THE

WORLD'S
OLDEST
CONCRETE
REPRESENTATION
OF
ASTRONOMICAL
PHENOMENA: THE DOLMEN OF SOTO
E Fuentesal, A.Gorostiza, C. Lozano, C. lvarez,
F. J. lvarez, M. Gonzlez,M. M. Reina
Aljaraque Observatory (Cdigo MPC J32)
C/ Doctor Juan Rivera N 28, Pta. 10
Alajaraque Huelva - Spain

BACKGROUND
Until the middle of this decade, and despite work on
archaeo-astronomy have appeared in recent years, was
regarded in scientific circles that the oldest
representations of the sky were the work of Egyptian
civilization dated to year1400 BC . The discovery of the
disk of Nebra in Germany led to a convulsion in the
world of archeology and prehistory since not only dated
from around 1600BC but implied that the Central
European peoples wich were not considered with an
advanced level of knowledge were the authors of this
representation of heaven.
Research carried out by members of the Andromeda
Astronomical Society of Huelva in the Dolmen of Soto
during the past two years can completely revolutionize
the concept that until now have of the astronomical
knowledge of prehistoric man and pointing to that date as
early as the end of the Neolithic and Copper principles,
namely the Chalcolithic Period (3000-2500 BC), this
town south of the Iberian Peninsula had much more
advanced astronomical knowledge of what can be
inferred from findings such as the Disc of Nebra.

Fig.1 Disc of Nebra interpretation according to Dr. Wolfhard

Schlosser (Univ. of Bochum, Germany)

THE DOLMEN OF SOTO

The research has been conducted in the Dolmen de Soto, a
burial megalithic building found in the province of Huelva
(Southwestern Spain) on a farm over the "cabecillo of
Zancarrn" (Zancarron hill) in the municipality of
Trigueros (37 23 'N - 6 50 'W). It is the largest of those
in the province(the second largest in the Iberian peninsula)
and consists of granite sandstone and slate ortostratos
(vertical stone slabs), with a size each of them measuring
between a length of 3.25 m. to 4.25 m, a width of 1.25 m.
to 3.10 m and a thickness of 0.55 m. to 0.75 m.
The Dolmen was discovered in 1922 by the owner of the
property Mr. Armando Soto, and he found the human
remains of eight people along with grave goods that
accompanied them consists primarily of stone axes,
decorated pottery and some marine fossils. There was also
a table or altar today missing and on the walls a series of
prints carved in the stones. All these were recorded and
interpreted by archaeologists as symbolic figures
representing people and arrows, etc. But in the slab No. 31
on the left wall there are a number of points recorded on
the stone that had been interpreted by the generic name of
cazoletas(bowls).

Fig. 2 Disc of Nebra

Fig. 3 No.31 Left slab situation at the dolmen.

THE DISCOVERY
It was precisely the disposition of these "bowls" seen in
an old photo taken at the date of the dolmen discovery
what caught our attention: the distribution of some of
them immediately reminded us something familiar,
nothing more and nothing less that the Orion
constellation.
I almost ran out of time to communicate to other
members of the Association and decided that the subject
deserved serious study. Organize a visit to the Dolmen
and took photos and measurements of the slab No.31
for further study. The first thing we saw was that the
photo of 1923 covered only a part of the slab and above
what Orion had seemed to be more "bowls", and below
even find others who had been buried by a layer of
gravel arranged on the floor of the dolmen to drainage.
It was on this material that we have done the research
that has led to the following results:

Fig. 4 Members of the Association: Below Left to Rt E. Fuentesal,

M. Gonzlez,. C. Lozano And A Gorostiza, Standing F.J. Alvarez,
behind the camera C. lvarez.

We are in front of a stone made heavens chart carved

between 4500 and 5000 years ago!, So-called "bowls",
a total of 44, are actually representations of stars
arranged in groups of constellations so basically agree
with the constellation distribution traditionally
performed in the West: in the core group is obvious the
inclined arrangement of Orion's Belt and the Sword and
the triangular arrangement above Betelgeuse and
Bellatrix Meissa right accompanied by two of the arch.
Bottom at right of Orions belt can clearly identify
Rigel and Cursa and a little displaced from its real
location we can see Saiph.
Above Orion we see the group of points corresponding
to the constellation of Taurus forming a "V" tilted to the
left, in which is notable for its size Aldebaran, being
observed clearly the group of the Hyades and at left in
his correct place
Elnath and zeta Tauri.

Fig. 5 No.31 Left slab

Lower left of Orion Sirius appears and we see below the

triangle formed by delta, eta and epsilon Canis Majoris
accompanied by another point. To the right of Sirius we
can see three other points that correspond to as many
stars in the constellation something displaced. above
Sirius two points correspond to stars of Monoceros.
The lower right group of Canis major correspond from
top to bottom and from left to right, (unless the biggest
bowl) to alpha beta and gamma Columbae. The triangle
on the bottom left correspond to three stars of Puppis.
We left for the final bowl which is more down to earth
with the group of Columba as for the reasons explained
in the interpretation of the slab correspond to alpha
Carinae, Canopus, invisible star from the latitude where
the Dolmen is sited.

Fig. 6 Traced on paper from No.31 Left slab

Fig. 8 Top of the No.31 left slab

interpretation

and the star map

The first constellation rising in the sky on the horizon at

nightfall is Taurus, in the latitude where the dolmen is
located, just in the East in the autumnal equinox .We
find that Taurus is the first one carved on the slab, and if
we follow the Taurus constellation in its southward drift
throughout the night until the next day dawns, we will
see Taurus appear as carrying the constellations Orion,
Canis Major, Columba and Puppis one after the other
and in the same order they appear represented on the
stone and. .. What great star , not visible from these
latitudes 4500-5000 years ago would be exactly in the
South the day of the Autumn Equinox just below the
horizon? Neither more nor less than Canopus. Not by
chance is represented in the loweer edge of the slab
wich is situated on the south wall of Dolmen.

Fig. 7 Bottom of No.31 left slab. Hauser and Menet

phototype made in 1923 and the star map interpretation.

INTERPRETATION
Dolmen of Soto is oriented east-west direction
as the vast majority of the Atlantic Europe
dolmens as demonstrated in his study M.
Belmonte and JA Hoskin (Reflejo del cosmos
edited by Sirius) (* 3), this implies that from the
dolmen corridor bottom where the altar was
located the sun was visible only in the equinox,
thus serving also as the dolmen solar
calendar.We must take into account that it is a
farmers and ranchers civilization and that
autumnal equinox date knowledge was essential
to begin planting crops. And what does this have
to do with the representation of the slab?.

It seems that these prehistoric people were well aware

of not only the visible sky but had knowledge of the sky
that was still farther south in the horizon and left it
craved in stone.
This could be interpreted as knowledge of other towns
farther south might have been transferred from
generation to generation either within themselves in
their northward migrations or just stolen from other
people as war booty. This vital information to ensure
the success of crops and thus the survival of the people
could justify his transfer as the most precious
treasure.
We certainly are in front of the world's oldest concrete
representation of astronomical phenomena known until
today.

References:
1.- Haral Meller: EL DISCO CELESTE DE NEBRA.
Investigacin y Ciencia n 335, pgs. 70-75; Barcelona
2004
2.- Wolfhard Schlosser: EL DISCO DE NEBRA, UN
CALENDARIO AGRCOLA?. Investigacin y Ciencia
n 335, pgs. 76-84; Barcelona 2004
3.- Jos Antonio Belmonte y Michael Hoskin:
REFLEJO DEL COSMOS. Equipo Sirius; Madrid
2002
4.- EL DOLMEN DE SOTO (TRIGUEROS,
HUELVA) en Boletn de la Sociedad Espaola de
Excursiones, 1924

Contact the autor:

observatorio.aljaraque@gmail.com

Fig. 9 Orion constellation 4.000 years ago as

you could see from the dolmen
Fig. 10 Interpretation of No.31 Left slab
bowls