ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that dolmen orientation was predominantly determined by the local terrain. The most stable axis along which the dolmen-builders could position the upright megalithic blocks was parallel to the contours of the slope. The chapter reviews approaches to orientation at fields such as Damiyeh, Jadideh and Jebel Mutawwaq, focusing especially on astronomical hypotheses, as these dominate the literature today. Most discussions of orientation have sought to define a single explanatory principle underlying the alignment of the chamber. An alternate approach stresses topography as the significant factor that determined the configuration of megalithic chambers. The efficacy of this approach is illustrated by a brief comparison of orientation and topography in the Wadi Jadideh. The effect of local topography on the morphology of dolmens at Tell er-Ras is here explored in relation to the orientation of their chambers.
