by Anthony F. Aveni (1993)
Goodreads Synopsis: The Sky in Mayan Literature offers a synthesis of past and present-day dialogue between people and the world of nature around and especially above them. This unique collection of original essays investigates both ancient and modern Mayan texts and describes concepts of timekeeping and their role in Mayan culture. The celestial sphere is the place where ancient Mayan rulers derived their source of power and yet, it is the very same realm to which the modern peasant still prays for rain. Including contributions from anthropologists, a mathematician, an art historian, and a linguist, the interdisciplinary approach in this innovative book portrays skywatching and celestial worship as one aspect of Mayan cultural behavior that possesses an evolutionary history. What a Mayan shaman sees and interprets in the visual imagery of the sky today is also revealed in the four ancient sacred books that survive. The contributors find a strong correlation between real-time and the heavily-veiled information about the heavens in pre-contact days. Dealing with texts written in hieroglyphic script as well as post-contact alphabetic script, The Sky in Mayan Literature will interest the anthropology and archaeology communities as well as students of cultural and ethno-history of science, and comparative literature.
Ross Hamilton
"An illustrated, full-color, multidisciplinary tour through the now-hidden 'Glastonbury zodiac' of North America--the ancient monuments of the Ohio Valley--this book will appeal to readers interested in indigenous American culture, its mysteries, and its sophisticated knowledge of astronomy, geometry, and architecture"--Provided by publisher.
Eric Chaisson, Steve McMillan
This number one, best-selling astronomy text reflects the most current findings in astronomy using a clear, accurate exposition, market-leading art program, and the most innovative, integrated media program available. A free CD is included with each copy of the text with a multimedia version of the text and links directly to the widely praised Chaisson/McMillan companion web site at The CD contains approximately 35 updates on events and discoveries that have occurred since the print-based book was published.
Ann F. Ramenofsky and Anastasia Steffen
The relativity of measurement is one of the paradoxes of science. Even as we seek evidence to explain the world around us, the nature of that knowledge depends on our tools. The apparent inconsistency between what we know and how and what we measure points to the importance of scientific method as a bridge between ideas and entities. This volume emphasizes one aspect of scientific method: units of measure and their construction as applied to archaeology. Attributes, artifact classes, locational designations, temporal periods, sampling universes, culture stages, and geographic regions are all examples of constructed units. Unit Issues in Archaeology discusses how units are defined, described, and evaluated within specified research contexts. Topics include projectile points as chronological markers, the Pecos classification, obsidian and ceramic sourcing, ceramic typology, the "Folsom problem," and landscape-scale units. Throughout the volume, emphasis is placed on the relationship between research goal and measurement. Because research drives the selection and construction of units, units are not treated as unvarying sets of absolutes.
Josepha Sherman
"Describes asteroids, meteors, and comets, including their histories, their compositions, and their roles in the solar system"--Provided by publisher.