The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-04-16
skY.LleHrEp HISTORY.
How Astronomical Research Has
Found the Origin Of stonehenge.

How Astronomical Research Has
Found the Origin Of stonehense.
Following the same line of thought
which he formerly applied TO certain
Egyptian temples. Sir Norman Lock.
yer is able 90 show that Stonehengo
was originally built to serve the pur-
pose of primitive observatory II
was built for the use OF the astronomer
priests who, perhaps, brought the wis
dom of the East TO this country many
centuries before it's very name had
emerged into the light of history. Tho
sun and star worship which forms tho
basis of SO many types Of primitive
religion was closely interviewer with
the practical need OF fixed dates IN tho
year for the use OF the AGRICULTURAL
VINO possessed no calendar to tell him
when 10 SOW his seed and when to OK
pect his harvest To this day The
Pleiades are known rs the "hoeing
stars In South Africa, and take tho
pace or farming calendar to :he
solomon Islanders just as thor mid.
night elimination fixed the beginning
OF the feast of Isis at Busiris. and reg
uiated the fifty-two year cycle of the
ancient MeMcans II is now proved.
from comparative study of prehls-
toric monuments and ancient TEMPLES
ali over the world, that one of the first
uses OF these ediices was TO enable
lhe ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO fix such
oates with ease and certainty.
Every one knows that the sun rises
AT different point on the horizon
daily throughout the year and that
,He ume of star rising varies night
10y night. These simple facts sunlced
primitive man for the determination
ID MS calendar. Some of the Egyptian
temples were carefully oriented so that
bright star like Sirius or Canopus
was visible down the avenue which
served as the tube of a telescope at n
particular hour on a given night I'm the
year BY far the greater number of
stone circles, of which Stonebenpo is
the best known example. were so orr.
ehted that the rising sun on midsum-
mer morning flashed its rays directly
upon the central altar; i'm other words.
'heir axis was carefully directed TO the
point on the horizon over which tho
sun rose on the longest dav in he
year There are many other instances
OF different ordinations. each CORE.
spending to the fixed points i'm some
ancient calendar But Stonehenge
was certainly a solar temple and OBJ
servatory
NOW comes in the bearing of this
Iact upon the history of its BUILDING.
Inc point Of midsummer sunrise is NOT
Always the same. The procession of
'he equinoXes-or the fact that the
celestial pole is travelling round \
vast circle, which il takes about
twenty-five thousand years TO com
piel'-- causes a secular change i'm this
polht AZ the present dav the axis
oI StoneGcnge is not directed to tho
midsummer sunrise but 10 point
nearly one degree away from II. Now
We KNOW the rate at which the place
vi midsummer sunrise changes I'm con
sequence of procession. and il is =
comparatively simple calculation to
determine the date at which the SIM
must have risen ON midsummer day
IN line with the avenue Mt Stone
hehSe. The conclusion IS that this
remarkable edifce must have been
erected about 1850 b. c., the possible
error being not greater than two
hundred years on either side of this
date Thus astronomy tells us that
Stonehenge must have been buiIt
somewhere between 1900 and l5oo
B. c., if the assumption of it's pur-
pose 3e correct. The general evidence
from similar temples all over the
world hardly leaves room for doubt
on that head, and thus we obtain what
may safely be called the first definite
fact in British history, carrying It
back more than fifteen centuries he
fore our islands first came into contact
with recorded civilization. 1t is clear
that the people who could build
Stonehenge for such a purpose were
far removed from savagery-The
Spectator