Volume 3, 2025
Front Matter
Editorial
Start of 2025
Articles
The Orientation of Smintheion in Troad and its Connection to Apollonian Myths
The present research measures the orientation of the Hellenistic temple of Apollo Smintheus in Troad, and notices it aligns with the rising points of Vega and Deneb (in the constellations of Lyra and Cygnus) and commands a superb view of the Hydra-Crater-Corvus constellation group. The animals and objects presented in these asterisms appear in Apollo’s fables, which may explain this choice of orientation. In addition, the timing of events depicted in these myths are compatible with the appearance and disappearance of the relevant asterisms in the sky. This connection is also seen in other Apollo temples in Asia Minor, indicating a wider dissemination of this astronomical symbolism.
True North and Direction-Finding for Archaeoastronomy
Establishing true north is usually an important aspect of archaeoastronomic site assessment. In this paper several methods that can be used to establish true north as well as the azimuth of a sightline are considered. These methods include: by magnetic compass, by celestial observation, by GPS/GNSS coordinates, and by LiDAR, satellite and aerial photography. For each of these methods, advantages and limitations are discussed along with a few practical recommendations.