Ethnoastronomy Paper: This is to be a 4-5 page paper on Ethnoastronomy as exemplified in Claire Farrer's book Living Life's Circle, and in the selections on Ethnoastronomy in Aveni, Foundations of New World Cultural Astronomy. The paper is due in my computer as an email attachment (Word Document or pdf) and as hard copy in class no later than 9 AM, Friday, April 9. I'll have some of you read your papers aloud as a springboard for discussion.
What is Ethnoastronomy? Is there a common core of techniques that these authors use, or does each do something different? Would they accept each other's conclusions (do they agree on what is persuasive, possibly true, surely true, absolutely true)? Would they agree on the significance of the questions or issues each addresses (the "so what?" question)? This is a compare and contrast paper, but I want you to explore Ethnoastronomy using this small set of examples. What are interesting questions? What are valid answers? Do you believe any of this? Do you care about any of this? Are there more interesting questions to ask than these? If so, give me a few. Are there better ways to answer the questions than those these authors have used? If so, say how you would answer these questions.
Final Paper: This is to be a 7-10 page paper addressing one of the topics on the agenda of the June 11-13 Conference on Archaeoastronomy of the American Southwest. The paper is due in my computer as an email attachment (Word Document or pdf) no later than 9:00 AM, Wednesday, April 14. Bring a hard copy to class. I'll have some of you read your papers aloud as a springboard for discussion.
Below is a copy of part of the Conference program, which has abstracts of the talks or poster presentations you can use. You must find the documentary background for the topic, for example, what has been published on Chimney Rock. Then figure out what the speaker is trying to show or prove, and tell me in detail how you would go about doing so. You are the researcher. Your paper is a proposal for an M.A. thesis topic or for research funding. An acceptable paper lays out the context (previous relevant work in the area), states the question to be answered, and the techniques (and data) needed to answer the question. Of course you want to argue for the significance of the question, and the techniques you propose to use. All you lack are the data. The conference speakers, of course, are limited by time, funding, and their own imaginations to the work discussed in the abstracts. I expect you do do better! You will need to start early, in order to get copies of relevant papers, books, etc. The only source you may not use is contact with the author(s) of the talks or posters or preprints of the talks or posters.
Here are the abstracts:
9:40 – Moderator Todd Bostwick
J. McKim Malville and Andrew M. Munro
Rethinking the Astronomy of Chaco Canyon
Two clusters of axial orientations of pit structures in Chaco Canyon appear as early as A.D. 600 in Shabik’eschee village.
These orientations, which were either north-south or rotated 25 degrees east of south, may have developed from early nomadic
traditions. A century or more later, the same duality appeared in the northern San Juan in villages along the Dolores River,
such as McPhee and Grass Mesa, suggesting differences in ethnicity. The basic pattern was that of the Prudden unit-type
pueblo, with a roomblock to the north of a proto-kiva or kiva. Many of the Greathouses in Chaco continued this “front
oriented” alignment toward the south and SSE. A radical shift of perspective to alignments ninety degree from the major
axes is not justified either by archaeological theory or data. All of the proposed astronomical alignments along the back
walls of Greathouses may be the coincidental and unintended consequences of their front orientations. Major lunar
standstills appear to have been first discovered and celebrated at the Chacoan outlier at Chimney Rock. Proposals of lunar
standstill alignments in Chaco Canyon do not survive scrutiny using current measurements. The three-slab site on Fajada
butte, which marks June solstice with the “sun dagger”, was probably associated with the 13th century “pinnacle site” near
its summit, but not with the Chacoan Florescence. Astronomy appears to have served the needs of Chacoan society by
providing a ceremonial calendar for periodic festivals and pilgrimage, a background for ritual performance, and a technique
for establishing true north.
10:05 – Moderator Todd Bostwick
Andrew M. Munro, J. McKim Malville and John Nickerson
Calendrical Stations in Chaco Canyon
Archaeologists differ about the relative importance of political power, ritual activities, trade, and pilgrimage in the Chacoan
regional system. Nonetheless, there seems to be agreement that visual astronomy played a role; at least to provide a
calendar for periodic events. We describe locations in Chaco Canyon that may have served as primary calendrical stations
for establishing dates to anticipate and confirm the solstices, as well as identifying the full moon closest to solstice. Most of
these sites are associated with December solstice and are contained in or close to Late Bonito structures such as Wijiji, Kin
Kletso, and the Headquarters Unit. The calendrical station at Piedra del Sol could have provided the dates of June solstice
necessary for positioning the spiral petroglyph of the Fajada Butte three-slab site. The highest point of West Mesa as
viewed from the great house of Casa del Rio may have been a very early winter solstice marker. An intriguing site for
observing December solstice sunrise is close to two ruins which range in occupation dates from A.D. 900 to 1200, located
southeast of Wijiji and excavated by Roberts in the 1920s. This site contains Puebloan and Navajo cultural material, and
may have been associated with Basketmaker III or early Pueblo I occupation of Shabik’eschee Village. A visual
communication system supporting organization of calendar-driven community ritual may have extended from the shrines of
West Mesa to the eastern edge of Chaco Canyon near Wijiji. We suggest a protocol for identification of possible Chacoan
calendrical stations.
10:30 – BREAK -- POSTER PRESENTATION OPPORTUNITY
11:00 – Moderator Todd Bostwick
Ron Sutcliffe
Moonrise at Casa Rinconada
Casa Rinconada, located at Chaco Culture National Historic Park in northwestern New Mexico, USA, has been found to
have very unique and sophisticated lunar alignments to complement its already reported directional and solar orientations.
This large round building within itself hints at a level of lunar understanding and architectural design refinement not before
suggested for these ancient people. This presentation and paper will focus on detailing the mechanics of the various
alignments with and emphasis on the newly discovered lunar aspects. While these many alignments function today in the
1000 year old ruin that has been partially rebuilt in modern times, there are many questions to be considered prior to
inferring intentional encoding of this astronomic knowledge by the original ancient builders. This presentation will also
present the evidence from the site and elsewhere that confounds conclusions of intentional encoding of this lunar
information by the original builders.
11:25 – Moderator Todd Bostwick
Anna Sofaer, William Stone and Michael Marshall
Possible Lunar Relationships of Sites on Elevated Locations of the Chaco Region
We propose that in and near Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, numerous C-shaped sites and two cairn sites may have been
intentionally interrelated on alignments to the major standstill moon. These sites are located on the tops of Chacra, South
and West mesas and a mesa seven miles northwest of Chaco Canyon. We will present maps, photographs and survey data
documenting these possible lunar inter-site relationships. The lunar standstill cycle has been studied and documented by the
Solstice Project at the Sun Dagger site on Fajada Butte in shadow markings on a spiral petroglyph and in the alignments of
seven major Chaco buildings, as well as in certain inter-building relationships. The research documenting the architectural
alignments was conducted with NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey. Research by others has also shown that Chimney Rock
Pueblo, a Chaco building ninetymiles north of Chaco Canyon, is related to the major standstill of the moon.
2:00 – Moderator Ken Zoll
Gregory E. Munson, LarryV. Nordby and Bryan C. Bates
Reading, Writing, and Recording the Architecture: How astronomical cycles may be reflected in the architectural
construction at Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, USA
We tested the hypothesis that there is a relationship between architecture and observable astronomy by investigating overall
layout, regularity of form, size, construction cycles, and feature placement utilizing a rigorous standardized architectural
documentation system and direct observations. Research on lunar standstills at Mesa Verde National Park was conducted at
Cliff Palace and Sun Temple in 1990-91. Those studies proposed alignment of architecture for the purpose of observing the
Southern Major Lunar Standstill moonset over Sun Temple from Cliff Palace. The alignment was suggested by
mathematical modeling and fieldwork.
We completed a detailed architectural analysis at Sun Temple which supports the hypothesis that the lunar maximum was
observed over Sun Temple from the Painted Tower area of Cliff Palace. Tree ring dates at Balcony House and Square
Tower House suggest a relationship between construction of specialized architecture such as kivas and the lunar maximum
cycle. The results of the research assess the correlation of the lunar standstill cycle with major architectural features,
structural form and placement, and construction phases. This will contribute to the development of new social models
evaluating how the evolution of science in ancestral societies affects their social structure. We may be able to make
inferences about the cycle of social interaction, resource allocation, extent to which astronomical information was used, and
other socio-ceremonial activities of the Ancestral Pueblo people of the Mesa Verde.
2:25 – BREAK -- POSTER PRESENTATION OPPORTUNITY
2:50 – Moderator Ken Zoll
Von Del Chamberlain
Sonsela Buttes: Where Stars Fell Down to Earth
Among the many mythic, lithic, features of the landscape in Navajo (Diné) country, Sonsela Buttes located near beautiful
Canyon de Chelly, has particularly interesting significance from the standpoint of Diné tradition, geography and geology.
Indeed, from the traditional point of view, one could even say that they are significant in cosmogony. A Diné story and
accompanying lore suggest that when Coyote flung stars across heaven some fell back to earth and landed where Sonsela
Buttes now stand; thus the name, meaning "stars lying down." A layer of sandstone dating to 227 million years ago,
responsible for depositing and protecting the world's most famous and beautiful petrified wood within what is now Petrified
National Forrest, also bears the name Sonsela. This paper explores relationships between legend and geology relating to
Sonsela Buttes.
3:15 – Moderator Ken Zoll
Todd Bostwick
Hohokam Archaeoastronomy
The Hohokam Culture of the Sonoran Desert is well known for its large irrigation systems and its public architecture,
including hundreds of ball courts and platform mounds. For more than a millennium, Hohokam farmers practiced a
sustainable lifestyle in an arid environment. This long-term successful adaptation was due to their ability to organize large
work crews during seasons of intensive labor demands, as well as to maintain some sense of social, political, or cultural
cohesiveness among diverse groups spread across the desert landscape. Tracking time would have been important to these
desert farmers, both to assist in the scheduling of labor activities and for maintaining ritual cycles that structured their view
of the universe. It is not surprising that archaeoastronomy studies over the last two decades have determined that the
Hohokam had solar calendars involving rock art and architectural markers, and they probably observed the patterns of other
celestial bodies in the night sky. This paper reviews what is currently known about Hohokam astronomy, including research
done on rock art light and shadow patterns, horizon alignments, and solar eclipses.
Saturday, June 13
9:25 – Moderator Bryan Bates
Ken Zoll
Archaeoastronomy of the Southern Sinagua
The historic sunwatching practices of the Hopi have been well documented. There are abundant Hopi migration traditions
that discuss events and places within the prehistoric Southern Sinagua region of north central Arizona, including the
sunwatchers of the Patki Clan. This study documents some of the many solar calendric devices of the Southern Sinagua
using petroglyphs and pictographs. The Patki Clan symbol, found in association with several of these devices, provides a
link to historic Hopi. In addition, several probable horizon observation points for determining the time to engrave the rock
art images have been located. Sun shrines, of similar structure to Hopi and Zuni shrines, used to mark the sunrise positions
on the horizon have also been identified.
9:50 – Moderator Bryan Bates
Gerald Snow
A Possible Calendric Spiral Petroglyph in Picture Canyon, Flagstaff, AZ
Picture Canyon is part of Northern Arizona University’s Centennial Forest in Northeastern Flagstaff, AZ. Two pueblos
within a mile and a half of this site were occupied from approximately 1100 to 1300 AD. At the east entrance to the
canyon, on the first volcanic boulders with petroglyphs, is an east facing five-turn counter-clockwise spiral. Vertically, it
measures 16 inches and 15 inches across. Four and one-half feet to the east is a shadow projecting rock, which throws a
light/shadow line diagonally across the spiral at sunrise. The shadow line moves across the spiral, right to left, between
spring equinox (90 degree azimuth) and ten days after the cross-quarter, in mid May (66 degree azimuth). This transit takes
56 days. This is repeated going left to right between July 27 and Fall equinox. The shadow projecting rock is shaped so
that it follows the arc of the rising sun on the eastern horizon. This feature causes the shadow line to remain in the same
position on the spiral for about 50 minutes after zero altitude sunrise. Preparation for planting in this local area may have
been marked in mid-May when the shadow line is tangent to the left side of the spiral. The full moon at the northern
minimum lunar standstill position will also cast a shadow line tangent to the left side of the spiral.
Poster:
James Walton
Opportunities for Archaeoastronomical research on Peterson Mesa in Southwestern Colorado
Since the discovery of Northern Lunar Standstill rising between the twin spires of Chimney Rock by Prof. Malville in 1988,
my research has turned on his suggestion that the opposing ridge to the west of the Piedra River may have astronomical
and calendrical significance. By viewing the rising of the sun, moon, or other luminaries through that distant foresight,
As of March 15, 2009 Page 7
ancient astronomers could have coordinated planting and festivals. I have photographed the equinoxes, lunar eclipses,
summer solstice, and the MNSS from various habitation sites that string along this high fault escarpment, which extends
south to NNW for over five miles. Because the district is essentially unexcavated, there is little dating, but the existence of
a Chacoan so-called Equinox Pueblo, rubble mounds, numerous pit-houses, monoliths, and probable shrines suggest that
astronomy played an important role in site location during the 200 or so years of occupation. There are exciting
opportunities for future research.
This page last modified 09:52, February 12, 2010.