Neolithic Shamanism?
I’ve been studying the Neolithic period now for more than 8 years, and I really do think that we can observe shamanic attributes in their way of life, from monument building to daily life. In this post I will explore the Neolithic site of Knowth in Ireland. The aim is to show you how shamanism can be a near-universal framework which can be used successfully to identify the engraved art of the Boyne Valley passage tombs in Ireland – dating to around 5000 years ago – as shamanic interpretations of entoptic visual experience induced by altered states of consciousness.
See ‘What is a shaman’ for an detailed explanation of an altered state of consciousness.
The passage tomb at Knowth, Co.Meath, Ireland
© Ken Williams. Visit his site for more wonderful pictures of Irish rock art here: http://www.shadowsandstone.com
The idea that Neolithic passage tombs were associated with a complex of consciousness-altering traditions…
View original post 1,129 more words
