Existing comment:
American Woodhenge:
A huge circle of wooden poles was discovered at Cahokia in 1961. Pits were unearthed that had once held red cedar posts arranged in a circle to form a solar horizon calendar. It was named "American Woodhenge" to distinguish it from similar structure in England.
Solar horizon calendars keep track of the seasonal movements of the sun as it seems to travel north and south during the year. At Woodhenge, the first day of each of the four seasons could be marked by sighting at sunrise from the center post to three of the outer posts.
The Woodhenge solar calendar may have been used to determine the dates of important ceremonies and festivals. Some scholars feel the poles of the city may have been part of a lunar-moon-calendar or that they simply marked a sacred enclosure. |