News Exercise #78

This week there weren’t any suitable videos uploaded onto the BBC news site, so I have chosen a short excerpt from a documentary by Professor Brian Cox of Manchester University (and former rock keyboard player).

1) In his opening sentence, he states what Chankillo is. What were his words?
He said that it was a fortified temple.
2) How much is known about the culture of the people who made this?
All traces of its language and culture are lost, and all but the smallest fragments of its decorations are gone.
3) After seeing his demonstration, can you explain the purpose of Chankillo, and its accuracy?
It is a calendar. By standing in the exactly correct place, and observing where the sun rises from, it is possible to tell the date, within an accuracy of a few days.
4) What does sunrise to the right of the towers, and sunrise to the left of the towers, signify?
To the right is summer solstice, the longest day of the year. To the left is winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.
5) Complete this excerpt from 2:48
“You can almost feel the presence of the past here. You can imagine what it must have been like. Thousands of citizens stood here to greet the sun, which was almost certainly a deity; almost certainly their god. What a magnificent achievement. It was probably one of our earliest attempts to begin to measure the heavens.”