Anasazi; the Ancestral Puebloans

In July of 1054 A.D., members of the Anasazi tribe (native Americans living in the American Southwest), along with Chinese court astronomers, recorded the appearance of a new star. Although it was visible for only a few months, it was bright enough to be seen even during the day! A super nova explosion, now known as the Crab nebula. During this time period the Anasazi were arguably the most advanced astronomers in the world. They constructed the famous "Sun Dagger" (top right) that records the solstice points as well as the equinox points. Perhaps more amazing is what the first researchers didn’t see, there are two very shallow grooves that cross the face, grooves associated with the movement (not phases) of the moon over an 18.6-year “Metonic” cycle. Another unusual thing is that the Anasazi villages known as Aztec Ruins, Solomon Ruins, Chaco Canyon and Casas Grandes, are all perfectly aligned on the same meridian, 108 W. On further investigation it was found that the Chaco Canyon Great Houses aligned with cardinal directions or with celestial events. The principal axes of Pueblo Bonito, point exactly in the cardinal directions. More astonishing, axes of other Great Houses are aligned with "lunar standstills," the point when the moon makes its northernmost ascension over the earth’s horizon—an event which only occurs every 18.6 years. The graphic on the right shows the amazing precision that these Great Houses were layed out with.

The Anasazi roads were also remarkable, sometimes with a width of 30 feet (9m) they run in a straight line North and South for 500 miles and in many other directions, always straight. Their architecture, beyond the surprising orientation, is impressive, Casa Bonita in Chaco canyon is one of the best preserved and largest structures, 5 stories tall and the size of the Roman Coliseum, it was built of dressed sandstone.(third right) Round underground rooms called Kivas were a feature of most Anasazi construction and are thought to be religious in nature. The kivas often included features that introduced a ray of light into the structure only on significant dates. These same people built "Cliff dwellings", the most famous of which is in present day Colorado at Mesa Verde(bottom right). These people are surrounded in mystery to this day, By the mid 1500's all their structures were abandoned, and the people themselves seem to have disappeared. Theories abound, everything from drought to canibalisim has been suggested, but no one knows what really happened!

Digital restoration of Pueblo Bonita (Beautiful House)