Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T16:53:16.788Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The diachronic study of orientations: Mérida, a case study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 July 2011

A. César González-García  and
Lourdes Costa-Ferrer
A. César González-García
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias & Universidad de La Laguna, Vía Láctea s.n. 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain email: [email protected]
Lourdes Costa-Ferrer
Affiliation:
Independent Scholar, Tenerife, Spain email: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The study of orientations is a key ingredient in most archaeoastronomical research. Typically, a number of synchronistic monuments belonging to a given culture or cultural horizon are measured and studied in order to see if they share a similar orientation. If an astronomical orientation appears, we may apply other archaeoastronomical procedures to justify further conclusions.

On a few occasions we perform studies that compare, for a given site, monuments of different periods. At most two or three periods are usually compared to verify persistence or to check for evolution in customs of orientation. We argue here that it would also be interesting to study orientations from a diachronic point of view, in order to investigate the persistence/evolution of this particular conception of space through time.

Mérida (Extremadura, Spain) and the neighbouring areas present a rich and highly interesting monumental heritage spanning from the Neolithic to the present, with monuments belonging to several different periods and cultures.

In the present study we will review the orientation of the monuments in that area. We will present some conclusions on the evolution/persistence of customs of orientation and value the applicability of this method to other areas.

Keywords

orientationcomparative studiesmethodologyRoman towns
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 7 , Symposium S278: “Oxford IX” International Symposium on Archaeoastronomy , January 2011 , pp. 374 - 381
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2011

References

Abad Casal, L., Keay, S., & Ramallo Asensio, S. 2006, Early Roman Towns in Hispania Tarraconensis, Journal of Roman Archaeology (Suppl. Series 62), Portsmouth RI.Google Scholar
Abascal Palazón, J. M. 2002, in Raposo, L. (ed.), Religiões da Lusitânia, Museu Nacional de Arqueologia, Lisbon, pp. 53–60.Google Scholar
Alba Calzado, M. 1997, Memoria 1. Excavaciones Arqueológicas en Mérida, 1994-95, pp. 285–319.Google Scholar
Almagro Gorbea, M 2007, La Necropolis de Medellín, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid.Google Scholar
Baraena, M. L. 2005, Acta Paleohispanica IX, 5, 709–720.Google Scholar
Belmonte, J. A. & Hoskin, M., 2002 Reflejos del Cosmos, Equipo Sirius, Madrid.Google Scholar
Belmonte, J. A., Shaltout, M., & Fekri, M. 2009, in Belmonte, J.A. & Shaltout, M. (eds.), In Search of Cosmic Order: Selected Essays on Egyptian Archaeoastronomy, Supreme Council of Antiquities, Cairo, pp. 213–284.Google Scholar
Berrocal Rangel, L. 1993, Complutum 2/3 (Extra 2), 167–204 & 205–242.Google Scholar
Celestino, S. 2001, in Ruiz Mata, D. & Celestino, S. (ed.), Arquitectura Oriental y Orientalizante en la Peninsula Ibérica, Madrid, 17–56.Google Scholar
Celestino Pérez, S., Enríquez Navascues, J. J. & Rodríguez Díaz, A. 1992, Complutum, 2–3, 311–327.Google Scholar
Criado, F. & García-Quintela, M. V. 2007, in Zedda, M. P. & Belmonte, J. A. (eds.), Light and Shadows in Cultural Astronomy. Proceedings of SEAC 2005, Isili, Sardinia, Isili, pp. 87–99.Google Scholar
da Silva, M. 2004, Journal for the History of Astronomy, 35, 475–478.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Enríquez Navascues, J. J., Jiménez Alvárez, J., & Haya Ignacio, A. 1991–1992, Norba. Revista de Historia, 11–12, 11–26.Google Scholar
Fernández de Castro, M. C. 1997, La Prehistoria de la Península Ibérica, Crítica, Barcelona.Google Scholar
Galán Domingo, E. 1993, Complutum, Extra 3.Google Scholar
García Sanjuán, L. 2006, in Díaz-del-Río, P. & García Sanjuán, L. (eds), Social Inequality in Iberian Late Prehistory, BAR International Series 1525, Archaeopress, Oxford, pp. 149–169.Google Scholar
González-García, A. C. & Belmonte, J. A. 2010, Journal for the History of Astronomy, 41, 225–238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haba Quiros, S. 1998, Medellín Romano, La Colonia Medellinensis y su Territorio, Diputación de Badajoz, Badajoz.Google Scholar
Hoskin, M. 2001, Tombs, Temples and their Orientations, Ocarina, Bognor Regis.Google Scholar
Hurtado Pérez, V. 1999, SPAL: Revista de Prehistoria y Arqueología de la Universidad de Sevilla, 8, 47–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hurtado, V. 2004, Trabajos de Prehistoria, 61, 141–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hurtado, V. 2008, in Quesada, C. Cacho, Ramos, R. Macías, Martos, J.A. & Martínez Navarrete, M.I. (eds), Acercándonos al Pasado. Prehistoria en 4 Actos, Museo Arqueológico Nacional, Madrid.Google Scholar
Jiménez, J. & Barrientos, T. 1997, Memoria 1. Excavaciones Arqueologicas en Mérida, 1994–95, p. 228.Google Scholar
Jiménez Ávila, J. 1997, Complutum, 8, 141–159.Google Scholar
Jimenez Ávila, J. 2009, Archivo Español de Arqueología, 82, 69–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jiménez Ávila, J & Sánchez Barrero, P. D. 2001, Memoria 5. Excavaciones Arqueológicas en Mérida, 1994–95, pp. 329–354.Google Scholar
Magli, G. 2008, Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 27, 63–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marques de Faria, A. 2001, Pax Iulia, Felicitas Iulia, Liberalitas Iulia. Revista Portuguesa de Arqueologia 4 (2), 351–362.Google Scholar
Mateos Cruz, P. 2001, Archivo Español de Arqueología, 74, 183–208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCluskey, S. C. 1998, Astronomies and Cultures in Early Medieval Europe, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Pavón Soldevila, I. 1992, Norba. Revista de Historia, 11–12, 75–98.Google Scholar
Pérez Macías, J. A. 1996, SPAL: Revista de Prehistoria y Arqueología de la Universidad de Sevilla, 5, 101–114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prada Gallardo, A. & Cerrillo Cuenca, E. 1996–2003, Norba. Revista de Historia, 16, 47–74.Google Scholar
Richardson, A. 2005, Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 24, 415–426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roldan Hervas, J. M. 2001, Militaria. Revista de Cultura Militar, 15, 19–38.Google Scholar
Rodríguez Díaz, A. 1991, Extremadura Arqueológica, 2, 283–300.Google Scholar
Rovira Llorens, S., Montero Ruiz, I., Ortega, J. & Jiménez Ávila, J. 2005, in Jiménez Ávila, F. J. & Celestino Pérez, S. (eds), El Período Orientalizante: Acts del III Simposio Internacional de Arqueología de Mérida 2, 1231–1240.Google Scholar
Schattner, T. G., Guerra, A. & Fabião, C. 2005, Acta Paleohispánica IX, 5, 893–908.Google Scholar
Sprajc, I. 2004, in Boccas, J. B. M., Broda, J. & Pereira, G. (eds), Etno y Arqueo-Astronomía en las Américas. Memorias del Simposio ARQ-13: Etno y Arqueoastronomía en las Américas, 51° Congreso Internacional de Americanistas, Santiago de Chile, pp. 161–176.Google Scholar