Human development where Moon orbits directly in ecliptic plane

Right as it says on the banner. We will assume that complex life still develops as the Moon will have moved far enough away from the Earth by the time that develops to not mess with evolution all that much (the tides may have slightly different amplitudes and occur at different times of the day, but that's it).

The interesting part involves eclipses and their interpretation by primitive humans. There will be solar and lunar eclipses every month as the Earth, Moon, and Sun are always in the same plane. A large percentage of the Earth will see a lunar eclipse each month, and a small (but varying) section of the equator will experience a total solar eclipse each month. Note that total solar eclipses will be impossible ANYWHERE other than the equator.

How will primitive culture treat eclipses like this? A blood-red moon every month and a darkening of the sun at midday? Could you get earlier lunar calendars and so forth? Will the equator have some kind of mystique or stigma for having the possibility of total solar eclipses? Primitive humans were probably on or around the equator when they were evolving in Africa.
 
I think this is akin to alternate geography in that, the POD being billions of years ago, humanity itself would be butterflied, and therefore ought to be in ASB. But that's no fun:), so:

The lunar calendar ought to be supreme and well-nigh universal, but it isn't any use in predicting the seasons. When agriculture is invented, the solar calendar will necessarily also be invented, with the two remaining in competition. Kinda like in Islam, perhaps the lunar calendar used for ceremonial/religious purposes and the solar calendar for practical use? (Different cultures will approach it differently, but this might be the most common result.)

With eclipses being such regular events, they won't be seen as "harbingers of doom". Superstitious humans will still find omens everywhere else though:mad:.
 
Animals will go apeship to put it simply.

But I'm pretty sure that many cultures would adapt to rely on the sun more often than the moon, atleast until it's orbit is properly tracked.
 
The lunar calendar ought to be supreme and well-nigh universal, but it isn't any use in predicting the seasons. When agriculture is invented, the solar calendar will necessarily also be invented, with the two remaining in competition. Kinda like in Islam, perhaps the lunar calendar used for ceremonial/religious purposes and the solar calendar for practical use? (Different cultures will approach it differently, but this might be the most common result.)

Agreed. The eclipse cycle will be too regular not to be noticed (though because the synodic month is on the order of 29.5 days, they might think of them as "once every two lunar months" events, since if they see an eclipse one month (well, lunation, really), the next month (lunation) it will be on the other side of the world). They probably would pick up the correlation with moon phases rather quickly though.
 
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