When I mentioned not posting much more on the List, it wasn't because of your tenacity; it was because of mine. I often tend to "stick to my guns" about an idea unless and until someone gives me new information that changes my position. I didn't want to maintain my stubborn position in everyones' Inbox while most people refrained from comment. Expecially since I didn't have enough information to know for certain that I was right! (My knowledge was/is incomplete on the matter.) My feather's don't ruffle easily; I'm only sorry I didn't have enough knowledge to give you a more detailed explanation!
I was hoping you would decide to continue the discussion directly, if not on the list; two tenacious individuals knocking ideas against each other usually leads to more knowledge for both people, in my opinion.
I agree with you concerning the Anasazi's knowledge of the lunar cycle. Their simple observations probably wouldn't have allowed them to know that the cycle lasted 18.6 years. The fact that the Moon (or Sun) slows down in apparent celestial motion near the solstices would probably have allowed for fairly accurate measurement of the major and minor standstills. I'm thinking that they would have realized that it wasn't an exact number of years in length, but they wouldn't have determined the remainder was .6 years through observation.
Maybe Mac or another well known dial maker can experiment with the sundial ideas that you mentioned. I would be interested in the results.
Happy Holidays, everyone!
Albert Franco
U.S.A., day after our Thanksgiving
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
I have found some other web sites with a lot more detail, so I think I am starting to get the picture of what is going on with the Sun Daggers. . . . The explanation that was starting to form in my mind is well stated in http://www.solsticeproject.org/science.htm:
. . . . I am willing to believe that the Anasazi knew about the lunar cycle. I still insist they could scarcely have known its length to one decimal place of accuracy: "The creators of the Fajada lunar markings did not necessarily know the standstill cycle to any better accuracy than approximately a year."
--Art Carlson
P.S. I'm sorry if my insistence, or the mode of my insistence, on a detailed explanation ruffled any feathers.
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