УДК 520.1 ANCIENT ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES IN BULGARIA 1P. Maglova*, 2A. Stoev**
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[email protected] 1Space Research and Technology Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Zagora Department 2Yuri Gagarin Public Astronomical Observatory Stara Zagora, Bulgaria Abstract. In this paper we consider several types of monuments, which yield evi- dence for the astronomical practices and beliefs of peoples from the Eneolithic (Chalcolith- ic) and later epochs – Belintash, Tatul, Tangarduk Kaya, Harman Kaya, Kovil, and Par- makla Kaya in East Rhodopes, Tsarevi Porti in West Rhodopes, Zaychi Vruh (Cabyle) and Buzovgrad in the Sredna Gora mountain, Markov kamak in the Rila mountain, and Lilyach in the Konyavska mountain. Discussing these specific monuments, we show how astronomy was woven into everyday and spiritual life, revealing insights into people’s concepts of space and time. These monuments, where positional systems for Sun observa- tions are discovered, we call ancient astronomical observatories. Keywords: Ancient astronomical observatories, Rock-cut monuments, sanctuaries, Positional systems for Sun observations, Great Mother-Goddess, equinox and solstice, calendar. For citation: Maglova P.V., Stoev A.D. Ancient astronomical observatories in Bul- garia. Heritage and Modern Times. 2020;3(3):85–98. Introduction People have always contemplated their environment, including the sky and celestial phenomena. They acted in accordance with these phenom- ena, reflected them in their places of habitation and constructed their worldviews. From the Early Prehistory to the Neolithic and Eneolithic basic astronomical knowledge is transformed into suitable systems of time- reckoning and cosmographic models. The Eneolithic age (5000–3000 BC) is one of the brightest periods in Prehistory in the Bulgarian lands.