I recently visited Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, reputed to be the spiritual center of the ancient Anasazi (The Ones Who Came Before) civilization. The area contains a number of 1,000-year-old buildings in astounding condition set in the splendor of the American Southwest.
Of particular interest to gnomonists is the Fajada Butte sundaggers and a number of rooms set facing the rising Winter Solstice Sun. There are three slabs on Fajada Butte set in front of a petroglyph of a spiral. On noon of the Winter Solstice (and some days around, as members of this list were to kind as to reassure me), two daggers of light pass through the slabs and descend perfectly on either side of the spiral. On noon of the summer solstice, a single dagger passes through center of the spiral. There are some indications that the spiral also marks the 19 year cycle of the moon, although this is apparently a source of some dispute. Unfortunately, since the discovery of the Fajada Butte spiral, increased foot traffic has destabilized the rocks, and even moved one of the slabs (so that it no longer works correctly) and the area is now off limits without a "special permit". I was led to believe that a special permit would require divine intervention, although I was only talking to park rangers at the time. There a few structures in the canyon that have windows that face the rising Winter Solstice sun as well. Apparently, when the sun rises, the light falls exactly in the opposite corner of the inner room, but the only one of these that I found, the inner room as off-limits as well (although someone with a bit less respect for law than myself could easily enter them without doing any damage). All in all, it is a beautiful area, worth visiting regardless of the gnomonic wonders of the area. There is camping in the Canyon, so if one wanted to be there at dawn, it can be done. The nearest motel is at least an hour away... I picked up a book while down there: "Prehistoric Astronomy in teh Southwest" by Malville and Putnam. Haven't had a chance to read it yet, but the few bits that I have skimmed look interesting... Jordan L.K. Schwartz - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://weber.u.washington.edu/~jlks/>
