• DOI:10.1177/002182867600700102
• Corpus ID: 118773549

The Two Megalithic Lunar Observatories at Carnac

@article{Thom1976TheTM,
  title={The Two Megalithic Lunar Observatories at Carnac},
  author={Alexander Strang Thom and Alexander Strang Thom and Jason M. Gorrie},
  journal={Journal for the History of Astronomy},
  year={1976},
  volume={7},
  pages={11 - 26}
}

• A. Thom, A. Thom, J. Gorrie
• Published 1 February 1976
• Physics
• Journal for the History of Astronomy

In a previous paper! we showed that it is probable that there were two large Megalithic lunar observatories in the Carnac area. One was centred in the large menhir on the hilltop at Le Manio and the other, on what was (before it broke and fell) the largest menhir in Europe, namely Er Grah or Le Grand Menhir Brise, At Stonehenge and at Brogar the observers worked near the main monument and looked outwards to distant foresights which were, at Brogar at least, natural features of the skyline. At Carnac on the other hand the observations seem to have been made from peripheral backsights by looking inwards to a universal foresight. Since our first paper was written we have controlled and directed much additional surveying in the area and think it likely that we have thereby uncovered several more backsights for both observatories. As a result of extensive surveys made over the years we are now able to give accurate estimates of the declinations given by most of the backsights and to correct one or two which previously depended on map estimates.