Uriel's Machine

Christopher Knight and Alan Butler's 'Uriel's Machine' proposes that prehistoric monuments and myths encode awareness of astronomical cycles and catastrophic geophysical events.

The authors analyze alignments, calendrical systems, and mythic traditions to argue for a deliberate transmission of astronomical knowledge by ancient priestly elites.

They explore how structures like stone circles and tombs could function as observational and computational devices for tracking solar, lunar, and planetary cycles, including Venus.

The book connects archaeoastronomy with cultural responses to past catastrophes and has influenced thinking about prehistoric timekeeping.

While controversial, it stimulated renewed interest in interrelationships between monument construction and celestial events.