Archaeologia Baltica

In this work we conduct a study of the orientations of 12 megalithic enclosures in the Alentejo (southern Portugal). Some of these sites date back to the sixth or fifth millennia B.C., and so are among the oldest stone enclosures in Europe. The results of the survey show a pattern of easterly (rising) orientations. In particular, we relate our results to previous studies by Michael Hoskin and colleagues, on the orientations of the seven-stone dolmens in this area, which have shown the existence of a possible sun rising orientation custom.

The so-called ‘Neo-Pythagorean Basilica’ at Porta Maggiore in Rome is one of the most famous and most discussed hypogeal monuments in Rome. It was certainly in use for a short time during the first half of the first century AD, but its purpose is still far from clear. The most probable interpretation is that it was a temple dedicated to Neo-Pythagorean cults. We describe here the preliminary results of a detailed archaeoastronomical study of the Basilica undertaken in order to contribute to the understanding of the role of this fascinating monument.

Spread over south-eastern Bulgaria, northern Greece and the European part of Turkey are a large number of megalithic tombs. These dolmens were built from around the twelfth century BC to about the sixth century BC. The monuments were built with well cut slabs, defining a rectangular space with a roof. A small hole marks the entrance. A dromos is also present in some dolmens and all of these structures used to be covered by a tumulus. We present the first results from a series of campaigns devoted to measuring the orientation of these structures. The first campaign was carried out in the Strandja Mountains where 31 dolmens (among other monuments) were measured. The dolmens are not orientated at random, and a particular pattern of orientation has been found for the entrance of these monuments. Several tentative explanations are attempted and supported with information provided by contemporary Greek sources.

The Taosi late Neolithic site is located in Shanxi Province in north-central China. Three decades of excavation have unearthed storage pits, dwellings, and many artifacts, identified as the Taosi culture type (4300 to 3900 BP). Recent excavations led to the discovery of the tombs of chiefs of the Early Taosi period, and the largest walled-town in prehistoric China. A semicircular foundation built in about 4100 BP along the southern wall was also discovered. The design of the raised terrace within it would have permitted observations of sunrise at specific dates along the eastern horizon. Here we report on what has been learned about this fascinating site, and analyze its astronomical features and function.

When tree ring dates at Mesa Verde National Park were plotted as a function of time along the lunar standstill cycle, a correlation was evident, leading to the hypothesis that architectural features and construction phases were timed according to the lunar 18.6 year cycle. A detailed architectural analysis at Sun Temple and tree ring analysis support the sub-hypothesis that lunar maximums were observed over Sun Temple from the Painted Tower area of Cliff Palace. Tree ring dates at Balcony House and Square Tower House suggest a similar relationship between construction of specialized architecture such as kivas and the lunar maximum cycle.