Thursday, December 11, 2003

Astronomical Surface Decorations on Ceramics, Mesoamerica part V More on Sky-Bands- Ancient Mesoamericans believed that the sky had thirteen distinct levels. Architectural and sculptural bands, with decorated diagonal and vertical elements, represent the sky. These sky bands date back to the Formative Olmecs and appear continuously in Mayan art until the Spanish Conquest. Classic Maya skybands are usually regularly segmented. Within each segment are various signs that represent the sun, moon, stars, and darkness. Deborha Gomez (Sky Bands are) the iconographic representation of the ecliptic.   (The author goes on about the details of some sky bands in the Dresden Codex.  My "ecliptic" link.) Michael John Finley 11:18:21 PM