6533b82ffe1ef96bd1296386

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Cycles of time in the Iberian culture: the astronomical orientation of the temple of El Tossal de Sant Miquel de Llíria

César EstebanSoraya Moret

subject

Iberian CultureArqueoastronomíaUNESCO::HISTORIA::Otras especialidades históricasSantuarios:HISTORIA::Historia por épocas::Prehistoria [UNESCO]Sacred placesReligionArchaeologyArqueoastronomía; Cultura ibérica; Religión; SantuariosUNESCO::HISTORIA::Historia por épocas::PrehistoriaArchaeoastronomyCultura ibérica:HISTORIA::Otras especialidades históricas [UNESCO]ReligiónCC1-960

description

We present an archaeoastronomical study of the temple of the Iberian settlement of El Tossal de Sant Miquel de Llíria (València). We find that the major axis of the building is oriented very close to the east-west cardinal axis. The entrance of the temple is pointing towards an outstanding mountain on the eastern horizon, where the sunrise around the equinoxes takes place. On the other hand, the absence of other constructions just in front of the cultic building seems to support the inference that the astronomical relation was intentional, because it would permit the observation of the sunrise from the temple. The existence of other nearby Iberian sanctuaries showing similar relations with the equinoxes (or a date very close to them) strongly supports the importance of these solar dates in the Iberian ritual.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2006-01-01
http://hdl.handle.net/10550/2117