From black land to fifth sun
Subtitle: the science of sacred sites
By: Brian Fagan.
Series: Helix books
Publisher: Addison-Wesley
Published: 1998
Place of publication: Reading, Mass
Language: eng
Number of pages: 403
Subjects: Religion; Archaeology
Description: Shamans, spirit mediums, mysterious cave paintings, enigmatic earthworks, and temples - the religious and spiritual lives of our forebears have always seemed inaccessible to archaeologists. Now, however, science is finally beginning to lift the veil.

Brian Fagan draws upon a wealth of scientific disciplines - from botany, zoology, and geology to neuropsychology, palynology (the study of spores and pollen), and nuclear physics - to explore this new "archaeology of the mind." Armed with new recording technologies that expose the paintings' finest detail and new radiocarbon dating methods, Fagan describes a revolution in our understanding of the world's first artists.

Fagan describes how space-age radar has revealed a network of ancient roadways linking the great pueblos of Chaco Canyon, and how the CAD-mapping of Stonehenge has sparked an intense debate about the original purpose of the site. His story culminates with a vivid depiction of the Aztec civilization of highland Mexico, where a marriage of archaeology, science, and ethnohistory is offering new interpretations of one of the world's last pre-industrial civilizations.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 383-385) and index.