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Julian Cope's long-awaited follow up to The Modern Antiquarian, his bestselling and critically acclaimed guide to ancient Britain. The Megalithic European takes us on a breathtaking journey around prehistoric Europe's first temples. Contents / The Megalithic European is a monumental colour guide to the standing stones and ancient temples of prehistoric Europe. / In a 6-year personal odyssey (leaving no stone unturned) Julian Cope covers 300 of the important sites of Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. / The book looks further, revealing several thousand years of information which scholars have previously ignored, to the Classical temples of the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. / Section 1: a series of essays, looking at the universal desire of all to celebrate and mythologize the landscape in which they have chosen to live, highlighting comparisons with British settlements. / Section 2: a gazeteer of the many ancient sites in Europe that Julian Cope has personally visited, from Ireland to the Netherlands, from Crete to Denmark, discussing many areas outside the European arena, from Mount Ararat in Armenia to Mount Fuji in Japan, via the celebrated Mount Olympus of the Greek Myths to the legendary Tree of Yggdrasil of the Norse Myths.
This work investigates the cultural and spiritual significance of prehistoric megalithic structures across Europe and beyond, questioning how ancient societies mythologized their landscapes. Julian Cope, a musician and dedicated antiquarian, utilizes six years of personal site visits and historical research to bridge the gap between academic archaeology and the experiential perspective of a modern traveler. The book presents a framework that connects the standing stones of Northern Europe to the classical temples of the Mediterranean, arguing for a universal human impulse to sanctify the physical environment.
What You Will Find
The text functions as a highly personal, idiosyncratic guide that prioritizes the visceral experience of ancient sites over dry academic classification. Its broad scope and unconventional methodology suggest a work intended for the enthusiastic amateur rather than the professional archaeologist.
Page Count:
496
Publication Date:
2004-01-01
Publisher:
Thorsons Pub
ISBN-10:
0007138024
ISBN-13:
9780007138029
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