Palenque: Astronomical-Solar Orientation of Pakal Tomb

Jaroslav Klokočník,Astronomical Institute, Czech Aacdemy of Sciences

Ondřejov ObservatoryCZ 251 65 Ondřejov , Czech Republic, EU, jklokocn@asu.cas.cz

www.asu.cas.cz/~jklokocn

Jan Kostelecký, Research Institute for Geodesy, Topography and Cartography,CZ 250 66 Zdiby 98, Czech Republic, EU, kost@fsv.cvut.cz

© Astronomický ústav AV ČR

mapa lokalit

Palenque: the Pyramid with Temple of Inscriptions and Pakal tomb inside

Pacal and his tomb in

Palenque

ReignJuly 29, 615 – August 31, 683 GMTFull nameK'inich Janaab' PakalBornMarch 24, 603 GMTDiedMarch 31, 683 GMT BuriedTemple of the Inscriptions, PalenquePredecessor Sak K'uk‘Successor K'inich Kan B'alam

                                                     

GMT???

Example of failure of GMT to predict solar eclipseDK D31 (F 52)

BB MD = 1 412 848 JD = 2 035 109 = 29.10. 859 ++

GMT Nov 755

Vol June 1275

Fuls 20.9.963 +

Mucke Hermann, Meeus, Jean.1983 Canon of solar eclipses –2003 to +2526. Astro. Buro, Hasenwartgasse, Wien; 2nd ed., Vienna, 1983.

Interesting consequencefor “the end of the world 2012” is

that it is postponed from

Dec 21, 2012 to Dec 14, 2116.• GMT means Goodman-Martínez-Thompson correlation (584 283 days),• B&B means Böhm and Böhm correlation (622 261 day).

The difference GMT-BB= 584 283 - 622 261 = - 37978 days = 103.978 years

B&B:

Klokočník J, Kostelecký J, Böhm V, Böhm B, Vondrák J, Vítek F 2008 Correlation between the Mayan calendar and ours:

Astronomy helps to answer why the most popular correlation (GMT) is wrong, Astronom. Nachrichten (AN) 329, 4, 426-436,

DOI 10.1002/asna.200710892a.200710892.

Pacal and his tomb in

Palenque

ReignJuly 22, 615 – August 24, 787 B&BFull nameK'inich Janaab' PakalBornMarch 17, 707 B&BDiedMarch 24, 787 B&B BuriedTemple of the Inscriptions, PalenquePredecessor Sak K'uk‘Successor K'inich Kan B'alam

                                                     

Palenque, Pacal tombastronomical-solar orientation

???

Stingl M 1971

Tajemství indiánských pyramid,

Orbis Praha, in Czech

J. Skidmore, priv. commun. 2000,www.mesoweb.com/palenque/

resources/maps (© 2000, E. Barnhart)

Precise compassDirections ±1 degree

Calibration byGPS baselines

NGDC (National Geophysical Data Center) NOAA Satellite and Information Service, www.ngdc.noaa.gov

cos a = - sin δ / cos φ

Measurements in Palenque

We measured with the precise compass inside the crypt, around the sarcophagus,

but there was a problem: at the entrance to the crypt, there

was a steel lintel which disturbed measurements with the compass to a

distance ~1-1.5 m, so on this side of thetomb the measurements with compass

were impossible.

Results of measurements:

Magnetic azimuth of the longer side of the sarcophagus is 21±1 deg (East of North)

Measurements in Palenque

Results of measurements:Magnetic azimuth long side of 21±1 deg (East of North), after

the correction to the astronomical azimuth is 24±2 deg, acounting for all sources of errors.

Conclusion:Agreement with the expected value for the hypothetical

astronomical-solar-solstice orientation, 24-25 deg, is perfect.

Two baselines were deployed, as long as possible (e.g. between the Temple of the Crossand the Plaza, and between the Palace and the Temple of the Inscriptions), to keep error of the final astronomical azimuth computed from such measurements as low as possible. The precision of coordinates with the handy GPSwas about ±10 m in 2003 and ~3-5 m in 2010.

Palenque, Pacal tombastronomical-solar orientation

!!!

24-25 degrees

Concluding remarks

We proved that Pakal’s tomb in the Mayan city of Palenque has astronomical-solar orientation. The long axis of the crypt is directed 24-25 degreeseast of astronomical north. This axis is perpendicular to the direction of sunset at the summer solstice or sunrise at the winter solstice. The result has accuracy not worse than ±2 degrees.

jklokocn@asu.cas.czwww.asu.cas.cz/~jklokocn

Astronomický ústav AV ČR, Česká republika, EU