Intimachay: A December Solstice Observatory at Machu Picchu, Peru

Intimachay: A December Solstice Observatory at Machu Picchu, Peru

We show that a structure built by the Inkas at the entrance to a cave at Machu Picchu was designed to admit the light of the rising sun only for a brief period before and after the December solstice. This structure is precisely constructed, unique at Machu Picchu, and may have played a part in the a...

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Veröffentlicht in:American antiquity 1987-04, Vol.52 (2), p.346-352
Hauptverfasser: Dearborn, David S. P., Schreiber, Katharina J., White, Raymond E.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
American civilisations
Andean civilisations
Archaeoastronomy
Art and archaeology
Bedrock
Caves
Masonry
Peru and Bolivia
Solar observatories
Solstice
Stars
Sun
Sunlight
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:We show that a structure built by the Inkas at the entrance to a cave at Machu Picchu was designed to admit the light of the rising sun only for a brief period before and after the December solstice. This structure is precisely constructed, unique at Machu Picchu, and may have played a part in the annual Inka ritual, Capac Raymi.
ISSN:0002-7316
2325-5064
DOI:10.2307/281786