by Pam Uher

Created on: September 26, 2010

Studying the calendars of ancient cultures fascinates the modern world, especially if these calendars are engulfed in mystery and surrounded by prophecies of the future.  The last decade has seen the rise in academic study of the Anasazi (Navajo for “ancient ones”) Calendar, which many enthusiastic students of lost cultures and people are now developing historical theories about. A relatively new field of academic study has emerged called archaeoastronomy. This new scientific field of study investigates how the ancient people, such as the Anasazi, used astronomy in their lives, in their art and architecture.

The mystery that once shrouded the Anasazi petro glyphs, seen now in many cases as calendars, is not quite the mystery it once was to archeologists and students of ancient cultures.  The carved stone slabs and “silent” rock rooms are now believed to have been designed and constructed as accurate agricultural and ceremonial calendars based upon astrological positioning of the sun and moon. Many archeologists and scholars of ancient culture believe the Anasazi created observational calendars as they left their nomadic lifestyle and settled on the mesas over- looking the Colorado River basin around 500AD.

One noted scholar stated in 2005 – (Don Smith, College of Eastern Utah, San Juan branch) "I think we're becoming more aware that those people were far more familiar with astronomy, science and possibly math than we give them credit for.”

The Anasazi created observational calendars as they left their nomadic lifestyle and settled on the often barren mesas over- looking the Colorado River basin around 500AD.  It is believed they followed eight different seasonal events: each solstice, the equinox, and all the events that happen in between.  These ancient people placed rocks carefully and aligned them so to allow the sun and moon to cast light beams at different positions on the various shapes (such as an Indian head in one calendar location and spiral designs at others) at various time periods during a seasonal year. A beam of light penetrating through a small hole in a rock forms an eye that sends a beam onto another rock with a carved “face/design” on it. The moon- beams/ sun-beams move to various locations on the carved face according to the celestial time intervals

Recent discoveries in the remote arid Chaco Canyon of New Mexico show that the mysterious Anasazi also built architectural calendars using several story high stone rooms (sometimes called “silent rooms”).  These are  lonely looking stone tower type rooms where sunlight holes were positioned in order to predict summer and winter solstice as the light beams shifted over the course of time around the room in order to help them know when to plant and gather for celebrations. It is accepted by most 21st century scholars that these sites are calendars in part because the sun/moon beams of light/shadow fits a specific target area only on specific days. This concept is very much like a sundial found in the ruins of many other ancient habitats.

It is interesting to note that present archeoastronomy research is indicating that several of the Kivas may have been (such as Pueblo Bonita) large solar communal calendars.

Regarding prophecy emanating from these ancient Anasazi calendars, that appears not to have been their purpose or function; time will perhaps reveal more about the mysterious Anasazi people and their ways.

www.solsticeproject.org/science.html

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