Stonehenge, England

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Stonehenge, England
Stonehenge Interactive Quiz http//ngm.nationalgeo
graphic.com/2008/06/stonehenge/quiz-interactive
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• Stonehenge
• No written records from time when built but many
  theories
• Modern tech dates the building from 2800 BC-1100
  BC, much older than originally thought
• Many stones align to point towards astronomical
  events (i.e. summer solstice)

• Theories
• Calendar/almanac
• Burial site
• Healing shrine

Nat Geo Video New View on Stonehenge Burials
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• Big Horn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming
• Similar to Stonehenge in design and intent (?)
• Aligns with the rising and setting of the Sun (on
  particular dates) and other bright stars
• Created by Plains Indians 300-800 years ago

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'El Caracol' Maya observatory

• Place for rituals, but above all it was an
  observatory.
• Inscriptions carved on the building - equinoxes
  and the movement of stars was its main purpose.
• Know the exact moment for sowing or harvesting
  their crops
• When the time was right, the Maya held important
  rituals, depending on how important the crop was

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• Chinese
• detailed records on comets and guest
  stars supernovas
• Data from the Dark Ages (5th-10th centuries)
• Arabs
• Made important progress in the time between the
  Dark Ages and the Renaissance
• trigonometry