[SunkenCiv]

The 11,000-year-old site consists of a series of at least 20 circular enclosures, although only a few have been uncovered since excavations began in the mid-1990s. Each one is surrounded by a ring of huge, T-shaped stone pillars, some of which are decorated with carvings of fierce animals. Two more megaliths stand parallel to each other at the centre of each ring.

[Past Your Eyes]

Siriusly?

[Little Pig]

Not to denigrate this in any way whatsoever, but that Ancient Aliens guy and the rest of the pseudoscientists on his show go on quite a bit about Sirius being a focus of worship/special attention by ancient peoples on many of their episodes.

[exDemMom]

I am amazed at what astute astronomers some ancient people were.

When my husband and I visited the Mayan ruins of Tulum on the Yucatan peninsula a few years ago, we learned that the whole village of Tulum was built to be a calendar (as well as to fulfill a few other functions).

With our modern instruments, we no longer need to build to highlight celestial features. We may have lost some creativity as a result.

[arthurus]

How noticeable would it have been when it first came into view? It would have barely cleared the horizon before setting a few degrees away. An interesting coincidence has been noted and seized upon, I think.

[left that other site]

Sirius is Hugh.

[Flag_This]

I don't understand why so many cultures seemed to have an obsessive need to study the night sky. Once you get past figuring out solstices and equinoxes, what did they gain by putting so much time and effort into studying the stars?

I guess if you think stars control an individual's destiny, there would be a clientele for this type of information, but it seems to me, it takes so many years of careful study to figure out the various cycles that can be observed. Precession of the equinoxes, for example, takes 26,000 years to complete a single cycle - how did they figure that out without direct observation over hundreds or thousands of years? If you understand the mechanics of planetary motion I could see how one could predict that the constellation of Leo will rise at the vernal equinox at such-and-such a time, but how do you make that prediction if you don't (and these ancient people supposedly didn't) unless you have thousands of years of observation to refer to?

[BenLurkin]

Interesting!

[shibumi]

Dog Star?

[lneisone]

If they found Sirius in the northern sky that would be reason enough to build a temple.

[Drango]

This is serious...