Page 120 - A Historical Lie: The Stone Age

A HISTORICAL LIE: THE STONE AGE

view, people of that time labored under primitive and backward
conditions. But it's impossible for such an enormous monument to
have been built by anyone lacking a sophisticated knowledge of en-
gineering and construction.
The structure's astronomical features alone are astonishing.
This giant monument has been constructed in such a way that at
winter solstice, it gives rise to an impressive light show. Shortly after
daybreak on the shortest day of the year, a shaft of sunlight illumi-
nates the Newgrange burial chamber. At this point, a perfect play of
light occurs. Rays from the rising sun pass through a narrow open-
ing on the bottom of the roof box over the entrance and shine down
the passage to the inner chamber. All the stone blocks are placed at
angles that allow the light to reach them and be reflected off them—
one vital factor that makes this entire light show possible.
You can see, therefore, that the builders of this giant structure
not only had a knowledge of engineering, but also possessed a
knowledge of astronomy that let them calculate the length of days
and the movements of the Sun.
Newgrange is just one of many stone structures of that period
surviving in that region. From looking at
this structure, you can conclude that it was
made by people with a deep accumulation
of knowledge, using advanced techniques
and methods. What interpretation can be
made regarding the kind of lives those peo-
ple led? The people who built such a struc-
ture may well have lived in comfortable,
civilized surroundings. If they had a
knowledge of astronomy and sufficient ex-
pertise to interpret those observations cor-

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