Abstract
Gobekli Tepe is the oldest and one of the most important among the megalithic sites in the world. Its archaeoastronomical relevance has been recently evidenced by Collins (2013), according to whom the central pillars in four of the enclosures discovered in the site are oriented toward the setting point of the star Deneb (α Cyg), as this point moves in the course of the time, due to the equinox precession and the proper motion of the star. Taking into account these effects, Collins (2013) obtained an astronomical dating for the various enclosures which agrees rather well with the one obtained by Dietrich (2011) with the technique of carbon-14. In the present paper the careful evaluation of the effects caused by atmospheric extinction has enabled us to verify that the central pillars of the studied enclosures are in fact turned to face the setting point of Deneb, but these alignments occurred in epochs, still in agreement with the ones obtained by Dietrich (2011), but different from those proposed by Collins (2013). We have also individuated, for the first time, the probable astronomic alignments of two other enclosures at Gobekli Tepe, i.e. enclosures F and A. In particular, the first one seems to be oriented towards the rising point of the Sun on the day of the Harvest Festival, a day approximately halfway between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox. The second one, instead, shows an orientation towards the rising point of the Moon at its minor standstill. The positions of both celestial bodies have been obtained by extrapolating their declination to the date of the presumed construction reported by Dietrich (2011). A short discussion about the putative cultural motivations of these alignments is also presented.
Highlights
A conspicuous part of archaeoastronomical research is aimed at individuating the possible alignments that someHow to cite this paper: De Lorenzis, A., & Orofino, V. (2015)
In the first column we find the name of the enclosure; in the second column the orientation azimuth of the central pillars according to Collins (2013); in the third the date of the presumed construction of the enclosures proposed by Collins (2013); in the fourth the dating proposed by us; in the fifth the difference (Δ) between the two previous datings; in the sixth the HPV used in our research, as found by Cartes du Ciel (CDC); in the seventh the rising azimuth of the star, found by CDC
The only information available on the orientation of enclosure F comes by way of Collins (2013), who indicates a disposition of the central pillars of the enclosure towards east-northeast or towards west-southwest, directions, according to the author, which are very close to that of the Sun rising at the summer solstice or setting at the winter solstice, respectively
Summary
A conspicuous part of archaeoastronomical research is aimed at individuating the possible alignments that some. There are numerous instances of sets of stones, or single structures, oriented towards the point where the Sun (Calledda & Proverbio, 2004; Magli, 2009), the Moon (Ruggles, 1985; Ruggles & Burl, 1985; Magli, 2009), or bright stars or clusters of stars (North, 1996; Calledda & Proverbio, 2004; Zedda & Belmonte, 2004; Belmonte, Shaltout, & Fekri, 2008; Magli, 2009), rose or set in particular days, often related to religious festivals or agricultural events This applies to the oldest megalithic site in the world, Göbekli Tepe, that stands on the summit of a hill of 780 m in height, at about 13 km north-east of the city of Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
