Pásztor Emília (szerk.): A fény régészete. A természetes fény szerepe az őskori ember életében - Bajai dolgozatok 20. (Baja, 2017)
P. Barna Judit: Fény a körben. A természetes fény és Közép-Európa legrégebbi monumentális építménye
The archaeological evidences of the effect influenced by natural light on people during Neolithic times (6000 BCE - 4500/4450 BCE) can mostly be traced by the level of features e.g. in orientation instead of symbols used as decorative motives on artefacts as seen in the Bronze Age. Orientation can be one of the characteristic elements of burials and buildings whether they be dwellings or monuments for social use. Neolithic enclosures (rondels) count among the latter the orientation of which is one of the most attended fields of study of archaeoastronomy. The astronomical characteristics of the rondels, their proven relations to luminaries - first of all to the Sun but also to the Moon or to some stars or constellations - clearly demonstrate the effects of natural light, also influencing the belief system (Figs. 2-3). The former function of the oldest monuments of Central-Europe has not yet been definitely and convincingly cleared. The number of the excavated sites is very low compared to the known enclosures. The few factual data related to the huge range of the enclosures give a free vent to conjecture (Biehl 2010). A common definition which would be valid for all the known rondels has not yet been provided despite a more than a century long history of research. Still they can be categorised into a strait class among earthworks since they have common elements and they were built upon common 2. A neolitikus napábrázolások egyik ritka példája: karcolt díszítésű napkorong, Mórágy-Tűzkődomb (Wosinsky Mór Megyei Múzeum, Szekszárdi. One of the rare examples of Neolithic sun representations: clay sun disc with engraved decoration, Mórágy-Tüzkődomb (Wosinsky Mór County Museum, Szekszárdi principles. One of these collective principles, the most crucial, is the convention ruling the orientation. The shared elements in the groundplans of the rondels are interpreted by researchers as results of the astronomical interests of the previous builders. According to their opinion the orientations of the gates of the rondels may reflect the empiric knowledge accumulated during systematic observation of the sky. 23 “T~
