Ancient astronomical site in Dominican Republic likened to Stonehenge

By Catholic Online
12/1/2010
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Corral de Los Indios among the most important pre-Columbian monuments

Corral de Los Indios in the Dominican Republican has a lot in common with Stonehenge in England, the Ring of Brodgar in Scotland and the medicine wheels of the American West. All locations share the universal creation of circular stone ceremonial and astronomical sites.

The corral is composed of a circular clearing some 235 meters diameter, with a 1.50 meter long gray stone with a face carved on one end in the center.

Facebook Delicous MySpace

Twitter Stumble Digg

More Destinations

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The Corral de Los Indios is one of the few pre-Columbian monuments that exist in the Dominican Republic. Located roughly 5 kilometers north of the City of San Juan de la Maguana, the formation is located in the center of the island of Santo Domingo. It is among the most important pre-Columbian monuments of the Antilles.

The corral is composed of a circular clearing some 235 meters diameter, with a 1.50 meter long gray stone with a face carved on one end in the center. Research on the site is spotty. It's reputed that the site originally had two rows of black stones forming two concentric circles around the center which were destroyed by an irrigation district manager or builder, for the hydraulic works in the Canal Juan de Herrera.

The site suffered further damages in 1918 when Americans during their invasion of the country laid the center stone upright. Between the years of 1960 and 1965, restoration work was done by Emil Moya Boyra, returning the center stone to its original condition where it remains today.

It is believed the site was a ceremonial place for the Caonabo and Anacaona Indians as well as an astronomical instrument. It is said that from the center rock astronomical phenomena could be observed and lined up with the outer rings of rock with great precision.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Dominican republic, stone, astronomy

NEWSLETTERS »

Rate This Article

Was this helpful to you? Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful at All

Would you be interested in more articles like this? Yes, I am Interested No, I am not Interested

Rate Article

0 Comments

Comments submitted must be civil, remain on-topic and not violate any laws including copyright. We reserve the right to delete any comments which are abusive, inappropriate or not constructive to the discussion.

Though we invite robust discussion, we reserve the right to not publish any comment which denigrates the human person, undermines marriage and the family, or advocates for positions which openly oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.

This is a supervised forum and the Editors of Catholic Online retain the right to direct it.

We also reserve the right to block any commenter for repeated violations. Your email address is required to post, but it will not be published on the site.

We ask that you NOT post your comment more than once. Catholic Online is growing and our ability to review all comments sometimes results in a delay in their publication.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

Send me important information from Catholic Online and it's partners. See Sample

Post Comment

More Travel News

More Rome, Vatican & Italy

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church.

Videos more

St Peter's Basilica, Vatican ...

Rome and Tiber River

The Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel

Photos more

Topics more

Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square is located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave within Rome. The open space which ...

The Coliseum
The Coliseum is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one ...

Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its ...

News more

Last Judgment in the tympanum at the Abbey of st. Foy bristles with hideous imagination of the fate to befall sinners in the afterlife.

Abbey of St. Foy is longtime medieval pilgrimage route

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 1/17/2013

The Abbey of St. Foy, nestled in the hills of southern France is a beautiful Romanesque church perfectly aligned with its surroundings. The ...

Abbey founder Bernard of Clairvaux believed that light should enter the church. He shared the Eastern Christian of Byzantine emphasis that the God is the source of all light and that one way to experience God's presence is through light.

Austere Abbaye de Fonteny filled only with light

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 12/5/2012

Found in the Burgundy Valley, the Abbaye de Fontenay is a well-restored 12th-century Cistercian monastery founded by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. The ...

Graham Hughes ended his epic four-year journey by crossing into Juba, the capital of South Sudan, which did not even exist when he set off from his hometown of Liverpool on New Year's Day 2009.

British man visits all of the world's 201 nations - without flying in a plane

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 11/27/2012

Thirty-three-year-old Graham Hughes of Liverpool wanted to travel with his feet firmly planted on the soil. To this end, the eccentric Briton can now ...