Inca Astronomy

Inca Astronomy

The Inca civilization was based in South America, mostly on the area of present day Peru. The Incas seemed to place special attention to astronomy, mostly as it related toreligion, time keeping, and agriculture. Their records have proven to be very detailed and accurate. Their major contributions to astronomy included their observations of the sun and the moon and theirrespective calendars, their records of constellations, and the methodology used for tracking celestial cycles including temples and pillars. They found astronomy to be practical as well as meaningful fortheir religious lives.
Inca cosmology was developed on the basis of pre-existing Andean knowledge, who formed a complex system were they related several huacas (shrines), such as mountains, caves,springs, ponds, muchaderos (rocks or houses of worship), apachetas (stone cairn) and other elements of the landscape. They also took ancient knowledge regarding the sun and the moon and a scheduleclosely linked to agricultural activities to Strengthen and institutionalized this astronomical knowledge, ultimately using it as a source of power and domination. Due to the importance of astronomicalknowledge to predict what would happen, for agriculture, and for religion, the Inca astronomers were usually priests who were considered wise and holy.
The Incas used two calendars: a 328-day sidereallunar calendar and a nearly 365-day solar calendar. Their sidereal lunar calendar was primarily used for festivals, and it was divided progressively into smaller time units: two equal periods, fournearly equal periods, twelve periods of rather unequal length, and 41 unequal periods (Aveni 61). On the other hand, the solar calendar was based on the solar cycle, and it was used was used for economicactivities such as agriculture, mining, warfare and construction. It is important to point out the significance of the solar calendar since the “central god of the Incan religion was the sun-god,...