Lectures and Projects
The following lectures and projects were developed for delivery on the International Science Festival circuit. Each topic is presented using highly visual digital presentations and interactive material. For more information please email your request from the Contact us page.
Magic, Symbols and Lies
Many sensationalist authors deceive readers using similar skills to those employed by magicians. They twist history by carefully selecting and misinterpreting symbols and architectural features on historical buildings to create their powerful illusions. These very creative acts of deception have often been applied to the symbols and architectural features within Rosslyn Chapel. Several of the symbols been used to assert that the 15th century builders had connections with the Knights Templar and Freemasonry. However, understanding the original meaning of these symbols, the creative manipulation and misinterpretation tricks to which they have been subjected becomes apparent.
The Rope Age - re-categorisation of the artefacts recovered from Skarabrae by Professor Vere Gordon Childe.
Skara Brae on the west of Mainland Orkney is the best preserved Neolithic settlement in Europe. Professor Vere Gordon Childe of the University of Glasgow excavated the site in the 1920's and recovered many shards of pottery, carved stones, bone tools and items of jewellery. Many of the recovered items were incorrectly categorised and they are presented as tools used within cordage production and associated crafts.
Scara Brae Part 2. Ritual Vs Survival
A number of artefacts recovered from Skarabrae were categorised as 'probably for ritual or ceremonial purposes'. Rejecting this interpretation, and examining the other potential uses of these items, many can be demonstrated as being tools used the preperation and production of materials and tools for building and survival.
Rise of the Neolithic Farmers
Around 5000 BC settlers in Scotland began establishing farms, fishing stations and immense stone monuments - which are generally associated to ancestor worship. Although human remains have been recovered from these structures, many have astronomical significance and have been aligned to local geographical features. Using The Ring of Brodgar, The Stennes circle and Maes Howe burial chamber as working examples, what do the alignments and measurements found in these monuments tell us about the skills and knowledge of the designers and builders?
Egyptian rope crafts and the evolution of Geometry
Every year after the Nile receded; Egyptian surveyors re-measured land with ropes and pegs for taxation purposes. These hands on crafts required simple wooden tools and a highly developed knowledge of scale and proportion. Greek Geometers later translated these rope crafts onto clay tablets and the eggs of geometry were hatched. Greek geometry and astronomy are discussed highlighting the influence of Greece in the development of western sciences.
Megalithic Meridians
Over the last 7000 years, Scotlands ancient landscapes have hosted a series of meridians (north-south measuring lines). The practical use of meridians in survaying land, building, navigation and astronomy are discussed. The observation stations located upon the meridians in each of the 7 millennia are explored.
Navigators of the North
Myths, symbols, rituals and folk traditions often encapsulate elements of ancient astronomy, navigation and place determination. This highly visual lecture highlights the role of the cycles of planet Venus, in the development of time keeping, and within the symbols, rituals and myths of the Celtic and Norse nations.
Dirlot - a voyage through time
Located at the geographical centre of Caithness, the abundance of natural properties in the Dirlot gorge have been harnessed by mankind for over 6000 years. A 500 meter walk offers visitors the oppertunity to interact with a series of ancient stone devices. A Neolithic stone fan constructed around 2500 BCE with over 200 individual stones, a standing stone row, a medieval castle and a most curious pentagonal shaped cemetry. But why was Dirlot so popular with our forbears? Why did the infamous red Knight choose to live here? What is the famed treasure hidden in the Devils pool? And why did the last two treasure recovery divers never surface?
The Rosslyn Templar
An enigmatic 19th century painting recently surfaced at auction in Edinburgh. Entitled ‘Templar Knight at Roslin Chapel, by Edinburgh artist R.T.McPherson, this bold fusion of form and content is composed with Freemasonic symbols and ritual features relating to the Knight Templar Degree. Very little visual material exists to help our understanding of the activities of Freemasons in 19th century Scotland, therefore, this painting offers a valuable insight into the development of Freemasonry and associated subjects.
The Rosslyn Matrix - is it a masons template or a navigational tool?
A singular carving in Rosslyn Chapel's crypt has been called a masons working drawing since 1876. But its composition can be related to methods teaching navigation, cartography and astronomy. Is this carving a masons drawing, as commonly believed, or is it a navigator’s teaching tool and possibly the oldest carved chart or map in Scotland?
Building Rosslyn Chapel
Church layouts and their architectural features were used as vessels to deliver content. Rosslyn Chapel was founded in 1446 as a collegiate church - cruciform in shape. Building works ceased in 1484 and the structure remains incomplete. However, establishing the fundamental ad qaudratum geometry in the existing building - we can establish the building modules, codes of mensuration and measurements applied by the designers. Using this knowledge we can trace out a ground plan for the intended building.