Archaeoastronomy and the orientation of churches in the Jesuit missions of north-western New Spain

Abstract

We present an extensive archaeoastronomical study of the orientations of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Jesuit churches in the lands of the historic viceroyalty of New Spain. Our sample includes forty-one chapels and churches located mainly in present-day Mexico, which documentary sources indicate were built by the Society, and for which we measured the azimuths and heights of the horizon of their principal axes using satellite imagery and digital elevation models. Our results show that neither the orientation diagram nor the statistical analysis derived from the sample declination histogram can select a particular orientation pattern with an adequate level of confidence. We suggest some possible explanations for our results, discussing these North American churches within a broader cultural and geographical context that includes previous studies involving Jesuit mission churches in South America. Based on the analysis of the data presented here, we conclude that the orientation of Jesuit churches in the viceroyalty of New Spain most likely does not follow a well-defined prescription.