Monday, December 15, 2003

Astronomical Surface Decorations on Ceramics, Mesoamerica part VI -- see CORRECTIONS  12/18 -- Over at www.mayalords.org, the page Maya Astronomy Classes, talks about a bowl with sky-bands. The author says the sky-band is arranged in such a way that it can be used as an instrument to measure star positions. The page mentions a statue that seems to show a person looking into such a bowl. The page goes on to say that the bowl is similar in function to the hemispheres of Jai Parakash Yantra which I wrote about awhile back. It is interesting to note that the Maya Astronomy Classes article says that the bowl is to be used when it is full of water, as the refraction of the stars makes the stars apearing on the flat surface of the water line up with their counterparts on the concave surface of the bowl. I've tried to find out more about this bowl and haven't found much, but will keep searching. Oh...the bowl is onyx, not ceramic. 6:43:11 AM