17-09-2016, 12:43 PM
Marco -
I think it's reasonable to say that the figures set in tiers (not all are women, and 'women' suggests a literalism not established) are associated with the name of a month, and that some of the month-names cover emblems which agree (more or less) with the emblems used in zodiacs.
The leap to assuming the purpose of the month-roundels astrological is larger than I think the evidence warrants; calendars were used for many other reasons, and since there's no evidence that these roundels originated in the Latin-using world (indeed, there is much evidence against it imo), so it may be relevant to mention that we have star-calendars which are not about astrology at all; some relate to agriculture, some relate to the navigational stars; some relate to religious rosters and timing the hours for prayer.
I think the 'astrological idea' is the first to come to most moderns' minds, simply because they are moderns, for whom no other sets of association are current.
I do wish we had someone with the necessary breadth of knowledge to offer an informed assessment - David King, or David Pingree.. we need someone of that calibre, don't we?
I think it's reasonable to say that the figures set in tiers (not all are women, and 'women' suggests a literalism not established) are associated with the name of a month, and that some of the month-names cover emblems which agree (more or less) with the emblems used in zodiacs.
The leap to assuming the purpose of the month-roundels astrological is larger than I think the evidence warrants; calendars were used for many other reasons, and since there's no evidence that these roundels originated in the Latin-using world (indeed, there is much evidence against it imo), so it may be relevant to mention that we have star-calendars which are not about astrology at all; some relate to agriculture, some relate to the navigational stars; some relate to religious rosters and timing the hours for prayer.
I think the 'astrological idea' is the first to come to most moderns' minds, simply because they are moderns, for whom no other sets of association are current.
I do wish we had someone with the necessary breadth of knowledge to offer an informed assessment - David King, or David Pingree.. we need someone of that calibre, don't we?