Celestial Geometry Understanding The Astronomical Meanings Of Ancient Sites Taylor by Taylor, Ken 9781780283869, 1780283865 instant download after payment.

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Many ancient, even prehistoric, monuments and temples around the world show an amazingly sophisticated understanding of the heavens. They reflect this sacred knowledge in celestial alignments - to the eternal cycles of the sun, moon, stars and planets.

The ceremonies performed at sites such as Stonehenge in England or Teotihuacan in Mexico are now lost to us. But the time-worn stones and structures remain, and archaeoastronomers (experts in ancient astronomy) have studied how their sightlines relate to astronomical phenomena such as midwinter or midsummer sunrise or the rising of the Pleiades star cluster.

In exploring such connections, in words, superb photographs and clear explanatory artworks, Celestial Geometry opens up a whole universe of mystery and wonder, and a window on the inner life of ancient civilizations.

The principles of astronomy - the seasons, the solstices and equinoxes, the rising and setting of stars, the "Lunar standstills"

Solar alignments - the language of light and shadow, and the life-giving shows of the sun

Lunar alignments - the drama of the eclipse and the mysterious energies of the night

Alignments to stars and planets - reaching out to the immensity of the cosmos

More than 50 sites covered in depth - from Carnac (France), Newgrange (Ireland) and Die Externsteine (Germany) to Machu Picchu (Peru), Karnak (Egypt) and Cahokia (USA)

A small crowd of worshippers is gathered around an ancient henge in the dim light before dawn, patiently awaiting the midsummer sunrise. When it finally edges above the horizon, the sun's bright orb fits symmetrically within a framework of monumental stones sited there to dramatize this moment. The sacred connection between humanity and the heavens has been gloriously affirmed. This is celestial geometry in action.

Ancient peoples observed and recorded the movements of the sun, stars, moon and planets, and incorporated their understanding in awe-inspiring structures devised to provide a focus for sacred ceremonies. They built magnificent tombs, temples and observatories aligned to major celestial events, with an accuracy and sophistication that continue to amaze us today.

This book explores the fascinating world of archaeoastronomy (the study of ancient astronomy) and in particular the ingenious ways in which many sites are aligned to the apparent movements of the heavens. Here are extraordinary insights into renowned structures such as Stonehenge in England, Casa Grande in Arizona, the temples of Chichen Itza in Mexico and the pyramids at Giza, Egypt - as well as important discoveries about less well-known sites.

Richly illustrated with beautiful photographs and clear explanatory artworks, this is a fascinating and essential introduction to archaeoastronomy and a world survey of more than 50 major sites for everyone inspired by the wisdom of our ancestors and the mystery of the cosmos.

Ken Taylor has an established reputation for carefully researched and lucid writing exploring ancient traditions still relevant to modern times. He has worked as an archaeologist and has written extensively on Palaeolithic alignments, celestial events, earth energies, astronomy and mythology.