245
observe that Bricker and Bricker (2011) apply the 584,283 correlation constant. The
borders limiting eclipse seasons are wide enough to accommodate various GMT
correlation constants. It only shows that attempts to establish correlation after examining only one case are doomed to failure.
4 Determining the Lunar Series for Santa Elena Poco Uinic
Stela 3
Unfortunately, Stela 3 does not record the Lunar Series. The eclipse date only identifies the day of the new moon. The eclipse date is only 84 days before the k’atun
ending at 9.18.0.0.0, and since the Maya often commissioned monuments to celebrate such period endings, it is possible to find lunar records attached to that date.
By adding 84 days (= 59 + 25 days),
10
we arrive at the Moon Age of 25 days at
9.18.0.0.0 (84 = 59 + 25). The moon age reckoning can vary from polity to polity
and has never been defined clearly. The starting point of the Maya lunar month may
be counted from the day of any of the three: last visible old moon/first invisible
moon (“last moon”), astronomical new moon (“new moon”), or first visible lunar
crescent (“first moon”). Unfortunately, the only legible lunar records are found in
north-central and eastern Maya regions, located relatively far from Santa Elena
Poco Uinic (see Table 2). So they may convey different numbers of days of the age
of the Moon. The critical distinction here is the day of the solar eclipse, since it
precisely defines the moment of the astronomical new moon. In this case, one would
expect the moon age to be determined with care, from the (astronomical) new moon
date corresponding to the solar eclipse.
In spite of this, the Lunar Series inscriptions for 9.18.0.0.0 (Table 2) show that
Mayan polities used different ways of determining the Moon age. A 3-day shift in
calculating the moon age is noticed. It can only be explained by different moments
of the lunar cycle previously selected to mark the start of each month (see Fig. 3).
Thus, the moon age of 23 or 24 days implies that the start of the count was on the
day when the lunar crescent was first observed in the sky. The moon age of 25 days
indicates the starting point at the new moon (eclipse date). Finally, the moon age of
26 days means the start of the month with the first invisibility of the moon.
11
In this
way, the eclipse record helps to capture the differing times of the start of the lunar
count month. Interestingly, no evidence from Table 2 matches lunar reckoning from
the astronomical new moon.
Conclusions derived from the last section cannot be considered as definitive. The
question of finding the proper layout of schematic lunar months must be revised in
light of the lunar data painted on the walls of a late eighth-century Structure 1 at
Bonampak. Room 1 contains the courtly scene, with the participation of the
10 It should be reminded that the Maya used schematic 29-day and 30-day months.
11 For the sake of space I assume the Maya tallied the moon from zero through 29 or 30.
Remarks on the Lunar Series and Eclipse Cycles in Late Classic Maya Records
observe that Bricker and Bricker (2011) apply the 584,283 correlation constant. The
borders limiting eclipse seasons are wide enough to accommodate various GMT
correlation constants. It only shows that attempts to establish correlation after examining only one case are doomed to failure.
4 Determining the Lunar Series for Santa Elena Poco Uinic
Stela 3
Unfortunately, Stela 3 does not record the Lunar Series. The eclipse date only identifies the day of the new moon. The eclipse date is only 84 days before the k’atun
ending at 9.18.0.0.0, and since the Maya often commissioned monuments to celebrate such period endings, it is possible to find lunar records attached to that date.
By adding 84 days (= 59 + 25 days),
10
we arrive at the Moon Age of 25 days at
9.18.0.0.0 (84 = 59 + 25). The moon age reckoning can vary from polity to polity
and has never been defined clearly. The starting point of the Maya lunar month may
be counted from the day of any of the three: last visible old moon/first invisible
moon (“last moon”), astronomical new moon (“new moon”), or first visible lunar
crescent (“first moon”). Unfortunately, the only legible lunar records are found in
north-central and eastern Maya regions, located relatively far from Santa Elena
Poco Uinic (see Table 2). So they may convey different numbers of days of the age
of the Moon. The critical distinction here is the day of the solar eclipse, since it
precisely defines the moment of the astronomical new moon. In this case, one would
expect the moon age to be determined with care, from the (astronomical) new moon
date corresponding to the solar eclipse.
In spite of this, the Lunar Series inscriptions for 9.18.0.0.0 (Table 2) show that
Mayan polities used different ways of determining the Moon age. A 3-day shift in
calculating the moon age is noticed. It can only be explained by different moments
of the lunar cycle previously selected to mark the start of each month (see Fig. 3).
Thus, the moon age of 23 or 24 days implies that the start of the count was on the
day when the lunar crescent was first observed in the sky. The moon age of 25 days
indicates the starting point at the new moon (eclipse date). Finally, the moon age of
26 days means the start of the month with the first invisibility of the moon.
11
In this
way, the eclipse record helps to capture the differing times of the start of the lunar
count month. Interestingly, no evidence from Table 2 matches lunar reckoning from
the astronomical new moon.
Conclusions derived from the last section cannot be considered as definitive. The
question of finding the proper layout of schematic lunar months must be revised in
light of the lunar data painted on the walls of a late eighth-century Structure 1 at
Bonampak. Room 1 contains the courtly scene, with the participation of the
10 It should be reminded that the Maya used schematic 29-day and 30-day months.
11 For the sake of space I assume the Maya tallied the moon from zero through 29 or 30.
Remarks on the Lunar Series and Eclipse Cycles in Late Classic Maya Records