henges aligned

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fitzcoraldo F
fitzcoraldo Jan 25, 2007 11:35:10
Replying to tiompan

Hi G
At the risk of sounding a bit thick, could you briefly explain exactly what alignments you’re looking at and what your figures mean. Is this a linear geographical thing or an astro sort of alignment?

Have you read Roy Lovedays piece on double entrance henge alignments in that wonderful book that was produced for Burls 70th Birthday (what a beautiful present)?
If I remember rightly Loveday looked at the alignment of these henges and their relationship to nearby roman roads. Working on the perfectly credible theory that those naughty roman chaps built their roads over existing native roadways. He found a correlation between the roads and the orientation….or something like that.

There’s a paper by Ronald Hicks looking at Irish Henge orientation. I’d love a squint at that if anyone has a copy.

cheers
Fitz

T tiompan
tiompan Jan 25, 2007 15:57:56
Replying to fitzcoraldo

Sorry Fitz ,if it was a bit opaque . Basically using as accurate as possible grid refs for the centre of the various henges and some major stone circles (trying to keep to the same Neolithic time frame where possible but Croft Moraig which is Bronze Age fitted in so I left it ) then using as accurate as possible software which takes into consideration geodesic probs like earth curvature etc the figures generated are the bearing from one centre e.g. Knowlton and it's bearing to others , they are remarkly close .If the old Ley hunters had seen this they would need new breeks , and how they missed it god knows , too busy looking at churches and iron age forts etc.. So
Knowlton –Castlerigg = -10.9696
Knowlton –Cairnpapple = -10.4121
Knowlton –Strathallan = -10 .2104
Knowlton-Croft Moraig = -10.8630
means that a line between those centres varies by a max of 0.7 degrees . over 600 k or more .
Another one Callanish –Arbor Low =148.7246 , Callanish –Castlerigg =149.9665 is within a few degrees of the major lunar winter standstill .
What it means if anything I don't know . The -10 is the way the prog writes 350 degrees which may be off putting .