"American" History

In light of Independence Day and our observance of our American heritage, I thought it would be interesting to discuss the Native peoples of this land prior to the arrival of explorers and pilgrims. It coincides with the lesson this week as we discuss non-Western cultures like China, India, and the Americas which I will put in quotes when I'm making reference to this land prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 15th Century.

Civilizations thrived and were technologically advanced in the "Americas." One example is Peru. Among other advances, Peruvians were very interested in astronomy and time. Observatories still exist in that region and were strategically places to study the stars including the sun. In addition to studying for agricultural reasons, understanding celestial patterns were cause for celebration.  They developed calendars as well as geoglyphs in the shape of geometrical shapes. The following article does a great job of detailing these advancements, uses, and how they've survived into today. Check it out!

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/03/160317-spring-vernal-equinox-astronomy-native-american/