Megalithic Measures and Rhythms: Sacred Knowledge of the Ancient Britons

Macaulay, Anne

ISBN 10: 0863155545 / ISBN 13: 9780863155543

Published by Floris Books, 2006

Used - Very Good. Seller Inventory # 4-X-4-0295

Synopsis:

The huge stone circles built in the British Isles and northwest France from 6,500 to 3,500 years ago are among civilization's strangest monuments. Ignored or plundered for centuries, they have only in modern times begun to reveal their remarkable complexity. It is now widely acknowledged that these ancient sites were precisely aligned to major celestial events, probably linked to the agricultural calendar of early farming settlements. But the mystery remains as to how the megalithic builders achieved such extraordinary accuracy in their measurement. Inspired by the surveying work of Alexander Thom, Anne Macaulay devoted her life to an investigation of the stone circle sites, seeking out their hidden geometry and deeper cultural significance. In this book, she draws on ideas from geometry and metrology, archaeology and anthropology, history and mythology, astronomy and music. Macaulay concludes that the extraordinary mathematical skills of the British megalithic builders was original and self-contained, but that in turn, the elite of this society became the proto-Greeks, their knowledge flowing to the Eastern Mediterranean.

About the Authors: Anne Macaulay (1924-1998) was born in Fife, Scotland. She settled in Balerno near Edinburgh but travelled widely, surveying megalithic sites around the world. In 1994, she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the University of Edinburgh.

Vivian T. Linacre is a surveyor based in Perth and is President of the British Weights and Measures Association.

Richard A. Batchelor, M.Sc., F.G.S. is a Research Fellow in Geology at the University of St Andrews. He is the author of Origin of St Andrews, which explores the sacred geometry of Fife.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Megalithic Measures and Rhythms: Sacred ...
Publisher: Floris Books
Publication Date: 2006
Binding: hardcover
Condition: Very Good
Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included