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The Cerritos Also Look to the Sky: Astronomical Alignments Identified in Hundreds of Mounds in India Muerta
🇺🇾 Uruguay /Technology

The Cerritos Also Look to the Sky: Astronomical Alignments Identified in Hundreds of Mounds in India Muerta

From El País · (3d ago) Spanish Positive tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Researchers have identified astronomical alignments in approximately 700 mounds in India Muerta, Uruguay.
  • These ancient structures, built by indigenous peoples thousands of years ago, show orientations linked to the sun, moon, and stars.
  • The findings suggest a sophisticated understanding of celestial cycles, with patterns aligning to the summer solstice sunrise and lunar standstills.

This fascinating discovery from El País (UY) reveals a hidden layer of sophistication in Uruguay's pre-colonial indigenous history. The article details how archaeologists are finding evidence that the ancient builders of the 'cerritos' – earthen mounds found in the eastern wetlands – not only shaped their landscape in dialogue with water and earth but also meticulously aligned their constructions with celestial bodies.

The research, focusing on around 700 mounds in India Muerta, suggests these structures were oriented towards significant astronomical events. This includes the sunrise during the summer solstice and patterns related to lunar standstills, which occur every 18.6 years. The study even points to the alignment of the star Antares' apparent trajectory around 3,500 years ago, indicating a deep and complex relationship with the night sky.

From a Uruguayan perspective, this finding is profoundly significant. It challenges previous perceptions of indigenous societies in the region and highlights a rich cultural and scientific heritage that predates European arrival. The article, by emphasizing this connection to the cosmos, elevates the 'cerritos' from mere archaeological sites to testaments of ancient astronomical knowledge. It underscores that Uruguay's history is not solely defined by its colonial past but is deeply rooted in the sophisticated practices of its earliest inhabitants, offering a unique local narrative of human ingenuity and connection to the natural world.

Where there is human architecture, there is a way of conceptualizing existence and the world.

— Nicolás GazzánThe archaeologist Nicolás Gazzán explains the significance of human constructions in understanding a society's worldview.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El País in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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