Christian O’Brien studied natural sciences at Christ’s College, Cambridge, then spent years in Iran as an exploration geologist. He helped locate Chogha Zanbil and retired from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1970. His 1983 book, The Megalithic Odyssey, argued that monuments in Egypt, Sumer and Britain belonged to a shared 3rd-millennium-BC tradition. He asked whether they shared a common heritage; that remains his thesis, not established fact. Stonehenge and Avebury began in or around that period, but Silbury Hill’s final mound was raised around 2400–2300 BC. Bodmin Moor’s monuments span multiple dates, and the proposed astronomical complex is O’Brien’s interpretation.
Christian O’Brien and his theory of British and global megaliths
Key facts
- O’Brien studied natural sciences at Christ’s College, Cambridge.
- He spent many years in Iran as an exploration geologist and retired from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1970.
- He helped locate Chogha Zanbil, an Elamite ziggurat built around 1250 BC and later excavated by a French team led by Roman Ghirshman.
- He published The Megalithic Odyssey in 1983.
- In that book, O’Brien argued that Egyptian, Sumerian and British monuments reflected a shared tradition in the first half of the 3rd millennium BC. This is his interpretation, not an established archaeological conclusion.
- Stonehenge’s earliest known phase dates to about 3000 BC and Avebury’s main construction to about 2600 BC, but Silbury Hill’s final mound dates to roughly 2400–2300 BC.
- Bodmin Moor’s stone circles and cairns have multiple dates; the proposed 3rd-millennium-BC astronomical complex is O’Brien’s interpretation, not a securely established complex.
Sources
Chogha Zanbilfollowinghadrianphotography.com
Choga Zanbil was discovered in 1935 during an aerial photography campaign conducted by geologists searching for oil in the region.
Christian O'Brienen.wikipedia.org
British exploration geologist and author. In 1936 he was also involved in the discovery of the Chogha Zanbil ziggurat in Southern Iran. Appointed by BP
Tchogha Zanbil - UNESCO World Heritage Centrewhc.unesco.org
The archaeological site of Tchogha Zanbil is an exceptional expression of the culture, beliefs, and ritual traditions of one of the oldest indigenous peoples ...
christian o'Brien v zecharia sitchingoldenageproject.org.uk
His name was Christian O'Brien and after a career as a leading exploration geologist and retiring from being the head of the oil operating companies in Iran ...
Chogha Zanbil | Meaning, History, & Factsbritannica.com
Choghā Zanbīl is a local name meaning “large basket-shaped hill.” It was sighted in 1935 by prospectors of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company who were surveying the ...
Christian Geologists Influential at GSA Meetingicr.org
Christian geologists found various ways to bring attention to their practice and faith--by leading a field trip, delivering scientific papers, ...
Christian O'Brien - 2025 - Baseballathletics.bowdoin.edu
Christian O'Brien Height 6-2 Weight 205 Yr. '25 Hometown Medford, Mass. Highschool Belmont Hill. Biography 2025: 9 games played 2 RBI 2024: 12 games played, 6 ...
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