One of the world’s most famous monuments, Stonehenge abounds in mysteries and anomalies.
Why was Stonehenge built in the first place? Why was it radically transformed shortly before 2500 BC into a masterpiece of megalithic architecture? What explains the intricate, changing patterns of the stones over time? Why the extraordinary effort?
We now have answers to these and other questions, but to get to them we need to set aside preconceptions and come to terms with something that isn’t simple.
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hat caused ancient China’s gigantic floods? Who was the real Yellow Emperor? Who was Archer Yi, what was his vermilion bow, how did he target and shoot down nine of ten suns, and why were there ten suns in the first place?
We now know the answers to these and other questions about ancient China. These answers can lead us to a new understanding of Chinese history, of the worldwide Bronze Age catastrophes, and of the history of climate change.
Sometimes we just need to listen carefully. Definitely in regard to Karnak.
Egyptian priests told Herodotus, a careful listener, that four times since Egypt had become a kingdom “the Sun rose contrary to his wont; twice he rose where he now sets, and twice he set where he now rises.”
This evidence, and much else, was interpreted by
The civilizations of Mesoamerica were full of mysteries. What explains their fixation on Venus? What led them to develop their intricate, highly precise calendars? What can explain the little pecked-cross circles embedded in the landscape? Why were these peoples so keenly bent on human sacrifice? What were the Aztecs referring to when they said that this was the age of the Fifth Sun?
Fortunately, there is a skeleton key that can unlock these old secrets.
Karahunj (Zorats Karer) is an ancient site in southern Armenia that contains more than 230 large stones, some 37 still standing, arranged in a fashion that has suggested to many observers that it was used for archaeoastronomy. But defining how it was used has remained elusive. Complicating the situation, Karahunj is located near a complex of ancient graves; we do not know who built it; it is difficult to ascertain exactly when the stones were set up; and some 85 of them have holes drilled through them that researchers have suggested might be used for sighting celestial objects, but other researchers think this unlikely because they would have been too imprecise.1
Nonetheless, there is a rather simple explanation of the stones of Karahunj. But to grasp it, one must become aware of the compelling new evidence for and reinterpretation of
Kenneth J. Dillon has a Ph.D in history from Cornell University and has taught at several universities.