184
with the head towards the inner parts of the chamber and the feet towards the
entrance, acquiring therefore a general N-S orientation.
7 Discussion
The peculiar orientation of Hechicera and other members of its group does not seem to
be easily explained by an orientation to avoid the prevailing winds. Neither a general
orientation towards the further part of the horizon, with the Sierra on its back, seems to
account for the pattern explained above. Also the local topology does not seem to be so
systematically oriented towards the two narrow directions indicated above. In the following section, we discuss then their possible astronomical orientation.
The direct orientation of the corridors does not seem to be related neither to the
sun or the moon. We could investigate if the orientation was perhaps related to the
Pointers (α and β Cen) and the Southern Cross, and the location, was perhaps related
to summer solstice sunrise. This could explain the orientations of the entire dataset.
In other words, are there any significant stellar-solar events for this period of time?
If the sun is the element related to the mountain, then it is possible that a summer
time occurrence was important. In this case the stars of the Southern Cross and the
Pointers would be seen rising in the direction of the corridor after sunset (acronychal rising) around the time of the Spring Equinox. However, when the sun has
declination +14° (i.e., starts to be seen rising from the Mountain from any of the
megalithic sites in Hechicera group), the stars are already in their southern culmination at sunset (i.e. their rising would not be visible anymore at this time of the year).
In addition, by the summer solstice, we would see the last visibility of the stars (i.e.
they would be seen setting, not rising) a few minutes after sunset.
The answer to the question posed above is then, apparently not. Neither the heliacal rising nor the acronychal rising of these stars occur at moments when both (stellar and solar) orientations could be coordinated. Indeed, this result seems to weaken
the possibility of a synchronic effect that may give us a hint for a particular time, but
does not rule out the possibility of a stellar orientation having been adopted for the
corridor, while the topographical alignment towards the conspicuous mountain
could explain the actual location of the sites.
If we take the moon as the element to be linked to the mountain, the situation is
somewhat reversed. The first visibility of the stars in relation to the general orientation of the corridor would coincide with the autumn equinox, while for the winter
months, when we could see the full moon rising close or on top of the mountain, the
stars would rise above the horizon by midnight. This line of reasoning then could
perhaps favour a lunar-stellar alignment.
From the comparison with the contemporary monuments in central and NE
Iberia, we could then argue that the orientation of Hechicera and the other monuments in the Ebro basin seem to share a number of interesting characteristics, notably the interest and importance of the south or SE horizon, in contrast to other
A. C. González-García
with the head towards the inner parts of the chamber and the feet towards the
entrance, acquiring therefore a general N-S orientation.
7 Discussion
The peculiar orientation of Hechicera and other members of its group does not seem to
be easily explained by an orientation to avoid the prevailing winds. Neither a general
orientation towards the further part of the horizon, with the Sierra on its back, seems to
account for the pattern explained above. Also the local topology does not seem to be so
systematically oriented towards the two narrow directions indicated above. In the following section, we discuss then their possible astronomical orientation.
The direct orientation of the corridors does not seem to be related neither to the
sun or the moon. We could investigate if the orientation was perhaps related to the
Pointers (α and β Cen) and the Southern Cross, and the location, was perhaps related
to summer solstice sunrise. This could explain the orientations of the entire dataset.
In other words, are there any significant stellar-solar events for this period of time?
If the sun is the element related to the mountain, then it is possible that a summer
time occurrence was important. In this case the stars of the Southern Cross and the
Pointers would be seen rising in the direction of the corridor after sunset (acronychal rising) around the time of the Spring Equinox. However, when the sun has
declination +14° (i.e., starts to be seen rising from the Mountain from any of the
megalithic sites in Hechicera group), the stars are already in their southern culmination at sunset (i.e. their rising would not be visible anymore at this time of the year).
In addition, by the summer solstice, we would see the last visibility of the stars (i.e.
they would be seen setting, not rising) a few minutes after sunset.
The answer to the question posed above is then, apparently not. Neither the heliacal rising nor the acronychal rising of these stars occur at moments when both (stellar and solar) orientations could be coordinated. Indeed, this result seems to weaken
the possibility of a synchronic effect that may give us a hint for a particular time, but
does not rule out the possibility of a stellar orientation having been adopted for the
corridor, while the topographical alignment towards the conspicuous mountain
could explain the actual location of the sites.
If we take the moon as the element to be linked to the mountain, the situation is
somewhat reversed. The first visibility of the stars in relation to the general orientation of the corridor would coincide with the autumn equinox, while for the winter
months, when we could see the full moon rising close or on top of the mountain, the
stars would rise above the horizon by midnight. This line of reasoning then could
perhaps favour a lunar-stellar alignment.
From the comparison with the contemporary monuments in central and NE
Iberia, we could then argue that the orientation of Hechicera and the other monuments in the Ebro basin seem to share a number of interesting characteristics, notably the interest and importance of the south or SE horizon, in contrast to other
A. C. González-García