Although differing widely in cultural focus and astronomical details, these case
studies apply the general approaches developed by Ruggles and others to a wide
range of evidence, both archaeological and textual, from different parts of the world.
The first two case studies, Prendergast’s island-scale study of Irish passage tombs
and related cairns and Gonzalez-Garcia’s examination of a ritual landscape in northern Spain, echo the earliest phase of Ruggles’ work—and the earliest era studied by
archaeoastronomers—the investigation of prehistoric stone monuments. Prendergast
employs a method of scanning the local horizon as seen from his sites, a method
pioneered in Ruggles’ (1984) investigation of western Scottish sites, to establish
whether passage tombs preferentially faced restricted, intermediate, or distant horizons. He found a noticeable preference for distant horizons centred in the northerly
direction. Drawing on cultural analogues from cultures known to respect the direction north, he advances the hypothesis that the liminal northern horizon indicated by
the Irish sites represented to the tomb builders the direction of the abode of their
ancestors.
González-García expressly acknowledges the inspiration of Ruggles’ earlier
work on the Island of Mull, where he consciously shifted the focus of research from
individual sites to a “wider ‘ritual landscape’” (Martlew & Ruggles, 1993: 63).
González-Garcías’s focus on the landscape near the passage grave of Chabola de la
Hechicera (the Sorceress’ Shack) identifies a group of neighbouring sites which
share similar orientations and from most of which a significant mountain,
Lapoblación, which marks the summer solstice from Hechicera, is visible. Despite
the importance of this mountain, he dismisses folklore associating Hechicera with
the summer solstice as too recent to be associated with the builders of these sites.
More secure placing of this group is found by cluster analyses of azimuths, which
places this group in a distinct transitional place among similar Spanish
regional groups.
With Boutsikas’ examination of the orientation of Greek temples, we enter the
world where archaeoastronomical studies are complemented by the existence of
written sources, which give access to Greek astronomical concepts. One of these is
the concept of the equinox, the utility of which Ruggles questioned in a classic
Part II
Case Studies
studies apply the general approaches developed by Ruggles and others to a wide
range of evidence, both archaeological and textual, from different parts of the world.
The first two case studies, Prendergast’s island-scale study of Irish passage tombs
and related cairns and Gonzalez-Garcia’s examination of a ritual landscape in northern Spain, echo the earliest phase of Ruggles’ work—and the earliest era studied by
archaeoastronomers—the investigation of prehistoric stone monuments. Prendergast
employs a method of scanning the local horizon as seen from his sites, a method
pioneered in Ruggles’ (1984) investigation of western Scottish sites, to establish
whether passage tombs preferentially faced restricted, intermediate, or distant horizons. He found a noticeable preference for distant horizons centred in the northerly
direction. Drawing on cultural analogues from cultures known to respect the direction north, he advances the hypothesis that the liminal northern horizon indicated by
the Irish sites represented to the tomb builders the direction of the abode of their
ancestors.
González-García expressly acknowledges the inspiration of Ruggles’ earlier
work on the Island of Mull, where he consciously shifted the focus of research from
individual sites to a “wider ‘ritual landscape’” (Martlew & Ruggles, 1993: 63).
González-Garcías’s focus on the landscape near the passage grave of Chabola de la
Hechicera (the Sorceress’ Shack) identifies a group of neighbouring sites which
share similar orientations and from most of which a significant mountain,
Lapoblación, which marks the summer solstice from Hechicera, is visible. Despite
the importance of this mountain, he dismisses folklore associating Hechicera with
the summer solstice as too recent to be associated with the builders of these sites.
More secure placing of this group is found by cluster analyses of azimuths, which
places this group in a distinct transitional place among similar Spanish
regional groups.
With Boutsikas’ examination of the orientation of Greek temples, we enter the
world where archaeoastronomical studies are complemented by the existence of
written sources, which give access to Greek astronomical concepts. One of these is
the concept of the equinox, the utility of which Ruggles questioned in a classic
Part II
Case Studies