Were Megalithic Tombs Also Telescopes?

Angela

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There's been talk of this for a long time, but this study will be a welcome addition to the work done so far

See:
http://www.archaeology.org/news/4611-160630-megalithic-tomb-astronomy


"According to a report in Live Science, prehistoric peoples living in what is now Western Europe may have built megalithic tombs as tools for observing the night sky and tracking the movements of the stars. “Different regions had their own traditions and architectural styles, but they are all variations on a theme,” said Daniel Brown of Nottingham Trent University. Spending the night inside these structures may have been part of a rite of passage that included watching the sky at dusk and dawn. In particular, passage graves, which have a large chamber accessed through a long, narrow entry tunnel, may have helped early astronomers see faint stars on the horizon. “The entrance creates an aperture as large as ten degrees through which your naked-eye view is restricted,” Brown said. Fabio Silva of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David added that knowing the positions of the stars at specific times of the year may have helped people time seasonal migrations. "

See also:

http://www.sci-news.com/astronomy/iberian-megalithic-tombs-lensless-telescopes-03987.html

"The team’s idea is to investigate how a simple aperture, for example an opening or doorway, affects the observation of slightly fainter stars."

"The orientations of the tombs may be in alignment with Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation of Taurus,” Dr. Silva said.“To accurately time the first appearance of this star in the season, it is vital to be able to detect stars during twilight.”
“The first sighting in the year of a star after its long absence from the night sky might have been used as a seasonal marker, and could indicate for example the start of a migration to summer grazing grounds,” the astronomers said.
“The timing of this could have been seen as secret knowledge or foresight, only obtained after a night spent in contact with the ancestors in the depths of a passage grave, since the star may not have been observable from outside.”"

A lot of speculation here, but interesting.
 

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