The Origin of Civilization in Peru – The History You Weren't Taught

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 The mystery of the Native American star chart that divides scientists

 

Story by Adrien BERNARD

 • 5h • 

3 min read

 

 

A very surprising celestial map drawn on elk skin continues to intrigue researchers nearly a century after its rediscovery. This exceptional document, known as the Pawnee Star Chart after a Native American people, offers rare testimony to the astronomical knowledge of North America's indigenous populations.

This remarkable work was discovered in 1902 by James Murie, an anthropologist of Skiri Pawnee origin, within a traditional sacred bundle. Entrusted to the Field Museum of Chicago, the chart measures approximately 15 by 22 inches (38 by 56 centimeters) and features numerous hand-drawn stars. The initial analysis by Ralph Buckstaff, published in American Anthropologist in 1927, revealed that the artifact likely dated from the early 17th century, testifying to an ancient astronomical tradition.

 

 

📜 The mystery of the Native American star chart that divides scientists

Amateur astronomer Buckstaff interpreted the arrangement of stars as representing the night sky of the northern hemisphere, with a central line possibly symbolizing the Milky Way. He identified winter constellations on the left and summer constellations on the right, showing that the Pawnee had observed the seasonal movement of celestial bodies. However, this direct astronomical reading was later challenged by subsequent research.

Astronomer Von Del Chamberlain, in his book When Stars Came Down to Earth published in 1982, proposed a radically different interpretation. After studying Murie's journals and Pawnee traditions, he claimed that the chart was not used as an observation guide but rather constituted a conceptual representation of the cosmos, probably used by priests as part of star worship.

Anthropologist Douglas Parks, a Pawnee specialist, supported this view in a response published in 1985. He explained that the artifact likely functioned as a mnemonic device helping knowledge keepers recount the Skiri world creation myth. Thus, the chart served as a narrative support rather than a precise astronomical record, integrating mythological and cosmological dimensions.

Despite persistent uncertainties about its exact dating and complete meaning, the Pawnee Star Chart remains a privileged object of study for understanding Native American indigenous knowledge systems. Its uniqueness lies in its nature as the only known representation of stars on a material support in precolonial North America, offering a unique window into the relationship between astronomy and spirituality.

 

Cultural astronomy of indigenous peoples

The study of astronomical knowledge in traditional societies reveals elaborate systems integrating celestial observations and worldviews. These knowledges, transmitted orally or through artifacts like the Pawnee chart, show how different cultures developed their own methods for understanding and interpreting the cosmos.

Indigenous peoples often established correlations between celestial phenomena and earthly cycles, using stars to mark seasons, guide movements, or determine planting periods. These practical knowledges were frequently accompanied by symbolic and religious dimensions, where celestial bodies were perceived as living entities or divine manifestations.

Unlike modern Western astronomy which separates science and spirituality, many indigenous traditions viewed the sky as an indivisible whole with the earth and human beings. This holistic vision is reflected in creation myths where stars often play a central role in the origin of the world and social organization.

The preservation of these traditional knowledges today represents an important issue for human cognitive diversity, presenting alternative perspectives on our relationship with the universe.

 

 

 

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📜 The mystery of the Native American star chart that divides scientists

20,000 Buried Tablets: Lost Olmec Library?

 

Does a hidden library of 20,000 stone tablets lie buried under the Olmec archaeological site of La Venta? In 1943, archaeologists digging at La Venta uncovered the first of at least six massive offerings containing thousands of perfectly carved and polished serpentine stone tablets. Their purpose? Unknown. Why would the Olmecs deliberately bury up to 20,000 stone tablets of what was a prized, imported material, within a small part of the ceremonial center called Complex A, to the north of the Great Pyramid? At least 6 of these massive offerings were found between 1943 and 1955, the largest including up to 12,000 tablets measuring less than a foot (30 cm) long, carefully stacked and arranged in piles of up to 5 meters deep. Now, a new discovery of what may be the earliest writing in the New World may finally shed light on this mystery. Join us as we explore the forgotten mystery of the La Venta stone tablets and the enigma of the Cascajal Block.

 

 

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1 MINUTE AGO: Mount Etna ERRUPTION SHOCKS Scientists!

 

Mount Etna erupted, but instead of typical lava, it released a mysterious glowing material unlike anything in geological records. Scientists found it didn’t match known volcanic minerals, suggesting it may have formed deeper than Etna’s magma chamber — in parts of Earth never accessed before. The eruption escalated into a violent pyroclastic flow, racing at 140 km/h, but oddly, it scorched land that was already barren. Experts classified it as a paroxysm, a rare, explosive outburst that signals unusual volcanic behavior. Lab analysis of the new material only deepened the mystery: it wasn’t basalt, andesite, or any familiar mineral. This suggests Etna may be entering a new phase, with deeper mixing of mantle and crustal material. Its structure also shows signs of instability, raising fears of another massive flank collapse like the one 7,200 years ago that triggered a Mediterranean tsunami. Mount Etna eruption, Etna 2025 eruption, Sicily volcano news, volcanic eruption caught on camera, Etna strange material, glowing volcanic rock, Etna mystery substance, rare volcanic minerals, volcanic paroxysm, pyroclastic flow disaster, scientists baffled by eruption, unexplained volcanic activity, unknown geological material, deep earth secrets, mantle magma mystery, rare earth elements volcano, geology breaking news, strange glowing material, earth science mystery, new volcanic discovery, megaquake, natural disaster 2025, most dangerous volcano, pyroclastic surge explained, volcanic collapse warning, Mediterranean tsunami risk, unstable volcano structure, catastrophic eruption, volcanic explosion danger, earth’s ticking time bomb, Mount Erebus gold eruption, Iceland volcano strange minerals, Oldoinyo Lengai carbonatite lava, Congo fast lava, Indonesian blue lava, rare volcano eruptions, extreme volcanic events, mysterious volcanoes of the world, unexplained eruptions, volcano secrets revealed

 

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Archaeologists Dove to the Bottom of the Mediterranean—and Found a 2,500-Year-Old Shipwreck

 

That wasn’t all they discovered.

By Tim Newcomb

 

Published:Sep 30, 2025 12:09 PM EDT

 

ultramarinfoto//Getty Images

Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:

• Underwater archaeologists dug under 20 feet of sand and rock off the coast of Sicily and found a 2,500-year-old shipwreck.
• Researchers date the find to either the fifth or sixth century B.C.
• Six additional anchors were found—some made of stone that could be from the prehistoric era.

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There’s a shipwreck off the coast of Sicily that is so old, researchers aren’t even sure what materials were used to make the vessel. Archaeologists discovered the ship buried under 20 feet of sand and rock off the southern tip of Sicily, and believe the find is from either the fifth or sixth century B.C.

The ancient wreck was not alone, either. Just a few feet away, the team found two iron inverted “T” anchors (likely from the seventh century A.D.), and four stone anchors (likely from the prehistoric era), according to the Sicilian Region’s Superintendent of the Sea in a translated statement. One of those stone anchors was broken, and may have featured two wooden flukes to help hold them into the seafloor.

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The underwater archaeology project—a joint operation between the Superintendent of the Sea of the Sicilian Region and the Department of Humanistic Studies and Cultural Heritage at the University of Udine—discovered the hull was built with an “on shell technique,” which is characterized by planking connected joints to give the ship a self-supporting function. The corresponding frame is there just for reinforcement.

 

 

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Archaeologists Find 2,500-Year-Old Shipwreck in Mediterranean