[Aztlan] Aztlan Digest, Vol 51, Issue 1

Mon Feb 1 14:11:00 CST 2010

Of course, why would one not expect idiocy from Michelle Malkin?
Actually, Maya Math has much to recommend it. Many years ago Dr. George
Sanchez, Professor of Education at the University of Texas, wrote a short
book on Maya Mathematics and their use in teaching. When I organized
workshops for SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native
Ameericans in Science) on "culturally relevant" science we had some on  the
use of Maya math. Education theorists have shown that children learn
arithmetic more easily if they can manipulate things. Maya numerals ( dot,
bar, zero) are much easier to deal with than arabic numerals. IT is
infinitely easier to teach borrowing and carrying in addition and
subtraction  when doing Maya math. Once learned,  the concept can be
extended to arabic numerals. Place notation is also easier to explain if one
can compare our system and the Maya. Finally, one can even talk about
computers having "two fingers" after talking about the Maya using all the
fingers and toes.

Bernard Ortiz de Montellano

On Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 12:00 PM, <aztlan-request at lists.famsi.org> wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
>
>   1. eclipse on 13 ahau 13 k'ayab (Marcos Ramos)
>   2. [Maya Math] in public school (Sid Hollander)
>   3. Votan (Aaron)
>
>
>
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>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:12:06 -0800
> From: "Marcos Ramos" <marcos_ramos25 at hotmail.com>
> Subject: [Aztlan] eclipse on 13 ahau 13 k'ayab
> To: <aztlan at lists.famsi.org>
> Message-ID: <BLU140-DS3C4A97EB4FDE3B43F3D21F4580 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Hola Listeros
>
> I am currently doing a research on annular and total eclipses that could
> have been viewed in the Maya area and their importance to Maya society.
> I found an interesting annular eclipse that occurred on December 11, 847
> AD, and using a Maya calendar date calculator
> and Lounsbury's correlation for astronomical events I obtained the long
> count date of 10.0.18.0.0 13 ahau 13 k'ayab G9.
> I know that this date marks the beginning of a new tun, but I believe that
> it is more important that just a new tun.
> Also in the dresden codex there is a almanac called the burner almanac and
> all the dates start with a 13 ahau.
> Can somebody help me with the probable importance of the this long count
> date and the occurrence of the eclipse?
>
> Thanks
>
> Marcos Ramos-Ponciano
>
>
>
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>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:48:14 -0600
> From: Sid Hollander <sid.hollander at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Aztlan] [Maya Math] in public school
> To: AZATLAN <aztlan at lists.famsi.org>
> Message-ID:
>        <5a64c8ee1001311048p32baf6cdg6a98bdf49c6e8c6a at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
>
> Let the games begin!  I had just started my mathematics career in the era
> of
> sputnik when the new math came on the scene to battle the  those nasty
> Rouskis who beaten us to space. Ah! SMSG was the answer.  As a math major I
> loved the subject but the parental out cry was enormous.  I sympathize with
> Jody the teacher and the reactions of the parents.  The posting by Hubert
> made me seek out more info on the subject. (let it be know that I adore
> Maya
> Math).  I found
>
> http://michellemalkin.com/2010/01/25/stupid-education-fad-of-the-day-mayan-math/
> where the header was:
> Stupid education fad of the day: ?Mayan Math?
> By Michelle Malkin
>
> Longtime readers of this blog are familiar with my critiques of Fuzzy Math,
> New Math, New New Math, Everyday Math, Chicago
> Math<http://michellemalkin.com/?s=everyday+math>,
> and every other social justice-tainted
> effort<
> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/12/11/hollywood-howard-zinn%E2%80%99s-marxist-education-project/
> >by
> educrats to corrupt and undermine rigorous math education in this
> country.
>
> Today?s stupid education fad of the day?
>
> ?Mayan Math.?<
> http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jan/24/mayan-numbers-taught-in-somis-school-to-help/
> >I
> kid you not: ...snip ,
>
> An interesting read.  I also waded through the readers comments and
> suffered
> a post Sputnik <
> http://www.google.com.mx/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=fLf&ei=489lS_7qF4eXtgegs-m4Bg&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&ved=0CAYQBSgA&q=de+ja+vous&spell=1
> >de
> ja vous but was brought back to reality when I came upon this one-line
> readers comment:
>
> "I heard the Mayan math class will end in 2012"  I laughed and immediately
> wanted to share with the list.
> --
> Sid Hollander
> Merida, Yucatan
> Mexico CP 97310
> The book of nature is written in mathematical symbols?. Galileo
>
>
>
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> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 00:44:15 -0800
> From: "Aaron" <awoolrich at comcast.net>
> Subject: [Aztlan] Votan
> To: "'Untitled'" <aztlan at lists.famsi.org>
> Message-ID: <E7E0C21950484C31869C06DA6592C703 at Notebook>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Daniel Brinton in 'American Hero-Myths' writes:
>
> _______________________________________
>
> "As we are informed by Bishop Nunez de la Vega, _uotan_ in Tzendal means
> _heart_. Votan was spoken of as "the heart or soul of his people." <...> In
> regard to derivation, _uotan_ is from the pure Maya root-word _tan_, which
> means primarily "the breast," or that which is in front or in the middle of
> the body; with the possessive prefix it becomes _utan_. In Tzendal this word
> means both _breast_ and _heart_. This is well illustrated by an ancient
> manuscript, dating from 1707, in my possession. It is a guide to priests for
> administering the sacraments in Spanish and Tzendal. I quote the passage in
> point[1]:
>
> [Footnote 1: _Modo de Administrar los Sacramentos en Castellano y Tzendal_,
> 1707. 4to MX., p. 13.]
>
> "Con todo tu corazon, hiriendote
>
> en los pechos, di, conmigo."
>
> _Ta zpizil auotan, xatigh zny
>
> auotan, zghoyoc, alagh ghoyoc_."
>
> _______________________________________
>
> Brinton goes on to equate this definition "heart" with the K'iche' concept
> of "heart of sky heart of earth".
>
> Also, having apparently made a critical examination of these among other
> sources, (Ordonez y Aguiar, Bourbourg, etc), Brinton specifically names
> "Palenque, Nachan, Huehuetlan" as cities attributed to Votan. One can't help
> but wonder if Tzendal myths of "Nachan" played a role in kindling the
> Ordonez brothers' interest in the ancient cities. Or, posed as a question,
> why did scholars of the late 19th/early 20th century (apparently even as
> late as 1955) so habitually accept the connection of Votan to Nachan and
> therefore Palenque?
>
>
>
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> End of Aztlan Digest, Vol 51, Issue 1
> *************************************
>

-- 
Bernard Ortiz de Montellano