‘Linking megaliths’. A computational approach to the study of movement and mobility in the megalithic complex of Galicia (Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula)

Abstract

In this paper we study the spatial relation of more than 3,000 mounds with the natural movement through the landscape in Galicia (NW Spain). We adopt a computational approach by creating three geospatial models of pedestrian transportation networks in a GIS environment which comprised the creation of almost 19 billion routes in the whole region, taking into consideration as the mobility factors the slope, rivers, and land cover. In a second step, we generated an aggregate viewshed map using a regularly-spaced grid of observers across the region, in order to see if the megaliths are located in areas of high visual prominence. Finally, spatial statistical analyses were applied to see if the sites are situated near places that would naturally channel pedestrian movement at local and regional scales, and areas with high visibility. The results point out a clear spatial relation of the megalithic monuments with the movement through the landscape, a trend that might be common to the Atlantic façade of Europe. We argue that this relation could be interpreted as a way of connecting the daily lived human landscapes and long-distance routes which not only physically connected the communities but also enabled the expansion of funerary ideas through terrestrial routes.