CCS Dean’s New Book Explores the History of Mayan Astronomy at Chich’en Itza

March 1, 2022

“Calculating Brilliance” to be released in March 2022

“Calculating Brilliance: An Intellectual History of Mayan Astronomy at Chich’en Itza” by Dean Gerardo Aldana (The University of Arizona Press, 2022)
“Calculating Brilliance: An Intellectual History of Mayan Astronomy at Chich’en Itza” by Dean Gerardo Aldana (The University of Arizona Press, 2022)

On March 15, 2022, CCS Dean Gerardo Aldana’s new book, “Calculating Brilliance: An Intellectual History of Mayan Astronomy at Chich’en Itza” (The University of Arizona Press, 2022), will be released. The book reveals new insights into the history of Mayan astronomy as well as sociopolitical changes of the Mayan Terminal Classic and early Postclassic periods, reframing Mayan science from a perspective centered around Indigenous cosmologies and religions. In addition, “Calculating Brilliance” explores the history and impact of Mayan astronomy on the city of Chich’en Itza, emphasizing the work of K’uk’ul Ek’ Tuyilaj, a female Mayan astronomer who discovered how to maintain the accuracy of observations of Venus over hundreds of years. Her work is preserved in the Venus Table of the Dresden Codex and resonated throughout Mayan science. Read more about the book’s release in the UCSB Current.