Channel: MegalithomaniaUK

Category: Education

Tags: spainlandscape archaeologybritaincosta da morte galiciagail higginbottomdolmenphotogrammetryarchaeoastronomybronze agestonehenge toursgaliciaancient mysteriesstone circlerupert soskinarchaeologymegalith studies in stonestanding stonesprehistorydolmens of spainancient siteslong barrowhistoryastronomycosta da mortemegalithomaniapetroglyphsmegalithslandscape

Description: The second talk from Gail at Megalithomania 2021 (see her first talk here: youtu.be/hDVWU-8YRRg) looks at very different kinds of megaliths, in fact, some of the earliest megaliths in Galicia, NW Spain. Here we shall explore research done on the middle Neolithic sites of dolmens or megalithic tombs. For this work, similar to that of the standing stones of Scotland, we shall be relying heavily on the use of digital visualisation techniques, which allow us to see and analyse the kinds of landscapes the builders chose for their sites, and the extent to which astronomy played a role in their design. It is likely that these dolmens were created with a strong connection to astronomical phenomena and their surrounding landscape from their inception but in ways quite different to those of standing stones seen in western Britain. Whilst some of these dolmens were connected to the Sun, as they lit up the tombs inside and out and as was the more traditionally believed, other astronomical phenomena may well have been incorporated. Fascinatingly, these astronomical targets may also appear on the islands of Islay and Jura. Nevertheless, overall, these two wider areas of Costa da Morte and Western Scotland had vastly different natural landscapes and the landscapes that were chosen by each group for their monuments may relate to different cosmological sub-systems. Gail Higginbottom is a landscape archaeologist, cultural heritage manager and theorist whose current areas of archaeological research involve monuments, geographical and cultural landscapes, depositional behaviour and belief systems. She has acted as an international cultural heritage adviser on indigenous to historic cultural places, the existing geographical coverage of her specialist research is Europe and the study of ancient and prehistoric cultures. Major scientific investigations include the application and development of databases, geographical information systems (GIS) as well as the co-development and application of statistics. Methodological enhancement activities revolve around digital archaeology and the theoretical considerations and actual applications of these. These include the use of 3D landscape software (in-house development), use of drones and photogrammetry, and the use of tablets in the field loaded with specialist data and software to enable field observations of the night and day sky and landscape together as seen by past peoples. Gail's research program also incorporates working with ideas about materiality and human experience and the research program has a connection to many of the philosophical traditions currently used in cultural and ecological anthropology today. Lecture and Q & A recorded at the Megalithomania Online Conference 2021: megalithomania.co.uk/speakersnew.html. Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/megalithomania Megalithomania T-Shirts & Merch: teespring.com/stores/megalithomania Explore the world with Megalithomania Tours: megalithomania.co.uk/tours.html Subscribe here: youtube.com/megalithomaniaUK megalithomania.co.uk Copyright Megalithomania MMXXIl. All Rights Reserved.