Orientation of Trb-West Megalithic Monuments

Midgley M. , TRB Culture: The first farmers of the north European plain (Edinburgh, 1992), p. xiii; Baldia M. O. , “A spatial analysis of megalithic tombs”, Ph.D. dissertation, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, 1995, electronic version available at http://www.comp-archaeology.org/, chap. 1.

Midgley , op. cit. (ref. 1), 43.

Bakker J. A. , The Dutch Hunebedden: Megalithic tombs of the Funnel Beaker Culture (Ann Arbor, 1992), 40; Midgley , op. cit. (ref. 1), 221.

Such as the ‘Langebett’ formed by a rectangular and long kerb inside of which there is a tumulus where there may be none, one or several chambers, Bakker , op. cit. (ref. 3), 3. For a description of the different types of dolmens in the TRB-West area see Fansa M. , GrossSteingräber zwischen Weser und Ems (Oldenburg, 2000), 8. Ernst Sprockhoff compiled the data for the megaliths in Germany during the twentieth century. We are interested in the volume on Lower-Saxony: Sprockhoff E. , Atlas der Megalithgräber Deutschlands: Niedersachsen, Westfalen (Bonn, 1975).

Regional differences appear to be important. TRB-North megaliths have a long and narrow entrance formed by several pairs of stones. The chamber is often shorter than the entrance, and shorter, in general, than in the TRB-West group. For these monuments the entrance can be thought of as the main axis of the structure. Tilley C. , The dolmens and passage graves of Sweden: An introduction and guide (London, 1999), 13.

Midgley , op. cit. (ref. 1); Baldia , op. cit. (ref. 1), chap. 1; Bakker , op. cit. (ref. 3), 3. To our knowledge, just one (909 Karlsteine I) of the measured megalithic monuments was made out of quarry stones.

Bakker , op. cit. (ref. 3), 3.

Bakker , op. cit. (ref. 3), 3–5.

González-García A. C. Costa-Ferrer L. , “Orientations of the Dutch Hunebedden”, Journal for the history of astronomy , xxxiv (2003), 219–26.

González-García A. C. Costa-Ferrer L. , “The orientation of the Hünenbetten of Lower-Saxony”, Proceedings of the 12th annual meeting of SEAC (2006), in press.

Sprockhoff , op. cit. (ref. 4).

González-García Costa-Ferrer , op. cit. (ref. 9).

It is interesting to note the well-defined limits for the passage orientation, close to the southern solar and lunar limits. The fact that we have measurements only for 63 entrances may bias our results and this prevents us to obtain more general conclusions on this point. However, one could speculate if the important orientation was the entrance and this was placed so that it would be lighted by the sun close to the horizon during winter times. The 6 entrances to the east would be outside this scheme, however.

Once the megalithic structure was covered by the tumulus, little could be seen from the outside apart from the entrance. However, the axis of the chamber was probably first determined when laying the first stones to build the grave. Also, the capstones were also possibly left uncovered, so that the main axis of the chamber was also visible at its end.

Midgley , op. cit. (ref. 1), 443.

The most distant monuments are more than 100 km apart.

Hoskin Michael , Tombs, temples and their orientations (Bognor Regis, 2001).

Henrikson G. , “Orientation of 140 Swedish passage graves: A megalithic calendar”, Proceedings of the 13th annual meeting of SEAC (2006), in press.

Gonzáez-García A. C. Costa-Ferrer L. Belmonte J. A. , “Solarists vs. Lunatics: Modelling patterns in megalithic astronomy”, Proceedings of the 13th annual meeting of SEAC (2006), in press.

González-García Costa-Ferrer , op. cit. (ref. 9).

A similar conclusion can be reached from the data collected for this area by Hänel A. , “Ganggräber bei Osnabrück”, electronic version available at http://www.physic.uni-osnabrueck.de/∼ahaenel/megal/osmega.html, although Hänel considers the orientation of the passage as the preferred orientation of the monument.

Hamel J. , “Astronomie in Alter Zeit”, Vorträge und Schriften der Archenhold-Sternwarte , no. 60 (Berlin 1985); Hamel provides data in 10-degree bins. A similar study with identical conclusions was performed by Pasztor E. Roslund C. , “Orientation of megalithic tombs in Mecklenburg”, Actas del IV Congreso de la SEAC “Astronomía en la Cultura”, ed. by Jaschek C. Barandela Atrio F. (Salamanca, 1997), 227–33.

González-García Costa-Ferrer , op. cit. (ref. 10); Henrikson , op. cit. (ref. 18); Hardh B. Roslund C. , “Passage graves and the passage of the moon”, Acta archaeological Lundensia , viii (1991), 35–43. In the work of Henrikson also there is no sharp maximum at 90°.

Megaliths are often found in linear arrangements in the landscape as rows of one of more monuments. They have been related with old mediaeval routes, perhaps linked to older prehistoric roads: Bakker J. A. , “On the possibility of reconstructing roads from the TRB Period”, Berichten van de Rijksdenst voor het Oudheikundig, Bodemonderzoek , xxvi (1976), 63–91; Midgley , op. cit. (ref 1), 464–71. A possibility to be studied in the future is the actual orientation of the monuments in relation to the orientation of these routes.