well, the world doesn't exactly end, there's just some huge change that will take place and life as we know it will end. i think. i'm no expert.
july 26th seems to be the egyptian new year from what i can find on the internet. there are some scholars that think egyptians may have been to the americas long long long before columbus. (try searching for info on the olmec heads, or similarities in egyptian and mexican pyramids. there are some crazy architectural and astrological similarities.)
now i read that the mayan new year is also july 21st. here is an excerpt (but the website did not seem entirely credible):
Quote
The Galactic Year of 12 Manik begins on July 26th when the star Sirius greets Lord Sun at dawn (above the Mayan pyramid of Chichen Itza, and above Maui's volcano, Mount Haleakala).
The reason for why the Mayan new year is when it is:
"The thirteen moon calendar is a galactic calendar. It is galactic, because the start of the new year is based on a galactic reference point, the star Sirius, and not a lunar or solar one (such as the summer solstice, etc.)
July 26 is the day that the star Sirius rises in conjunction with the Sun.
It is interesting to note that the Haab and Tun Uc calendars of the Mayans and the calendar of Thoth in ancient Egypt also began on the day July 26th.
Sirius - "A star in the constellation Canis Major, the brightest star in the sky, approximately 8.6 light-years distant from Earth. Also called Dog Star, Sothis."
i'm assuming that the pillar is there just to mark the day, probably served some purpose in ceremonies. hope this helped. i love history. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />