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Megalithic art studies by M. Brennan

The most extensive book on megalithic art is by Martin Brennan [1983] ([1994] is a reprint). A must! It has art composition of some 400 stones. But keep on checking the non virtual megalithic art.

Alignments

 
Celestial
phenomena
Newgrange
Dowth
Knowth
Carnbane west
Sess Kilgreen
Gavrinis
Cairn V
Cairn T
Cain I
Cairn H
Cairn L
Cairn U
Tara
Cairn F
Cain S
Mound K
Mound L
Cairn W

Knockmany
Baltinglass
summer solstice mound B

Cairn P1, R2, T, U3
passage







winter solstice passage Dowth South


passage






major standstill mound A











minor standstill Knowth
Dowth
Newgrange Newgrange









equinox mound U
mound L, K

East passage2
West passage2



passage





north-south ring P
GC3 - R211









passage
passage
meridian transit
winter/summer solstice











passage
Cross quarter
Nov./Febr.
mound E, F, G, H Dowth North




passage




Cross quarter
Aug./May
GC9 - GC-81






passage passage


rise/south is red
set/north is blue
Remark 1: These alignments are wrong, it seems Brennan based the deductions in these instances on the wrong 'True north' of O'Kelly [1982]
Remark 2: These alignments are not fully correct, Brennan did not know that the passage were not aligned due east/west.
Remark 3: This alignment are not fully correct, the direction is actually 37°.5, summer solstice sunrise is at 44°.9.

Calendar

Symbols and motifs

Symbol
Motif
alignment vertical line
sun circle with 'sun wheel'
dotted circle
crossed circle
rayed circle
setting sun cup mark
rising sun sun with rays
set of arcs
year twelve concentric circles
lunar node arc
lunar phase near 
full/new moon
arc
4 seasons lozenge (two dark patches)
a count of ... one wave, zigzag, arc
full moon circle
firmament crescent
sun/moon/venus or stars triple circle/arc/spiral
circle of sun double spiral
winter solstice sun anti-clockwise spiral
straight shadows straight lines
curved shadows arcs

Classification

Some megalithic art elements
In the first row, one sees the basic motifs (nine of them), while in the rows below that one, one sees more composited motifs.

Interesting issues

Compositions

Several compositions are discussed:

Some remarks

A few small errors seem to be in the book, but are certainly not important for the general idea: Again these remarks don't change the importance and depth of the book!!!

Questions to author


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Major content related changes: Aug. 26, 2001