Pyramid of the NichesEl Tajín, Mexico, sixth century CE.The building that dominates the cerem
Pyramid of the NichesEl Tajín, Mexico, sixth century CE.The building that dominates the ceremonial center of the Classic Veracruz site of El Tajín is the so-called Pyramid of the Niches, a sixth-century CE structure of unusual form. In spite of its small size (only 66 feet tall), the Pyramid of the Niches encases an earlier smaller pyramid. The later structure has a steep staircase on its east side and six stories, each one incorporating a row of niches on each of the four sides, 365 in all. The number of niches, which corresponds to the number of days in a solar year, is unlikely to be coincidental. The Pyramid of the Niches is one of many examples of the close connection between the form of Mesoamerican monuments and astronomical observations and the measurement of time. (x) -- source link
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