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Bratton Township near Peebles in Adams County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

Astronomical Alignments At Serpent Mound

 
 
Astronomical Alignments At Serpent Mound Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Doda, November 18, 2018
1. Astronomical Alignments At Serpent Mound Marker
Inscription.
The head of Serpent Mound is lined up to the point on the western horizon where the sun sets on the Summer Solstice – the longest day of the year.

Some think the three main curves of the serpent's body point to the Summer Solstice sunrise, the Equinox sunrise and the Winter Solstice sunrise.

Others believe they are aligned to the Minimum Northern Moonrise, the point on the horizon where the moon rises at the mid-point in its cycle, and the Maximum Southern Moonrise.

Due to the short sight lines and the inability to define precise alignments for the U-shaped curves of the mound, it may not be possible to determine whether the builders of the Serpent really intended it to be aligned to either the sun or the moon.

Rhythms of the Cosmos
Many of the earthworks created by the ancestors of contemporary American Indians are aligned to points on the horizon marking key rise and set points for the sun and moon.

It may have been a way of linking these sacred sites to the rhythms of the cosmos or it may have allowed the sites to serve as calendars.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & SpaceAnthropology & ArchaeologyNative Americans.
 
Location. 39° 1.483′ 
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N, 83° 25.767′ W. Marker is near Peebles, Ohio, in Adams County. It is in Bratton Township. Marker is on Ohio Route 73, 0.9 miles west of Horner Chapel Road (County Road T-116), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 521 Horner Chapel Rd, Peebles OH 45660, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Who Built Serpent Mound? (here, next to this marker); Serpent Mound Impact Crater (a few steps from this marker); A Missing Coil? (a few steps from this marker); Exploring Serpent Mound (within shouting distance of this marker); The Serpent Mound (within shouting distance of this marker); The Shawnee And The King Of The Serpents (within shouting distance of this marker); The Village Site (within shouting distance of this marker); The Serpent In American Indian Traditions (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Peebles.
 
Astronomical Alignments At Serpent Mound Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Doda, November 18, 2018
2. Astronomical Alignments At Serpent Mound Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 4, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3,458 times since then and 314 times this year. Last updated on January 22, 2023, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on February 4, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024