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Farmers knew the sky first
The common picture has erudite priests telling ignorant farmers when to plant and harvest from the astronomical cycles. The Maya were farmers, and every farmer knows some trick like that. The priests were honoring knowledge that was foundational to their society's survival.
Early Maya astronomy began with alignments from a distance, mountains in particular. A pyramid 100 feet away lines up correctly for only about three people, and everyone to the left and right sees it off. A mountain 20 miles away gives an entire plaza of people the same alignment. The farther the landmark, the more solid the alignment.
How did Maya buildings mark the sun?
Many Maya cities have an E-Group, a pyramid on the west side of a plaza facing a long platform on the east. From the pyramid, the sun rises over the north end of the platform at the June solstice and over the south end at the December solstice. The Ceibal E-Group in Guatemala dates to around 1000 BCE, according to a 2013 study in Science by Takeshi Inomata and colleagues. The arrangement spread across the Maya lowlands.
How do horizon calendars work?
A horizon calendar tracks where the sun rises or sets against landmarks as the year goes by. Hopi sun watchers use landmarks on the horizon to time planting and ceremonies. Inca chroniclers described pillars on the ridges around Cusco that marked the sun's position through the year. A mountain far away gives the same reading to everyone standing in a plaza.
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