Celestial Geometry by Ken Taylor

Celestial Geometry

Ken Taylor

Published by Watkins Publishing
Publication date October 2012
Hardback
Illustrated (colour)
240 pages

Available in the following languages
(click on cover for enlarged image)


	English		Celestial Geometry
	French		Géométrie Céleste
	German		Kosmische Kultstatten Der Welt

Understanding the Astronomical Meanings of Ancient Sites

This richly illustrated book surveys a wide variety of astronomical events that were commemorated in ancient architecture. Phenomena range from the sun's solstices and lunar standstills, to planetary risings and orientation to the celestial poles and cardinal points, and include intriguing observations of the dark nebulae in the Milky Way.

Exploring more than sixty sites around the world, this collection demonstrates the perennial interest shown by our forebears in the cycles of the sky. Places include internationally famous archaeological wonders such as Stonehenge, the Egyptian and central American pyramids, and the monoliths of Easter Island, but also includes more intimate and lesser-known sites such as the medicine wheels of North America, the ancient rock art in Australia, the Goseck circle in Germany, and the enigmatic rayed patterns of stones in the Basque Country.

The gods and goddesses associated with celestial phenomena are also included, as their myths can shed light on the temples raised in their honour. Sometimes the interaction of architecture and celestial events is so compelling that innumerable people continue to make modern-day pilgrimages to witness them and share in the timeless mystery of experiencing special moments in the cycles and geometry of the cosmos. This book offers a new appreciation of mankind's relationship with the heavens.