51-61

Articles

• Blomberg, Mary
• Henriksson, Goran

We present the results of our archaeoastronomical study of the villa and the tripartite shrine atVathypetro. We found orientations to three major celestial events (counting the equinoxes as one):to sunrise at the equinoxes and the winter solstice in the case of the villa and to sunset at thesummer solstice in the case of the tripartite shrine. The axis of symmetry of the major room of thevilla was oriented to sunrise on the 22nd of October in the Late Minoan period. This was also theorientation of the axis of symmetry of the main cult room in the west wing of the palace at Malia.We propose that this orientation marked the time for planting and thus the beginning of theagricultural year.It is unusual that archaeoastronomical studies make contributions to historical debates.However certain orientations dating after Late Minoan I seem to reflect the Mycenaean presence inCrete. The orientation of the tripartite shrine to sunset at the summer solstice is the same as theorientations of the small shrines at Malia and Agia Triada, all of which we argue to have been builtfor Mycenaeans. We propose that there are two types of orientations in the island: those to the eastwithin the limits for sunrise - made by Minoans, and some to the west - made by (or for)Mycenaeans.

• History and Archaeology

• Αρχαιολογία

Archaeoastronomy, Aegean Bronze Age, Minoan, Mycenaean, Bronze Age Crete, Tripartite Shrine