Chapter 1
The earthen skyscrapers of the Mississippians
Chapter 2
Stone palaces in the desert cliffs
Chapter 3
Ancient science, astronomy, and alignment
Chapter 4
The continent-spanning trade networks
YOUR GOAL
Master of Mounds and mesas: The ancient megacities of North America
Ch 3 · Ancient science, astronomy, and alignment
sonia Chaco Canyon Archaeoastronomy
Light cuts a dagger through the sandstone to track the cycles of the sun and the moon
sonia Ancestral Puebloans constructed over 180 miles of perfectly straight, wide roads across rugged desert terrain.
sonia Mississippian builders at Cahokia erected massive wooden post circles to track the rising sun and mark agricultural seasons.
BETA
sonia Align the stones with the sun to discover how ancient cultures tracked the seasons.
Fun Fact
Chacoan highways: The ancient roads of Chaco Canyon were up to 30 feet wide and went straight up cliffs!
Glossary
archaeoastronomy (noun)
The study of how ancient societies understood and interpreted celestial phenomena. Ancestral Puebloans used these principles to align Chaco Canyon's massive stone structures with solar cycles.
The study of how ancient societies understood and interpreted celestial phenomena. Ancestral Puebloans used these principles to align Chaco Canyon's massive stone structures with solar cycles.
Quiz
What material did the builders of Woodhenge at Cahokia use to track the solar calendar?
Quiz
How did Mississippian builders ensure their massive clay mounds did not collapse from rain?
Quiz
Why did Chacoan builders use timber from forests over 50 miles away to construct their great houses?