A ‘Travel and Culture’ article on the island of Lampedusa, in a weekend newspaper pointed to ancient prehistoric artefacts as possible megalithic temples. A close look at the site proved the ancient remnant as a megalithic calendar. A closer study of the ancient remains from what was provided on an internet site dedicated to the history of Lampedusa provided much food for thought.
The remains of the so called megalithic temple conformed dimensionally to the early megalithic calendar on Malta. In form it is an enclosure with a narrow doorway opposite of which is a horse-shoe apse. Axial alignment is North 15deg East. The field of view from a focal point inside the doorway is roughly about 36deg. Which would give an equinox to solstice angle of ~18deg at latitude ~35.5deg.
The equinox to solstice angle – ~18deg – (viewing angle) is same as that of the Maltese calendar of comparable shape; the very early type, pre 5200bce. That indicates an Earth obliquity much lower than established belief.
A second point is the axial orientation, indicating a rotation of about 75deg CCW from an East direction. In contrast the early calendars on the Maltese islands are rotated CW about 88deg, but in two distinctive abrupt steps. This points to tectonic events in the central Mediterranean.
Geologically, between the Maltese islands and Lampedusa lie an extensive and complex series of grabens of neotectonic nature. J.P. van Dijk, & P.J.J. Scheepers in “Neotectonic rotations in the Calabrian Arc; implications for a Pliocene-Recent geodynamic scenario for the Central Mediterranean”, say “In order to be able to find the mechanism which may have caused the rotations, spatial as well as temporal aspects of the evolution of the Central Mediterranean have to be considered in combination. Therefore, it is crucial to establish the precise timing and location of tectonic rotations.” In the paper the authors proposed rotational models. It appears that the ‘ball-bearing’ model is a good fit.
These archaeological structures indeed illuminate and question established ‘beliefs’. Tectonically they provide both ‘spatial as well as temporal aspects of the evolution of the Central Mediterranean’, by indicating the place and the date of rotations. The dimensions of the structures themselves, namely a viewing angle equinox-to-solstice of ~18deg seriously question an Earth tilt limited to 22-24deg for millions of years.
Final note: both early and later types of calendar were successfully tested in model form. That they are calendars is considered unquestionable.
Melitamegalithic 