Seed of Knowledge, Stone of Plenty: Understanding the Lost Technology of the Ancient Megalith-Builders Hardcover – October 1, 2005

I learned about this book in searching for more information on Schumann resonance initially, and found it because measurements of this phenomenon had been made at Stonehenge. I read the book and was amazed at the strong evidence that the ancient structures might have been built largely to avoid famine by enhancing growth in seeds deposited at the sites. As it turned out, I was also reading Dr. Gerald Pollack's books "The Fourth Phase of Water: Beyond Solid, Liquid, and Vapor" (see my separate review) and "Cells, Gels, and the Engines of Life" at the time, partly in a effort to better understand the basis of the concept of "Earthing" in the important book of the same name. I found it hard to put Burke and Halberg's book down because of my long-term interest in ancient people, my long-term research backgrounds in electromagnetics, radio physics, and climatology, initially through a PhD in electrical engineering, and my more recent background doing full-time epidemiological research.Burke and Halberg understood a lot about the physics and biology associated with these ancient sites, from which I have been able to learn, and perhaps make some further relevant suggestions. Some of this is embedded in my reviews of the DVD documentary "The Grounded" and the book "Earthing". I think that one fundamental fact that should have been present at all sites where seeds were apparently deposited is that surfaces were either on the earth or on stones on the earth, both electrically conductive. Thus, the seeds would have been exposed to electrons present in the highly negatively charged earth. Of course the plants that would eventually grow from such seeds would also be exposed to electrons from the earth. I think another possible fundamental fact, and one main reason for the efficacy of many of such sites is that their designs allowed the presence of enhanced numbers of positive ions in the air that could plate on the other surfaces of the seeds and the subsequent plants. As discussed in my "earthing" reviews, this should have increased the size of the structured water zones in the seeds and plants as a result of the increased number of electrons available for generating the energy coenzyme adenosine triphosphate (ATP, known to occur in seeds and plants as well as in animals), and as a result of the increased number of electrons on the seed- and plant-cell protein surfaces.It seems that another reason for the efficacy of such sites is the presence of enhanced magnetic fields present at many of them, sometimes also associated with the presence of other features that enhanced electric fields at the same time (e.g., the henges in Britain and France). These were apparently produced through (a) magnetic anomalies in the geological structures, (b) the presence of existing telluric currents in the earth and their associated magnetic fields, and sometimes the enhancement of such currents through the building of trenches in appropriate directions, and (c) the apparent presence of electrical currents in streams associated with the separated charges caused by the structuring of water flowing over hydrophilic/"water loving" surfaces and vortex-creating surfaces. I note the mechanism through which the magnetic field enhancement might be effective in my "earthing" reviews.Burke and Halberg seem to have believed that the effect of magnetic and electric fields on seeds was due to some kind of "stress hardening". However, it seems clear that the artificial approach (described in Chapter 2) to which the approach of the megalith builders was compared involved some kind of electron shower. This seems more like an approach that would reduce stress than one that would increase it, corresponding more to those suggested above. Moreover, the shower of nitrogen ions that they suggest was at the basis for the beneficial effects of lightning on crops and the working of the pyramids in Egypt also seems to be an approach that is directly beneficial to seeds, rather than one that is beneficial through initially providing a stress. Of course, they were not likely familiar with the concept of "earthing", or of the relevant research on structured water, at the time the book was written.I think that another factor that must be considered is the possible effect of the known increasing ion concentration with increasing altitude producing a consequent increasing electric field strength. This should have an effect similar to increasing the height of the structures such as pyramids themselves. It is known that some of the megalith builders increased the height of their structures after gauging initial results (e.g., at Silbury Hill in southern England). In effect, the contribution of electrons from "earthing" should increase with increasing electric field strength as a function of altitude. Certainly the sites at high altitudes (e.g., Lake Titicaca) will be more subject to the effect of positive ion plasmas than will sites at lower altitudes. The ions are believed to be generated in part by cosmic rays and in part by natural radioactivity, although I wonder if the solar wind plasma which is known to reach below the magnetopause at times may also be a factor. I say this because of the known correlation of cloud cover and what is known as the interplanetary electric field; see the paper of Voiculescu et al. (2013), "Clouds blown by the solar wind", available on the internet. In any case, since the intensities of the solar wind and cosmic rays are inversely related, it should be possible to use this to help narrow down the more important plasma effect at some point, which should itself vary with altitude.I think that evidence for the possible effect of increasing electric field strength associated with the increasing positive air ion concentration with altitude may be the fact that people living at high altitudes often seem to live longer than those living at lower altitudes in the same regions or least at the same latitudes. Dr. Raymond Peat has suggested in the past that the higher velocities of cosmic rays at high altitudes with respect to those at lower altitudes may be a factor in this in that the former pass right through the body and those from the latter might not. However, more recently he leaned toward the decreasing oxygen and increasing carbon dioxide concentration with increasing altitude as the more important factor in this (see his article "Altitude and mortality", 2006). Nevertheless, as suggested, just the presence of positive ions on the surface of the skin of seeds, plants, and animals could govern the possible "earthing" currents flowing through the body matrix, influencing the structuring of the water inside and exterior to the cells. Two possible factors associated with this are that (a) the drinking water itself at higher altitude locations may be more structured as a result of the greater likelihood of fast-flowing streams from spring water in the vicinity and/or glacial runoff, and (b) there are likely fewer toxic chemical solutes in such water than at lower altitudes closer to the sea. The apparent beneficial effect of higher altitudes could be a mixture of all these possible factors.I find it illuminating to compare the times of building of some of these megalithic structures (e.g., the Egyptian pyramids, the stones in southern England and Brittany) with the solar activity of the periods, as estimated by Usoskin et al. (2007) in their paper "Grand minima and maxima of solar activity: new observational constraints", available on the internet. Burke and Halberg indicate that the building was typically done following famines, and it seems that famines were most likely to have occurred during grand maxima of solar activity or shortly thereafter, when temperatures would have been at their highest. Looking at Fig. 4 in the paper of Usoskin et al. (2007), it appears, for example, that a series of grand maxima did occur shortly after about 2800 BC, leading up to the largest by 1500 BC, exactly the period when most of the pyramids were built, as well as Stonehenge and other structures in southern England. As noted by Burke and Halberg, the climate is known to have begun warming up by about 4000 BC after a long period of a more moderate character, clearly visible in Figs. 3 and 4. This is closer to the period when the megaliths appeared at Carnac.I was stunned to see the description of "electrostatic emission" using a metal needle on page 149. This is exactly the concept of John F. Wetling in his 2006 article. "About 'Acupuncture Qi', and what's it all about?", partially hypothesizing how acupuncture might work. It is also what I believe happens with "earthing" in a less intense manner, the electrons plating directly on the animal body or plant, with its various protruding surfaces, rather than on the more electric-field enhancing needles. Although Burke and Halberg don't mention Schumann resonance by name, they were clearly aware of the changing character of geo-electric and geomagnetic fields, and associated telluric currents, at sunrise and sunset. All the evidence provided in the book has increased my confidence that geo-electric and geomagnetic fields have a fundamental influence on plants and animals.The book is very well written, and even beautifully written at times, and should be compelling for all those who are interested in ancient history, and particularly those like myself who have traveled to such sites or are contemplating a trip. I don't believe that it is necessary to have scientific backgrounds in physics and biology to grasp the huge importance of this work. There is an introductory chapter on both the physics and the biology that should help, along, I hope, with this review. I find it so sad that the principal author lost his life in 2010 after such an extraordinary research effort, and that I will never have a chance of shaking his hand. What an amazing thought that these ancient people, our ancestors, were perhaps the world's first societies with electrical and bioengineers in their midst.Dedicated to the memory of Louis Martin, who introduced me to Carnac.

This thesis is amazing, and will leave you speechless if you have any imagination at all to peer back through time and witness the truth. See in your minds eye how American Indians in the southern USA traded high quality seed for gems and artifacts from hundreds of miles away, for hundreds of years! Each culture enriched by the mounds or pyramids constructed to enhance their seed (spiritually and physically) became a dynasty of power and wealth. All of the fertility objects of the past were not dedicated to the fruition of the womb but of the field. This book and thesis has or will open many avenues of virtually revolutionary thinking about all these phenomena from the Serpent Mound in Ohio to the henges of England. The idea that the pyramids were constructed and located for the purpose of renewing the fertility of the Nile valley will blow your mind with the description of how it was supposed to have worked. This is an incredible and entertaining exploitation of the lost technology by which our ancestors dedicated millions of man hours and constructed seed enhancing modifications to earth found to be already rich in electromagnetic anomalies by their Shamans. Fertilization and crop rotation technology may have been the death of the usage of mounds for seed enhancement, but ironically the same technology which is performed today in limited applications by expensive machines is highly sought after. Perhaps someone reading this book may try to reconstruct a mound of their own and treat their own seed, I know I was tempted.

I can't believe that this book is out of print. I also can't believe that it seems to have been ignored by archaeologists around the world. Using reproducible research techniques involving the measurement of electromagnetic fields the author has found the explanation for the huge numbers of mounds, pyramids, standing stones, hedges and underground chambers found around the world. He posits that these tremendously labor-intensive structures were a means of manipulating the electric currents found in the Earth everywhere. These currents could be used to generate EM fields which would stimulate the growth of seed grain exposed to them, even in worn-out soils. The author ran a company which had discovered this effect independently, and made it a profitable and productive enterprise which does exactly what he promises--stimulates seeds so they grow bigger and stronger by stressing them with EM fields. He was able to reproduce his company's results by placing seeds on ancient mounds, pyramids, and stones that his meters showed still developed these fields. He posits that the structures went out of use when fertilizers and crop rotation were discovered. This is remarkable research, and should be studied and subjected to confirmation by the current crop of archaeologists and biologists. It fills a huge gap in human history and solves innumerable mysteries.

Too bad this book is out of print because it is seriously one of the best books that I have read on the subject of why the ancients built mounds and pyramids. I am positive, due to the author's scientific research, that the ancients used this non-intrusive technology to change their crops and their livelihoods! It makes me wonder what else they knew about that didn't leave any traces or that we simply don't understand yet. This is a must read especially if you are into agriculture that doesn't use herbicides and pesticides, or if you are an engineer that wants to see a different way to build super conductors and ion fields. It could probably be used today to create clean farming practices and improve our agriculture if people could just get their hands on this book!!!