Archaeology of the sky. Astronomical orientations in Protohistoric buildings of the south of the Iberian Peninsula

We present an archaeoastronomical analysis of the orientations of six protohistoric sanctuaries and public buildings located in archaeological sites of the south of the Iberian Peninsula (Coria del Rio, El Carambolo, Saltillo, Mesa de Setefilla, Tejada la Vieja and El Oral). This study, the first of its kind conducted on a sample of Early Iron Age sanctuaries in this geographic area, is based on the accurate measurement of the orientations defined by the buildings and the analysis of the horizon around them and reveals clear astronomical relations. In particular, religious buildings show similar characteristics and orientation towards an azimuth of 55 degrees. The regularities found seem to suggest the existence of religious beliefs and rituals linked to singular positions of the brightest celestial bodies as the Sun, Moon or Venus.