Ancient American Cities

Numerous ancient cities fire my imagination at what could have been. Here is a quick overview of some, that unlike Atlantis we do have an inkling of their true nature, strange and fascinating in their own light.
The Great Octagon (look toward upper left) near Newark, Ohio is a fascinating work of craftsmanship. It's eight sides are aligned to the phases of the moon. Making it a monumental celestial observatory. It is interesting to note that building such a colossal earthen structure must have occurred during a period of great peace because of how long it would have taken to build as well as the incredible workforce. It has been dated to between 50 AD and 200 AD.
The cliff palaces of Mesa Verde are a wonder and inspire a multitude of possibilities. The numerous watch places interconnecting on cliffs in the region denote a fearful people on the lookout for enemies. I suspect a much more sinister end than just drought. The clues of human sacrifice and cannibalism suggest darker forces at work than just a simple agrarian people.
Chaco Canyon-what is pictured is a portion called Pueblo Bonito today had over 800 rooms, and likely a huge grain storage depot. There were numerous cities throughout the canyon. Roads criss-cross the area and are straight and true averaging 30 feet wide, impressive if all you ever have are people on foot. Makes you wonder if that is all they really had. Items found in the region denote a vast trade empire stretching thousands of miles to the east and south.
Tikal's original name was Mutula and as such I use it in my novel. The name means something akin to New Tula, which is a reference to another great city of legend Tollan the Golden. The influence and trade between both must have been great.

Lubaantun is a truly strange city that seems outside of the norm for Central America, in that it was made from perfectly cut stones that were not fitted with mortar. Supposedly the infamous Crystal Skull of Doom was found here in 1924 by Anna Mitchell-Hedges. I say supposedly because although I would love to think that she did find it on her seventeenth birthday as a regular Nancy Drew/Indianan Jones type thing, it seems a little fishy. Rumors abound that her adopted father F. A. Mitchell-Hedges bought it at Sothebys a few years earlier. Where it came from before that is any ones guess. Still it is a different type of city that sets itself apart from other meso-american ruins and I can't resist using it for an upcoming work. For the sake of the novel I will place the Skull in a position where Anna could find it millenia later. So many things here to inspire and wonder about, there is no end of stories to tell.