Archaeologists Versus Astronomers - The Stones and the Stars: Building Scotland's Newest Megalith - page 8

F IG . 1.2 Dr. Euan Mackie in his study at Glasgow University, Hunterian
Museum (Photo by Gavin Roberts, 1978)
One archaeologist who did have misgivings about the attacks
on Professor Thom was Dr. Euan MacKie, Assistant Curator at
the Hunterian Museum of the University of Glasgow (Fig. 1.2 ).
MacKie had previously been involved in research concerning the
Mayan culture of Central America. The Maya, and their predeces-
sors and successors, the Olmecs and Aztecs, did maintain a priest-
hood with a keen interest in the calendar and the movement of
the stars and planets; their temples, cult centers and in some cases
entire cities appear to be astronomically aligned. But almost all
the literature of the Maya and Aztecs was destroyed by the con-
quistadores in great bonfires ordered by their priests. There was so
little left that the significance of the astronomical passages was a
matter of some doubt. Were it not for the surviving calendars, and
sculptures showing astronomer-priests at work, there would be no