Why the Ancients Remembered the Equinox

The ancient people’s of the world tracked the sun across the sky marking its northern and southern most points in addition to the equinox  With this information they could accurately predict seasons, dates, weather and used this information to build calendars and maintain more complex life cycles. 

What Was the Significance

So, what did the equinox mean to ancient people?  In ancient India, the spring equinox was considered to be the start of the new year.  In northern and western Europe the spring equinox was celebrated as Imbolc the fire festival and changing of seasons.

One intent of tracking may simply have been to track the passing of time in years.  Additionally, knowing what time of year it was would have had agricultural significance for planting, when to travel, when to conduct ceremonies, etc.  Tracking the movement of the sun would also allow groups of peoples to disperse and meet again at a future specified time.

People would have used these dating methods in the same way we today still mark time on our calendars.  Many ancient people’s calendar on the wall would have been the horizon with known landmarks marking the dates of the year as the sun passed or aligned with them.

A Time of Balance

The equinox was also seen as a time of balance.  Of equal day and equal night.  The mid point between deep winter and high summer.  It was also regarded as a time of life and birth in the spring, and death and darkness in the fall. 

On the day of equinox the ancient people could look in the sky and see 4 equal quadrants drawn by the sun and its track across the sky from east to west.  North to south being highlighted with the noon day sun as it intersected the center of the cardinal points.  Many cultures used these cardinal directions in building structures, ceremonial sites, walls or towns.  In Chaco Canyon, many of the buildings contain windows that align with sunlight or moonlight on solstice or equinox.  Exterior and interior walls of come Chacoan pueblos also are aligned with true north and east to west.

Historical Astronomical Sites

With many reasons for tracking the sun and its patterns, it is no wonder that we see many ancient sites that contain solar alignments in the world.  There are major megalithic monuments found in Europe (Stonehenge) and Ireland (Newgrange), the Medeteranian (Göbekli Tepe in Turkey), India (Zorats Karer) Northern Africa (Egyptian temples and pyramids). We also find megalithing monuments in the United States in New England at Mystery Hill, in the central US with the Mound Builders, the Ancient Puebloan culture of the Colorado Plateau, and Mexico and Central America with the Mayans and Aztec cultures.  It is no wonder that in the secluded canyons and waterways of southeast Colorado and the Oklahoma Panhandle also contain equinox markers and solar alignments.  One such sight is Crack Cave in Picture Canyon. 

Lets take a closer look at Crack Cave in Picture Canyon. 

References

Alessandro De Lorenzis, Vincenzo Orofino, New Possible Astronomic Alignments at the Megalithic Site of Göbekli Tepe, Turkey, c. 2015

Scientists Discover that Megalithic Site in India is Oldest Ancient Observatory in South Asia, https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/scientists-discover-megalithic-site-india-oldest-ancient-observatory-south-021042

David Goudsward, Robert E Stone, America’s Stonehenge, c.2003

Robert H. Lister, Florence C. Lister, Chaco Canyon Archaeology and Archaeologists, c. 1981

Bill McGlone, Phil Leonard, Ted Barker, Archaeoastronomy of Southeast Colorado and the Oklahoma Pandhandle, c. 1999