ORIENTATIONS OF THE LATE BRONZE AGE VILLA COMPLEX AT VATHYPETRO IN CRETE
Keywords:
Archaeoastronomy, Aegan Bronze Age, Minoan, Mycenaean, Bronze Age Crete, Tripartite ShrineAbstract
We present the results of ourarchacoastronomicalstudy of the villa and the tripartite shrine at Vathypetro. We found orientations to three major celestial events(counting the equinoxes as one): to sunrise at the equinoxes and the winter solstice in the case of the villa and to sunset at the summer solstice in the case of the tripartite shrine. The axis of symmetry of the major room of the villa was oriented to sunrise on the 22d of October in the Late Minoan period.This was also the orientation of the axis of symmetry of the main cult room i the west wing of the palace at Malia We propose that this orientation marked the time for planting and thus the beginning of the agricultural year.
It is unusual that archaeoastronomical studies make contributions to historical debates.However certain orientations dating after Late Minoan I seem to reflect the Mycenaean presence in Crete. The orientation of the tripartite shrine to sunset at the summer solstice is the same as the orientations of the small shrines at Malia and Agia Triada, all of which we argue to have been built for Mycenaeans.We propose that there are two types of orientations in the island: those to the east within the limits or sunrise - made by Minoans, and some to the west - made by (or for) Mycenaeans.
