History, mystery and mystique

How often do you find yourself asking “how did they know how to do that?” when visiting an ancient historic site. Incredible feats of construction, amazing architecture, ingenious irrigation and farming methods, but the really awe inspiring moments are those which trigger that question. Buildings perfectly aligned with the stars or the planets; creations designed to assist timekeeping in the same way a sundial does. 

With no instruments of modern science to help them, no textbooks from which to learn, how did these ancient peoples amass this in depth knowledge? It really is awe inspiring to imagine the huge amount of intelligence these people must have possessed.

Close to home here in England, there is a site on the South Downs in Sussex where a giant chalk figure known as The Long Man of Wilmington, is carved into the hillside. This figure, viewed close up, is completely distorted and disproportionate. Yet viewed from across the valley and, remarkably, from the air, the figure is a perfect shape, the figure having been carved askew in the same way that modern day advertisements are painted around sports pitches, so that the aerial or distant view gives a perfect perspective.

How did they know how to do that?