Articles by Philip Coppens

Orcadian stones

The Orkney Islands sit on the northern tip of the British mainland. It is rumoured that one inhabitant once wrote “Bergen, Norway” as his nearest train station, rather than Edinburgh – let alone London as the nearest capital. The islands seem remote and yet they are the centre of a megalithic community whose traces remain clearly distinguishable in the landscape.

The Ring of Brodgar, one of the highlights of any visit to the islands, has an area of 90,790 square feet (8,435 m2) and thus ranks third in size after the Outer Circle at Avebury and the Great Circle at Stanton Drew, in what many consider to be the true heart of the Megalithic World, the coastal areas of south-western England and French Brittany.

Island of the Giants

The three small islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino float in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily and east of the Tunesian coastline. Though small, their history dates back thousands of years – and continues to throw a magical spell on many visitors. And we need to ask whether the modern tourists are the last in a series of sun worshippers that came to these islands.
Various megalithic monuments are located on Malta, dated at approx. 4000 BC. What is important is that the buildings are unique in style and that their builders – as is so often the case – are unknown.

Many interesting Artikles about enigmatic landscapes and megalithic civilisation around the world: Articles by Philip Coppens (English)
Check also his other projects.

Shadows & Stones: Ancient Irish Monuments

Kilclooney More Dolmen, Co. Donegal

On a fine summer evening I finally made it to one of the finest portal tombs on these islands. The perfection of the monuments matched the sunset sky and I could have stayed here for hours on end. There are actually two portal tombs but the smaller one normally gets a token mention for the honour of sharing a cairn with the larger, more imposing monument.

Poulnabrone Dolmen,
Co. Clare

The tomb is box shaped with a steeply angled slab like capstone which is trapezodial in shape. Although the rear of the chamber has collapsed and a possible second capstone lies to the rear of the tomb, the structure is still very dramatic. The tomb was excavated in 1986 and the remains of 22 individuals were found in a disarticulated sate, bones pushed into the natural grykes of the burren bedrock.

Shadows & Stones - Photographs by Ken Williams

This site contains a selection of my photographic detours around Ireland, with a heavy emphasis on ancient Irish monuments. Some are well known icons of Irish heritage that feature regularly on calendars and postcards, others are un-sung treasures or have been simply forgotten and neglected. All of them offer fascinating insights into the culture of the late Stone Age and early Bronze Age people of Ireland who constructed these sculptures in stone as early as 7,000 years ago. These core photographic records of Irelands oldest building work and artwork are complemented by landscapes of Ireland and beyond as well as a selection of the many faces of the animal kingdom.

Theban Mapping Project

Atlas of the Valley of the Kings:

Discover each tomb in the Valley in this interactive Atlas. Investigate a database of information about each tomb, view a compilation of more than 2000 images, interact with models of each tomb, and measure, pan, and zoom over 250 detailed maps, elevations, and sections. Experience sixty-five narrated tours by Dr. Weeks and explore a 3D recreation of tomb KV 14.

Atlas of the Theban Necropolis:

Explore the entire archaeological zone through this giant aerial photograph. Zoom in to see individual architectural details of temples and palaces as well as the topography of the area. Mouse over sites to get additional information about them.

Theban Mapping Project

There is much more than this great interactive window to the world of the Valley of the Kings:

Digital Imagery

The TMP's photographers, Francis Dzikowski and Matjaz Kacicnic, have completed taking comprehensive digital photographs of the walls of KV tombs currently open to the public (or likely to be opened soon). This photographic survey users will be able to call up both general photographs of tomb walls, details of scenes, and even individual hieroglyphs for study. Four tombs were not included in the survey because of technical problems, but the following tombs were completely photographed:

KV 1 Rameses VII
KV 2 Rameses IV
KV 6 Rameses IX
KV 8 Merenptah
KV 9 Rameses VI
KV 11 Rameses III
KV 14 Twosret/Setnakhte
KV 15 Seti II
KV 16 Rameses I
KV 34 Thutmes III
KV 35 Amenhetep II
KV 43 Thutmes IV
KV 47 Siptah
KV 57 Horemhab
KV 52 Tutankhamen
WV 23 Ay

Check the Sites in the Valley of the Kings, the Resources Index (with illustrated glossary and Egyptian Timeline), and don't miss the Articles provides a broader understanding of the history and development of the Valley of the Kings and the cultural practices that have influenced and shaped the construction and utilization of the tombs in it. Copious photographs, maps and drawings illustrate each of them.

Ancient city ruins found in northern Peru

The ruins of an entire city that could provide the missing link between two ancient cultures have been found in northern Peru.

Archaeologists believe the city, at the Cerro Patapo site, could provide a connection between the Wari and Moche cultures. The site, 14 miles from the city of Chiclayo on the Pacific coast, dates back to the Wari culture, which existed between about 600 AD and 1100 AD. The Moche culture flourished from about 100 AD to 600 AD.

The huge site, which stretches over three miles, shows evidence of human sacrifice, with special sites for the practice and the remains of the victims found at the bottom of a nearby cliff. Researchers have also found ceramics, pieces of clothing and the well-preserved remains of a young woman.

"It provides the missing link, because it explains how the Wari people allowed for the continuation of culture after the Moche," said Cesar Soriano, chief archeologist on the project.

It is the first such evidence of Wari culture, whose people made their capital near modern-day Ayacucho, in the Andes, but travelled widely and are known for their extensive network of roads.

The 2,000-Year-Old Mystery Circle In Miami

Miami Circle
Photo: www.miamicircle.org

Property developer Michael Bauman was in for a real surprise when he purchased a plot of land in downtown Miami in 1998. Bauman's plans for the land were seemingly simple: demolish a 1950-era apartment complex and build a luxury condominium in its place.

During a routine archaeological survey of the site, however, hundreds of mysterious holes were discovered in a layer of Oolitic limestone bedrock and Bauman's development plans immediately came to a halt. Through further investigation, twenty-four of the largest holes comprised a perfect circle, 38 feet (12 m) in diameter, and excavation results found a variety of artifacts ranging from human teeth to ancient tools.

Included in the artifacts were pieces of burnt wood which, after being tested for radiocarbon dating, are believed to be 1800-2000 years old. To date, Miami Circle is the only known evidence in the United States of a prehistoric structure built into bedrock. Evidence from this mysterious prehistoric "footprint" predates other known settlements along the East Coast.
The site is believed to have once been occupied by the Tequesta Indians, a local tribe whose known tools matched some of the shark tooth-related artifacts found during excavation. Theorists have suggested that the holes were structural postholes or part of the foundation for a building. Some believe the building was used for ceremonial purposes, as animal bones and unused tools appeared to be offerings.

Among these tools were two axe-heads made from basalt, a hard stone that is not indigenous to Florida. The finding of these tools contradicts the theory that the site was occupied by the Tequesta, however, as the volcanic rock is believed to have been from a location in Macon, Georgia - some 600 miles (970 km) away from the site.

The mysterious origin of the site has led to its nickname as "America's Stonehenge", (though there are a number of sites nicknamed this) and some critics and conspiracy theorists have offered alternative theories. Aliens, Mayans and septic tanks are among some of the suggested origins for the holes.

The State of Florida eventually purchased the land from Baumann after a series of high-profile disputes between Native American groups, contractors, and historic preservation committees. Miami Circle, otherwise known as Brickell Point or the Miami River Circle, was declared a National Historic Landmark in early 2009 and is currently under a 44-year lease agreement with the Historical Museum of Southern Florida. Visitors interested in the history of the Miami Circle can view artifacts on display through the museum's permanent exhibition: "First Arrivals: The Archaeology of Southern Florida."

Adam’s Bridge aka Rama’s Bridge

Adam's Bridge, also known as 'Ram Sethu' meaning "Rama's Bridge", is a chain of limestone shoals, between the islands of Mannar, near northwestern Sri Lanka, and Rameswaram, off the southeastern coast of India. Hindus believe that this bridge was built by Rama incarnation of Lord Vishnu to rescue his consort Sita who was abducted to Lanka by Ravana, as mentioned in the Ramayana.

Many historical inscriptions, coins, old travel guides, old dictionary references, old religious maps indicate that this structure is considered sacred by Hindus.

Rama's Bridge as seen from the air

In 2001, the Government of India approved a controversial multi-million dollar Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project that aims to create a ship channel across the Palk Strait by dredging through a portion of this causeway. Some organizations oppose this project using current alignment based on religious, economic and environmental grounds.

NASA distanced itself from the claims saying that what had been captured was nothing more than a 30 km long, naturally-occurring chain of sandbanks called Adam's bridge. It also clarified that, "The images reproduced on the websites may well be ours, but their interpretation is certainly not ours. Remote sensing images or photographs from orbit cannot provide direct information about the origin or age of a chain of islands, and certainly cannot determine whether humans were involved in producing any of the patterns seen". Prof. N. Ramanujam, Head, Post Graduate Department of Geology and Research Centre, V.O. Chidambaram College, astrophysicist Jayant Narlikar and a group of professors of Madurai Kamaraj University stated that Adam's bridge is a natural geographical feature which formed some 17 million years ago. In addition, Archeological Survey of India, with out carrying out studies itself, has said that the structure is natural.

NASA satellite photo of Adam's Bridge, Sri Lanka to the left.

Unbridgeable Myths: The mixing of myth and history is not the prerogative of the Hindu Right. For Dravidians, the Ram Setu has far less resonance than the myth of Lemuria known as Kumari Kandam in Tamil literature. On the lines of the Aryan theory, a section of Tamils has believed and sustained a Dravidian theory about 'Lemuria'.

Science Vs Mythology - see also the other informations about Sethusamudram.

In March 2007, over ten Hindu umbrella organizations from around the world joined together to launch the Save Ram Sethu Campaign (Ram Sethu Bachao Andolan) to increase the profile of the issue amongst the international communities.

One of them is Save Ram Sethu by RamSethu.
Another 'Save Ram Setu' project by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti.

It's not too late to participate!

See also:
Times of India Specials
Ramar Bridge Madras High Court Verdict

The question is what if we today destroy this Ram Sethu, the bridge, and then tomorrow find a proof that this was indeed a man made construction? Will we get back the bridge? Can the lost heritage be brought back?

According to one Oceanographer, the construction of the Sethu Samudram Channel may also increase the risk of tsunamis on the coasts of South India as this shallow water has been protecting the calm sea on this side of the Gulf of Mannar from the wild sea of Bay of Bengal! See this article.

A Journey through California’s Spiritual Landscape

California is famous for its diversity, its eccentricity, and its prophetic influence on popular culture. Since the 19th century, the Golden State has also been one of America’s most fertile climates for spiritual and religious movements. Beautifully weaving together text and image, The Visionary State is the first book to address the full story of “California consciousness.”

Ranging from Yosemite to Esalen, from televangelism to Neopaganism, from Mormon pioneers to contemporary Kali worshippers, acclaimed culture critic Erik Davis weaves together the threads of California’s religious history into an enchanting and vivid tapestry.

Michael Rauner’s haunting iconic photographs ground the book’s many stories in the sacred landscape and architecture of the Golden State. Together Davis and Rauner map the peaks and faultlines that characterize the place that is both the nexus and far frontier of American religion.
Visionary State: A Journey through California's Spiritual Landscape
by Erik Davis, Photographs by Michael Rauner.

World of Darkness: Mysterious Places

This book serves as both supernatural atlas as well as a solid storytelling resource for STs wanting to flesh out the locales of their own, private World of Darkness within their own chronicles. If you're a reader of science or dark-themed fiction, then there is no doubt that, at some point or other, you have experienced the hairs on the back of your neck rise with the creepily detailed description of a place or a thing that serves as a backdrop or, sometimes, as a focal point to a story.

The book starts with 'The Swimming Hole': At the bottom of a body of water, there is a cave where you can trade your blood for wishes. As ol' Ben Franklin used to say, "If men were granted half their wishes they'd double their trouble." Even more interestingly, the force protects the water and the owner wants to drain it; too bad for everyone nearby ...

I like also 'The Whispering Wood' - an arboreal Bermuda Triangle. It's both the literal "haunted forest" as well as the spiritual and philosophical "dark wood" that everyone finds themselves lost in from time to time ...

HUH!

World of Darkness: Mysterious Places
White Wolf Publishing, 2005 | 138 pages | PDF | 8 MB

Written by Kraig Blackwelder, Rick Chillot, Geoff Grabowski, James Kiley, Matt McFarland, Brett Rebischke-Smith and Chuck Wendig with interior artwork provided by Sam Araya, Greg Boychuk, Vince Locke, Chris Martinez, Mark Nelson, Jim Pavelek, Durwin Talon, Jaime Tolagson, Andrew Trabbold, and Cathy Wilkins.

Jantar Mantar

The Jantar-Mantar (Sanskrit; translated as “Magical Device”) was built between 1728 and 1734 due to the drafts of Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693 -1743) in the centre of Jaipur, which itself was founded 1727 as new capital city of his principality ... The observatory consists of oversized stone observation devices, which get a good degree of accuracy due to their enormous dimensions. It is the biggest of five observatories, which Jai Sing II had built. The majority of the devices is typical for big observatories in the Islamic world ... His capital city and observatory are, in spite of Jai Singh II's scientific and political cosmopolitanism, of purely religious origin, a fact which is often ignored or forgotten.

Jantar Mantar by bomhardde (English version)

Das Jantar-Mantar (Sanskrit; übersetzt: "Magisches Gerät") wurde zwischen 1728 und 1734 nach Plänen Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693-1743) im Zentrum von Jaipur, der 1727 gegründeten neuen Hauptstadt seines Fürstentums erbaut ... Das Jantar Mantar von Jaipur ist das größte von 5 Observatorien, die Jai Sing II erbauen ließ.

Es besteht aus steinernen Beobachtungsgeräten von gewaltigen Ausmaßen. Viele Instrumente sind typisch für islamische Großobservatorien ... Zu oft wird übersehen, daß Jai Singhs II Hauptstadt und Observatorium trotz seiner wissenschaftlichen wie politischen Weltoffenheit rein religiösen Ursprung haben.

Jantar Mantar von bomhardde (German version)

Jantar Mantar presents the observatories through a variety of media and information sources, making it possible to explore and learn about these historic sites through interactive panoramic "VR" photographs, time lapse sequences, and 3D models as well as articles, drawings, and historic texts.

Jantar Mantar by JantarMantar.org, a project initiated by Cornell University Professor of Art, Barry Perlus.

Bosporus (Bosphorus)

This narrow, zigzagging, 18- mile-long channel flows south-westward from the BLACK SEA to the SEA OF MARMARA. Beyond the Marmara, the current continues south and west through the HELLESPONT channel to the AEGEAN SEA. Like the Hellespont, the Bosporus borders part of north-western ASIA MINOR; it was considered to be a dividing line between EUROPE AND ASIA.

Shorter and generally narrower and swifter-flowing than the Hellespont, the Bosporus ranges in width from 2.5 miles to 400 yards. Its name, “cow ford” or “ox ford,” was in ancient times said to refer to the mythical wanderings of IO, a woman loved by the god ZEUS and transformed into cow by Zeus’s jealous wife, HERA. But the name may refer to a more mundane cattle crossing.

Around 513 B.C.E., the Persians under King DARIUS (1)—preparing to cross from Asia to Europe for their invasion of Scythia—spanned the Bosporus with a pontoon bridge consisting of about 200 ships anchored in a row. This was a remarkable engineering feat in the ancient world, although not as amazing as the Persians’ bridging of the Hellespont, a wider channel, 30 years later. In modern times the Bosporus, now a part of Turkey, was not bridged until 1973.

The Bosporus and Hellespont were the two bottlenecks along the shipping route between the Black Sea and the Aegean. This route had become crucial by about 500 B.C.E. when ATHENS and other cities of mainland Greece were becoming dependent on grain imported from the northern Black Sea coast. As a natural site where shipping could be raided or tolled, the Bosporus, like the Hellespont, offered wealth and power to any state that could control it. This, combined with the excellent commercial fishing in the strait and its value as a ferry point, helps to explain the prosperity of the Bosporus’s most famous city, BYZANTIUM, located at the southern mouth. Athens controlled the Bosporus in the 400s B.C.E. by holding Byzantium as a subject ally.

Further reading: John Freely, The Bosphorus (Istanbul: Redhouse Press, 1993); Yusuf Mardin, Bosphorus Through the Ages (Ankara: T. C. Kültür Bakanligi, 1995); Rhonda Vander Sluis, From the Bosphorus: A Self-guided Tour (Istanbul: Çitlembik, 2000).

TempleNet

The Golden Vimanam at the Ranganathar Temple,
Srirangam - Tamilnadu

TempleNet The Ultimate Source of Information on Indian Temples.

Templenet is an online journal as well as a comprehensive encyclopedia on Indian Temples. It is intended to serve as a one stop source of information on these monumental pieces of work.
This website is targeted towards different classes of audiences - the resident and non resident travellers wishing to tour the Land of Temples - the armchair tourist - those with a serious interest in archeology, history , religion and mythology - and simply to anyone with an interest in Indian culture. This site will be a pointer to thousands of temples in India.

Mosques Around The World

A Mosque (Masjid) contains symbolic or functional features, each one of which has its own history that is important to Muslims, one is the Mihrab, a niche that indicates the Qibla (direction of prayer), the Minbar (elevated pulpit) used for sermons, proclamations and readings, the Qubah {Dome} set on a high drum and a centralized or annular (ring-like) plan with two ambulatories or corridors the Minarat where the faithful are called for prayer. Today the Minaret serves as a visual inspiration indicating a Muslim community, or as seen in Mecca & Madina sanctuaries displaying as far as possible the location of a holy place.
The Mosque Review by Islamic Architecture. (English)

Mosques Around The World by IslamiCity.

And/Or

Ma'sajid Around the World by Islamicfinder.

The Shire - Place of Enchantment

The Shire is not a place with emphasis on particular spiritual practices but is in our own way respectful and supportive of the Earth and all living beings on it; cultural and artistic enrichment and expression and spiritual diversity.

Cultural and spiritual vitality means:

• Shared creativity, artistic expression, cultural activities, rituals and celebrations.

• Sense of community unity and mutual support.

• Respect and support for spirituality manifesting in many ways.

• Shared vision and agreements that express commitments, cultural heritage and the uniqueness of our community.

• Flexibility and successful responsiveness to difficulties that arise.

• Understanding of the interconnectedness and interdependence of all the elements of life on Earth and the community's place in relation to the whole.

• Creation of a peaceful, loving, sustainable world.

If you like hobbits for neighbours, then consider buying a house in the
Shire of Bend, Oregon. Nice!

A little piece of Middle Earth ... southeast Bend? Not exactly. But The Lord of the Rings did provide at least part of the inspiration – as well as the name for “The Shire,” a radically different small residential development now in the planning stages.
Locate on a bit over six acres on the west side of Benham Road near Tillicum Village; The Shire will include about 30 homes ranging in size from roughly 1,500 to 2,100 square feet.

Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil and Labná

Architecture, Restoration, and Imaging of the Maya Cities of Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, and Labná
by Reed College.

The main purpose of this web site is to make available enough large, high quality images that viewers may begin to explore these world famous Maya cities, perhaps even to decide that this is one place on earth they absolutely must visit in person.

At Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, and Labná, each major building is unique, many composed with exceptional refinement, the buildings and courts richly juxtaposed, creating distinctive urban spaces. Some buildings display a profusion of stone ornament, requiring hundreds of high quality photographs to see the complexity and beauty of these sites.

This web site includes 19th and early 20th century drawings, prints, and photographs, showing the appearance of these four cities before the extensive restoration campaigns of the twentieth century, and allowing us to see the variety of ways in which early explorers and scholars recorded these newly discovered wonders. In addition, there are over 1000 recent photographs, showing previously unpublished architectural and sculptural details, interior spaces, paint remains, current restoration, and approaches to the public presentation of these heavily visited sites.

Theology in Stone

Thinking about church architecture has come to an impasse. Reformers and traditionalists are talking past each other. Statements from both sides are often strident and dogmatic. In Theology in Stone, Richard Kieckhefer seeks to help both sides move beyond the standoff toward a fruitful conversation about houses of worship. Drawing on a wide range of historical examples with an eye to their contemporary relevance, he offers refreshing new ideas about the meanings and uses of church architecture.

Kieckhefer begins with four chapters on the basic elements of church architecture-the overall arrangement of space, the use of an altar or pulpit as a centering focus, the aesthetics of church design, and the functions of sacred symbols.

He goes on to offer three extended historical studies, dealing with churches of medieval England, revival-style churches of America, and modern churches of twentieth-century Germany. Drawing on these case studies, he concludes with a vision of a new theology of church architecture--historically grounded, yet framed for our own time.

Theology in Stone by Richard Kieckhefer
Oxford University Press, 2004 | 390 pages | PDF | 3.4 MB