ARCH 226 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Puebloan Peoples, Winter Solstice
4 Jun 2018
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– Film: Mysteries of Chaco Canyon.
Thoughts on:
The purpose of the construction of the Fajada Butte calendar.
Fajada Butte has the amazing Sun Dagger. Using a spiral carved on the butte’s rock to create the
dagger-shaped light from the sun that shines between the slabs of stone is fascinating. Thinking
of how precisely the set up needed to be to have the sun dagger hit certain areas of the spiral is
remarkable. The different parts of the spiral hit is based on the day of the year so it is in a way a
calendrer but is very unique.
- During the equinoxes, the dagger sun hits between the center and outer circle of the
spiral, while with the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, a pair of daggers
touches the left and right outer lines of the spiral. Summer solstice, longest day of the
year, has the dagger hitting the center of the spiral.
How where they able to create something so complex and utilize the sun in such a way? It is
amazing the ability to use nature and the resources they had to manipulate the sun. Humans
carved the spiral but what about the slabs of rock, how did they get in proper position? Were
they a natural fall? How did they move the slabs and align it?
The reason(s) for building the structures at Chaco Canyon so that they aligned with each
other.
The buildings at Chaco Canyon were positioned in a landscape surrounded by sacred landforms.
These landform of spiritual importance for Pueblo people. Being at the center holds significance.
The people of Chaco Canyon aligned the enormous structures to key points in the Sun’s cycle
and they organized their central complex to the Sun, therefore aligned the structures with each
other. The film mentions the huge half-circular building. The building seems to be the center of
the Chacoan complex, and features two prominent walls that form an exact north- south and east-
west axis which is “cardinal alignment.” To put so much thought into building many structures to
align in specific ways and correspond with axis’ that follow the sun is outstanding. How much
planning and man power would this take and what was all the reasoning behind such a massive
production? The film shows the sun casting of shadows at noon of every day, it can be
experienced at the moment the north south mid-wall, there is no shadow. Did the people take into
consideration what would have light and what would be in the shadows? Would there be a
different meaning to an object or place if it was cast in a shadow?
The reason(s) for building the structures at Chaco Canyon so that they aligned with
astronomical phenomena.
There is no doubt of the complex astronomical knowledge of ancient Pueblo Indian people and
the massive buildings in Chaco Canyon. Chaco Canyon was thought to be an ancient trading
center, this film, shows Chaco Canyon to be the center of a complex ceremonial system? So the
significance of the center would possibly involve a ritual for the dead? With the involvement of
the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon the center of the Chaco Canyon is of importance. The people of
Chaco Canyon showed astonishing reflections of astronomical phenomena, which they
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Document Summary
The purpose of the construction of the fajada butte calendar. Using a spiral carved on the butte"s rock to create the dagger-shaped light from the sun that shines between the slabs of stone is fascinating. Thinking of how precisely the set up needed to be to have the sun dagger hit certain areas of the spiral is remarkable. The different parts of the spiral hit is based on the day of the year so it is in a way a calendrer but is very unique. Summer solstice, longest day of the year, has the dagger hitting the center of the spiral. It is amazing the ability to use nature and the resources they had to manipulate the sun. The reason(s) for building the structures at chaco canyon so that they aligned with each other. The buildings at chaco canyon were positioned in a landscape surrounded by sacred landforms. These landform of spiritual importance for pueblo people.
