The Utter Failure of the Lunar Standstill Myth in Archaeoastronomy

Details The Utter Failure of the Lunar Standstill Myth in Archaeoastronomy The Utter Failure of the Lunar Standstill Myth in Archaeoastronomy

Dec 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007aas...211.8201s&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #211, #82.01; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.872

Mathematics

Logic

Scientific paper

Lunar standstills (`lunastices') are the extreme northernmost and southernmost rising and setting points on the horizon for the Moon once every 18.6 years. Lunar standstills have long been a primary target on the horizon for archaeoastronomers seeking alignments. In all cases, the sole evidence for the intentional alignment is the existence of the alignment itself. (1) In a broad study of worldwide historical/archaeological/ethnographic evidence, the very strong conclusion is that no culture anywhere and anytime (before archaeoastronomers Thom and Somerville in the 1900's) had any awareness or any concept of the lunar standstills. This universal conclusion is so strong that we must realize that there is no significant chance that any old culture was ever aware of the phenomenon, much less made an intentional alignment to a lunar standstill. (2) A lunar standstill is not an observable phenomenon of useful accuracy. In particular, the typical cloudiness low on the horizon, the quantization of risetimes to once each day, the invisibility of the moonrise during the daytime, the variability of refraction, and even lunar nutation all join to make the observed extremes vary by typically 1.5 degrees (6 moon radii) in azimuth and two years in period for each nodal cycle. (3) The concept of lunar standstills has zero utility to any culture. Subtle changes in the north/south swing of the Moon have no noticeable effects on nightly illumination. The 18.6 year periodicity has no relevance for any other phenomenon, much less one that has any utility or survival value to a culture. In summary, the lunar standstill concept has zero precedence, useless accuracy, and zero utility. As such, we know that any claimed lunar standstill alignment is simple a random orientation with no intention or knowledge by the builders.

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