Will the idea of prehistoric astronomy persist in Europe if we abandon the extremes of Tom and McKay's theories? Of course, it will. As in Ballochrome, astronomical correspondences are observed in many ancient burials on the territory of modern Europe; presumably, the cycle of motion of the Sun and Moon was considered to be connected with the cycle of human life from birth to death - and, perhaps, with the rebirth, if the ancient Europeans believed in reincarnation.
The most famous place is Newgrainge in the Boyne Valley (Ireland) - a massive stone tomb with an inner rest, built around 3500 BC. A long corridor leads from the central room to the doorway on the slope of the mound, at the foot of which there is a large boulder covered with carved spirals. Above this entrance there is an unusual construction element called the "attic slot". This narrow opening only opened after long excavations by Michael and Claire O'Kelly of Cork University. It was clogged with large pieces of quartz, which were then carefully removed. After the restoration of the entrance corridor, it was noticed that on the day of the winter solstice the sun's rays penetrated into the "attic slot", illuminated the corridor, and then into the funeral hall, located in the center of the mound. This phenomenon has made a huge impression on Claire O'Kelly:
"It's hard to be skeptical of what's happening when you see - as it was with me - how a thin ray of sunlight glides down the corridor at this darkest time of year until the darkness of the inner devil begins to dissipate. As the sun rises above the horizon, it becomes brighter inside. If you look outward, you can see a ball of sun, beautifully framed by the attic slit and delighted to realize that this is the only short period of time during the year when sunlight disperses the darkness that reigns in the ancient tomb.
A peculiar lunar observatory can be seen on the example of a group of stone circles in Scotland, united by one unusual feature: one of the stones in the circle was specially placed side by side, and the standing stones on either side of it formed the lower half of the "window". These lying stones are always located on the southern side of the circle, between the southwest and south-south-east; they are usually placed where there is a good view to the horizon in all directions. With this orientation, the moon regularly passes over the lying stone, and every 18.5 years, when the full astronomical cycle of its movement is completed, it seems to sink down and be inscribed in the frame of the stone "window". Again, this has nothing to do with accurate astronomical measurements or predictions of eclipses, but there is a direct link between celestial bodies and funeral ceremonies, as cremated human bones and pieces of milky-white quartz are often found in circles, traditionally symbolizing the ghostly moonlight.
Dr. Cliff Ruggles of Leicester University, a modern prehistoric British astronomer, is quite confident of the ritual purpose of these "observatories":
"The use of monumental stone architecture to reflect astronomical correspondences is in itself a strong argument in favor of the fact that these correspondences had a symbolic meaning, not intended for use in purely practical purposes.
Stone is hardly the most appropriate material to mark up astronomical observations, and most ancient cultures preferred to use wood for this purpose. Unlike stone, wooden landmarks can be easily moved according to the movements of celestial bodies in relation to the Earth.
Prehistoric inhabitants of Europe closely watched the sky more than 5000 years ago, but their astronomy had its secret meaning, different from the understanding of scientists of the XX century.