Some mathematics is needed to appreciate the achievements of ancient cultures. There will be 2 homework assignments to provide experience in some aspects of astronomy and Mayan mathematics and calendrics. This can be on a topic that we do not cover in class, or can go more deeply into an area that we do cover. I will give possible examples for topics in class. Please use more than one source for your report so that you give a balanced view.
Some books take a far out point of view and, by themselves, are convincing.
This is a source for basic naked eye astronomy, as well as astronomy in Mesoamerica, especially Mayan astronomy. O. Neugebauer, The Exact Sciences in Antiquity , Dover, 1969. We will use this for Babylonian and Egyptian astronomy. Neugebauer was the greatest researcher in these areas. The book also covers Greek astronomy, but that is the beginning of our scientific tradition and outside the range of this course.