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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 11/10/2012 : 09:33:07
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Mayan structure may have been used for astronomy, archaeologist suggests
Belize City, November 10, 2012 (MNN) -- In a controversial paper, University of Milan archaeoastronomer Giuliano Botti has published a conjecture that the Mayan structure called La Cúpula in Belize may have been used by ancient Mayans as a primitive celestial observatory. The huge structure is a famous tourist attraction and has been studied by archaeologists for nearly a century, ever since being discovered in 1915.
La Cúpula.
"It's just a hunch I have about this structure, but early civilizations all across the planet have often had an intense interest in astronomy for ceremonial and timekeeping purposes. Though no other scientists seem to 'see' what I do, I just can't help but imagine that Mayan priests might once have stood atop this thing, staring out at the stars and planets."
But most Mayan archaeologists aren't buying it. Dr. Fred Morrison, himself an archaeologist with Griffin University, calls the notion "ridiculous."
"Just a glance at La Cúpula tells even a layman that this was just another common Mayan site for the mass-sacrifice of war captives. They probably rolled the heads of victims off that observatory-dome-like thing at the top. Botti is just another of a long line of greasy Eye-tye mountebank archaeoastronomers in expensive silk suits, desperately pimping their useless but fashionably interdisciplinary field."
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
Edited by - HalfMooner on 11/10/2012 09:35:20
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2012 : 01:22:01 [Permalink]
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Awesome!
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2012 : 04:49:57 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
Awesome!
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You don't see such things every day.
Truth is, I saw a(nother) photo of the actual "El Caracol" Mayan observatory at Chichen Itza ...
... and looked around for an obseravtory dome to put on the top. I found a photo of the Mt. Stromlo Observatory in Australia, which was destroyed in a wildfire in 2003 (along with 5 telescopes and most of Australia's astronomy), and so looked sufficiently "ruined" . . .
. . . and put them together. I know, a new low for my humor, but I had fun doing the Photoshopping, anyway.
BTW, I visted Palomar Observatory and the 200-inch Hale Telescope when I was a kid and when it was the largest optical telescope in the world. A the beauty of a huge obseravtory done still blows me away. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 11/11/2012 05:03:42 |
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Ruin may have been observatory, says scientist
