I don't buy into archaeoastronomy, and so I left in that final sentence -- that the smaller tombs face each other and the two large tombs. The orientation of the larger tombs probably are not the same as each other, that is, they point in a general direction, possibly due to then-existing terrain (megaliths require stable ground).Archaeoastronomy Links Stone-Age Tomb Builders With SunUsing techniques from the science of archaeoastronomy, this research has already identified significant astronomical orientations in the larger focal tombs and significant patterns in the relative orientations of the monuments... Loughcrew is a nationally important archaeological landscape located 70 km north-west of Dublin in County Meath. It is the site of one of the four major passage tomb cemeteries in Ireland and dates from the Middle Neolithic (3600-3100 BC) and later... Previous investigations by archeologists indicate that these monuments were landmarks on the Neolithic landscape, and the larger focal tombs and their smaller surrounding satellite tombs would have had a major impact on prehistoric communities and their ritual and ceremonial practices. Frank Prendergast's investigations show that two of the largest focal tombs are oriented towards the rising Sun at the equinoxes... It is well known that many such tombs found elsewhere in Ireland and beyond, such as at Newgrange, are oriented towards the direction of the rising Sun on the solstices... [A]t Loughcrew, there is a pattern of orientation between many of the smaller satellite tombs -- both towards each other and towards the two focal tombs.
Dublin - Apr 22, 2003
I do. I remember in my youth, before TV and wide-spread use of air conditioning, we spent many evenings outside staring at the heavens. I expect our ancestors did too. Albeit, I think some make astronomy connections where there are none.
I remember a book, I think it was "Stonehenge Decoded" or something like that. Quite persuasive on the astronomy part.