5. Because Ohio’s ancient cultures, represented in our sites and collections, were just as awesome as the ancient Maya, but didn’t end their calendar in 2012 leading certain impressionable people to think the world is about to end in a cosmic apocalypse. (The lunar calendar built into Newarks Octagon Earthworks will still be working until at least AD 4500!) 
For more information about the archaeoastronomy of the Newark Earthworks, check out my review of the work of Ray Hively and Robert Horn in the Ohio Historical Society’s publication Timeline: Lepper, Bradley T. 1998 Ancient astronomers of the Ohio Valley. Timeline Volume 15, Number 1, pages 2-11.
Thanks to Ray for calculating the date at which changes in the Moon’s orbit finally will bring the Octagon out of alignment.
Brad Lepper
