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From Our World To Theirs |
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The Observatories |
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The Maya built observatories at many of their cities, and aligned important buildings with the movements of celestial bodies.Often doorways or roof combs on temples were placed in a way that they could mark the rising, culmination, or setting of the sun, moon, planets or stars. The Caracol at Chichén Itzá was aligned with the appearance of the Pleiades and Venus. A temple at Uxmal contains hundreds of Venus symbols. |
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The Maya Kings timed their accession rituals in tune with the stars and the Milky Way. Also, when the k'atun ending coincided with certain planetary positions the Maya sometimes went to war to obtain captives. |
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At
Chichen Itza, during sunset a sun serpent rises up the side
of the stairway of the pyramid called El Castillo on the day
of Spring and Autumn Equinox. It tells us that the Maya
noted the Sun at the Solstices, and also the Equinoxes when
the Sun appeared to rise due East or due
West.