185
orientations (like due east and Winter Solstice) more prominent in the regions found
to the north and west of the Hechicera group.
In González-García and Belmonte (2010) and Belmonte and González-García
(2012) we proposed and argued that there were different orientation families within
Iberia. These seemed to suggest that the orientation customs appeared in certain
areas that were later adopted by neighbouring ones. The above result indicates that
the S-SE family observed in Hechicera, the Ebro valley and the Catalonian Coast do
form such a family.
It is interesting that the megalithic monuments in the Catalonian NE have provided some of the earliest dates in north Iberia. In addition, we have observed how
the general trend of human remain deposition with a broad N-S orientation appeared
in the Iberian Peninsula for the first time in this Catalonian NE, and moved subsequently towards the Pyrenees valleys and the Ebro basin, reaching as far as Los
Cascajos, 35 km east of the Hechicera group.
We could therefore investigate if the orientation we found in Hechicera is a relic
of the previous epoch when the general N-S orientation of the bodies was introduced from central Europe. Indeed, further studies, perhaps focused on a detailed
analysis of the orientation of the bodies or the pits of this period is needed. If the
interpretation suggested here was indeed the case, it is intriguing that such an orientation was maintained in the area of the Ebro valley for such long period of time. It
would be interesting to further investigate if this orientation custom was maintained
in later periods and in newly discovered sites. One such study could be carried out
at Tres Montes (Andrés Rupérez, García, & Sesma, 2001), where a burial area with
the remains of nearly 100 bodies has been dated to the Bronze Age.
Finally, it should be noted that this general orientation was maintained in the
central Mediterranean for a long time. We have argued elsewhere that this is a characteristic of megalithic monuments in the central Mediterranean (González-García
& Belmonte, 2014; González-García, Zedda, & Belmonte, 2014).
8 Conclusion
La Chabola de la Hechicera is a passage grave in northern Spain where an in depth
study of the landscape helps shedding new light towards its understanding. The
study demonstrates a connection with the monument in a way that was first proposed by Clive Ruggles in his study of the standing stones of the Island of Mull
(Ruggles & Martlew, 1992; Ruggles, 1999: 112–124).
Hechicera and the monuments in its vicinity share coherent orientation patterns,
which are not connected to sunrise or sunset. Their orientation could be related to
the Southern Cross and the Pointers. However, it is intriguing that from these locations the remarkable peak of Lapoblación is prominently visible towards NE. We
could argue that the orientation of the corridor was dictated by the orientation of the
bodies deposited in the interior of the structure, but the location fulfilled a number
of criteria. One could be being close to trade routes, or at a mid distance from the
Diachrony and the Big Picture: Chabola de la Hechicera, a Peculiar Orientation…
orientations (like due east and Winter Solstice) more prominent in the regions found
to the north and west of the Hechicera group.
In González-García and Belmonte (2010) and Belmonte and González-García
(2012) we proposed and argued that there were different orientation families within
Iberia. These seemed to suggest that the orientation customs appeared in certain
areas that were later adopted by neighbouring ones. The above result indicates that
the S-SE family observed in Hechicera, the Ebro valley and the Catalonian Coast do
form such a family.
It is interesting that the megalithic monuments in the Catalonian NE have provided some of the earliest dates in north Iberia. In addition, we have observed how
the general trend of human remain deposition with a broad N-S orientation appeared
in the Iberian Peninsula for the first time in this Catalonian NE, and moved subsequently towards the Pyrenees valleys and the Ebro basin, reaching as far as Los
Cascajos, 35 km east of the Hechicera group.
We could therefore investigate if the orientation we found in Hechicera is a relic
of the previous epoch when the general N-S orientation of the bodies was introduced from central Europe. Indeed, further studies, perhaps focused on a detailed
analysis of the orientation of the bodies or the pits of this period is needed. If the
interpretation suggested here was indeed the case, it is intriguing that such an orientation was maintained in the area of the Ebro valley for such long period of time. It
would be interesting to further investigate if this orientation custom was maintained
in later periods and in newly discovered sites. One such study could be carried out
at Tres Montes (Andrés Rupérez, García, & Sesma, 2001), where a burial area with
the remains of nearly 100 bodies has been dated to the Bronze Age.
Finally, it should be noted that this general orientation was maintained in the
central Mediterranean for a long time. We have argued elsewhere that this is a characteristic of megalithic monuments in the central Mediterranean (González-García
& Belmonte, 2014; González-García, Zedda, & Belmonte, 2014).
8 Conclusion
La Chabola de la Hechicera is a passage grave in northern Spain where an in depth
study of the landscape helps shedding new light towards its understanding. The
study demonstrates a connection with the monument in a way that was first proposed by Clive Ruggles in his study of the standing stones of the Island of Mull
(Ruggles & Martlew, 1992; Ruggles, 1999: 112–124).
Hechicera and the monuments in its vicinity share coherent orientation patterns,
which are not connected to sunrise or sunset. Their orientation could be related to
the Southern Cross and the Pointers. However, it is intriguing that from these locations the remarkable peak of Lapoblación is prominently visible towards NE. We
could argue that the orientation of the corridor was dictated by the orientation of the
bodies deposited in the interior of the structure, but the location fulfilled a number
of criteria. One could be being close to trade routes, or at a mid distance from the
Diachrony and the Big Picture: Chabola de la Hechicera, a Peculiar Orientation…