What a person believes about mysterious places can say a great deal about his or her worldview and understanding of life. Someone with a predominantly scientific approach to the universe will be more likely to see the Great Pyramid as an elaborate burial site and Stonehenge as an astronomical tool. Meanwhile, someone whose belief system is strongly oriented in spirituality may place more emphasis on their status as ancient sacred sites and may expect to see tangible signs of their rich spiritual legacy. Some sites- such as the Corona crash site near Roswell, New Mexico, and the great Nazca lines of Peru-inspire theories about extraterrestrial life, which in turn provoke countertheories from skeptics.

The readings in this book present specific theories about the origins of six mysterious sites. In this epilogue we will provide you with tools to evaluate the arguments and...