In addition to the solstices and the equinoxes, also the behaviour of the Moon was followed and recorded by the ancient peoples. In some old structures lunar alignments are as important as the solar ones. Check out the Wikipedia page for "lunar standstill" to understand how the rising and setting directions of the Moon change according to a 18.6 year cycle. Then, watch this video about a major lunar standstill that took place at Chimney Rock, Colorado. This is just one example of observations -and structures that were built either for observations or for ritual purposes- that were made in antiquity.
Last modified: Monday, 25 December 2017, 10:55 AM