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Archaeology & Anthropology 2018 Global Journal of Research and Review
ISSN: 2393-8854 Page 19
October 01-02, 2018
London, UK
1 st Edition of international Conference on
Archaeology and
Anthropology
In archaeoastronomy, for situationswhere the azimuths between
objects and their relative positions are important but absolute
positions can be approximate, only limited options exist for rapid,
low-cost and personnel surveys to identify cases that merit in-
depth treatment. This presentation describes the field trial of an
exploratory survey method that meets the azimuth and relative
position criteria. The data set produced is used to test for possible
significance in the placing of standing stones at two ancient
temples (maraes) in the Society Islands with respect to three
hypotheses, namely: the stones line up with voyage destinations
or commemorate significant voyages; stones form an analogue
“star compass” of directions where significant navigational
stars rise and set; and stones line up at a single “freeze-frame”
epoch in the significant season of Matariki. The data set proved
adequate for eliminating certain possibilities and narrowing
the field quickly and inexpensively and is sufficiently rich to be
mined in different ways in subsequent research. Only qualified
conclusions are possible at this stage, principally because the
study has not yet been well enough situated in a cultural context.
However, for the Hauviri marae, sufficient encouragement was
perhaps given of standing stones serving some astronomical
function to warrant further work.
Recent Publications
1. Strack M and Goodwin D P (2018) More than mere
shadow: the colonial agenda of recent Treaty
settlements. Waikato Law journal. (In press).
2. Goodwin D P (2018) An exploratory survey method for
archaeoastronomy, an applied to standing stones at
the Hauviri and Taputapuātea maraes, Ra’iātea. Journal
of Archaeological Science: Reports. 18:109-120. ISSN
2352-409X.
3. Goodwin D (2017) Precession Issues in Polynesian
Archaeoastronomy. Journal of the Polynesian Society.
126(3):337-352.
4. Goodwin D (2014) literary cartography and the collecting
of place and experience, with specific reference to
collecting Arthur Ransome. Script & Print. Bulletin of the
Bibliographical Society of Australia and New Zealand.
38(3):177-190.
Biography
David Goodwin pursued his PhD at Otago University, New Zealand com-
paring persisting land tenure custom between New Zealand Māori and the
Shona and Ndebele tribes in Zimbabwe. He lectured at the University of Zim-
babwe from 1986 and at the University of Otago since 2007. His research
interests include socially-based land tenure in transition, archaeoastronomy,
literary cartography and cadastre.
Where azimuth has a bearing? rapid azimuth and relative-
position surveys in archaeoastronomy
David Goodwin
University of Otago, New Zealand
David Goodwin, Glob J Res Rev 2018, Volume 5
DOI: 10.21767/2393-8854-C1-002