Seed of Knowledge, Stone of Plenty: Understanding the Lost Technology of the Ancient Megalith-Builders

Book Description

Monuments in the Americas and beyond stand as silent testimony to the achievements of ancient technology. The scope of these mammoth structures has amazed generations. Could there be some sophisticated knowledge behind the designs? Why would such tremendous effort be made to construct huge mounds in North America, temples in South America, henges in Europe and even the pyramids in Egypt? Especially when research shows that the structures were erected not when times were good, but during desperate times of famine. Could the need to increase food production be the real purpose behind some, or all, of these structures?

These intriguing questions have led authors John Burke and Kaj Halberg on a journey to unravel the mysterious technology behind the ancient megaliths. The scientific findings revealed in Seed of Knowledge, Stone of Plenty point to the likelihood that these monuments were built for the very practical use of amplifying naturally occurring electromagnetic fields in the earth in order to increase crop yields—a technology that only recently has been replicated by modern science.

Burke and Halberg show evidence that ordinary crop seeds treated with pulses of electromagnetic energy have a greater resistance to stress, germinate and grow faster than untreated seeds. The same results can be achieved by exposing seeds to the concentrated earth energy at the ancient monuments. In Seed of Knowledge, Stone of Plenty Burke and Halberg present the scientific evidence behind their startling, original theory. Their electromagnetic readings for numerous mound and temple sites confirm heightened activity. Here are their illustrations detailing the scientific findings, dramatic photographs of electromagnetically charged orbs and maps detailing the locations of electromagnetic fields—many as close as a day trip away from anywhere in North America.

Customer Reviews:

Profound Insights into Ancient History.......2007-10-06

For so long history oriented disciplines have painted a primitive picture of ancient civilizations. All structures, we are told, were built for religious, political, or egotistical reasons.

The notion that ancient civilizations had a scientific understanding of nature not so different than our own modern civilization's understanding has often been referred to as fantasy and fiction by mainstream thinkers. Now, Burke and Halberg show that whoever built these ancient megalithic structures knew what they were doing, and were doing it for a very good reason: to increase the productivity of the land by increasing the hardiness of seeds. And they do so with science and experimentation.

In their conclusion they write that "It is our hope that this book may constitute one small step toward shedding some light on where we came from and where we are headed." As an author deeply interested in ancient civilizations I think Burke and Halberg might have underestimated the significance of their work. This book, with its scientific approach, requires that we re-evaluate our approach to understanding ancient civilizations, particularly that of ancient Egypt. Their chapter entitled "Pulse of the Pyramid" is alone worth the price of the book!

For anyone interested in ancient history "Seed of Knowledge Stone of Plenty" is a must read.

Fertility of Seeds & Stones.......2007-09-28

FERTILITY MAGIC of STONES & SEEDS

"SEED of KNOWLEDGE - STONE of PLENTY -
Understanding the lost technology of the ancient megalith-builders"
by John Burke & Kaj Halberg, new book `07, Council Oak.
Review - Micheal Sunanda Oness press

1000s of tourists & spiritual seekers visit the most famous & huge megaliths/year. Why did the ancient cultures build those giant structures requiring 1000s & millions of work hours to erect? I've visited many vortexes in US, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Bali, Australia, Hawaii, etc. with wildly varied energetics I could often feel meditating. I didn't think of their fertility functions, that are obviously real.
Those old mysteries attract dozens science history experts, science buffs & spiritual seekers to study & learn their purposes, uses & how they were built. The most popular are the Pyramids of Giza, walls of Inca - Peru & temples of Mesoamerica - Aztecs, Mayans & Olmec; & the 1000s of earthen mounds on all continents. Why were many megaliths abandoned by natives ? builders leaving or loosing their need or functions? Less famous are the 1000s of earthen mounds on all continents visited by seekers yearly.
So John & Kaj explain their unique approach to megaliths reporting on their details of field & lab research taking extrem-ely accurate EMF measurements at dozens of sites. They found very hi energy readings & learning how the ancient megaliths `stones' still effects the fertility of seeds with the builders & now. They connect that with deep history of the cultures rise & falls relative to their agriculture, hunger, needs & designs & inhabiting lands around their stones.
They took EMF meters & discovered how the electromagnetic fields in & around the stones attracts & amplifies ambient & earth energy to the seed. They took & treated seeds there became 2-3x more fertile than none-treated seeds grown later elsewhere. They offer many colored photos of megaliths & their amazing seed sprouts from the 'stone' zones.
From the dramatic growing results & related history they conclude & weave dramatic tales of those cultures growing rich form abundant harvests & many others bringing seeds there for energizing. This they assert began with extreme famine motivating builders in desperate need for erecting the structures with complex research, designs & 1000s of people helping & beenfiting from energizing seeds to grow in poor soils.
This is more grounded in their human needs & local energetics than in newage spiritual rituals many believe the megaliths were built for, like graves & ceremonies. Few bones were found in & around megaliths & many seeds in some places are even now used to energize fertility. Many were built on known fertility zones, then expanding & concentrating their powers there & seeds often grown far away in poor soils. Because John & Kaj now have a business of energizing seeds industrially based on their research & lab work. They have deep appreciation for natural local fertility of seeds & soil, without indust-rial chemicals, & the destructive `slash & burn' farming that ruined millions of acres of ancient farmland & even in the Amazon now.
How can we use earth energy fields to empower our seeds facing the growing climate crisis stressing many farmlands now with drout, fire, floods & toxic chemical farming.

Intriguing breakthrough.......2007-09-09

Seeds of Knowledge is the very first documentation of significant electromagnetic force fields located precisely where a henge, temple, mound or pyramid was built by ancient peoples. The evidence is provocative and compelling. Equally convincing are the novel claims about the potential role of these force fields in agrarian communities. The many maps, diagrams and photographs add visual appeal to the clear and well argued thesis.

Archeologists, anthropologists and historians will take note of this research. For the rest of us, Seeds of Knowledge offers an open invitation to go exploring in John Burke's footsteps, beginning with his appended lists of accessible sites across the United States. Then on to the monuments he and his team measured around the world. This book makes an important contribution to understanding one of the mysteries of ancient civilizations.

Robust hypothesis carefully presented.......2007-09-06

Leaving the northern hemisphere winter of 1995 I stopped off for a month or two in Egypt, Israel and Jordan, armed with a fresh copy of The Orion Mystery by BAUVAL and GILBERT. To my pleasure it opened up a whole different possibility and appreciation of the mysteries of the Giza pyramids than the conventional story told by the locals that they were tombs constructed for the ruling class who worshipped the Sun.

There are many commentators offering diverse opinions on the purpose and true age of the great pyramids and the Sphinx, ranging from UFO landing pads and interstellar navigation systems, to Temples housing chambers of frequency and sound that combine different hertz rates with low magnetism to simulate human emotions including fear and love.

A shaman once told me if the Earth's crust was laid out flat at the time of construction, the pyramids were positioned bang smack in the middle of the Earth's landmass, centered over ley lines to harness the enormous power of the Earth's gravitational field and used as generating stations. Some of the older indigenous traditions, as authors BURKE and HALBERG point out, speak of the connections between Mother Earth and Father Sun, in modern day terms telluric currents possibly creating nodes or ducts. Dr Bruce Lipton and Gregg Braden's efforts hypothesize that the human body, through its carbon base derived from Earth, provides the grounding for our consciousness from the Stars (environment) in such a way that we act as receptors on the crust (membrane) of the earth - in fractal and holographic language the same way the relationship between the membrane of our cells of the human body operate.

However relevant it may be to any of this, SEED of KNOWLEDGE, STONE of PLENTY provides yet more interesting speculation for the purpose of constructing these, and other, massive megalithic structures around the world. The harnessing of electromagnetism to promote growth in seeds to meet the needs of civilization during times of crises is well within the bounds of possibility. The ionization of the atmosphere through the concentrated focus of these energies caused by deliberate intention is hard to debate. Tesla, the founding father of alternating current, is purported to also have experimented with ionization.

SEED of KNOWLEDGE, STONE of PLENTY links ball lightening, balls of light, geology, minerals, stone placements such as Avebury and Stonehenge, and American Indian mounds with people's quest for channeling earth energies to enhance fertility and agriculture. While certainly one possible outcome I find it difficult to accept that this would be the sole use for these magnificent icons. While BURKE and HALBERG steer clear of any references to the enhanced growth of seeds from genuine crop circles which mainly manifest in the chalk aquifer areas of southern England, this probably reflects their practical and pragmatic approach to the subject matter. Often this detachment is sadly lacking from the controversial and misleading information that surrounds that phenomenon.

In addition to ten well written chapters including diagrams and colour photos, the references, notes and appendix section is close on 80 pages long - highly recommended. My thanks to Walter Cruttenden's free podcast monthly radio show THE COSMIC INFLUENCE on iTUNES which includes an interview with John Burke.

New thoughts on ancient structures.......2006-11-26

This book was a pleasant surprise. I was intrigued enough by the blurbs to read Seed of Knowledge, Stone of Plenty, but began it without great expectations. I have read many books about ancient monuments and earth energies and found few to be as rich in new facts and solid science. What a find! The authors lay out one new fact after another and document them all with hundreds of solid academic references; essentially, they document every statement. The theme of the book reveals an entirely new way to look at these ancient engineering marvels. An appreciated bonus was the appendix listing dozens of sites you can visit in the U.S. (I only wish it were longer!) Another appendix tells how you can confirm or refute their work by performing the same tests they did at these sites, some of which I hope to do next summer.

The thesis of the book is that ancient cultures built megalithic structures (e.g., pyramids and henges) where there were geologically-based electro-magnetic energies in order to concentrate these energies and that they did this to achieve a very practical physical benefit. The authors' experiments testing these effects were the best part. Some eye-popping photos of their tests prop up what might otherwise seem to be incredulous claims if you are a natural skeptic (that's me!). They also present sources from the scientific literature explaining why and how these effects can be achieved with these energies.

Seed of Knowledge comes right out of left field with a whole new take on these ancient structures. Even if you were already an admirer of ancient civilizations, this book will raise your image of them. It is rich in information and also a fairly easy read. Any fan of the past will enjoy this book.

The Materiality of Stone: Explorations in Landscape Phenomenology

Average customer rating:

The Materiality of Stone: Explorations in Landscape Phenomenology
Christopher Tilley , and Wayne Bennett
Manufacturer: Berg Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1859738974
Release Date: 2004-09-23

Book Description

This book investigates the sensuous material qualities of stone--from golden honeycombed limestone, to frozen waves of Cambrian sandstone. Tactile sensations, sonorous qualities, color, and visual impressions are all shown to play a previously unrecognized yet vital part in understanding the power of prehistoric monuments, from Neolithic temples to Bronze Age rock carvings, in relation to their landscapes. Tilley breaks new ground in interpreting human experience in a sensuous way, rather than through an abstract analytical gaze. He leaves no stone unturned as he also considers how spaces and settings are interpreted in relation to artifacts and places that were deeply meaningful to the people who inhabited them and remain no less evocative today. In its innovative approach to understanding human experience, The Materiality of Stone is a major contribution to the field of material culture studies and the study of prehistory.

The Stones of Time: Calendars, Sundials, and Stone Chambers of Ancient Ireland

Average customer rating:

The Stones of Time: Calendars, Sundials, and Stone Chambers of Ancient Ireland
Martin Brennan
Manufacturer: Inner Traditions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Ancient & Classical | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Ancient | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Mysticism | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Reference | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0892815094
Release Date: 1994-10-01

Book Description

This revealing text describes the exciting discovery and deciphering of the 5,000-year-old stone chambers and standing stones of pre-Celtic Ireland. At midwinter sunrise, Martin Brennan and his research partner observed a beam of light shining into the central chamber at Newgrange, illuminating a series of glyphs on the back wall. They went on to observe significant solar and lunar events at other chambers and stone complexes in the Boyne Valley and Loughcrew Mountains. Through a combination of careful observation, analysis of the astronomical alignment of the sites, and personal insight into the meanings of megalithic symbols and carvings, Brennan demonstrates conclusively that the passage mounds and chambers are actually sophisticated calendar devices, and that the abstract wheels, spirals, zigzags, and wavy lines are symbols of solar and lunar timekeeping.

The Stars and the Stones: Ancient Art and Astronomy in Ireland

Average customer rating:

Revolutionary.

The Stars and the Stones: Ancient Art and Astronomy in Ireland
Martin Brennan
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Ancient & Classical | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Mysticism | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Revolutionary........2000-07-11

Before Martin Brennan and his team researched the Boyne Valley cairns and Knowth, few archeologists took the locals seriously when they told stories of the structures. Even after the studies were complete many archeologists wouldn't comment on what the team found. Now, years later, there is a grudging admittance that Brennan's astronishing work is correct. The concepts and the illustrations will take your breath away. Prepare to be astounded.

Circles and Standing Stones: An Illustrated Exploration of Megalith Mysteries of Early Britain

Average customer rating:

Circles and Standing Stones: An Illustrated Exploration of Megalith Mysteries of Early Britain
Evan Hadingham
Manufacturer: Walker & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Ancient | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

World of Megaliths
Jean-Pierre Mohen
Manufacturer: Facts on File
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Danish prehistoric monuments: Denmark from the Stone Age to the Vikings

Average customer rating:

Danish prehistoric monuments: Denmark from the Stone Age to the Vikings
P. V Glob
Manufacturer: Faber and Faber Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Early Europe: Mysteries in Stone (Lost Civilizations)

Average customer rating:

Mysteries in Stone (Lost Civilizations)

Early Europe: Mysteries in Stone (Lost Civilizations)

Manufacturer: Time-Life Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Ancient | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0809491001

Customer Reviews:

Mysteries in Stone (Lost Civilizations).......2001-02-05

Early Europe : Mysteries in Stone (Lost Civilizations) by Time-Life Books(Editor), Dale M. Brown(Editor)

Average customer rating:

Goddess of the Stones
George Terence Meaden
Manufacturer: Souvenir Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Ancient | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Crop Circles | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0285630318

Great Stone Circles: Fables, Fictions, Facts

Average customer rating:

Monuments built and tumbled
Pretentious and biased.
An excellent introduction to the best known stone circles.
Interesting bits of meat, but hard to taste the whole stew

Great Stone Circles: Fables, Fictions, Facts
Aubrey Burl
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Ancient | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany: Second Edition

ASIN: 0300076894

Book Description

For those who are enthralled by Stonehenge and the many other awe-inspiring prehistoric stone circles of Britain, archaeologist Aubrey Burl now offers fascinating insights into their many mysteries. In this book he selects a dozen of the most evocative rings and proposes sometimes surprising answers to questions about the circles-their purpose, construction, age, design, art, legends, and relation to astronomy.

Customer Reviews:

Monuments built and tumbled.......2003-03-19

Burl is among the leaders of scholars studying the stone and wood monuments scattered about the British Isles. This book, in many ways, is the culmination of years of research and publications. It brings to light some of the latest thinking on the origins of monuments like Stonehenge, Stanton Drew and Rollright. The selected sites are each unique in their own way. Burl presents historical considerations of the stone circles, updated with his own and others' insights. He's a vigorous writer, sharply critical where needed - equally praising when appropriate. A great demolisher of myths and mistakes, he uses the selected sites to demonstrate valid methods of study. His aim is to sweep away false or inadequate explanations to bring the sites and their builders to life. He's keenly aware that these are the
constructions of real people. Bringing those people to life is a major aim of the book.

This tour of selected stone circle sites makes compelling eading. Burl's witty style is enhanced by outstanding photography and many informative line drawings. The illustrations alone might put this book in the "coffee table" class, but the serious scientific base grants the book better status. Burl stresses the complexity inherent in each of the sights. Stonehenge, the prime example, was built through several phases, each taking previous structures into account. We are misguided into thinking overmuch about the visible stones, when much more, often indications of wooden structures, lie underground at the sites. This evidence, according to Burl, conveys a fresh story about the people building them than do the stones, standing or fallen. Burl argues that the lithic evidence indicates woodworking techniques were used to form the rocks of Stonehenge.

For those new to the topic, this book may seem somewhat overbearing. Burl attempts to clarify many issues ["axes to grind" if you will], most particularly the astronomical orientations of many of the stone circles, and their means of construction. He is particularly emphatic over the question of transportation of stones from southern Wales. The feat, he stresses, is clearly implausible. His contention is that the stones were local to what is now Wiltshire. They were "erratics" deposited by glacial action. Neolithic peoples moved, shaped and placed them. At Stonehenge, construction techniques are more typical of woodworking, but in stone. Burl's suggestion is that the technology was imported from Brittany, likely through workers imported from that region.

Burl has provided a good starting point for those interested in our historical roots. Clearly, the Neolithic people who built Stonehenge, Swinside and the other sites have left a legacy we share in some part. The notes and reading list Burl provides will lead the interested reader to guides for further investigation. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Pretentious and biased........2001-06-05

I wouldn't bother with it if I wasn't addicted to stone circles. Get it from the library and use it for reference, but don't bother buying it. Not worth the $.

An excellent introduction to the best known stone circles........2000-09-06

This weighty book takes an original approach. Dr Burl has picked half a dozen of the biggest, best known and most studied stone circles in Britain and written what must be a definitive account of every significant fact and fable that has been documented about them. Ten sites: Stanton Drew, Swinside, the Rollrights, Long Meg, the Land's End cluster, Stonehenge and, as Burl points out, the sparsest site that we have learnt most from: Woodhenge. His discussion of the Heel stone is a good example of how he sieves the references and homes in on answers. Presumably Avebury is absent as he literally wrote the book on that in 1979. New discoveries there call for an update, but they would have been too late for this book. I'm sure this will come in time, indeed many of us hope Dr Burl will get round to an update of his 1976 Stone Circles of the British Isles.

Burl's style is direct and can be poetic. If you can get inside his pithy humour it is inspiring to follow him as he targets and eliminates one misconception after another. From antiquarians to excavators, with a nod to the dowsers and ley hunters, the book documents all the attempts to penetrate the silence of the stones. He has little time for idle speculators, but he does at least give their ideas a quick airing rather than shying away like so many of his archaeological peers. Alas though, even drawing all this together can only go so far to answer many of the questions posed.

Burl starts the Stonehenge section with a passionate argument as to how the Bluestones got there. I agree with him that the journey from Wales seems far-fetched, but I'm not convinced by the case for glacial erratics picked up from Salisbury Plain either! Burl's other heretical idea, the suggestion that the Bretons had a hand in building Stonehenge is convincing. Indeed his descriptions of anthropomorphic rock art at Stonehenge unwittingly lay the foundations for Terence Meaden to step in with his carved head ideas.

There are inevitable comparisons with Burl's Prehistoric Avebury. One interesting section in that was his description of how people probably carried out their daily lives. Great Stone Circles does cover the construction of Swinside, but I'd liked to have seen more of this. As with many of Burl's other works, the great attraction is the space given to the lesser-known sites. I hope he can repeat the process at other circles in the future. Not a book you will tire of quickly if stone circles are your thing. So full of information it is hard to take in and digest in one reading, but that is more the fault of the reviewer than the author. Superb.

Review by Andy Burnham - www.megalithic.co.uk

Interesting bits of meat, but hard to taste the whole stew.......2000-03-20

The book has a lot of interesting facts, and based on the foreword, it appears the author is trying to illustrate varous general themes about stone circles in general through discussions of individual circles. In some cases I think I "get" the theme he's trying to illustrate, and in others I don't. I'd have been happier if he would have come out and bluntly stated the point he is trying to make in each chapter. I guess I just don't understand stuff unless I'm hit over the head with it! Despite this, there are lots of lovely photos, and some interesting facts in the text. The two improvements I'd suggest are 1) Tell the reader exactly the point you are trying to make (don't leave it as an exercise for the student), and 2) put in some diagrams with labelled parts showing the exact physical relationships between parts of various circles when these relationships are being discussed in the text. If this sounds too whiney, I must point out that I bought the book in preparation for a trip to Cornwall where I'm going to visit some of the circles described in the book, and I do believe I'll enjoy my visits more because of having read this book.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books