46 Number 75, December 2012 Abstract We test the hypothesis that Aboriginal linear stone arrangements in New South Wales are oriented along cardinal directions. We accomplish this by measuring the azimuths of stone arrangements described on site cards held in the New South Wales Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System. We find a preference recorded on the site cards for cardinal orientations among azimuths. We then survey a subset of these sites to test the accuracy of the information recorded on the site cards. The field surveys show that the site cards are reasonably accurate, but the surveyors probably did not correct for magnetic declinations. Using Monte Carlo statistics, we show that these preferred orientations did not occur by chance and that Aboriginal people deliberately aligned these arrangements to the approximate cardinal directions. We briefly explore possible reasons for these preferred orientations and highlight the need for future work. Introduction This paper represents the first rigorous study of the orientations of stone arrangements in New South Wales (NSW), focusing on linear arrangements (‘stone rows’). Specifically, we test the hypothesis that linear stone arrangements have a preferred orientation to cardinal directions. We accessed site cards from the NSW Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHIMS) database and filtered them through a rigorous selection process to reject those with insufficient information from which to determine stone row orientations. We then measured the orientations of each stone row described in the site cards. To test the accuracy of recorded information, a subset of sites was revisited and surveyed (Figure 1). Monte Carlo statistics were used to test whether or not any preferred orientation amongst linear stone arrangements is the result of chance. Finally, we discuss future work and explore the causes for any preferred orientations. Cardinal Directions in Aboriginal Languages The concept of cardinal directions is found among several of the hundreds of Aboriginal language groups in Australia (e.g. Breen 1992, 1993; Edmonds-Wathen 2011; Haviland 1996; Kirton 1987; Laughren 1978, 1992; McGregor 1990; Yallop 1977). While many Aboriginal languages contain names or concepts for four cardinal directions, some languages contain as many as five or six (e.g. Laughren 1978; Nash 1980; Spencer and Gillen 1899). Of particular interest with respect to Aboriginal astronomy is whether these directions are based on an abstract concept of relative space, or an absolute concept based on features of the landscape (e.g. Lewis 1976), wind directions, river flow directions or the rising/setting position of the sun. Guugu Yimithirr speakers from Queensland (Qld) describe the relative position of objects or places in terms of root words that represent the cardinal directions in four general quadrants (Haviland 1979, 1993, 1996): north (gungga), east (naga), south (jiba) and west (guwa). In terms of gauging directions by solar positions, Kunwinjku speakers of the Northern Territory (NT) may refer to absolute directions according to sunrise and sunset, corresponding to abalkbang manyij (east) and wurrying manyij (west), respectively (Edmonds-Wathen 2011:222). Several language groups in Central Australia have particular words for the cardinal directions, most notable of which are the Warlpiri, who have an entire culture based on a system of cardinal directions (Laughren 1978, 1992; Nash 1980). Interestingly, Breen (1993) found that an Alyawarr community in the NT that had migrated to a different region altered the names of the cardinal points by 90°. The reason for this is currently unknown, but Breen noted that the Wangkumara (Qld) terms for east and west are based on mirla, meaning sun. The linguistic relationship between east/west and the sun is also found in the Yirandhali and other Mayi languages of Qld (Tindale 1938/39). In the Yirandhali language, the term for east is kunggari, meaning literally ‘sun get up’ (Breen 1993; Tindale 1938/39). An identical concept is found near Lake Boga, Victoria (Vic.), where east is worwalling gnowie, meaning ‘where the sun rises’, and west is purticalling gnowie, meaning ‘where the sun sets’ (Stone 1911:451). ORIENTATIONS OF LINEAR STONE ARRANGEMENTS in New South Wales Duane W. Hamacher 1,2 , Robert S. Fuller 2 and Ray P. Norris 2,3 1 Nura Gili Indigenous Programs Unit, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia <d.hamacher@unsw.edu.au> 2 Department of Indigenous Studies, Macquarie University NSW 2109, Australia <robert.fuller1@students.mq.edu.au> 3 CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, PO Box 76, Epping NSW 1710, Australia <ray.norris@csiro.au> Figure 1 Locations of stone arrangements in New South Wales used in this study. White circles indicate stone arrangements that were recorded in the site cards but were not surveyed by the authors. Red circles indicate sites that were surveyed by the authors. Blue circles indicate sites that were visited by the authors but appeared to be destroyed.