The Winter Solstice at La Nariz WINTER SOLSTICE AT THE IBERIAN CAVE- SANCTUARY OF LA NARIZ (original) (raw)

We presentresults of an archaeoastronomical study of the Iberian cave-sanctuary of La Nariz (Moratalla, Murcia, Spain). The chronology of the site has been established between the third century BCE to the first century CE, however, there are material evidences of its use from the Late Bronze Age. The cave has a striking symmetrical morphology, with two main almost parallel long cavities of similar sizes and proportions. Both cavities have water springs, and carved basins to collect water at their innermost areas. We have found that the northerly cavity is facing the point of the horizon where the winter solstice sunset takes place, producing an striking illumination phenomenon onto the carved basin. On the other hand, the southerly cavity is slightly tilted to the south with respect to the northerly one, facing the moonset at the major southern lunastice or Venus at its southernmost setting.

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