Discover the oldest solar observatory in America

A series of 13 stone towers discovered on a hill in Peru can be part of an ancient solar observatory that plays an important role in civilizations born hundreds of years before Inca.

The oldest 2,300-year-old area in the Americas, has shown a sophisticated culture that uses the structure and path of the sun for political and religious purposes. The area is named " 13 Chankillo towers ", stretching precisely on the arc of sunrise and sunset when viewed from 2 special observation points.

"Thousands of people may have gathered here to observe the dramatic images of the sun. These events may have been distorted for political purposes," said lead researcher Ivan Ghezzi. For example, at the time of summer solstice, the longest day of the year, the sun rises to the left of the farthest tower in the north.

Chankillo is a ceremonial center that spreads several kilometers ² . It has a strong construction structure at the top of the hill with a thick wall. But no one has ever understood a 300-meter-long tower in a nearby hill just like what the dragon's spines mean. "Since the 19th century, it is thought that the 13-tower range may be a crescent-shaped boundary. But no one can prove it," Ghezzi said.

Chankillo religious center. (Photo: MSNBC)

Ghezzi and colleagues examined the hypothesis while studying regional military structures, dating back to the 4th century BC. And he noticed that from two special points, the towers formed an arc of sunrise and sunset. This proves that they are built to observe the sunrise and set in the seasons.

No one knows exactly who built Chankillo. They were preceded by the Incas for centuries but had an extensive astronomical knowledge.

MT