Videos by Andrea Rodríguez-Antón
In the first part of this chapter of the radio programme Efervesciencia I talked about cultural a... more In the first part of this chapter of the radio programme Efervesciencia I talked about cultural astronomy, its aims, methodology and its contribution to the preservation of cultural practices and as a way of cooperation with people from conflict areas. 4 views
Emisión do domingo 3 de xullo de 2022 en "Con voz" de Radiovoz, programa conducido por María Meiz... more Emisión do domingo 3 de xullo de 2022 en "Con voz" de Radiovoz, programa conducido por María Meizoso (sábados e domingos de 10 a 14h; a sección astronómica soa na tempada 2021-2022 os domingos arredor das 13:05). Falamos sobre arqueoastronomía e astronomía cultural coa investigadora do INCIPIT Andrea Rodríguez Antón. 7 views
Rome and Celts by Andrea Rodríguez-Antón
Sustainability, 2023
The aim of this work is to determine whether the orientation of the centuriations follows any pat... more The aim of this work is to determine whether the orientation of the centuriations follows any pattern, and to determine the precepts, if any, underlying the election of privileged directions. We present a statistical study of the orientation of 67 centuriations in Italy—the largest sample of this type ever studied in this region—that considers the conditions of the surrounding environment together with a comparative analysis with a dataset of the same type that includes 52 Italian Roman towns. The results show interesting patterns shared by both centuriations and towns, some of them coinciding with relevant astronomical events in the Roman context, together with others in which differentrequirements would have been prioritized. In summary, we should consider the sky as an element involved in the creation of Roman urban and rural spaces.
Orientation of Roman camps and forts in Britannia: Reconsidering Alan Richardson’s work
The materiality of the Sky, 2016
Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, 2014
Despite the fact that ancient writings indicate a clear necessity to orient Roman towns according... more Despite the fact that ancient writings indicate a clear necessity to orient Roman towns according to the path of the sun (Hyginus Gromatius, Constitutio, 1), Le Gall (1975) in an early work made clear that there was no clear preferred orientation pattern. However, Le Gall’s analysis was done by taking into consideration a sparse number of Roman towns from widely different latitudes, ranging from England to Algeria. However, recent results show that when a restricted geographic area is considered, some patterns of orientation do arise (Magli 2008, González-García and Costa-Ferrer 2011). We present the preliminary results from a survey to obtain a statistically significant sample of the orientation of Roman cities in Hispania. This region was where the greatest number of cities were founded in the western part of the Roman Empire, both during the Republic and the Empire (Laurence, Esmonde Cleary & Sears, 2011), and it provides a perfect test bed for ideas on the orientation of Roman towns. So far, we have measured 43 Roman settlements in Hispania, and we can already verify some of the ideas on how Roman towns were oriented. The orientation of Roman towns in Hispania do seem to follow an astronomical pattern, with certain directions perhaps connected to particularly important dates of the Roman calendar.
Estimating the reliability of the digital data acquisition in Cultural Astronomy. Its use in the case of Roman North Africa
Journal of Skyscape Archaeology, 2018
Digital tools are increasingly used in cultural astronomy, so that it is now more important than ... more Digital tools are increasingly used in cultural astronomy, so that it is now more important than ever to assess their precision and reliability, and to identify what uncertainties they may introduce. The present work aims to address these issues by comparing a dataset of orientations of Roman cities in the Iberian Peninsula measured in situ with measurements of the same structures obtained through different digital tools. By this, it is possible to estimate the errors that using these techniques introduce and to establish precision limits to data in future work. The results of this preliminary study are then implemented in an archaeoastronomical research project in North Africa, where some on-site measurements had been made in previous fieldwork campaigns by members of the group prior to the current political unrest that now prevents work at some sites in the region. In these instances, Google Earth Pro (2017) and HeyWhatsThat (Kosowsky 2012) have been key tools that have allowed us to complete a survey stretching from present-day Morocco to Libya, as well as to extract a preliminary outline of orientation trends in Roman Africa.
Astronomy in Roman Urbanism: A Statistical Analysis of the Orientation of Roman Towns in the Iberian Peninsula
Journal for the History of Astronomy, 2018
The work presented in this article is part of a wide-ranging and ambitious project, started few y... more The work presented in this article is part of a wide-ranging and ambitious project, started few years ago, to study the role of astronomy in Roman urban layout. In particular, the main aim is to check whether Roman cities present astronomical patterns in their orientations.
The project emerged from ideas on how to properly orientate the main streets of a Roman town, as attested in a number of ancient texts and later discussions led by contemporary scholars. We present here the final conclusions of a particular study developed in the Iberian Peninsula (Roman Hispania), where the urbanism that we tend to characterize as
properly Roman flourished during both the Republic and the Empire. The sample analysed includes 81 measurements of Roman urban entities spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula and is the largest dataset obtained in a specific region so far. Our results present suggestive
orientation patterns that seem to point towards an astronomical intentionality.
Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, 2018
In this work we try to identify if there exist specific patterns in the orientation of Roman town... more In this work we try to identify if there exist specific patterns in the orientation of Roman towns and military settlements across the Roman Empire, and whether this can be explained by astronomy, as suggested in a number of ancient texts and latter discussed by contemporary scholars. In order to check if cosmology was present in the urban planning at Roman times we have analyzed the orientations of more than 250 Roman sites located in different regions, from the Roman West to the East, and is the largest dataset of this kind obtained so far. Our results present suggestive orientation patterns and point towards an astronomical intentionality, maybe by the integration of important dates of Roman and pre-Roman calendars into the urban layout.
Highlights on Spanish Astrophysics IX, Proceedings of the XII Scientific Meeting of the SEA, 2017
Although the final definition of Archaeoastronomy is still under debate, what is clear is that th... more Although the final definition of Archaeoastronomy is still under debate, what is clear is that this discipline offers a different approach to the knowledge of ancient cultures than traditional archaeology has done so far. Archaeoastronomy considers the sky as an inseparabe part of the environment and thus an element of the transformed landscape with highly symbolic content. In the case of the Roman culture, the great colonizing activity involved continuous spatial transformations and the skyscape should be considered as a piece of the created urbanized spaces. For this reason, a number of fieldwork campaigns were conducted in several Roman cities across different regions of the ancient Roman Empire in order to study the configuration of those landscapes and the possible integration of the sky during the buiding processes. At the present, our group has the largest sample of orientations of Roman settlements so far, and here it is shown the preliminary results of an statistical analysis which may offer new answers to the various still open questions in Roman urbanism, often faced from conservative views.
Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, 2016
There is a long-lastingdebate, startedin the nineteenthcentury by d‟Arbois de Jubainville... more There is a long-lastingdebate, startedin the nineteenthcentury by d‟Arbois de Jubainville and Jullian, among others, regardingthe pan-Celtic nature of the mid-season (or rather,startof season) feasts known from the Mediaeval Ireland(set on1stNovember, February, May and August). D‟Arbois indicated that one of thesefeastscoincided with the festival celebrated during Roman times at Lugdunum(Lyon) on August 1stfrom12 BConwards. We recentlyverifiedthat the orientation of the earlier parts of thisRoman colonywere laid out facingthe sunrise on thisdate since its foundation in43 BC, prior to any possible link with Augus-tus. This fact promptedus to investigate the orientation of other Roman cities in Gaul, particularly those named Lugdunumwhich still containRoman buildings capable of beingmeasured. The most complex of the-seis Lugdunum Conuerarum(present-daySaint-Bertrand-de-Comminges). With a Celtic name and mixed Aquitaine-Latinculture, it is oriented towards the sunrise on February1st.Other cities in Gaul and Hispania have also been considered, which have similarorientations. We thereforeverify the pan-Celtic character of the mid-season feasts. Finally, we present the hypothesis that the conversion of thesefeastsfrom a luni-solar calendar tothe solar Julian calendar took place in the centreof Gaul at some timebetween the reignsof Cae-sar and Augustus. At a later stage, this model would be exported byearlyChristianity into Ireland, then servingas an interpretative inspiration for scholars such as d‟Arbois de Jubainville and others.
Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, 2016
An essential difference between the western and eastern provinces of the Roman Empire is the fact... more An essential difference between the western and eastern provinces of the Roman Empire is the fact that sophisticated urban cultures had developed in Asia Minor and the Levant centuries before the Romans arrived. Underlying the Hellenized, and later Roman, veneer was a myriad of older local traditions and languages, which had an immense impact upon Roman religious tradition through elements such as the introduction of new religious practices. Following the path of previous studies, in this article we try to discern how Roman culture was inherited and adapted to the heterogeneous Eastern traditions and how it could be reflected in the architecture and urban layout, mainly in what concerns to the orientation of the urban structures. Considering ancient writings, such as those of Higynius Gromaticus (Constitutio, I), the orientation of these features could follow the position of certain celestial bodies, mainly the sun, which would imply a careful observation of the sky. Developing the lines of previous studies on the orientation of Roman settlements in the western part of the Empire & Rodríguez-Antón et al., 2016, a number of Roman cities and military settlements in modern-day Jordan, Syria and Palestine are analysed here. Through this approach, we try to obtain a first insight into whether their orientations looked towards astronomical positions and wether there existed common patterns comparing with those sites previously measured in Hispania or Britannia. This would help us to obtain a wider vision of Roman ritual practices, cosmovisions and how Roman culture could have evolved, spread and became assimilated through lands and time.
Las investigaciones arqueológicas en Cartagena –la antigua Qart Hadašt púnica, posterior
Carthago... more Las investigaciones arqueológicas en Cartagena –la antigua Qart Hadašt púnica, posterior
Carthago Nova romana– evidencian la existencia de elementos topográficos, urbanísticos y rituales, susceptibles
de ser analizados desde la perspectiva de la Astronomía Cultural. Por ello, en octubre de 2013 un equipo
interdisciplinar de astrofísicos y arqueólogos realizó una campaña de mediciones de los principales hitos
topográficos y arqueológicos de la ciudad púnica y romana. Metodológicamente, para cada ítem se estableció
el criterio básico de orientación y se tomó su azimut utilizando tres tándems de brújula de precisión más
clinómetro. Los datos obtenidos demuestran la relevancia en la ciudad antigua de una serie de orientaciones
hacia la salida y la puesta del sol en el solsticio de verano, cuya significación se integra plenamente en el
contexto del ritual fenicio-púnico. Dicho sentido pudo incorporarse y reinterpretarse en el contexto de las
posteriores refundaciones romanas y de sus sucesivos programas urbanísticos y arquitectónicos, en particular
el del período augústeo, cuando determinadas orientaciones astronómicas pudieron servir para afianzar la
imagen de Roma y el princeps como restauradores de la paz y garantes de un nuevo orden fundado en elementos
cosmológicos.
Abstract: Archaeological investigations in Cartagena –the ancient Punic Qart Hadašt, Roman Carthago
Nova– have manifested the existence of ritual, urban and topographical elements that could be analyzed from
the perspective of Cultural Astronomy. Therefore, in October 2013, an interdisciplinary team of astronomers
and archaeologists conducted a field campaign of the main topographic and archaeological landmarks of the
Punic and Roman periods of the city. Methodologically, a basic guide criterion was established for each particular
element, measuring its corresponding azimuth(s). Three tandems, including precision compasses and
clinometers, were used to take the measurements. The data obtained have demonstrated the relevance, within
the ancient city, of a series of orientations towards sunrise and sunset at the summer solstice, whose significance
could be fully integrated within the context of the Punic ritual. This skyscaping was merged and reinterpreted in
the framework of the subsequent Roman appropriation of the city landscape, including their successive urban
and architectural programs, in particular that of the period of Emperor Augustus, when certain astronomical
orientations could serve to strengthen the image of Rome and the ‘Princeps’ as restorers of peace and guarantees
of a new order based in cosmological elements.
Book chapter by Andrea Rodríguez-Antón
Astronomy from the exile. A study of the Sahrawi astronomical knowledge with project 'Amanar: under the same sky'
Cultural astronomy and ancient skywatching, 2023
This work is part of the project ‘Amanar: Under the same sky’ by the non-profit science education... more This work is part of the project ‘Amanar: Under the same sky’ by the non-profit science education initiative Galileo Mobile (GM) and the Canary Association of Friendship with the Sahrawi People (ACAPS), in collaboration with the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC). Its aim is inspiring youth and teachers from the Sahrawi refugee camps through astronomy as well as the preservation of a intangible cultural heritage that is their traditional astronomical knowledge. Here we present the previous results obtained from a serie of interviews conducted by the Amanar team in October 2019 in the refugee camps of Tindouf (Algeria) with people who used the stars in the desert for weather prediction, for moving across the territory, religion and even to avoid attacks during the war. That is, for survival.
Arabia Adquisita: The Romanization of the Nabataean Cultic Calendar and the Tannur ‘Zodiac’ Paradigm
Archaeoastronomy in the Roman World, Springer, 2019
One of the most fascinating and enigmatic pieces of evidence of Nabataean ingenuity is the so-cal... more One of the most fascinating and enigmatic pieces of evidence of Nabataean ingenuity is the so-called Zodiac of Khirbet et-Tannur (Jordan), found in a temple built at the mountain summit close to Djebel Tannur in the first half of the second century CE, possibly when the ancient Nabataean Kingdom was already under Roman rule. However, Nabataean traditions and cults persisted during the Roman period and even survived well into Byzantine times. But one important change was the imposition of a Julian-like calendar, of Egyptian inspiration, instead of the original lunisolar calendar of the Nabataeans—earlier inherited and adapted from the Babylonian one—whose month names were however preserved under a solar perspective and a new time framework entitled Era Provincia Arabia. An analysis of the dates reported in the foundation inscriptions of the first century CE rock-carved tombs at the southern Nabataean city of Hegra, and other dated inscriptions of the Nabataean Kingdom period, has given some clues for us to look at the Tannur Zodiac with a different perspective. This new way of thinking has allowed a completely different approach to this masterpiece of art which is substantially different to most previous interpretations (see e.g. McKenzie et al., ARAM Periodical 24:379–420, 2012). According to our hypothesis, we consider that it should be formally named the ‘almanac’ or ‘parapegma’ of Khirbet et-Tannur hereafter.
Establishing a New Order: The Orientation of Roman Towns Built in the Age of Augustus
Archaeoastronomy in the Roman World, Springer, 2019
Urbanism in most areas of Western Europe occurred at the time of the Roman Empire when several hu... more Urbanism in most areas of Western Europe occurred at the time of the Roman Empire when several hundred new towns were founded, notably under Augustus. Those towns were planned to incorporate astronomical phenomena as images of propaganda of their rulers, or to connect the city to the gods. The visual effect of the Sun rising in line with the orientation of the city at a given moment in its yearly movement was thus sought and incorporated for its ritual meaning. Special moments allegedly related to Augustus were considered, in particular Winter Solstice and Autumn Equinox.
The Uaratio and Its Possible Use in Roman Urban Planning to Obtain Astronomical Orientations
Archaeoastronomy in the Roman World, 2019
Several works have tried either to demonstrate or reject the notion that the orientation of the m... more Several works have tried either to demonstrate or reject the notion that the orientation of the main axis of a Roman city was deliberate since its choice might add an extra sacred dimension to the entire urban space [González-García et al. (Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry 14(3):107–119, 2014; Magli (Oxford Journal of Archaeology 21(6):63–71, 2008)]. There exist ancient texts that support the hypothesis of the existence of astronomical orientations, such as those of Frontinus (De Agrimmensura, 27) or Hyginus Gromaticus (Constitutio, I). In the case that these precepts were fulfilled: how to achieve it? Besides the astronomical hypothesis, some scholars have pointed to the use of a geometrical technique: the uaratio (Orfila et al. La orientación de las estructuras ortogonales de nueva planta en época romana. De la varatio y sus variaciones. 2014). By this, the short sides of a regular triangle that are in ratios of integer numbers (for example 1:2, 2:3) are laid along the cardinal axes. In this work we present a comparison of the orientation of 81 Roman towns in the Iberian Peninsula, measured in situ, with uaratio angles with aspect ratios up to 12:12. By this exercise we want to discern whether the orientations were astronomical, purely geometrical, or if geometry could have fostered astronomical aims by using selected and well-known angles to trace lines that fitted the desired astronomical purposes. It is then, an attempt to shed more light to the issue of the orientation of Roman towns by combining two hypotheses that, in contrast to what it might seem, could be complementary but not contrary.
Orientation of Roman camps and forts in Britannia: Reconsidering Alan Richardson's work
The materiality of the sky, 2016
Science education and outreach by Andrea Rodríguez-Antón
Otro comienzo. el Solsticio de Invierno y la esperanza en una nueva 'vuelta a la luz'
Turismo de estrellas, 2023
Mujeres y Ciencia: una visión innovadora
CAP Journal, 2020
Amanar: ‘Under the Same Sky’, is a project that aims to use cultural aspects of astronomy to enco... more Amanar: ‘Under the Same Sky’, is a project that aims to use cultural aspects of astronomy to encourage common understanding and bridge two communities from the Canary Islands and Western Sahara. The Sahrawi people fled their country due to armed conflict more than four decades ago and continue to face harsh living conditions in refugee camps near Tindouf, Algeria. This project sought to empower and inspire these people, especially the youth. Amanar was selected
as a special project for the centenary celebrations of the International Astronomical Union. The project was organised by GalileoMobile in collaboration with the Canarian Association of Friendship with the Sahrawi people and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias as well as other astronomical institutions and volunteer associations. The success of this collaboration shows how both the scientific community and civil society can mobilise to promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
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Videos by Andrea Rodríguez-Antón
Rome and Celts by Andrea Rodríguez-Antón
The project emerged from ideas on how to properly orientate the main streets of a Roman town, as attested in a number of ancient texts and later discussions led by contemporary scholars. We present here the final conclusions of a particular study developed in the Iberian Peninsula (Roman Hispania), where the urbanism that we tend to characterize as
properly Roman flourished during both the Republic and the Empire. The sample analysed includes 81 measurements of Roman urban entities spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula and is the largest dataset obtained in a specific region so far. Our results present suggestive
orientation patterns that seem to point towards an astronomical intentionality.
Carthago Nova romana– evidencian la existencia de elementos topográficos, urbanísticos y rituales, susceptibles
de ser analizados desde la perspectiva de la Astronomía Cultural. Por ello, en octubre de 2013 un equipo
interdisciplinar de astrofísicos y arqueólogos realizó una campaña de mediciones de los principales hitos
topográficos y arqueológicos de la ciudad púnica y romana. Metodológicamente, para cada ítem se estableció
el criterio básico de orientación y se tomó su azimut utilizando tres tándems de brújula de precisión más
clinómetro. Los datos obtenidos demuestran la relevancia en la ciudad antigua de una serie de orientaciones
hacia la salida y la puesta del sol en el solsticio de verano, cuya significación se integra plenamente en el
contexto del ritual fenicio-púnico. Dicho sentido pudo incorporarse y reinterpretarse en el contexto de las
posteriores refundaciones romanas y de sus sucesivos programas urbanísticos y arquitectónicos, en particular
el del período augústeo, cuando determinadas orientaciones astronómicas pudieron servir para afianzar la
imagen de Roma y el princeps como restauradores de la paz y garantes de un nuevo orden fundado en elementos
cosmológicos.
Abstract: Archaeological investigations in Cartagena –the ancient Punic Qart Hadašt, Roman Carthago
Nova– have manifested the existence of ritual, urban and topographical elements that could be analyzed from
the perspective of Cultural Astronomy. Therefore, in October 2013, an interdisciplinary team of astronomers
and archaeologists conducted a field campaign of the main topographic and archaeological landmarks of the
Punic and Roman periods of the city. Methodologically, a basic guide criterion was established for each particular
element, measuring its corresponding azimuth(s). Three tandems, including precision compasses and
clinometers, were used to take the measurements. The data obtained have demonstrated the relevance, within
the ancient city, of a series of orientations towards sunrise and sunset at the summer solstice, whose significance
could be fully integrated within the context of the Punic ritual. This skyscaping was merged and reinterpreted in
the framework of the subsequent Roman appropriation of the city landscape, including their successive urban
and architectural programs, in particular that of the period of Emperor Augustus, when certain astronomical
orientations could serve to strengthen the image of Rome and the ‘Princeps’ as restorers of peace and guarantees
of a new order based in cosmological elements.
Book chapter by Andrea Rodríguez-Antón
Science education and outreach by Andrea Rodríguez-Antón
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT0owKXQjhI&t=31s
as a special project for the centenary celebrations of the International Astronomical Union. The project was organised by GalileoMobile in collaboration with the Canarian Association of Friendship with the Sahrawi people and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias as well as other astronomical institutions and volunteer associations. The success of this collaboration shows how both the scientific community and civil society can mobilise to promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The project emerged from ideas on how to properly orientate the main streets of a Roman town, as attested in a number of ancient texts and later discussions led by contemporary scholars. We present here the final conclusions of a particular study developed in the Iberian Peninsula (Roman Hispania), where the urbanism that we tend to characterize as
properly Roman flourished during both the Republic and the Empire. The sample analysed includes 81 measurements of Roman urban entities spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula and is the largest dataset obtained in a specific region so far. Our results present suggestive
orientation patterns that seem to point towards an astronomical intentionality.
Carthago Nova romana– evidencian la existencia de elementos topográficos, urbanísticos y rituales, susceptibles
de ser analizados desde la perspectiva de la Astronomía Cultural. Por ello, en octubre de 2013 un equipo
interdisciplinar de astrofísicos y arqueólogos realizó una campaña de mediciones de los principales hitos
topográficos y arqueológicos de la ciudad púnica y romana. Metodológicamente, para cada ítem se estableció
el criterio básico de orientación y se tomó su azimut utilizando tres tándems de brújula de precisión más
clinómetro. Los datos obtenidos demuestran la relevancia en la ciudad antigua de una serie de orientaciones
hacia la salida y la puesta del sol en el solsticio de verano, cuya significación se integra plenamente en el
contexto del ritual fenicio-púnico. Dicho sentido pudo incorporarse y reinterpretarse en el contexto de las
posteriores refundaciones romanas y de sus sucesivos programas urbanísticos y arquitectónicos, en particular
el del período augústeo, cuando determinadas orientaciones astronómicas pudieron servir para afianzar la
imagen de Roma y el princeps como restauradores de la paz y garantes de un nuevo orden fundado en elementos
cosmológicos.
Abstract: Archaeological investigations in Cartagena –the ancient Punic Qart Hadašt, Roman Carthago
Nova– have manifested the existence of ritual, urban and topographical elements that could be analyzed from
the perspective of Cultural Astronomy. Therefore, in October 2013, an interdisciplinary team of astronomers
and archaeologists conducted a field campaign of the main topographic and archaeological landmarks of the
Punic and Roman periods of the city. Methodologically, a basic guide criterion was established for each particular
element, measuring its corresponding azimuth(s). Three tandems, including precision compasses and
clinometers, were used to take the measurements. The data obtained have demonstrated the relevance, within
the ancient city, of a series of orientations towards sunrise and sunset at the summer solstice, whose significance
could be fully integrated within the context of the Punic ritual. This skyscaping was merged and reinterpreted in
the framework of the subsequent Roman appropriation of the city landscape, including their successive urban
and architectural programs, in particular that of the period of Emperor Augustus, when certain astronomical
orientations could serve to strengthen the image of Rome and the ‘Princeps’ as restorers of peace and guarantees
of a new order based in cosmological elements.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT0owKXQjhI&t=31s
as a special project for the centenary celebrations of the International Astronomical Union. The project was organised by GalileoMobile in collaboration with the Canarian Association of Friendship with the Sahrawi people and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias as well as other astronomical institutions and volunteer associations. The success of this collaboration shows how both the scientific community and civil society can mobilise to promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
utilidad para la explicación de determinados conceptos científicos, matemáticos, filosóficos, históricos, trabajar idiomas y servir de inspiración artística. El objetivo de este trabajo es ofrecer una serie de herramientas didácticas para suscitar el interés del alumnado por la ciencia y por otros campos del conocimiento recurriendo al cosmos como hilo conductor.
En este artículo se realiza una breve introducción a la Astronomía Cultural.
memory of millennia of occupation. Previous research has explored the role of the sky in various aspects of the life of early inhabitants, such as their religious beliefs or funerary practices. These have been identified by the patterns of location and orientation of these constructions and their relation to particular astronomical events. This work presents a statistical analysis of the orientation of more than 200 prehistoric dry-stone monuments in Western Sahara occupied by Morocco, currently the
biggest sample ever studied in this area and the first unique sample obtained in situ. The results show that the orientations follow similar trends observed in other areas of North Africa and the Mediterranean and that they fit with the visibility of particular celestial objects. This provides new insights into the ideas about space, time, and death and the cultural changes and mobility of those peoples and contributes to the preservation of a highly threatened heritage that is immersed in a vast land currently under dispute.
poco aptos para el cultivo, pero muy favorables para la explotación ganadera, se encuentran una serie de manifestaciones megalíticas diseminadas, poco conocidas
y apenas estudiadas. El estudio de las orientaciones de monumentos megalíticos puede aportar información acerca de las nociones del espacio, el tiempo o la muerte
de las sociedades que los construyeron. Este trabajo presenta un avance del estudio arqueoastronómico de los dólmenes de Las Aguilillas, El Torno, Los Frailes, El
Rongil y Torrubia, localizados en Villanueva de Córdoba. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que el diseño y la ubicación de los megalitos incluidos en el presente estudio
no es casual. Las orientaciones dadas a estos megalitos son, en general, compatibles con ortos solares o lunares y resultan consistentes con las orientaciones de conjuntos
de sepulcros megalíticos en Andalucía y otras regiones de la península ibérica. //
Los Pedroches is one of the most northern Andalusian territories, bordering on Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha. A series of megalithic manifestations, little known and hardly studied, can be found on some soils unfit for cultivation
but very favorable for livestock exploitation. The study of the orientations of megalithic monuments, together with further archaeological records, provides more information about the concept of time, space and the ideas of the death. This work presents an advance of the archaeoastronomical study of the dolmens of Las Aguilillas, El Torno, Los Frailes, El Rongil and Torrubia, located in Villanueva de Córdoba. The results obtained suggest that the design and the location of the megaliths included in this study are not accidental. The orientations given to these megaliths are consistent with the orientations of sets of megalithic sepulchers in Andalusia and other regions of the Iberian Peninsula.