Review : Heavenly views

In Skywatchers, Shamans and Kings (Wiley, £19.99/$27.95, ISBN 0
471 04863 1), E. C. Krupp explores the cultural aspects of ancient astronomy. As
he ranges from the Neolithic Irish tomb of Newgrange through Genghis Khan’s
astronomically oriented mausoleum in Mongolia and on to the great Mayan temples
of Mexico, Krupp blends scientific astronomy with non-Western worldviews to
produce a lively account of the ways in which our ancestors conceived of and
used the heavens.