부산대학교 도서관

In this paper we outline the results of our archaeoastronomical study dealing with a number of Mayan settlements located in the lowlands of Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo (Mexico), in order to try to explain the well- known clockwise misalignments with respect to the astronomical cardinal directions. In this work we present the results of our analysis and propose a solution of this problem. The methodology followed in our study is based on statistical methods as well as on the astronomical computations. In a preliminary research we at first analysed the topographic maps of the Mayan sites checking that the deviation of the main axes of the cities is always rotated by few degrees in a clockwise direction from the astronomical North, but with different azimuths. We have successfully tested various hypotheses on the astronomical criteria applied by the Mayan people in order to build and orient their cities, and we are able to show that exists a strict relationship between the architectural alignments and the astronomical observations of the most important stars in the framework of the Mayan religion.