Book Description

ABOUT THE BOOK: What if geometric motifs in pre-Columbian American art, long dismissed as merely decorative, hold meaning of astronomical time and ancient cosmovision? In The Sacred Language of the Stars, Dr. Peter Trutmann shares compelling scholarly evidence for this conclusion, culminating in a preliminary dictionary of geometric symbols, and demonstrations of how the three motifs can be used to read richer meaning in complex visual scenes written by ancient Peruvian and Mesoamerican cultures.The book begins with a background on the curious lack of systematic research of these motifs, despite their prevalence in much of the art of pre-Columbian Americans from the south of South America through to North America, and proceeds to the analysis of three motifs: the stair-like stepped motif, the spiral motif, and the triangle motif, which are displayed on the cover of the book. The hypothesized meanings are verified using 'Rosetta Stone'-like scenes featuring the motifs and cross-checked with computer-based astronomic information and early writings.After half a millennium of destruction, suppression, and dismissal of indigenous culture knowing the meaning of these motifs provides new tools to help us interpret history from the perspective of the ancient Americans and gives them back a voice. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Peter Trutmann is a scientist by training. He is author of numerous peer reviewed papers, reviews and books and has worked for well-known universities including Cornell University in the USA, the ETH-Zurich in Switzerland, La Trobe University in Australia and international research organizations. His research frequently connects with ancient and traditional knowledge. From an early professional age he incorporated anthropological approaches into biological research to provide insights into the complexity of constraints on local systems of food production and perceptions of indigenous farmers. Over the last ten years he has been investigating key neglected themes in the Andes with the Swiss NGO, Global Mountain Action. Part of this effort includes a quest to better understand the meaning of the mysterious geometric motifs used from South to North America that until now have been largely overlooked, but which provide insight into the minds, cosmovision and communication of Ancient Americans.