Orientation of the northern gate of the Goseck Neolithic rondel

Abstract

The two southernmost gates of the Goseck rondel, built by the Stichbandkeramik culture around 4800 BCE, were oriented to the winter solstice sunrise and sunset. The northern gate of the rondel deviates a few degrees from the Meridian line. It is suggested that this deviation from the cardinal direction is due a stellar orientation towards Edasich, which was the pole star at the time, and is thus related to the concept of the world pillar and the pole star as the top of it.