A shocking discovery has been made by researchers at the Politecnico di Torino University in Italy. In order to celebrate the shortest day and the longest day of the year while also paying homage to the gods of the sun and the sky, the doors of the ancient Roman fortress of Hardknott in modern-day England were placed so that sunlight would create an amazing light effect on the summer and winter solstices.
Discover the distinctive architecture of the Hardknott Roman fortification.Ancient Roman Fort: Perfectly Sun-Orthogonal Architecture
Many scientists have been astonished by this old square castle. According to research in the journal Philica, the Romans planned and constructed this fortress so that the sun would line up with the doors in the northeast and southwest on the summer solstice, reflect light in the other two directions, and shine on the southeast and northwest on the winter solstice.
Scientists must use specialized software to compute the angles created by sunlight on the summer solstice and the winter solstice since the Hadrianic defensive structure was constructed with such exactitude. Surprisingly, these Roman engineers were able to accomplish these calculations without the aid of modern engineering instruments, and they were also able to build these defensive buildings.
Like many other buildings in England, this ancient structure was erected by Roman troops and laborers in the year 138 AD on orders from the emperor Hadrian. Although the castle has been extensively damaged and is currently a collection of ruins, it once held 500 Roman soldiers and laborers.
Roman Emperor Hadrian was a fascinating figure. He made the first LGBT declaration by a Roman emperor. Despite his rule being full of irregularities, he was a beloved monarch among the populace.
One of the most well-known remnants of the Roman Empire in England is Hadrian’s Wall, which has an initial length of up to 117.5 km and a breadth that primarily relies on the local supply of building materials. The wall’s construction started in 122 AD, and it was finished six years later.
Ancient Roman Fort: Hadrian’s Great Wall Remains Perfectly Orthogonal to the Sun (Image via Panoramio)
The list of structures that exhibit flawless accuracy with the Sun now includes this stronghold. Although history has demonstrated that the Romans were excellent engineers and architects, scholars still struggle to understand how the ancient builders structured their places. With the help of computer simulations and high-altitude plains views, we humans today need the precision with which these structures were located.
Why did the old fortress’s architects spend so much time and effort placing it in such a secret location? Even more unclear is the “how,” despite the fact that scholars believe the piece is a tribute to the gods of the sun and sky. Similar to other pre-Roman cultures, their architecture featured odd building arrangements that mimicked the motions of stars, planets, and other celestial bodies while also producing light displays.
Stunningly Sun-Orthogonal Architecture in an Ancient Roman Fort (Image: Google Earth)
Such discoveries raise numerous concerns about the prehistoric cultures that formerly lived on Earth, such as why so many of their constructions were constructed in accordance with the information they had gathered about the positions and orbits of the stars. Why this pattern is repeated in so many cultures from Mesoamerica to Asia, on every continent of the Earth, is most important because it explains where and ultimately why these structures are structured as they are today.
