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Friday, March 19, 2010

Photo: Oldest Observatory in Americas Discovered in Peru


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A giant carving of a frowning face is among the sculptures found at what experts say is the oldest known astronomical observatory in the Western Hemisphere.

Structures at the site, discovered near Lima, Peru, align with the directions of sunrise and sunset at critical points in the agricultural calendar, including December 21, the start of the Southern Hemisphere's growing season, and June 21, the end of harvest.

Photograph courtesy Robert Benfer/University of Missouri