not in fact a reliable method of predicting eclipses and it is now accepted that they never repeat their date and position over three consecutive 18.61 year-long lunar cycles. Hawkins' theories also required strict observance of the phases of the moon which further complicated predictions using his model. In 1966 Sir Fred Hoyle examined the arguments in favour of an astronomical purpose for the holes and concluded that the 28 day lunar cycle could still have been indicated by moving a marker stone representing the moon anticlockwise by two holes every day, ending up with 56 holes in total. By moving another marker anticlockwise two holes every 13 days, which represented the Sun, an annual journey around the circle could also be made. Two further marker stones would also have had to be moved round 3 holes per year to represent the points where the moon (or rather its marker) crossed the Sun marker's path. Hoyle proved that this could have been used to produce a much more reliable method of predicting eclipses as whenever the moon and sun markers are directly opposite each other and the other two stones occupy those same opposing points, an eclipse can be guaranteed. This also has the additional benefit of not needing any standing stones to be present at the site. On astronomical symbolism several analysts from Gerald Hawkins to Anthony Johnson have noted that Plutarch reported that Set in Egyptian myth or Typhon in Greek myth was identified as the shadow of the Earth which covers the Moon during lunar eclipses. Plutarch further records that the Pythagoreans symbolically associated Typhon with a polygon of 56 sides, hence the connection of 56 to lunar eclipses is explicit, at least for the Hellenistic era. Although less complex and romantic than Hawkins' 'Stone Age calculator' such a technique is certainly feasible if only in theory. Much more elaborate predictive practices have also been suggested for the holes although all these methods, including Hoyle's, require a high level of astronomical awareness and a grasp of some very abstract concepts including knowing where and when to first position the stones around the circle. It has also been pointed out by R. Colton and R. L. Martin that simpler methods exist, based on observing the position of each moonrise, which would have worked just as well and which would not require moving numerous markers amongst 56 holes. This