Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 August 1892 — The Age of Some temples. [ARTICLE]

The Age of Some temples.

New York EveningSun,—. V, Near Fort Yuma mummy of an ancient personage has been found in a sitting posture, cave facing the entrdpee, which is so oriental as to adq&tte him the first rays ,of the settnJg’' ■Qua, On what days of the year the rays ‘ Are so caught does not appear, but frqm the date of the discovery it would seem to be at or near the vernal equinox.’ This is a matter of extreme interest. A scientific person is now engaged in the investigation of the orientation of Egyptian and archaeic Greek temples. In many cases he is able to determine the star to which they are directed and then, by astronomical determination of its place, fix the approximate date of the temples foundation. That Stonehenge was arranged in obedience to a similar rule is also known. The same motive has been operative in Inca temples of Peru. The present discovery, linking the operations oi the primitive mind on this northern continent with that of the other ancient races -named, is significant. Should it turn out that the construe tion of this cave does really reeog nize the equinoctial position of the sun, we perhaps have a novelty in this interesting order of observations. The orientation of temples to the true cardinal points is a modern phase of early practice.