Stonehenge and Other British Stone Monuments Astronomically ConsideredLockyer, Norman, Sir
History
Stonehenge and Other British Stone Monuments Astronomically Considered
Lockyer, Norman, Sir
Druids and Druidism; Great Britain -- Antiquities; Stonehenge (England); Sun worship; Temples
It is worth while to point out that at Challacombe, as elsewhere, the
priest-astronomers so located their monuments that the nearly
circumpolar stars which were so useful to them should rise over an
horizon of some angular height. In this way the direction-lines would be
available for a longer period of time, for near the north point the
change of azimuth with change in the declination of the star observed is
very rapid.
_Shovel Down_, near Batworthy (lat. 50° 39′ 20″).--A group of five rows
of stones, four double, one single, with two sets of azimuths.
One set gives az. 22° 25°, and 28°. They seem to be associated. I will
call them A, B, and C. A is directed to the circle on Godleigh Common.
Its ends are free. B is a single line of stones to the E. of the triple
circle, about which more presently. It is not marked on the Ordnance
map; its ends are also free. C has its south end blocked, I think in
later times, by a kistvaen. The astronomical direction may be,
therefore, either N.W. or S.E. We find a probable use in the N.W.
quadrant, as at Challacombe, Arcturus setting at daybreak as a warner of
the summer solstice.
The height of hills is 46′; we have then:--
Az. N. Dec. Star. Date.
N. 22° W. 36° 19′ 40″ Arcturus 1210 B.C.
N. 25° W. 35° 23′ 20″ „ 1040 „
N. 28° W. 34° 19′ 30″ „ 850 „
Adjacent to A, B, C, is another avenue, which I will call D. Unlike the
others, its northern end points 2° E. of N. Its southern end is blocked
by a remarkable triple circle, the end of the avenue close to it being
defined by two tall terminal stones. We are justified, then, in thinking
that its orientation was towards the north; the height of the horizon I
measured as 45′. It may have been an attempt to mark the N. point of
the horizon.
The triple circle to which I have referred is not an ordinary circle. I
believe it to be a later added, much embellished, cairn. According to
Ormerod, the diameters are 26, 20, and 3 feet, and there are three small
stones at the centre.
All the above avenues are on the slope of the hill to the north. On the
south slope we find the longest of all, as shown on the Ordnance map
survey of 1885. There is a “long stone” in its centre, and at the
southern end was formerly a cromlech, the “three boys.” Part of this
avenue, and two of the three “boys,” have been taken to build a wall.
The long stone remains, because it is a boundary stone!
The azimuth is 2° 30′ W. of north or E. of south. Looking N. from the
long stone, the height of the horizon is 2° 30′. I think this avenue was
an attempt to mark the S. point.
_Trowlesworthy_ (lat. 50° 27′ 30″).--The remains here are most
interesting. This is the only monument on Dartmoor in which I have so
far traced any attempt to locate the sun’s place at rising either for
the May or solstitial year. But I will deal with the N.-S. avenue first,
as it is this feature which associates it with Fernworthy and
Challacombe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account