176
in these shelters and those placed inside the megaliths (Fernández-Crespo et al.,
2020). Also to the south there is a contemporaneous collective burial site (called San
Juan ante Portam Latinam; Vegas et al., 1999), where 289 individuals of both sexes
and including infants and adults were buried. A large fraction of the individuals
presented evidence of violence. This shelter opens to the southwest, similarly to the
ones in the Sierra and also in broad similarity with the orientation of the corridors
of the megalithic monuments.
A singular megalithic monument some 13 km to the west of Hechicera is Longar
(Narvarte Sanz, 2005: 272–277; Armendáriz & Irigaray, 1995; Table 1). This is a
collective burial site on a horseshoe shaped chamber excavated in the bedrock, filled
with dry stone masonry and covered by two sandstone boulders. The chamber is
elongated and opens in a perforated stone, and towards a dromos or open corridor.
Inside the tomb the archaeologists discovered the remains of at least 114 individuals
of both sexes. Some of the bodies showed evidence of the cause of death being due
to warfare, such as arrow flints attached on bones. Interestingly, the chamber
included a few ceramics deposited as grave goods. The dating of the site is
2500–2400 cal BC according to the
14
C of the bones (Alday et al., 2016). This is
contemporaneous to Hechicera, during the transition to the Chalcolithic.
The orientation of Longar is due south. Longar is in full view of Lapoblación,
and interestingly this mountain displays a completely different profile from here,
but the direction towards this mountain would coincide with summer solstice sunset
as seen from Longar (Table 1).
The dating of the several megalithic monuments in the Hechicera station could
perhaps help us interpret all the results exposed above (Fernández-Eraso & MujikaAlustiza, 2013); Table 1). Most are deduced from the human remains recovered
during the successive excavations. In the following lines, we will consider that the
earliest dates are mostly contemporaneous with the first use and thus erection of the
megalithic structure. We are aware of the strong assumption this entails, and to this,
we must add the scarcity of the data.
Figure 5 left compares the declination of each corridor with that earliest date. We
do not see any systematic trend. However, it is interesting to note that all monuments with declinations close to −36° seem to be built prior to 3100 cal BC, while
most of the monuments with declinations closer to −46° (due south) appear systematically later than those of the first group. The exception to this is San Martín dolmen where there is a dating from a very early stage.
Figure 5 right compares the declination of the Lapoblación Mountain as seen
from each of the sites where we have a dating. There seems to be a general trend of
declinations from values close or above 24° at the earliest stages towards declination c. 14° later on°. Now the exception is the Los Llanos dolmen, which is the
closest dolmen to this mountain peak and has a very early dating with a declination
towards the peak of 14°.
These figures suggest that the earliest dolmens tend to have an orientation of c.
−36°, and are located in a spot where Lapoblación Mountain is seen at a declination c. 22°.
A. C. González-García
in these shelters and those placed inside the megaliths (Fernández-Crespo et al.,
2020). Also to the south there is a contemporaneous collective burial site (called San
Juan ante Portam Latinam; Vegas et al., 1999), where 289 individuals of both sexes
and including infants and adults were buried. A large fraction of the individuals
presented evidence of violence. This shelter opens to the southwest, similarly to the
ones in the Sierra and also in broad similarity with the orientation of the corridors
of the megalithic monuments.
A singular megalithic monument some 13 km to the west of Hechicera is Longar
(Narvarte Sanz, 2005: 272–277; Armendáriz & Irigaray, 1995; Table 1). This is a
collective burial site on a horseshoe shaped chamber excavated in the bedrock, filled
with dry stone masonry and covered by two sandstone boulders. The chamber is
elongated and opens in a perforated stone, and towards a dromos or open corridor.
Inside the tomb the archaeologists discovered the remains of at least 114 individuals
of both sexes. Some of the bodies showed evidence of the cause of death being due
to warfare, such as arrow flints attached on bones. Interestingly, the chamber
included a few ceramics deposited as grave goods. The dating of the site is
2500–2400 cal BC according to the
14
C of the bones (Alday et al., 2016). This is
contemporaneous to Hechicera, during the transition to the Chalcolithic.
The orientation of Longar is due south. Longar is in full view of Lapoblación,
and interestingly this mountain displays a completely different profile from here,
but the direction towards this mountain would coincide with summer solstice sunset
as seen from Longar (Table 1).
The dating of the several megalithic monuments in the Hechicera station could
perhaps help us interpret all the results exposed above (Fernández-Eraso & MujikaAlustiza, 2013); Table 1). Most are deduced from the human remains recovered
during the successive excavations. In the following lines, we will consider that the
earliest dates are mostly contemporaneous with the first use and thus erection of the
megalithic structure. We are aware of the strong assumption this entails, and to this,
we must add the scarcity of the data.
Figure 5 left compares the declination of each corridor with that earliest date. We
do not see any systematic trend. However, it is interesting to note that all monuments with declinations close to −36° seem to be built prior to 3100 cal BC, while
most of the monuments with declinations closer to −46° (due south) appear systematically later than those of the first group. The exception to this is San Martín dolmen where there is a dating from a very early stage.
Figure 5 right compares the declination of the Lapoblación Mountain as seen
from each of the sites where we have a dating. There seems to be a general trend of
declinations from values close or above 24° at the earliest stages towards declination c. 14° later on°. Now the exception is the Los Llanos dolmen, which is the
closest dolmen to this mountain peak and has a very early dating with a declination
towards the peak of 14°.
These figures suggest that the earliest dolmens tend to have an orientation of c.
−36°, and are located in a spot where Lapoblación Mountain is seen at a declination c. 22°.
A. C. González-García