Books by William F Romain
An Archaeology of the Sacred: Adena-Hopewell Astronomy and Landscape Archaeology, 2015
This document provides color illustrations for Chapter 9 of my book, "An Archaeology of the Sacre... more This document provides color illustrations for Chapter 9 of my book, "An Archaeology of the Sacred." As originally published the illustrations were limited to black and white. As the book made extensive use of LiDAR imagery, the color images found in the present version will be of interest.
An Archaeology of the Sacred: Adena-Hopewell Astronomy and Landscape Archaeology, 2015
This document provides color illustrations for Chapter 8 of my book, "An Archaeology of the Sacre... more This document provides color illustrations for Chapter 8 of my book, "An Archaeology of the Sacred." As originally published the illustrations were limited to black and white. As the book makes extensive use of LiDAR imagery, the color images found in the present version will be of interest.
An Archaeology of the Sacred: Adena-Hopewell Astronomy and Landscape Archaeology, 2015
This document provides color illustrations for Chapter 7 of my book, "An Archaeology of the Sacre... more This document provides color illustrations for Chapter 7 of my book, "An Archaeology of the Sacred." As originally published the illustrations were limited to black and white. As the book makes extensive use of LiDAR imagery, the color images here will be of interest.
An Archaeology of the Sacred: Adena-Hopewell Astronomy and Landscape Archaeology, 2015
This document provides color illustrations for Chapter 4 of my book, "An Archaeology of the Sacre... more This document provides color illustrations for Chapter 4 of my book, "An Archaeology of the Sacred." As originally published the illustrations were limited to black and white. As the book makes extensive use of LiDAR imagery, the color images found in the present version will be of interest.
An Archaeology of the Sacred: Adena-Hopewell Astronomy and Landscape Archaeology, 2015
This document provides color illustrations for Chapter 6 of my book, "An Archaeology of the Sacre... more This document provides color illustrations for Chapter 6 of my book, "An Archaeology of the Sacred: Adena-Hopewell Astronomy and Landscape Archaeology. As originally published the illustrations were limited to black and white. As the book makes extensive use of LiDAR imagery, the color images provided in the present version will be of interest.
An Archaeology of the Sacred: Adena-Hopewell Astronomy and Landscape Archaeology., 2015
This document provides color illustrations for Chapter 5 of my book, "An Archaeology of the Sacre... more This document provides color illustrations for Chapter 5 of my book, "An Archaeology of the Sacred: Adena-Hopewell Astronomy and Landscape Archaeology." As originally published the illustrations were limited to black and white. As the book makes extensive use of LiDAR imagery, the color images in the present version will be of interest.
An Archaeology of the Sacred: Adena-Hopewell Astronomy and Landscape Archaeology, 2015
This document provides color illustrations for Chapter 3 of my book, An Archaeology of the Sacred... more This document provides color illustrations for Chapter 3 of my book, An Archaeology of the Sacred. As originally published the illustrations were limited to black and white. As this book makes extensive use of LiDAR imagery, the color images found in the present version will be of interest.
Presents new findings showing the accomplishments of the Hopewell Mound Builders in astronomy, ge... more Presents new findings showing the accomplishments of the Hopewell Mound Builders in astronomy, geometry, mensuration.
Summary book chapter that discusses how ancient Hopewell beliefs were rooted in a shamanic worldv... more Summary book chapter that discusses how ancient Hopewell beliefs were rooted in a shamanic worldview - arguably a worldview having core elements shared by all humans (as modified by culture).
Two thousand years ago, Native Americans created hundreds of mounds and geometrically shaped eart... more Two thousand years ago, Native Americans created hundreds of mounds and geometrically shaped earthen enclosures across the Eastern Woodlands. Many are larger than Stonehenge; most are aligned to celestial events.
This book presents one of the most comprehensive and detailed studies of Ohio earthworks ever written. More than one hundred ancient sites are documented using on-site photographs, maps, and LiDAR imagery. Using these data the author assesses each earthwork relative to its astronomy, geometry, mensuration, and landscape setting. Taking this to the next level, the author shows how earthworks and mounds were integral to Adena-Hopewell religious beliefs and practices. For the Moundbuilders, the landscape - to include earth, sky, and water were part of who they were. To move through the landscape was to engage with the sacred. Using new approaches drawn from relational archaeology and state of the art technology, this book examines and explains the deep connection between ancient Native Americans and the land.
Conference Presentations by William F Romain
This is a slightly modified and longer version of the presentation I gave at the 2021 annual meet... more This is a slightly modified and longer version of the presentation I gave at the 2021 annual meeting for the Theoretical Archaeology Group (Europe).
invited presentation Society for American Archaeology annual meeting , 2016
What I wish to show in this presentation is how certain Hopewell sites may have been connected to... more What I wish to show in this presentation is how certain Hopewell sites may have been connected to each other through religion and mythology. The relevance of this to Chaco and the discussion at hand is not in the listing of specific attributes held in common; but rather, in the recognition of large-scale site entanglements and connections found in both cultures .
Summary of archaeoastronomic findings for multiple Native American Archaic thru Mississippian sit... more Summary of archaeoastronomic findings for multiple Native American Archaic thru Mississippian sites in the Eastern United States.
PowerPoint presentation for SEAC at European Association of Archaeologists annual meeting 2019, 2019
Built in the early twelfth century, Angkor Wat is one of the world’s largest ancient religious st... more Built in the early twelfth century, Angkor Wat is one of the world’s largest ancient religious structures. Each year thousands of visitors make the pilgrimage to Angkor Wat to witness the equinox sunrise over the temple’s lotus-shaped towers. In addition to the equinox alignment, however, there are other alignments at Angkor Wat and many of the surrounding temples. In this article multiple solstice alignments are identified for Angkor Wat and eleven nearby temples to include: Bakong, Phnom Bakheng, Phnom Bok, Phnom Krom, East Mebon, Pre Rup, Banteay Srei, Ta Keo, Baphuon, Preah Khan, and Bayon.
Subsequent to ground and aerial reconnaissance of the above sites, archaeoastronomic assessments were made using Google Earth, with solstice azimuths calculated using standard protocols. More than seventy solstice alignments were thus identified.
The multiplicity of solstice alignments combined with other data suggest that it was important for Angkor temples to be connected to the sun. If, as endorsed here, Angkor temples were microcosmic models of the cosmos, then arguably, solstice alignments connected the temples to the cyclic movement of the cosmos as manifested by the solar cycle.
PowerPoint presentation for Serpent Mound Summer Solstice event, June 18, 2016.
Talks by William F Romain
Drafts by William F Romain
The Emerald Acropolis is a Mississippian-era site closely affiliated with Cahokia. In 2013 archae... more The Emerald Acropolis is a Mississippian-era site closely affiliated with Cahokia. In 2013 archaeologist Timothy Pauketat and colleagues proposed that the site was lunar aligned. In this paper the lunar alignments are evaluated with slight adjustments made using new imagery. Additionally, new findings are presented for multiple Milky Way alignments. Using archaeological data, computer simulations, and ethnohistoric data it is shown how these alignments may have informed ancient beliefs about the soul's journey to the Land of the Dead.
Over the years many interpretations have been offered for the Serpent Mound effigy located in Ada... more Over the years many interpretations have been offered for the Serpent Mound effigy located in Adams County, Ohio. In this paper some of the more interested of the early interpretations are documented.
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Books by William F Romain
This book presents one of the most comprehensive and detailed studies of Ohio earthworks ever written. More than one hundred ancient sites are documented using on-site photographs, maps, and LiDAR imagery. Using these data the author assesses each earthwork relative to its astronomy, geometry, mensuration, and landscape setting. Taking this to the next level, the author shows how earthworks and mounds were integral to Adena-Hopewell religious beliefs and practices. For the Moundbuilders, the landscape - to include earth, sky, and water were part of who they were. To move through the landscape was to engage with the sacred. Using new approaches drawn from relational archaeology and state of the art technology, this book examines and explains the deep connection between ancient Native Americans and the land.
Conference Presentations by William F Romain
Subsequent to ground and aerial reconnaissance of the above sites, archaeoastronomic assessments were made using Google Earth, with solstice azimuths calculated using standard protocols. More than seventy solstice alignments were thus identified.
The multiplicity of solstice alignments combined with other data suggest that it was important for Angkor temples to be connected to the sun. If, as endorsed here, Angkor temples were microcosmic models of the cosmos, then arguably, solstice alignments connected the temples to the cyclic movement of the cosmos as manifested by the solar cycle.
Talks by William F Romain
Drafts by William F Romain
This book presents one of the most comprehensive and detailed studies of Ohio earthworks ever written. More than one hundred ancient sites are documented using on-site photographs, maps, and LiDAR imagery. Using these data the author assesses each earthwork relative to its astronomy, geometry, mensuration, and landscape setting. Taking this to the next level, the author shows how earthworks and mounds were integral to Adena-Hopewell religious beliefs and practices. For the Moundbuilders, the landscape - to include earth, sky, and water were part of who they were. To move through the landscape was to engage with the sacred. Using new approaches drawn from relational archaeology and state of the art technology, this book examines and explains the deep connection between ancient Native Americans and the land.
Subsequent to ground and aerial reconnaissance of the above sites, archaeoastronomic assessments were made using Google Earth, with solstice azimuths calculated using standard protocols. More than seventy solstice alignments were thus identified.
The multiplicity of solstice alignments combined with other data suggest that it was important for Angkor temples to be connected to the sun. If, as endorsed here, Angkor temples were microcosmic models of the cosmos, then arguably, solstice alignments connected the temples to the cyclic movement of the cosmos as manifested by the solar cycle.
In this paper a possible explanation is offered for the location of Angkor Wat. It is proposed that the site was situated at the intersection of two astronomically-related lines of position—one to the summer solstice sunrise over the Rong Chen temple on Phnom Kulen; and a second to the cardinal direction of east in alignment with a site known as Preah Khan of Kompong Svay.
Political and cosmological implications of these findings are discussed. And supportive data are provided showing how the Rong Chen temple is likewise situated at intersecting lines of position creating what was essentially a landscape yantra. Importantly, the Rong Chen temple is where Jayavarman II—founder of the Khmer empire was made a god-king.
In the present article the Jokhang and Tradruk temples and Samye monastery are assessed from a landscape archaeology perspective with the aim of identifying geomantic and magical practices in their design and layout. New findings are presented. to include sitings relative to dragon veins, the use of deadly feng shui arrows, and the suppression of demons using ritual phurbas, vajras, and magical mandalas. The demon suppressing methods discussed represent a blend of indigenous Tibetan magic combined with beliefs and practices from China and India. The result was a unique and powerful magico-religious tradition that endures even today.
follows, however, new data are presented that further that narrative. These data include recently obtained LiDAR imagery and archaeoastronomic analyses.
Subsequent to ground and aerial reconnaissance of the above sites, archaeoastronomic assessments were made using Google Earth, with solstice azimuths calculated using standard protocols. More than seventy solstice alignments were thus identified.
The multiplicity of solstice alignments combined with other data suggest that it was important for Angkor temples to be connected to the sun. If, as endorsed here, Angkor temples were microcosmic models of the cosmos, then arguably, solstice alignments connected the temples to the cyclic movement of the cosmos as manifested by the solar cycle.