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by Terence Meaden (Author)
Pytheas of Massalia-a Greek scientific adventurer of the fourth century BC-was the first literate explorer to meet British countryfolk and write of their customs, crafts, food and farming practices. He explored parts of Britain including Kent, Stonehenge and the Cornish tin mines, then sailed to Scotland, Shetland, Iceland and the amber coasts of Denmark. His was a truly ambitious voyage, extremely risky for mariners in the boats of the time, especially in stormy conditions and near-Arctic drift ice. Consequences arising from Pytheas' inspection of Stonehenge are far-reaching because as a learned Greek he understood its purpose and, in the assessment of the present author, validly identified it as a Temple to the Sun. Temples implicitly accommodate and safeguard in their inner sanctum one or more icons to the divine. Befittingly, the present author had previously noted a significant, hitherto-unrecognized, carefully-carved phallic icon (a fallen bluestone) in the middle of the monument, and in this volume makes it public knowledge. Moreover, Pytheas describes the Stonehenge priesthood in enough detail as to indicate that the monument was still in use when he was there. Purposeful, exciting, audacious, this was a sensational exploit on sea and land. The 58 illustrations help to express the points under study, and allow readers to appreciate the mood of ocean and countryside that Pytheas encountered.
