Orientaciones astronómicas en el oppidum oretano del Cerro de las Cabezas (Valdepeñas, Ciudad Real)

Abstract

We present an archaeoastronomical analysis of the orientations observed in the entrance-sanctuary and other enclosures at the Iberian oppidum Cerro de las Cabezas (Valdepeñas, Ciudad Real, Spain), located in the northern Oretania. The most important result of this work is that two of the perimeter walls of the entrance-sanctuary are oriented towards the sunrise, one at the equinoxes and the other at the summer solstice. As in other Iberian sanctuaries, an equinoctial marker is also found. This coincides with the top of one of the most distant mountains of the horizon. The possibility that other walls of the entrance-sanctuary may be oriented to the rising of several of the brightest stars in the sky is also discussed. Moreover, it is found that the east-west axis of the southern part of the oppidum (where an enclosure that some authors have interpreted as a possible sanctuary is located) is oriented approximately toward the sunrise at the winter solstice. Finally a possible alignment between the entrance-sanctuary, a necropolis located at the east and the point of the horizon where the sunrise of the winter solstice occurs is also reported.