A thousand years ago, the Anasazi Indians, who lived in the South-West of modern USA, watched the movements of the heavenly bodies. These "secret knowledge" helped them to survive.

The town of Chimney Rock, North-Western Colorado. Neither one day a year is not like this is the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice. The rays of the setting Sun paint the snow-covered expanse of bright, sparkling colors. In the air poured tense expectation. A few days now all Indians are waiting for this hour, performing ritual dances and strictly following the instructions of the priests.

View Chimney Rock

Very cold. From chimneys Pueblo - huge stone house, plastered - stream smoke. The building is situated on a narrow ledge of rock at a height of 2300 m above sea level. Here begins a steep descent. The road goes on 400 meters down. There, in the valley stretch the field. With them and feed the local Indians. From week to week they have to carry water and food, returning to their homes. They have no beasts of burden, or carts. But what forced them to live in this harsh, nepriatno edge?

The answer to the question knows only heaven. Yet it was quite dark. Suddenly between two cliffs that tower on the edge of the mountain range, appears pale, dull light. Rocks resemble two huge pipes, rising only a few hundred metres to the East of Pueblo. And here comes the moment, which the Indians waited many years. In the lumen, divided the rocks, rises the shining full Moon.
At the edge of the "old enemies"

Approximately so everything was 900 years ago, says J.. The mckim Melville, Professor of astronomy at the University of Colorado. Recently he has already made a splash by opening the Egyptian "Stonehenge" - round stone building, built 5,000 years ago and focused on the position of the Sun in the summer and winter solstice. Is this monument of ancient architecture near Nasty, a hundred kilometers to the West of the Nile.

However, people have discovered the starry sky, not only in ancient times. At a time when the European knights went to the Crusades, the indigenous people of America - Indians - watched the heavenly bodies, and we are talking not only about the Mayans, Aztecs and Inko.

In 1988 J.. Melville first drew attention to the Pueblo in Chimney Rock. In e, this building was excavated and studied by archaeologists from the University of Colorado, headed by Frank Eddie. She had an L-shape. On its first floor was located approximately 35 rooms; on the second - two dozen. Nearby were several small Pueblo, as well as great Kiva comprising thirteen m in diameter, underground chamber, which was performed ritual ceremonies, a typical structure for Indians who inhabited the South-West USA.

Ate local Indians mainly maize, beans and pumpkins, tilling them, despite the bad climatic conditions: warm summer, early frosts. To dry, rocky soil fruited, built artificial irrigation system.

In Chaco Canyon in XI century was located cult center Anasazi Indians. There they built a thirteen huge Pueblo, numbering several hundred rooms and dozens of Kiva. Until the NINETEENTH century in America was not buildings larger than these Pueblo, former places of pilgrimage of the Indians. Hence ran a network of roads cut through vast territory with the area of 100 000 km2 - all Colorado plateau. The Indians had trade relations with Mexico, and to the inhabitants of the Pacific coast.

The local inhabitants hardly left any written messages. Unknown even as they called themselves. The archaeologists have established the name "Anasazi", which was used by the Navajo Indians who migrated to this region much later. It means "the elders" or "old enemies". More politically correct is another name: "hisatsinom" (Hisatsinom), which means "ancestors". The so-called ancient inhabitants of these places hopi - descendants of the Anasazi, now living in Arizona.

Place Chimney Rock is far away from Chaco-Canyon - almost 150 km from there. "I asked myself that forced people to live in this hard land, - says J.. Melville. - The myths of Indians there is a connection between the planet Venus and the gods-twins war, so I decided to watch to see Venus in a gap between two cliffs. Then I discovered that occasionally here looks the Moon".
The sky of forgotten ancestors

It happens only once in a 18.6 years lunar orbit is tilted at an angle of 5 degrees to the visible solar orbit to the Ecliptic, and hence the frequency with which rises and sets, the Moon, does not coincide with the annual cycle of the Sun. Extreme points of sunrise and sunset and the moon are much farther North and South respectively points of the winter and summer solstice.

"Therefore, every of 18.6 years, the Moon appears exactly between the rocks in Chimney Rock, writes J.. Melville on the pages of his book "Prehistoric astronomy in South-West USA. In the XI century that has happened in March, 1057, October 1075, and June 1094 Then the Moon was in the extreme Northern point of the orbit. To my great surprise, the time of construction of the local Pueblo coincides with the last two dates."

The analysis of annual rings of trees that were used in the construction of Pueblo, held Frank Eddie showed that local dwellings were built in two stages. It seems that the Pueblo was built it was to monitor the Moon.

Perhaps in 1057, says J.. Melville, residents observed a spectacular moon rise above the Chimney Rock, and the priests in Chaco Canyon has heard about it. When in 1075, the Moon again risen between the rocks, priests, obviously, did not begin to hesitate, and the following year began to erect here Pueblo. The second phase of construction started in 1093, when expected the authorities amazing celestial phenomena. According to incomplete annual rings in beams of buildings, build Pueblo started already in the summer of the same year - that is unusual for the practice of Indians. The construction was carried out in a big hurry, because at this time of year all the Indians were usually engaged in field work.

So, Pueblo in Chimney Rock't simple settlement of the Indians. Its architecture resembles the style of buildings in Chaco Canyon. However, pottery found here, and they are usually made of a woman, " was painted not in the traditions of Chaco Canyon, and in the style characteristic of the local population. So Frank Eddie suggested that the priests of the Chaco-Canyon arrived here in Chimney Rock, alone, without a family, perhaps only for watching the moon rise between the ledges of the rocks.

In the second half of XI century the local Indians may have been especially attentive to the celestial phenomena, for something strange was happening to heaven.

In July 1054 flashed a bright star. Some time it was seen even during the day. This was the famous supernova star in the constellation Taurus; after its outbreak was formed crab nebula. Perhaps the petroglyphs found in the Chaco-Canyon - star over Crescent, - recalled the event.

In 1066 uniform running light was again broken. Appeared a comet Halley. The seventh of March, 1076, South Chaco-Canyon made a total solar Eclipse.

In 1077, began to change the Sun itself. Great spot marred his face. According to Chinese Chronicles, they can be seen to the naked eye. Started two centuries a period of unusual solar activity, which caused climate change. The sun is then shone very brightly; even in Norway, cultivated grapes, and Greenland was really "groen" - "green".

Finally, on July 11, 1097 in the South-West of North America, including in the town of Chimney Rock, again observed the Solar Eclipse.

Probably the Indian priests were alarmed at the strange phenomena. In addition, the astronomical rituals were important for another reason: these ceremonies rallied Indians and strengthened the authority of the priests.
Review sanctuaries

Of course, the place Chimney Rock cannot be called only by the Observatory of the Anasazi Indians. In Chaco Canyon scientists have found considerable evidence of how extensive were astronomical knowledge of the local Indians. However, the majority of lines and characters, found here, nothing to do with finding points of the Ecliptic. They had more of a ritual than served stone calendar. Most, but not all. The most interesting finds.

Erecting houses, the Indians were able to precisely oriented to the cardinal. So, the wall of the house in Pueblo Alto is located just along the line connecting the West with the East; the same in Pueblo-Bonito. Axis Kiva in the Casa-Rinconada points exactly to the North.

Windows and niches in many buildings in Chaco Canyon is focused precisely on the position of the Sun in the days of equinoxes and solstices. Perhaps their oriented also on the lunar phases, or the rising of Venus with those we meet in Pueblo-Bonito and CHETRA-Quetelet. In a circular wall, enclosing the Casa-Rinconada, there are numerous niches. In one of them through the window, looking to the North-East, you can see the rising Sun at the time of the summer solstice.

In the East of the canyon there is a remarkable sign: rock Fayyad-Butte height of 120 m engraved On it two spirals. It undertakes this three stone slabs three-meter height. At the summer solstice, at 11 am, narrow, pointed the beam of light falls on the middle of the large spiral. In the days of autumn and the spring equinox one ray of light falls on a large spiral, and the other on the small. At the winter solstice, at 10 am, two narrow strip light fringe the large spiral. It is possible that this spiral also marks the end position of the moon Orbyyou. After moonrise in the extreme South-West point of its orbit shadow of the moon cuts spiral in two, and after moonrise in the extreme North-Eastern point of the orbit of its shadow touches the left edge of the helix. Parallel to the border shadows on the rock of the drawn line.

In the Eastern part of the Chaco Canyon, near the ruins of the Pueblo in Vijiji, scratched on the rock symbol marking the play of light and shade in the days of the solstices and equinoxes.

In the XII century sanctuary of Indians in Chaco Canyon is in decline. Now cult center Anasazi Indians have moved far to the North. Stargazers settled in two hundred kilometers from Chaco Canyon, Hovenweep. Here today are the ruins of a small towers. Perhaps they were not intended for defense against enemies, and to monitor the sky.

Hovenweep castle is one of the most remarkable monuments left by the Anasazi Indians. It is a three - storied tower. Originally its basis had a D-shaped. In the annual rings of the shafts used as beams, defined the time of its construction: 1166, Later, about 1277, were added another ten rooms. One of them, on the ground floor, now called the "Sun room", probably, it served as an Observatory. Her two small Windows and door are allowed to watch the Sun at singular points of the Ecliptic in the days of the solstices and equinoxes.

Close to Hovenweep castle, on the edge of the canyon, is another small building. In the days of solstices and equinoxes rays of the rising Sun, getting through three narrow window opening, fall into a niche on the opposite side of the wall. However, scientists have not solved, whether built this room to observe the heavenly bodies or ritual purposes.

In addition, Hovenweep Anasazi Indians took advantage of the natural terrain. So, on the wall of the corridor formed by two rocks - he stretched out nearly five meters, - the scratched the symbol of the Sun, typical for the culture Pueblo: three concentric circles with a point in the middle. Here are joined by two narrow beam of the Sun in about an hour after sunrise on the day of the equinox. Obviously, the Indians regularly watched this beautiful scene.

It is possible that the observations of the Moon in Chimney rock useful to the Indians, when they had carved spiral marks on the rock Fayyad-Butte. It is possible that the unfinished temple of the Sun in Mesa Verde - another late centre of culture Anasazi - was just an imitation of natural model. If you look on the South side Pueblo cliff Palace, lying almost three hundred metres from the temple, then the Sun at the winter solstice was behind him, and the Moon, having reached the end position, went over the horizon just between the two Kiva, built in front of the temple. On the third floor of the temple are the specific labels; they probably helped ageing. A broken line, drawn on the wall, could indicate changing the location of the rising and setting of the moon during the year.
Under the rural stars

Why does the Anasazi Indians so carefully watched the heavenly phenomena? First, they, farmers, it was necessary to follow the changing seasons. Because they lived in the arid land. Precipitation here rarely fall and late spring frosts are. It was important time - not too late and not too early to plant the seeds, and then to harvest before his darkened the Sun. In Chaco Canyon growth period of plants was only 120 days, so sowing and planting grain-crops and vegetables were followed up to a week.

On the other hand, many of the rituals and ceremonies have been unthinkable without the knowledge of astronomy. Information collected by the ancient astrologers were reflected in myths.

In addition, this knowledge helped to navigate and find their way home. Starry sky has long had a reputation of a reliable card. He could be trusted. There was peace and harmony, and on Earth vanity and filth.

So, the cumulative knowledge of the ancient Indian astronomers cannot be considered strictly scientific. However, without them was unthinkable lesson magic, largely determined the daily life of the people.

So popular among Indians built - Kiva - can be considered cosmological symbols embodied in stone. They connected Heaven and Earth. So, the Indians ACOM round the walls Kiva yet still symbolically represent the firmament, and wooden roof - the milky Way. Orienting a building just to the cardinal points of the Ecliptic on time and spending the holidays, people got along with the gods and Heaven. Vanity retreated; evil was lost. There was harmony.
The Anasazi Indians: who are they?

About two thousand years ago on a mountain plateau in modern American States, Utah, Colorado, new Mexico and Arizona began to settle the tribes of gatherers and hunters, who before were a nomadic way of life. They were the ancestors of the Anasazi Indians, who created this amazing culture in the South-West of modern USA.

300-500, they are distinguished by the ability to weave from the bark, grass and fibres of the agave durable, beautiful basket (hence the name of these tribes - "basket? makers"). Also preserved small millstones, by which the Indians had milled maize.

About 700 BC they began to build the house of stone and bricks. So begins the era of "Pueblo" ("villages") - a huge multi-room houses, which are settled about a hundred people. The Indians have built Pueblo on the mountain plateau or in river valleys. By the time they have mastered the craft of pottery making characteristic white ceramics with black painted.

Round the cellars of houses or a separate room, dug into the earth, gradually turned into a huge Kiva - halls, where the Indians were going for performing religious ceremonies. About 900, Chaco Canyon occurs major religious and commercial center Anasazi Indians - Pueblo-Bonito - kind city. It has about seven hundred square rooms and forty Kiva. The extensive network of roads that stretched nearly four hundred kilometers, connects Pueblo-Bonito with hundreds of other settlements. About 1100, in the heyday of this "town-house", here lived about 5000 people.

A hundred kilometers to the North, Mesa Verde, the Anasazi Indians have built a famous cave city: they settled in houses, carved in the walls of the canyon. The most famous settlement was named cliff Palace.

In the mid-XII century begins the rapid decline of the culture of the Anasazi Indians. At the end of this century they leave Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde and the surrounding settlements, moving to the South and South-East. Causes of escape is called the most different: from prolonged drought, before the attacks of hostile tribes. Even today in the southern United States living descendants of the Anasazi Indians: the hopi in Arizona, Zune in new Mexico and Pueblo along the banks of the Rio Grande in the East of the state of new Mexico.