Had so much fun following research threads as I revised "Lights in the Darkness" that I put together a collection of photos and info. All of this material was downloaded from other sources; all sources are cited in footnotes.
Enjoy!
5000 years ago in what is now the Boyne Valley
“Newgrange is best known for the illumination of its passage and chamber by the winter solstice sun.
Left: Diagram showing the location of the sun daggers on the petroglyph.[xiii]
Enjoy!
1. Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England
The
Winter Solstice was a time when most cattle were slaughtered (so they
would not have to be fed during the winter) and the majority of wine and beer
was finally fermented.[i]
In a world around which
the Universe rotates, the Sun moves its plane (circle) up and down along the
polar axis. In winter, the plane is low, so the sun’s circle rises from the
south east and sets in the south west.
Stonehenge can be used
to explain how the sun and stars turn around a world which is fixed at the
centre of the Universe. Its plan describes that Universe. Its stones create the
hinge around which the brightly lit 'mini-sun' turns.[ii]
Stonehenge is the
most architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world. Today,
the interpretation of Stonehenge which is most generally accepted is that of a
prehistoric temple aligned with the movements of the sun.[iii]
Photo: English
Heritage[iv]
2. Newgrange, Boyne Valley, Ireland
5000 years ago in what is now the Boyne Valley
of County Meath, people built over
35 monument structures.
The 2 primary structures that mark the
winter solstice: Newgrange and Dowth.
Dowth Kerbstone 51-
The Stone of the Seven Suns.
Photo by Tom
Quinn Kumpf author of
The excavation diagram
of the
Newgrange passage
(after O'Kelly).[vi]
Outer view of Newgrange mound entrance with marker stones.
“Newgrange is best known for the illumination of its passage and chamber by the winter solstice sun.
“Above the entrance
to the passage at Newgrange there is a[n] opening called a roof-box. This
baffling orifice . . . allow[s] sunlight to penetrate the chamber on the shortest
days of the year, around December 21, the winter solstice.
“At
dawn, from December 19th to 23rd, a narrow beam of light penetrates the
roof-box and reaches the floor of the chamber, gradually extending to the rear
of the chamber. As the sun rises higher, the beam widens within the chamber so
that the whole room becomes dramatically illuminated. This event lasts for 17
minutes.
“Newgrange . . . was built more than 1,000 years before Stonehenge, . . . to mark the
beginning of the new year. . . . [I]t may have served as a powerful symbol of
the victory of life over death.”[vii]
“In this c. 1880 photograph by R. Welch, the decorated edge
of the roof-box lintel is seen above the entrance.”[viii]
3. Chaco Canyon, Arizona, USA
The Chacoan people
were close observers of the skies and seasonal cycles . . . to time their
agricultural and ceremonial events. Today, Puebloan descendants carry on many
of these same traditions.[ix]
During the middle
and late 800s, the great houses of Pueblo Bonito, Una Vida, and Peñasco Blanco
were constructed, followed by . . . others . . . often oriented to solar,
lunar, and cardinal directions. . . . Sophisticated astronomical markers,
communication features, water control devices, and formal earthen mounds surrounded them.[x]
 |
| Above: Chaco Canyon Spiral Petroglyph[xiv] |
The solar and Lunar cycles are marked in the
petroglyphs of the area as well as in the architecture of Pueblo Bonito itself.[xi]
At Fajada Butte, the sunlight in
a dagger-like form marks the outer edges of the spiral at winter solstice.[xii]
Left: Diagram showing the location of the sun daggers on the petroglyph.[xiii]
SOURCES
[i]
“Stonehenge Sunset Solstice Tour.”
Stonehenge Tours. Web. 13 Dec 2014.
[ii]
Morris, Jon. “The Other Stonehenge
Solstice Connection.” Heaven’s Henge: A
Geocentric Worldview. 29 March 2013. Web. 14 Dec 2014. http://heavenshenge.blogspot.com/
[iii] “Significance of Stonehenge.” English Heritage.org.uk. Web. 13 Dec
2014.
[iv]
“Winter Solstice at Stonehenge 2014.” English
Heritage. Web. 13 Dec 2014.
[v]
“Images of Dowth Megalithic Passage
Tomb.” Knowth.com. Web. 13 Dec 2014.
[vi]
“Newgrange.” Voices from the Dawn: The Folklore of Ireland’s Ancient Monuments.
Web. 13 Dec 2014. http://www.voicesfromthedawn.com/newgrange/
[vii]
Newgrange.com. Web. 13 Dec 2014.
[viii]
“Newgrange.” Voices from the Dawn: The Folklore of Ireland’s Ancient Monuments.
Web. 13 Dec 2014.
[ix]
“Chaco Night Sky Program.” Chaco Culture National Historic Park, New Mexico. National Park Service. 13 Dec 2014. Web.
13 Dec 2014.
[x]
“History and Culture.” Chaco Culture National Historic Park, New Mexico. National Park Service. 13 Dec 2014. Web.
13 Dec 2014.
[xi]
“Pueblo Bonito.” Wikipedia. 1 Oct 2014. Web. 13 Dec 2014.
[xii]
Sofaer, Anna. “The Primary Architecture
of the Chacoan Culture: A Cosmological Expression.” Research. Solstice Project. Web. 13 Dec 2014.
[xiii]
“Fajada Butte.” Wikipedia. 21 Jun 2014. Web. 13 Dec 2014.
[xiv]
”Petroglyphs.” Photo Gallery. Chaco
Culture National Historic Park. National
Park Service. 13 Dec 2014. Web.
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