Nice contribution KilgoreTrout.
One very interesting aspect of every ancient culture was their obsession with the stars and their advanced astronomical knowledge. So many ancient
cultures oral traditions seem to center around visitations from star beings, or ETs. I used to think that so much of indigenous peoples belief
systems were pure fantasy or the result of hallucinogenic mushrooms. But now, I believe the petroglyphs, legends and oral traditions from around the
world are based on actual events that were experienced and the impact of that was so great on the indigenous peoples that it became important for them
to record or remember it in some way for posterity. Clearly most people these days don’t have the curiosity or interest to sit under the stars
watching and diligently record what they see. I remember driving through the Utah Mountains at night, when I decided to pull over to stretch my legs
at an out of the way observation point. It was nearly pitch black and when I looked up into the sky, I was flabbergasted to see the Milky Way with my
naked eyes. I had always imagined that it was so far away that only high powered telescopes could see it. But no, there it was stretched across the
heavens for anyone to see. I recall the sky seemed alive with life and possibilities when I saw just how many stars are actually up there. Imagine
living in 2,500 B.C with no modern distractions like TV; wouldn’t it make sense that the best things to observe were the heavens? Add to that, ETs
giving mankind advanced knowledge about the stars and constellations makes it all come into focus for me now. So many things that I used to think
were fairly tales now seem to have their basis in actual events.
'The oldest image of a star pattern, that of the famous constellation of Orion, has been recognised on an ivory tablet some 32,500 years old.' (BBC
- Science/nature) Early mankind clearly had obsessions with certain star systems like Orion and Sirius/ Here’s a link outlining much of early
man’s worship of Orion; Link-
www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk...
Below I've assembled information with links to several sites that clearly demonstrat how ancient man's celestial awareness was global.
Passage Mounds Link -
www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk...
Chaco Canyon in New Mexico Link -
www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk...
PBS Special: The Mystery of chaco Canyon Link -
video.pbs.org...
Ancient Mayan Sky Watchers Link -
www.authenticmaya.com...
Ancient Astronomy Lik -
www.sir-ray.com...
32,000 BC - Lunar notations found on remains in W. Siberia. (Ref: Science CXLVI, Nov 6, 1964).
22,000 BC - Artefacts to record the solar year and phases of the moon from Ma'alta, Siberia.
The 'Venus de Laussel', France.
The 25,000 year old 'fertility goddess / mother-earth' figure from Laussel, near Eyzles in France, was painted in red ochre and holds a
crescent-conch shape with 13-lines on it. It has been suggested that the 13 lines on the conch refer to the 13 lunar/menstrual cycles each solar year.
The object is currently on display at the Bordeaux Museum.
9,000 - 8,000 BC - Bone plaque with lunar notations from Grotte Dutai, W. France.
6,500 BC - Engraved bone with lunar notations from Ishango, Congo.
5,000 BC - Goseck, Germany - Currently the oldest known solar observatory in the world. Located on the same Latitude as Stonehenge and 12° to the
east. This recently restored Henge monument demonstrates an awareness of the solar cycle, and the simple step required to mark the day end/start point
of each cycle. The two southern entrances would have illuminated the centre at both the rising and setting sun each winter solstice (the wooden posts
reduce the beam of light to a narrow shaft). Link -
www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk...
4,700 BC - Carnac, France: The Kerkado passage mound was built aligned to midwinter sunrise. Link 1 -
www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk...
Link 2 -
www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk...
Nabta Playa, Egypt: c, 4,500 - 4,000 BC.
The 12-foot-in-diameter stone circle contains four sets of upright slabs. Two sets were aligned in a north-south direction while the second pair of
slabs provides a line of sight toward the summer solstice horizon. Because of Nabta's proximity to the Tropic of Cancer, the noon sun is at its
zenith about three weeks before and three weeks after the summer solstice, preventing upright objects from casting shadows. The vertical sighting
stones correspond to the zenith sun during the summer solstice. Link -
www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk...
3,500 - 3,000 BC - Malta. Several temples orientated to astronomically significant moments of the solar and lunar cycle. Discovery of pottery with
astronomical marking on. Link -
www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk...