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Avebury Cosmos: The Neolithic World of Avebury henge, Silbury Hill, West Kennet long barrow, the Sanctuary & the Longstones Cove
A fresh look at the World Heritage Site that includes Avebury henge, West Kennet long barrow and Silbury Hill. Mann combines archaeology, astronomy and anthropology to offer an original and convincing account of the building of these extraordinary Neolithic monuments. The ancient Britons were inspired by a profound knowledge of the heavens when they erected the monumental stones of Avebury. Mann throws light on the motive behind the creation of its awe-inspiring mounds and megaliths by demonstrating that they were aligned to the cycles of the Sun, Moon and stars. This book will help visitors and readers to see Avebury in a wholly new light - the light of the heavenly bodies that guided its Neolithic builders. Avebury Cosmos will reawaken our ancient reverence for the stars and deepen our respect for the extraordinary abilities and forgotten knowledge of our prehistoric ancestors.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 8, 2017
This does appear to be a well researched book and there are elements that make sense in his hypothesis. My biggest issue with this book is there is a lot of conjecture about the people who built these megaliths. No one knows exactly what they had in mind, or how they felt etc.
September 20, 2013
A meticulously researched, and well argued account of how the sun, moon and - in particular - the stars influenced the construction and use of the various monuments around Avebury by neolithic Brits.
I think it's fair to say that to fully understand Nicholas Mann's theories on Avebury requires a grasp of astronomy beyond that obtained from a Scout badge 25 years ago (though in my defence Astronomy was acknowledged as one of the hardest badges to get). However even a very rudimentary understanding of precession, equinoxes and the solstice gives you enough to appreciate Mann's main argument - that Avebury was built as a way of observing the heavens in order to govern and regulate activities on earth such as seed sowing and harvest (the neolithic era saw the end of nomadic life and the development of settled farming) and even childbirth too, and as a sacred site of ritual with the axis mundi 'World tree' at its centre. How you would ever prove any of what Mann puts forward I have no idea, but his argument is certainly convincing.
Of more interest to me is a picture of what life was like on the ground - for the neolithic people. So I found the chapters on the Avenues and the Sanctuary the most enjoyable to read, as Mann concentrated less on these monuments' alignments with the stars, instead speculating on how these parts of the complex were used as gathering/reception points for visiting pilgrims (by the time of the Sanctuary, Avebury was the Disneyworld of monuments attracting visitors from across the island), with the Sanctuary and finally the main Avebury Henge standing as a spectacle that would have amazed its visitors.
Also the final chapters are brilliant, and could be read on their own if you want a quick chronology of Avebury and its neolithic creators, and how the site was eventually (Mann speculates) abandoned in favour of nearby Stonehenge as the Bronze Age fixation with the sun rendered the understanding of the more complex world of the stars pretty much obsolete.
By the time of Stonehenge the world was really changing. Mankind was becoming more intelligent, organised, and more ruthless/aggressive. In explaining this Mann portrays the neolithic people of Avebury as pacifists totally in tune with the natural world, in the heavens and in the sacred woodlands, who saw a world full of portents and spirits that they held in the highest regard. Basically a gentle, pious people that the world wouldn't see the like of again.
I think it's fair to say that to fully understand Nicholas Mann's theories on Avebury requires a grasp of astronomy beyond that obtained from a Scout badge 25 years ago (though in my defence Astronomy was acknowledged as one of the hardest badges to get). However even a very rudimentary understanding of precession, equinoxes and the solstice gives you enough to appreciate Mann's main argument - that Avebury was built as a way of observing the heavens in order to govern and regulate activities on earth such as seed sowing and harvest (the neolithic era saw the end of nomadic life and the development of settled farming) and even childbirth too, and as a sacred site of ritual with the axis mundi 'World tree' at its centre. How you would ever prove any of what Mann puts forward I have no idea, but his argument is certainly convincing.
Of more interest to me is a picture of what life was like on the ground - for the neolithic people. So I found the chapters on the Avenues and the Sanctuary the most enjoyable to read, as Mann concentrated less on these monuments' alignments with the stars, instead speculating on how these parts of the complex were used as gathering/reception points for visiting pilgrims (by the time of the Sanctuary, Avebury was the Disneyworld of monuments attracting visitors from across the island), with the Sanctuary and finally the main Avebury Henge standing as a spectacle that would have amazed its visitors.
Also the final chapters are brilliant, and could be read on their own if you want a quick chronology of Avebury and its neolithic creators, and how the site was eventually (Mann speculates) abandoned in favour of nearby Stonehenge as the Bronze Age fixation with the sun rendered the understanding of the more complex world of the stars pretty much obsolete.
By the time of Stonehenge the world was really changing. Mankind was becoming more intelligent, organised, and more ruthless/aggressive. In explaining this Mann portrays the neolithic people of Avebury as pacifists totally in tune with the natural world, in the heavens and in the sacred woodlands, who saw a world full of portents and spirits that they held in the highest regard. Basically a gentle, pious people that the world wouldn't see the like of again.
May 3, 2014
The argument in this book is compelling and entertaining. Without any "peer review" or equivalent, it is hard to know what to make of it. There are parts of it that certainly resonate with some of the mythological research that I have been doing, but some of it may be overreaching. In the end, I am very glad that I read it, but only time, and perhaps a team of over zealous graduate students, will tell whether this explanation is valid.
March 18, 2015
Having visited Avebury on several occasions myself and knowing how magical and beautiful the area is this book was really interesting. Incredibly well written and researched, whether you have visited the stones or not you will find this a wonderful book to read.
April 19, 2017
This is one of my favorite places on the planet and I love reading different views on the area.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews