12. Investigating Archaeology and Astronomy at the Hurlers, Cornwall 2013-2019
From the Ground to the Sky - Ten Years of Skyscape Archaeology - Fabio Silva
Jacky Nowakowski
Carolyn Kennett
James Gossip
Cornall Archaeological Unit, UK
Brian Sheen
Roseland Observatory, UK
Description
This is a case study where the lead authors are respectively an archaeologist and an astronomer who teamed up to conduct new research into The Hurlers stone circle complex on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. They describe two research projects “Mapping the Sun” and “Reading the Hurlers” in their chapter. Archaeological excavations revealed a stone “pavement” between the central and northern circles so they used an innovative experiment to look for astronomical symbolism. By laying a yellow cloth, the colour of the local clay, along this pathway, they observed it under a full Moon and after sundown to look for the pavement’s astronomical importance. By combining the results of the excavations and astronomical surveys which took the landscape setting into account they found significant alignments between the key monuments and near and distant landmarks, as well as suggesting that the path of the Milky Way could have signified a move to spring, thereby heralding the spring’s conceptual renewal and rebirth after the long winter days.