For more than 400 years, farmers in the Andes highlands of Peru and Bolivia have performed an annual stargazing ritual to determine the most auspicious date for planting their annual potato crops. By evaluating the relative brightness and clarity of the Pleiades, or “Seven Sisters,” low on the northeast horizon at dawn, the farmers are able to predict approximately when the seasonal rains will begin six months later. Only recently have western scientists, using data from NASA earth observation satellites, come to understand the reason for the accuracy of these predictions. The objects presented here are designed to be used in the context of this ancient and life-sustaining ritual of the Andes people.

This project was an outcome of the Fall 2005 advanced design seminar in the graduate program at SFSU with Prof. Martin Linder. The conceptual assignment was to design a time marker and corresponding ritual.

Project Images

Tools Used

• SolidWorks
• Photoshop & Illustrator
• ArtCAM
• ShopBot CNC Router
• Dimension BST Printer