Megalithic Studies Mid- Wales.


Click for GlossaryPop Up Glossary. Move mouse over Text and ClickClick for Glossary


Col du Petit Saint Bernard stone circle, Savoie/ la vallée d'Aoste,
to Mont Blanc meridional alignment.

Lat: 45.68*N    Long: 6.88*E.


Petit St. Bernard net

La Femme Blanc.

For this place and year, (2007 AD), the correction for magnetic to True North is about +0.5 degrees.


Le Col du Petit St. Bernard.
At the highest point of the col lies a large, 72 metre diameter, stone ellipse. .
Mont Blanc is not visible on either the French or Italian approaches to this famous pass. It is only when the observer comes within 100 metres of the stone circle on either side that the great spectacle arises between the attendant peaks.
The Col du Petit Saint Bernard, altitude 2188m/ 7178ft, is probably the most ancient route over the high Alps. It is thought to be the legendary track over which Hannibal the Carthaginian general drove elephants to assist his army in an attack on Rome. It shows much evidence of veneration through the millenia- an ancient dolmen, the 72 metre diameter ring of standing stones and the foundations of a Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter with spacious buildings are all still evident within the few hundred metres of level ground at the summit.

From modern map data we find that the longitude of this stone ring is within 1 minute 10 seconds of the longitude of the summit of Mont Blanc.
The azimuth of the summit of Mont Blanc from the ring is about 355 degrees True.


The modern road cuts through the ancient ring. Most of the more than 150 stones have gone. This may have been an example of an ellipse with a stone or dolmen at it's centre.
The French- Italian border also runs through the ring perpendicular to the road.
Ring to Mt Blanc 2 net

Summer solstice set.
Due to the high astronomical altitude of the surrounding ground we might expect the summer solstice sun to set on this rock peak. At this latitude the azimuth of the setting solsticial sun would be about 306* on a flat horizon. With this high ground off-setting the disappearance point of the sun will be displaced several degrees to the south.
286 pike net


Equinox sun set.
The azimuth of sunset at an equinox on a flat horizon would be at 270*. This high horizon would off-set the setting point to the south.
252 pike net




<<Home


Click for GlossaryPop Up Glossary. Move mouse over Text and ClickClick for Glossary


Email mewith comments or queries- powys@megalithicsites.co.uk