Landscape, orientation and celestial phenomena on the ‘Coast of Death’ of NW Iberia

Abstract

This paper investigates the land- and sky-scapes surrounding the dolmens of Costa da Morte (Coast of Death), Galicia. Having uncovered previously that the location of megalithic monuments in this coherent area of the south-eastern side of the European Atlantic Façade connects to complex topographical features, we now show how this chosen topography connects to astronomical phenomena. We will see how the detailed shape of the horizon coincides with specific risings and settings of the Sun and Moon, providing further support for the notion that the creators of these monuments selectively drew upon a variety of features found in their natural world.

Not All Dolmens Are Oriented to the Sun: Or Are They? Use of Astronomical Models Help Overturn Dominant Cultural-astronomy Hypotheses in Iberia

“…3). That there is a range of potential horizon azimuths for all cross-over events likely indicates more specifically why there is an interest and need for the prominent horizon profiles situated to the west and/or east of the dolmens that we found previously (Higginbottom et al 2023).…”

“…These average profiles contained ridges or higher altitudes in the east and/or west. This was later confirmed at individual sites in that region (Higginbottom et al 2023). In archaeoastronomical terms, these eastern and western ridges coincide with the entire range for the solar and lunar risings and settings (Higginbottom et al 2023).…”

“…This was later confirmed at individual sites in that region (Higginbottom et al 2023). In archaeoastronomical terms, these eastern and western ridges coincide with the entire range for the solar and lunar risings and settings (Higginbottom et al 2023). Earlier work on Barbanza, found that the dolmen horizons are 'closer and higher towards west and north (and) lower and farther towards east and South' (Criado-Boado and Villoch-Vázquez 1998).…”

“…According to this scheme, we now may comprehend better why there was the recurring issue of clustered targets in the east not very accurately aligned to the three major astronomical events of the WS, equinox and the Moon at the Min LS in Higginbottom et al (2023). They can be better explained if they were in fact oriented to other astronomical phenomena.…”

“…Whilst this kind of work was done outside of Iberia, much more recently it may have become the stimulus for landscape work that did just that, as well as looking at the orientations in both directions of an alignment. Certainly this was done more recently by González and Higginbottom et al (2023), where both investigate the possibilities of double luni-solar alignments in Iberia.…”