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The Memory Code: The Secrets of Stonehenge, Easter Island and Other Ancient Monuments by Lynne Kelly
samstillreading's review against another edition
4.0
Have you ever stopped to wonder how ancient societies managed to remember so much, yet didn’t write it down? Have you ever Googled Stonehenge theories or wondered about the meaning of the statues on Easter Island? Ever wanted to try to remember more without relying on your smartphone and copious sticky notes? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions (or forgotten them by now), The Memory Code is a book you should take the time to read.
Lynne Kelly has put all this together, and more, in a very readable book. It combines science and anthropology together in a way that the reader can easily understand the theories and evidence about how ancient societies retained so much information and passed it down the generations. It’s a fascinating read with in depth research (and contains a bibliography at the end, should the reader be interested in exploring any of the topics further). I am very impressed at how Dr Kelly explains her theories – it’s so easily accessible even though I have no formal training of anthropology or archaeology beyond high school social studies!
What I found most rewarding about the book was the practical application of memory spaces and songlines. Dr Kelly explains how she remembers the history of the world by recalling it as objects on her daily walk with the dog. Houses represent the time periods and she may link something as mundane as a letterbox with a crucial fact. What’s even cooler, is linking facts with silly songs, rhymes or puns. It seemed like a great way to remember things, without rote studying. Unfortunately, being the middle of winter, I can’t see the houses to practice this! So, to test her theory and see if it worked for me, I decided to do this on my daily drive for a big presentation I had to give. I didn’t want to take any notes and I had to remember a number of facts and statistics, so I practiced while driving to and from work. I used landmarks, signs and turning off points to remember the facts. Did it work? Yes, it did! By replaying the trip in my head in the background while I was talking, I could recall each key point with the correct numbers. It was surprisingly easy and quite fun! I plan to do this for an even bigger and longer presentation I need to give in the future with some complex mechanisms to describe.
If you’re not into that kind of recall, how about a memory board? (Pinterest doesn’t count). The Australian Aboriginals used a coolamon, which had carvings which acted as a memory aid. The Luba people in Zaire used a lukasa with beads and shells, each one acting as a trigger. But the biggest of all was Stonehenge. Dr Kelly offers the theory that Stonehenge was used as a memory tool as cultures transitioned from a nomadic life to a settled, farming life. Her ideas are detailed and supported with evidence of what we know about people of the time. It was all so interesting! My only problem with the book was that it’s not one to read while you’re too tired to concentrate – you need to give it the attention it deserves to fully appreciate the complexity and spark your own ideas. But naturally that just meant I had to sneak the book out more times during the day…
The Memory Code is an absorbing read, give it a go and be amazed.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Lynne Kelly has put all this together, and more, in a very readable book. It combines science and anthropology together in a way that the reader can easily understand the theories and evidence about how ancient societies retained so much information and passed it down the generations. It’s a fascinating read with in depth research (and contains a bibliography at the end, should the reader be interested in exploring any of the topics further). I am very impressed at how Dr Kelly explains her theories – it’s so easily accessible even though I have no formal training of anthropology or archaeology beyond high school social studies!
What I found most rewarding about the book was the practical application of memory spaces and songlines. Dr Kelly explains how she remembers the history of the world by recalling it as objects on her daily walk with the dog. Houses represent the time periods and she may link something as mundane as a letterbox with a crucial fact. What’s even cooler, is linking facts with silly songs, rhymes or puns. It seemed like a great way to remember things, without rote studying. Unfortunately, being the middle of winter, I can’t see the houses to practice this! So, to test her theory and see if it worked for me, I decided to do this on my daily drive for a big presentation I had to give. I didn’t want to take any notes and I had to remember a number of facts and statistics, so I practiced while driving to and from work. I used landmarks, signs and turning off points to remember the facts. Did it work? Yes, it did! By replaying the trip in my head in the background while I was talking, I could recall each key point with the correct numbers. It was surprisingly easy and quite fun! I plan to do this for an even bigger and longer presentation I need to give in the future with some complex mechanisms to describe.
If you’re not into that kind of recall, how about a memory board? (Pinterest doesn’t count). The Australian Aboriginals used a coolamon, which had carvings which acted as a memory aid. The Luba people in Zaire used a lukasa with beads and shells, each one acting as a trigger. But the biggest of all was Stonehenge. Dr Kelly offers the theory that Stonehenge was used as a memory tool as cultures transitioned from a nomadic life to a settled, farming life. Her ideas are detailed and supported with evidence of what we know about people of the time. It was all so interesting! My only problem with the book was that it’s not one to read while you’re too tired to concentrate – you need to give it the attention it deserves to fully appreciate the complexity and spark your own ideas. But naturally that just meant I had to sneak the book out more times during the day…
The Memory Code is an absorbing read, give it a go and be amazed.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
nickystrickland's review against another edition
4.0
The title does a disservice to the contents of this fascinating read. Investigations of multiple cultures across continents and the timeline of humanity (neolithic to present) how knowledge is kept in non-literate communities.
frankatzenzungen's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely incredible! This is a must read.
Kelly opens with a fascinating look at indigenous knowledge and how they could remember so much. She explores the methods that can be used such as memory spaces and song lines, and how they can be used in the modern world. (On a side note I will definitely look into her other book 'Memory Craft' to put them into practice myself!) I found how mythology can play into it really interesting, and offered me a different way to view it.
She goes on to explore her completely original thesis, that Neolithic monumental sites around the world were a memory system that allowed non-literate peoples to memorise huge amounts of knowledge. She covers Stonehenge, Avebury, Orkney, Newgrange, Carnac, Chaco Canyon, Nasca lines, Easter Island, and multiple American sites in detail.
Having been to Stonehenge recently I am keen to go back (and to the other sites) with her thesis in mind.
She makes a very convincing argument for which I would need to see significant proof against to disagree with her.
Kelly opens with a fascinating look at indigenous knowledge and how they could remember so much. She explores the methods that can be used such as memory spaces and song lines, and how they can be used in the modern world. (On a side note I will definitely look into her other book 'Memory Craft' to put them into practice myself!) I found how mythology can play into it really interesting, and offered me a different way to view it.
She goes on to explore her completely original thesis, that Neolithic monumental sites around the world were a memory system that allowed non-literate peoples to memorise huge amounts of knowledge. She covers Stonehenge, Avebury, Orkney, Newgrange, Carnac, Chaco Canyon, Nasca lines, Easter Island, and multiple American sites in detail.
Having been to Stonehenge recently I am keen to go back (and to the other sites) with her thesis in mind.
She makes a very convincing argument for which I would need to see significant proof against to disagree with her.
lbmertes57's review against another edition
2.0
I wish I had left this book in the ditch.
All things aside I think the reason I did not like this book other than the excessive use of the word "ditch" is that it wasn't what I wanted it to be. I was looking for a book about the structures for research and it didn't provide the information I wanted or needed. Granted, it is not the book or the authors fault.
All things aside I think the reason I did not like this book other than the excessive use of the word "ditch" is that it wasn't what I wanted it to be. I was looking for a book about the structures for research and it didn't provide the information I wanted or needed. Granted, it is not the book or the authors fault.
rojaed's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting and plausible hypothesis on the meaning of standing stones and henges. It I haven’t heard if any useful research has come out of it. It can only be speculation at this stage
mmparker's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, although I found Dr. Kelly's confidence and hyperbolic language pretty offputting for a semi-academic work. Whatever. A theory that posits that humans across all of history are intelligent and value knowledge isn't going to get much complaint from me right now.
stanro's review against another edition
3.5
Very interesting though rather repetitive. The author has a cogent theory about the relationship between the landscape and cultural memory that she illustrates by applying it to many different cultures.
nairam1173's review against another edition
3.0
The strongest part of this book is definitely the first 100 pages--absolutely fascinating look at memory and ways to nurture your own.
Then it becomes a very long paper on proving her thesis through archeological site descriptions (which I HATE--just give me a picture!!!!) and lots of repetitive language. It picks up again a little around page 200 when we move out of European sites and get some more variety. Still not as fascinating as the beginning.
All things considered, still a very interesting book and theory. I love how it works at tearing down chronological snobbery and assumptions of everything being about religion.
Then it becomes a very long paper on proving her thesis through archeological site descriptions (which I HATE--just give me a picture!!!!) and lots of repetitive language. It picks up again a little around page 200 when we move out of European sites and get some more variety. Still not as fascinating as the beginning.
All things considered, still a very interesting book and theory. I love how it works at tearing down chronological snobbery and assumptions of everything being about religion.