By: Dr. Sam Osmanagich, Ph.D.
I made a study trip to northern Spanish town of Palencia in October 2015. My aim was to investigate the hypothesis if the first pyramids on Iberian Peninsula were placed here.
Three elevations Cerro de San Juanillo, Cerro del Otero and Barredo Viejo have dominated the landscape for a long time. Unfortunately, the local pottery/brick factory completely destroyed Barredo Viejo using its clay. Found artifacts are kept out of the public, and underground passages buried. The remaining two elevations have also been significantly modified and damaged.
However, what’s left gives enough material for study.
Cerro de San Juanillo and Cerro del Otero are identical in height, at 84 meters. Their mutual distance is 666 meters (!). Three “hills” had the same layout as the Giza (Egypt), Teotihuacan (Mexico) or Montevechia (Italy) Pyramids. Some authors have claimed that this particular lay out matches either stars in Orion Belt (Robert Bouval) or stars in constellation Cygnus (Andrew Collins).
On the topographic map is visible proper circular geometry with identical slope from the bottom to the top. Cerro del Otero has visible edges, so it can be called circular pyramid. Photographs and illustrations from the early twentieth century confirm this statement, easily.
Nowdays, the pyramid property owner is the Catholic Church and no archaeological digging is allowed. On top of Verra del Otero Church has raised 20-meters tall statue dedicated to Jesus Christ. Underneath is a small church. Several entrances to underground passageways and side rooms in the circular pyramid are closed for public.
Distortion of the original purpose has not been without consequences. The statue has been regularly hit and damaged by lightning, I’ve noticed the same thing at the cathedral built on top of the largest pyramid in Mexico, in the city of Cholula. Have nature through the lightning and earthquakes retaliated against Hernan Cortes for the desecration of the pyramid?
Another circular pyramid Cerro de San Juanillo has been badly damaged by erosion and the exploitation of clay. However, a number of artificially made passages are available to be investigated today. It is clear that over time people used them as shelter and a place to live.
Eastern side of Cerro de San Juanillo is ideally oriented to the sunrise during the summer solstice.
Stratigraphy of the circular pyramid Cerro de Otero is different from a nearby natural elevation Parem de Miranda. Several “embedded” layers are noticeable, probably because of structural stability, ease of design and energetic properties.
Cerro del Otero and destroyed Baredo Viejo were deployed at the correct north-south axis.
It is interesting that the impressive cathedral in Palencia from the fifteenth century has identical orientation. Ornaments show number 666. Key ornament is display of two unusual, “reptilian” beings. They are located hierarchically above the carved statues of men: kings, priests, musicians, peasants…
During my public lecture organized by local enthusiasts led by Alfredo Trigueros in Palencia on October 5, 2015, I confirmed that these were the circular pyramids and invited the public of the city to form an association that would deal with the study of this complex. Only multi-disciplinary scientific approach should be applied to determine the relation of the natural and the artificial, the time of formation and potential builders.
Gallery
