On the Orientation of Prehistoric Sardinian Monuments: a Comparative Statistical Approach

On the basis of a recently updated data base of Sardinian Megalithic monuments, we perform two independent statistical analyses on several groups of these structures and confirm the existence of differences between the southern and northern halves of Sardinia, indicating that there seem to be different traditions of orientation in these two parts of the island. We then compare the orientation of these groups with other groups of contemporaneous sacred monuments in the central Mediterranean basin. The differences observed in Sardinia could be related to differences in the orientation customs between the north and south shores of the Western Mediterranean.Peer Reviewe