- - , Algemeen, , Bibleplaces.com, Golan Heights (Biblical Bashan); Also known as Batanea, Gaulanitis, Geshur, Karnaim
Anthony Aveni , The Geometry and Astronomy of Rujm el-Hiri, a Megalithic Site in the Southern Levant, , Research at Rujm el-Hiri, a Bronze Age megalithic monument in the southern Levant,
provides a broad insight into two episodes in the prehistory of the Levant--the construction and
usage of the Early Bronze Age ceremonial complex, and the erection of a central cairn at the center
of the monument some 1500 years later. Excavations in 1988-1991 provide information on Rujm
el-Hiri's geometry, alignment associations between the architecture of the complex and celestial
bodies and events, physical elements in the landscape, and local ecology-related phenomena. We
also examine the significance of timekeeping and its implications on the agricultural calendar and
cosmological domains of the local cultures. Data drawn from archaeological, astronomical,
ethnohistorical, and biblical sources, reveal the sophistication of the 3rd millennium BC
construction phase of the Rujm el-Hiri complex. Among the finds reported are: the systematic use
of a measuring unit to construct the site, the establishment of an accurate alignment system for both
celestial and non-celestial elements in the landscape, the organization of an orientation calendar as
a basis for economic activities, and the hints of a rich cosmology. Overall, our study of the Rujm
el-Hiri megalithic phenomena reveals a level of cultural complexity not previously documented in
the 3rd millennium BC Levant.