Letter: Letters: Any old alignment

From STEWART ROBERTSON

The temple at Godmanchester (‘Godmanchester’s temple of the Sun’, 23
March) is indeed impressive. But I wonder whether the claimed sophistication
of its astronomical alignments owes more to the ingenuity of Stone Age astronomers
or modern day archaeologists?

Consider: first, the 24 obelisks in the temple can be used in pairs
to sight in 266 different directions. So, by carefully choosing the right
pair of obelisks, we could probably find an alignment to coincide tolerably
with any astronomical event.

Second, alignments in the solar and lunar cycles come in matching pairs
(midwinter sunset is diametrically opposite midsummer sunrise, etc.), thus
doubling the ‘significance’ of the alignments at a stroke.

Third, only 10 of the 24 obelisks feature in these ‘obvious’ alignments,
and one of the 5 major ones is not used at all.

Finally, the festival of Beltane was unlikely to be held on 1 May, unless
the Neolithic people used the Gregorian calendar. So the alignment with
sunrise on that day must be conjectural, or the product of a circular argument.

Am I missing something?

Stewart Robertson, South Croydon, Surrey