Octagon Earthworks

Human Genius

The rhythm of the moon is written into the Octagon Earthworks. While itʻs not possible to say with certainty why this structure was built, the alignments of the rising and setting of the moon over its 18.6 year long cycle suggest shared beliefs.

A line drawn between the center points of the Great Circle and the Octagon Earthworks’ Observatory Circle point to where the moon rises at its northernmost point on the eastern horizon. When combined with the many precise alignments to the key moonrises and moonsets at the Octagon Earthworks, we can see that these ancient American Indians were diligent and patient sky watchers for many generations. They figured out the complicated rhythms of the sun and moon and aligned their sacred earthworks to those rhythms as a way of connecting their ceremonies with the cosmos.