From: Victor Reijs <[log in to unmask]>
Winter solstice sunset at Maes Howe
(Orkney, Scotland, UK)

As a continuation of the successful project last years; winter solstice
sunset as seen from Maes Howe - a 5,000 year old chambered cairn on
Orkney
- will be broadcasted over the Internet between 14:30 and 15:45 GMT from
December 1st, 2000 until Febr.2nd , 2001.
This chambered cairn is the most spectacular of many in Orkney, situated
in
Stenness on the Orkney Mainland.

The precise reasons for the alignments at Maes Howe may never be
unveiled,
and will remain one of the many mysteries open for speculation. But
itcan be
assumed that such a connection with the winter solstice sunset wasdone
on
purpose. So the Neolithic people that lived in the neighborhood of this
megalithic mound, must have been aware of other things between Heaven
and
Earth than simple survival: eating, drinking and raising the next
generation.
Like monuments at Newgrange (Ireland), Stonehenge (England), Carnac
(France), Hunebedden (Netherlands), Treasury of Atreus (Greece) and the
Great Pyramids
(Egypt), this megalithic moundwas also constructed for a special
purpose.
Many ideas float around, like:

     was it for burials of important people only?
     was it for communal burial?
     was it a place of worship?
     was it a place to get into contact with spirits?
     was it for protection against raiding people?

This monument is part of a mystical atmosphere, that attracts people!

To get a better feeling of what the reasons are behind such a
sophisticated
building, Victor Reijs (a Dutch archaeoastronomer) is studying the
alignment(s?) of the passage and chamber in more detail. After a few
visits and talks with people,
the idea emerged to install a camera inside the chamber, so that the
behavior of the sun can be recorded and analyzed in a more scientific
way.
That is why last years this unique information has been transported by
means
of The Internet and over 40.000 hits received frompeople over the globe!
This year, the light of a winter solstice sunset will again be
broadcasted
in real time over the Internet from the oldest building connected to the
worldwide ISDN and IP network by using three camera's! These broadcasts
are
scheduled from December 1st, 2000 until February 2nd, 2001, everyday
between
14:30 and 15:45 GMT. The schedule can be seen at:
http://maeshowe.mypage.org/.

With the help of Historic Scotland (a government agency that cares for
and
protects Maes Howeon behalf of Scottish Ministers) and CharlesTait
(photographer
and publisher based in Orkney), the idea of broadcasting has been
materialized by Victor Reijs in 1997. Besides much equipment from the
three mentioned initiators,
this project is also sponsored generously by the following
organizations: Orkney Tourist Board and Orkney Enterprise (video
camera), Orknet (bandwidth for web cam pictures) and  HEAnet Ltd
(hardware).

More information on this unique project can be had from:
General URL
Maes Howe page: http://maeshowe.mypage.org/

Victor Reijs (project leader)
E: [log in to unmask]
W: http://geniet.mypage.org/
T: + 353 1 8492557
F: + 353 1 8105121

Charles Tait
E: [log in to unmask]
W: http://www.charles-tait.co.uk/
T: + 44 1856 873738
F: + 44 1856 875313