Sacred Architecture Orientation Across the Mediterranean: a Comparative Statistical Analysis
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Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, Vol. 14, No 2, pp. 95-113 Copyright © 2014 MAA Printed in Greece. All rights reserved. SACRED ARCHITECTURE ORIENTATION ACROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN: A COMPARATIVE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS A. César González García1 and Juan Antonio Belmonte2 1Heritage Sciences Institute, Incipit, Spanish National Research Council –CSIC, Rúa San Roque 2, Santiago, SPAIN 2Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias and Astrophysics Department, University of La laguna, Calle Vía Láctea s/n, La Laguna, Tenerife, SPAIN Received: 07/03/2014 Corresponding author: A. César González-García Accepted: 16/05/2014 ([email protected]) ABSTRACT The idea of temporality and how this concept is introduced in the ritual domain could be investigated in past cultures through measurements of the orientation of cultic build- ings, provided that such orientations are linked with particular astronomical events. Hel- lenic societies, among those of the Mediterranean Iron Age, had a need to regulate time through a calendar. The orientation of Hellenic temples in present day Greece and the South of Italy have recently been shown to be somewhat dissimilar, despite the obvious cultural links. In the present paper we verify if the samples of orientations of Hellenic temples in five distinct geographic areas are consistent with each other from a statistical point of view. Then we compute the internal variability among these groups by compar- ing them with other samples of temples across the Mediterranean, both for the Iron and Bronze ages, in order also to find possible long duration effects on the orientation of tem- ples. Despite apparent discrepancies when directly comparing the Hellenic samples, a clear similarity among these groups of temples appear when we compare them with temples from other societies. Such comparison links closer the temples in Greece with those in Lycia and perhaps Cyrene, and the ones in Sicily with those of Magna Graecia. As a by-product, we find other possible concordances among sacred building orienta- tions across the Mediterranean that may deserve further exploration in the future. KEYWORDS: Orientation, Greek temples, Mediterranean, Calendrical systems, Time and tem- porality, Statistical methods. 96 GONZALEZ GARCIA & BELMONTE 1. INTRODUCTION ences in the calendric and/or belief sys- tems. Orientation studies, long neglected, have The written records of some ancient recently received considerable attention in Mediterranean cultures, such as the Egyp- the archaeological domain as a source of tians, Greeks or Romans, do speak of the information that may shed light on a num- need to set temples with a correct orienta- ber of issues related to landscape and terri- tion, whatever this might be, although it is tory apprehension by past cultures (see often difficult to discern if this precept was Parker-Pearson 2008). actually followed. For instance, Vitruvius Divided for several decades among the (De Architectura I, 6) and Higinus Gro- practitioners of the so-called ‘green’ and matici (Constitutio, 1) tell us that Roman ‘brown’ archaeoastronomies (meaning, the temples should be orientated in a particu- collection of statistical samples of data or lar way. However, Nissen (1869) showed the ethnographic and anthropologic re- early on that the orientation of such tem- search of particular cases, see Ruggles 2011 ples seemed not to follow what was pre- for a recent review), scholars working in sumably prescribed. Cultural Astronomy (CA hereafter) across The roots of Archaeoastronomy and CA the world today tend to apply a combina- are deep in the study of the orientations of tion of the two above-mentioned ap- monuments, and these orientations are no proaches. Samples of orientation measure- more than measurements in space. Thus, ments are usually related, if possible, with when we measure an orientation we are ethnographic and anthropologic data, writ- measuring a dimension, a direction. This ten records, etcetera. dimension is embedded in material objects In this sense, we must mention the valu- as a formal constituent of them and so the able works by M. Hoskin (2001) and C. cultural process that generated it could be Ruggles (1999) on the megalithic phenom- studied and interpreted. enon. Of particular interest are the results However, particular directions might from a number of such studies on the ori- have special meaning on temporality for a entation of temples and funerary structures given society. Singular areas of a given in literate societies in the Old World, par- landscape might be important on certain ticularly in the shores of the Mediterranean periods of the year. For example, a mead- (See Belmonte & Shaltaout 2009; Boutsikas ow might have special relevance in sum- 2008; Boutsikas & Ruggles 2011; Gonzalez- mer when the harvest time comes, and a Garcia & Belmonte 2011; Belmonte, Gonza- given culture might impose a temporal lez-Garcia & Polcaro 2013) as these results significance to that meadow, which could can be compared with the written record be highlighted if particular rituals have to and help to clarify controversial issues re- be performed at that place on that occasion garding those societies. precisely. So, material forms, social and In particular, the above-mentioned ritual processes and cultural concepts are works on Megalithism (and others) indi- reciprocally engaged: the spatially im- cate a purpose to dominate the ritual land- portant area of the landscape gains a tem- scape through the need to control the cor- poral and ritual meaning (Gell, 1992:197- rect time to perform rituals (Aveni 205). 2000:325-339). At the same time, we might At the same time, we must bear in mind acknowledge that the Mediterranean that temporality introduces order in space. Bronze and Iron Age societies, as early In this sense, it creates the Landscape, as state societies had different calendric sys- the space thought and culturally built tems as a reflection of the various needs to where not only the natural features such as regulate the experience of time. The dis- springs, mountains or woods are present tinct orientation patterns of their monu- but also other artificial structures from the ments might reflect precisely those differ- same or other societies which are though or © University of the Aegean, 2014, Mediterranean Archaeology & Archaeometry, 14, 2 (2014) 95-113 SACRED ARCHITECTURE ORIENTATION ACROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN 97 reinterpreted by a different culture (García buildings, and thus how this concept is Quintela & González García 2009), ‘Land- introduced in the ritual domain through scape is time materialized’ (Bender 2002). the orientation of cultic buildings. The practice of a society of going to a In this sense, the different attitudes and particular part of the territory at a given needs of a society would also be reflected moment or performing a specific ritual at on how they build their sacred buildings, the correct epoch and place, orders the ex- how they integrate them in the landscape perience of time and space (Whitrow 1988; and, in this sense, in their orientation. It Ingold 1993). In this sense, orientations should be noted here that there is a funda- might not be just reflecting a social activity, mental difference between a purpose to but they are an active part of it. control time and the need to regulate such The celestial phenomena provide a time. The first indicates an interest towards number of regularities that can be used to knowing when a particular event should orientate in space and to define under- happen, while the second indicates a pur- standable time lapses. It is also important pose to manage the flow of the events, an to note that the sky has been used as a re- intention to adjust the time account in or- pository of myth and metaphysical expla- der to follow particular markers previously nations in several societies. Following this prescribed, like for instance Passover, reasoning, an assumption on the astronom- which should be celebrated on a given ical significance of the orientation of mon- Sunday after the first full moon of spring. uments may give us information on time Of course, the need to regulate or control or, to be more precise on the concept of time would be reflected on the different temporality in a given society (see e.g. kind of rituals to be expected in one or the Magli 2005 and Ruggles 2014). other instances, and would also talk to us This is a complex subject. Not all socie- of perhaps more complex beliefs. This ties need to have acknowledge the appar- would be ultimately reflected on different ent flow of time, and those who did it ways to orientate the monuments. might have done it in a wide variety of forms, from cyclic to linear or other con- 2. CULTURAL ASTRONOMY, ORIEN- cepts based on the ancestors cult, the natu- TATIONS AND TIME ralistic cults, etcetera (Gell 1992: 37-77). The Near East and Hellenic societies had However, we might postulate that different a need to regulate time (Cohen 1993; Han- orientations are perhaps reflecting a differ- nah 2003). They required a calendar, as it is ent conceptualization of time or, at least, of understood today, as a system to compute the way of understanding and ordering and regulate time. Not only they had to temporal experience and its incorporation regulate civil time, but also religious and towards the cultural discourse. ritual time, although these concepts must The concept of temporality we are using not be separated for most of those societies. here might be related to the calendrical This need is reflected in the different cal- time, however it should not be understood endars that have reached to us which pay as opposed or completely separated from great interest to particular moments of the other expressions of temporality, like the year and the necessity to accommodate biographical, ritual or historical time (see ritual and natural (i.e.