Previous studies have reported that in southern Spain some medieval churches are aligned to sunrise on the canonical equinox, independent of their dedication, and to sunrise on 15th August, for dedications to the Virgin of the Assumption. This paper aims to identify precedents of this tradition in the province of Soria (northeast Spain), where the campaign by Christians to recapture territory held by the Muslims was accomplished in the first third of the twelfth century. This Reconquista was followed by a repopulation process and the building of a large number of rural churches in the Romanesque Repopulation style until the middle of the thirteenth century, many of which are preserved. The paper studies a set of 73 parish churches dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption in Soria, with a subsample of 44 ascribed to the Romanesque. Their azimuths were measured from georeferenced orthophotographs. The normalised sums of probability densities have been computed for azimuths and declinations, and subjected to quantitative statistical assessment by using the confidence envelope curve and total peak area methods. The results reveal that 50% of the churches in the Romanesque subsample have intended alignment patterns. About two thirds of these were aligned toward the “sol aequinoctialis”, which can be evoked by (1) true east (astronomical equinox), and (2) sunrise on 21st or 25th March in the Julian calendar, the dates of the ecclesiastical and canonical equinox, respectively. The remaining third were aligned towards sunrise on 15th August. Data allows discussion on the accuracy in the involved practical methods used for alignments and on some relevant questions on the origin and spread of this tradition.
{"title":"Alignment Patterns of Romanesque Churches Dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption in Soria, Spain","authors":"J. Abril, Jerónimo Sánchez Velasco","doi":"10.1558/jsa.21922","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1558/jsa.21922","url":null,"abstract":"Previous studies have reported that in southern Spain some medieval churches are aligned to sunrise on the canonical equinox, independent of their dedication, and to sunrise on 15th August, for dedications to the Virgin of the Assumption. This paper aims to identify precedents of this tradition in the province of Soria (northeast Spain), where the campaign by Christians to recapture territory held by the Muslims was accomplished in the first third of the twelfth century. This Reconquista was followed by a repopulation process and the building of a large number of rural churches in the Romanesque Repopulation style until the middle of the thirteenth century, many of which are preserved. The paper studies a set of 73 parish churches dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption in Soria, with a subsample of 44 ascribed to the Romanesque. Their azimuths were measured from georeferenced orthophotographs. The normalised sums of probability densities have been computed for azimuths and declinations, and subjected to quantitative statistical assessment by using the confidence envelope curve and total peak area methods. The results reveal that 50% of the churches in the Romanesque subsample have intended alignment patterns. About two thirds of these were aligned toward the “sol aequinoctialis”, which can be evoked by (1) true east (astronomical equinox), and (2) sunrise on 21st or 25th March in the Julian calendar, the dates of the ecclesiastical and canonical equinox, respectively. The remaining third were aligned towards sunrise on 15th August. Data allows discussion on the accuracy in the involved practical methods used for alignments and on some relevant questions on the origin and spread of this tradition.","PeriodicalId":36192,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Skyscape Archaeology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46718429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liz Henty, Exploring Archaeoastronomy: A History of Its Relationship with Archaeology and EsotericismOxford: Oxbow Books, 2022, 278pp, b/w and colour illus. ISBN 978 1 78925 786 1.
{"title":"Liz Henty, Exploring Archaeoastronomy: A History of Its Relationship with Archaeology and Esotericism","authors":"R. Hutton","doi":"10.1558/jsa.25605","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1558/jsa.25605","url":null,"abstract":"Liz Henty, Exploring Archaeoastronomy: A History of Its Relationship with Archaeology and EsotericismOxford: Oxbow Books, 2022, 278pp, b/w and colour illus. ISBN 978 1 78925 786 1.","PeriodicalId":36192,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Skyscape Archaeology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46614398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Akira Goto, Cultural Astronomy of the Japanese Archipelago: Exploring the Japanese SkyscapeRoutledge Studies in the Early History of Asia. London and New York: Routledge, 2021. Paperback, 156 pp. ISBN: 9780367407988. £46.99.
{"title":"Akira Goto, Cultural Astronomy of the Japanese Archipelago: Exploring the Japanese Skyscape","authors":"Gaynor Sekimori","doi":"10.1558/jsa.25602","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1558/jsa.25602","url":null,"abstract":"Akira Goto, Cultural Astronomy of the Japanese Archipelago: Exploring the Japanese SkyscapeRoutledge Studies in the Early History of Asia. London and New York: Routledge, 2021. Paperback, 156 pp. ISBN: 9780367407988. £46.99.","PeriodicalId":36192,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Skyscape Archaeology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42418777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marco V. García Quintela, A. C. González-García, David Espinosa-Espinosa, A. Rodríguez-Antón, J. Belmonte
Ancient Gaul was transformed during the reign of Augustus (r. 31 BC–14 AD) through a major programme of city building. The new Roman cities were constructed according to topographic, health and ritual considerations, and we hypothesise that their orientations also reflect distinct celestial conceptions held by the Gauls and by the Roman emperor Augustus. Our study of the orientation of 60 cities verifies the existence of coherent patterns, and distinguishes two dominant schemes: a pattern prevailing in the south and focused on cardinal orientations, possibly related to the dies natalis of Augustus; and a pattern dominant in the north, focused on the dates of the festivities at the beginning of the seasons from the Celtic tradition. We argue that the orientation of the cities was used by the Gallic elites to express the validity of their cultural tradition when they became a part of the Roman Empire.
{"title":"An Archaeology of the Sky in Gaul in the Augustan Period","authors":"Marco V. García Quintela, A. C. González-García, David Espinosa-Espinosa, A. Rodríguez-Antón, J. Belmonte","doi":"10.1558/jsa.21048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1558/jsa.21048","url":null,"abstract":"Ancient Gaul was transformed during the reign of Augustus (r. 31 BC–14 AD) through a major programme of city building. The new Roman cities were constructed according to topographic, health and ritual considerations, and we hypothesise that their orientations also reflect distinct celestial conceptions held by the Gauls and by the Roman emperor Augustus. Our study of the orientation of 60 cities verifies the existence of coherent patterns, and distinguishes two dominant schemes: a pattern prevailing in the south and focused on cardinal orientations, possibly related to the dies natalis of Augustus; and a pattern dominant in the north, focused on the dates of the festivities at the beginning of the seasons from the Celtic tradition. We argue that the orientation of the cities was used by the Gallic elites to express the validity of their cultural tradition when they became a part of the Roman Empire.","PeriodicalId":36192,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Skyscape Archaeology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47931347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thomas Gough and Peter Harris, A New Dimension to Ancient MeasuresElgin, Scotland: Moravian Digital Press, 2021. Paperback, 76 pp. illus. ISBN: 978-1-9196484-0-8. £15.andJohn Hill, The Recumbent Stone Circles of Aberdeenshire: Archaeology, Design, Astronomy and MethodsNewcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2021. Hardback, 212 pp. 53 b/w illus. ISBN: 1-5275-6585-8; ISBN13: 978-1-5275-6585-2. £61.99.
{"title":"Thomas Gough and Peter Harris, A New Dimension to Ancient Measures and John Hill, The Recumbent Stone Circles of Aberdeenshire: Archaeology, Design, Astronomy and Methods","authors":"Liz Henty","doi":"10.1558/jsa.25603","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1558/jsa.25603","url":null,"abstract":"Thomas Gough and Peter Harris, A New Dimension to Ancient MeasuresElgin, Scotland: Moravian Digital Press, 2021. Paperback, 76 pp. illus. ISBN: 978-1-9196484-0-8. £15.andJohn Hill, The Recumbent Stone Circles of Aberdeenshire: Archaeology, Design, Astronomy and MethodsNewcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2021. Hardback, 212 pp. 53 b/w illus. ISBN: 1-5275-6585-8; ISBN13: 978-1-5275-6585-2. £61.99.","PeriodicalId":36192,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Skyscape Archaeology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44046099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Review of the Skyscape Archaeology Keynote Lecture Series – Season Two: 2021–2022
Skyscape考古主题演讲系列回顾——第二季：2021–2022
{"title":"Review of the Skyscape Archaeology Keynote Lecture Series – Season Two: 2021–2022","authors":"Christopher A. Layser","doi":"10.1558/jsa.25606","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1558/jsa.25606","url":null,"abstract":"Review of the Skyscape Archaeology Keynote Lecture Series – Season Two: 2021–2022","PeriodicalId":36192,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Skyscape Archaeology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46647608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Google Earth Pro (GEP) is a powerful tool that can be used for archaeoastronomic and landscape archaeology assessments. Of potential concern, however, is the accuracy of the GEP ruler tool and, in particular, the accuracy of heading information. In the present paper the accuracy of GEP heading information is evaluated. Comparative assessments are made using GEP imagery, airport runway diagrams and ground survey data derived from total station solar observations. These analyses indicate that the accuracy of GEP heading data is largely dependent on spatial resolution of the GEP image and length of the line being measured.
{"title":"Notes on the Accuracy of Google Earth Pro Heading Information for Archaeoastronomy and Landscape Archaeology Studies","authors":"William F. Romain","doi":"10.1558/jsa.25599","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1558/jsa.25599","url":null,"abstract":"Google Earth Pro (GEP) is a powerful tool that can be used for archaeoastronomic and landscape archaeology assessments. Of potential concern, however, is the accuracy of the GEP ruler tool and, in particular, the accuracy of heading information. In the present paper the accuracy of GEP heading information is evaluated. Comparative assessments are made using GEP imagery, airport runway diagrams and ground survey data derived from total station solar observations. These analyses indicate that the accuracy of GEP heading data is largely dependent on spatial resolution of the GEP image and length of the line being measured.","PeriodicalId":36192,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Skyscape Archaeology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48951068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Great Serpent Mound and the Milky Way","authors":"B. Lepper","doi":"10.1558/jsa.23697","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1558/jsa.23697","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:p>.</jats:p>","PeriodicalId":36192,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Skyscape Archaeology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42514270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Angkor Wat is one of the largest religious structures in the world. Much has been written about the site; what has not been explained, however, is why the structure was located where it is. In this paper it is suggested that Angkor Wat was intentionally situated at the intersection of two astronomically related lines of position – one to the summer solstice sunrise over the Rong Chen temple on Phnom Kulen, and the other to cardinal east or the equinox in alignment with a site known as Preah Khan of Kompong Svay. Political and cosmological implications of these findings are discussed. Supportive data showing how Rong Chen is likewise situated at intersecting lines of position is also presented. Importantly, the Rong Chen temple is where Jayavarman II – founder of the Khmer Empire in the ninth century AD – was declared universal ruler (chakravartin).
{"title":"Angkor Wat","authors":"William F Romain","doi":"10.1558/jsa.19967","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1558/jsa.19967","url":null,"abstract":"Angkor Wat is one of the largest religious structures in the world. Much has been written about the site; what has not been explained, however, is why the structure was located where it is. In this paper it is suggested that Angkor Wat was intentionally situated at the intersection of two astronomically related lines of position – one to the summer solstice sunrise over the Rong Chen temple on Phnom Kulen, and the other to cardinal east or the equinox in alignment with a site known as Preah Khan of Kompong Svay. Political and cosmological implications of these findings are discussed. Supportive data showing how Rong Chen is likewise situated at intersecting lines of position is also presented. Importantly, the Rong Chen temple is where Jayavarman II – founder of the Khmer Empire in the ninth century AD – was declared universal ruler (chakravartin).","PeriodicalId":36192,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Skyscape Archaeology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42693787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Milky Way – A Visual Perception Through Time","authors":"C. Kennett","doi":"10.1558/jsa.23691","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1558/jsa.23691","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:p>.</jats:p>","PeriodicalId":36192,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Skyscape Archaeology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46748026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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