White Skin's Appearance In Man

A DNA change tens of thousands of years ago when man left Africa began the first traces of white skin in the human population and it started with one individual. How did this change happen? Well, let's look at one culprit. 

The gene for hypertrichosis, or "wolf man disease" was begun in the Canary Islands in the medieval times in one family of Spanish settlers. The Spanish arrived to the islands in the 1400s to find a tribe of natives called Guanche who were tall people with pale skin and red and blond hair. The interesting thing about these people is that they seem as if they were stranded there. They had no use or knowledge of boats, even though the islands were close by. How did they get there? How did they get that height and coloring? It would appear there was some breeding going on in a race of travelers. That's a whole different story. For now, just know that the Spanish killed off most of the men in the tribe and sickness killed a lot of them, and they mated with the women that were most unusual and unique. This hairy man gene showed up in this Spanish family there and spread throughout the world as the family moved and bred around the globe. It took just one mating with a unique human to create this interesting gene. 

In the case of white skin, something as obvious as Neanderthal would explain that, seeing as to how Neanderthal had left Africa many hundreds of thousands of years earlier and adapted to a climate that was not like Africa.

In the scheme of things, those of us with white skin ended up part of a mutation, a variant that allowed us to live in more northern climates, accruing more necessary vitamin D in a climate that showed the sun very little. It is functional and another example of evolution helping us adapt a practical change if we're going to be ridiculous enough to live in climates with little sun and snow. 

Inject a Little Autumn Into Your Life For Summertime Relief!

Summers are brutal in Arizona and fall isn't much better, but my mind escapes this miserable hell on earth and I dream of places where pumpkins are ready for harvesting, noses are chilly, sweaters are buttoned firmly, wood smoke floats in the air, and leaves make crackling sounds as they blow in the wind. 

Let me take you with me on that fantasy getaway....

Start looking for your costume now - just peruse some great places like these - 

Spirit Halloween
Party City
Pyramid Collection
Clockwork Couture

Leftovers recipes from Halloween - bake brownie mix in muffin tins. When hot from the oven, press a Reese's cup into the top. 

You have time to think about making some cool Halloween decor - 

Doll heads with hole in top for candle.

Xmas lights and secondhand store doll's heads (aged)

Chicken wire ghost 

Book that autumn peak colors getaway now!
Skyline Drive
New Hampshire 
Colorado

Want to bring a little autumn to your world to get into the mood? Close the blinds, cool the place off, light a scented candle, pull a blanket over your lap and eat some caramel corn while watching "Halloween."

Cook something with pumpkin, cinnamon, or apples. My favorites are an apple pie, but take caramels and cut them into quarters and mix them in with the pie contents. Great caramel apple pie. How about pumpkin pancakes with chocolate chips? 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pancakes

1/2 c. milk, 1 c. canned pumpkin puree, 1 egg, 2 T. veg oil, 2 T. vinegar, 2 c. all purpose flour, 3 T. brown sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp allspice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 c. miniature choc chips. 

Cook as per usual pancakes, allowing to bubble on the surface before flipping. Use syrup warmed and mixed with a touch of cinnamon. 

How about just adding the sounds and smells of autumn to get your home feeling it? 

MUSIC - 
Ultimate Horror Movie album
Autumn in New England 
Autumn Dreams

SCENTS - 
Autumn woods pot pourri wax
Autumn Day candle
Autumn Apple Fragrance Mist

TEAS-
Collection of autumn teas
Red Herbal Firelight Chai tea
Spiced Cider


Take advantage of more fall-like produce in your stores - pomegranates, apples, pears, persimmons, pumpkin, squash, nuts, root veggies. Begin to incorporate these into your meals. 

If all else fails, drag out your Halloween box and find one quirky item to place on a shelf or begin the practice of watching TV by candlelight, even if the candles are placed in your fireplace. 

I make a transition when the nights get cooler. I start to sit on the patio at night and enjoy the cooler air and sip a hot drink (cocoa, cider, tea). I might light candles more often and run nonstop classic horror movies that just put me in that longer-nights mood. 

Another Look At Shadow People

Shadow people, those pesky little boogers that more and more people are witnessing everywhere, often in parks and cemeteries, haunted sites, or modern homes. They are described most often as 3 feet tall, densely black without detail, but arms, head and legs. They are not described making sounds, but they do seem to startle when they realize they are seen and then dart off or disappear.

It's hard to come up with good theories about these beings, except that we seem to come across them more and more today than ever before.  Either something has changed for them, or our perceptions have changed. Either way, they do seem to be shocked we are capable of viewing them.

Theories run the gamut from interdimensional beings to demons to noncorporeal beings who never had a human form. You name it, it's been bantered about.

But, here is another perspective on shadow people and interdimensional possibilities:

If you were a 2-dimensional being, the only part of a 3-dimensional human you could understand was the shadow they cast on the ground,. Three dimensional objects cast a 2-dimensional shadow.

What if another-dimensional being cast a 3-dimensional shadow and the only part we comprehend is the 3-dimensional "cast off" of it.

Hello shadow people!

It gets even freakier when you consider this - how much does a shadow of ourselves cast on the ground represent all the details and 3-dimensional form that is us? Only our shape, that's all.  So, this cast off of another dimensional being is not giving us much of the picture of what the real being is at all, anymore than our shadow looks like us or has our content.

If we caught an intruder's shadow in our home and it gave away their location, they might be surprised we had foreknowledge they were there. They didn't account for this possible clue giving away their presence.

What if the shock and rushing away of a shadow person reflects the fact that they didn't realize people in our dimension had a capable way of seeing their presence in some form?

So, what has happened to make their "shadow" visible? A change in our environment in recent years or a change in our visual perceptions due to using computer screens and TVs? This is a worthy path to follow, as these beings so far do not show any clear cut need to be in popularly haunted spots, but given that our dimension and theirs certainly intersect, like 2-D images are in our 3-dimensional realm, us crossing paths should occur from time to time.

The key now is that we are starting to see evidence of them.

Zombies, Hauntings, Abandoned Buildings, and Erotica!

Expect upcoming books by me that involve my take on lots of para-subjects. I've spent the past few years working on books that are both entertaining and informative. You may be aware of my two most popular books. Growing Up With Ghosts and Vacationing With Ghosts that show insight into my two childhood homes and the psychic child's perspective of how these things work. But, I have a very wide variety. I am sharing some trailers and info so you can decide. 

Growing Up With Ghosts (Amazon paperback and Kindle).
Short scenes collected together to show an accounting of the author's and her family view of their haunted estate in Northern Virginia that was once a Civil War Hospital.

Vacationing With Ghosts (Amazon paperback and Kindle)
The viewpoint of the author at her family's summer home on the Chesapeake and how she handled ghostly goings on.

Paranormal Geeks (Amazon paperback, Kindle and Nook)
An homage to paranormal geeks of all kinds, with interviews, categories, quizzes and more! Co-author Julie Ferguson.

Abandoned Places: Abandoned Memories (Desert Edition) 
Amazon paperback, Kindle and Nook
Abandoned places in the desert extensively photographed and combined with Sharon Day's psychic reading of an event from the past that in that location, bringing to life a history that is ever present and haunting.  Photographer and editor Julie Ferguson.

Abandoned Places: Abandoned Memories (Appalachian Edition). 
Amazon paperback, Kindle and Nook
Abandoned places in the Appalachian region extensively photographed and combined with Sharon Day's psychic reading of an event from the past that in that location, bringing to life a history that is ever present and haunting. Photographer and editor Julie Ferguson. 

Julie Ferguson and I coauthored a series of Zombie Housewife books that are dark humor, lots of graphics, and hilarity. They are shedding light on women's roles in the decades in the premise of various zombie apocalypses and various women representing the roles of their decade in a decade that is totally zombified.  

Zombie Housewives of the Apocalypse (1950s) (color paperback on Amazon, Kindle and Nook)

Zombie Housewives of the 1960s (color paperback on Amazon, Kindle and Nook)

Zombie Housewives of the 1970s  (color paperback on Amazon, Kindle and Nook)

(and coming late summer - Zombie Housewives of the 1980s, finishing off the 4-book series)

Paranormal Geeks Gang:  Geeks and Ghosts with Julie Ferguson (paperback on Amazon, Kindle and Nook)
The first in this tween-aged series involving a group of school misfits who find a place together searching for the unexplained in the South. 

Twice As Special (paperback Amazon, Kindle, and Nook)
Art by Julie Ferguson  (children's book)
It's first day of school at Virginia School For Critters and poor Iggy, Martha May and Reggie aren't sure where they fit in with the purebred critters. Luckily in this tale with a heartwarming and universal lesson, the three find out that they are twice as special for being part mommy and part daddy. 

Kickin' Up Dust! (Getting Lost To Find Ourselves) 
Amazon Paperback, Kindle and Nook with Julie Ferguson
This book tells of how Julie Ferguson and I met at the worst time in both our lives and through friendship and shared paranormal interests, we hit the road on adventures, each time coming home to make huge changes in our personal and professional lives. It's a story of paranormal investigations, road trips, and personal evolution.

Philia: Sex in Dark Places (Kindle)
Under the pen name, Anna Melissa, this is a 7-story dark erotica collection involving things like mermaids, werewolves, a cemetery, a clown, and more! Told from male and female points of view.

Don't Go There! A Flash Horror Anthology (paperback Amazon and Kindle) 
This is a huge collection of horror shorts of every subject imaginable and timed so you know how long they take to read in case you are in a rush. As well, there is a special section of me telling of being alone in places people never want to be alone. 

Was That A Ghost? (Kindle)
This was written to help people answer the question of whether they encountered the paranormal or not. I take them through the "trinity of relevance" with lots of examples. 

I also carry a collection of 99 cent Kindle books:

Going Vegan
My Alien Encounters
I Recovered From Panic Disorder
Developing Your Psychic Abilities
Josiah: Undead Cowboy


I'm exceedingly pleased that almost all my books are 5 star and a few 4 stars. If you like an author's work, please go review it on Amazon. It makes a huge difference for them to reach a bigger audience and to reap benefits of so many crippling and blinding hours of writing, editing, and plugging their work.

Upcoming books for me include; "Zombie Housewives of the 1980s," "Pagan Bloodlust" an erotic horror novel, "How To Live In A Haunted House," and "MetaNet," a horror/scifi novel.

There are also two fantastic shops with logos to boast that you are a zombie housewife or a paranormal geek. Look for hundreds of items here -

Zombie Housewives Shop
Paranormal Geeks Shop

Tonight On Paranormal Geeks Radio: Ken Gerhard!

Tonight on Paranormal Geeks Radio, the special guest is paranormal and cryptid researcher, Ken Gerhard.  Ken is the author of several books including one of my favs - Encounters With Flying Humanoids. 

The show is on at 9 pm EST/8 pm Central/6 pm Pacific. This is gonna be a great one!

Technologically Amazing Pyramids Found in Ecuador

The Hummingbird Pyramid in La Mana, Ecuador was only discovered a year ago and considered a paleo-sanskrit wonder.  The complex includes 17 structures.  Interestingly, they greatly resembles ones found in Bosnia, Indonesia, Herzegovina.

From this great posting about it: The apex of the Hummingbird Pyramid is situated closely along the 1° south latitude, 7,472 miles from the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt. This sacred geopositioning relationship between the Great Pyramid and the La Maná pyramid complex was visually expressed in the designs of the UV fluorescent Third-Eye Pyramid and World Map stone artifacts.  A pair of palm-sized octagonal stone disks engraved with UV fluorescent circles reference the mandala of Sanskrit tradition that has been decoded in previous works as the quantum iterated function, expressing the global distribution pattern of infrasound, standing waves.

A great deal of research needs to be made, but obviously, this interesting find says much about the ancient civilization of highly intelligent people who once inhabited the earth.

Why Clowns Are Horrifying

No matter how happily they paint their faces, clowns unsettle us, freak us out, even induce terror. 

Why is that?

It begins in childhood.  Masks and weird makeup and "made up" people are just unsettling. Children don't have a concept that there is a person under the makeup or mask. To them, what they see is reality. If you can play with a baby doll and feel that it's real, then what do you suppose a clown does to the nervous system?

We have a primitive fear about those whose true face we cannot discern. Even someone like me with facial amnesia, still knows facial cues, even if I can't recall the face when I turn away. If you study the painted face of a clown, you have to wonder if their mouth is really turned up beneath the paint or an angry slit. 

It probably doesn't help that popular media has had a field day with our fear....

"It" the Stephen King Miniseries with 

Pennywise, the evil clown

"Killer Klowns From Outer Space"

The Joker from "Batman: the Dark Knight"

"Saw"

"House of 1000 Corpses"

"The Devil's Rejects"

In my huge-content horror short story collection, Don't Go There! (A Flash Horror Anthology) there is a very special clown story in which the question is asked, what if clowns were real beings and not imitators? 

Then, there's real-life clowns that we do need to fear. Sometimes the best cover for bad and naughty deeds is behind the most "likable" character that is encouraged to mingle with children.

Case in point - the movie "Clownhouse" was both a horrifying clown portrayal played upon three young boys, but also a breeding ground for a pedophile director. 

Victor Salva, the director of the movie "Clownhouse" was convicted of molestation with one of the 12-year-old boys who acted in the movie. Later, he went on to be hired by Disney to direct "Powder" and later became well known for "Jeepers Creepers" and "Jeepers Creepers II." To add creep to creepers, this man is allowed to be in a position of authority around movies that center around young men.  

John Wayne Gacy, serial killer, is perhaps the most horrifying clown element in our real world that has ever been exposed. This community respected businessman and weekend clown for benefits had the perfect cover to steal young boys and molest and kill them. It is believed he killed over 30 young men, some of their bodies found buried in his basement.


We have reason to believe clowns are disorienting and unsettling. Anyone who paints on a happy face with a tear, or hides the flesh beneath so we don't see the true person behind the character, is disconcerting. Our very interaction as human being involves facial cues and the ability to relate to the person we speak to. 

It's a rough road for clowns, they are more often rejected than the creators of joy and laughs, but then there are some clowns that have an age-old appeal and it might just be what they are peddling more than their own personality.

Still, you won't see me buying one of these automatons - 

Playing Fair in the Paranormal Arena

Here's how I see the field of study. We are hopefully driven to pursue the unexplained because of our own encounters or our intelligent minds that want to understand something hard to grasp. 

If one enters the field for celeb status, to secure a show, to get attention, those are all the wrong reasons. That is not about the study. That is about the self.  

This will show up in what the person does - from ranting, raving, blaming others, airing issues with colleagues in the public realm.  

The way you comport yourself as a researcher says if you are in this for research or ego, if you are immature or mature, if you are ready to be part of a growing body of research and knowledge as a collective, or you see yourself as an island. Remember, even an island needs a bridge. 

I have seen many attacks by petty self-absorbed people who show their true character when they do this.  If I see a supposed researcher repeatedly bad mouthing others, pointing fingers, blaming others, and generally showing high degrees of self pity, I see that kid on the playground that everyone backed away from because of fits of pique. I know that whatever they do to others, they will at some point turn and do to me, probably the first time I say "no" to them. I avoid them like the plague, and so should others.

Research and securing knowledge is a cooperative. It means a partnership and sharing among us. We will not begin to understand the para-realms until we share knowledge. Two people studying the same site and not sharing information about it, are going to miss very important repetitive features that might give great evidence to a concept.

This is the purpose of Ghost Hunting Theories. To open minds and enlighten and share knowledge so others may take off with it and run.  

Remember, your actions say as much as your words.

Why not spend a bit of time helping out fellow researchers? Daily, I participate in reposting people's events and their book releases, reviewing their books, encouraging and even showing people how to publish on Kindle and Nook, putting up ads for free on my blog, and wishing them all the best luck, retweeting, brainstorming, sharing research, offering tips, and more. 

Why would I encourage other authors in the field to write books when I write books? Because, I cannot write their books. They are writing a different book than I write. They are not competition, they are sharing knowledge with a broad audience and I applaud them putting all their thoughts and research into one focus of a book. I wish them well and hope that they find success or at least compliments that reassure them they are on the right track. 

I don't understand the need to tear others apart instead of creating the world you want to be in. If you want a world with dignity, intelligence, and compassion, freaking live it and be it.

Investigating Battlefields

**This is a guest post by a living historian and paranormal enthusiast, "Jay Solomon." 

So you want to experience psychic phenomena. But you don't have any idea where to go. You are not privy to haunted spots or so-called "haunted houses" and you are not a member of an investigating team. You think you would be a good asset to a team because you watched shows like Ghost Hunters. In reality you are as green as grass. You have no experience.

If you want to experience this you need to first know a few things.

The first thing to learn is that paranormal phenomena can happen at any time and anywhere. Most of mine have happened on or near battlefields ; particularly those of the Civil and Revolutionary Wars. And if you want to hopefully experience phenomena those are the best places to start. The battlefield is a good place because of the masses of casualties (killed, wounded, taken prisoner, and missing in action) and what remains afterword.

That brings me to my second point, The Law Of Conservation Of Energy. The human body is a complex mechanism. It is not just a mass of tissue and organs. It requires electrical impulses to function; energy. If you had physics in high school or in college you may remember that energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can be only be transformed. So upon the death or the ceasing of the function of the human body that energy remains behind in some form.

In his book "Ghosts of Gettysburg VII" Mark Nesbitt states that "... the dying human body releases about 1,000 times the normal 12 watts of electricity it constantly produces. ....this 12,000 watts of bioelectricity released at death [is] a "light shout"."¹

Major General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Colonel at the time of the Battle of Gettysburg) put a spiritual twist on that. In a speech given at his last visit to the battlefield in a couple of months before the battle's fiftieth anniversary he so eloquently said... “In great deeds, something abides. On great fields, something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear; but spirits linger, to consecrate ground for the vision-place of souls… generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them, shall come to this deathless field, to ponder and dream; and lo! the shadow of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their souls.” 

Before visiting a battlefield, it is good to know a little about where you are planning to visit from a historical standpoint. Don't be afraid to pick up a book or do a little surfing on the internet. It will only help you to understand and appreciate what happened there. It will also give you an idea where good spots for potential phenomena would be located. Know what happened at the bridge, the tract of woods or field of a certain crop. They will have names such as 'Burnside's Bridge'. Or simply, 'The Cornfield' or 'The Wheatfield'.

Folklore, too; often has at least a grain of truth behind it and can be a good source. You can use these stories to guide you to locations that have a reputation for being haunted. A fine illustration is a story of a woman who has been reported materializing when Yankees are near her home. The story goes that she has been seen to try and shoo soldiers away with a ghostly broom. A friend and I decided to test the truth of it. And being reenactors and living historians we already had the uniform and gear to go with it. Although Mrs. Otto did not materialize we certainly did feel her presence as well as her intent. She wanted us gone and escorted us to the other side of the bridge! 

Although phenomena can happen any time; the evening hours are good for ghost hunting. The best time, in my experience, is that interval of time between daylight and night time. It seems that at this time the veil between the two planes of existence are the thinnest.

A good illustration of this is when a friend and myself had gone to and in what is known as the Triangular Field At Gettysburg. It is located on Houck's Ridge just west of Devil's Den. On the afternoon of July 2, 1863, Confederates of the 1st Texas were fighting to push 124th NY 'Orange Blossoms' off the ridge as part of Longstreet's Assault. The fight see-sawed back and forth as the 124th tried valiantly to at least delay the attackers advance. Several times the Texans charged and were beaten off. Finally the New Yorkers were beaten off but not after giving as good as they got. The field was littered with the dead and dying of both sides and is an often visited spot.

The vibes were so strong that my friend, whom has almost no ability at all, also sensed the them and the strength beginning to surround us. She also sensed the feeling of urgency to leave that particular spot. It was being conveyed to us that we were not wanted there and that we had to leave. We did; out of respect or consideration for them.

And that brings me to another point. When doing this activity a good rule of thumb is to treat the dead as they were still among us. Remember that they may not have the physical bodies but their personalities, their souls, remain. Treat them with respect. If you get the feeling that you are not wanted somewhere, by all means leave. Use the analogy that you have entered in to someone's home. How you are treated is a reflection of how you behaved. If you show bad manners your host will show you the door. But if you are non-threatening and courteous you can be treated as an invited guest.

Another thing to remember is that many of these battlefields have hours. They are managed and maintained by the National Park service (NPS). For example, Gettysburg during the summer is open from 6 AM to 10 PM. At that time you had better be off the battlefield or at least on your way. The National Park Service can take off-hour or unsanctioned visits quite seriously. If caught during this time one can be subject to a fine of at least $100 per violation. So please don't be on a battlefield after hours.

There are times that the NPS may allow investigation teams to go over the battlefield. They must be arranged with permission with the NPS and sometimes involve signing a waiver and paying a fee. The group may be monitored by a ranger or some other employee of the battlefield park. And that means to stick to paranormal investigations. Don't take it as a good opportunity to commit acts of vandalism or to dig for artifacts. You will ruin it for everyone, including yourself, should you get caught. The NPS has severe penalties for those who get caught. So unless you don't mind paying huge fines and doing some time in a federal penitentiary, stick to the purpose of your visit!

The following are examples of experiences of the paranormal at Gettysburg:

One man told me that he had been up on Culp's Hill at Gettysburg exploring the summit where the observation tower is and various markers. On their way up the road was a group of fellow tourist. Suddenly a volley of rifle fire rang out. This was not a company of reenaactors shooting blank cartridges, but a full-fledged, honest-to-goodness volley of fully loaded rifles. And it happened in broad daylight so close to the group walking up the hill, that some of the women covered their ears and screamed. The man on top the hill went down to the group. He had heard the volley, too. No reenactors were nearby and everyone was quite shaken up over the experience.

Another story involved three reenactors arriving at Gettysburg for a small reenactment and encampment on a July 4th weekend some time in the late '80s.  They had arrived just after midnight,  got dressed in their uniforms and began walking down Hunt Ave to the camp site. As they made their way down the road, a  mist appeared; and out of it walked three figures. Three figures of just the purest black. As the reenactors approached the figures; the figures turned in the direction from where they came and walked beyond a bend in the road. When the reenactors reached the area, nothing or no one was seen. They walked further up the road and saw the figures again some distance away, leaning on a fence and appearing to be smoking cigars. But as they got nearer to the figures, they faded. Upon reaching the spot where they had been they saw that there was chicken wire stapled to the outside of the fence.  Whomever or whatever was leaning on the fence had to leaning through the chicken wire.  Suddenly, something in the grass in the field in front of them was heard.  They looked and saw a set of footprints being formed in the grass. That was enough for the trio of  reenactors. They fled down the road cursing like sailors and running for the supposed safety of the car where they stayed until morning.


So there you have it.  Men and boys (and on the rare occasion, women) made the supreme sacrifice.  Sometimes they died slowly.  Other times they died in an instant.  But because they have not made the transition to the next plane of existence, their spirit, their souls remain earth-bound.  There are a few reasons why this happens.  They don't realize that they are no longer of the flesh.  Or,  they are afraid of judgment.  Another possibility is that they actually prefer to remain here.  Hence, they walk those fields.  And sometimes, when the conditions are right, our world will meld with theirs.

Jay Solomon is a  pseudonym for a New York City area living historian and paranormal enthusiast.

1 Nesbitt, Mark. Ghosts Of Gettysburg VII. Gettysburg, PA: Second Chance Publications, copyright 2011, page 162.

Archaeoastronomy: Ancient Astronomical Sites

Stonehenge, UK

Back and forth, back and forth, there are ongoing debates about the importance of Stonehenge's reported astronomical significance. Some believe the "heel stone" is meant to mark the summer solstice, others say it simply frames the sunrise.

Apparently, growing evidence has shown that people visited it during winter solstice, not summer solstice, and so alignment features might be incidental. There are, however, some other sites in the UK that show more clear alignment, like Newgrange.

Newgrange, Ireland

This monument was built in Ireland around 3200 BC (earlier than the supposed 1500 BC of Stonehenge - closer perhaps to the "creators" of the knowledge).  This large circular monument had stone passageways and chambers within. This structure aligns with the rising sun and light floods the chamber during winter solstice.  Interestingly, there were other structures nearly identical in other areas of Europe. There was, apparently, a common knowledge.

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Arizona

The ancient tribe of the HoHoKam in Arizona had built an extensive canal system that was very advanced, and built this astronomical site that was abandoned around the time the tribe went "missing" in 1450.  The walls were constructed aligned with the points of the compass and the windows opened onto sun and moon positions. Of course, if it were that simple, they were simply utilizing the rising and setting sun and moon for light within. Likely these "latter" people picked up the canal system knowledge and their knowledge of utilizing the heavens without understanding them as anything but practical concerns. Evidence of earlier "giant" civilization in Arizona was found many times over.

Mayans, Mexico/Central America

The Mayan civilization in Mexico and Central America began around 500 BCE. Interestingly, like Stonehenge in comparison to Newgrange, the Mayans came after the oldest civilization in MesoAmerica, the Olmecs. The Olmecs were the originators of the ancient astronomical and calendar knowledge later carried out by the Aztecs and Mayans.  This culture began around 1200 BCE and ended around 400 BCE. Coinicidentally, this is much like latter "Native" culture that adopted the knowledge of earlier civilizations, the "originator" civilization "disappeared.

Cheomseongdae, South Korea

This was built some time in the 600s CE (common era/AD). Built out of 362 granite stones, some believe they represent the lunar days of the calendar. The 12 large set stones that hold it up, represent the months. This is the oldest observatory in East Asia. 

Ocmulgee, Georgia USA

Dating around 900 CE (AD), this mound has 55 seats inside and an altar the shape of a bird. The eye of the bird had a "forked leaf" design that is common for drawing comets. It also has astronomical alignments. On October 22nd, the sun aligns with the doorway and lights the chamber inside. There were also two pyramids and other buildings on the complex. 

Interestingly, ancient man was not as archaic as we seem to think he was. There were lots of astronomical discoveries by people like Aristotle in the 4th century BCE, Copernicus in the 15th century, and Galileo in the 16th and 17th century, but it is apparent that man who was outdoors an enormous amount of his time and dependent on the seasons, had quite the obsession with the sky and the odd relationship between "feet on earth" humans and "up there" sky. 

Is it possible that such knowledge and such structures were first incorporated by the originator culture of "first human migration" people? More than likely with a few hundred thousand years on us homo sapiens, they were already gathering vast knowledge that was utterly lost on our ancestors who came out of Africa, spreading throughout the globe and encountering people with god-like knowledge. 

We homo sapiens were able to cobble together, steal, and imitate much of what they did, but we did not really grasp the deeper understanding, sort of like those of us who know enough about using a computer to talk to folks online and research, but not enough to fix it when it breaks down or understand just how it works and what its potential is.

This is why, I believe, these early astronomers we hold up as heroes were re-learning something already known by an ancient peoples and it seemed like a big "aha" moment for us, but looking at ancient sites, we must confess there is a discrepancy about when "man" discovered astronomical features and when "ancients" knew this stuff long before.