Book Review: Pictures from the Past by Martin Ringer
Submitted by caradoc68 on Friday, 12 October 2012 Page Views: 4179
Alternative ArchaeologyNick Kalnins writes: Being a visitor to many of these monuments, l can remember asking myself "why are all of the various stones in this circle a different shape and size?" Some are flat, some are boulders, some look like they are upside-down and some just look misshapen.May l say l like alternative archaeology and Mr Ringer has given me a whole new way of looking at these sites. Many archaeologists and historians always tell you the shape of the stones, their place in the landscape and the date they were erected if you are lucky. What they don't tell you is what the stones were used for. Ringer's idea is that these types of stones were not only erected to mark several solar events, they also encompassed and communicated a range of information that everyone living in that era understood.
This book is perhaps not for the beginner but would suit someone who is already familiar with the stones of these islands and who is looking for some more information and knowledge. Some reference or archaeology books can be a bit overwhelming and don't give any answers to the question ‘Why where these sites built in this way?’ but this book does attempt to give some explanations.
With the author’s own great pictures to back up his theories and non-technical jargon throughout, everyone can read it easily. Martin explores the idea that our Neolithic and Bronze Age ancestors placed pictures of faces on stones in the monuments of the British Isles either by painting (eroded long ago but minute traces remain) or by carving.
Veterans of the subject may think back to the ideas of faces and carvings in the stones proposed by Terence Meaden, and Martin credits Terence with independently discovering some of the same carvings at Avebury. Overall Martin Ringer's ideas on this subject are very different, considering other important sites such as Newgrange, Callanish, Brodgar, Stanton Drew, and of course Stonehenge. There is much detail of how these images, apparently deliberately placed onto the stones reflected the history and culture of the time. The author also feels that many monuments contain symbolic references to both their use and function. [See further down the page for Martin's own introduction to his ideas.]
The book is a great and enjoyable read and is a very substantial tome with many colour photos. The colour balance in some is rather uneven with the colour saturation rather over enthusiastically bumped up but this seems to have been done to try and highlight some of the proposed carvings.
The author doesn't let up in his insistence that he's cracked the 'secret' of these sites - 'we owe our forefathers a huge apology' in underestimating their achievements.
After reading it and seeing the author’s photographs, you too will ask yourself, "Did the Ancient Britons deliberately put faces into these stones?" and it will start you off on your own journey of discovery. You will never look at these monuments in the same light again.
Review by Nick Kalnins with thanks to Runemage for additional co-ordination.
Pictures from the Past - Solving the Major Mysteries of the Neolithic and Bronze Age by Martin Ringer, RRP £25354 pages, many colour and B&W photos, A4 size.
Available from Amazon.co.uk
Read an excerpt from the book at the auhor's web site www.martinringer.co.uk.
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