[Aztlan] Teotihuacan and Pánuco

[Hugh G. "Sam" Ball]

 John and LIsteros:

I think that the Mesoamerican architects were fully capable of aligning such things. When in graduate School I read somewhere that at Kaminaljuyu or Copan, I don't remember which, there was a temple that had an observational alignment for solstice an equinox points that were hidden behind a range of hills.  This kind of technology has been available, World wide, for thousands of years.  Very sophisticated observational points were setup throughout the Americas and the Old World for Sun events, Lunar events, Planetary events and some Stars.

I have also heard the suggestion that sophisticated large scale engineering works were part of the process of becoming state level societies in Mesoamerica.  Examples were the development of the settlements that became Paquime in Chihuahua.  Another example given was the rise of the Aztecs and Texcocans to prominence in the Valley of Mexico.

So, to me, it doesn't seem strange that Mesoamerican surveyors were capable of aligning such works with a precision that could take your breath away.  While we don't know much about the tools they had available there are consistent occurrences of works that required sophisticated engineering tools at most sites in Mesoamerica and North America to my knowledge.


 


Cheers,

Hugh G. "Sam" Ball

And Always Remember,

This Too Shall Pass

 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Hoopes, John W <hoopes at ku.edu>
To: aztlan at lists.famsi.org
Sent: Sat, Aug 8, 2009 10:40 am
Subject:  [Aztlan] Teotihua
can and Pánuco










This phenomenon may be familiar to some of you already, but it was new to me. 
 
Open Google Earth and go to these coordinates:  22° 3'9.32"N 98°10'58.19"W
 
Mark the spot with a placemark and then go to these coordinates:  19°41'9.04"N 
98°50'53.19"W 

Now, using the ruler feature, draw a straight line (this will require some 
zooming in and out to scoot it between placemarks) from one point to the other.  
Return to the second spot, zoom in, and examine the line you've just drawn.
 
What you'll discover is that a line drawn between the center of Pánuco (the 
first coordinate) and the center of Teotihuacán) corresponds exactly to the 
orientation of the Avenue of the Dead, even though the distance is one of over 
270 km.
 
Pánuco, which figures prominently in the events of the Conquest, has a long 
association with stories of Quetzalcoatl.  I'm still not clear on whether its 
location relative to Teo is just a coincidence or could be the result of 
intentional planning, either by the Spanish or earlier town planners.
 
What's the best explanation?
 
Thanks,
 
John Hoopes

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