Orientations at the Minoan peak sanctuary on Philioremos near Gonies (Maleviziou), Crete
Volume 10 (2008): Astronomy and Cosmology in Folk Traditions and Cultural Heritage, pp. 125–130
Pub. online: 20 December 2008
Type: Article
Open Access
Received
23 October 2007
23 October 2007
Revised
20 September 2008
20 September 2008
Published
20 December 2008
20 December 2008
Abstract
As part of the Uppsala University archaeoastronomical project to study the Minoan calendar, we have investigated representative examples of their buildings and found on Philioremos the third example of a peak sanctuary related to sunrise at the summer solstice. This is the nineteenth example of an important Minoan building exactly related to a major yearly event of the lunisolar calendar that was remembered in archaic Greek literature. An important achievement of our project is the discovery of cooperation among Minoans at different sites to mark major celestial events and of well-developed methods for maintaining a seasonally correct lunisolar calendar that began in connection with the autumn equinox.