by bvonahsen » Sat May 13, 2006 6:03 pm
<!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4767717.stm" target="top">BBC news</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Brazilian archaeologists have found an ancient stone structure in a remote corner of the Amazon that may cast new light on the region's past. <br><br>The site, thought to be an observatory or place of worship, pre-dates European colonisation and is said to suggest a sophisticated knowledge of astronomy. <br><br>Its appearance is being compared to the English site of Stonehenge. <br><br>It was traditionally thought that before European colonisation, the Amazon had no advanced societies. <br><br>Winter solstice <br><br>The archaeologists made the discovery in the state of Amapa, in the far north of Brazil. <br><br>A total of 127 large blocks of stone were found driven into the ground on top of a hill. <br><br> <br>The layout suggests a temple or an observatory <br><br>Well preserved and each weighing several tons, the stones were arranged upright and evenly spaced. <br><br>It is not yet known when the structure was built, but fragments of indigenous pottery found at the site are thought to be 2,000 years old. <br><br>What impressed researchers was the sophistication of the construction. <br><br>The stones appear to have been laid out to help pinpoint the winter solstice, when the sun is at its lowest in the sky. <br><br>It is thought the ancient people of the Amazon used the stars and phases of the moon to determine crop cycles. <br><br>Although the discovery at Amapa is being compared to Stonehenge, the ancient stone circle in southern England, the English site is considerably older. <br><br>It is thought to have been erected some time between 3000 and 1600 BC.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> <p></p><i></i>
