MGMT 1050 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Facing Windows, Irregular Galaxy, Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Document Summary
Throughout the world, we find evidence that prehistoric mankind developed the ability to predict the cycles of the sky. Location of the sunrise shifts along the horizon throughout the year. Stars move in a circle around the same point in the sky. Venus follows a curved path, stars do not. Things above could be noticed by prehistoric people. Three sites that have an archaeological evidence of having a connection to the sky: Study of these kinds of sites is archaeoastronomy. Most common connection to sky that we find in these sites is to the sun. Bowl shaped rock could"ve possibly held ashes and bones of important people. Roof box is aligned to the winter solstice sunrise. (sunrises on the shortest day of the year december 21st) Sun hits the roof box on that day, illuminates the stone passageway, as sun gets higher, beam gets longer and goes farther.