Rock Art and Astronomical Events

Ballynahow Beg 1

Image by CianMcLiam

CianMcLiam Sep 10, 2007 21:40:10

The 'rolling sun' phenomenon at the Boheh Stone is one fairly well known example, but I believe you won't see it from the stone itself, perhaps because of buildings? Anyway, I was at Ballynahow Beg late evening on Friday and while getting my act together noticed this: http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/62475/images/ballynahow_beg.html

Has there been any serious attempt to identify rock art locations as observation points or is this likely to be a random fluke?

rockartwolf Sep 10, 2007 21:55:47

Replying to CianMcLiam

I think George or Jan would be the best ones to answer that one..

tiompan Sep 10, 2007 22:07:33

Replying to CianMcLiam

CianMcLiam wrote:

Has there been any serious attempt to identify rock art locations as observation points or is this likely to be a random fluke?

I always check any new finds for possible astro alignments and there are examples of RA that coincide with the topography to provide a possible marker for an important lunar/solar event .There are also the more common monuments that are accepted as being aligned on astro events which also have RA If you do find a possible line it is very difficult to prove intentionality and thus making it an alignment but you may well have one there , to check it's potential you would have to know accurate grid refs for the stone and the notch and also their heights above sea level .

bawn79 Sep 11, 2007 08:17:12

Replying to CianMcLiam

[quote="CianMcLiam"]The 'rolling sun' phenomenon at the Boheh Stone is one fairly well known example, but I believe you won't see it from the stone itself, perhaps because of buildings?

Cian just to let you know, you can see the Boheh Stone 'rolling sun' from the stone itself. There are a number of out houses around it.
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/57139/images/boheh.html
In this pic the people are actually standing on the Boheh Stone!

Nice spot on the possible alignment as well, it looks promising.

Paulus Sep 11, 2007 19:26:31

Replying to CianMcLiam

CianMcLiam wrote:

Has there been any serious attempt to identify rock art locations as observation points or is this likely to be a random fluke?

Rock art and astronomical lines are highly dubious on the whole. There've been a number of attempts to show linearity and sight-lines thru the years, but these in themselves are highly selective and, where students reckon there to be a potential correlate, in actuality have degrees of improbability greater than a statistician on acid would give you! There's exceptions of course, but in this line of enquiry, unless the findings truly hits you in the face I'd assume logical thinking is over-riding, nay 'interfering', with the non-linear nature of most CnRs.

FourWinds Sep 12, 2007 06:20:46

Replying to CianMcLiam

I like the look of the hill's placement on the horizon, even if the alignment is a fluke. I would say it isn't one, though. I'm not saying it meant anything massively significant, but it both the hill and the pretty sunset could have been the reason that the location was chosen.

Every site has to be assessed on its own merits. If, once you've considered every site, there is a pattern then you have a general theory. If there isn't a pattern to particular aspects this does not make the observations at each site invalid - it just means there's no pattern in the data you've collected. You may get local patterns amongst monument types that are global.

I was at a coastal Neolithic citadel in Spain the other day. As we approached I could see a whirlpool about 50m offshore. Was the citadel built here because it overlooked this wondeful phenomenon? Was it built there because it was next to the sea? I dunno, because I don't know what the coast here looked like when it was built. However, I do know that overlooking this whirlpool there is a great simulcra. I assume that this has been there for a long time. There were no such simulcras at the other similar settlements we visited. So, is the presence of the simulcra at one site a fluke because there aren't any at other sites?