The ancient Maya were attentive watchers of the night sky. They studied the stars as priests, historians, and scientists; and in the stars and planets they saw the visitation of their gods and the history of the universe.
Join anthropologist Tim King for this special lecture demonstration that will introduce you to the complex and fascinating world of Maya astronomy, and invite you to look at the sky through the eyes of the ancient Maya. The lecture will offer highlights of King's research on ancient Maya depictions of constellations, meteor showers, and eclipses. After the lecture we will go outdoors for star watching and a guided tour of the Maya heavens.
TIM KING
Anthropologist and Archaeoastronomer
Tim King is an anthropologist who has written on Maya culture and traveled in the Maya areas of Mexico and Guatemala for fifteen years. He worked with Mexican colleagues at Teotihuacan to uncover and decipher the first extensive hieroglyphic writing found on the site. He has written on the constellations of the ancient Maya, proposing that certain types of ceramic and mural art portray actual pictures of the night sky, like star maps. Over the past year, King has been teaching in Estonia where he established the first university program in anthropology.