such construction details or can point me  
to a source that might show such details?

Has anybody a contact adress to people that actuall did or do the  
temple reconstructions?

HAs anybody an idea what the wodden rods are for? Are they necessary  
during construction or did they have anoter purpose?



However.. i wasnt able to find any more materials regarding the item  
and especially the real construction details of the roofcombs in month  
now.
I plan to get some acoustical computer simulations done at one point.  
But to start this effort it would be better to have the complete  
information.
If anybody has any helpfull hints or answers to my questions please  
let me know..

so long and thanks,
Sven