Pre-Incan Astronomer Priests Built Structures Aligned to Milky Way

In a recent study, researchers examined the positioning of ceremonial structures, believed to have been built between 2400 and 1440 BCE, at El Paraiso, Peru. This site predates the Incan Empire by about three thousand years.

The ancient people of that time were captivated by the glittering arch in the night sky, called “Mayu” in their language, Quechua, which means “river of stars.”

These ancient cultures went to great lengths to honor Mayu. They constructed massive temples that lined up perfectly with its celestial path. Recent studies are now uncovering the accuracy with which these ancient astronomer priests calculated their designs based on the stars.

Aligning El Paraiso structures with celestial events

Ancient builders seem to have carefully aligned El Paraiso with significant yearly events in the sky, including winter and summer solstices. Earlier studies at El Paraiso found that the main temple’s two arms form a 34-degree angle, aligning precisely with the northeastern end of the Milky Way shortly after sunset during the solstice.

In a recent study, the authors discovered two colossal structures—one shaped like a condor and the other resembling a “monster.” Both of these perfectly matched the alignment. These discoveries support existing beliefs about the pre-Columbian Andean cosmology, which focused on “dark cloud constellations,” according to researchers.

The constellations were perceived as animal shapes within the Milky Way‘s dark spaces by ancient people. The shapes were believed to symbolize supernatural deities.

Nine small platform mounds surround the central temple

Apart from the two significant animal-shaped structures, the researchers also discovered nine small platform mounds encircling the central temple. By drawing a line through each mound from the site’s center, a pattern emerges. Most are aligned with either the sunrise or sunset during the June or December solstice.

Additionally, some mounds seem strategically aligned with the major lunar standstills, marking the southernmost point of the moon’s rise in its monthly cycle. In total, the team uncovered thirteen distinct alignments at El Paraiso, each within one degree of various celestial events. Furthermore, they identified a fourteenth alignment with a precision of 1.5 degrees, as reported by IFL Science.

Due to the quantity and accuracy of these celestial alignments, the researchers asserted that “chance can be ruled out as an explanation.” Instead, they “propose a cosmology in the Late Preceramic of solar and lunar alignments and the linkage of supernatural animals to dark cloud constellations and astronomical orientations.”