Curious Ways Our Ancestors Tracked the Seasons
Over time, people have marked the changing of seasons—sometimes in dramatic ways! In honor of the fall equinox on September 22, let’s look at six amazing and ancient sites aligned with the solstices and equinoxes.
Did you know that the equinoxes and solstices happen simultaneously around the world? Even though we all have different time zones, these are astronomical events based on our planet’s orbit around the Sun and its axis tilt.
Our ancestors lived amidst nature more than most of us do today. They observed the universe, marveling at its rhythms. They used the Sun and the Moon as a sort of calendar, tracking the Sun’s path across the sky. Here are some examples of the ancient sites and monuments built to align with the solstices or equinoxes.
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Our ancestors built the first observatories to track the sun’s progress.
1. Stonehenge (England)
Every year on the summer solstice, thousands of people travel to Wiltshire, England, to visit Stonehenge, a place where, around 3000 B.C., humans arranged massive stones in a circle. The huge monument marks the relationship between the Sun and the seasons.
On the dawning of the summer solstice, the sun rises directly above the Heel Stone—a mysterious prehistoric monument whose origins, depending on interpretation, were as an ancient burial ground, an astrological observatory, or even a supernatural phenomenon. See photos and historical details on the .
2. Machu Picchu (Peru)
Machu Picchu is the transcendent City of the Incas. This archaeological site is perched atop a mountain overlooking the Urubamba Valley in Peru.
There is a giant stone at the top of this sacred mountain called Intihuatana, which means “the place when the sun gets tied.” Amazingly, the stone is perfectly positioned so that each corner sits at the four cardinal points (north, south, east, and west) and at an angle of about 13 degrees northward.
Usually, the stone casts a shadow throughout the day, as any other structure would. However, at exactly noon on the spring or fall equinox date, the Sun’s shadow disappears! Therefore, the stone is a precise indicator of the date of the two equinoxes.
3. Chichen Itza (Mexico)
At what is now Chichen Itza (“CHEE-chen EET-sa”), Mexico, Mayans built a huge pyramid around the year A.D. 1000. The play of the Sun’s light on it signals the beginning of the seasons.
For example, the light pattern looks like a snake on the spring equinox. Mayans called this day “the return of the Sun serpent.” See more photos of this incredible pyramid at the
4. Chaco Canyon (New Mexico, USA)
In today’s Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, the Ancestral Puebloan people, who were expert sky watchers, carved spiral designs into rock to track the seasons and record the passage of time.
In this canyon is a petroglyph called the “Sun Dagger” because of how the Sun’s wedge-shaped beams strike it midday during the summer and winter solstices.
5. Newgrange (Ireland)
Around 3200 B.C., ancient people in Ireland built a huge mound of dirt and surrounded it with stones. Today, the knoll is called Newgrange.
For five days around the winter solstice, a beam of sunlight illuminates a small room inside the mound for 17 minutes at dawn. The room holds only 20 people at a time.
Every year, thousands enter a lottery, hoping to be one of the 100 people allowed to enter. .
6. The Great Sphinx and Pyramid of Khafre (Egypt)
The famous pyramids and Sphinx of Ancient Egypt also have their time in the Sun, so to speak.
On the spring or fall equinoxes, a peculiar phenomenon occurs. If you stand directly in front of the Sphinx (facing it) at sunset on the date of either equinox, as the Sun nears the horizon, you’ll observe it settle directly onto the Sphinx’s right shoulder. At this angle, the Sun also sits behind the Sphinx at the southern corner of the Pyramid of Khafre.
Celebrate the Seasons!
Mark the equinoxes and solstices! See our seasons page with dates for the start of spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Have you traveled to these ancient sites? Follow the links above to visit virtually. And tell us how you celebrate the seasons!
Catherine Boeckmann
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I’m a member of Navajo Nation. We use the word as it is part of our culture and tied to many place names. Navajo word is anaasází, which means ancient people or enemy ancestors (ones who became part of earth & only soul remains). Whereas, Anasazi is anglicized word that identifies hotels, restaurants, books, etc.
Thank you for the "real world" information. I am a practicing geomancer/feng shui/earth acupuncturist. I am curious about map work for the "sacred" sites and determine if there is a cultural geographic correlation to the Golden Mean. I also need floor plans and dimensions if possible. Furthermore, I realize first you may never respond to this text, it is a little out in left field to ask. But what a valued opportunity. Regards, David
The Adirondacks in upstate New York were named by the European settlers, ostensibly after the Native Americans who inhabited the area. Later it was discovered that the word was actually a snarky put-down used by Native Americans in the Manhattan area to refer to the people up north: "Adirondack" means "bark eater", and was a reference to the fact that food was so scarce in wintertime, upstate residents had to boil the bark of trees to survive.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention! We have updated the article to use the correct terminology.
you have forgoten "kokino" as an opservatory ;)
I have never been at these sites on day of the solstice, but have visited Machu PIchu, Chichen Itza , Stonehenge, and Chaco Canyon so feel very fortunate.. I have never heard of Newgrange in Ireland...maybe some day I can visit this site. These are all SO interesting
Well, I can share my experience of going to New Grange in Ireland, a land of many stone monuments. As you enter the stone monument, you need to duck as the narrow corridor is not high enough for people to sand up straight and once you enter the round chamber where the light comes on nature's cue you sense the wonder of it all. I tried to envision why or what the purpose of this structure could be. There was a lady who wrote a book called, "Sacred Places" on the little tour.
What is the site pictured above the article?
Fascinating Information; I have been interested in "star gazing" because of the intriguing articles; I found The Seven Sisters; "beautiful site";!!
This is the Machu Picchu archaeological site, perched atop a mountain overlooking the Urubamba Valley in Peru. We will add this information to the above text. Thank you!
