Mexicos Maya could predict hurricanes

[Judi Lynn]

Last edited Thu Mar 2, 2017, 05:20 PM - Edit history (1)

Mexico’s Maya could predict hurricanes



The Maya Temple of the God of the Wind, in Tulum, Mexico, used
a web of holes to create a loud whistling sound that warned the
population of an impending hurricane
(Photo: Flickr)

By Brigitte Leoni


CANCUN, Mexico, 1 March 2017 – Mexico’s historical Maya civilisation created not only a written language and a binary mathematical system, but also a hurricane warning system that still works today.

It is housed in the clifftop Templo Dios del Viento, or Temple of the God of the Wind, in Tulum, a Maya site that had its heyday in the years 1200 to 1450.

The temple contains an intricate web of holes that cause an extremely loud whistling sound when early hurricane-force winds blow in from the Caribbean Sea towards Tulum.

To this day, the temple serves as a complementary warning system for the millions of tourists and local residents in the vicinity of Tulum. Fittingly, the site is 130 kilometres south of the city of Cancun, which in May hosts the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.

More:
http://www.unisdr.org/archive/52153

[center]

Templo Dios del Viento [/center]

Just found more info:

Detail of Templo del Dios del Viento (Temple of the Wind God)

The Temple of the Wind God (Templo del Dios del Viento) served as a lookout post and also a storm warning system. The building was constructed with a hole in the roof which produces a whistle when high winds blow. When a hurricane approached the area, the Maya would know to take shelter when they heard the whistle.

This building is associated with the Yucatec Maya deity known as Kukulcán, the feathered serpent. According to Maya mythology: Kukulkan always travels ahead of the rain god Chaac, helping to predict the rains as his tail moves the winds and sweeps the earth clean.

See a shoreline view of the building here: Tulum: El Templo del Dios del Viento

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stgrundy/6052854736

[dhill926]

1. amazing...

[murielm99]

2. "Primitive" people, huh?

Incredible.

[littlemissmartypants]

3. Judi Lynn ♡

[Judi Lynn]

6. Hi, littlemissmartypants!

[packman]

4. Amazing - and yet we have our own technology to rival the Mayans

[Judi Lynn]

5. It's like magic! Wow.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Below is a model of the complex of buildings as the were originally:

[center]

https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&hl=en&authuser=0&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1428&bih=696&q=Tulum+++Templo+Dios+del+Viento&oq=Tulum+++Templo+Dios+del+Viento&gs_l=img.3…8634.11546.0.12240.12.12.0.0.0.0.115.868.7j2.9.0….0…1.1.64.img..3.8.775.0..0j35i39k1.srn6t_LkF2Q#safe=active&hl=en&authuser=0&tbm=isch&q=Templo+Dios+del+Viento+Tulum+++&*&imgrc=_

Link to more photos of the temple.

[cstanleytech]

8. Interesting, question is was it built to serve as such a warning system or is it just an unforseen

bonus?

[Thor_MN]

9. Predict? Is it a prediction that there is high wind when the wind is already there?

The building acts as a whistle. Regardless if that is by design or accident, "predicting" high winds when the wind is already there doesn't have any practical use.

[Lithos]

11. Agreed

This seems more like "detection" or "warning" than "prediction"... This is the equivalent of a "Tornado" siren telling you to get into the basement. Prediction would be forecasting that Tornado producing Thunderstorms are going to form in a certain region as a storm passes thru.

L-

[kimbutgar]

10. It is an awesome place and beautiful area

I love hearing these types of stories. Amazing the architecture throughout Mexico. Chicken itza is also an interesting place with its planetarium type structure that to this day shows the correct alignment of stars.