The Round Towers of Ireland

The Round Towers of Ireland have been an enigma for centuries. Many researchers have mused that the towers were built by early Christian monks to be used for a variety of purposes; relic storage, belfries, lookout towers or even sanctuaries from raiders. While Christian monks may have utilized these towers for their own intents and purposes, the towers' true purpose may have been far from what modern day researchers believe.

Let's begin by looking at their construction. The round towers are built using a double wall method. This building style was common in ancient Rome but the Romans never made it to Ireland. At least no evidence has been found of Roman habitation in Ireland. The mortar used to hold the stones together is also of Roman design - a mixture of sand, lime, horsehair, and oxblood. A recipe not far from modern day mortar mixes but much stronger.

The stones are not always from local sources. All the towers which have been studied are constructed from paramagnetic stone.

Be sure to check out the February issue of Alternate Perceptions magazine to read the complete article!

It's in the Blood

Hemochromatosis is also known as iron overload disorder. It's a genetic mutation which causes the body to absorb too much iron from a person's diet. The iron is stored in the body's tissues, joints, and
organs (heart, liver, skin). This blood disorder afflicts people of European origin - most specifically Northern European origins. If left untreated, the excess iron will damage organs and lead to death.

image source

The mutation is believed to have originated because of an iron poor diet. If iron is hard to come by, then a body will eventually create a way to glean more iron from the food which is consumed or a way to absorb and store excess iron. Iron is a necessary component for life - aiding in metabolism and oxygen transport.

A common phrase for this disorder is "Celtic Curse" because the majority of the people suffering (see dna chart here!) from it are of Celtic origins. But the disorder goes much further then just Ireland and Great Britain. The Celtic Curse is also common among the people from the countries bordering the oceans and seas by the British Isles. This finding has led some researchers to believe the mutation disorder originated within the Viking communities of Scandinavia. But as more and more research is done, the true origins may be discovered further to the southeast.

image source

Because iron is magnetic, could the excess iron in the body or even the tendency to retain more iron give a person a greater ability to navigate the seas or voyage across a wilderness using the Earth's magnetic field? Much like a flock of birds is able to find their way across an ocean during migration. Did this genetic mutation give the Viking and Celtic explorers an edge when it came to locating new lands and then returning home? Did these people have some sort of internal compass unbeknownst to them?

Would this excess iron also give these cultures an edge when it came to interacting with the Earth's geomagnetic fields of energy? Making them better dowsers? 

For more information about hemochromatosis and its genetic origins, see the links below!

http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/hereditary-hemochromatosis

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/the-iron-in-our-blood-that-keeps-and-kills-us/266936/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3142605/

http://www.hemochromatosisdna.com/about-the-disease/viking-ancestry#.VpK9vPkrLIU

http://genefacts.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=159%3Ahereditary-hemochromatosis&catid=111%3Ahemochromatosis&limitstart=5

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000292970763170X