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Maps and Orientations | Agia Triada | Chamaizi | Gournia | Juktas | Knossos | Malia | Modi | Petsophas | Phaistos | Philioremos | Pyrgos | Traostalos | Tylissos | Vathypetro | Zakros |
Archaeological sites on Crete in the Uppsala Archaeoastronomical Project. Latitude for Knossos: 35°18' N.
Lines with the same orientations as the foundation walls A'A (37.5° west of north) and AB (38.5° east of north) on Petsophas,
laid out from likely departure places.
Orientations of the walls A'A and AB on Petsophas and Traostalos relative to the circumpolar stars
Orientations of the buildings in the Uppsala project. An asterisk indicates a foresight
Orientations of the Mycenaean cult rooms in Greece
Orientations of passage graves in Crete and in mainland Greece
The orientations at Agia Triada made in 1994 and 1997. On the plan from Myers, Myers & Cadogan (1992:79), with permission.
Plan of the villa, adapted from Ancient Crete. A Hundred Years of Italian Archaeology (1884-1984), with permission
Sunset at the summer solstice 22 June 1450 BCE at 18.54.40 as seen from the small megaron (building H). Local mean solar time and T=20°C.
Rotated plan of the oval house at Chamaizi, from Myers, Myers & Cadogan (1992:79), with permission.
Measurings points and orientations at Chamaizi, using photo from Myers, Myers & Cadogan (1992:79), with permission.
Heliacal setting of Arcturus observed through the northern entrance at Chamaizi on 11 October 2000 BCE, right, and 12 October 1900 BCE, left.
The settings took place at 18.02 and 18.03 respectively and the corresponding
azimuths were 322.7° and 321.8°.
The observed is placed in the SE corner of the room.
Sunrise at the winter solstice at Chamaizi on 19 December 2000 BCE at 07.21.50 local mean solar time,
observed through the SE doorway of the building.
Solstice and equinox sunsets in 1900 BCE observed through the SE door of the oval house at Chamaizi, local mean solar time.
A) Winter solstice 19/12, at 16.20.30, h=6.52°, a=234.95°.
B) Autumn equinox 21/9, at 17.54.30, h=1.20°, a=269.65°.
C) Summer solstice 22/6, at 19.04.30, h=1.28°, a=299.24°.
Town plan of Gournia
The palace at Gournia
Plan of the northern shrine, from Hawes and Williams (1908).
The azimuth of the north wall of the northern shrine is 78.9°±1.0°. If we take into consideration the inner construction of the building,
the uncertain true ancient horizon at a distance of just about 300 m and no marker to indicate the position from which sunrise was observe,
it can be hypothesized that the shrine was oriented to sunrise one lunar month before the autumn equinox and after the spring equinox.
The azimuth of the south wall of the southern srine is 78.3° ± 5°. If we take into consideration the uncertain true ancient
horizon at a distance of about 300 m and no marker to indicate the position from which sunrise was observed, it can be hypothesized
that the shrine was oriented to sunrise one lunar mohth before the autumn equinox and after the spring equinox.
 
Sunset on 20 September 1450 BCE at 17.22 local mean solar time as observed from the NE corner of the Mycenaean shrine.
The sun will reach the corner for the last time that year. The next morning is the autumn equinox.
Plan of the peak sanctuary on Mt Juktas
Sunrise at the autumn equinox 2000 BCE and 11 days before and after, as observed from the altar at the peak sanctuary
on the 811 m high Mt Juktas.
The ramp at the southern approach to the peak sanctuary on Mt Juktas
Sunrise at the autumn equinox 21 September 2000 BCE, from the ground level of the west corner of the ramp at the peak
sanctuary on Mt Juktas.
The preserved height of the north wall, 160 m, has been determined by the excavator Alexandra Karetsou.
The east corner of the wall is just
0.02 m below the present ground level at the west corner of the corridor. If the original wall had been
just 0.14 m higher it would have
cast a shadow that reached the west corner of the ramp. The first time the first rays of the sun could reach
this corner was exactly at the
day of the autumn equinox. The time given is the local mean solar time at Juktas.
The image is based on measurements by a digital theodolite.
Sunrise 11 days before and after the equinoxes from a man-made corner in the upper western part of the ramp at the peak sanctary on Mt Juktas.
The positions of the sun are computed for 2000 BCE.
The Knossos area, from Myers, Myers and Cadogan 1992, with permission.
Plan of the palace. Based on the plan from Myers, Myers and Cadogan 1992, with permission.
Present Central Palace Sanctuary.Based on Hood and Taylor 1981, with premission.
Jan Driessen's reconstruction of the original Central Palace Sanctuary, with permission (Dreissen 1990).
Section of the Corridor of the House Tablets from the north. By Allan Klynne
Angle from the bowl to the top of the Ailias ridge. Based on Hood and Taylor; by Mary Blomberg.
Sunrise at the autumn equinox and 11 days later at Knossos
The bright constellation Orion dominated the south-eastern sky on September 21, 2000 BCE, at 23.38 local mean solar time in Knossos
when Sirius became visible above the Alias ridge.. This was the day of the autumnal equinox that year.
We interpret Orion with Sirius
as the Minoan Double Axe constellation.
The bright star in the left shoulder of Orion, Betelgeuze, became visible above the Ailias ridge on September 21, 2000 BCE,
at 21.19 local
mean solar time in Knossos. It appeared in the middle of the doorway of the Corridor of the House Tablets as seen from the shallow stone bowl.
Sunrise in the pillar crypt of the South-east house
Malia, second palace, from Myers, Myers and Cadogan 1992, with permission.
Sunrise on 22 October 1900 BCE at 06.47.30 local mean solar time at Malia as observed
by a person standing exactly between the two pillars
in the pillar crypt, with eyes
1.50 m above the floor level. The height of the reconstructed altar is 1.50 m above the
ground level of the Central
Court. The corners of the altar are equal to the size of the base
visible today in the Central Court.
Sunrise from the kernos at the SW corner of the Central Court at the palace of Malia, on 22 October 1898 BCE at 06.47.00
local mean solar time. The refraction is calculated for a temperature of +20 C° and an air-pressure of 760 mm mercury. The palace
seems to be aligned to sunrise one month after the autumnal equinox or one month before the vernal equinox.
The sun’s calculated declination is -11.92°, azimuth 107.65° and altitude 4.41°.
Sunset on the day of the summer solstice 22 June 1450 BCE at 18.54.40 in a)Agia Triada, and at 19.13.00 in b)Malia.
Local mean solar time and T=+20°C.
Plan of the peak sanctuary and other structures on Modi
Sunset behind Modi at the autumn equinox as observed from Petsophas 20, 21 and 22 September
in the year 1997 BCE (refraction for t=+10°C). The relationship is valid for many centuries.
Sunset behind Modi at the spring equinox as observed from Petsophas 20, 21 and 22 March
in the year 1997 BCE (refraction for t =+10°C). The relationship is valid for many centuries.
The heliacal setting of Arcturus above Modi, 13 October 1731 BCE at 6:00 pm, observed from Traostalos.
The heliacal setting is the last time a star is visible in the evening sky after sunset. On the following
evening it will have reached the western horizon while there is still too much light for it be seen.
The heliacal setting of Arcturus above the peak of Modi as observed from Traostalos in the years 1631, 1731 and 1831.
Plan of the peak sanctuary on Petsophas with orientations of the walls.
The peak sanctuary on Petsophas in Myres' excavation report (pl VII, BSA 9, 1902-1903, 356-387)
Digital model of Petsophas and Karpathos
Theoretically calculated sunrise at the summer solstice above Kali Limni, highest mountain on Karpathos (H. 1215 m),
23 June 3600 BCE, 04.39.15, as seen from Petsophas,
a = 59.62°, h = 0.28°. Valid for several centuries.
Theoretically calculated position of sunrise at the summer solstice above Kali Limni, Karpathos' highest peak (H. 1215 m),
23 June 2000 BCE, 04.39.35 o'clock local mean solar time (sun on the left), as it would have been observed from the peak sanctuary on Petsophas (H. 255 m).
The sanctuary's axis of symmetry has the orientation 60.4° ± 1.0°, which in view of the margin of error coincides with the
orientation to sunrise at the summer solstice (59.86°) when the sanctuary was built. Karpathos' profile has been digitised from a
photograph that was calibrated with theodolite measurements. The figure shows the sun 10 seconds after the time when, according to the
calculations, the first rays of the sun would have been visible above Karpathos, which is ca 90 km away. The sun on the right shows sunrise
21 June 2000 CE, 05.01.38 o'clock Greek standard time. Refraction calculated for +20°C and atmospheric pressure 760 mm Hg.
Beacons from mountain peaks near Zakros. They may have been for ships or for communication over the island.
After a Venetian map of 1615 (Davaras 1976, p. 237).
Orientation of the walls AA' and AB on Petsophas, above [P(A')] and [P(B)], and AA', AB and BY on Traostalos,
above [T(A')], [T(B)] and [T(Y)].
The wall BY is oriented towards the extreme western limit for the circumpolar stars.
The measured azimuths of the walls AA' and AB of the Minoan peak sanctuaries on Petsophas and Traostalos can be found on the vertical axis.
The corresponding optimal years for observations of the heliacal rising and setting and the acronychal rising and cosmical setting of Arcturus
can be found on the horisontal axis from the computed lines. For every wall there are two possible optimal years, but only the identifications
which give the smallest deviations are accepted and the corresponding years have been presented with their mean errors.
The weighted mean of the azimuths of the four walls is 38.3° ± 0.4°. On the assumption that the orientations were specific only for the heliacal
rising and setting, the construction date would be 1886 BC ± 49 years. Assuming that they were specific only for the acronychal rising and
cosmical setting,
the date would be 1768 BC ± 49 years. On the assumption that the walls were built at the same time in order to observe all four
positions of Arcturus,
the mean construction date would be 1827 BC ± 77 years.
Plan of the palace, from Ancient Crete. A hundred years of Italian Archaeology (1884-1984), with permission.
Map of the area around Gonies and the 797m high Philioremos.
Orientations to sunrise from the peak sanctuary on Philioremos near Gonies. Our measurements.
On 13 September 1950 BCE, 05.42.50, the sun rises along the northern wall of the peak sanctuary on the 797m high peak Philioremos. On the
autumn equinox, 21 September, sunrise is at no well-defined point on the horizon, and on 13 October, 06.15.30, the sun rises along the
axis of summetry of the southern room.
The time is local mean solar time on Philioremos.
Sunrise at the summer solstice behind the peak of Stroumboulos on 23 June 1950 BCE
as observed from the peak sanctuary on Philioremos.
Plan of the peak sanctuary. The orientation of the wall BCE is to sunrise at the summer solstice. (59.3° ± 0.4°).
Sunrise at the sommer solstice on 22 June 2000 BCE, 04.34.38 local mean solar time. The horizon is the open sea, but the altitude where the sun
becomes visible is very sensitive to variations in atmospheric refraction and extinction. The computed horizon altitude is -0.394° from a mountain
with an altitude of 684 m above sea level. The computer azimuth for sunrise at this altitude is 59.18°. The refraction is valid for T = +17°C
and barometric pressure 760 mm Hg. The orientation of the inside of the wall BCE is 59.28° ± 0.42°, determined by orthogonal regression of
11 measurements on preserved stones of the wall. This means a deviation of only 0.10° from the most northerly sunrise at summer solstices.
The heliacal setting of Arcturus as observed from the peak sanctuary on Pyrgos just before disappearing into the earth's atmosphere above the prominent peak
Kaka Kefali at the beginning of the Middle Minoan Period, ca 2000 BCE.
Plan of the peak sanctuary on Traostalos
The measured azimuths of the walls AA' and AB of the Minoan peak sanctuaries on Petsophas and Traostalos can be found on the vertical axis.
The corresponding optimal years for observations of the heliacal rising and setting and the acronychal rising and cosmical setting of Arcturus
can be found on the horisontal axis from the computed lines. For every wall there are two possible optimal years, but only the identifications
which give the smallest deviations are accepted and the corresponding years have been presented with their mean errors.
The weighted mean of the azimuths of the four walls is 38.3° ± 0.4°. On the assumption that the orientations were specific only for the heliacal
rising and setting, the construction date would be 1886 BC ± 49 years. Assuming that they were specific only for the acronychal rising and
cosmical setting,
the date would be 1768 BC ± 49 years. On the assumption that the walls were built at the same time in order to observe all four
positions of Arcturus,
the mean construction date would be 1827 BC ± 77 years.
The heliacal setting of Arcturus above the peak of Modi 13 October 1731 BCE at 06.00 pm, observed from Traostalos. The heliacal setting is the
last time a star is visible in the evening sky after sunset. On the next night it will have reached the western horizon while there is still
too much light for it to be seen.
Plan of the Minoan villas from Hazzidakis' excavation report (1934:pl. 33).
Plan of the Minoan villas oriented towards north, adapted from Hazzidakis (1934:pl. 33).
Orientations to sunrise at villa A, from Hazzidakis (1934: pl. 6
Orientations to sunrise at villa C, from Hazzidakis (1934: pl. 11).
Plan of the villa, oriented to north. From Myers Myers and Cadogan 1992, with permission.
In 1700 BCE, a person standing in the middle of the western wall of the pillar hall could have observed sunrise at the equinoxes (left),
sunrise one lunar month after the autumn equinox (middle), and the winter solstice (right). The tripartite shrine has been excluded from
this drawing, but it would not have been in the way of the observations.
To a person standing at point 43, sunrise at the equinoxes would appear immediately to the south of the northernmost column, sunrise one lunar month
later just to the south of the middle column and sunrise on the last days before the winter solstice just to the north of the southernmost column.
Orientation of the tripartite shrine to the summer solstice.
The area of the palace. Courtesy Myers, Myers and Cadogan 1992, with permission. The original has been modified to include the cliff.
Plan of the palace. From Myers Myers and Cadogan 1992, with permission.
Moon rise at the southern major standstill as seen from the northern corridor in the west wing of the palace.
View from a position 20 cm from the southwestern corner of the northern corridor. Eye Level is 160 cm above the present-day flour.
Maps and Orientations | Agia Triada | Chamaizi | Gournia | Juktas | Knossos | Malia | Modi | Petsophas | Phaistos | Philioremos | Pyrgos | Traostalos | Tylissos | Vathypetro | Zakros |