Sagen, Mythen, Menschheitsrätsel

by Jennifer Westwood

For many people the "hook" of history is not so much what we know about the past as what we don't know. Time has left behind a legacy of mysteries and secrets, manifested in the ruins of ancient cities, temples and tombs; in strange, symbolic landscapes and designs upon the earth; in sacred sites where ancient people have sought communion with their gods; and in the persistent rumors of lost lands and fabulous treasures.

Interweaving myth with history and archaeology, this atlas charts the locations of these places and recounts stories that have fired our imaginations and raised a multitude of questions about our ancestors' mysterious past. Here is a close-up look at more than 50 sites, from the megalithic temple of Stonehenge to the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu, from the lost continent of Atlantis to the fabled treasure of Eldorado, and from the strange earthen mounds of North America to the giant stone statues of Easter Island. Packed with color & b&w photos, locator maps, more. 9 1/4" x 11 1/2".

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Reference, Travel, Mythology, Science, Archaeology

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of color photographs of places all over the world that are unexplained,

Includes places and artifacts from every continent.

Includes:

chalk drawings in England and South America
Petra
Mecca
Megaliths and large rock formations
Easter Island

and hundreds of others.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book I will admit I have owned for a while but only now got round to properly reading. For its subject its approach is very mature and sensible -too many like to sensationalise the myth and magic, whereas this book is more of a guide. Not only does it describe the location and why it's important but it has separate articles on the folklore and myths that surround it. As a result you can read about the locations, their appeal and the history and then choose to learn more about the reason people attach the special appeal to them.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a reference than something to sit down and read cover to cover. Many great pictures of the holy and special places on this planet.

[Philippe Beaujean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il heb dit boek gelezen toen ik 10 was. Het was een van de boeken van mijn tante dat op zolder stond, waar ik vaak op avontuur en speurtocht ging naar iets om te beleven. Ik de k dat dit een van de boeken is die heeft bijgedragen tot mijn voorliefde voor geschiedenis.

[Kim Zinkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not rated

[Melanie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read!

[Gianluca Pisacane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because it was different and easy to understand. It's not that the text was so easy to read but that there was no theme or main idea to pick out of the text. It was just information about a million different places organized into an atlas. The book was split into four sections; Sacred Sites, Symbolic Landscapes, Ancient Cities and Lost Lands. My favorite section by far was the last one Lost Lands. I really liked this one because it was about myths. I like myths because they are half fiction and half non-fiction like science fiction. It is informational but also has a story to lighten things up. Also it is a mystery; is it real or not real. I also like this mysterious feel to myths because it gives you the chance to infer or dwell upon different ideas. For example the lost city of Atlantis is one that I had a lot of questions about. There are many tales and some scientific proof of the island but nobody has been able to find it. Therefore, it remains a mystery. The last question I have is also about Atlantis. In this section about Atlantis it tells two stories. One was about the island being cursed under water by the gods and one the other was about Atlantis being a lost continent. I have never heard of this second story but it seems a little more convincing than the first. It says that Atlantis was a continent but got pushed under water by plate tectonics shifting. This seems to be real and scientific however, it goes on to the fictional part about a kingdom. It says "Some 9,000 years before Solon, Atlantis had been a powerful kingdom, with a high civilization and an ideal political constitution, which dominated the Mediterranean"(198). This seems hard to believe because Solon was in 400 BC and this is 9,000 years before that. That means they had a powerful kingdom in 9,000 BC that dominated the Mediterranean. However, at that time the population of earth was very low and some of the only people alive were in Iraq. How can you dominate the Mediterranean when nobody is there? In the end, there is a lot we don't know and if I really want to dig deep and learn about Atlantis I am going to need more than just this one book.

[Anu Korpinen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tällaiseksi kokoomateokseksi oikein mielenkiintoinen. Muistan pyöritelleeni kirjaa käsissäni joskus 90-luvulla, mutta silloin katselin lähinnä vain kuvat läpi. Nyt kun se tarttui jostain mukaan ja päätyi omaan hyllyyn, päätin vihdoin lukea myös kuviin litetyt tekstipätkät.

Kirja oli jaettu neljään osaan: Pyhät paikat, Symboliset maisemat, Muinaiset kaupungit ja Kadonneet maat. Kolme ensimmäistä käsitteli historiallisia ja arkeologisia paikkoja, kolmannessa sukellettiin sitten Atlantis-myyttiin ja muihin mielikuvituksellisempiin maailmoihin.

Artikkelit olivat lyhyitä, mutta asiallisia ja tarjosivat ihan kivasti tietoa. Kirjassa oli myös suurikokoiset ja näyttävät kuvat. Monista itselle tutummista aiheista en juurikaan kostunut mitään tämän kirjan osalta, mutta oli mukana paljon minulle uuttakin asiaa.

[Ruric Amhari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of photos (colour and B&W) plus line drawings, engravings and etchings of sites around the world. More of a quick introductory guide to each than an in depth examination. Good basis for beginning to research specific sites.

Grouped into sacred sites, symbolic landscapes, ancient cities and lost lands.

[Dustin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Purchased it as inspiration for RPG gamemastering. It was alright, but I felt that the time reading it would have be equally as useful as if I had just simply looked up the sites in the book on Wikipedia.

[Suvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overview on mysterious places, symbolic landscapes, ancient cities and lost worlds around the globe. Got me interested in a couple of places that I could search more information on.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

[Hdrabczy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dobór "niezwykłych miejsc" jest chaotyczny. Na plus - bardziej rozbudowane niż zwykle w tego typu albumach opisy. Na minus - część zdjęć jest słabej jakości.