"Studies of ancient monuments and buildings have shown that many of them were
astronomically oriented. The examination of the orientations of the structures constructed
by past cultures can thus reveal previously unknown details of their astronomical
knowledge, calendric practices and religious beliefs.
In this thesis, the orientations of two types of structures from prehistoric and early
historical Finland were investigated: the Giants’ Churches (GCs), which are large
Neolithic (ca. 1800 – 3000 BCE) stone enclosures situated mainly on the ancient coast of
Ostrobothnia, and the medieval stone churches of Finland (ca. 1300 – 1550 CE)."