Post by UKarchaeology on Nov 11, 2015 20:28:17 GMT
The mystery of the Newark Earthworks — massive mounds built by ancient people who lived here thousands of years ago — lies in the movements of the moon.
One piece of the Earthworks is a giant octagon, large enough to fit four Roman Colosseums. Each of the octagon’s points lines up perfectly with specific times in the lunar cycle, pointing to the northernmost and southernmost places where the moon rises and sets.
“The moon goes through an elaborate cycle, sort of like the sun, in that there’s a solstice and an equinox — it’s the rhythm of the year,” said Bradley T. Lepper, curator of archaeology at the Ohio History Connection.
The Newark Earthworks are the largest known complex of geometric earthworks on the planet, according to archaeologists. Radiocarbon dating puts construction at around A.D. 1 to A.D. 400, Lepper said.
They cover about 4.5 square miles, and about 7 million cubic feet of earth was used to construct them.
Full story: www.dispatch.com/content/stories/science/2015/10/11/1-the-moon-and-the-mounds.html
One piece of the Earthworks is a giant octagon, large enough to fit four Roman Colosseums. Each of the octagon’s points lines up perfectly with specific times in the lunar cycle, pointing to the northernmost and southernmost places where the moon rises and sets.
“The moon goes through an elaborate cycle, sort of like the sun, in that there’s a solstice and an equinox — it’s the rhythm of the year,” said Bradley T. Lepper, curator of archaeology at the Ohio History Connection.
The Newark Earthworks are the largest known complex of geometric earthworks on the planet, according to archaeologists. Radiocarbon dating puts construction at around A.D. 1 to A.D. 400, Lepper said.
They cover about 4.5 square miles, and about 7 million cubic feet of earth was used to construct them.
Full story: www.dispatch.com/content/stories/science/2015/10/11/1-the-moon-and-the-mounds.html