Megalithic science: ancient mathematics and astronomy in North-west Europe /Douglas C. Heggie.. --

Was Stonehenge an elaborate astronomical observatory. or a ritual site orientated toward the midsummer sunrise? Were the standing-stone sites of prehistoric Britain designed using a precise "megalithic yard", or were they simply paced out? Did the builders of the megalithic rings know Pythagoras's Theorem long before Pythagoras? Although there are a number of different and intriguing theories about the meaning of European prehistoric sites, none of these theories has been subjected to objective scientific analysis. Megalithic Science is the first book to use the modern tools of statistical analysis to distinguish between sound theories and fanciful speculations about the design of megalithic structures. All the significant megalithic sites are included in this comprehensive work (Stonehenge, Callanish, the Carnac Menhirs, Ballochroy, Kintraw) as is the work of the principal scholars in the field, from Lockyer to Hawkins, Hoyle, Thom and Burl. Written from a scientific perspective, but addressing itself to the archaeologist and more general reader, the text contains no mathematics but enough simple statistical discussion to enable a mathematically unsophisticated reader to enter into the argument. The view of megalithic science which emerges is an unusual but convincing one — more cautious than many which have been put forth, but by no means wholly sceptical of some theories With its clear, dispassionate approach, and helpful diagrams and photographs, this book will establish itself as the standard introduction to the scientific knowledge of the megalith-builders. With 114 illustrations Douglas C. Heggie was born and brought up in Edinburgh, and graduated in mathematics from Trinity College. Cambridge, subsequently undertaking research in theoretical astronomy at the same university. Since 1 975 he has been Lecturer in Mathematics at Edinburgh University Dr Heggie has discussed the problems of megalithic astronomy in several articles in learned journals, and on the radio This is a college level textbook about Ancient Mathematics and Astronomy in North-west Europe. The author was less impressed with the traditional "Guinness Book of" the oldest records on file approach which was the standard of the the day and was more interested in how things became archaeological artifacts in the first place. How and why a cleaver was disposed of in the first place was a much more interesting story than how old it was and what it was made of, for example. The same would be true for abandoning ideas about math and science. Douglas C. Heggie. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. 248-251.