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Archaeo-astronomy - (Prehistoric
astronomy)
For a long time now,
the scientific establishment has shown disregard and resistance to the idea of
astronomy having been practiced in prehistory. Thankfully, the question of
whether astronomy was practiced is now beyond debate, and the doors are now
opened for us to discover the extent of this knowledge in the past.
The earliest suggestion of an
astronomical record have been realised in the shape of notched bones, a
finding which A. Marshak and other have interpreted as Palaeolithic lunar counts.
While this theory is by no means substantiated, there are several
ancient structures which have a clear astronomical nature in their
design. The high frequency of association between megaliths and
astronomy illustrates the complimentary nature of both arts in prehistory.
The following examples speak for themselves...
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A Chronology of Ancient Astronomers.
The first suggestions of human
astronomical observation come from the Palaeolithic past.
(Noticeably...There are no finds from before the emergence of
Cro-Magnon).
 35,000 - 33,000 BC
- Decorated baboon fibula with 29 parallel incised notches from Kwazulu
border cave, Africa. (4)
The oldest image of
a star pattern, that of the famous constellation of Orion, has
been recognised on an ivory tablet some 32,500 years old
(BBC - Science/nature)
32,000
BC - Lunar notations
found on remains in W. Siberia.
(Ref: Science CXLVI, Nov 6, 1964).
22,000 BC
- Artefacts to record the solar year and phases of the moon from Ma'alta, Siberia.
(4)
The 'fertility goddess /
mother-earth' figure from Loussel, near Eyzles in France -
(right), holds a crescent-conch shape with 13-lines on it. It has
been suggested that the 13 lines refer to the 13 lunar cycles each
year.
Refer to Alexander Marshak for further
examples.
9,000 -
8,000 BC - Bone plaque with lunar notations from Grotte Dutai, W. France.
(4)
7 ,180 -
6,140 BC - C-14 dates for the 'car park' post holes 250m NW of
Stonehenge circle.
Each
once contained a Pine trunk (1.5-2m Diameter), which align to the
positions of the sun and moon with 'extreme accuracy'. (5)
6,850 BC - Tumulus of St. Michael, Carnac - orientated
east-west.
6,500 BC - Engraved bone with lunar notations from
Ishango, Congo. (4)
4 ,500 BC -
Carnac.
(Cairn-ac)
Aligned to midsummer sunrise through rectangular enclosure which
encompasses a 3:4:5 triangle, pointing in the direction 36' 52'
NE, (which is the same as its own latitude - a phenomena repeated at
Stonehenge). Also lunar observations at
Er-Grah, as determined by Prof.
A. Thom.
4,000 BC - Sumerians
(Shumer- 'Shem' - 'points to sky',
'pointed stone marker'),
The Sumerians were extremely advanced in astronomy.
They recorded the sun at the centre of the solar system and
ancient seals show all the planets in their correct sequence. They
considered the New-year to begin at the exact moment when the Sun
crossed the spring equinox.
The 25,000 texts devoted to Astronomy and Astrology found in the
ruins if the Nineveh library of
Ashurbanipal
bear
witness to the Sumerian fascination with the spheres.
The Sumerians called the twelve
major zodiacal constellations the 'Shiny herd'.
|
Sumerian |
Translation |
Modern name |
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GU.AN.NA
MASH.TAB.BA
DUB
UR.GULA
AB.SIN
ZI.BA.AN.NA
GIR.TAB
PA.BIL (Archer)
SUHUR.MASH
GU
SIM.MAH
KU.MAL
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Heavenly Bull
Twins
Pincers, Tongs
Lion
Her father was Sin
Heavenly Fate
Which claws and cuts
Defender
Goat-Fish
Lord of the waters
Fishes
Field dweller
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Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
Aries
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An extra planet is claimed
to be present on the ancient seal below (VA/243. State museum, East
Berlin) (23).
Whichever planets they may been
intended
to represent, the smaller 'planets' certainly appear to be
surrounding the larger, sun-like object in the centre.
3,500 - 3,000 BC - Malta. Temples orientated
to astronomically significant moments of the solar and lunar cycle
(see Mnajdra). Discovery of pottery
with astronomical marking on. (see below).
From Hagar-Qim
(left), and Tal Qadi (right)
(More about Malta)
3 ,300 BC -
Boyne Valley, County Meath, Ireland - The
Newgrange
passage is aligned to midwinter sunrise.
Knowth and
Dowth passage
mounds similarly aligned and orientated towards important solar
and lunar events creating an observatory capable of calculating
both cycles accurately.
BBC News Article:
Thursday, 22 April, 1999
A map of the Moon 10-times older than anything
known before has been found carved into stone at one of Ireland's
most ancient and mysterious Neolithic sites.
It has been identified by Dr Philip Stooke, of
the University of Western Ontario, Canada. He spends most of his
time preparing maps of asteroids based on spacecraft observations,
but he has also prepared detailed maps of the Moon.
What puzzled him greatly was that there was no
recorded map of the Moon older than about 500 years. "I simply
could not believe this," he told BBC News Online. "I felt there
just had to be an older map somewhere."
Prehistoric tombs
So he began looking in old manuscripts and
history books as well as in the records of excavations of the
Neolithic sites on the British Isles.
Then he found one. It took the eye of an expert
to see it for what it was. It was carved into a rock in one of
Ireland's most remarkable prehistoric tombs at Knowth, County
Meath.
"I was amazed when I saw it. Place the markings
over a picture of the full Moon and you will see that they line
up. It is without doubt a map of the Moon, the most ancient one
ever found," said Dr Stooke.
"It's all there in the carving. You can see the
overall pattern of the lunar features, from features such as Mare
Humorun through to Mare Crisium."
Before this discovery, the oldest known map of
the Moon was by Leonardo da Vinci, drawn about 1505. The Knowth
map is 10-times older.
Knowth is already a major focus of research
into understanding prehistoric man. Now, it will become one of the
most important scientific sites in the world.
"The people who carved this Moon map were the
first scientists," said Dr Stooke. "They knew a great deal about
the motion of the Moon. They were not primitive at all."
The passage tomb at Knowth is estimated to be
about 5,000 years old. It was obviously built by men who had a
sophisticated understanding of the motions of the Sun, Moon and
stars.
It is known that many stone circles and ancient
tombs are aligned with the Sun but less attention has been paid to
possible lunar alignments. This is despite the fact that at
certain times the Moon can rise or set at any location on the
horizon that the Sun can.
Investigations at Knowth almost 20 years ago
showed that at certain times moonlight could shine down the
eastern passage of the tomb.
Remarkably, the moonlight would also fall on
the Neolithic lunar map.
During excavations, the stone in question was
named Orthostat 47. Its right-hand section contains a series of
arcs.
The circular limb of the moon is not included
in the carving. Dr Stooke believes that it may have been drawn on
the rock with chalk or with coloured paint.
(Ref:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/325290.stm)
(More about the Boyne Valley,
Ireland)
3,300 BC - Several
monuments in Carnac area dismantled and re-used for new
constructions. The original monuments were built around 4,000 BC.
According to radio-carbon dating at Giza, at around the major constructions
are built at the Giza complex at
around this time:
Radio-carbon dating at
Giza.
29th June 3123 BC - A Sumerian clay
tablet has been translated which records an asteroid approach on
collision course is documented by a Sumerian astronomer (the
collision occurred near modern Koefel, Austria). (1)
3 ,114 BC
(Aug 13) - The Mayan 'long count' begins.
The great cycle was believed to last for 13 baktuns - 1,872,000
days. The present cycle comes to an end on 22 December 2012 AD.
The
Mayans used two calendars with each day having two names, the
first a repeating cycle of 260 days, called a 'tzolkin', and the
second a 'vague' year of 365 days called a 'haab'. The year was
composed of 360 days divided into 18 months of 20 days each plus a
short month of 5 extra days and the intercalary days. Using the
dual calendar system, any specific combination of day names did
not occur for a period of 52 'vague' years (52 x 365 = 18,980 = 73
x 260). The 5+ intercalcular days were considered unlucky. The
'Dresden codex' contains tables for the prediction of eclipses.
3 ,100 BC - The
Stonehenge bank
and 'Aubrey holes' first placed. (Lunar alignments only).
3,100 BC - The Giza Complex, Egypt. This
most ancient site has several
astronomical features, in particular, the polar-shafts in each
pyramid, cut to face the pole-star at the time of construction.
The 'Star-shafts' in Khufu's pyramid, said to align to both Orion
and Sirius, and not forgetting of course the majestic sphinx, which
sits facing the rising sun on the solstices.
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Astronomy -
Prehistoric to Present:
2,800 - 2,500 BC
- Metsamor, in
Turkey shows evidence of astronomy and the first ever zodiacal division of
the heavens into 12 equal parts
2,400 BC - The canons of the Chinese emperor
say, 'In the lifetime of Yao, the sun did not set for ten full days and
the entire land was flooded (by an immense wave), that reached the
sky'.
2,137 BC - (April 26) - Two official astrologers of Emperor Chung Kang, who
were paid mainly to predict eclipses so that the population could
be told in advance not to panic, got stone drunk on rice wine on
this day and forgot to give the warning. Neither could they, as
custom required, stand up and shoot arrows at the monster
devouring the sun. So the culprits were decapitated on the spot,
and since then Chinese astrologers drink nothing but water when
eclipses are expected. (13)
2,000 BC -
Callanish,
In the Outer Hebrides on the Isle of Lewis. An avenue of stones
points to Mount Clisham, where the midsummer moon-set occurs from
Callanish. Because the complex lies only 1.3 degrees south of the
Arctic latitude for the moon, so that ancient observers would have been
able to see the moon appearing to stand still about one degree
above the horizon. This 18.6 year cycle is the same as that
recorded at Stonehenge. Both avenues of stones allowed ancient
astronomers to observe what is called the 'moon's wobble', a small
amplitude ripple of the moons declination at extreme positions. It
is possibly significant that with both sites having key
observation stones in similar geometry, and with Callanish
situated at a latitude where the moon appears to skim the horizon,
while at Stonehenge, the extreme positions of the moon appear at
right angles to the Sun; it makes Earth's curvature obvious and
from that the calculations necessary to determine its size. (9).
The Star Chart at Thebes. - Shows the Goddess 'Nut' surrounded by the
12 signs of the Zodiac. It also depicts the 12 hours of the day
and night. The top portrays the Planets Mercury and Venus side by
side with the sun. Earth, Moon and Jupiter sit in their barques on
the left. The right side shows the planets Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
and Pluto in their correct sequences. Above the head of the
Goddess is an extra planet with a large trajectory.
4th Cent BC - A belief existed at the
time of Aristotle that a comet had once joined the solar
system as a planet. This theory was later expanded by Velikovsky,
who believed the story to be a reference to the appearance of
Venus.
3rd Cent BC - Aristarchus
of Samos suggests that the motions of the heavenly bodies could
better be explained if the Sun - and not the Earth - was in the
centre.
2nd
Cent BC - Hipparchus,
who lived in Asia Minor, discussed 'the displacement of the
solstice and equinoctial signs'. (23) A clear reference to the
phenomena called the
precession of the equinoxes, which some people suggest was
understood a long time before this.
1st
Cent BC - Diodorus
Siculus,
the historian, states that...'the Chaldeans named the
planets…in the centre of their system was the Sun, the greatest
light, of which the planets were offspring'. (23).
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The fossilised Astrolabe.
 83 BC -
A Mechanical device for working out the
motions of the sun, moon and planets
(based on number and relationship of over 30 gears).
Found underwater off Antikythera Island, Greece, 1901 (Current
Location:
National museum, Athens). Examined by Derek De Solla Price with
x-ray. It is made of different metal alloys with 1/10 mm precision
teeth.
Ref: Readers digest into the unknown, 1981. ISBN 0-89577-098-9
(+13)
(Other
Astronomical artefacts) |
2nd
Cent AD - Ptolemy
in Alexandria states categorically that the Sun, Moon and five
planets rotated around the Earth. A belief that lingers for over
1000 years.
1543 AD -
Nicolaus Copernicus
suggests / re-discovers that the we are part of a Heliocentric system.
(23).
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Astronomy and the Megaliths.
For
a long time, megaliths were considered to have had primarily
funerary purposes, which is reflected in the names given them
such as 'Chamber tombs', 'Burial-mounds', 'Passage graves',
'Gallery graves' etc. This assumption is now in doubt...
 The idea that
pre-historic people might have been knowledgeable in the field
of astronomy is still received with the greatest of caution.
However, the accurate astronomical orientation of so many
ancient megaliths leaves no doubt as to the importance of
astronomy to the builders.
Sir N. Lockyer pioneered many fields of research, one of which
was the idea of astronomically aligned ancient megaliths and
temples. His realisation that many temples showed several
different adjustments to their alignments, with records to date
the changes, ultimately leading to the creation of the field of
science which we now know as archaeo-astronomy.
He made a
study of the alignment and orientation of megaliths at Lands-end
early in the 20th century in order to support his astronomical
observation theory. His work was later followed up by J.
Michell, who showed (i.e. at
Boscawen-un)
that geometric
alignments existed between megalithic sites, as well as astronomical
ones (i.e. at
Stonehenge,
also first incidentally realised by Lockyer).
Light-boxes - The incorporation of light boxes
into megaliths is one of the few direct proofs of the link between megaliths
and astronomy. In Egypt, the earliest pyramids all contain 'polar-shafts',
and in the UK, all the known megaliths containing light-boxes are
known to be aligned with solar events, (i.e. the equinoxes or solstice)
Carrowkeel
- (summer and winter solstice, Lunar standstill)
Maes Howe - (Winter solstice).
The Megalithic yard:
Prof Alexander Thom determined the presence of both
geometry and astronomy at hundreds of prehistoric sites across Europe. His
findings confirmed the accuracy of numerous astronomically
orientated megalithic sites, and also revealed the use of geometry in the
design of megalithic circles, including the use of 3:4:5 triangles and the 'megalithic yard', a
common unit of measurement, which he suggested was used throughout
prehistoric Europe.
It is suggested that the Megalithic yard is a natural product of
astronomical observation.
(More about Alexander Thom and the Megalithic
Yard)
Obliquity of the Ecliptic -
Refers to the
astronomical phenomena also known as "obliqueness of the ecliptic" (not to
be confused with the other astronomical phenomenon known as "Precession".
Since the Earth is tilted on its axis in respect to the plane of the solar
system, the resulting angle when viewed from earth causes the
planets of our solar system to travel across the sky in a line called
the plane of the ecliptic.
At present our earth is tilted
at an angle of around 23 ˚
27'
00", but
this is not constant. The earth's axis oscillates slowly between
22˚
01' 00" to an extreme of 24˚
05' 00".
This cycle (repeating itself from one extreme to the other and
back) takes roughly 41,000 years to complete.
This technique
was used to date the
Kalassaya temple at Tiahuanaco,
which suggested a tilt of the earth's axis amounting
to 23˚
8' 48", indicating a date of 15,000 B.C.
 The Giza complex in Egypt
shows numerous geometric and astronomical references in its design. Pi (л) in
the exterior dimensions of the Great pyramid, the 3:4:5 triangle in the
dimensions of the 'Kings chamber' of the 'Great pyramid', and the sacred
mean (0.618) in the overall layout of the site.
Giza offers a unique view of
the prehistoric imagination and potential. The incorporation of such
significant mathematical figures at Giza was a statement quite separate from
any of the traditional funerary aspects associated with pyramid building.
The exhibition of such geometric and constructional excellence
occasionally overshadows the astronomical features of the site, which are of
equal significance.
Davidson (ref), showed how the shadow cast by the Great pyramid could have
been used to measure the solstice, equinoxes and quarter periods of the
year.
(More about The Giza complex)
In ancient Egypt, religion and
astronomy were irrevocably entwined,
resulting in the complex mythological tapestry as seen in the 'Book of the
dead' and the so called 'pyramid texts', which simultaneously describe both
the journey of the sun in its daily cycle and of the soul passing into the
underworld. These texts are found first in fifth dynasty pyramids before
which time,
pyramids
appear to have been unadorned.
The prevalent association
between megaliths and astronomy is the same around the ancient world.
Secondary association through alignments of sites and their specific
placement has revealed such a frequency of association that there is now no
longer any doubting the connection.
The 'Metonic Cycle': The Metonic cycle is attributed to the Greek
mathematician/astronomer
Meton
(4th cent. BC). Who identified the synchroous cycles of the Sun
and Moon over a period of nineteen Solar years, during which the Moon has
235 Lunations, with an error of only two hours.
It is noted that at
Stonehenge, there are 19 dressed
Blue-stones within the sarsen circle of (originally 30) upright stones. The
largest menhir in France (now fallen),
Le Grande Menhir Brise, was once a
part of a huge construction consisting of 19 menhirs of decreasing size, and
the large stone in the back of the adjacent
La Table des Marchands has 19
crescent shapes scored on either side of it.
How far back the Metonic cycle was recognised is
still a matter of debate, but there is no doubt that the European megalithic
builders were measuring both lunar and solar cycles at the same time, as
testified by the great Boyne Valley
complex, where all the minor and major setting points of both cycles
were determined through orientations and alignments of the three great
passage mounds Newgrange,
Knowth and Dowth.
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The 'Precession of the Equinoxes'.
The
Precessionary Cycle -
The precession
of the equinoxes refers to the celestial phenomena that appears in the
skies over a period spanning 25,920 years, during which time the constellations
appear to rotate around the heavens, taking turns at rising on the horizon just before
the rising sun on the vernal equinox.
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The Precession of the equinoxes = 25,920 yrs = (360°)
The sky is divided into 12
constellations:
(25,920 / 12 = 2,160)
A New sign appears on the horizon each
2,160 yrs (30°)
Note: (2 x 2,160 or 12 x 360 =
4,320 yrs)
Therefore
to
move 1°
on the horizon = 72 yrs.
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This remarkable cycle is due to a synchronicity between the speed of the
earth's rotation around the sun, and the rotational speed of the galaxy.
It has been observed that certain myths, sacred
texts and ancient buildings have these figures ‘stored’ within them, as numerical units which are
common throughout the ancient world.
(Click here for
more about Precession)
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Changing cardinal points.
(Geomagnetic Reversals
and the wandering poles).
Geomagnetic reversals:
It is now recognised that the geomagnetic field of the Earth operates in a
cycle that involves the regular reversal of the magnetic poles.
Geological evidence confirms this fact, and traces of metals such
as iron in rocks show that the cycle has been operating for as far
back as we are able to detect. According to the evidence, we
should be expecting a reversal of the magnetic poles imminently.
'Last geomagnetic reversal of
poles - 10,400 BC'.
Ref: Nature Vol 24, 27 Dec
1971, P17.
Ref: New Scientist, 6 Jan 1972, P7.
' Next expected reversal of
magnetic poles - 2,030 AD'.
Ref : Nature, 12 Feb. 1976.
'The
reversal is occurring now'.
Ref:
BBC. Open university 2004 -
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Supporting evidence for past
'Geomagnetic-reversals' -
An
old star chart, showing the zodiac and other
constellations, was found on the ceiling of Senmet's grave. He was
the architect of Queen Hatshepsut. The Southern view is
reversed and the constellation of Orion seems to move towards
the East in the opposite direction. All in all, the chart displays
a switching of North and South, East and West. (Could this
be an image of the skies as they were before the poles switched ).
The grave contains one more map, its arrangement of celestial
bodies looks as we know it today. However, all constellations have
been shifted. The range of procession cannot sufficiently explain
this strong deviation. It is claimed that the map was passed down
from distant generations, in which at some point in the 26,000
years of the processional cycle the constellations actually
coincided with the locations given in the chart. (8).
Upper and Lower Egypt are named in reverse geographically.
Egyptian texts clearly state that the 'South became the North
and the Earth bends forward', that the stars stopped living in
the West and now appear from the East. They had different names
for the Western and Eastern sun. (8).
The Koran names two Easts and two Wests. (8).
During the lifetime of their ancestors, the sun is said to have
risen where it now sets. The Chinese spoke of a new
order. Only since then have the stars been moving from East to
West.
Velikovsky observed that the Chinese signs of the zodiac
follow each other in the reversed direction - opposite to
the course of the sun today.
According to the old Chinese chronicle "Schu-King", the
cardinal points were redefined, the motion and rising of sun,
moon and the constellations recalculated and recorded, as well as
the length of the seasons accordingly adopted. (8).
In
the second book of his 'Histories', the Greek historian
Herodotus (ca. 490-425 BC) wrote about conversations with
Egyptian priests whom he had interviewed when he visited the
country. He was told about 341 generations of kings and that the
sun rose from the opposite direction four times during their
reigns. Twice the sun described the course we know now and
twice did she set where she rises today. (8).
In
'Electra', the Greek Euripides (ca. 485-406 BC) mentions stars
in backward motion and a similar trajectory for the sun. In
addition to that, he writes in 'Orestes': "…the sun chariot's
winged rush…changing its westward bound course through the vault
of the sky, to where the dawning day rose flaming red". (8).
Another Greek, the philosopher
Plato (ca. 427-347 BC), in his dialogue 'The Statesman' wrote
about the change in the rising and setting of the sun, as well as
other celestial bodies. Apart from that, the universe is said
to have turned in reversed direction.
Central American cultures define four pre-worldly suns, with four
motions. They gave four names to these suns, indicating the
different periods of the skies.
According to the 'Hopi ' indians, we live in the fourth
world. The first was destroyed by fire, the second, with the
displacement of the Earth, and a flood destroyed the third.
(8).
Polar Shifts:
The idea that the Poles of the Earth changed position over time
was confirmed first by geologists who were able to detect magnetic
variations in ferrite bearing rocks from different ages. Charles
Hapgood theorized that when the ice on the North pole builds up to
a critical load, it 'slips down' pulling the crust of the earth
with it. This is called the 'crust displacement theory', suggesting
that the crust slides freely over a bed of molten magma. Einstein
agreed with Hapgood's suggestion and it is now accepted by
scientists worldwide.
Supporting evidence for past 'Polar-shifts'
-
Early Jesuit scholars, who were among the first Europeans to visit
China had the opportunity in the imperial library, to study
a vast work consisting of 4320 volumes, said to have been handed
down from ancient times and to contain 'all knowledge'. This great
book included a number of traditions which told of the
consequences that followed when mankind rebelled against the high
gods and the system of the universe fell into disorder': 'The
planets altered their courses. The sky sank lower towards the
north. The Sun, moon and stars changed their motions. The
earth fell to pieces and the waters in its bosom rushed upwards
with violence and overflowed the earth' (Extract from (21).
Geologists have found that the Antarctic was covered by
tropical vegetation at least until the last ice age 10,000 BC, and
that it has been covered with ice from at least 5,000 BC. This
suggests that it was not in the same position it is now.
The Talmud and other old sources mention a disturbance in
the suns movement at the time of the Jews exodus from Egypt. (8).
In
the Bundahish, a Zoroastan scripture it is said that
when angry Mainyu sent the 'vehement destroying frosty', he also 'assaulted
and deranged the sky'.
The dramatic freezing (and extinction) of Mammoths across Siberia,
still with undigested food in their stomachs and even mouths, and
most standing as if frozen to the spot, suggests that they were
caught in a fast climatic change. The extinction of the
Mammoths was only a small part of what is now realized was a
mass extinction of species worldwide.
Old Astronomical charts from India, Sumeria and Babylonian
origin often include inexplicable deviations, as if they had been
taken down at a distant place thousands of miles away, either
the position of Earth changed in its firmament or they made
some incredibly stupid mistakes. (8).
The Writer Solinus wrote about the myths of the people
living along the southern border of Egypt. These ancient accounts
mention a course of the sun, different from today's. (8).
Otto Muck suggested that the region of Siberia was shifted by
approx 3,000 - 3,500 KM south over a period of hours to days only.
This accompanied a shift of the Earths axis of rotation by about
20º. He believed that the shift was a result of a violent asteroid
impact. (Our present tilt is approx 21.5º). Should this theory be
correct, it suggests that before the impact, Earth rotated without
any tilt. This would have the effect of eliminating the seasons
and creating a true 'true-north' pole star for long term
observations. (8).
There are some issues that arise from the
Pole-shift argument.
-
If the Poles 'shift', as proposed
in the Hapgood Einstein theory (10,500 BC), how does that affect
the dating of sites before that date (i.e. Posnansky on
Tiahuanaco)?
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Light-boxes.
Light-boxes are a
megalithic design feature employed so as to restrict the
entrance of light into a chamber or passage.
At present there are only
three (possibly four), known examples of 'light-boxes' in megalithic
structures (All of which are passage-mounds). Their design permits a
focused beam of
light from prominent celestial objects such as the sun and moon, to
enter the chamber at specific times of their cycles. The
most famous of these is at
Newgrange in Ireland, where the light-box allows the
suns rays to pass along the passage into the heart of the
mound on the winter-solstice sunrise, (and possibly, one of
the major lunar stand-stills - to be confirmed)...
At Newgrange, the light-box
is used along with other construction features (such as the
passage narrowing and undulating along it length and a
subtle increase in altitude towards the centre), which
combine to focus the rays of the
sun along the passage into a small, narrow beam of light,
which is visible for only a few minutes on a few days
around the winter solstice. As well as illustrating the
astronomical nature of the structure, the inclusion of such
a specific set of designs highlights the importance of accuracy to the builders.
Newgrange (left), and
Carrowkeel (right)
A second light-box,
also from Ireland, has been recently discovered through
the research of Martin Byrne, who showed that a Neolithic
tomb at
Carrowkeel was oriented
to the most northerly point the setting Moon reaches on the
horizon, an event that only happens every 18.6 years at
midwinter. The report suggested that the lunar association
had been missed until now because it is only very
occasionally illuminated by sunlight or moonlight....
The several mounds at
Carrowkeel have features
that suggest the possibility of light-boxes:
The Carrowkeel light-box one was designed to capture the light of the
setting sun at summer Solstice, and the light of the setting moon at the
winter solstice and Lunar Extremes.
Cairns H (Right) and D have long box-like kists. Cairns G and K have
cruciform chambers and
double-lintelled entrances.
Cairn B has the most commanding position of all the tombs. Within a
kerbed cairn 22.5 metres in diameter and 5 metres high is an accessible,
fairly-crude pentagonal chamber with two sill-stones at either
end of a passage.
A version of the light-box
can be seen at Brynn Celli Ddu in
Wales, where the design of the entrance and passage acts along with a pillar in the chamber,
as a declinometer by casting a dagger of light on the
pillar, which changes height throughout the year. The light
which enters the chamber is focused so that it falls almost
exclusively on the pillar in question.
Scottish Light-boxes:
Maes Howe: The Orkneys:
The light box in the Maes Howe passage mound is
different in design to the Irish ones, in that it is a
'moveable' stone, which was built into the original design
of the passage. The stone sits in a pre-designed cavity in
the corridor, and can be moved at will (The guide said that
it had 'rocking' properties). It is triangular in shape, and
its design is such that when it is in a 'closed' position,
it restricts the entry of light along the passage (whilst
leaving about a gap at the top for a small amount of light
to enter).
Inside the cruciform
chamber of Maes Howe there are three other smaller chambers
built into the walls, each of which has its own
smaller version of these partial 'blocking' stones lying on
the floor in front of it. Their position makes it fairly
obvious that they were each once in the holes that they sit
in front of, and their smaller size and triangular shape
repeats the design of the 'blocking' stone in the corridor.
(More about Maes Howe)
The Crantit tomb, The
Orkneys:
A third
possible
light-box
has been
found in the Orkneys, in the underground
Crantit tomb after a tractor
disturbed a series of flat stones that turned out to be
5,000 year old
roof slabs. It was noticed that one of these roof-stones had
a notch
cut into it which would allow a ray of sunlight to penetrate the
tomb in October and again in February (at the beginning and
the end of winter) when the Sun would have thrown a shaft of
light along the length of the tomb.
Strange carvings were found on the upright stone pillar
that holds up the roof. "If you look closely you can see
geometric patterns and symbols carved into the rock," Dr
Ballin Smith said. And in respect to the 'light-box' we are
told that:
The south-east
facing section of the cairn appeared to have a notch in
the wall. Although it looked like no more than a
broken stone, it seemed that the "notch" had been
put there deliberately.
The first investigation revealed that the cairn had
not actually been covered by a mound, but had instead been
dug into the ground. This seemed to indicate that it was
never meant to be visible from the surface.
This fact marked the Crantit cairn (and the 'light-box') as being hugely unusual.
However, the fact that it was both sealed, underground and
dubiously orientated casts a doubt on the validity of the
'light-box' as it would only have functioned following the
removal of clay and
roof-stones, which is not consistent with the design of the
two other light-boxes in Ireland.
The following photo's are
Before and After photos from Crantit following
the second official investigation of the site.
Follow the total
professional destruction of the Crantit tomb by
archaeologists with the following link...http://www.orkneydigs.org.uk/crantitdig/page1.html...sigh!!!
...more to follow soon...
(Return to Top)
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Astronomy in Myth.
We can see how astronomical information is
still recorded into everyday terminology such as the names of the days
of the week.
|
Latin |
French
|
Spanish |
English
(Norse/Germanic) |
|
Lunae (Moon) |
Lundi - (Lunar-day) |
|
Monday - (Moons day) |
|
Martis (Mars) |
Mardi - (Mars-day) |
|
Tuesday - (Tīw's
day) |
|
Mercurii (Mercury) |
Mercredi - (Mercury-day) |
|
Wednesday - (Wodin's-day) |
|
Jovis (Jupiter) |
Jeudi - (Jupiter-day) |
|
Thursday - (Thor's -day) |
|
Veneris (Venus) |
Vendredi - (Venus-day) |
|
Friday - (Freya's-day) |
|
Saturni (Saturn) |
Samedi - (Sabado/Sabbath) |
|
Saturday - (Saturn-day) |
|
Solis/Dominicus (Sun) |
Dimanche - (Domingo) |
|
Sunday - (Sun-day) |
Why the particular order of the
days?:
If you order the "planets" according to
either their presumed distance from Ea | | |
