POSTMODERN TENDANCIES by Megan Fuller
Solstice Signs Every once in a while, not very often, practically never – I get to do something really, really awesome and get paid for it. One of these super rare occasions took place last winter. I was working on a property literally littered (love alliteration!) with Hohokam ruins (more information about the Hohokam can be found here: http://www.azmnh.org/arch/ hohokam.aspx). Archaeological excavations on the property back in the 1970s revealed more than 25 human burials and several room blocks were (and still are) unexcavated so there is a good chance additional burials are present. One of my co-workers has a friend who is a spiritual leader within the local indigenous community and thought it would be a good idea to have him visit the property and communicate the nature of the ongoing project with the ancestors’ spirits that remained on-site. In my mind, this was a fantastic idea and I was lucky enough to be invited to join them in a sunrise ceremony. The ceremony was incredible-there was incense and rattles and chanting. The spiritual leader blessed my co-worker and me. We were both moved to tears. One area of the property with exposed room blocks was fenced by some previous property owners. We had opened the gate to allow the spiritual leader access to the rooms. At the end of the ceremony, the spiritual leader told my co-worker and me that the ancestors’ spirits did not like being fenced in – he had explained to the ancestors that the fence was supposed to protect them but they still wanted to be allowed some freedom. He also told the ancestors’ spirits that my co-worker and I were going to take care of them. Both of us took this to heart.
Every Story Begins At Home.
Many ancient cultures, including the Hohokam, were astronomers. Large Hohokam sites often have features that align with solstice sunrise, indicating that solstice was an important day in Hohokam culture. Winter solstice was not long after my experience with the sunrise ceremony, so I asked the first person on-site each morning to please open the fenced Hohokam ruins area before the sun came up on solstice. I thought maybe the ancestors would want to be free to celebrate on such an important day. When I got to the work site that morning, the morning of winter solstice, there was an enormous raven waiting for me in the parking lot. Seriously, this was a huge bird. I took this as a sign; the raven is often believed to be a messenger from the other side. I saw the raven multiple times throughout that day but never again. Because it seemed the Hohokam ancestors did appreciate the opening of the gates, I made sure to open them fairly regularly, especially on equinox and solstice days. Unfortunately, I am not working on that property this December nor is the co-worker from the sunrise ceremony. I still take my promise to care for the ancestors seriously, and I will do my best to influence the people still on-site to open the gates on solstice. Hopefully, the raven will let me know that the ancestors are enjoying this year’s celebration.
While the Hohokam were aligning architecture to movements of the sun in the Southwest, the Hopewell were living along the Ohio River and its tributaries. They created large earthworks that appear to be dedicated to both solar and lunar events. The largest group of Hopewellian geometric earthworks is in present day Newark, OH. Studies of these earthworks reveal that sightlines of the earthworks mark out positions of moonrise and moonset repeating every 18.6 years. These are the same orientations found at Stonehenge in England. Additional earthworks throughout the complex mark summer and winter solstice, as well as the vernal and autumnal equinox.
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Megan Fuller is an applied cognitive anthropologist with postmodern tendencies who grew up in the exciting Pittsburgh suburb of Pleasant Hills and had the distinct pleasure of earning a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from IUP. In 1993, Megan moved out West to get a Master’s Degree. She also picked up a husband and hasn’t quite convinced him to move back to Western PA. To maintain her authentic Pittsburgh accent she regularly watches Pittsburgh Dad and engages anyone wearing black and gold sports gear in conversation.
Reconstruction of the axial moonrise experience, every 18.6 years, and seen from above the Observatory Mound. www.ancientohiotrail.org
December 2013 - 29