Mexico has over ten thousand pyramids in total. Mexico also has the world’s largest pyramid – Cholula’s base is twice that of the pyramids of Giza. The oldest Mexican pyramids were built in the marshes around la Venta at about 1400B.C.; and the latest near Uxmal around 1100A.D., a spread of two thousand five hundred years. The pyramids of Monte Alban, La Venta, Cholula, Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza are all examples of Olmec and Mayan pyramids in Central America and they all share common characteristics – stepped pyramids with flat tops surrounded by satellite pyramids for burials of lesser chiefs. The central pyramid was a burial mound and is also aligned in such a way to be used as an astronomical platform. The whole complex was aligned on a north-south axis, pointing due north viz 000°. However, closer inspection reveals that there is a fairly even progression in that the alignment, gradually shifting eastwards about 3.50° every one thousand years, tracking Kochab from 1400 BC until C.900 AD.
Investigation into the Emperor Qin’s pyramid near Xian, China, which was started in the Emperor’s lifetime – 210BC, shows that the Emperor’s pyramid was aligned at 001° – also with Kochab in 210 BC.
Further reading:
Pyramids in Latin America –
http://www.history.com/topics/pyramids-in-latin-america
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/famous-mexican-pyramids-61335.html
Chichen Itza – http://www.chichenitza.com/
Diagram explaining precession – http://mydarksky.org/2008/10/14/the-earths-wobble-precession/
The Paris Codex – http://digital.library.northwestern.edu/codex/
Dresden codex – http://www.famsi.org/mayawriting/codices/dresden.html
http://www.hermetic.ch/cal_stud/maya/boehm/boehm51.htm
Han Astronomy: http://ephemeris.com/history/china.html
Xu, H. Mike. Origin of the Olmec Civilization. Oklahome: University of Central Oklahoma Press, 1996. See also: http://www.chinese.tcu.edu/www_chinese3_tcu_edu.htm
