A Rosetta Stone for the Prehistoric Solar Calendar? Kerbstone K15 at Knowth, Ireland

Bibliographic Data

ID12911692
AuthorsEuan W Mackie (National Museums Scotland, corresponding author)
Year2013
Volume6
Issue2
Pages211-229
Publication date2013-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueTime and Mind (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1751-696X • E-ISSN: 1751-6978
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.2752/175169713x13589680081894
OpenAlexW2335682795
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited8

Interpreting Neolithic passage grave art is difficult but, according to middle range theory, could be achieved with analogies with known other factors. Celestial phenomena present one possibility and can easily be assessed qualitatively and quantitatively; however, a single match in modern eyes need not necessarily have been intended by Neolithic minds; independent corroboration is needed. The late fourth millennium BC kerbstone KI5 at Knowth, Ireland, bears a fan-shaped pattern that has been controversially interpreted as a solar calendar yet it has not been noted until now that there is independent evidence for exactly this calendar, in fine detail, in the standing stone alignments of Britain. A new examination and reinterpretation of the rock carving reveals a strikingly good match with this “menhir calendar” of Alexander Thom and strongly supports his statistical deductions from his survey data. Also offered is an interpretation of the “diamond and spiral” symbol that appears rarely on passage grave art and once on a sherd of Orkney Grooved ware. A link with the solar calendar is possible

Aesthetics · Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Interpretation (philosophy · Prehistory · Reinterpretation · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · History · Philosophy · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Geology · Paleontology