Mapping the invisible sacred center of Bulverket’s interior water square: alignment to Gotlands’ northern strait and vi, and to a “system” of early medieval stone church locations and related orientations; possible evidence of a subsequent intrusive landscape pattern focused on the adjacent Tingstäde church on land
Dennis Doxtater · Research Square · 2022
Abstract This study of a cultural landscape at the cusp of the Norse – Christian transformation assumes a technical ability to accurately survey on land and ice. Beginning with probability tests of two existing vis (bisects) with vertexes at significant natural or prehistoric features to the North, these patterns are compared with the likelihood of identical geometry being created by random points in test areas. The Bulverket center and Tingstäde church on the shore of the lake create vi centered data points to map accurate three-point alignments involving two possible groups of churches. The alignments of the Bulverket focal point of the lake platform are separately tested against random phenomena producing a statistical proof that land and ice was being very accurately surveyed to align numerous churches. It follows that land surveyed azimuths to either of the center points at Tingstäde Trask (lake) and any points in their systems might create the varied orientations of these churches; they range from 14° north and 18° south of due East. At each church, pairs or triads of azimuths from other church lat/long points create squares or parallelograms whose diagonals mathematically are within one degree of church orientations measured from Swedish digital maps. This kind of geometric determination of structure orientation might have begun with the sacred Bulverket platform square itself.