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A Dresden Codex Eclipse Sequence: Projections for the Years 1970–1992

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Frederick Martin
Frederick Martin*
Affiliation:
Department of English, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
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Abstract

Data from the U. S. Naval Observatory annual astronomical almanacs (1970–1992) in “correlation” with the Maya Calendar Round (CR) sequence indicate that the Dresden Codex lunar table (51a-58b) very probably counted simultaneous sequences of both lunar and solar eclipses on the same set of day names. The contemporary sequence of day names in the CR and the astronomy consistent with it parallels Classic-period Maya observational experience between 9.16.0.0.0 and 9.17.0.0.0.

Los datos presentados demuestran algunos hechos contundentes acerca de la naturaleza de las predicciones mayas de los eclipses, así como también de la estructura del índice lunar del Códice de Dresden. El índice maya fue diseñado para contar eclipses en pares y marcar las posiciones de eventuales eclipses lunares y solares en el mismo grupo de nombres de días. Cuando los eclipses lunares ocurren en la primera línea de las tríadas de los nombres de los días, los eclipses solares caen en la segunda línea. Cada secuencia posee un propio día-base, 11 Manik O Muan para los eclipses lunares y 11 Manik 15 Zac para los eventos solares. Los días-base están separados por 13 tun y/o 18 almanaques (4.680 días). Un glifo 13-tun, que puede referirse a la separación día-base, se registra en la línea final de glifos sobre la décima fotografía (58b, columna D, línea 1). Los días-base del índice, con 13 Muluc suprimidos, están probablemente registrados en la posición del eclipse final (58b, columna D) del índice.

De manera general, parece obvio que los astrónomos mayas construyeron el índice de Dresden a través de un largo proceso de observación, registrando los nombres de días, uno cada vez en la manera en que éstos marcaban la ocurrencia del eclipse. El tiempo inmerso en este proceso fue corto en virtud del hecho de que varios múltiplos de 260, como Justeson (1989:84) sugiere, son valores de eclipses naturales.

Type
Reports
Information
Latin American Antiquity , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , March 1993 , pp. 74 - 93
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 1993

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