Comments on: Archaeoastronomy in Peru

Archaeoastronomy in Peru

homunculus — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 22:38:46 -0800

The Thirteen Towers of Chankillo in Peru may be the Western Hemisphere's oldest known full-service solar observatory, showing evidence of early, sophisticated Sun cults, according to archaeoastronomy professor Clive Ruggles. The 2,300-year-old complex featured 13 towers running north to south along a ridge and spread across 980 feet to form a toothed horizon that spans the solar arc. Last year, another ancient observatory was discovered in Peru by Robert Benfer. The Temple of the Fox is 4,200 years old, making it 1,900 years older than the Chankillo site, but wasn't a complete calendar.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 22:39:30 -0800

Previous post on archaeoastronomy.

By: three blind mice

three blind mice — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 23:18:57 -0800

Nice post homunculus. The authors of the paper, who include Professor Ivan Ghezzi of the National Institute of Culture, Peru, believe the population was an ancient Sun cult and the observatory was used to mark special days in their solar calendar. I am a bit dubious about the use of the word "cult" to describe ancient societies. "Cult" implies a religious practice. Obviously, these people were sophisticated and the sun was as important and as essential to them as our calendar is to us. For modern man, our world revolves around the keeping of time and dates. It is more a practical necessity than a religious practice. Why would it have been different then?

By: inconsequentialist

inconsequentialist — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 05:23:54 -0800

Thanks for these links. I found this one particularly informative both historically and astronomically.

By: Busithoth

Busithoth — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 08:19:41 -0800

another frakking reason to make me want to see Peru. thanks, these are great.

By: dhruva

dhruva — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 16:00:39 -0800

Thanks for the post!

By: homunculus

homunculus — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 23:00:22 -0800

APOD: analemmas.

By: carter

carter — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 06:51:36 -0800

Nice stuff, thanks homunculus!

By: homunculus

homunculus — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 23:09:24 -0800

Llama dung mites track Inca fall