Analysis of Structures’ Orientations in Archaeoastronomy
Methods for the Quantitative Statistical Assessment of Peaks in Composite Probability Distributions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13018692 |
|---|---|
| Authors | J M Abril-Hernández (0000-0003-2540-5576, Universidad de Sevilla, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Publication date | 2021-12-09 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Skyscape Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2055-348X • E-ISSN: 2055-3498 |
| Publisher | Equinox Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1558/jsa.18109 |
| OpenAlex | W4200389313 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 13 |
In the scope of archaeoastronomy, the analysis of a large number of structures through the frequency histograms for their azimuths and declinations can identify singular patterns of orientation. Conclusions often rely on qualitative assessments. Quantitative assessments have been proposed by using as null hypothesis a pure random distribution of azimuths over the 360o horizon. In some cases, such as orientation of Christian churches, the histograms or spectra are composite, with peaks overlapping a continuous and not uniform background. This paper presents a methodology for assessing the statistical significance of the net area of a peak in the histogram in relation to the local background level. The spectra use Normal kernel functions. The background contribution is estimated from the area of the trapezoidal polygon under the peak, and it is interpreted as the probability parameter for a Binomial distribution. The methodology is illustrated with a real case study which includes the azimuth and declination histograms for a set of churches from southern Spain dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption. The method is more restrictive than previous approaches
Azimuth · Combinatorics · Data mining · Declination · Distribution (mathematics · Frequency distribution · Geometry · Histogram · Image (mathematics · Kernel (algebra · Mathematical analysis · Null (SQL · Orientation (vector space · Physics · Polygon (computer graphics · Set (abstract data type · Statistics · von Mises distribution · Computer Science · Historical and Architectural Studies · Historical Astronomy and Related Studies · Historical Geography and Cartography · Mathematics · Artificial Intelligence
Evidence of Churches Aligned to the Sun on the Patron Saint’s Day in Southern Spain after the Twelfth Century
Orientation of Gothic-Mudéjar Churches in Southern Spain
Inferring Alignments I
A probabilistic framework and significance test for the analysis of structural orientations in skyscape archaeology
Church Orientation in the Landscape
The Orientation of Churches
How has a Christian church been aligned towards the East? Conclusions from statistical analyses of churches built between 300 and 1300
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0.67 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2023 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |