Lampedusa Stonehenge

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Working Paper:
LAMPEDUSA STONEHENGE
September 2011 copyright by Diego Ratti All Rights are reserved
INTRODUCTION
I have described elsewhere1 the remains of three large sub-circular stone structures with a 40+ meters diameter on the island of Lampedusa resembling to either concentric ditches or henges that can be found in continental Europe (Goseck Circle) and on the British Isles (Stonehenge) during the Neolithic period and with no similar structures reported in the Mediterranean Sea. Textual analysis of The Circumnavigation of the inhabited world attributed to a PseudoSkylax of the fourth century BC revealed that the three large sub-circular stone structures of the island of Lampedusa could be related to the three towers described by the Pseudo Skylax2. In this Paper we will focus on one of these structures, the best preserved one: see picture below.
Large Stone structure number 1 Satellite imagery courtesy of Google Earth
by Diego Ratti, 2011
MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM Large Stone Structure Number 1: Coordinate: 35311620N 123409E - Cimitero Vecchio Number of Concentric Circles: 3* concentric traces are clearly from satellite imagery Outer Circle diameter: Approximately 80 meters Central Circle diameter: Approximately 45 meters Inner Circle diameter: Approximately 25 meters Entrance: East *It is possible that the number of concentric circles composing the main structure is actually 5 rather than 3, higher resolution aerial picture would be needed to better define the plan of the structure. In this working paper the remains of this ancient stone structure will be described and examined: a tentative archaeo-astronomical interpretation will be discussed comparing the orientation and alignment of the main circular stone structure and its peripheral structures with important astronomical cycles that may have been used for calendric reasons by the builders of such structure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE

The site hosting the main circular stone structure ( described as Large Circle 1 in the following pictures, plans and maps) covers an area of approximately 150 x 150 meters consisting of: -the main structure: three large concentric circles with an outer circle of approximately 80 meters diameter -some peripheral smaller structures (described as A-B-C in the following pictures, plans and maps) and walls (described as D in the following pictures, plans and maps)
MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM Not far from this site there are three different sites with small stone circles and/or huts (see pictures below ) creating a wide area of archeological interest.
Aerial views of the area with the site described in this working paper and the other surrounding sites of archaeological interest
MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM The site hosting the main circular stone structure is characterized by large zones of exposed limestone bedrock because of strong soil erosional losses caused by wind and rain and aggravated since 1850 by human land use and a widespread deforestation and construction activity. The soil loss is so pronounced that in most of the site the bedrock lies almost exposed with little or no soil or vegetation.
Bedrock almost exposed (picture taken from the road excavations next to the SW side of the site)
DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN STRUCTURE

The main circular stone structure can be described as a set of three (or up to five) concentric circles with remains of earthworks and ditches, most likely it once had parts made of wood and earth: wood has decayed and the upstanding earthen features have been eroded by wind and water. Nonetheless, evidence of the remains of the ancient structures is still visible by satellite imagery and also on the field. Below some pictures of the concentric circles seen from different angles.
Large Stone structure number 1 South View
Large Stone structure number 1 South View
Large Stone structure number 1 North View
DESCRIPTION OF THE PERIPHERAL STRUCTURES

Around the main concentric circles there are some peripheral structures: they may be from a different or later date considering that some of them seem to be overlapping the outer circle of the main structure. Most of the ancient megalithic structures were work in progress sites used for centuries and adapted in the course of time: it is therefore be no surprise that this particular site in Lampedusa may be built and used over a long time span as well. Peripheral structures: A-Central small satellite circle B-Small Southern satellite circle C- Quadrilateral structure D- Wall
Tentative Plan of the Site and its structures MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM by Diego Ratti, 2011 10
Main circular structure and wall (D)
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View of the peripheral structures A-B-C-D
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MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM STRUCTURE A Structure A is a stone circle positioned East of the main circular structure, its eastern arc is built closely adjacent to the wall D
Structure A
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MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM STRUCTURE B Structure B is a stone structure positioned South West of the main circular structure, its floor is made of exposed limestone bedrock. It may have been used for collimation purposes from the main circular structure.
Structure B
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Structures A and B
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MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM STRUCTURE C Structure C is barely observable and all is left of its remains are scarce foundation signs on the ground (see pictures below).
Pictures of structure C
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MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM STRUCTURE D Structure D is a megalithic wall crossing the site on the North-South axis. Interestingly there are along the wall small stone columns that may once have been used as marking collimation points for sky watching purposes.
Megalithic Wall (structure D)
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Megalithic Wall (structure D)
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GRAPHIC ANALYSIS
The size of the main structure, its poor conservation status and the deep erosion of the soil of this site makes it a more convenient option to study it by examining satellite imagery (obtained with Google Earth and copyright of DigitalGlobe) : in this paper I use image restoration techniques such as deconvolution of the original images , edge enhancement and others tools applied to original Google Earth satellite imagery .
Original Google Satellite Imagery of the main structure (a Digital Globe copyrighted image)
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Modified satellite imagery via deconvolution and edge enhancement
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The three most defined concentric circular (an additional outer circle and an additional inner circle may be considered) Observation of the enhanced satellite imagery reveals how the recognizable geometric pattern of the remains of the main structure and of the peripheral ones looks surprisingly similar to the Stonehenge plan. From this observation the title of this working paper.
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Stonehenge plan (above) and Lampedusa (below) same scale: notice the similar size, geometry and structures alignments
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Stonehenge (above) and Lampedusa (below): notice the similar size, geometry and structures alignments
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ANCIENT ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY

Stonehenge, one of the most famous sites in the world is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, composed of earthworks (built around 3000 BC) surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones (most likely erected around 2500 BC). Stonehenge has long been studied for its possible connections with ancient astronomy: many archaeoastronomers have claimed that Stonehenge represents an "ancient observatory", its opening in the henge earthwork facing northeast seems to suggest that particular significance was placed by its builders on the solstice and equinox points. The main structure of the site in Lampedusa has a similar opening/entrance facing East creating an opening toward the local horizon of approximately 60 in azimuth, the alignment of structure B to the main structure is approximately 127 measured from the centre of the main structure and the enhanced satellite imagery of the structures seems to reveal the presence of several potential collimation points/markers. We will test the astronomical significance, if any, of these particular alignments and collimation markers in the next part of this working paper, but before doing so, few words are needed to remind the readers about how the process of sky watching in ancient prehistoric times was performed. Both the ancient and modern sky-watchers observe all phenomena in the sky on what appears to be the inner surface of a screen with the shape of an hemisphere: the visible part of the celestial sphere. We call celestial sphere the sphere centered about an observer located somewhere on the Earth: the horizontal, or altazimutal, system is based on the position and horizon of an observer on the Earth. The positioning of a celestial object by the horizontal system is ephemeral (transitory) because the Earth revolves around its own axis once per sidereal day (or approximately 23h564) in relation to the "fixed stars therefore it is used mainly for computation of rising and setting times (for example sunrise and sunset, moonrise and moonset). The horizontal coordinate system divides the sky into the upper hemisphere that the observer can see, and the lower hemisphere that the observer cannot see (because the Earth is in the way), the pole of the upper hemisphere is called the zenith and the pole of the lower hemisphere is called the nadir. The horizontal coordinate system is fixed to the Earth, therefore the altitude and the azimuth of an object change with time and with the location of the observer. As time passes an object appears to drift across the sky due to the rotation of the Earth on its own axis. Moreover, because the horizontal system is defined by the observer's local horizon, the same object viewed from different locations on Earth at the same time will have different values of altitude and azimuth. The horizontal coordinates in the Horizontal System are: Azimuth (Az), that is the angle (measured in degrees) of the object around the horizon, usually measured from the north point towards the east. Altitude (Alt), sometimes referred to as elevation, that is the angle between the object and the observer's local horizon
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Horizontal system: zenith, nadir and azimuth
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MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM During the prehistory sky watching was usually performed from a sacred site from witch the observers could conveniently watch the sun and the moon rising and setting and the heliacal rising and settings of the most important stars for their culture and agricultural calendar. These sites are technical termed as stationary points of observation such as henges or stone circles (in our case the main circular structure of the site). Ancient astronomers used to deal with horizontal astronomy using marks on the great circle of the horizon for the positions of Sun, Moon and stars as they rose or set. The ancient observatories were typically circular because an observer could walk around the circle (if its diameter was large enough) sighting a target in the middle of the circle with a collimation mark around the whole horizon grid while keeping always the same distance from the target. Ideally the diameter of the circle was enough to obtain complete occultation of the solar or lunar disk with the target during the collimation process. The target in the middle of the circle usually was a standing pole or mast. Collimation marks were erected on high ground at or near the point where a required declination would intersect with the horizon as viewed from lower ground, hilltops, mountaintops or other geographic features of the surrounding landscape could be used, or else the ancient astronomers could use for their collimation needs artificial features on the horizon such as another smaller stone circle, a standing stone, a holed stone or other megalithic structures, in the Bronze age typical collimation marks were built on Tumuli (earth mounds) or Cairns (large piles of stones).
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MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM We will now test the astronomical alignment of the structure B relative to the main circular stone structure and that of the main structure opening/entrance in the occasion of relevant astronomical phenomena such as Sunrise at Solstices, Equinoxes and Moonrise at major Lunar Standstills. The choice of these particular astronomical phenomena is related to the importance that they had for ancient cultures, especially for their agricultural and navigation calendars. -The date used for this test is that of 3000 BC or the date that is associated with the erection of Stonehenge (different dates imply a slightly different Earth obliquity and therefore different azimuth angles). -The latitude used for this test is the exact latitude of the main structure ( 3531)
Alignment 1 to be tested: structure B relative to main structure MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM by Diego Ratti, 2011 27
Alignment 2 to be tested: North East edge of the opening/entrance of the main structure
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Alignment 3 to be tested: South East edge of the opening/entrance of the main structure
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MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM TESTING ALIGNMENTS FOR EXTREME SUN DECLINATIONS AT SOLSTICES SUNRISE LAMPEDUSA 3000 BC The sun appears to be moving along an apparent path called Ecliptic, during this apparent motion it draws different circles at different times of the year: to the observer on Earth the Ecliptic looks more toward North at the June solstice and more toward South at the December solstice. At the equinoxes, the sun's path follows the celestial equator. The ancients used to observe the sky from their observatories to find out the day of the Winter Solstice (when the Sun reaches its extreme South declination) by sighting a target to collimation points with the South-East most extreme Sunrise of the year. The ancients used to observe the sky from their observatories to find out the day of the Summer Solstice (when the Sun reaches its extreme North declination) by sighting a target to collimation points with to the North-East most extreme Sunrise of the year. Knowledge of the Solstice days had a key importance for the ancients to regulate their agricultural cycles of plantation and harvesting and for setting navigation deadlines.
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MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM TEST A Lampedusa 3000 BC Summer Solstice: Azimuth of Sunrise 60.1 Lampedusa 3000 BC Winter Solstice: Azimuth of Sunrise 119.9
Plan of the site and Azimuth of Sunrise at the Solstices 3000 BC
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Plan of the site and Azimuth of Sunrise at the Solstices 3000 BC
RESULTS: Very close match to Alignment 2(tentative North Eastern marker of the main entrance) Very close match to Alignment 3 (tentative South Eastern marker of the main entrance)
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MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM TESTING ALIGNMENT FOR EXTREME MOON DECLINATIONS AT STANDSTILL RISING EVENTS LAMPEDUSA 3000 BC At a major lunar standstill, which takes place every 18.6 years, the range of the declination of the Moon reaches a maximum. As a result the Moon appears to move in just two weeks from high in the sky to low on the horizon. This time appears to have had special significance for the societies who built the megalithic monuments
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MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.COM TEST Lampedusa 3000 BC Lunar Standstill: Extreme NE Azimuth of Moonrise 53.36 Lampedusa 3000 BC Lunar Standstill: Extreme SE Azimuth of Moonrise 126.64
Plan of the site and Azimuth of extreme Moonrise declinations at Lunar Standstill around 3000 BC RESULTS Very close match of azimuth of the extreme South declination of the Moon to Alignment 1 (structure B relative to the center of the main structure)
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3D MODEL OF TENTATIVE ASTRONOMICAL ALIGNMENTS FOUND FOR THE LAMPEDUSA STONEHENGE

Visual analysis will help inexpert readers to better understand the tentative alignments tested in the previous chapter.
Sunrise at Summer Solstice tentatively aligned with NE marker of main structure entrance
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Sunrise at Winter Solstice tentatively aligned with NE marker of main structure entrance
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Sunrise at Equinoxes tentatively aligned with the center of main structure entrance
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Moonrise at Lunar Standstill Extreme South Declination tentatively aligned with the axis between the center of main structure entrance and structure B
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CONCLUSIONS
The site that we have emphatically named Lampedusa Stonehenge in this paper despite its poor conservation status still reveals unexpected and surprising features worth of mention and of further research and study. My main purpose with this paper is to bring back the attention of researchers (and of all those people who care about the archeological heritage of the Lampedusa island) to the unique megalithic structures of Lampedusa, better equipped researched (I am not an archeologist) will likely confirm or reject my hypothesis, still the important point here is that renewed attention to these structure may encourage additional efforts to protect them. These megalithic structures survived for thousands years to the destructing forces of man and nature and they represent very important archeological heritage that our generation has the duty to preserve in order to pass it to the next generations.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Large circular stone structures of Lampedusa ,Diego Ratti, August 2011, MegalithicLampedusa.com Free eBooks Series 2 The Three Towers of Lampedusa Diego Ratti, August 2011 published on www.megalithiclampedusa.com Il grande cerchio di pietra degli antichi Comenses , Adriano Caspani, 2009, Ed. Terra Insubre Skywatchers : A Revised and Updated Version of Skywatchers of Ancient Mexico, Anthony F. Aveni Publisher: University of Texas Press; Revised and Updated edition (August 15, 2001) by Jean Meeus, 6.00" by 9.00", Astronomical algorithms, Jean Meeus, 2nd Edition published 1999 The significance of Monuments Richard Bradley, Ed. Routledge, 1998 The Stonehenge People, Rodney Castleden, Ed. Routledge, 2002
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Lampedusa Stonehenge

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MEGALITHIC-LAMPEDUSA.

September 2011 copyright by Diego Ratti All Rights are reserved

Large Stone structure number 1 Satellite imagery courtesy of Google Earth

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN STRUCTURE

Large Stone structure number 1 South View

by Diego Ratti, 2011

Large Stone structure number 1 South View

by Diego Ratti, 2011

Large Stone structure number 1 North View

by Diego Ratti, 2011

DESCRIPTION OF THE PERIPHERAL STRUCTURES

Main circular structure and wall (D)

by Diego Ratti, 2011

View of the peripheral structures A-B-C-D

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

Megalithic Wall (structure D)

by Diego Ratti, 2011

Megalithic Wall (structure D)

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

Modified satellite imagery via deconvolution and edge enhancement

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

ANCIENT ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY

by Diego Ratti, 2011

Horizontal system: zenith, nadir and azimuth

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

Plan of the site and Azimuth of Sunrise at the Solstices 3000 BC

by Diego Ratti, 2011

Plan of the site and Azimuth of Sunrise at the Solstices 3000 BC

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

3D MODEL OF TENTATIVE ASTRONOMICAL ALIGNMENTS FOUND FOR THE LAMPEDUSA STONEHENGE

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

by Diego Ratti, 2011

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