The study of the religion of the ancient Maya is a highly specialized discipline best left to trained scholars capable of penetrating and navigating its astonishing intricacies. Interested laymen all too often operate under the dual constraints of ignorance and naivety. Yet on occasion, when due caution is observed, a novice can contribute something of value to the field. New ways of looking at things can provide keys to unlocking long-standing mysteries.
The author of this collection of essays hopes that his "thinking outside the box" approach to some of the outstanding problems facing archaeologists, epigraphers and anthropologists may lead, ultimately, to a better understanding of some aspects of Maya religion. Although the method he employs (taking a rather literalist view of monument or artifact dates in relationship to celestial phenomena) is generally frowned upon, and his application of purely speculative interpretations to otherwise unknowable divine events falls outside the purview of proper academic method and scientific objectivity, the results of his researches do seem to suggest a perhaps valuable alternate approach to some of the more important unanswered questions.
If we are to understand the ancient Maya, we must try to think like they did. With that precept in mind, August Hunt seeks to uncover new meanings embedded in the otherwise confounding riddles posed by the actions of Maya gods, planets and time.
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