Ritual Landscapes and Sacred Spaces: A Landscape Archaeology Perspective on Megalithic and Neolithic Monument Complexes An Investigation of Spatial Organization, Phenomenology, and Social Memory in Prehistoric Ritual Sites

Ritual landscapes, particularly those involving megalithic and Neolithic monument complexes, function as multisensory, performative spaces that encode cosmological beliefs and social relationships. This study reveals how prehistoric communities constructed sacred geographies through carefully choreographed spatial organization, leveraging topography, celestial phenomena, and environmental contexts. Using a combination of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis, viewshed modeling, and phenomenological surveys, researchers demonstrate that these landscapes served as theaters of memory, where communities negotiated identity, power, and cosmological understanding through embodied practices. Comparative case studies from Stonehenge, Avebury, the Orkney Islands, and Brú na Bóinne highlight the interconnections between monument morphology and social memory, offering new insights into how prehistoric societies ritualized their environments.

M., B. (2025). Ritual Landscapes and Sacred Spaces: A Landscape Archaeology Perspective on Megalithic and Neolithic Monument Complexes An Investigation of Spatial Organization, Phenomenology, and Social Memory in Prehistoric Ritual Sites. International Journal of History and Archaeology Research Studies (IJHARS), 2(4), 111. https://doi.org/10.63090/ijhars/3049.1622.0024