ASTRONOMICAL ORIENTATIONS OF ANCIENT TEMPLES AT RHODES AND ATTICA WITH A TENTATIVE INTERPRETATION

Authors

  • IOANNIS LIRITZIS University of the Aegean Department of Mediterranean Studies, Laboratory of Archaeometry, 1 Demokratias Ave, Rhodes 85100, Greece
  • HELEN VASSILIOU University of the Aegean Department of Mediterranean Studies, Laboratory of Archaeometry, 1 Demokratias Ave, Rhodes 85100, Greece

Keywords:

Archacoastronomy, Temples, Azimuths, Declinations, Stars, Greece, Rhodes, Attica

Abstract

Archaeoastronomical orientations of twelve temples and sacred places from Attica and the island of Rhodes, Greece, are presented. Azimuths, angular altitude of skyline, star declinations, star attribution and solar season are produced from field measurements and home made software. The sites include Rhodes (Aphrodite, Athena of Kamiros, Athena Polias at Ialyssos, Nymphaeon, and two unknown temples at Lindos and Kamiros), Attica (two temples of Nemesis at Ramnous,and in Eleusis the Telesterion, Ploutonion, Artemis Propylaea, and a Mycenean megaron B). For six of them a tentative interpretation is made. The solar equinoxes and winter solstice, the Antares (alpha of Scorpion), the delta of Centauri and the Orion seem to be related to the measured orientation.

Downloads

Published

2023-07-20

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2002)

Section

Articles