Archaeoastronomy and Ancient Technologies 2019, 7(1), 148-198

DOI: 10.24411/2310-2144-2019-00003

Archaeoastronomical studies of the pillars complex of the Bronze Age on the Karataevo fortress

Larisa N. Vodolazhskaya¹*, Leonid S. Ilyukov²

¹Research Laboratory of Archeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture, Krasnodar, Russia; E-mails: larisavodol@aaatec.org, larisavodol@gmail.com
²Federal Research Center of the Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Rostov-on-Don, Russia; E-mail: iljukov@ssc-ras.ru

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed

Abstract

The article presents the results of archaeoastronomical analysis of the pillars complex of the Bronze Age, the pillar pits of which were discovered during archaeological excavations at the Karataevskaya fortress in 2001. In the course of the study, it was found that the pillar complex was actually a small ancient astronomical proto-observatory, which could be used in the process of observing the features of the visible motion of the Sun and the Moon. With its help, it was possible to record the sunrise / sunset of the Sun and Moon in astronomically significant directions. The cult building on the fortress and the large linear part of the defensive wall of the Karataevo fortress were oriented in one of these directions - towards the southernmost sunrise of the High Moon (southern major standstill moonrise), or the most northern sunset of the High Moon (northern major standstill moonset).

Keywords: archeoastronomy, pillars complex, pits, High Moon, southern major standstill moonrise, northern major standstill moonset, religious construction, defensive wall, proto-observatory, magnetic anomaly

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