SEZIONE POSTER

PREISTORIA E MUSEI IN EUROPA

28-29 APRILE 1999, ISERNIA

An archaeoastronomic open museum on the Caprione's Promontory.
(Enrico Calzolari & Davide Gori)

Some papers (Martini S., 1996; Martini S. & Barsanti C. M., 1997 and Negrino F., 1998) affirm that in Ligurian rocky territory there is no megalithism and, consequently, no archaeoastronomy. We think that on the Ligurian promontory of Caprione (oscan = kaprum) there is existence of:

• megalithism (confirmed by some geological analyses);

• sciamanism (confirmed by an empirical experience);

• archaeoastronomy (confirmed by some empirical experience). Geological analyses seem to demonstrate presence of human work on creating megalithic structures, without that this fact may be a dating test; however these "complexes" don't produce recent antropic actions.

The ara (FIG. 1) positioned in the Branzi's site (celtic = bram) is made up by:
A = Dolomia (extra - Caprione provenance ?)
B = Dolomia Saccaroide.

The ara (FIG. 2) located in the Scornia's site (celtic = skeir-na) is made up by:
A = Calcari ad Angulati
B = Dolomia Saccaroide.
The altar positioned in the Scornia's site (FIG. 3) is made up by:
A = Calcari di Portovenere
B = Dolomia Saccaroide.

The systematic occurrence of different lithotypes overlapped, in some areas without any landslides, faults or stratigraphic boundaries that could contact different rocks, would suggest an anthropic action; according to the authors, a geological approach (Fig. 4) can help to understand the Eastern Ligurian megalithism, in absence of archaeological finds (actually not yet started any excavations).

Fig. 4 - Geological stratigraphy

The sciamanism's existence is demonstrated by the experience of the "golden butterfly" (regeneration myth, relative to Neolithic cults - Gimbutas M., 1990) that appears at the summer's solstice sunset on a phallic stone opposed to the San Lorenzo's Quadrilithon and next to a vulviform figure.
The archaeoastronomy's existence is demonstrated by: · the San Lorenzo's "golden butterfly" (azimuth's range 296°- 302°); · the templum's presence in the Scornia's site, that is a cross made by two trenches (located on meridian and equinoctial lines) next to the solium (sacerdotal chair); · the entrance of sun light into the Combara Grotto (celtic = coombe) at the winter's solstice sunset (azimuth 236°); · the equinoctial alignment (FIG. 5 & 6) of San Lorenzo's Romanic church ruins (90°-270°).