On the Orientation of Prehistoric Sardinian Monuments: a comparative statistical approach

Sardinia is without hesitation an open-air museum housing some of the most impressive megalithic and cyclopean monuments in the western Mediterranean, if not in the World. The majority of these monuments have already been investigated from the point of view of archaeoastronomy with varying results. A number of associations with different astronomical objects have been pointed out in those studies. It is interesting and intriguing to note that previous results indicate that there seems to be an invisible dividing line across the central part of the island (more or less at the 40º parallel), indicating different orientation traditions, in some of the monument typologies, notably with regard to the Tombe di Giganti.

In this paper, a reappraisal of these studies will be presented together with new data collected in recent years for new monuments of diverse typologies, including a nearly complete sample of Domus de Janas

Sardinia. Megalithic Monuments. Western Mediterranean. Statistical Analysis.