An Unexplored Realm in the Heartland of the Southern Gulf ... - Famsi

a metaphor for the movements of the heavenly bodies, particularly the sun... The ball
itself may have been understood as the sun journeying in and out of the Underworld”
(Miller and Taube 1993: 43). In this respect, the event could have had important social
and ideological implications relating to the Underworld, home to the ancestors.
Alignment B
The centers of Structures 78, 79, 82, and 110 all lay on a single axis, referred to
here as Alignment B (see Figure 6.9). This same line longitudinally bisects the basal
platform of the Olmec Altar Complex and Structure 77, and the seep spring immediately
adjacent to the exterior of the basal platform to the west. Linear Anomaly 2 is parallel to
this directional axis line as well. The direction of this line is projected to be 76º east of
true north (72º east of magnetic north). The consideration of this directional alignment is
based on the centerline of a number of constructions and features located directly along
its axis. Importantly, if the Olmec Throne was rotated on its depositional axis to an
upright position, the personage sitting in the niche would be gazing out at this same
direction.
The difference between Alignment A and Alignment B, as measured, is 4º. This
difference may be due to the fact that the alignments were designed to identify different
celestial events. Alternatively, it may simply represent a ±2º error that occurred when
constructing two parallel lines that lie some 500 m apart across uneven terrain.
Investigation into these two alignments is ongoing.
291