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The Orientations of Central Alentejo Megalithic Enclosures FERNANDO PIMENTA, LUÍS TIRAPICOS THE ORIENTATIONS OF CENTRAL ALENTEJO MEGALITHIC ENCLOSURES FERNANDO PIMENTA, LUÍS TIRAPICOS Abstract In this work we conduct a study of the orientations of 12 megalithic enclosures in the Alentejo (southern Portugal). Some of these sites date back to the sixth or fifth millennia B.C., and so are among the oldest stone enclosures in Europe. The results of the survey show a pattern of easterly (rising) orientations. In particular, we relate our results to previous studies by Michael Hoskin and colleagues, on the orientations of the seven-stone dolmens in this area, which have shown the existence of a possible sun rising orientation custom. Key words: megalithic, enclosures, orientations, archaeoastronomy, Portuguese archaeology. 234 Introduction This paper discusses the orientations of 12 megalithic enclosures in the Alentejo province of southern Portugal. Despite various attempts to address this question (Alvim 1996-97, 2004; da Silva 2000), there lacked a comprehensive orientation enquiry (Cardoso 2002, p.235) grouping together all enclosures, including those that are completely dismantled. The Alentejo extends, roughly, southwards from the Tejo river to the northern part of the Algarve, a southern coastal province. The scattering of enclosures is located in the Évora district, mostly in the western part. The landscape here, between the Tejo and Sado river basins, is largely flat with just modest rises. Today archaeologists believe that the megalithic enclosures of central Alentejo were built during the Early/ Middle Neolithic, i.e. in the sixth to fifth millennium B.C., pre-dating the communal seven- and nine-stone megalithic tombs in the same area (Calado 2004). There is no direct radiocarbon dating evidence available from these sites. The established chronology arises mainly from materials found in excavations or from associations with nearby settlements or surface remains. According to Portuguese archaeologist Manuel Calado (Calado 2004, p.72, 82) the basic structure of the enclosures was a modified horseshoe shape, open to the east. In most of the monuments the largest menhir is located outside the line of the horseshoe, in one “focus” of the (broadly elliptical) enclosure. Today only 12 sites are known, ranging from the smallest (but perfectly horseshoe-shaped) Vale d’el Rei, with 12 menhirs, to the monumental Almendres with 94 standing stones and a much more complex structure. Also included in this group are sites where the menhirs are completely dismantled and no information was found concerning their original positions. Excluding cup-marks, all the engraved menhirs are found in the large enclosures of Almendres, Portela de Mogos and Vale Maria do Meio. The most common motifs are crescents, circles, horseshoes and crosiers. Many of the decorations show an apparent anthropomorphised composition (Vale Maria do Meio menhirs n. 10 and 18, for example). Despite the obvious ambiguity in interpreting them, some authors (Gomes 1989, p.264; Calado 2004, p.130-138) have sustained the notion that the circles and crescents may be representations of the sun and moon. In order that our study can include different types of monument in different states of preservation, we will not focus upon any particular features of each enclosure but consider only the common characteristics. In this way we will also try to avoid problems of biased selection. One of the initial group of monuments, Xarez, was excluded from this study. It was excavated in 1972 and its menhirs re-erected, but this work generated a heated controversy within the archaeological community (Calado 2004, p.149). The rebuilt monument had a very anomalous square shape. Although a few other examples of quadrilateral enclosures do exist in Brittany and England (Burl 1999, p.337, 339) the archaeological uncertainty about Xarez suggested its exclusion from the data set. Recently Xarez was dismantled and rebuilt again in a different place, owing to the construction of a dam. Prior to its removal, a second excavation revealed the socket of the large central menhir, complete with
Fig. 1. Left: engraved menhirs n. 10 and n. 18 at Vale Maria do Meio (Calado 2004, II, p.27). Middle: engraved menhirs n. 2, n. 25 and n. 33 at Portela de Mogos (Gomes 1997). Right: engraved menhirs n. 58, n. 64 and n. 65 at Almendres (Gomes 2002). ARCHAEOLOGIA BALTICA 10 a) With 94 standing stones, the complex enclosure of Almendres is the largest in Iberia. Photo mosaic courtesy of Pedro Ré. VI VI. LANDSCAPE ARCHAEOLOGY AND ARCHAEO- ASTRONOMY b) Cuncos is one of the dismantled enclosures where some menhirs are still near their original positions. Photograph by Luís Tirapicos. c) Vale d’el Rei is a perfect horseshoe and the only one on level ground. Photograph by Fernando Pimenta. Fig. 2. The different forms and states of preservation of the Alentejo enclosures. 235
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ARCHAEOLOGIA BALTICA10 Astronomy an
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UDK 902/904 Ar 46 Volume 10 Editori
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Vytautas Tumėnas. The visual and t
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PREFACE Jonas VaiškūnaS Preface T
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LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS List of Contri
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List of Contributors Dimitar Kolev
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List of Contributors 16 Dainius Raz
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Conference Summary: A Historian’s
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THE MILKY WAY AND ITS STRUCTURING F
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Traditional Astronomical Knowledge
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A Solar Calendar from Latvian Daina
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A Solar Calendar from Latvian Daina
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