Archaeoastronomy is the study of orientation and alignment of ancient sites with celestial bodies

February 07, 2026Archaeoastronomy

Source: Introduction to Astro-Archaeology | Stuart Mason | Megalithomania 2007 Conference | Audio Only by MegalithomaniaUK

Site mentioned

📍 Plaza of the Seven Temples🌍 Show on the globe

Archaeoastronomers study how ancient peoples aligned their temples with the sun, moon and stars. At Mexico's Plaza of the Seven Temples at Dzibilchaltún, equinox sunlight is known to pass through the temple doorway at dawn, illuminating the altar inside. The site features an east-west oriented structure that may have helped ancient Mayans track seasonal changes.

Key facts verified:

- Archaeoastronomy studies alignment of ancient sites with celestial bodies

- Plaza of the Seven Temples at Dzibilchaltún shows equinox solar alignment through its doorway

- East-west orientation at the site relates to tracking seasonal/astronomical events

- The Mayan builders deliberately oriented the temple with astronomical events in mind

Key facts

Archaeoastronomy is the study of orientation and alignment of ancient sites with celestial bodies
Archaeoastronomers search for illumination points, shadow movements, and alignment notches
Plaza of the Seven Temples features equinox sun alignment where sunlight passes through the temple at dawn on equinox day
An equinox corridor (large pathway running east to west) is present at the site
The Mayan people deliberately placed the temple to align with equinox sun
Observation occurred in 2004 with large crowds gathering to witness the effect
Pre-existing megalithic stones may have existed before Mayan temple construction