The earthworks at Kolomoki Mounds State Park near Blakely, Georgia mark the bright stars of Aries, most likely in ca. 200 B.C. when the "head" of Aries marked the Vernal Equinox at the Celestial Meridian.
The Wikipedia writes:
Here is the "stellar" decipherment of Kolomoki showing Alpha Arietis (known as Hamal, one of the brightest stars in the sky at magnitude 2.0), Beta Arietis (known as Sheratan), Gamma Arietis (Mesarthim, a binary star), Lambda Arietis (a double star), as well as 41 Arietis (a bright star of magnitude ca. 3.6). As written at Richard Hinckley Allen in Star Names about Beta Arietis:
The mound positions are based on two sources: 1) Kolomoki Mounds State Park at Georgia State Parks, Park Map via the link at http://gastateparks.org/KolomokiMounds, and 2) pages 109 of William N. Morgan, Precolumbian Architecture in Eastern North America, Ripley P. Bullen Series, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida Press, Gainesville, FL, 1999, http://www.upf.com/.
Star positions, as always, are given via the marvelous astronomy software program, Starry Night Pro, http://astronomy.starrynight.com/, although they of course are not responsible for the thick colored lines and explanatory texts that we add in the course of our decipherments.
One can view the stars marked by Kolomoki by looking at this instructive photograph at the webiste of JAMES B. (JIM) KALER, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy, University of Illinois, and his marvelous and star-labeled photograph there of Aries (see also that link!) as also at http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/ari-frt.jpg:
THIS POSTING IS Posting Number 75 of
The Great Mound, Petroglyph and Painted Rock Art Journey of Native America
Kolomoki Mounds State Park Earthworks Near Blakely Georgia -- the Largest in that State -- Mark the Bright Stars of Aries at the Vernal Equinox ca. 200 BC
The Wikipedia writes:
"The Kolomoki Mounds is one of the largest and earliest Woodland period mound complexes in the Southeastern United States and is the largest in Georgia. Constructed from 350CE to 600CE, they are located in present-day Early County near the Chattahoochee River.
The mounds were designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Seven of the eight mounds are protected as part of Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park....
As with other mound complexes, the people built and sited the earthworks according to a complex cosmology. Researchers have noted that several mounds are aligned according to astronomical events. For example, mounds A, D, and E, which form the central axis of the site, align with the sun at the spring equinox. Mounds F and D form an alignment with the sun at the summer solstice."That may well be correct, we have not checked it, but they always forget to mention THE STARS, which were the most important of all to the ancients!
Here is the "stellar" decipherment of Kolomoki showing Alpha Arietis (known as Hamal, one of the brightest stars in the sky at magnitude 2.0), Beta Arietis (known as Sheratan), Gamma Arietis (Mesarthim, a binary star), Lambda Arietis (a double star), as well as 41 Arietis (a bright star of magnitude ca. 3.6). As written at Richard Hinckley Allen in Star Names about Beta Arietis:
"Sharatan and Sheratan ... the dual form of Al Sharat, a Sign, referring to this and [Gamma] , the third star in the head [of Aries], as a sign of the opening year, [Beta] having marked the vernal equinox in the days of Hipparchos, about the same time when these stars were named.""
The Decipherment of the Kolomoki Mounds as Stars of Aries
(click on the image to see it in larger size)
(click on the image to see it in larger size)
The mound positions are based on two sources: 1) Kolomoki Mounds State Park at Georgia State Parks, Park Map via the link at http://gastateparks.org/KolomokiMounds, and 2) pages 109 of William N. Morgan, Precolumbian Architecture in Eastern North America, Ripley P. Bullen Series, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida Press, Gainesville, FL, 1999, http://www.upf.com/.
Star positions, as always, are given via the marvelous astronomy software program, Starry Night Pro, http://astronomy.starrynight.com/, although they of course are not responsible for the thick colored lines and explanatory texts that we add in the course of our decipherments.
One can view the stars marked by Kolomoki by looking at this instructive photograph at the webiste of JAMES B. (JIM) KALER, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy, University of Illinois, and his marvelous and star-labeled photograph there of Aries (see also that link!) as also at http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/ari-frt.jpg:
THIS POSTING IS Posting Number 75 of
The Great Mound, Petroglyph and Painted Rock Art Journey of Native America
Kolomoki Mounds State Park Earthworks Near Blakely Georgia -- the Largest in that State -- Mark the Bright Stars of Aries at the Vernal Equinox ca. 200 BC
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