Iwouldliketodedicatethisworktomywife,Stephanie,son,Jason,anddaughter,Sophie,andthankthemforofferingtheirsupport,love,andencouragementinour

search,asafamily,fornewtruths.

LOSTKNOWLEDGEoftheANCIENTS

“These accounts of ‘lost’ or anomalous knowledge are building blocks of analternativeuniverse,and,takenaltogether,theyrevealsomethingofthedeepstructureofthisalternativeuniverse.Theyalsoshowthatthisuniversemadeupofanomaliesmaybemorerealthantheeveryday,commonsensicalone!”MARKBOOTH,AUTHOROFTHESECRETHISTORYOFTHEWORLD

Acknowledgments

I came to the idea for this compilation with the cooperation of author/researcherGraham Hancock and the contributors to his online forum at www.Graham-Hancock.com.Thisvolumecanbeconsideredaselectofferingfromthemanydozensofexcellentarticlesandessaysonthesitethatspeaktothesearchforlostknowledgeandtheknowledgeofthegreatastronomicalcyclesofourexistence.

IwouldliketothankandacknowledgethekindfriendshipandsupportofGrahamHancock, JohnAnthonyWest,RobertSchoch,andWalterCruttendenof theBinaryResearchInstitute(BRI),andallofthecontributingauthorswhocooperatedinputtingthis work together. Together, we offer these essays with a commitment to theprinciplesof embracing thepursuit ofknowledgeand truth through rigorous,open-mindedresearch,discovery,andcriticalanalysis.

ContentsCoverImage

TitlePage

Dedication

Epigraph

Acknowledgments

INTRODUCTION—OntheSearchforLostKnowledgeGlennKreisberg

ONE—ThoughtsonParapsychologyandParanormalPhenomenaHASCONVENTIONALSCIENCEMISSEDSOMETHINGPROFOUND?RobertM.Schoch,Ph.D.AreParanormalPhenomenaReal?TheHumanandCosmicPsycheScienceandParanormalPhenomena

TWO—QuantumPhilosophyandtheAncientMysterySchoolTODAY'SNEWSCIENCEPHILOSOPHY-OLDORNEW?EdwardF.MalkowskiSecretWisdom—SacredSciencePhilosophyoftheAnthropocosmTheSpiritualTechnologyofAncientEgypt

THREE—TheEgyptCodeISTHEKEYTOEGYPT'SPASTREFLECTEDINTHESTARSABOVEGIZA?

RobertBauval

FOUR—AlternativeHistoryandEsotericPhilosophyTWOPORTALSINTOTHESAMEWORLD?MarkBooth

FIVE—AnOpenLettertotheEditorsofArchaeologyTAKINGTRADITIONALISTSTOTASKJohnAnthonyWest

SIX—DarkMissionTHESECRETHISTORYOFNASARichardC.Hoagland

SEVEN—HistoryandCelestialTimeDOESPRECESSIONCAUSETHERISEANDFALLOFCIVILIZATION?WalterCruttendenHistoricalPerspectiveCharacteroftheAgesPredictiveValue

EIGHT—TheOrionKeyUNLOCKINGTHEMYSTERYOFGIZAScottCreightonUpsettingtheAppleCartAnomaliesAboundInSearchoftheMasterKeyTheOrion“Geo-StellarFingerprint”QueensofPrecessionTheGiza“ClockofAges”

NINE—TheCygnusMysteryHAVECOSMICRAYSAFFECTEDHUMANEVOLUTION?AndrewCollinsRecordsfromtheIceWhere’stheCosmicSource?TheEmergenceofManAgeoftheArtistEntertheMeinelGroupTheOldestConstellationChildrenoftheSwanSeeingtheLightLikeLookingintotheUniverseClosertoGodFeelsLikeHeavenCosmicMother

TEN—ElectromagnetismandtheAncientsDIDANCIENTHUMANSHAVEKNOWLEDGEOFTHEELECTROMAGNETICSPECTRUM?GlennKreisbergTheInfantFieldofRadioArchaeology

ELEVEN—TheGulfofKhambhatDOESTHECRADLEOFANCIENTCIVILIZATIONLIEOFFTHECOASTOFINDIA?S.BadrinaryanEvidencefromMicrolithicTools

TWELVE—TheOrionZoneANCIENTSTARCITIESOFTHEAMERICANSOUTHWESTGaryA.David

OrionoftheHighDesertSolsticeInterrelationshipofVillagesNon-Solstice Lines, the Grand Chakra System, and the Hopi Winter SolsticeCeremonyEgyptianParallelstotheArizonaOrion

THIRTEEN—OnthePossibilityofInstantaneousShiftsofthePolesHASITOCCURREDDURINGHUMANEXISTENCE?FlavioBarbieroTheApolloObjectsHowthePolesCanShiftPhenomenaThatOccurduringaShiftofthePoles

FOURTEEN—MysteriousStrangersNEWFINDINGSABOUTTHEFIRSTAMERICANSGrahamHancockSimilaritiestoModern-DayAboriginesorAfricansAChineseInfluence?BulgingEyesandaLong,CurlingNoseConspicuousStrangers

Footnotes

SelectedBibliography

Contributors

AbouttheAuthor

BooksofRelatedInterest

Copyright&Permissions

INTRODUCTION

OntheSearchforLostKnowledge

GLENNKREISBERG

A revolution is underway in our world, fostered by decades of research and welldocumented evidence from illustrious scholars such as Robert Bauval, GrahamHancock,JohnAnthonyWest,andRobertSchoch(sometimesaffectionatelyreferredtoasthe“fourhorsemen”).Thiscollectionofessaysaddstothosevoicesand,whentakenasawhole,providesastounding,yetcompellingproofofanapproachingshiftin our perspective regarding human origins and the roots of civilization. Long-standing paradigms are beginning to crumble and realign to this new order ofthinking.

This“thoughtrevolution”representsadirectchallengetoanorthodox,mainstreamacademicestablishment thatcontinues to try todebunksoundevidenceand theoriesthathavenotonlystoodthetestoftimebutthathavealreadyattainedacceptedstatusin thecourtofpublicopinion.Ofcourse,orthodoxyresistsandfightschangeby itsvery nature. Acceptance by this establishment would require a shift in perceptionregardingtheknowledgethatmankindpossessedinremoteepochs.

Why lost knowledge? Because much of the research, evidence, and theoriespresented in this collection are not currently included in mainstream, traditionalacademiccurriculums.Noraretheyseriouslypursuedatuniversitiesorpublishedinscholastictextbooksandjournals,althoughthatisslowlychanging.Thebattletohavethemincludedandacceptedhasstirredcontroversyworldwidefordecades, insomecasespromptingattacksbyacademiaagainstthoseinvolvedinthisfight.LostKnowledgeoftheAncientsoffersthereaderaselectionofwellresearchedand

thought provoking articles and essays covering alternative science and history.Wehavetriedtostaywithinthebroadthemeoflostknowledgeandcyclesoftime,whileexploring nontraditional theories and perspectives that challenge long-standingassumptions.Thediverseofferingsoftheseprolificauthorsandresearcherspresentauniquesnapshotofsomeofthelatestfindingsincutting-edgescientificandhistoricalresearch,whileexploringnewtheoriesandfreshchallengestoexistingones.

By recognizing that manymodern discoveries are actually rediscoveries of lost

knowledgefrompastcivilizations, theessaysinthiscollectionaimtocontextualize,within thebiggerpictureofhumanknowledge, the achievements andeventsgivingrise toafundamentalunderstandingofwhereourpresent timefits into thepastandthefuture;intothecycleofhumanexistence.

Theseessaysalsoconnectthedots,sotospeak,forreaderswhowilldiscoverthatthewholepictureaddsuptomorethanthesumofitsparts.Throughthesewritings,readerswillrealizethatmanyoftheseauthors,scientists,andresearcherssuggestthatthereisacycleoftimeandconsciousnessthatprofoundlyaffectsthewaywelookathistory.Eacharticleinthiscollectionarticulatessomethingthatbuildsontheoveralltheme.

For example, Dr. Schoch looks at possible higher states of consciousness(telepathy,clairvoyance,andsoon)inapastage,notjustbecauseheisinterestedintheparanormal,butalsobecauseitaddstoandbuildsuponhisearlierwork.Hefindsthatthesephenomenahaverealscientificsupportthatbuttressestheancientstoriesofapre-Babelerawhenmankindcommunicatedatahigherlevel,allowingsuchthingsas building great structures long before there was any form of written language(heretoforeconsideredaprerequisiteto“civilization”).EdwardF.Malkowski, inhisessay, looks deeply at the wisdom and cosmology of ancient Egypt and finds aparalleltomodernstringtheoryandquantumphysics,whichwouldn’tbeconsideredpossibleunderthelinearparadigmofhistory.

So,as theparadigmsofscienceandhistoryshift (virtuallyonadailybasis), thiscommittedbreedofscientificresearcherendeavorstobreaknewgroundandreportonremarkablediscoveriesandastonishingnewtheoriesanddiscoveries in thefieldsofscience, history, philosophy, and religion. Committed to standards of scientificmethodology, this collection brings to the inquisitive reader the most relevant,insightful, and startling scientific and historical information published in ourworldtoday.

Theseauthorsrarelywriteoutsidetheirfields.Infact,someofthemmaynotevenfullyrealizehowtheirworkfitsintothebiggerpicture—butbyfittingallthepiecestogether,we now have enough knowledge and evidence to tentatively confirm thatwhattheancientsthemselvestoldusisreal:Timereallydoesmoveinacycle,andthemyths related to this cycle revealbotha long-lostGoldenAge, andanewone thatapproaches!

WebeginwithanarticlebyDr.RobertSchoch,ageologistandfull-timefacultymember at Boston University since 1984, who is best known for his controversialredatingoftheSphinxfrom2500BCEtoatleast5000BCE(andperhapsevenmuchearlier),basedonsoundgeologicevidence.Enteringanotherfield,Dr.Schochwritesonexaminingevidenceandresearchsurroundingparapsychologyand“supernatural”

phenomena, shedding new light on the process of evaluating such research andevidence.

Author/researcherEdwardF.MalkowskiwritesabouttheconnectionbetweentheancientEgyptianmystery school and today’s new science philosophy, showing that“new”revelationsactuallyshadowancientinsights.

ExplainingandexpandinghisOrionCorrelationTheory,researcher/authorRobertBauval demonstrates how a “CosmicEgypt,” ghosted in the geography of theNileValley,reflectsthecyclicalchangesintheskylandscapecausedbytheprecessionofthe equinoxes. Bauval shows how this influence over the evolution of templebuilding,foroverthreethousandyearsandoverathousandmiles,wasadministeredbyastronomer/priestsofthehighestorder.

AuthorMarkBoothuncoversthehiddentruthsbehindtheesotericknowledgeheldand passed down by secret societies throughout history, and in doing so opens oureyestoanewwayoflookingatthehistoryoftheworld.

FamedrebelEgyptologistJohnAnthonyWesttakesonthe“ChurchofProgress”andcallstotaskthe“mainstream”archaeologicalcommunityinhisopenlettertotheeditorsofArchaeologymagazine.

Secret societies also form the basis for Richard C. Hoagland and Mike Bara’sfascinating research into the possibility of an ancient race once inhabiting Mars.Hoagland claims thatNASA is covering up evidence found on both themoon andMars that proves a highly advanced, yet ancient, civilization once existed andmayholdthekeytothelosthistoryofthehumanrace.

WalterCruttenden,founderoftheBinaryResearchInstitute(anarcheoastronomythinktank),exploreswhatPlatodescribedasthe“GreatYear,”a25,000+yearcyclebasedontheprecessionoftheequinoxes,whichmayaccountfortheriseandfallofcivilization as well as human consciousness. Cruttenden shows how the “myth”associatedwiththeprecessioncyclepervadedallancientcultures.

Continuing on the theme of a grand cycle of time, researcher Scott CreightonoffersaconvincingnewtheoryaccountingforthegroundplanatGiza,Egypt,linkingit to a warning of cosmic destruction encoded into a precessional calendar wheelclearlylaidoutamongthetemples,monuments,andpyramidsoftheGizaPlateau.

Researcher Andrew Collins postulates that a cosmic burst of energy from arelativelynearbystarduringPaleolithictimesmayhaveboostedhumanconsciousnessandkick-startedhumanreligionandcreativitybyaffectingchangesinourevolution.

Speculating that the ancients may have knownmuchmore than they are givencredit for, Iexamine theevidence thatmayprove thatourancestorshadknowledgeandperhapsuseoftheelectromagneticspectruminancienttimes.

Badrinaryan Badrinaryan, chief geologist for the National Institute for OceanTechnology in India, takes us to the floor of the Gulf of Khambhat, off India’snorthwestcoast.Evidencefromside-scansonarimagesandartifactsbroughtupfromthemurky depths helps build the case for a new cradle of ancient civilization andoffersusaglimpseofwhattheoceansarelikelytogiveuptoarchaeologicalexplorersduringthenextcentury.

AuthorGaryA.David reveals a remarkable correlationbetween the stars of theconstellation Orion and the Anasazi ground constructions in the southwest UnitedStates, not unlike the correlation found in Egypt. These careful astronomersmeticulouslylaidoutbothwinterandsummersolsticesunsetandsunrisealignmentsas part of a “ley” energy system covering their territory from southern ColoradothroughArizona,tothemouthoftheColoradoRiver.

Italian naval engineer Flavio Barbiero makes the case for the possibility ofinstantaneous shift of the poles; a cataclysmic event that may have occurred inrelatively recent times, destroying a once flourishing civilization whose ruins,providingevidenceoftheshift,nowlieburiedundertheicesheetsofAntarctica.

Andlast,GrahamHancockoffersusstartlingnewevidenceaboutthosewhofirstpeopledtheAmericasandwhereandwhentheycamefrom.

In all, it’s a fascinating collection of articles and essays meant to widen ourperspective,expandourhorizonsofknowledge,andspeaktothemysteriesthatdrivethe human heart and mind to explore and discover new truths about the humanconditionweallshare.

Atpresent, it’sbeing reportedaround theworld that formerNASAastronautDr.EdgarMitchell,whoflewtheApollo14missionandwasthesixthhumantowalkonthemoon,announcedthattheUnitedStatesgovernmenthasbeencoveringupasixty-year-old incident involvinghumancontactwith intelligentextraterrestrialaliens.Dr.Mitchell holds doctorates of science in astronautics and aeronautics andworked atNASAfordecades.Heclaimshisreportisbasedoninsideinformationandyearsoffirsthandevidence.Thiscan’tbeeasilydisputed,norcanitbedismissedoutofhand—yetitfailstogainanyrealtractionasacrediblenewsstoryintoday’sworld.

NASA, the “official establishment,” issued a response disagreeing with Dr.Mitchell’s “opinion.” NASA did not acknowledge that Dr. Mitchell was notexpressinganopinion,hewasrelatingafact.Alongwithmanyofthecontributorstothisbook,hemaybeprovenrightovertime,simplybythefactsthey’vestated.Fifty,onehundred,fivehundred,orathousandyearsfromnow,whenhistoriansarewritingthe history of our present time, theywill no doubt acknowledge the few visionaryresearchersandwriterswhogotitrightandworkedtobringforbiddenknowledgeandnewinsightstotheattentionoftheworld.

ONE

ThoughtsonParapsychologyandParanormalPhenomena

HASCONVENTIONALSCIENCEMISSEDSOMETHINGPROFOUND?

ROBERTM.SCHOCH,PH.D.

ManyofyoureadingthispiecemayknowmefrommyworkontheGreatSphinx,theGreat Pyramid, and other ancient monuments, as discussed in various articles,documentary videos, and the books that I have written. As such, I am commonlyasked howmy studies in parapsychology relate, if at all, to my studies of ancientmonuments.EventhoughIamageologist,andmyinitialconcernisindatingvariousancientstructures,Ican’thelpbutwonderwhytheywerebuilt,especiallygiventheenormouseffortsthatmusthavegoneintotheirconstruction.

The “why” behind the monuments, more often than not, apparently includedmotivatingfactorssuchasreligiousbeliefsandpractices, initiationrites,andrituals,whichinmanycasesseemedtohaveanostensibleparanormalaspect,whetheritwasclairvoyance, divination, or manifestations of higher levels of consciousness. ThetemplesandtombsofancientEgypt,Mexico,andPeruseemtocryout“paranormal.”So,wasitallamixtureofancientmyth,superstition,anddownrightfraudonthepartofmanyaseer,seeress,priest,andpriestess,orcouldtherehavebeensomethingtoit?Weretheancientstructuresused,atleastinpart,toalterconsciousness,andpossiblyenhanceparanormalphenomena?

In all honesty, I have always been highly skeptical of any alleged paranormalphenomena.However,myconceptofskepticismisnotthesameasdismissal,andinmy studies of ancient, indigenous, and traditional cultures, alleged paranormalphenomena kept making an appearance. When Logan Yonavjak, a former BostonUniversity student of mine, encouraged me to delve deeply into the serious

parapsychologicalliterature,Ifoundthetopicbothfascinatingandenlightening.Theimmediately tangibleresultofourresearchwas thebookwewrote togetherentitledThe Parapsychology Revolution, in which we included selections from fourteenseminalpapers,datingfrom1886through2007,bymajorfiguresinthefield,aswellasahundredpagesofourowncommentary.Forme,however, therealresultofmyimmersion into parapsychologywas a new appreciation for human potentiality andtheconnectionswesharewithalloflifeandultimately,perhaps,withthecosmos.

AreParanormalPhenomenareal?PeopleoftenaskmeifI“believe”intheparanormal.Letmejustsaythatafterlookingatthehardevidence,andsiftingoutthefraudandbunk,Ihavecometoconcludethattheredefinitelyissomethingtosuchphenomenaastelepathyandpsychokinesis.

Mostpeoplewhohaveseriouslystudiedthesubjectconcludethattelepathy(mindtomind interaction) is the best-supported class of paranormal phenomena.There isstronglaboratoryevidencefortelepathy,suchasclassiccard-callingexperiments,aswellasmanymoresophisticatedtestsoftelepathy,clairvoyance,andremoteviewing.There is also a large and compelling body of evidence from spontaneous casessupporting the reality of telepathy. For instance, crisis apparitions, veridicalhallucinations,or“ghosts”arewellknown,asdocumentedintheclassictwo-volumescientificmonographofrigorouslyauthenticatedeventsproducedbytheSocietyforPsychicalResearchtitledPhantasmsoftheLiving.

The evidence for psychokinesis is also strong, including micro-psychokinesisstudiesusingrandomeventgeneratorsandsimilardevices.Examplesofthisevidenceinclude the work done by the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR)labs over more than a quarter of a century, and the carefully studied incidents ofmacro-psychokinesisassociatedwithgenuinespontaneouspoltergeistcases.Anotherlineofcompellingevidencefor therealityofparanormalphenomenais thestudyofpresentiments or “presponses,” essentially a form of short-term precognition asmeasured by physiological parameters (heart rate, electrodermal activity, and soforth). Numerous replicated experiments have demonstrated the physiologicalresponses of individuals to, for instance, disturbing photographs a second or twobeforetheyareactuallyviewedbytheperson.Accordingtoconventionalscience,thisshouldnotbepossible.

As a natural scientist, I expect genuine phenomena (be they psychic andparanormal,ormoreconventionalphenomena)toexhibitpatternsandshareelementsin common, and this is just what has been found in spontaneous cases of theparanormal.Evenwhenviewedcross-culturally,suchcommonalitiespersist.

Perhapsevenmorecompellingformeistheworkofvariousmodernresearchersthat has demonstrated a weak but persistent correlation between low levels ofgeomagnetic activity on planet Earth and cases of apparent spontaneous telepathy(basedonrecordsgoingbacktothelatterhalfofthenineteenthcentury).This,inmyopinion, isaverystrongargumentsupportingthecontentionthat there issomethinggenuine to the concept of telepathy. It suggests that spontaneous telepathicphenomenaarerealandnaturaland,asmightbeexpectedofnaturalphenomena,thattheirmanifestationisinfluencedbyothernaturalparameters.

Alternatively,arewetohypothesizethathundredsofhoaxersovernearlyacenturyand a half have conspired to fake telepathic incidents in identical correlation withgeomagnetic activity? This latter hypothesis strikesme as rather far-fetched, if notdownrightludicrous.Ithasalsobeenfoundthatincidentsoftheparanormalcorrelatewithlocalsiderealtime(whichrelatestothepositionofthehorizonatanyparticularpointonEarthrelativetothecenterofourgalaxy).

Note that a correlation between geomagnetic activity and spontaneous telepathydoes not necessarily imply that the “telepathic signal” is magnetic or electrical innature.Thehumanbrainisinfluencedbymagneticandelectricfields,andwhatevermay be the carrier of the telepathic signal, the transmission, reception, andmanifestation of the message by the brain could be hampered or enhanced bydifferencesinthemagneticandelectricfieldsthatthebrainissubjectedto.

For many people, a phenomenon is not “real” unless it can be duplicated in alaboratory setting under controlled conditions. Being a natural scientist and fieldgeologist,Ihaveneveragreedwiththiscontention.Afterall,canwecreateagenuinevolcaniceruptioninthelaboratoryorevenoncommandinthefield?Untilabouttwocenturiesago,thescientificcommunityroutinelyrejectedtheconceptofrocksfallingfrom the sky (meteorites). Still, attempting to induce, capture, observe, andexperimentwithapparenttelepathyundercontrolledconditionsisaworthyendeavor.Unfortunately,however,itisfraughtwithproblemstothisday,andthoughnumerousexperiments have tested positive for apparent telepathy, others have had negativeresults,and replication isapersistentproblem.Thebottom line is thatwe reallydonotknowexactlywhatparametersorvariablesmakeforgoodtelepathictransfer(ortheelicitationofothertypesofparanormalphenomena),muchlesshowtocontrolforthem.

Therearemajorissuesthatremainunresolvedconcerningparanormalandpsychicphenomena.Wedon’t fullyunderstandwhatconditionsarebest toelicitparanormalphenomena,andthusthesephenomenaarenoteasilyreplicatedoncommand(suchasinalaboratorysetting).Thereisoftenaverylowsignaltonoiseratiowhenitcomestopsychicphenomena; there isnosinglephysical theory toaccount forparanormal

phenomena; and there is the issueof fraudandcharlatans.Fraud is avery real andpersistent problem in the field of psychical research, and one of the reasons toundertakelargestatisticalstudiesofaveragepeople(asopposedtoso-calledpsychicsuperstars)andsearchfortheregularitiesandpatternsonewouldexpectamonganygenuinenaturalphenomena.

Also, paranormal studies have extended to animals (and in some cases, evenplants).Oneofthestrengthsofnonhumanstudiesisthatitishighlyimprobablethatanimalswillcheatandlie.Itcanalsobenotedthatmany“powerfulmediums”whoappear to have genuine paranormal abilities also apparently have lowmoral valuesandwill cheat andcommit fraud (perhapsunconsciously) at times, especiallywhentheirgenuineparanormalpowersfail.This isapatternthathasbeennotedoverandoveramongparapsychologistsworkingwithhumansubjects.

TheHumanandCosmicPsycheSpeculationsonPrecessionalAges,theYugaCycle,andtheMentalAbilitiesof

AncientPeoples

Manyculturesandsocietieshavetraditionsthatholdthathistoryiscyclical,whichisexpressed in numerous ways. For example, the classical notion of Gold, Silver,Bronze, and IronAges; the sequence of the twelve zodiacal precessional ages thatmakeuptheGreatYear;ortheyugacycleofHinduphilosophy.What,Ihavetoaskmyself, if there is some truth to such cycles? Has human consciousness, perhapsexpressedintermsofdifferentmental(andparanormal)abilitiesandpriorities,variedwithsuchcycles?Ifso,canwediscernevidenceofsuchchangesinthehistoricalandprehistoric record? Initially Iwashighly skeptical that therecouldbeany reality to“worldages,”butasIstudythedata,I’mnotsosure.

Theevidenceoftheancientmonuments,combinedwiththemythology clearlyindicatesthataknowledgeoftheprecessionalcycle waswellknownthroughouttheancient world as far back as five thousand years ago, and maybe much earlier.Accounts in the Judeo-ChristianBible,motifs ofEgyptian art and architecture, andthemes found among Greco-Roman myths (to name just a few examples) reflectprecessionalchanges.

WearenowintheendoftheAgeofPisces,theagethatbegansometwothousandyearsago,notmerelycoincidentallywiththebirthofanewreligion(Christianity)thatadoptedthefish(Pisces)asoneofitsearliestsymbols.Soonwewillenterthemuch-ballyhooedAge ofAquarius.Working back in time prior to theAge of Pisces,wehave the Ages of Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio,

*1†2

Sagittarius,andCapricorn,andthenanearlierAgeofAquarius(andtheentirecyclerepeatsagain,andagain,andagain).

Hindu traditionhas theyugacycle,consistingofSatyaYuga (alsoknownas theKrita Yuga; roughly a Golden Age), Treta Yuga (Silver Age), Dwapara (Dvapara)Yuga (BronzeAge), andKaliYuga (IronAge). (Note that these ages in theHindusystemvary in lengthamong themselves.) In the latenineteenthcentury,SwamiSriYukteswarGirisuggestedthatoneentireyugacycletakesapproximately24,000years(descending from the Satya Yuga down to the Kali Yuga, and thence ascendingthroughtheyugastoanotherSatyaYuga,apatternwhichrepeatsoverandover)andis tied to theprecessional cycle,which, in turn, is due toour sun revolving aroundanotherstar.AccordingtoSriYukteswar,EarthleftthelastKaliYugacirca1699CE,andweare thuscurrently in thefirstcenturiesofaDwaparaYuga.Furthermore,healsoasserted thatEarth is subjected tovaryingmagnetic fieldsandother influencesandenergiesasit travelsthroughspace,affectingthementalattributesofthosewhoinhabittheplanet.

Approximately15,000yearsago,Earthwasat thebeginningof theprecessionalAgeofVirgo(usingtheWesternclassicalsystem,anddependingontheexactpointused to separate the Age of Virgo from the preceding Age of Libra). Using SriYukteswar’s dating of the yugas, 15,000 years ago Earth was in the Satya Yuga(“GoldenAge”).Whatwashappening15,000yearsagoonEarth?Itwastheendofthe last ice age, but that did notmean the entire planetwas covered in ice—manyareaswerestilltemperatetotropical.Ourancestors,modernhumans(Homosapiens)inhabitedtheplanet,butwewerenotaloneintermsofhumanandhumanlikespecies.

ThediminutivespeciesHomofloresiensislivedinwhatisnowmodernIndonesia.AnadultH.floresiensisstoodaboutthreeandahalffeettallandhadabrainonlythesizeofamodernchimpanzeebrain (notmuch larger thanone-fourth thesizeof themodern human brain on average). Yet, despite their small brains overall, there isevidencethattheportionofthebrainassociatedwithself-awarenessisapproximatelythesamesizeinH.floresiensisasinH.sapiens.Self-awareness, itcanbeargued, isanattributethatonewouldexpectbothintheGoldenAgeoftheSatyaYugaandtheprecessionalAgeofVirgo sinceVirgo, ruledbyMercury, is associatedwithmentalactivity.

Fifteen thousand years ago in southernAfrica lived another species, technicallyknownasHomocapensis,so-namedin1918onthebasisofapartialskull(notethatthere is disagreement as to whether or not these forms represent a species distinctfrom us). More commonly they are referred to as the Boskop people or Boskops.Thoughtheirbodieswereaboutthesamesizeasthoseofmodernhumans,Boskopshadhugeheadswithbrains25to35percentlargerthanthoseofmodernhumans.In

theirbookBigBrain:TheOriginsandFutureofHumanIntelligence,neuroscientistsGary Lynch andRichardGranger argue that Boskopswere in factmore intelligentthanmodernhumans. Increasedbrainactivityandenhanced levelsofconsciousness(perhapsexpressed inmanifestations thatwewoulddeemasparanormal)mayhavecharacterizedtheBoskops;thiswouldseemtofitwellwithboththeSatyaYugaandtheAgeofVirgo.Isthisjustcoincidence?Oristhiscorrelationsignificant?

ScienceandParanormalPhenomenaA popular approach to possible paranormal phenomena is to simply dismiss suchthings as impossible—impossible either in an absolute sense, or as beingof such a“low probability” as to be unworthy of consideration. For example, Sean Carroll,seniorresearchassociateinphysicsattheCaliforniaInstituteofTechnology,postedadiatribeagainstparapsychologistsandtheveryideaofstudyingpossibleparanormalphenomenaonhisblogatDiscovermagazine’s“CosmicVariance”site.Thecoreofhis argument is as follows: “Themain point here is that, while there are certainlymanythingsthatmodernsciencedoesnotunderstand,therearealsomanythingsthatitdoesunderstand,andthosethingssimplydonotallowfortelekinesis,telepathy,etc.Whichisnottosaythatwecanprovethosethingsaren’treal.Wecan’t,butthatisacompletelyworthless statement, as scienceneverprovesanything; that’s simplynothowscienceworks.Rather, itaccumulatesempiricalevidencefororagainstvarioushypotheses.”[Italicsintheoriginal.]

I’mclassically trained in thesciences,andIunderstandwhereCarroll iscomingfromphilosophicallywhenhestatesthat“scienceneverprovesanything”(andIagreethat,epistemologically,atadeeplevel,proofisnotthedomainofscience).However,Carroll contradictshimselfwhenhe states: “Thecrucial concepthere is that, in themodernframeworkoffundamentalphysics,notonlydoweknowcertainthings,butwe have a very precise understanding of the limits of our reliable knowledge.Weunderstand,inotherwords,thatwhilesurpriseswillundoubtedlyarise(asscientists,that’s what we all hope for), there are certain classes of experiments that areguaranteed not to give exciting results—essentially because the same or equivalentexperimentshavealreadybeenperformed.”[Italicsintheoriginal.]

HereCarroll is clearly, and for allpracticalpurposes, arguing that certain thingshavebeen“proven”whenheassertsthat“weknowcertainthings.”Thisstrikesmeasamodernversionofthefamous(andfamouslywrong)1894pronouncementmadebyAlbertA.Michelson(latertobecomeaNobellaureateinphysics),quotedinanarticleinNaturalHistorybyNeildeGrasseTysontitled“TheBeginningofScience”:“Themore important fundamental laws and facts of physical science have all been

discovered,andthesearenowsofirmlyestablishedthat thepossibilityof theireverbeingsupplantedinconsequenceofnewdiscoveriesisexceedinglyremote....Futurediscoveriesmustbelookedforinthesixthplaceofdecimals.”

MichelsonmadethisstatementbeforetheelucidationofX-raysandthestructureof the atom, and before the discovery of radioactivity and the development ofquantumphysicsandrelativitytheory.Despitehisscientificbrilliance,Michelsondidnotprovehimselfaverygooddivinerofthefuture.

Returning to thequotation fromSeanCarroll,hestates:“Themainpointhere isthat,whiletherearecertainlymanythingsthatmodernsciencedoesnotunderstand,there are alsomany things that itdoes understand, and those things simply do notallowfortelekinesis,telepathy,etc.”

If in place of “telekinesis, telepathy,” we substitute “continental drift,” I couldeasily imagine this statement being made in the early twentieth century. The veryconceptofmovingcontinentswas lambastedfromsomequarters,despite thestrongevidence in support of the theory, because it was deemed “impossible” and utterly“inconceivable”basedon thescienceof the time thatcontinentscouldmove.Therewas no knownmechanism, until, that is, the development of plate tectonic theory.(Yes,asageologist,Iamawareofthevariouscriticismsandpossibleshortcomingsoftectonictheory,butthatisnotthepointorissuehere.)

In analyzing further the selected quotations fromSeanCarroll,we see that theyactuallyexposetheweaknessesoflike-mindedindividualswhoinsistthatscienceinitsmodernWesternguiseshouldhavethelastwordor, toputitanotherway,bethefinalarbiteroftruth(evenifonlyaprovisionaltruth).Again,theCarrollquotationis:“The main point here is that, while there are certainly many things that modernsciencedoesnotunderstand, therearealsomanythingsthat itdoesunderstand,andthose things simply do not allow for phenomena such as telekinesis, telepathy, etc.Whichisnottosaythatwecanprovethosethingsaren’treal.Wecan’t,butthatisacompletelyworthless statement, as scienceneverprovesanything; that’s simplynothowscienceworks.Rather, itaccumulatesempiricalevidencefororagainstvarioushypotheses.”

Tosaythatsomethingis“worthless”isavaluejudgment,andinanultimatesense,onecanargue,valuejudgmentsareoutsideoftherealmofscienceanddependentonanemotionalinvestmentandcontext,amongotherfactors.Iwouldarguethatthefactthat“scienceneverprovesanything”isquitevaluableasitprecludesthe“sleight-of-hand”dismissaloftheverypossibilityofanysupposedparanormalphenomenaeverbeinggenuine.

Asfarasempiricalevidenceisconcerned,formanypeoplethisistheheartoftheissuewhenitcomestoallegedparanormalphenomena.Exactlywhatisevidence?Are

anecdotal case studies evidence? Is it appropriate to pick and choose what weconsider evidence anddismiss, as “nonevidence,” casehistories and studies that donot suit our biases? Is it legitimate for certain critics and debunkers to reject asevidence experiments carried out by particular laboratories, which give positiveresults for telepathy (withgoodcontrols,and takingallpossibleprecautionsagainstpossible fraud)?Yet these same critics and debunkerswill hail as “solid evidence”againstthetelepathichypothesissimilarexperimentsinacomparablelab,whichgivenegative results (whatever “comparable” is in such cases, given how poorly weunderstandtheaspectsthatinfluenceparanormalphenomena).

In fact,what is and isnot “empirical evidence” isnot ablackandwhitematter,eitherinparapsychologyorinmanyotherscientificdisciplines.Ratherevidence,anyevidence, is a matter of degree and also carries a subjective and value-basedcomponent.Thecriteriathatmakeforconvincingevidenceonthepartofonepersonare not necessarily the same as the criteria for another person. Precluding obviousfraudandthelike,thereisnosinglemagicalscientificwayto“objectively”determinethe ultimate value of any particular alleged evidence. Science, any science, is notquiteas“objective”assomewouldassert.

TWO

QuantumPhilosophyandtheAncientMysterySchool

TODAY'SNEWSCIENCEPHILOSOPHY—OLDORNEW?

EDWARDF.MALKOWSKI

Responsible for themicroelectronic technology that brought us the cell phone, thecomputer, and the Internet, quantum physics has proven to be history’s mostsuccessful scientific theory. Quantum physics is also the source of a newunderstandingoftheworldaroundus.

Althoughthefoundingprinciplesofquantumphysicsweredevelopedinthe1920sand 1930s, it wasn’t until the 1970s that its influence seeped into our culturalworldview. In 1975,with the endorsement from one of quantum physics’ foundingtheorists,Nobel laureateWernerHeisenberg, FritjofCapra explored the similaritiesbetweenquantumphysics and theEasternmystical tradition inTheTao ofPhysics.Another landmarkbookwas published four years later,GaryZukav’sTheDancingWuLiMasters:AnOverviewoftheNewPhysics.Withthesebooks,andmanyothersthatfollowed,anewworldviewstartedtoemerge,embracingtheinterconnectednessbetweenmanandnature.

Everything isconnected throughauniversal fieldofvirtualparticles,andweareallpartofasinglelivingsystem.Whatthisnewworldviewsuggestsisthatphysicalform as biological consciousness is a local expression of a universal phenomenoncommonlyreferredtoas“consciousness.”Thecycleoflifeandtheevolutionofformarenaturalprocessesthatcreateaframeworkforexperiencewhereconsciousnessisafundamentalaspectofrealityjustasmuchasthespatialdimensions.Consciousness,oncethoughttobeonlytheproductofbrainchemistry,isnowviewedastheeternaldrivingforceforallthatexists,thatmanifestsitselfthroughphysicalforminordertoexperience.

AlthoughMindisverymuchanenigmaticandhighlydebatableconcept,thisnew

worldviewalsosuggeststhattheindividual’smindisaprocessofthisuniversaldriveto experience, as opposed to being a separate entity. Erwin Schrödinger, anotherfoundingtheoristofquantumphysics,andalsoaNobellaureate,viewsthisquestionof one Mind and many minds as an arithmetical problem. For Schrödinger, ourperceptionisscientificallyindescribable,becausetheminditselfisthatworldpicture.Thus, the individualmindis identical to thewhole“Mind,”and thereforecannotbecontainedinitasapartofit.Thiscreatesaproblem,becausethereareamultitudeofindividualsexperiencingconsciousness,butthereisonlyoneworld.

Oneanswertothisparadoxisthateachofusexperiencesauniqueworld,whichSchrödinger summarily dismisses. There is only one other alternative. Themultiplicity ofminds is only apparent; in truth there is only a singleMind.Such aconcept brings with it complex ramifications for the definition and nature ofknowledge.

SecretWisdom—SacredScienceYoumightthinkthatsincequantumphysicsisarelativelynewbranchofscience,thisburgeoning“newscience”philosophyisalsonew.It isnot.Thesenewinsights intonature and reality are very old but have been masked by modern attempts tocharacterize the ancientEgyptian culture and religion asprimitive.The concepts ofmindandconsciousness,aswellasreincarnationandevolution,wereexpressedlongagoinwhathistorianshavelabeledthe“ancientmysteryschool”—whatSchwallerdeLubicztermed“sacredscience.”Althoughshroudedbythesecrecyofthetempleandritesof initiation, ancientEgyptian schools taught this secretwisdom throughmythand symbolism, an approach that leads to an understanding of the world that isvirtuallyidenticaltotoday’snewsciencephilosophy.

Infact,thesacredscienceoftheancientEgyptians,bestdescribedasaphilosophyof nature’s principles, inspired the Hebrews, the Greeks, the Romans, and theChristians,whichledtotheemergenceofwhatwecallWesterncivilization—butforus,thousandsofyearslater,thefoundingknowledgeofourcivilizationisallbutlost.However, therehavealwaysbeenpeoplewhohavehandeddownthesecretwisdomand the sacred scienceof the ancientEgyptians:Kabbalists,Hermeticists,Gnostics,Sufis,Buddhists,andAlchemists.Itissecretonlyinthesensethatthiswisdommustbeunderstoodthroughesotericismandsymbol,andit’ssacredonlyinthesensethatscientific investigation inevitably leads toanunderstandingofMan,Divinity, andauniqueknowledgeof“Self.”

LeavingbehindmodernbiasesandlookingdeepintoancientEgypt’scivilization,there can be found a brilliance and understanding that rivals our knowledge today.

Their“gods”wereofadifferentorderthanourWesternconceptofGod.Theywerenot“gods”atall,butprinciplesofnaturethatrepresentedconceptslikedigestionandrespiration. They also represented intangible qualities found in mankind, such asknowledgeandpersonality.Thisancientviewofnaturehasbeenmistakenasreligiousandcultlike,butis,infact,technicalandphilosophical.

For example, the king’s diadem, with its serpent and vulture, symbolized theprinciplesoflifeandform.TheserpentrepresentedtheconceptoftheSourceforallthat exists and its manifestation as the cosmos; and the vulture, man’s spiritualimmortality.Likeaspirit,thevulture,soaringhighinthesky,escapesthisworldtoanexistencebeyondtheboundsofEarth.Thus,thepharaoh’sdiademsymbolizedman’skingshipinacosmicsenseandthemysteryoflife’sessence,wherethemysteryisthereality of Cause and Effect. Thismystery, which defines the human experience, isabstract,butoperatesthroughtheconcretecourtofthreedimensionstocreateanotherabstraction—whatweexperienceasconsciousnessandself-perception.

How the ancientEgyptiansdeveloped such a refinedphilosophy is amystery initself. Scholars such as Samuel Mercer, who translated Saqqara’s Pyramid Textsduring the 1950s, have noted that the tenets of this philosophy appear to haveemergedfully-fledgednearlyfivethousandyearsago,withouthistoricalprecedent.Itis ironic that ancient Egypt’s technical capabilities—so ambitious, so precise—alsoappeartohaveemerged,fully-fledged,withoutprecedent.Althoughweshouldn’tbesurprised,sincethedevelopmentofasophisticatedphilosophydoesnotoccurwithoutsophisticatedtechnology.

SuchinsightintoancientEgypt’searliesttraditionsmoistenstheseedsofdoubtforhistory’s linear model of man and civilization— particularly so when today’semerging“newscience”philosophyparallelsconceptsdescribedlongagoinRamses’TempleofAmunMut-Khonsu, someticulouslydescribedbySchwallerdeLubicz inhistwovolumeworkTheTempleofMan.

In 1937, alchemist andHermetic philosopherRenéA.Schwaller deLubiczwasdrawn to Egypt by an inscription at the tomb of Ramses where the pharaoh wasdepictedas the sideof a right (3:4:5) triangle.ForSchwallerdeLubicz, thismeantthat the ancient Egyptians understood geometry’s Pythagorean theorem long beforePythagoraswasborn. Intrigued,hemoved toLuxorandstudiedancientEgypt’sartand architecture for thirteen years, concluding that the temple architecture was adeliberateexerciseinproportion.Thetemple,initsdetail,describedthenatureofmanasa science, aphilosophy thatSchwallerdeLubicz termed the“Anthropocosm”or“ManCosmos.”

PhilosophyoftheAnthropocosmThe question of who we are and why we are here will likely remain the ultimatemystery.Intuitively,however,thismysterycanbeunderstoodupontherealizationthatourexistenceasaconsciousbiologicalformcanbetracedtocosmicevents,andthatthe prerequisites for our existence can be traced to a universal state. Our Earth isdependentonthesunandthesolarsysteminwhichitisgravitationallytrapped;whichisdependentontheMilkyWaygalaxy,inwhichitisgravitationallytrapped;whichisalso held in place by other forces including, but not limited to, our neighboringgalaxies.Anyinterruptioninthislineofcosmicdependencywouldlikelyresultinthecessationofourexistence.Thus, itcanbesaid that thecosmos is the truenatureofman,andformisthesolemeansofitsexpression.

Althoughitseemsasthoughweareinsignificantlysmallcomparedtotherestofthe universe, there is a single truth to our existence that cannot be denied and thatlendscredencetotheabstractnatureofman—therealityoftheobserver.Weobserveand perceive an ordered, yet dynamic, arrangement of energy that we naturallytranslateintosight,sound,smell,taste,andtouch.Totakeawaythemeasuresofthisreality means reality’s destruction, which suggests that the universe was neverconcreteinthefirstplace.Weonlyperceivethatitis.Therefore,likePlatoinhiscave,wecanconcludethattheconcretenessandforminwhichwelivearereallyonlytheknowledgeofsuchthings.Einsteinagreedimplicitlyinoneofhisfamousstatements:“Realityisanillusion,albeitaverypersistentone.”

Themost interestingquestion is,wheredoesour ability toobserveandperceivecome from? According to physicists, it comes from an event called “state vectorcollapse”whereallpossiblestatesofthesystem(theuniverse)collapseintoasingleobservedstate.

During the 1920s,whileHeisenberg andBohrwere further developing quantumtheory, they realized that a new viewpoint had to be created to achieve a properunderstanding of the quantumworld. The classical view of a discreteworldwouldsimply not work. To accomplish this, they embraced the idea that the world isfundamentallynotacollectionofdiscreteobjects,butanindistinct,unifiedworldofenergywhere,attimes,discreteobjectsareperceived.Heisenbergdevelopedhiswavematrix theory, and Schrödinger his wave mechanics, to explain their insights.Although slightly different in their approach, these two theories offered a moreaccuratedescriptionoftheatomicstructurethandidclassicalphysics.

Whattheirtheoriesstateisthatallmatterexistsasawavestructurethatwecannotdirectlysee.Whatwedoseeisthelocalizationofthewavestructurewithitsreleaseofenergy,whichisasimplewaytoexplainstatevectorcollapse.Theenergyreleased

iswhatphysicistscallaphoton(aparticleoflight).Weperceivethereleasedenergyasaparticle,eventhoughitisreallyawave.Thisoccursforusbecausethatishowthehumanbrainworks.

Withoutstatevectorcollapsetherewouldbenoperceptionofseparation,noformto experience and, consequently, no expression. The cosmos would remain in anundefinedstateofabsoluteness,apotentialofallcosmicpossibilities.

Allmatterthatmakesupthecosmosisactuallyconfiguredenergythatnowexistsas a result of stellar nucleosynthesis and supernova.Carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, andotherheavyelements—thebuildingblocksof life—werecreatedasaresultof largestars collapsing under their ownweight and then exploding with tremendous heat,spreadingnewlycreatedelements intoemptyspace toforminterstellarclouds.Newresearchsuggeststhatevenaminoacids,importantforproteinsynthesis,wereformedininterstellarclouds.Thus,scientistsarguethatsincetheelementsthatmakeupourbodies are the resultsof a cosmicprocess, thenwearemade fromstardust andareliterallychildrenofthestars.

TheBigBangoriginoftheuniversehasbeenthemodelofchoiceforcosmologistsformanydecadesnow,butithasalwaysbeenascientificparadox.OurknownlawsofphysicsarenotvaliduntilafterthemomentoftheBigBang.So,howdowearriveatauniversethatweexperience,whichsprangfromnothing?PerhapstheBigBangisonly a perspective to explain the current body of scientific data, and does notaccuratelyrepresentactualevents.Asisallofnature,perhapstheuniverseiscyclicalandoscillatesbetweenthenever-endingdestructionandcreationofgalaxies.Noonereallyknows.

However,whatwedoknowandcanbecertainofisourconsciousexperience.Itistheonethingallsixbillionofuscanagreeupon,andthekeytounderstandingnature.According to the Anthropocosm theory, consciousness creates a venue in order toexperience,anddoessothroughtheuniquequantificationofitsqualities.Thiscosmicandanthropic“newscience”understandingofmanputsforththesameprinciplesthatwerebuiltintothearchitectureofLuxor’sTempleofAmun-Mut-Khonsu.

The temple was not about the piety of a man, but our solar legacy as thephilosophical“DivineMan”portrayedinthegreatstatuesofRamses—thebirthofthesun.The templewas (and is)a formofcommunication,a lesson,andat itscore itsbuilders’philosophyiscarvedinstone.Amun,Mut,andKhonsuwerenot“gods”inthe Western religious sense, but principles that form and explain the nature ofmankindascoherentlyassuchanabstractsubjectcanbeexplained.

Thedefinitionofmanand thestoryof thehumanexperiencewerebuilt into thetemple architecture. Physically, the temple describes the structure ofman, from theimportanceofthefemurinthecreationofbloodcells,totheroleofthepinealgland

in thebrain.Spiritually, the templeconveys life’scosmicdramaandman’sspiritualimmortality. Amun was the “Hidden One” or the “Invisible One,” best describedtoday as the Western concept of God, omnipotent and omnipresent, or, from ascientific viewpoint, the energy field that pervades all that exists. From the ancientEgyptianpointofview,Amunwasself-created,thecreativepowerandsourceforallthatexists.Mut,whichmeans“mother,”wasAmun’scosmicwifeandthemotherofthe“Son”Khonsu,whorepresentedtheking.

However, the kingship of Khonsu was not a physical kingship but refers to acosmic(orspiritual)rulermadefleshthroughtheprinciplesofnature.Thus,KhonsutheKingrepresentstheessenceofmankind—thearchetypal“Man”—andessenceofall who ever lived, is alive now, and will live in the future. Khonsu, by beingassociated with Re and Thoth, represented the essence of life’s energy and man’swisdomandknowledge,wheremankindisaconsequenceoftheuniverse’sevolutionculminating in the physical endowment of the universe’s self-perception. In myth,Khonsuwasaloverofgames,butwasalsotheprincipleofhealing,conception,andchildbirth.Literally,hewas“theking’splacenta.”

Just as the ancient Uroboros—the circular serpent biting its tail—symbolizescyclicality, through our modern scientific endeavors we have come full circle inunderstandingourselves.Nooneknowsforsure inwhatcultureoratwhat timetheUroboroswas first fashioned as a symbol, but it is one ofmankind’smost ancientones.

Plato tells us in theTimaeus that since nothing outside of the serpent existed, itwasself-sufficient.Movementwasrightforhissphericalstructure,sohewasmadetomoveinacircularmanner.Thus,asaresultofhisownlimitations,herevolvesinacircle,andfromthismotiontheuniversewascreated.FromEgypt’sPtolemaicperiod,theartistwhodrew the“Chrysopoeia [goldmaking]ofCleopatra”wrotewithin thecircular serpent: TheAll IsOne. Thus, the serpent is the ancient Egyptian symboldepictingself-creationandthesourceoflife:“Itslays,weds,andimpregnatesitself,”writesErichNeumann inTheOriginandHistoryofConsciousness. “It isman andwoman, beginning and conceiving, devouring and giving birth, active and passive,aboveandbelow,atonce.”

For the ancient Egyptians, the Uroboros—the serpent—represents the creativeprinciple of the cosmos, as well as the cosmos itself. Since the serpent’s form issingular,withoutappendages,buthasaforkedtongueandforkedpenis,itsformisanaptsymbolofcreation’sinitialmovementfromanundifferentiatedstateintoaworldof multiplicity; a movement from one to two. Schwaller refers to this as the“PrimordialScission.”

The Uroboros, however, is not just an ancient mythical symbol, nor is it the

fabricated imageryof theprimitivemind.Rather, it isman’s identificationwith theseamless,eternalstateofonenesswhoseessenceisadeepmemoryofanoriginthatwords cannot explain and has to be understood through esotericism. As such, theUroboros’esotericismisasvalidtodayasitwasatthedawnofman.

TheSpiritualTechnologyofAncientEgyptThe Western worldview has a long history of separating the physical from theconceptual; thescientificfromthereligious.Sotogether,spiritualityandtechnologyappear contradictory. This contradiction, however, is based on a naïve and exotericviewof“spirit”and“technology.”

Spirit isnotsomeimmeasurable,metaphysicalthing.Rather,Spirit is thedrivingforcebehindthehumanexperience,thequestforknowledge,andthebuildingpowerof civilization that can be measured by achievement. Technology is mankind’sapplicationofknowledgeintoindustrythatprovidesforthecivilization’swellbeing.Technology, which is the application of science into civil practicalities, is also thebuildingpowerofcivilization.

Eventhoughtechnology’sfinalproductismostevident,itisthespiritofmanthatturns ideas into concepts, and concepts into knowledge,which through engineeringbrilliance, turns science into technology and makes life more efficient andcomfortable. Every product ever made began with someone’s inspiration andcreativity. So, spirit and technology are really different aspects of the same humanendeavor.

The desire to know inspires us, and the ever-increasing level of knowledge andtechnologyhasallowedustoreachnewlevelsinunderstandingourstateofexistence—butwhatmighthaveinspiredtheancientEgyptians?SchwallerdeLubiczbelievedthat ancient Egypt was the legacy of a technical civilization of which there is nohistoryorknowledgeintoday’sworld,acivilizationforwhichspiritandtechnologywere integrated into a worldview that embraced life’s mystery. For me, it is thistechnicalandspirituallegacythatissoevidentintheartandcultureofancientEgypt.

ThespiritualtechnologyofancientEgyptexpoundsupontheworksofSchwallerdeLubiczandtellstheuntoldstorybehindthebirthoftheWesternreligioustradition.TheEgyptianMysteries,astheywerecalled,inspiredgreatnessinmenwhoinstilledthe concept of theAnthropocosm into our own sacred literature, and it is the samephilosophicalunderstandingofnaturethatisattheforefrontoftoday’s“newscience”;whether symbolized by the Uroboros or Schrödinger’s wave equation, humanconsciousnessexistsasalocalmanifestationofaself-perceivinguniverse.

THREE

TheEgyptCode

ISTHEKEYTOEGYPT'SPASTREFLECTEDINTHESTARSABOVEGIZA?

ROBERTBAUVAL

WhatareEgypt’sOldKingdompyramidsfor?Whatpossiblepurposecouldtheyhavehad?Whydotheyhavelowprotractedtunnels,andlongnarrowshafts thatseemtoleadnowhere,andcorridors,galleries,andchambersthatareoftenstarkandempty?Whywerethepyramidsastronomicallyalignedtothestars?Whyaretheyscatteredinclustersalongaforty-kilometerstripofdesert?And,moreintriguingly,whyaresomedevoidoftextswhileothershavetheirwallsfullycoveredwithinscriptionsthatspeakofthesunandstars,andofastrangereligiouscosmologyinacelestiallandscapethatisreminiscentofEgyptitself?

Until very recently, the standard theory offered by Egyptologists was that thepyramidsweretombs,largesepulcherscreatedprincipallytohousethebodyofdeadkings. As for their elaborate internal systems of tunnels, shafts, corridors, andchambers, thesewere intendedmainly toconfuseandoutsmart tombrobbers,whiletheir astronomical alignments were either meaningless or just a fluke. Amazingly,such viewswentmostly unchallenged for nearly two centuries, this in spite of themaddening detail that no bodies of kings (not a skeleton or skull or even a bonesplinter)wereeverfoundinsideapyramidor,forthatmatter,outsideit.

Moremaddeningstill,noonehadanexplanationwhy,iftheywere“tombs,”thesepyramids were not placed into a single well-defined cemetery but instead werescattered insmallclusters inavastdesertplainwestof thestrange,RiverNile–likevolcanicislandsinaseaofsand.Yet,oddlyenough,thecluesthatsuggestedamuchhigherpurpose than just“tombs”wereplentiful,andalways there forall toseeandevaluate—andthesecluesscreamedofaconnectionwiththestars.Forexample:

The base of each pyramid was aligned to the astronomical directions using staralignments.

The largest of the pyramids contained “air shafts” oriented toward important starsystemssuchasOrion,Sirius,andthecircumpolarconstellations(viz.thePyramidofKhufuatGiza).

Pyramids were given “star” names or names implicit of stars (“The Pyramid ofDjedefre is aSehedu star”; “Nebka is a star”; “Horus is the star at the head of thesky,”andsoforth).

Pyramids had ceilings of chambers decoratedwith five-pointed stars (viz. the StepPyramidandFifthandSixthDynastypyramidsatSaqqara).

Pyramidscontainedwritingscarvedon the insidewalls that spokeofastar religionandthedestinyofakinginastarryworldcalledtheDuat,whichcontainedOrionandotherconstellations(viz.theFifthandSixthDynastypyramidsatSaqqara).

It is therefore somewhat odd, not to say perverse, that with so many “stellar”connections,therehasnotbeenasingleEgyptologistwhowascompelledenoughtoconsiderastellar“function”forthepyramids.Andbecausethisimportantmatterwasleftunbridledforsolong,itwasnotsurprisingthatuntrainedresearchers,dilettantes,cranks, and charlatans dished out theories that ranged from the derisory to thecompletelyinsane.PyramidswerebuiltbythelostcivilizationofAtlantis;theywerebuilt by a lost technology using levitation; they were power plants; they wereelectromagnetic receivers for interstellarcommunications; theywerebuiltbyaliens;they were built by the Jews while in captivity in Egypt; the Great Pyramid wasdesignedtocontaindetailedinformationofworldhistoryandfutureineveryinchofitsplan;itwasaBibleinstone.

So when I burst on the scene in 1994 with my first book,The OrionMystery,showingthatthepatternofthethreeGizapyramidsandtheirpositionrelativetotheNilemirroredthepatternofthethreestarsofOrion’sBeltandtheirpositionrelativetotheMilkyWay,thesubjectwassomuchsoiledanddegradedthatanynewtheorythatmentioned the “stars” or “astronomy”was immediatelymet with a barrage ofacademicindifference(atbest),orvociferousopposition.Thereactionwasevenmoreviolent becausemy theory had received the (albeit cautious) backing of one of theworld’smost eminent andmost respectedEgyptologists, Sir I. E. S.Edwards,whohadgallantlyandboldlystuckhisneckoutonmybehalfbyappearingon the1994BBC2documentaryTheGreatPyramid—GatewaytotheStars,insupportofsomeofmyideas.

Thisbroughthimthewrathofhispeers,butitnonethelesstwistedtheirarmsandforcedsometogrudginglyreviewmytheory.However,intheyearsthatfollowed,andespecially after Edwards’ death in 1996, I was derided and pilloried by a cabal ofEgyptologists and other “experts” seemingly determined to “debunk” the OrionCorrelation Theory, as my hypothesis was now being called. All this academiconslaughtwasmostdauntinganddistressing,butIfirmlyheldmyground,forIknewthatIhadnotonlygeneratedmassive interestandsupport in thegeneralpublicandthe internationalmediabut that the theoryIhadproposedneatlydovetailed into thecontext of Egypt’s Pyramid Age and provided the “missing link” to an otherwisebaffling mystery. Even the most entrenched skeptic could not easily dismiss theOrion-Gizacorrelationas“coincidence.”

FourteenlongyearshavenowpassedsincethepublicationofTheOrionMystery.Meanwhile, the book has been published inmore than twenty languages and therehave been dozens of television documentaries fully or partially-based on theOrionCorrelationTheory(viz.Britain’sBBC2andChannel4;America’sABC,NBC,andFOX;EuropeandAmerica’sDiscoveryChannelandHistoryChannel;Italy’sRAI3;Germany’sZDFandARD;France’sARTEandTF3;SouthAfrica’sSABCandM-netTV;Holland’sAVROTV;Australia’sChannel7;Egypt’sNILE-TVandmanymoreotherchannelsintheFarEastandMiddleEast).

Two more documentaries were aired with National Geographic television, bothentitled Unsolved Mysteries of the Pyramids (where my theories were criticallyreviewed),andanother,EgyptDecoded,madeforItaly’sRAI2andHolland’sAVROfullybasedonTheEgyptCode.Slowlybutsurely,theOrionCorrelationTheoryhascrept likea thief in thenight intomainstreamEgyptologyandthenewdisciplineofarcheoastronomy. And even though it is given much lip and criticism, it is veryobviousthatithastouchedtheproverbialnerveofacademia.

Tobefair,notallacademicswerepronetodismissTheOrionMystery.Someveryeminent Egyptologists, such as Dr. JaromirMalek of the Griffith Institute and theAmericanEgyptologistDr.EdMeltzerkeptanopenmindjustasthelateSirI.E.S.Edwards had. More refreshingly, the theory received cautious support from theastronomical community, particularly from Professor Archie Roy of GlasgowUniversity,ProfessorMaryBrückofEdinburghUniversity,ProfessorGiulioMagliofPolitecnico di Milano, Professor Percy Seymour of Plymouth University, andProfessor Chandra Wikramasinghe of Cardiff University. And even though thesehigh-rankingastronomersmaintainedahealthyskepticism,theynonethelessfoundthetheoryintriguinganddeservingofcarefulconsiderationandfurtherresearch.

Also in the course of the years, a crack began to appear in the EgyptologicalacademicarmorwhenDr.JaromirMalek(whohadreviewedmytheoryin1994inthe

Oxford journal Discussions in Egyptology) declared himself favorable to thepossibility that the apparent illogical scattering of pyramids in the Memphitenecropolis(a24.8mile[40kilometer] longdesertstripwestof theNilenearCairo)may, after all, have had more to do with “religious, astronomical, or similar”considerations thanwithpurelypractical considerations suchas the topographyandgeologyoftheland.SimilarviewsbegantobeheardinEgyptology,especiallyfromthe American EgyptologistMark Lehner, the Czech EgyptologistMiroslav Verner,andtheBritishEgyptologistDavidJeffreys.

Itwas,however,thearchaeoastronomerAnthonyAveni,aprofessorofastronomyandanthropologyatColgateUniversity,who,inmyview,wouldcometheclosestinproviding an overall picture of what may have been in the minds of the ancientarchitectswhodesignedandplannedsuchmysteriousmonuments(notonlyinEgyptbutinotherpartsoftheancientworld).Hewrotethat,“Inordertounderstandwhatancient people thought about theworld around them,wemust begin bywitnessingphenomena through theireyes.Aknowledgeofeachparticularculture isnecessary,butlearningwhattheskycontainsandhoweachentitymovesisalsoindispensable... strange but true: Whole cities, kingdoms, and empires were founded based onobservationsandinterpretationsofnaturaleventsthatpassundetectedunderournosesandaboveourheads.”

Dr. Aveni was referring to the Maya and Inca civilizations when he made theabovestatement—buthemayaswellhavebeentalkingaboutEgypt’sOldKingdom,for I amnowevenmoreconvinced that sucha statementholds truer for the sacredcities, pyramids, and temples built by the ancient Egyptians along the 621.4miles(1,000kilometers)oftheNileValleyduringtheirthreethousandyearsofcivilization.Andthis,inanutshell,iswhatIsetouttoproveinTheEgyptCode.

By theyear2000, Iwas ready toput the findingsofmy investigation intobookform.TothisendIpresentedasynopsis tomyeditoratRandomHouse inLondon,whopromptlycommissionedtheproject.Byearly2004,Ihadafirstdraftready.Thefinal draft, however, was completed in Egypt. In February 2005, I rented a fullyfurnishedapartmentwithadirectviewovertheGizapyramids.Beingheregavemetheuniqueopportunitytorefinethebookwithahands-onapproachtothepyramidsinLowerEgyptandthegreattemplesofUpperEgypt,andtoverifyandtestthevariousideasofmy thesis. Imbuedwith theenchantmentandmagicof theseancientsites Ihave, I believe, succeeded, in more ways than one, in bringing the sky-groundcorrelationtheoryIstartedtwodecadesagotoitsnaturalconclusion.

InTheEgyptCode, Ihavemadeuseofprimarysourceswheneveravailable,andreliedonlyonscholarlyresearchpublishedinpeer-reviewedjournalsorintextbooksbyrenownedEgyptologistsandotherscholars.Myreadersshouldexpectnolessfrom

me.Cullingmydata fromallof thesesources, Ihavecome to thisconclusion:TheancientEgyptiantheocracywasregulatedbyacosmicordercalledMa’at,whichwasnoneotherthantheorderofthesky:theobservable,precise,andpredictablecyclesofthe sun, themoon,and the stars. Ihavealsoconcluded that thisCosmicOrderwasferventlybelievedtoinfluencethematerialworldbelow,especiallytheall-importantannual flooding of theNile, for nothingmore fascinated, awed, and frightened theancientEgyptians than theNile’s flood,whichbegan in late Juneandended in lateSeptember.ThiswastheannualmiraclethatrejuvenatedthecropsandallotherlifeinEgypt,orbroughtfamineandpestilenceifthewatersfailedtorise.

This double-edged sword that hung perpetually over Egypt compelled the Niledwellers to seekmagicalmeans to ensure agood flood.Early in their developmenttheycame toobserve that thestarsofOrionandSiriuswoulddisappearunderneaththe western horizon after sunset in lateMarch and remain for a protracted period(aboutthreemonths)inthe“underworld”beforereemergingontheeasternhorizonatdawninlateJunejustwhenthewatersoftheNilebegantorise.During thiscrucialperiodofthestars’sojourninthe“underworld,”theastronomer-priestsalsonotedthatthe sun traveled from a point on the ecliptic just below the bright cluster of thePleiades(markingthevernalpoint)toaspotfartheralongtheeclipticjustbelowthechest of the celestial lion, Leo (marking the summer solstice), that bracketed theconstellationofOrionandSirius.

TheideabegantoentertheirmindsthatwhentheSunGodjourneyedthroughthatspecialpartofthesky—theDuat,asitwascalled—heperformedamagicalritual,asortof“stationsofthecross,”thatwouldbringaboutthe“rebirth”ofthestarsaswellasthe“rebirth”oftheNilewhen,inlateJune,thestarSiriuswouldreappearatdawnon the eastern horizon.This event happened to also fall on the day of the summersolstice, when the sun would reach its maximal northerly declination, and was forgoodreasontakenasNewYear’sDayandcalled(amongotherthings)the“BirthofRa,”theSunGod.

Amythology and sky-religion developed around this cosmic and Nilotic themeand,moreintriguingly,anambitiousplanwasgraduallyhatchedaround2800BCEto“bringdown,”intheliteralsense,theCosmicOrdersothatthepharaoh,thesonofRaon Earth, could undertake the same magical journey in an earthly Duat and thussecureforEgypta“good”flood(recalltheHermeticdictum:Asabove,sobelow).Tothis end, amassivepan-generational projectwasput into action thatwould involvebuildingclustersof“star”-pyramidsatpredeterminedsitestorepresentOrionandthePleiades,aswellasthebuildingofgreat“sun”-templessetonbothsidesoftheNiletodefine the part of the ecliptic alongwhich the SunGod traveled through theDuatfromvernalequinoxtosummersolstice,setonbothsidesoftheMilkyWay.

My new theory doesn’t stop there—I was also able to determine that the slowcyclical changes witnessed in the sky landscape caused by precession and by thepeculiarities of the Egyptian civil calendar over the three thousand years of thepharaoniccivilizationarereflectedinthechangeswitnessedonthegroundallalongthe 621.4 miles (1,000 kilometers) of the Nile Valley in the evolution of templesthroughoutthesamethreethousandyears.Inotherwords,TheEgyptCodeproposes,noless,toprovethatthereexistsasortof“cosmicEgypt”ghostedinthegeographyoftheNileValleystretchingfromnorthtosouththatwasonceliterallyregulatedandadministered by astronomer-priests headed by a sun-king; that this cosmic Egyptlastedforover threemillennia,and that itcanstillbediscerned in the layoutof thepyramidsandtemplesthatremaintoday.

My thesis is entirely verifiable, testable, and ultimately falsifiable if need be.Indeed, I happilywelcome Egyptologists and other scholars and researchers in thefieldofEgyptianarchaeologyandhistorytostepuptothedebate.

FOUR

AlternativeHistoryandEsotericPhilosophy

TWOPORTALSINTOTHESAMEWORLD?MARKBOOTH

Somethingthatoftensurprisesmeabout theopponentsofalternativehistory ishowreadilytheystooptointellectualdishonesty.Typicallythe“scientificallycorrect,”asIlike to think of them, present themselves as high-minded defenders of intellectualrigor. They then go right ahead and attribute to others claims that they have nevermade,justsotheycanrubbishthem!

The1999BBC2HorizondocumentaryaboutGrahamHancockandRobertBauval,“AtlantisReborn,”wasashiningexampleofthis—cut,dried,andwelldocumentedinthe adjudication of the Broadcasting Standards Commission. Maybe it’s a kind oftribute?Ifthescientificallycorrectweresureoftheirground,perhapstheywouldn’tfeeltheneedtobehavesoshiftily?

Yet they do, and more’s the pity on several deep and important levels, asalternative history often touches on what the existentialist theologian Paul Tillichcalled “the ultimate questions”—where we come from, who we are, and what themeaning of life might be. Of course, ideally, these questions should inspire awholehearteddesire todiscover the truth.We shouldbepassionately interested,yetscrupulouslydisinterested,settingasideallpartisanaffiliations,eventhedesiretoberight, because the answerswe give to those ultimate questions determines the verywaywechoosetoliveourlives.

Exactlyhowdoesalternativehistorybearon theultimatequestions? I think thatthis is best explained using an example that is central to alternative history. If theSphinx dates back deep intowhat’s conventionally called the StoneAge—in otherwords if it is many thousands of years older than conventional, academic historyallows—then it follows thatwe are notwhowe thoughtwewere.Our history hasdifferentpatternsthantheacceptedones.

ThisquestionoftheageoftheSphinxisalsoanexampleofacuriousfeatureofthe human condition as a whole, a feature that is quite remarkable, but oftenoverlooked:Whenitcomestoissueslikethese,wefindourselvesdealingwithminutefragments of evidence that admit of many different interpretations, sometimes evencontradictoryones.

Itseemstomethatwhenitcomestothegreatquestionsofhistory,andtothegreatquestions of life and death that are tied upwith them, the evidence is often not sooverwhelmingthatitimposesanansweronus.Weoftenhavegreatlatitudewhenwechoosewhattobelieve.

Perhapswecanthenchoosewhatwewanttobelieve?Important,then,tobeawareofwhichpartofourselvesisdoingthechoosing,that

wedonotchooseunconsciously,but insteadbringourfull intellect tobear.Is it thepart that really wants to know the truth that is doing the choosing? Or is it thepartisan,egotisticalsidethatwantstoberightortobeonthewinningside?

Thefact thatweare inaposition toconsider theultimatequestions ina relaxedand tolerantway, andwithout trying to tear eachother’s throatsout, the fact that awonderfulforumlikeGrahamHancock’swebsiteexists,isatleastinpartduetotheworkofsecretsocieties—inparticular, thesecretsocietiesthat laybehindtheRoyalSociety,andthereforethegreatscientificandindustrialrevolutionsoftheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturies.Thesesecretsocietiescreatedprotectedspaces (sometimescalledlodges)wherefreethinking,disinterestedintellectualenquirycouldtakeplace.

Inthesespaces,peoplelikeIsaacNewton,RobertBoyle,RobertHooke,andBruceHarvey were not only able to discover and define gravity, formulate the law ofthermodynamics that paved theway for the internal combustion engine, invent themicroscope,anduncovertheworkingsofthecirculatorysystem,theywerealsoableto pursue their interest in alchemy and other arcane subjects. When an outsiderquestionedNewtonabouthisinterestinastrology,heisreportedtohavereplied,“Sir,Ihavestudiedit,youhavenot.”Newtonalsobelievedthatweliveinaworlddensewith secret codes—in the laws of nature, in books like the Bible, and in ancientmonuments like theoneson theGizaPlateau.Theywereput there, hebelieved, tohelpdrawourintelligenceoutofus.

Theinitiatesofthesecretsocietieshadrealizedthatyougettwoverydifferentsetsof results if you look at the world as objectively as possibly and then, on otheroccasions,assubjectivelyaspossible.Thisrealizationbroughtgreatmaterialbenefitstotheworld,butitalsoopenedupmanystrangerealmsofthought....

Itwasbroodingonthesesortsofthings,especiallythedatesofthemonumentsontheGizaPlateau, that ledmeto think that Imighthaveacontribution tomakeasa

writer. In my day job, I was editing and publishing (at different times) not onlyGrahamandRobert,butalsoRobertLomasandChristopherKnight,RobertTemple,DavidRohl,andMichaelBaigent.Inmysparetime,Ihadalsodevelopedaninterestin esoteric philosophy, in Theosophy (with a big as well as a small “t”), in theRosicrucians, and in their modern representatives, the Anthroposophists. I used todelight in finding obscure and weird old books about the esoteric and mystical insecondhand bookshops—for example, theworks ofmagi like Paracelsus and JacobBöhme.

It struckme that, although as far as I knew none of these alternative historianswere—at that stage, at any rate—much interested in esoteric philosophy, many oftheir discoverieswere confirming its tenets, regarding, for example, the claims thattheSphinxandtheGreatPyramidaremucholderthanconventionalhistoryallows,orrelatedclaimsregardingthehistoricalrealityofAtlantisandtheFlood.

If new evidence was being unearthed that suggested that extremely importanttraditionslikethesehavesomebasisinhistoricalreality,thequestionnaturallyarises:what other traditional esoteric information about history might also be true? So Iplanned to try to weave together, into one narrative, historical lore from differentesoterictraditionsfromaroundtheworld.Toachieveonenarrativethread,Idecidedto focus on what they had in common—discarding what are sometimes called“culturalaccidentals”—andalsotofocus,wherepossible,ontraditionsthatchimeinwiththelatestdiscoveriesofalternativehistory.

I very quickly realized that if this historywas to be in one volume, rather thanspreadingacrossmany,manyvolumes,itcouldnotincorporatedebateastowhetherits claims—the arguments for and against the Sphinx being some twelve thousandyearsold,forexample—aretrue.Thiswouldhavetobea“takeitorleaveit”history.Ifreaderswantedtofollowupontheprosandconsofthesedebates,they’dhavetoturn to theworksreferencedat theback.(In thecaseof theSphinx, thesewouldbebooksbyGrahamandRobert,JohnAnthonyWest,RobertTemple,andSchwallerdeLubicz.)

Afterawhile,Ibegantoformulateatheoryonwhattheseesoterictraditionshadincommon: theyalldescribethewaysthat thesupernaturalworksin theworld.Gods,angels,andspiritsmayhavedifferentnamesindifferentplacesandatdifferenttimes,but, according to secret teachingseverywhere, thepatterns theyhelpmake, and theshapestheygivetoourlivesarethesame.Therefore,myresultingbook,TheSecretHistoryoftheWorld,describespatternsthatwouldn’tbethereifmaterialisticscienceaccountedforeverything.

These patterns in history are perhaps deeper than the laws of economics, theeffects of climate change, and the conventional, materialistic view of politics that

interests modern, academic historians. In other words, I show history operatingaccordingtowhatIcall(afterthepoetRainerMariaRilke)theDeeperLaws.Then,attheendofthebookIinvitereaderstolookattheirownlivestoseeiftheycan’tfindthesesameDeeperLawsoperatingthere.

In the book, I tried to weave together different mystical traditions about ourbeginningsandendingsandgreatturningpointsinbetweenintooneepicimaginativevision.Myaimwastoseeifthisimaginativevisionformedacoherent,cogentwholethatmightbesetagainstthescientificmaterialistone.Icouldn’tthinkofanyonewhohadtriedtodothissinceMilton,andhehaddoneitinverydifferentcircumstances,whenscientificmaterialismwasbeginningtorollbacktheidealismthathadbeentheuniversal philosophy up to that point.Madly, I askedmyself if it were possible tocreateanimaginativevisionthatwouldbeasortofmirrorimagetoMilton’s—writtenatatimewhenscientificmaterialismseemstomanytobebeginningtofrayandlookabitthinattheedges.

The world is a much more mysterious place than we have been brought up tobelieve. There are other ways of knowing than the one we have been taught. Thepriests and artists of the Egyptian andHindu temples knew of and understood thefunctionofthepinealglandthousandsofyearsbeforeitwas“discovered”byGermanandEnglishanatomists(moreorlesssimultaneously)in1866. RobertTemplehasshown that the Egyptian priests knew that Sirius is a three-star system, somethingonlyconfirmedbyFrenchastronomersusingradiotelescopesinthesecondhalfofthetwentiethcentury.

According toRudolfSteiner—the founderofAnthroposophy—knowledgeof theevolutionofthespeciesfrommarinelifetoamphibiantolandanimaltoanatomicallymodern human was encoded thousands of years ago in the imagery of theconstellations. Jonathan Swift was deeply immersed in esoteric philosophy. InGulliver’s Travels, he predicted the existence and orbital periods of the moons ofMars.Ahundredyearslater,whenastronomersfirstobservedthesemoonsusingthelatest telescopes, they named them Phobos and Deimos—fear and terror—soawestruckweretheybySwift’sevidentsupernaturalpowers.

How did these guys know? Where did their “powers” come from? Is theresomethinggoingonwedon’tfullyunderstand?

Again, theintellectualestablishmentwouldlikeus toseeaverycleardistinctionbetweenmodernscientificendeavorandtheoccult,seenasprimitiveandsuperstitious—butasIdemonstrate,thelineisnotalwaysclear.

We’vealreadytouchedonNewton,Boyle,Hooke,andHarvey.Newton’srivalindevising the calculus, Gottfried Leibniz, made his advances while studying theKabbalah.Paracelsus, thegreatSwissmagus, agreatpractical alchemist sometimes

*3

creditedwithinventingtheprinciplesthatliebehindhomeopathy,hasalsobeencalledthefatherofmodernexperimentalmedicine.EmanuelSwedenborg,themostfamouspsychic and esoteric teacher of his day, also discovered the cerebral cortex andengineered the largestdrydock in theworld.Perhaps significantly,CharlesDarwinformulatedhistheoryofevolutionshortlyafterhisfriendFriedrichMaxMüllerhadmade the first translations into a European language. Sigmund Freud was veryinterestedintheKabbalahasaboy,andhismodelofthemind—superego,ego,andid—canbeseenasamaterialisticversionoftheKabbalisticone.

CarlJungbasedhisaccountofwhathecalledtheSevenGreatArchetypesoftheCollective Unconscious on the spirits of the planets as they have always beenunderstoodinesotericlore.ThomasEdison,theinventorofthephonograph(andso,in a sense, the godfather of all recorded sound) and Alexander Graham Bell, theinventorofthetelephone,madetheirdiscoverieswhileresearchingthespiritworlds.Edison tried tomakea radio thatwould tune into the spiritworlds.Even televisionwas invented as a result of scientists trying to capture psychic influences on gasesfluctuatinginfrontofacathoderaytube.

Scientists from Newton to Tesla to Einstein have also talked about their greatdiscoveries coming to them suddenly in a dream or in a vision. Einstein evencompared the process to “the three degrees of initiation” of the ancients. I wasfascinatedtohearfromGrahamHancockthatFrancisCrickcrackedthecodeofthedoublehelixandlaunchedmoderngeneticmedicinewhilehewasonanLSDtrip.

The reality is that we all perceive things in altered states of consciousness—indreams,visions, prayerful states,meditations, perhapsunder the influenceofdrugs,andwhenwe’restruckbyhunchesandpremonitions.Thekeyquestionis:Areanyofthethingsweperceiveinthesealteredstatesreal,oraretheyalldelusions?Inotherwords:Doalteredstatesbringotherwaysofknowing?

Onlyafoolwoulddenythatsciencehasbroughtuntoldbenefitstotheworld.(AndIdon’tmean“fool”inaninterestingesotericway,Imeanjustplainstupid.)Sciencehasmadeour livessafer,easier,morecomfortable, longer,andgivenusmoresparetime for enjoying ourselves, for art and speculation. However, these benefits havecomeatacost.

Wehavebeenenabledtomakescientificleapsforwardbecausewehavebeensofocusedonthematerialworld.Wehaveconstructedapractical,commonsensicalformof consciousness for ourselves that is great for tying our shoelaces in themorning,navigatingourwayaroundourmechanicalworldinourcarsandplanes,andfendingforourselvesandourfamilies.

Yetother,moresubjective formsofconsciousness,otherwaysofknowing,havebeen squeezed out, devalued, and discarded. Esoteric philosophy is the systematic

cultivationoftheseotherwaysofknowing.Itisalsotherichesttraditionofthinkingabout “the ultimate questions.” The more I researched my history, the more Idiscoveredjusthowmanyofthegreatmenandwomenofhistoryweresteepedinit.Ibegantowonderifitmightevenbethecasethateveryintelligentpersonchecksitoutatsometimeorother.

Inthelatenineteenthcentury,writingofthetotalityofrealityasconsistingof“theplayground of numberless Universes incessantly manifesting and disappearing,”MadameBlavatskyprophesiedsomeoftheleapsforwardthatsciencewouldmakeinthe twentieth century. Althoughmany leading scientists in the twenty-first centurypostulatepossibleuniverses andmultipledimensions, I suspectmost of us live—interms of our everyday, unconsidered worldview—in a solid, commonsense sort ofuniversewithjustonedimension.There,causalityisstillamatterofatomknockingagainstatomlikebilliardballs—withentirelypredictableresults.

This leads, I believe, to two closely related and very common logical fallacies.Thesefallaciesaretypicalofscientificcorrectness.Oneistobelievethatifaneventcanbe shown tohaveonecause,noother causesof it arepossible.Soanexamplerelevanttomyworkwouldbetobelievethatbecausethunderandlightningcannowbeexplained in termsof clashingblocksof air andelectricity, thisproves that theycannotbetheresultoftheangerofagod.

Anotherexamplethatrelatestoacommonpresent-daybeliefwouldbethatifyoucouldcaptureapigeonsheddingafeatheronCCTVjustbeforeyouwalkedintoview,thenyouwouldknowthatthepigeonisthecauseofyoursightingofthefeather,notthatanangelistryingtosendyouamessage.

Therealitywearemorelikelytorecognizeifwedon’thaveanantispiritualaxtogrindisthatwecommonlyacceptthatsimpleeventshaveinfinitenetworksofcausesbehindthem,andsothat,intheseexamples,thereisnothingcontrarytologicaboutsupposingthatboththemechanicalandspiritualexplanationsmaybetrueatthesametime.

Onemightcallthisfallacy—withalittleironicnodtothelawofexcludedmiddle—the“lawofexcludedcause.”

Closelyrelatedtothisfallacyisanotheronetodowiththeinterpretationoftexts:if it can be shown that, for example, biblical or mythological stories such as theconquestofthePromisedLand,thevoyageofJasonandtheArgonauts,orthesiegeofTroyaredescriptionsofastronomicaleventsoralchemicalprocesses,theycannotbetruedescriptionsofhistoricalevents.

Thatsimplydoesnotfollow.ToborrowAlvinPlantinga’stoolsofanalysis,therearemanypossibleuniversesinwhichboththeseinterpretationsaretrue. Indeed,in*4

theesotericuniverseofmybook,alltruedescriptionsofeventsonthisplanetarealsotruedescriptionsofastronomicalevents.

Oneoftheaimsofmybookwastogiveconsciousnessaslightnudgeawayfromthe billiard ball view to something more multidimensional, more in tune with therealityofinterpenetratingrealms.

Interpenetrating realms are also reflected in the formof some esoteric literature.I’msurethatanyonereadingthiswillbefamiliarwithKabbalisticnumbermysticismand the idea that there are other texts encoded within the Hebrew scriptures. ACambridge-based statistician came to me recently with some texts he had derivedusing “skip codes,”which he had then translated fromHebrew intoEnglish.Thesetextswereabitfragmentary,asiftheskipcodeweren’t100percentaccurate,butinsubjectmatterandformtheyweresomewhatlikethePsalms.

It seems tome entirely possible that this kind of researchwill eventually yieldentire other books encoded within the books of the Hebrew scriptures—and thequestionthatnaturallyarisesiswilltheseotherbookshavefurtherbooksencodedinthem,andsoontoinfinitude?

To write books with other books encoded within them would seem to requiresupernaturalintelligence.Yetgreatinitiates,includingRabelaisandhiscontemporaryatMontpellierUniversity,Nostradamus,aswellasShakespeare,aresometimessaidto have written in what is called the Green Language—a language that reflectsdifferentordersofrealityinitsdifferentlayersofmeaning.

I leave you with one last possibility—could we all be thinking, speaking, andwriting theGreenLanguageall the time?Could theonlydifferencebetweenusandthegreatinitiatesbethatwedoitunconsciously?

A senior publisher I know—a rather down-to-earth and worldly fellow, I don’tthinkhe’dmindmesaying—startedtoreadTheSecretHistoryof theWorld, sayingthathewasn’tsureifhecouldtakeitseriously;wasn’tevensurehewasmeanttotakeitseriously. In fact,hemayhaveused thephrase“apparentlybarmy!”However,bytheendhesaidthathehadstartedtoseelifefromaslightlydifferentangle,tonoticeconnections.A senior publicist of a rathermore spiritual inclination,who began toread it at the same time, started to experience somemild, supernatural phenomena.ThelastIheard,thetwoofthemwereplanningatriptogethertotheBritishMuseumtostandinfrontoftheLohan—astatuealludedtoinmybook,whichseemstohavemysteriousproperties.

Ican’tclaimmybookoffersinitiation.AsIexplain,Iamnotaninitiatemyself—butfeedbacklikethisremindsmehowmuchhelpIhavehadwritingthisbook,andthatmuchoftheimagerythatflowsthroughthenarrativewasdevised(bymindsfar

moreintelligentthanmine)toworkatabelow-consciouslevel.TheDawkins tendencyhasprettymuchhad itsownway recently. I believe that

nothingwillturnthetideofmaterialismexceptreal,livedspiritualexperience.Whenyou’vehadthat,youdon’tbelieve—asJungsaid,youknow.Andthat,asItrytoshowinmywriting,iswhattheesotericteachingofthesecretsocietieshasalwaysoffered.

FIVE

AnOpenLettertotheEditorsofArchaeology

TAKINGTRADITIONALISTSTOTASKJOHNANTHONYWEST

Re:AtlantisandBeyond

TheLureofBogusArchaeology(Or:“TheAnupadeshiStrikeBack”)

ASpecialSectioninArchaeology,May/June2003

Gentlemen(andscholars),

Anacknowledgment:Iamdelightedtolearnthatour1993NBCspecialMysteryoftheSphinx(basedupongeologicalinvestigationscarriedoutbymeandmygeologistcolleagueDr.RobertM.Schoch of Boston University) has been awarded top honors in your “Worst ofTelevisionArchaeology”list.Theshow“ArguesthattheSphinxisthousandsofyearsolder thancurrentlybelievedand includescomparisonsof theSphinxwith theFaceonMars(sinceshowntobewhollynatural...).”

Short of havingmybooks singledout and condemnedby anofficialGeorgeW.Bushpresidentialdecree,Icouldnotfeelmoreflattered.IregretonlythatyouhavenophysicalequivalentofanOscarorTonytogowithit.Itsurewouldlookgoodonmy old oak filing cabinet, right next to the Emmy I won for “Best Research” forMysteryoftheSphinx,which,bytheway,wasalsooneoffournominatedfor“BestDocumentaryof1993.”Anyway,Ithinkthatextraordinarydisparityinpublicopiniona healthy sign, don’t you—proof that democracy is still with us, alive and well,despite appearances to the contrary? Would you be kind enough to send me aparchmentdiploma,alittleprintedcertificate...something,anythingtohangonthewalltoprovethatourshowwon?

TheSpecialSection“Why do people so desperately want to believe in Atlantis-style tales?” moansArchaeologyeditorPeterYoung,unabletocomprehendwhypeopleareturnedawayfrom the “real” archaeology featured in his magazine. Bogus archaeology expertGarrett Fagan, assistant professor of classics and author of the epic, bestselling,moderndayscholarlyclassicBathinginPublicintheRomanWorldexplains,

There is little doubt that presenting science (and archaeology) on television is adifficultbusiness.Theslowpaceofchangeinscientificthinking,thehabituallackofconsensus among academics about details, and the often complex nature of thearguments involved place pressures on producers. . . . The unspectacular andpainstaking nature of the discipline does not make for particularly spectaculartelevision.Forhowlongwillviewerssitthroughscenesofdirt-siftingthroughknee-highruins?

Thatmay sound plausible, but it is claptrap. Interest in archaeology is nomoredependentuponsiftingthroughdirtthaninterestinbaseballisdependentuponspringtrainingorbatmanufacture.Likebaseballfans,archaeologyfansrevelinthegame—whichinthiscaseisnotdirt-sifting,butuncoveringandinterpretingthepast.Itisthesignificance and the relevance of those discoveries that generate interest. The keywordhereis“significance.”

The audience will sit through plenty of “dirt-sifting” if the stakes are high andvalid. Your prizewinning selection for “Worst Television Archaeology” had itsobligatorypatinaofnetworkglitz,butmostof thatshowwasdevoted toacomplexscientific geological argument. The audiencewas riveted, and still is. It is not that“peoplewantsodesperatelytobelieveinAtlantis-styletales,”itisthattheyaresmartenough to recognize the comic triviality of your petty discipline. Again, Faganinadvertentlysupplies theclue(justabouteverythingFagansupplies is inadvertent).Those heated arguments over “detail” (the Big Picture is agreed upon by the“experts”; only “details” remain) appeal to nobody but yourselves. Thearchaeologically uninitiated cannot be made to warm to furious debates over howmany asps killed Cleopatra (Serpent in the Sky, p. 9)—especially when profoundmysteries,self-evident toallacquaintedwith theproblemsinvolved,gounexplored,theirveryexistenceleftdoggedlyunsiftedbyarchaeologicalconsensus.

Wedonotknowhow the pyramidswere built,we do not knowwhy theywerebuilt(thereisnoevidence,none,thatthepyramidsofGizaandDahshureverservedas tombs, though other pyramids did. Theymay have been tombs, but there is noevidencethattheywere—gotit?Scienceissupposedtobebaseduponevidence,not

inference).Wedonotknowhowthetwo-hundred-tonblocksoftheSphinxandValleytemplesand thepavingblockssurrounding thePyramidofKhafreweremovedandput intoplace,andsoon.Peoplearenotasstupidorgullibleasyouthinktheyare.Theydon’tbuyyourversionoftheBigPicture.It’sassimpleasthat.Unfortunately,they also aren’t very discriminating. They tend not to distinguish between, say, anErichvonDänikenandanR.A.SchwallerdeLubicz—butthen,neitherdoyou.

TounderstandyourunsolvablePRandimageproblemsandthepublic’sstubbornrefusal to acceptyourwordasGospel, all youhave todo is reflectuponwhatyouwrote in your own special section—and, more important, what you didn’t write.Mystery of the Sphinx wins your “First Worst Prize,” and yet, in all those pagesdevoted to the wholesale denigration (and often misrepresentation) of the work ofGrahamHancock,RobertBauval,andeveryoneelsewhodareschallengetheSacredArchaeologicalStatusQuo,thereisnoresponsetothegeology—thewater-weatheringtotheGreatSphinx—preciselythatwhichqualifiesitforWorstPlacehonors.Notaword.Howodd!Butthereisagoodreasonforit.

Because you have no response, that’s why. And it is that (so far) irrefutablegeologythatjustifiesandlegitimizestheentiresearchforalternatives—fromcarefullydevelopedandsoundmathematicalandastronomical theoriesdown tovonDänikenand the wilder shores of alien intervention. Until you find a way to disprove thegeology, the search itself is neither “bogus” nor “pseudo,” though some of thematerial cited as evidence may well fit those categories. . . . Curious note: If anarchaeologist is disproved on some significant detail (say that, given enough isthroughdirt,itisestablishedthatCleopatracommittedsuicideusingjustoneaspafterall), multiple asp proponents will be called “mistaken” and “wrong,” but if thoseoutside the archaeological Vatican make a no more egregious mistake, they arepracticingbogusorpseudoscience.

TobringArchaeology readersup todateon thegeology—sincedevelopments inthisongoinginvestigationsomehowdonotfindtheirwayintoyourpages—hereisabriefupdate.OurgeologicalevidencewaspresentedfirstattheannualmeetingoftheGeological Society of America (GSA) in 1991; further compelling evidence waspresentedattheGSAmeetingin2000,bothtimeswiththeoverwhelmingsupportofattendinggeologists—andshrieksofoutragefromarchaeologistsandEgyptologists.

Overtheinterveningyearsahandfulofopposinggeologists,mostwithastakeinacademic archaeology or Egyptology, have offered mutually exclusive alternativetheories toaccount for thatweathering ranging fromdemonstrably justplainwrong(K.LalGauri)tocertifiablyineptandinane(James“WetSand”Harrell’stheory).Allhavebeen easily, systematically, and conclusivelydismantled and rebuttedpoint bypoint. Meanwhile, two English geologists, Colin Reader and David Coxill,

independent of each other and of ourselves, have studied the matter on site andsupport the theory (precipitation-induced weathering) unconditionally, categoricallynecessitating rethinking the dating of the Sphinx, and along with it pretty mucheverythingarchaeologistsacceptasdogmaregardingveryancienthistory.

The actual dating remains a matter of debate, so the extent of that rethinkingprocesscannotbedeterminedatthispointwithcertainty—butthatitmustberadicalis apparent to all but yourselves. Which is one reason why a quarter of a billionpeople(roughestimate)haveseenMysteryoftheSphinxandbeenwonoverbyit.Itisoftenboughtbyteachers(sometimeswiththeirownmoney)toshowtostudentsfromgradeschoolupthroughcollegelevel; ithasconsiderablesupportamongacademicsand scientists across a spectrum of disciplines not in danger of caving in from theimplications of a vastly older Sphinx. (Threatened by evidence as revolutionary asthisintheirownfields,they’dprobablyreactasyoudo,butthatisnottheissuehere.)

It is even taken seriously by a handful of credentialed Egyptologists andarchaeologists,whomostlykeepquietaboutit,notwantingtosubjectthemselvestothe predictable academic auto-da-fé they know will be their lot if their interest isrevealed. It is, however, discussed briefly (but taken seriously) by EgyptologistEdmundMeltzer inhis essayon thehistoryofEgyptology in (that encyclopediaofNewAgepseudoscholarship)TheOxfordEncyclopedia ofAncientEgypt, editedbyDonaldRedford.ClosetNewAgeflakesshowupinthestrangestplaces,don’tthey?

WhileourgeologicalevidencedoesnotinitselfprovetheexistenceofaphysicalAtlantis(weneversaiditdid),itgoesalongwaytowardprovingtheexistenceofan“Atlantis,”ahighlydevelopedcivilizationcapableofmovingaroundtwo-hundred-tonblocksofstoneata timewhencivilizationisnotsupposedtohaveexistedatall. Inotherwords,itscuttlesthehistoricalcontextofyourentirediscipline.Yetthere’snotone word about the geology in your pages of carefully orchestrated debunkerymasqueradingasscholarship.

Strange omission! Yet hardly unique. Your fourth-place “Best of TelevisionArchaeology” entry, “‘Atlantis Reborn Again’ (Systematic Dismantling of GrahamHancock’sPropositionAboutHis‘LostCivilization’)”resortstothesamechicanery.InthattelevisionequivalentofArchaeology’shatchetjob,thereisalsonomentionofthegeologyof theSphinx.AlongfilmedinterviewwithSchochon thesubjectwascarefullyediteddowntoabriefappearanceinwhichhegiveshisnegativeopiniononthe underwater Yonaguni formations. (This striking site, with its remarkablegeometricangular ledgesandwalls isbelieved,byHancockandothers, tobeman-made,oratleastman-doctored.Ifso,itwouldbethe“smokinggun”testifyingtothe“lostcivilization”wearelookingfor.SchochandIare99percentconvincedthatitiswhollynatural—butitisalwayswisetoleavethat1percentopen.Astheysayinthe

ads for theNewYorkStateLottery, “Hey!Youneverknow.”)SoSchoch’sopinionwas good enough to refute Yonaguni, but not good enough to support the water-weatheringtotheSphinx.There’snomentionofthat.

In a court of law, that’s called “withholding evidence,” and it’s a crime. Ifacademicmalpracticewereacrime(notabadidea!),alotofarchaeologistswouldn’tbewalkingaroundontheloose.ChrisHale,theproducerof“AtlantisRebornAgain,”largely escaped the consequencesofwithholdingevidence.Asunprincipled asyou,but lessmaladroit, he had thewit not to hand out a “FirstWorst Prize.”And it isdifficult to prove “intent”when the evidence is totally excluded—but you, in yourdebunking zeal, could not resist calling attention to the geology by bestowing theprizeandthenconvenientlyfailingtodiscusswhatqualifiesitforthehonor.

Presumably you thought no one would notice? Now they will. Thanks to theInternethundredsofthousands,maybemillionswillnotice.

TheReasonWhyBut while this reveals the modus operandi of your scholarship, it does not reallyaccountfortheattractiontoalternativeviewsthatmotivatesthespecialsection.ThatattractionisactuallyjustifiedbyFagan,evenashediscountsit.“Pseudo-archaeologyfans,”hesneers,“getattractedtoallsortsofoddnotions.Theirancientcivilizationsarebetterthanours,morepeaceful,morespirituallyattuned.”

Nowthisisacurious,whollysubjectivestatementcomingfromaself-proclaimedscientist supposedly devoted to objective truth, and it merits dissection (or, moreaccurately, trisection). “Better” is not an “oddnotion.” It is a judgment call.Me? Iwould prefer to live in aworldwithout hydrogen bombs and traffic jams, aworldwhereyoucandrinkthewater.Ontheotherhand,evenIwouldrathergotoatwenty-firstcenturydentistthanaTwenty-FirstDynastydentist.Onbalance,I’dsayancientwas“better,”butitdependsentirelyuponhowone’svaluesareweighted.Faganhaseveryrighttodisagree—which,inturn,Imightcallan“oddnotion.”

“Morepeaceful?”Well,sincetheworldhasneverbeenlesspeacefulthanit isatpresent,thisdoesnotseemsuchan“oddnotion”either,especiallyifyougobackfarenough.OldKingdomEgyptwasmostassuredlymorepeacefulthananythingaroundtoday.Thatisdemonstrable.

“More spiritually attuned?” Here, inadvertently as always, Fagan has stumbleduponthecoreofthematter.Thatancientcivilizationsweremorespirituallyinclinedand directed (I’ll get to “attuned”) is undeniable. A civilization may be judgedinfalliblybywhatitdoeswithitscollectivecreativeenergy.(YoudonothavetobeaChristian or even religious to recognize the truth of “Ye shall know them by theirfruits”—Matthew7:16.)

Weput the bulk of our creative energies into shoppingmalls,weapons ofmassdestruction,Hollywoodandtelevisiontrash,bobble-headdolls,andDisneyland,withadollopleftoverforcleverbutemotionallybereftscienceandtechnology—mostofitdestructive and/or frivolous, a small percentage of it undeniably beneficial. Egypt(andallotherancientpeoples,toagreaterorlesserextent)puttheircreativeenergiesintotemples,tombs,andpyramids,alldesignedtofacilitatethequestforimmortality.Thisisa“fact”thatshouldbeapparenteventoarchaeologists—butdoesitqualifyfor“spiritualattunement?”I’dsayyes.AllyouhavetodoisgotoEgyptandexperienceitforyourself.Itisself-evident...toallbuttheemotionallydefectiveandspirituallydyslexic. Still, it’s a judgment call. It has nothing to do with “science”; not ourscience,atanyrate.Yetthatitshouldqualifyasan“oddnotion”intheFaganlexiconisrevealing.

To our Church of Progress (materialist, rationalist, Darwinian), “spiritual” is asynonymfor“superstitious,”and“spirituallyattuned”isthereforemeaningless.Therecanbenoattunementifthereisnospirit.Sowhyusethatparticularword?Whynotgrant the ancients their demonstrable ancient preoccupation with superstition, andleave the pseudo-archaeologists to theirs? After all, we are not threatening yourbiologicalsurvival—theonly“value”permissibleinyourone-dimensionalDarwiniancosmos (though that, too, is purely subjective; I won’t go into that here). Yet it isdeemeddangerous.Pseudo-archaeologymustbecontested,stampedout.Why?

MyoldJapanesesenseiputa fingeron it.Heused tocounsel, inhisbrokenbutpungentEnglish,“Youwanthappyinklazyworld?Notalkmoonbeamtoblindman;notalkmusic todeafman;andnever,noteveryoutalksextoeunuch.Himjustgetangry,sometimeviolent.”

This accounts for all that contumely and vituperation, themisrepresentation anddeliberateneglectofrealevidence;therant,cant,andintolerantyapoftheDefendersof theArchaeologicalFaithon the“HallofMa’at”website soheartilyendorsedbyKarenM.Romeyinhercontributiontothespecialsection(characterizedby“Ma’at”contributorPaulHeinrichasresponse“inapoliteandunderstandablefashion”).

Like academicdogs in themanger, youwoulddenyothers access to thatwhichyou are incapable of digesting yourselves. Spiritual attunement cannot beacknowledged.Theancientscouldnotpossiblyhavehadknowledgeorfacultiesyoudonothave.EverythingmustbekeptlockedupniceandsafeinyourlittleDarwinianbox just in case someone pries open the lid and finds the Emperor’s new clothesinside.

It’s your loss—but, if you’re actually interested in understanding why vastnumbers of people refuse to accept your establishment expertise, this iswhy.Yourspecialsectionwillchangenothing.Itisanexerciseinflawlesslysustainedfutility.

You also don’t have your facts straight. A discipline exulting in minute detail(compare to Fagan) should be scrupulous in such matters. TheMars material youderideinMysteryoftheSphinxwasnevershownonTV.ItwasnotpartoftheoriginalNBCspecial,butwasinsteadanadditiontotheexpandedhomevideoversion.AndImake it absolutely clear in that version that I am not endorsing either the Face or(especially)itsputativerelationtoEgypt,butrather,considertheevidencesupportingthe notion provocative enough tomerit inclusion. The Face, by theway, hasNOTbeen “shown to be completely natural”; though NASA, the space equivalent oforthodox archaeologists, declares it so. There are a number of astronomers,geologists, physicists, and imaging experts, no less qualified than those at NASA,whodonotacceptthatdeclaration.Sincethisisnotourfield,wehappilyleavethatparticularquestionopen.JOHNANTHONYWEST

SIX

DarkMission

THESECRETHISTORYOFNASARICHARDC.HOAGLAND

My name is Richard C. Hoagland. I was a National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration (NASA) consultant to the Goddard Spaceflight Center in the post-Apolloera, and science advisor toWalter Cronkite andCBSNews Special Events,advisingCBSonthescienceoftheNASAmissionstothemoonandMarsduringtheApollo Program. I currently run the Enterprise Mission, an independent NASAwatchdogand researchgroup,which is attempting to figureouthowmuchofwhatNASAhasfoundinthesolarsystemoverthepastfiftyyearshasactuallybeensilentlyfiledoutofsightasclassifiedmaterial,andthereforeremainstotallyunknowntotheAmericanpeople.

MyfriendandcolleagueMikeBaraandIattempttheimpossibleinourbookDarkMission: The Secret History of NASA. We describe, and then carefully document,exactly what’s been going on with NASA in terms of that classified data andinformation.Itisnotaneasytask.

ThepredispositionofmostAmericans—evenafter theChallengerandColumbiadisastersandahostofother“missing”spacecraft—istoplaceNASAsomewhereonparwithMotherTeresaintermsofpublicconfidenceandcredibility.Thisis,inmajorpart,duetotheaverageAmerican’s(tosaynothingofthemedia’s)inabilitytofigureoutareasonwhyNASA—ostensiblyapurelyscientificagency—wouldactuallylie.NASAis,afterall,holdinghighthebeaconofourlasttrueheroes,theastronauts.

However, even a hint that NASA—or, more precisely, its leadership—has beencarryingout anykindofhiddenagenda forover fiftyyears ismetwithdisbelief atbest. The vast majority of NASA’s nearly 18,000 full-time employees are, in ouranalysis, innocentof thewrongdoingof the few thatwearegoing todescribe.ThetruthisthatNASAwasborninalie,andhasgonetoextraordinarylengthstoconceal

thefactsofitsoccultoriginsanditssensationaldiscoveriesonthemoonandMars.FewpeopleareawarethatNASAwasformedasanationaldefenseagencyadjunct

empowered tokeep informationclassifiedandsecret from thepublicat large.EvenfewerpeopleareawareofthehardevidencethatsecretbrotherhoodsquietlydominateNASA, with policies far more aligned with ancient religious and occult mysteryschools than the facadeof rational science the government agencyhas successfullypromotedtotheworldforalmostfiftyyears.

Whywas theBush administration intent on returning to themoonasquickly aspossible?Whatare thereasonsfor thecurrent“spacerace”withChina,Russia,andevenIndia?

To even begin to fully appreciate what NASA has been quite consciously,deliberately,andmethodicallyconcealingfromtheAmericanpeopleandtheworldforall these years, you have to begin with NASA’s turbulent past—specifically, anaccount of its origins in the increasingly dangerous geopolitical environment thatAmericanswerethrustintointhewakeofWorldWarII.

The governmental institution known asNASA is a department of the executivebranch,ultimatelyanswerablesolelytothepresidentoftheUnitedStates,anagencycreated through theNationalAeronauticsandSpaceActof1958.According to thatact,NASAis,ostensibly,“acivilianagencyexercisingcontroloveraeronauticalandspaceactivitiessponsoredbytheUnitedStates.”[Italicsadded.]

However,contrarytocommonpublicandmediaperceptionthatNASAisanopen,strictlycivilianscientificinstitutionisthelegalfactthatthespaceagencywasquietlyfounded as a direct adjunct to theDepartment ofDefense, taskedwith specificallyassistingthenationalsecurityof theUnitedStates in themidstofadeepeningColdWarwith itsmajor geopolitical adversary, the SovietUnion. It says so right in theoriginal NASA Charter: “Sec. 305 . . . (i) The [National Aeronautics and Space]Administration shall be considered a defense agency of the United States for thepurposeofChapter17,Title35oftheUnitedStatesCode....”[Italicsadded.]

In another section of the act, this seldom-discussed defense responsibility—theultimate undercutting of NASA’s continuing public facade as a strictly civilian,scientificagency—isblatantlyspelledout:“Sec.205...(d)No[NASA]informationwhich has been classified for reasons of national security shall be included in anyreportmadeunderthissection[oftheact]....”[Italicsadded.]

Clearly, from thisand theother securityprovisions incorporated in theact,whattheCongress, thepress, and theAmerican taxpayersget to seeofNASA’sultimateactivities—includinguntouchedimagesanddataregardingwhat’sreallyonthemoon,onMarsoranywhereelseacross thesolarsystem—is totallydependentonwhether

the president of theUnitedStates (and/or his legal surrogates in theDepartment ofDefenseand the“intelligencecommunity”)hasalready secretlyclassified thatdata.Thisisdirectlycontrarytoeverythingwe’vebeenledtobelieveregardingNASAforoverfiftyyearsnow.

AfterNASAwasformed,almostbeforetheinkwasdryonthebillthatbroughtitinto being (which, among many other detailed objectives, called for “theestablishment of long-range studies of the potential benefits to be gained from, theopportunities for, and the problems involved in the use of aeronautical and spaceactivities for peaceful and scientific purposes”), NASA commissioned a formal“futures study” into the projected effects onAmerican society of itsmany plannedactivities(includingcovertones).

Carried out as a formal NASA contract to the Brookings Institution—a well-known Washington, D.C.–based think tank—the 1959 study was officially titled“Proposed Studies on the Implications of Peaceful Space Activities for HumanAffairs.”Theresultsof thismultidisciplinary investigationwereofficiallysubmittedtotheadministratorofNASAinlate1960and(aftertheKennedyadministrationwaselected)toCongressinApril1961.

One area of unusual interest covered in the report—easily overlooked amidmountainsofinterminablestatisticsandanalyses—wasaquietassessmentofthenear-certaintyofaNASAdiscoveryofintelligentextraterrestriallife:“While face-to-facemeetings with it [extra-terrestrial life] will not occur within the next twenty years(unless its technology is more advanced than ours, qualifying it to visit Earth),artifacts left at somepoint in timeby these life-formsmight possibly be discoveredthroughour[NASA’s]spaceactivitiesonthemoon,Mars,orVenus.”[Italicsadded.]

Thisquietly insertedsubsectionofBrookings is revealingonmanylevels,and itforms the documented basis of our case—that theNASA “you thought you knew”doesn’t actually exist, and that NASA has been deliberately concealing andclassifyingitsmostsignificantdiscoveriesbecauseof“nationalsecurity”rationales.

Brookings officially affirmedNASA’s expectations that the agencywould fly tonearbyplanetsinthesolarsystem,andwouldthusbephysicallycapable,forthefirsttime,ofconfronting“extraterrestrials”rightintheirbackyard.

Didanyskepticsevenknowthatthisofficialdocumentexistedbeforewemadeitpublic in 1996? Beginning in the mid-1960s with unmanned spacecraft, NASAactually discovered its projected extraterrestrial artifacts—but the agency never gotaroundtotellingtherestofus!

NASAwould clandestinely confirmwith these earliest robotic probes, and thenproceed to cover up, the first awesome remains of an extraordinary, solar-system-

wide, ancient technological civilization on the moon—precisely as Brookings hadpredicted.Fouryears later, theApolloProgramwouldcometo full fruition,and thelunarastronautsthemselveswouldpersonallywitnessandextensivelydocument,withtensofthousandsofhighqualityphotographs,frombothlunarorbitandthesurface,extraordinary“glasslike”structureson themoon!TheApollocrewswould not onlybringbackrockstoNASAlaboratories,butactualsamplesoftheancienttechnologiestheyfound—forhighlyclassifiedeffortsat“backengineering.”

At this point, a skepticmightwell ask howwe can be presenting valid, officialNASA imagesof suppressed ruinsand technology if theagencyhas spent somuchtimeandenergyoverthepastfortyyearscoveringthemup.Theansweristhataftertwo generations, leaked images—displaying stunning details of ancient lunarstructuresarchingoverhead,aswellaskeyalienartifactsthathavebeenbroughtback—havealsosuddenlybegunappearingontheInternet,onofficialNASAwebsites!

A small cadre of loyalNASAemployeeswaswitness towhat actuallywent on,andagreedatthattimetokeepthesecretintheinterestofnationalsecurity.SomeoftheseNASAemployees,apparently,havefinally“seenthelight”—thatthiscontinueddeception, nomatterwhat the legal rationale or national security implications,wasfundamentally extra-Constitutional. Because of these trueNASA heroes, real spacehistoryisabouttoofficiallybegin,again.

Basedonouranalysisaspresentedinthisbook,itisalsoouropinionthatNASA’sentirelunarexplorationprogram—culminatingwiththeincrediblysuccessfulmannedApollo Project—was carefully conceived, from the beginning, as a kind of “alienreconnaissance”followedbyan“alienartifactsretrieval”program.

Again, the intention todo just thatwasblatantly laidout inBrookings.Wenowbelieve that this is the reason President John F. Kennedy—reported to be “totallydisinterested in space”—wasquietly convinced to announcehis historic decision to“sendmentothemoon...andreturnthemsafelytotheEarth...withinadecade”inMay of 1961. This was widely believed, then and now, to be Kennedy’s effort todemonstratetotheworldthesuperiorityoftheAmericansystem,asopposedtoSovietcommunism.However, at theUnitedNationsonSeptember20, 1963, thepresidentsuddenly issued a public invitation to the Soviets only two years into the Apollo“race”tothemoon:anofferofa“cooperative,jointU.S./USSRlunarexpedition.”

Of course, if there were a “hidden agenda” to Apollo, this move would haverevealedthattheprimeobjectivewasnottobeattheSovietUnion,buttocovertlyfindandreturnsamplesoftheincrediblyadvancedlunartechnologythathadbeenwaitingonthemoonforeons...andthentosharethemwiththeSoviets!Curiouslyenough,ameretwomonthsfollowingKennedy’sstartlingUNproposition,thepresidentwaskilled.

Theenthusiastic architectsof thecontinuingNASABrookingscover-up, inpart,are the same heroes we have been encouraged to worship as some of the leadingpioneers of our technological era. Their names are synonymous with America’sachievements in spacescienceand rocketengineering. Inmanycases, theyarealsomenwithsecretpasts—Germans,Egyptians,Englishmen,andAmericans,menatthevery fringes of rational thought and conventional wisdom. These literal “fringeelements,” then,aredividedinto threemaingroupsinside theagency,asbestaswecan tell at present. For the purposes of this volume, we shall call them the“Magicians,”the“Masons,”andthe“Nazis”—anddealwitheachgroupseparately.

Each “sect” is led by prominent individuals, and supported by lesser-knownplayers.Eachhasstamped theirownagendaonour spaceprogram, in indeliblebuttraceableways.Andeach,remarkably, isdominatedbyasecretor“occult”doctrinethatisfarmorecloselyalignedwith“ancientreligionandmysticism”thanitiswiththerationalscienceandcoolempiricismthesemenpromotetothegeneralpublicasNASA’soverridingmantra.

Using commercially available celestial mechanics/astronomical software—programslikethepopular“RedShift”series(whichusestheofficialJPLephemerisasitsdatabase)—wehavebeenable toestablishapatternofbehavioronNASA’spartthat points to something as truly inexplicable as it is exotic: a bizarre internalobsession by the agency with three “gods” and “goddesses,” reaching across themillenniadirectlyfromancientEgypt—Isis,Osiris,andHorus.

ItisthesesamethreeEgyptiangods(whosemythicstoryhasbeendocumentedbymanyEgyptologistsandauthors)thatarealsokeytounderstandingthehistoryoftheMasonicOrder.ItisthissamemythologythatisalsoattheheartofthebeliefsystemsoftheNASAMagiciansandNazisaswell.ThisritualEgyptiansymbolism,secretlypracticedbyNASAthroughoutthesepastfivedecades,publiclyshowsuponlyinitsrepeated,blatantchoicesofsimplemissionpatchdesigns.

Forinstance,ifonelooksattheofficialpatchfortheApolloProgram,armedwithourpreceding“heads-up”regardingthebizarreNASAfocusonallthings“Egyptian,”it becomes elemental to match the “A” (for “Apollo”) as an actual stand-in for“Asar”—the Egyptian designation for “Osiris.” This successful decoding of thehidden Egyptian meaning of the Apollo patch is redundantly confirmed—because“Asar/Osiris”isnoneotherthanthefamiliarGreekconstellationof“Orion”—whichis,ofcourse,thebackgroundstellarconstellationonthepatchitself.

Thesecontinuing, inexplicable“secretsociety”manipulations insideNASA—notonly of its personnel, but also of itsmajor policies—have been going on since itsCongressional formation, and all with this inexplicable “Egyptian focus.” Theevidence that NASA is “something other than the benevolent civilian science

institutionitpretendstobe”isasoverwhelmingnowasitisdisturbing.Intheyearsfollowing JFK’s assassination, when Apollo finally became an engineering reality,onlyninesuccessfulApollomissionstoandfromthemoonwerecarriedout;onlysixofthosewereactuallylunarlandings.

Then(apparently),acriticalnumberandtypeoflunarartifactsweresuccessfullyidentified, and returned to Earth by the Apollo crews—at which point the entireApolloProgramwas abruptly terminatedwithApollo 17. In ourmodel, it was thissuccessfulcompletionofApollo’s secretmissionandagenda,andnotCongressionalbudget cuts, thatwas the real reason for the abrupt cessation ofAmerica’s historicjourneystothemoon,andtheprimaryreasonnoonehasgonenearthelunarsurfaceforoverthirtyyears.

Allofwhichmade thesuddenannouncementbyPresidentGeorgeW.BushofanewWhiteHouse/NASAprogram“toreturntothemoonby2020,”madeatNASAheadquarters on January 14, 2004, so incredibly intriguing. What did the Bushadministrationknow,thirtyyearsaftertheterminationofApollo,regardingwhatwaswaiting on the moon for human beings to return to? And was this why thisadministration mounted an Apollo-style program “on steroids”—as NASAadministratorMikeGriffin,specificallyappointedbyPresidentBushtoheadthenewlunarreturnprogram—wrylytermedit?

WasNASA’ssuddeninterestinreturningtothemoonactuallyanefforttobeatahost of other countrieswith the same goal?Countries that independently, suddenlyannounced their plans to go to the moon—countries like China, India, Japan, andRussia,andeventheEuropeanSpaceAgency?Isthisthestartofasecondspacerace,aracenotformerepropagandavictoriesthistime,butamuchmoreimportantrace,amongamuchwiderfieldofplayers,forsoleaccesstothescientificsecretsthesetofsurviving lunar structures surveyed by Apollo must inevitably contain—which, tothosewhosuccessfullydecodewhattheydiscoverthistime,couldmeantheultimatedominationoftheEarth?

It was just a few years after the start of the Apollo missions that even moreextraordinarysolarsystemruinswerefirstobservedonMars—beginningwithimagesandotherinstrumentedscanssentbackbyNASA’sfirstMarsorbiter, theunmannedMariner9spacecraft,inlate1971.

Thisearliest roboticconfirmation that therewasalso something“anomalous”onMarspavedthewayforfarmoreextensiveobservationswhenthefirstVikingorbitersand landers arrived half a decade later. The critical thing here is that, in directcontradiction to everything the press and the American people were being led tobelievethatNASAstoodfor—programtransparency,openscientificinquiry,freedomofpublication—theagencyquietlyandmethodicallycoveredupthemostastonishing

wondersithadfound.Many ofNASA’s consulting sociologists and anthropologists toBrookings (like

Dr.MargaretMead,whomIhadtheprivilegeofactuallyworkingwith,inlateryears,atNewYork’sHaydenPlanetarium)hadbeenwarningNASA,evenasBrookingswasbeingresearchedandassembled,of“theenormouspotentialforsocial instability”ifthe existence of bona fide extraterrestrials—or even ruins they left behind—wasofficiallyrevealedinthesociallyrepressiveandheavilyreligiousenvironmentofthelate1950s.

WiththosefirstLunarOrbiter imagestakenofthemoon,everything—therealityofruins,theirextraordinaryscale,theirobviouspresenceonmorethanoneworldinthesolarsystem,howtheirbuildersvanished—wassuddenlyall tooreal.Therehadbeen a powerful, enormously encompassing, extraordinary solarsystem-widecivilizationthathadsimplydisappeared,onlytoberediscoveredbyNASA’sprimitiveinitialprobes.Acivilizationthat,itwouldturnoutlater,hadbeenwipedoutthroughaseriesofall-encompassing,solar-system-widecataclysms.

Themost disturbing part ofBrookings to policymakers, however—even beforethese shattering discoveries were verified—was its thinly-veiled, authoritativewarningsregardingwhatcouldhappentoourcivilizationifNASA’s1950s-style“ETpredictions”wereconfirmed:

“Anthropological filescontainmanyexamplesofsocieties, sureof theirplace inthe universe, which have disintegratedwhen they had to associate with previouslyunfamiliar societies espousing different ideas and different life ways; others thatsurvivedsuchanexperienceusuallydidsobypayingthepriceofchangesinvaluesand attitudes and behavior. . . . The literaldisintegration of society—simply fromknowingthat‘we’renotalone.’”[Italicsadded.]

The Brookings discussion of the implications of such a crucial discovery alsoencompassedacriticalsecond-levelproblem:Whattodoiftheagency,atsomepointin the future, actually made such a momentous, world-changing confirmation ofextraterrestrialintelligencenextdoor?Orevenoftheirsurvivingruinsandartifacts?

NASA’s discussion of these problems before they occurred—and the draconianmeasures itwas seriouslyconsidering—is revealing: “Studiesmight help to provideprogramsformeetingandadjustingtotheimplicationsofsuchadiscovery.Questionsone might wish to answer by such studies would include: How might suchinformation,underwhatcircumstances,bepresentedtoorwithheldfromthepublic,forwhatends?Whatmightbetheroleofthediscoveringscientistsandotherdecisionmakersregardingreleaseofthefactofdiscovery?”[Italicsadded.]

Followingthepolitical tumultandexcitementof thefirstsuccessfulApollo lunar

landings,theWhiteHouseandNASAdramaticallychangedthedirectionoftheentirespaceprogram—undertheexcuseofalackofpublicinterestandinsufficientfunding.TheagencyquicklydroppedanypretenseoffollowingupontheApolloProgramwithpermanentbaseson themoon, aswell as indefinitelypostponingalldiscussionandplansforgoingontoMars.

Instead,underthenow-provenlieofdevelopinganeconomical,reliable,reusablespace transportation system, and a “worldclass” space research laboratory for it toresupply—thespaceshuttleandtheInternationalSpaceStation—NASAcollaboratedwith the White House in a fateful set of decisions in the early 1970s that wouldconsignAmericanastronautstoendlesslycircletheEarthfordecades,whilethemoon—with stunning ruins and bits and pieces of a miraculous, preserved technologyorbitingjustaquarterofamillionmilesaway—wastotallyignored.

On February 15, 2001, FOX aired a widely advertised show titledConspiracyTheory:DidWeLandontheMoon?Withthisprogram,FOXremovedthelastweaklink in NASA’s ongoing, forty-year-old chain of overlapping cover-ups. It is ourassertionthatthis“moonhoax”talewascarefullyconstructedasanelegantpieceofprofessionaldisinformation—asadesperatelyrequireddistractionfromthereallunarconspiracy documented here,whichwas beginning to seriously unravel as early as1996.IcanpersonallytestifythatIwasafirsthandwitnesstothetruebeginningsof“themoonhoax”far,farearlierthanthe2001FOXspecial—backin1969,andintheheartofNASAitself!

Theoccasionwas theunforgettableApollo summerofNeilArmstrongandBuzzAldrin’s epic journey to the moon—the amazing July landing of Apollo 11. I, ofcourse, had been deeply immersed in all aspects of our CBS coverage of theupcomingApollo 11mission for months, as official science advisor to CBS NewsSpecialEventsandchiefcorrespondentWalterCronkite.

For the actual flight of Apollo 11, I was assigned (at my own request) to theDowney,California,facilityoftheprimecontractorfortheApolloCommand/ServiceModule, NorthAmerican Rockwell. I was there to personally oversee constructionand special effects use ofmy pet project for our nonstopCBS coverage of “LunarLanding Day”—a “walk-through solar system” constructed by North AmericanRockwell technicians specifically for myself and CBS in a huge, drafty aircrafthanger. It was in this miniature, re-created version of the solar system that I hadsuccessfully proposed that Walter Cronkite interview, via satellite, key engineers,projectmanagers,and“specialguests”—thosewhohadbuilttheApollospacecraftatNorthAmericanorwhohadspecialknowledgeintherealmofhistoryandspace—tocommentonthehistoriclegacyoftheApollo11flight.

OneluminaryIwasproudtobringbeforethecameras,tochatwithWalterinNew

York regarding the extraordinarynatureof events occurring that historic night,wasRobertA.Heinlein, thedeanofAmericanscience fiction.Decadesearlier,Bobhadcowritten the screenplay forDestinationMoon, oneof the first technically accuratefilmdepictionsofthelunarjourneythenunfoldingonlivetelevisionbeforeabillionpeople all over planet Earth. As the successful author of a pioneering series of“juvenile” science fiction novels that, for the first time, introduced realistic spacetravelandengineeringconceptstoanentiregenerationoffutureNASAscientistsandengineers, Heinlein had, almost single-handedly, “inspired the workforce” for theentirespaceprogram.

Imustadmit,Ihadacertainsmugsatisfactionthatnight,watchingBobHeinleinstroll through“thesolar system,”emphaticallypredicting toWalterand literally theworld, via satellite, that “henceforth, this night—July 20, 1969—will be known as‘theBeginningoftheTrueHistoryofMankind.’”

After the heady events of that unforgettable thirty-two hours—the landing; theeerieextravehicularactivity(EVA),completewithghostlytelevisionshots“livefromthemoon”;andthen,afterthecrewhadsleptforafewhoursforthefirsttimeonthemoon, the successful liftoff of the Eagle Lunar Module and rendezvous with theCommandModuleColumbia,stillinlunarorbit—CBSmovedourunitupthestreet,to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena. There we would cover theremainder of the flight, arriving at JPL right after the three Apollo 11 astronautsblasted home toward Earth and their “splashdown” in the South Pacific three dayslater.

The reason was that NASA had another mission under way during the “EpicJourneyofApollo11”—aflybyof twounmannedMarinerspacecraftpastMars, foronlythesecondtimeinNASA’shistory.

With only one CBS Special Events Unit in California, to cover all of NASA’sspaceactivitiesontheWestCoastinthoseyears,itwasuptooursmallgroupinLosAngeles—aproducer,acorrespondent,acoupleofcameraguys,maybeacoupleoftechnicians,amakeupperson,andme—tooverlapourcontinuingcoverageofApollo11, now originating from the Theodore vonKármánAuditorium at JPL, with newcommentarycoveringthesecondunmannedNASAmissiontodoaflybyofMarsinhistory.Mariner 6 was to cruise past Mars on July 31—recording television images,

makingspectralscans,conductingremoteatmosphericmeasurements—just tendaysaftertheColumbialeftlunarorbit,headingforthePacificOcean.OurarrivalatJPLontheafternoonofJuly22,inpreparationforthisMariner6 flyby,washeadystufffor a twenty-three-year-old network science consultant, as this was my first “in-person”tourtocoveranactuallivemission.

ThecircumstancesofmyfirstflybylivefromJPLareetchedindeliblyinmybrain,iffornootherreasonthanitwasthemomentwhentelevisionlightningstruck.Onemorningourexecutiveproducer,BobWussler,suddenlydecidedtoputmeontheairacrosstheentireCBStelevisionnetworktoexplaintheupcomingMarinerflybytothenation! How could one ever forget their first professional network televisionappearance—andtheirfirstofficialnetworkcommentaryforaNASAmissionflyingbyMars,noless?Butforthelifeofme,Ican’trememberathingIsaidthatmorning.IdorememberthatIliterallyhadtoborrowasportcoatandtiefromoneofthefloorcrewformyfirstappearanceonnetworktelevision.

And, I vividly remember a bizarre scene that happened only a couple of daysbeforeatJPL,aswearrived.

It was controlled bedlam. Close to a thousand print reporters, televisioncorrespondents,technicians,specialVIPs,aswellashalfthestaffatJPLitself,wereallattemptingtoregisterforthelimitedseatinginthe(relatively)smallvonKármánAuditorium,whichhadbeenthesceneforalllivenetworkcoverageofJPL’spreviousextravaganzas ever, sinceExplorer 1 had been placed in orbit by aU.S.Army/JPLteamoneJanuarynightin1958.

ThiswarmJulyafternoononlyelevenyearslater,itseemedthateveryonewasinamadscramble—simultaneously—toregisteratthelobbydesksspecificallysetupformembersofthepress,tryingtograbthelimitednumberofpresskitsonthemission,andthennaildownaseatintheauditoriumbeyond.

Itwasatthispoint,asIwasdriftingaroundvonKármán,tryingtospotwheretheCBS anchor desk was positioned, that I noticed something strange. Even to myuntrainedeye,it lookedoutofplace:aman,wearingjeansandalong,light-coloredraincoat(itwastypicalLosAngelesweatheroutside—so,whythecoat?).Thisman,wearing one of those floppy “great coats” that cowpunchers used to wear in oldWesterns, complete with a dark leather bag slung over one shoulder, was slowly,methodically,placing“something”oneachchairinvonKármán.

As he got closer, I suddenly realized that he was accompanied by a moreconventionally dressed representative from JPL itself—coatless, in white shirt andblack tie—thesecondfigurewas, in fact,noneother than theheadof theJPLpressoffice,FrankBristow. In themidstofall thecommotion,whywasBristow—again,theheadoftheJPLpressoffice—personallysquiringthisveryout-of-placeindividualaroundtheauditorium?

Then,as if thatwasn’tmysteryenough,Bristowbeganmoving“greatcoatguy”back out to the cramped pressroom area beyond the glassed-in foyer of theauditorium.There,inanofficewherespacecorrespondentslikeWalterSullivan(NewYorkTimes),FrankPearlman(SanFranciscoChronicle),JulesBergmann(ABC),and

BillStout (our localguy fromCBS)hungout,andwrote their leadsandcopyaftereachformalpressbriefingheldinvonKármánitself,ahandfulofreporterswerenowbeingintroduced,againbyBristow,to“greatcoatguy.”WhywastheofficialheadoftheJPLpressofficedoingthis?

Isoonhadmyanswer.As Bristow watched approvingly, his “guest” proceeded to hand each available

reporteracopyofwhateverhe’dbeenputtingontheseatsbackintheauditorium.AsIopenedupthehandout,somethingyellowandsilveryfellonthetilefloor.It

wasashinyAmericanflag,maybefourincheslengthwise,madeofaluminizedmylar.I turned to the couple of mimeographed pages and began to read—and couldn’tbelievemyeyes.

ThedatewasJuly22,1969.ThethreeApollo11astronauts,NeilArmstrong,BuzzAldrin, and Mike Collins—two of whom had just successfully walked on “thefriggingmoon”andwouldn’tsplashdownintheSouthPacificfortwomoredays—were still halfway between Earth and the “Sea of Tranquillity.”Yet here, someonewithanobvious“in” toJPLwashandingoutamimeographedbroadsheet toall therealreporters...claiming“NASAhasjustfakedtheentireApollo11LunarLanding...onasoundstageinNevada!”

And, if thatwasn’tweird enough, this individualwas beingpersonally escortedaroundvonKármánbynoneotherthantheheadoftheJPLpressofficehimself!Ididwhat I saw the other veterans do: I casually threw the two pages in the trash andtuckedtheshinyflagintomynotebook...buttheseedhadbeenplanted.

Lookingback,basedonallourhard-wonknowledgeofwhatisreally“outthere”in thesolarsystem,andexperiencing theoutrageous lengthsNASAwillgo tokeep“thesecret,”Icannowputthepiecestogether.

This was an official Op—Bristow’s job was to make sure that all the nationalreporterscoveringNASAatleastsawwhatwashandedoutthatafternoon,completewithshinyflagtoactasamnemonicdevicetotriggerthememoryofwhatwasinthepamphletlongafteritwashistory.Soonerorlater,apercentageofthosewhoreaditthatafternoonatJPLwouldwriteitup—asaquirkyangleonthefar-too-dryofficialtaleofApollo11.

In thisway, itwouldbecomeanaturally reproducingmeme—“aunitof culturalinformation, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or byrepeatedactionfromonemindtoanother”—whichisexactlywhatNASAapparentlyintendedtoplantatJPLthatafternoon,deliberatelyto“infect”Americanculturewiththestorythat“themoonlandingwasallafake!”

Was this all some far seeing “back-up plan” if, in some point in the future, it

startedtoemergewhytheastronautshadreallygonetothemoon?FOX,the“fairandbalanced”network,activatedthememein2001with theDid

WeLandontheMoon? special.There,waiting in thewings,wasaneatlypackagedthirty-year-old“conspiracytheory”perfectlygift-wrappedforthosefinallybeginningto“disbelieve”inNASA.Anofficiallyconcocted“inoculation”againsttroublemakerswho would one day place before many of those same national reporters a set ofembarrassing official Apollo photographs, asking the crucial question: “What didNASAreallyfindduringitsApollomissionstothemoon?”

SEVEN

HistoryandCelestialTime

DOESPRECESSIONCAUSETHERISEANDFALLOFCIVILIZATION?WALTERCRUTTENDEN

Discoveries like the ancient Greek Antikythera Device (1,500 years before theinvention of precision geared devices), the Baghdad Batteries (two thousand yearsbefore Volta “invented” the battery), or dental and brain surgery artifacts found inancientPakistan(eightthousandyearsoutofhistoricalsequence)appear“anomalous”withinourcurrentparadigmofhistory.However, theyarenotunexpectedaccordingtotheancientcyclicalview.

GiorgiodeSantillana,aformerprofessorofthehistoryofscienceatMIT,tellsusthat most ancient cultures believed consciousness and history were not linear butcyclical,meaningtheywouldriseandfalloverlongperiodsoftime.InhislandmarkworkHamlet’sMill,GiorgiodeSantillanaandcoauthorHerthavonDechendshowedthatthemythandfolkloreofoverthirtyancientculturesaroundtheworldspokeofavast cycle of time with alternating Dark and Golden Ages that move with theprecessionoftheequinox.PlatocalledthistheGreatYear.

AlthoughtheideaofagreatcycletimedbytheslowprecessionoftheequinoxwascommontomultipleculturesbeforetheChristianera,mostofusweretaughtthatthisis justa fairy tale—therewasnoGoldenAge.However,an increasingbodyofnewastronomicalandarchaeologicalevidencesuggeststhatthecyclemayhaveabasisinfact. More important, understanding the cycle might provide insight into wheresociety is headed at this time and why consciousness may be expanding at anexponential rate.Understanding thecauseofprecession iskey tounderstanding thecycle.

Thestandardtheoryofprecessionsaysit isprincipallythemoon’sgravityactingupon theoblateEarth thatmust be the causeof theEarth’s changingorientation to

inertialspace,otherwiseknownasthe“precessionoftheequinox.”However,ancientsourcessaythattheobservableofanequinoxslowlymovingor“precessing”throughthetwelveconstellationsofthezodiacissimplyduetothemotionofthesolarsystemthroughspace(changingourviewpointfromEarth).AttheBinaryResearchInstitute,wehavemodeledamovingsolarsystemandfoundthatitdoesindeedbetterproducethe precession observable (the sun’smotion relative to the fixed stars as seen fromEarth), and resolves a number of solar system anomalies such as the unevendistribution of angularmomentumwithin the solar system and the variable rate ofprecession.

Beyond the technical considerations, a moving solar system might provide alogical reasonwhywe have aGreatYearwith alternatingDark andGoldenAges.That is, if the solar system carrying the Earth actually moves in a huge orbit,subjecting the Earth to the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum of another star or EMsource along the way, we could expect that this would affect our magnetosphere,ionosphere,and—indirectly—alllife,inapatterncommensuratewiththatorbit.JustastheEarth’ssmallerdiurnalandannualmotionsproducethecyclesofdayandnightand the seasons (both due to the Earth’s changing position in relation to theelectromagneticspectrumofthesun),somightthelargercelestialmotionbeexpectedtoproduceacyclethataffectslifeandconsciousnessonagrandscale.

ThehypothesisforhowconsciousnesswouldbeaffectedinsuchacelestialcyclebuildsontheworkofDr.ValerieHunt,formerprofessorofphysiologyatUCLA.Inanumberof studies, shehas found that changes in the ambient electromagnetic field(which surrounds us all the time) can dramatically affect human cognition andperformance. In short, consciousness is affected by immersion in electromagneticfields.Consequently,theconceptbehindtheGreatYearorcyclicalmodelofhistory,consistent with myth and folklore, is based on the sun’s motion through space,subjectingtheEarthtowaxingandwaningstellarfields(allstarsarehugegeneratorsofelectromagneticspectrum),resultinginthelegendaryriseandfalloftheagesovergreatepochsoftime.

Welookedatsomeof theancientmythsaboutrisingandfallingages tied to theprecession cycle, explored current precession anomalies, outlined a dynamic solarsystem model that better explains the precession observable, and suggested ahypothesisforhowachangeinproximitytostellar-generatedelectromagneticfieldsmightbethemechanismthatinducescyclicalchangesonEarth.Wewouldhereliketo use thismodel as a guide to better understandwherewe have been in terms ofconsciousnessandancientcivilizationsinthepast,andmoreimportant,wherewearegoinginthefuture.AsGrahamHancockstated,this“new—orveryold—approachtothegreatestproblemsofhumanhistory”couldbea“keytothemysteryoftheages.”

HistoricalPerspectiveCurrenttheoriesofhistorygenerallyignoremythandfolkloreanddonotconsideranymacro-external influences on consciousness. For the most part, modern historicaltheory teaches us that consciousness or history moves in a linear pattern fromprimitivetomodernwithfewexceptions.Someofitstenetsinclude:

MankindevolvedoutofAfrica.

Peoplewerehunter-gatherersuntilaboutfivethousandyearsago.

Tribesfirstbandedtogetherforprotectionfromotherwarringparties.

Written communication must precede any large engineered structures or populouscivilizations.

Theproblemwiththiswidelyacceptedparadigmisthatitisnotconsistentwiththeevolving interpretation of recently discovered ancient cultures and anomalousartifacts. In the last hundred years, major discoveries have been made inMesopotamia,theIndusValley,theAsianplains,SouthAmericansites,andinmanyother regions that break the rules of historical theory and push back the time ofadvancedhumandevelopment.Specifically,theyshowthatancientmanwasfarmoreproficientandcivilizednearlyfive thousandyearsago thanhewasduring themorerecentDarkAgesofjustathousandyearsago.

InCaral,anancientcomplexonthewestcoastofPeru,wefindsixpyramidsthatare carbon-dated to be 4,700 years old, a date contemporaneouswith the Egyptianpyramids and rivaling the time of the first major structures found in the so-calledcradle of civilization inMesopotamia. However, Caral is an ocean away from the“cradle,”andwefindnoevidenceofanywritingorweaponry, twoof theso-callednecessitiesofcivilization.Atthesametime,wedofindbeautifulmusicalinstruments,astronomically aligned structures, and evidence of commerce with distant lands.Clearly,suchsitesdefythestandardhistoricalparadigm—butwhatisstrangerstillisthatsomanyofthesecivilizationsseemedtodeclineenmasse.

In ancient Mesopotamia; Pakistan; Jiroft, Iran; and adjacent lands, we seeknowledge of astronomy, geometry, advanced building techniques, sophisticatedplumbingandwatersystems,incredibleart,dyesandfabrics,surgery,medicine,andmanyotherrefinementsofacivilizedculturethatseemedtoarisefromnowhere,yetwerecompletelylostoverthenextfewthousandyears.BythetimeoftheworldwideDarkAges,everyoneofthesecivilizationshadturnedtonomadicwaysoflife,orto

dust.Near the depths of the downturn, therewere ruins and little else to be found.Andinsomeareaswherelargerpopulationsstillremained,suchasthroughoutpartsofEurope,povertyanddiseasewereoftenrampant,andtheabilitytoread,write,orduplicateanyoftheearlierengineeringorscientificfeatshadessentiallydisappeared.Whathappened?

While records of this period are still very spotty, the archaeological evidenceindicates consciousness, reflected as human ingenuity and capability, was greatlydiminished.We just seemed tohave lost theability todo the thingsweused todo.Ironically, this is just what many ancient cultures predicted. The world’s foremostAssyrianologist, Stefan Maul, shed light on this phenomenon in his StanfordPresidential Lecture when he told us that the Akkadians knew they lived in adecliningera; they revered thepast and tried tohangon to it, but at the same timelamentedandpredictedtheDarkAgesthatwouldfollow.Hisetymologicalstudiesofcuneiformtabletsshowthattheancientwordsfor“past”havenowbecomeourwordsfor“future,”whereastheirwordsforthe“future”havenowbecomeourwordsforthe“past.” It is almost as if mankind orients his motion through time depending onwhetherheisinanascendingordescendingage.

Wefindthisprincipleofwaxingandwaningperiodsoftimedepictedinnumerousbas-reliefsfoundinancientMithraictemples.ThefamedTauroctany(orbull-slaying)sceneisoftensurroundedbytwoboys,CautesandCautopetes.Oneholdsatorchupononesideofthezodiac,indicatingitisatimeoflight,theotherholdsatorchdownon the other side of the zodiac, indicating it is a time of darkness. As theaccompanying chart will show, these time periods correspond with the Vedicdescription of when the Earth goes through periods of rising and fallingconsciousness.

Jared Diamond, the well-known historian anthropologist and author of Guns,Germs, and Steel, makes a good case that it is primarily local geographic andenvironmentaladvantagesontheplanetEarththatdeterminewhichgroupofhumanssucceedsorfailsversusanother.Thosethathavethesteel,guns,andbadgermswin.Whilethishelpsexplainmanyregionaldifferencesofthelastfewthousandyears,itdoesnotaddressthemacrotrendsthatseemedtohaveaffectedallcultures(includingChinaandtheAmericas)astheyslippedintothelastworldwideDarkAge.

The cyclical or Great Year model overlays and augments Jared Diamond’sobservations,givinga reason for thewidespreaddownturn. It suggests that it isnotjust the geography and environment of man on Earth that determines his relativesuccessbutitisalsothegeographyandenvironmentoftheEarthinspacethataffectsmankindonavastscale.Justassmallcelestialmotionsaffectlifeovertheshort-term,sodolargecelestialmotionsaffectusoverthelong-term.

UnderstandingthatconsciousnessmayindeedriseandfallwiththemotionsoftheheavensgivesmeaningtoancientmythandfolkloreandputsanomalousartifactssuchastheAntikytheraDeviceintoanhistoricalcontextthatmakessense.Itspeakstowhysomanyancientculturesmighthavebeenfascinatedwiththestars,anditprovidesuswith a workable paradigm in which to understand history. It could also help usidentify the forces that propelled the Renaissance, and that may be acceleratingconsciousness in thecurrentera.Mythandfolklore, thescientific languageofyore,provideacolorfullookatconsciousnessthroughoutthedifferentages.

CharacteroftheAgesTheGreekhistorianHesiodtellsusof thewonderfulnatureof thelastGoldenAge,when“peaceandplenty”abounded.Hopimythstellusofcitiesonthebottomofthesea.Typicallyancientpeoplesbrokethegreatcycleintoanascendinganddescendingphase,eachwithfourperiods.Forexample, theVedicorHinduculture tellsus thatwhentheautumnalequinoxmovesfromVirgotoAires,wegothroughtheascendingKali, Dwapara, Treta, and Satya (Golden Age) Yugas before slowly declining inreverse order as the equinox completes its journey. The Greeks and other earlyMediterraneancivilizationsused similarperiods and labeled them the Iron,Bronze,Silver,andGoldenAges.Moredistantcultures,suchastheMayaorHopi,usedstillothernames,suchas“worlds”or“suns,”andlabeledthem“fourthorfifth”toidentifytherecentepochs.

ArelativelymodernproponentofthecyclicalsystemwastheSanskritsageSwamiSriYukteswar, authorofTheHolyScience.He taught that thepositionof our solarsystemrelativetoanotherstarnowindicatesthatweareinrecenttransitionfromthelowestmaterial age, the Kali Yuga, into the electrical or atomic age, the DwaparaYuga.Inthisperiod,itissaidthatwebegintoseetheworldasmoretransparentaswemovefromanawarenessofselfasaphysicalbodyinastrictlyphysicaluniverse,toanawarenessthatwearesomethingmore,livinginauniversefilledwithsubtleforcesandenergies.

The technological discoveries of the laws of gravity, electricity, andmagnetism,just in the last few hundred years, give this idea credence—and the trend isaccelerating.Inthelastcenturyithasevenbeendiscoveredthatphysicalmatterisnotreallysolidatall.Wehavefoundthat it ismadeofmolecules,andthat theseare inturnmadeofatoms,whichare themselvesconstitutedof99.9percentempty space.The littlebitofmatter thatdoesexist in theheartof theprotonandneutron isnowthought tobeprincipallyvibratingenergy,at leastaccording to the latestversionofstring theory. Indeed, reality is looking more and more ethereal, just as the hoary

Vedaspredicted.Ages beyond the present are difficult to grasp, because a lesser consciousness

cannotbeholdagreaterconsciousnessanymorethanacupofwatercannotholdtheocean—sowetendtoextrapolate thepastmaterialviewof thingswhenenvisioningthefuture.Yet theOriental teachingsaboutcyclesindicatethat this is justapassingphase.Theysay the real trend is towardagodlike statewhere thephysical isbutamanifestation of something from the other world. And so it seems when we readGreekmythologyorpagesofVedicscripture.

TheSilverAgeorTretaYuga,thethirdage(fromthebottom)istheGreek“ageofthedemigods,”or, to theyogisofIndia, theageofdivinemagnetismandthemind.Whilethisisadifficultconcepttograsp,considerthestoryofBabel.

Supposedly, before Babel (pre–3100 BCE in the last descending Treta Yuga)humanity spoke with one tongue and communed freely with nature. The Hebrewscriptures tell us that mankind began to build “towers,” and then languages were“confused”andpeoplecouldnolongerunderstandoneanother(Genesis11:1–9).Inthestandardtheoryofhistorythisstorymakesnosense,butinthecyclicalmodelithasgreatmeaning.ItwouldhaveoccurredaroundthetimeofthefirsttowerbuildingsinancientMesopotamia,probablybetween3500BCEand3000BCE.

This ispreciselyaroundthetime(3100BCE)when,accordingtoSriYukteswar,the world declined from the descending Treta Yuga into the descending DwaparaYuga,atimewhenclairvoyanceandtelepathywerelost.WelearnfromParamahansaYogananda, another proponent of the yuga cycle and the famed author ofAutobiographyofaYogi,thatthistimewillcomeagainintheyear4100CE,whenwepassfromtheascendingDwaparaandintotheascendingTretaYuga.Hetellsusthatat this time there will once again be a “common knowledge of telepathy andclairvoyance.” Perhaps then we will better understand the meaning of the ancientmyths.

TheTretaYugaissaidtobetheageoflevitation,telepathy,atimeoftheshamansand wizards of old, when tremendous psychic and mental abilities were common,trulyan“ageofthedemigods.”We’veallheardstoriesaboutthemythicalpowersofthe saints and sageswho had these gifts.Now seen as rare, themajority of peopledon’ttakethesereportsseriouslyorrealizethatwe,too,mighthavethissamelatentabilityinahigherstateofconsciousness.Yet,thisisexactlywhattheancientstoldus.Infact,ChristwasquotingthefarmoreancientHebrewscriptureswhen,inthedepthsofthelastDarkAge,hesaid,“Isitnotwritteninyourlaw,Isaid,Yearegods?”Hehimself embodied this consciousness when he said, “He that believeth on me, theworksthatIdoshallhedoalso.”

The final stage in the cycle of time is the Golden Age or Satya Yuga. It is

consideredthehighesttimeonEarth.IftheTretaorSilverAgeisinconceivabletoustoday,thentheGoldenAgemustsoundlikeamythoradream.TheGreekscalleditthe“ageofthegods,”andthemythandfolkloreoftheVedasandancientEgypthintthatthiswasatimewhengodsliterallywalkedtheEarth,andmostofmankindlivedinperfectharmonywithnatureandtheheavens.Whiletherenowremainsverylittlephysical evidence of this long-ago period, we do find that virtually every ancientmegalithicconstructionpriortotheyear1500BCEseemstobeorientedtowardsomeastronomical or cardinal point. Going back further, there are signs that multiplestructuresmayhavebeenalignedtomirrorconstellationsorthelargerheavens.

TheGoldenAge is said tobe a timewhenwecouldperceiveandcommunicatewithastralorcausalrealms,anddirectlyknowGodwithouttheintermediacyofanyreligion.Again,thissoundslikelittlemorethanafairytalegivenourcurrentstateofconsciousness,butitisathemecommontoancientpeopleswhospokeandwroteofthelong-losthigherages.

PredictiveValueAdmittedly, the higher ages sound incredible, butwehope to showevidence at thenextConferenceonPrecessionandAncientKnowledge(CPAK),andthroughfuturepapers,books,andfilms,thatthecyclehasabasisinfact,drivenbythesolarsystem’smotion through space. Just as the seasons of the year, caused by the Earth’s orbitaroundthesun,canbeforecast in time(throughcalendarsandvariousastronomicalmeans),socantheseasonsoftheGreatYearbecalculatedbytheslowprecessionoftheequinox.

The cyclical model is not only preciselymeasurable (bymonitoring the annualchangeintheprecessionrate,nowabout50.29arcsecondsperyear)butIbelievethatit has predictive value. There are many changes we can expect over the next fewdecadestofewthousandyearsasweprogressthroughtheGreatYear.Researchintothesechangesisbasedoncross-interpretationsofmythandfolklore,extrapolationoftrends,andinterviewswithfuturists.DuringthecurrenttransitionfromtheKaliYuga(ofgrossmaterialconsciousness)totheearlyDwaparaYuga(whereanawarenessofenergy and finer forces will be dominant), we are manifesting our heightenedawareness and increasing ingenuity through an endless array of technology thatallows us to annihilate the barriers of time and space.We can now fly just aboutanywhereontheglobewithinthetimeittakestheplanettomakeonespinonitsaxis.Likewise,wecaninstantlycommunicatewithsomeoneontheothersideoftheEarthandsendthemapictureorvideoofalmostanyevent,realtime.Allthesethingswerenotonlyimpossiblebutalsounthinkablejustahundredyearsago.

Underlyingthis trend, there isactuallyagreaterconcernfornature.Wewillsee,moreandmore,areturntolivingintunewithMotherEarth—anditwillbefacilitatedbygreaterunderstandingandthinnertechnology.Astechnologybecomessomethinghiddeninthebackground,wecanexpectsomeamazingchanges.Forexample,whilewe currently still need antennas to transmit communications (and soon power) orsilicontocomputeorstoreinformation,eventhesemaybeoutmodedinthefuture.

Physicist John Dering (a CPAK regular) has speculated that given the trend ofcomputer power, sometime in the not too distant future we will develop interfacedevicesthatallowustopickupthewaveformscapturedbytreesortheantennaeofbugs,andwemaybeable to tap intoanddecipherall the information (waveforms)thathaveeverpassedbyarockoranyinanimateobjectinthelandscape.Coulditbethatourancientancestorsbetterunderstoodthesubtlequalitiesofstone?

AnotherCPAKauthor,JohnBurke,hasalreadyshownthatancientcultureshadatremendous knowledge of electromagnetism as evidenced by the outer stones atAvebury,wherehehasdemonstrated that all of the standing stones’magneticpolesareidenticallyaligned.HehasalsoshownthatsomeIndianshamansintheAmericanWestcanfindareasofhighelectrostaticchargeorgeophysicaldiscontinuitiesjustbyfeel.Theyusetheseareasforhealingpurposes.Contemplatingtheseideasgivesnewmeaningtothestoriesofourancientancestors.Understandingtheirwisdommaybethekeytounderstandingourfuture.

EIGHT

TheOrionKey

UNLOCKINGTHEMYSTERYOFGIZASCOTTCREIGHTON

UpsettingtheAppleCart

Ithas longbeentheviewofmainstreamEgyptologists that thesitingofeachof themain pyramid structures at Giza was determined purely upon the wishes of thepharaohandthepracticalitiesand logisticsofaparticularsite. It is furtherheld thattheKing’s decision for the siting of his pyramid gave little or no consideration tostructuresthathadgonebeforeorthatwouldcomeafter.EachpyramidatGiza—sothe conventional view asserts—was effectively constructed as a discreet royalfunerarycomplexbyeachsuccessivepharaoh,andwasdonesowithoutreferencetoanylong-termmastersiteplan.Inshort,weare told that thepyramidsatGizawereconstructedas“singularities”andthatthereexistednograndarchitecturalscheme;nograndplan.

This conventional view of the pyramids at Giza runs contrary to the work ofRobert Bauval who, in 1994—in partnership with Adrian Gilbert—published TheOrion Mystery, his first book, which presented the radical hypothesis that thepyramidsatGizawereconstructedassymbolicrepresentationsofthethreeBeltstarsoftheconstellationofOrion.Byadvocatingsuchahypothesis,Bauvalwasinvokingthe almost heretical notion that each of the pyramids at Giza were constructed ascomponentpartsofalong-termproject;amultigenerationalmasterplanthatinvolvedtheBeltstarsoftheconstellationofOrion.

Itisunsurprisingthatinmakingsuchaboldhypothesis,Bauvalquicklyincurredthewrathoftheacademicestablisment.Withafewnotableexceptions,EgyptologistsremainedlargelyunconvincedofBauval’sproposal,dismissingmuchofthecultural

evidence he presented from the ancient Egyptian writings known as the PyramidTexts, which provided considerable textual support to his work. The EgyptologistsdemandedthatBauvalpresentconclusiveevidenceinsupportofhisOrionhypothesisbefore they would even remotely consider overturning more than a century ofEgyptologicalconsensusthatstaunchlyregardedtheGizapyramidsasthreediscreetroyalfunerarycomplexesbuiltentirelyindependentlyofeachother.

RobertBauval,however,remainssteadfastinhisview.AlmostfifteenyearsafterpublishingTheOrionMystery,ImetwithBauvalintheshadowoftheGreatPyramidandaskedhimhisopinionconcerningaveryobviousanomalyatGiza.“IfKhufuwasthefirstpharaohoftheFourthDynastytobuildatGiza,”Iputittohim,“why,then,didn’tKhufuconstructhisGreatPyramidontheprestigious,highgroundinthecenteroftheplateau?”

Bauvalturnedtomewithhischaracteristicenigmaticsmile,andreplied,“Because,Scott—therewasaplan.”

InKeeper ofGenesis/Message of the Sphinx, the authors show how this “grandplan”mayalsohaveincludedtheGreatSphinxatGiza,whichtheyhypothesizemighthavebeendesignedasareflectionofthelionconstellationofLeointheeasternskycirca10,500BCE.ItseemsthatthedesignersoftheGreatSphinxmayhaveusedtheconstellationofLeoastheunderlyingtemplateforthedesignofthismostreconditeofallGizastructures.Onthisbasis,mightitnotthenbepossiblethatthedesignersmayhaveused theOrion’sBelt stars not simply to lay thepyramidson theground in anearidenticalpatterntotheBeltstars,buttoalsousetheBeltstarsastheunderlyingtemplatefromwhichtogeneratetheactualdimensions—thebaseshape—ofallthreemainGizapyramids?

Ithardlyneedstobestated,butifitcanbedemonstratedthattheOrion’sBeltstarscan indeed be used to simply and easily generate three bases whose dimensionsproportionallymatchthoseofallthreemainGizapyramids,thenthiswouldprovidestrongcircumstantialevidenceinsupportofBauval’sOrionhypothesis.

Yet can this be done? Is it possible that the threeOrion’sBelt stars can—whenapplying a very simple geometrical technique—beused to produce three bases thatperfectly match the bases of the three Great Pyramids at Giza? We will shortlyinvestigatethisidea,butforthemomentletusconsidersomefurther“anomalies”thatexistatGiza,forwhichthereexistnoconvincingconventionalanswers.

AnomaliesAboundAsalreadymentioned,ifthefinalrestingplaceofthepharaohwassimplyamatterof

his own personal choice, then we have to ask ourselves why Khufu should havechosentolocatehisGreatPyramidattheveryedgeofthenortheastcorneroftheGizaPlateau. On the surface, this would not seem a particularly odd choice. Lookingcloser, however, we find that the high, dominant ground lies in the center of theplateauwhereKhafre’sPyramidstands.Notonlyisthiscentralareathecommandinggroundontheplateau,butitalsobenefitsfromhavinga“naturalcauseway”thatrunsfrom the area of the Sphinx up to the east face of Khafre’s Pyramid. Even today,Egyptologistsrefertothisareaasthe“gatewaytoGiza.”

Whythen,weask,wouldKhufuchoosetoconstructaquitemonumentalartificialcauseway deep into the valley, when a natural causeway already existed up to thehigh, commanding ground of the plateau and which—had Khufu utilized it forhimself—would have considerably eased the construction burden of his funerarycomplex?

Furthermore, by failing to claim for himself the highest ground on the plateau,Khufuwouldhavebeenfullyawarethathewasleavingthedooropenforsomefuturepharaoh to trumphis own achievement by potentially building a higher pyramid inthatarea,which,asmatterstranspired,ispreciselywhathappened—Khafre’sPyramidappearslargerthantheGreatPyramidduetoithavingbeenbuiltonthecentralhighgroundoftheplateau.

The ancient Egyptians were—first and foremost—very practical builders. ForKhufu to have decided against building his pyramid in the most practical andprestigious location on the plateau defies logic, and is entirely inconsistent andanomalous. Why would Khufu risk having the magnificence of his own grandstructureeclipsedby leaving theGizadoorwideopenfora futurepharaoh tocomealongandsurpasshisownachievement?Itmakesnosense.

AndwhydidKhafre—thebuilderofthesecondGizapyramid—decidetoreturntoGizawhenhispredecessor,Djedefre,didnotbuildatGizalikehisfather,Khufu,butinsteadoptedtobuildhispyramidatAbuRawash?Indeed,KhafrewasthefirstkingoftheFourthDynastyto“co-locate”atthesiteofanotherpharaoh(Khufu).WhydidKhafre (and indeed, Menkaure) decide to build at Giza where—from a religiousperspective—itwouldhaveseemedmoreconsistenttohaveco-locatedwithDjedefre(the first king of the emerging solar cult to have the name of the sun god Reincorporatedintotheroyalcartouche)atAbuRawash?

And finally, we have Menkaure’s Pyramid—the smallest of the three GreatPyramids at Giza. Once again it defies basic human instinct thatMenkaure wouldhavewishedtolocatehisowninfinitelysmallerstructureintheshadowoftheGreatPyramid and Khafre’s Pyramid, where its relatively diminutive stature would onlyhave been exacerbated by its close proximity to its two illustrious neighbors. Had

Menkauresitedhisownstructureatavirginsite,hecouldhaveavoidedtheignoblefate that assuredly awaited his pyramid by deciding to build at Giza.Why wouldMenkaurecommittoGizainthefullknowledgethatthepyramidheplannedtobuildtherewouldforeversuffer the ignominyofhavingfailed tomeet thehighstandardssetbyhispredecessors?Again,itmakeslittlesense.

Another very obvious anomaly pertains to the two sets of three smaller satellitepyramids known as the “Queen’s Pyramids.” Three of these structures run in anorth/southlinetotheeastofKhufu’sPyramid,whilsttheothersetofthreeruninaneast/westlinejustsouthofMenkaure’sPyramid.

Khafre’sPyramidhasnoqueen’spyramids at all.Whywould thisbewhen it isknownthatKhafreactuallyhadfivewives?Fivequeens,andyetnotasinglequeen’spyramidislocatedatKhafre’sPyramid!Thereseemsnoconsistency,nologictothisanomaly.

Of course, all of these anomalies, contradictions, and motives are simply andeasilyexplainedbythepriorexistenceofagrand,overallplan;astrictplan that theancient Egyptians of the Fourth Dynasty—beginning with Khufu—felt compelled,indeed“duty-bound,”toimplementonthegroundatGiza.

From a purely logistical point of view, it would make sense to build Khufu’sPyramidfirst,sincetocommencetheplanbybuildingonthecentralhighgroundofthe plateau would have presented a considerable obstruction to later construction.Buildinghadtobegininthenortheastoftheplateautoaccommodatethelogisticsofbuildingthestructuresthatwouldcomelaterintheplan.Giventhisconstraint,Khufu—being the first tobuildatGiza—had littlechoicebut tobuildhispyramidon thelowergroundinthenortheastoftheplateau.However,hadtherebeennomasterplanfor later structures, Khufu would undoubtedly have taken full advantage of theprestigioushighgroundforhisownpyramid.Khufu’speculiaractionstellusthathis“hands were tied”—he was constrained by the demands and logistics of a greaterplan;aplanhewasseeminglypowerlesstoinfluence.

InSearchoftheMasterKeyWhetherthepyramidsatGizawereconstructedas“singularities”oraspartofsomegreater scheme, it is not unreasonable to surmise that the builders would havefollowedplansofsomekind.Alas,noplansofanykindhaveeverbeenrecovered.

However, even in the absence of any actual plans, it may still be possible touncover the blueprint the ancient buildersmayhave used to lay out anddefine thedimensions of the Giza monuments—and we can perhaps achieve this by reverse-

engineering thegeometryof the in situ structures.The logic is simple—if theGizapyramidswere constructed as part of some overall “master plan,” then it naturallyfollowsthattherewouldexistsomeguidingprinciplecommontoallthreepyramids.Finding this “key” would hopefully lead to the underlying design imperative—theblueprint—andshowthatthepyramidswerenotsimplyplacedinrandomfashiononthewhimofthreesuccessivepharaohs.

Over the years, the Internet has spawned a veritable plethora of geometrical-mathematical offerings that attempt to seek the answer to the question of how thethreemainGizapyramidbasedimensionswerearrivedatandhowtheothersatellitepyramidswereplaced.Sofar,however,noneoftheseofferingsprovidesacomplete,cohesivesolution to thisparticularquestion.Themaster“key” to theGizablueprintremainsfrustratinglyelusive.

ItwasstatedintheopeningtothisarticlethatRobertBauvalhaslongarguedthatthe three main Giza pyramids were built and laid out on the ground at Giza assymbolic representations of the three Belt stars of the Orion constellation—not aperfect centerto-center correlation, but very close. Assuming, then, that Bauval’shypothesisiscorrect,coulditthenbepossiblethattheOrion’sBeltstarsmightrevealtousotheraspectsoftheGizapyramiddesign?MightitbepossiblethattheBeltstarscouldhavebeenused todefine theactualgeometricalbasedimensionsof the threemain Giza pyramids? In short—could the Orion’s Belt stars be the elusive design“key”;theunderlyingGizadesignimperativesoughtbysomanyforsolong?

Well,let’ssee.

TheOrion“Geo-StellarFingerprint”Anythreenon-linearpoints(inthiscasethethreestarsofOrion’sBelt)canbeusedtogeneratethreesquarebases,simplyandeasily,usingatechniquethathascometobeknownas“geo-stellarfingerprinting.”Orion’sBeltstarscanbeusedtoproducetheirveryown“geo-stellarfingerprint.”

Thedimensionsof the threemainpyramids atGiza are shown toproportionallyagreewith the three bases produced by the OrionGeo-Stellar Fingerprint—a clearconnection between the Orion’s Belt stars and the pyramids at Giza. Furthermore,whatwe also find is that three lines can be passed through each of the threemainpyramids of the Geo-Stellar Fingerprint that allow us to also place the Queen’sPyramidsofMenkaureandKhufu.

It seems somewhat ironic that the mathematical “solution” to the Giza layoutsoughtbysomanyoversomanyyearswassoughtbysomeindividuals todisprove

Bauval’sOrionhypothesis, andyetwhatwenow find is that theOrion’sBelt starsactuallyheld thekey to themathematicaldesignsolution—theGizablueprint—thattheseindividualshadbeensokeentodiscover.

YettheOrioninfluenceatGizadoesnotendthere.Thereismore—muchmore.Whilst theOrionGeo-StellarFingerprintpresentshighlycompellingevidenceon

itsownofadirect (mathematical)connectionbetween the threeGizapyramidsandtheOrion’sBeltstars,independentcorroborationofsuchanassociationisdesirabletofurtherstrengthenthehypothesis.IfitcouldbeshownthatotherpyramidstructuresatGiza also have a demonstrable connection with the Orion’s Belt stars (with theobviousplacementofthesestructureswithintheOrionGeo-StellarFingerprint)thenthiswould provide the independent corroboration required to prove theOrion-Gizahypothesis—ifnotconclusively,thencertainlybeyondanyreasonabledoubt.

QueensofPrecessionIt would seem that such independent corroboration can be found in the relativeplacementofthetwosetsofthree“Queen’sPyramids”ontheplateau.

BeforepresentingthiscorroboratingevidenceofanOrionassociationwiththetwosetsofQueen’sPyramids,itisimportanttofirsttakeamomentheretounderstandtheastronomicalphenomenonreferredtobyastronomersas“precession.”

Most of us are familiar with the Earth’s daily (diurnal) rotation of twenty-fourhours.Wearealsofamiliarwithitssecondmotion,itsannual365-dayrotation(orbit)aroundthesun.TheEarth,however,possessesathird,muchlessperceptiblemotionknownas“precession.”

Whenwelookatthenightsky,weobservethestarsslowlyrotatinginacontinualeast towestdirection.Over some13,000years,however, the stars inournight skyactuallyslowlydriftinawesttoeast(retrograde)directionbeforestoppingandthen,overafurther13,000years,driftslowlybacktotheirpointoforigin—liketheswingof a clock’s pendulum.The conventional viewof this “precessional drift” is that itoccursasaresultofaveryslowwobbleoftheEarthasitrotatesarounditsaxis.

Theendresultof this“precessionaldrift” is toslowlyshift therisingandsettingpointsofstarsonthehorizonoveralongperiodoftime—approximatelyonedegreeof precessional drift occurs every seventy-two years. One beneficial aspect of thisprecessionaldrift is that itcanbeutilizedasamechanismfor“recording” time, formarkingimportantdates.Forexample,byaligningtwostoneobeliskswithasettingstar precisely due south (180 degrees), we are effectively marking that specificmoment(date)intime.Overthepassingyearsanddecades,thetargetstarcontinues

its slowdrift along thehorizon, leaving thealignmentwith theobelisks farbehind.Theobelisksno longer alignwith the target staron thehorizonbutnowserveas a“marker”—anastronomicalrecord—ofwhenthealignmentwasmadewiththetargetstar.

Bythenobservingwherethetargetstarsets(orrises)today—forexample,at192degrees—wecanthenextrapolatethatithasdriftedsome10degreesfromitsoriginalobelisk alignment of 180 degrees which, in turn, tells us that the alignment wascreated approximately 720 years in the past, since seventy-two years equalsapproximatelyonedegreeofprecessionaldrift.

Similarly,whenwenowconsider thepyramidstructuresatGiza,we findaveryclearandunequivocalalignmentofthosestructureswiththeOrion’sBeltstarsastheyappeared on the southwesthorizon circa 10,500 BCE. Specifically, this alignmentinvolvesthesmallestofthethreeGreatPyramids—thePyramidofMenkaure—anditsstellarcounterpart, thebeltstarMintakainOrion’sBelt.Mintakaisthe“target”starthroughwhichthePyramidofMenkaure(our“obelisk”)isaligned.

Circa10,500BCE,thestarMintakasetclosetothesouthwesthorizon212degreesazimuth (212 degrees clockwise from due north). When considering the Gizapyramids,wefindthatthealignmentfromtheapexofKhafre’sPyramidthroughtheapexofMenkaure’sPyramidisalso212degreesazimuth.

Attheverysamemoment,thethreeQueen’sPyramidsofMenkaureareplacedinahorizontallineclosetothesouthwesthorizon,therebymimickingthearrangementofthethreeBeltstarswhicharesimilarlyarrangedatthatprecisemomentbeforesettingonthesouthwesthorizon.

Significantly, this alignment withMenkaure/Mintaka and theMenkaure Queenswith the three Belt stars occurs at a very unique moment in the precessional“pendulumswing”of theOrion’sBeltstars.Thisquiteuniquemoment—markedbythe212degreesMenkaure/MintakaalignmentandcorroboratedbythearrangementofMenkaure’sQueen’sPyramids—is the verymoment theBelt stars stop and reversetheirprecessionaldirectiontobegintheirlong13,000yearjourneybacktotheirpointof origin. This unique moment, circa 10,500 BCE is known as the precessionalminimumculmination.After another13,000yearsdrifting in theopposite direction,theBeltstarswillreachtheirprecessionalmaximumculmination,circa2500CE,andsotheprecessionalpendulumswingoftheBeltstarscontinues—forever.

There is yet more evidence to present regarding this quite extraordinaryrelationship between the Giza pyramids and the Orion’s Belt stars. As alreadymentioned, the Belt stars swing across the sky like a clock’s pendulum, movingimperceptiblyslowlybetweenminimumandmaximumprecessionalculminations.WehavealreadyobservedhowtheMenkaureQueenshavebeenplacedas“markers”to

indicate theprecessionalminimumculminationof theOrion’sBeltstarswhenthesestarswerealignedinhorizontalfashionclosetothesouthwesthorizon.Thisthenbegstheobviousquestion—howandwherewill theBelt stars be alignedwhen rising attheirprecessionalmaximumculminationonthefuturedateofcirca2500CE?

Consultingastronomicalsoftware,wefindthattheBeltstarswillriseatmaximumculmination on the eastern horizon rotated 90 degrees (perpendicular) to the starssettingatminimumculmination.Astonishingly, this ispreciselythearrangementwefindthattheotherthreeQueen’sPyramidsbesideKhufu’sGreatPyramidhavebeenplacedin.

It isalsoworthnotingthat inconsideringtheQueen’sPyramidsas“precessionalmarkers,” this might help explain the curious absence of any queen’s pyramids ofKhafre, a pharaohwho reputedlyhad fivequeens.Sinceonly theprecessionalmaxand min culminations need be demonstrated (there is little need to mark anyintermediate point), thus the mysterious absence of Khafre’s queen’s pyramids issimplyandlogicallyexplained.

In conclusion, the two sets of Queen’s Pyramids at Giza demonstrate theprecessional minimum (setting) andmaximum (rising) culminations of the Orion’sBelt stars, a process that takes some 13,000 years just to complete one half-cycle.That suchastronomical information is exhibited tous inplainviewatGiza is trulyextraordinary,andprovidesstrongcorroborationtotheOrionGeo-StellarFingerprint,which—aswehaveseen—definesthebasedimensionsofthethreemainpyramidsatGiza. So, in three distinct sets of structures at Giza, the constellation of Orion isclearlyandunequivocallyimplicated,thusprovidingcorroborationtotheOrionGeo-StellarFingerprint.

YettheOrion-Gizastoryisn’tquiteoveryet—there’smore.OneofthemainpointsofcontentionthatopponentsoftheOrion-Gizahypothesis

leveled at Bauval’s work was the fact that the Belt stars do not present a perfect,center-to-centercorrelationwiththethreeGizapyramidcenters.Theerror,however,isverysmalland, indeed, itwouldseemthat thisminorerrorwasquite intentional.WecandeducethisfromthefactthattheGizapyramidsmatchtheOrionGeo-StellarFingerprintsoaccurately.Suchanaccuratematchcouldonlyhavebeencreatedfromhavingmadeanearperfectobservationandrecordingofthebeltstarasterism.

Furthermore,whenweplacetheBeltstarsoverthepyramidcenters,wefindthatthecenterstar(Alnilam)isslightlyoffsetfromitspyramidcenter.However,whenwecircumscribethepyramidspreciselywithinatightcircleusingthethreemostextremepyramidcorners todefine thecircle’s circumference,we find that thecenterof thisGreatGizaCircle(GGC)liesalmostperfectlyonthecenterofAlnilam.

Itseems,then,thattheancientdesignersofGizameasuredandplacedthebeltstarasterismwithhigh accuracyon thegroundatGiza, but for some reasondecided toplaceKhafre’sPyramidslightlyoffsetfromtheAlnilam/GGCcenter.

Intriguingly,independentresearchersScottSacharczykandRobMillerhavefoundthattheoffsetbetweenKhafrecenterandthecenteroftheGreatGizaCirclemeasuresprecisely44by14cubits,whichrepresentsanapproximationofpi:44/14(orreducedto 22/7) = 3.14285714, thus presenting the possibility that the G2 offset wasdeliberatelycreatedtoencodethepiformulaand,byextension,theGreatGizaCircle.

Khafre’s Pyramid has two entrances, a unique feature that scholars such asMiroslav Verner, Amelia Edwards (1831–1892), Ahmed Fakhry (1905–1973), andVitoMaragioglioandCelesteRinaldi (per their1963–1975study)have regardedasperhapsindicatingthatthelocationofKhafre’sPyramidwaschangedfromanearlierplannedlocation,whichwouldhaveplaceditslightlyfurthernorthandeastofwhereit presently stands. This view agrees with the findings of the Orion Geo-StellarFingerprintandthecenteroftheGreatGizaCircle.

Tosummarize, through thearrangementanddimensionsof thevarious structuresatGizawearepresentedwithmultiplepiecesofquitediverseevidence,allpointingtoaclearconnectionoftheGizapyramidswiththeBeltstarsoftheOrionconstellation.With this mathematical and astronomical evidence—together with the mass ofculturalevidencepreviouslycitedbyBauval,Gilbert,andHancocksupportingsuchacorrelation—forEgyptologiststocontinuetorejectthatsuchanassociationwasfullyintended by the ancient designers must surely now be considered an untenableposition.

Asufficientbodyof evidencenowexists toallowus to safelyconclude that thestructures at Giza were constructed with reference to a master plan. The evidencepresented here in support of this view may not conclusively prove an Orion-Gizaassociation,but it isprobablyfair tosay that if it isweightofevidence thatcounts,thenwemustconsiderthattheOrion-Gizaassociationnowhassufficientevidencetoallowustoconsiderthehypothesisasprovenbeyondreasonabledoubt.

TheGiza“ClockofAges”InacceptanceoftheOrionassociationwiththeGizapyramids,whatremainsnowistoconsiderthe“why”question:Whydidtheancientdesignersexpendsomuchblood,sweat, and tears to create this great astronomical clock, indicating the past date ofcirca 10,500 BCE and the future date of circa 2500 CE? Why are the ancientdesignersindicatingthis13,000-yearhalf-cycleoftimeinaseriesofmonumentsthat

couldeasilyhavebeenbuilttosurvivesuchalengthyperiodoftime—andmore?Andis it perhaps significant that around 10,500 BCE—the first date indicated in theastronomicalclock—the last iceagecame toanabruptandsomewhatdramaticendwithallmannerofanimalandplantspeciesbecomingextinctatthattime?WhateventcouldhaveoccurredontheEarthtobringaboutsuchdireglobalconsequences?

Whatever inspired the design and later construction of this quite monumentalastronomical“ClockofAges”atGiza,itseemsevidentlyclearthatitmusthavebeenofvitalimportance.ThetwosetsofQueen’sPyramidsatGizapresenttheBeltstarsofOrion aligned in two different ways, indicating two different dates: a horizontalalignment (minimumculmination indicatingcirca10,500BCE)andaperpendicularalignment(maximumculminationindicatingcirca2500CE).Ourcivilizationignoresthe dates indicated to us with these two alignments—these Orion “signs”—at ourperil.

NINE

TheCygnusMystery

HAVECOSMICRAYSAFFECTEDHUMANEVOLUTION?ANDREWCOLLINS

Didcosmicrayshaveahandineffectingshiftsinhumanevolution,fromPaleolithictimes through to themodernday?Has thishelpeddeterminenotonlyourphysiqueandbehaviorbutalsoourcreativityandconsciousness?Thesearewildnotions,yetthey are suddenly beginning to appeal to mainstream scientists and astronomers.Indeed, as long ago as 1973, American astronomer and science writer Carl Saganwrote in his bookTheCosmicConnection that human evolution was the result ofincomingcosmicraysfromsomedistantneutronstar,demonstratinghowwearerighttothinkofourselvesaspartofagreaterwholeatonewiththecosmos.

Yet is this correct? Is Charles Darwin’s theory that evolution is caused merelythroughsurvivalofthefittest,andtheprocessofnaturalselection,somehowflawed?The idea of cosmic radiation reaching Earth from deep space has fascinated thescientificworldsinceitsdiscovery,followingaseriesofballoonascentsbyAustrianphysicistVictorF.Hess(1883–1964)in1912.Then,wheninthelate1920sAmericangeneticist H. J.Muller (1890–1967) discovered that radiation (he used X-rays andlaterradium)wasamutagenthroughhisworkwithDrosophilafruitflies,thesubjectofwhetherornothigh-energycosmicraysmightcausechangesinhumanDNAwasvoicedforthefirsttime.Mullerhimselftwicewroteaboutthesubject,concludingoneachoccasionthat thenormalbackgroundfluctuationincosmicraysreachingEarthwas inadequate toexplain spontaneousmutations in life forms,whatever their type.Mullerwasnotwrong.Yethadhebeenprivy tomodernscientificdata,whichnowconfirms that at certain times in the Earth’s history the solar system has beenbombardedwithhighlevelsofcosmicrays,hemighthavethoughtagain.

RecordsfromtheIceWhen so-called primary cosmic rays hit the upper atmosphere, almost all of thembreakupwhentheycollidewithnucleiofoxygenandnitrogen,theprocessproducinga plethora of charged secondary particles. Many disintegrate in milliseconds, butothers form isotopes that are preserved in everything from lake sediments tostalagmitesand,morecrucially, the layersof ice thataccumulateeachyear togreatdepthintheArcticandAntarcticregions.

OnesuchisotopeisBeryllium-10(Be-10),whichcanbeextractedfromicecoresandmeasured to provide an accurate indication of cosmic ray activity in the upperatmosphere.Itshowsthatoverthepast100,000years,therehavebeenthreeperiodswhen the cosmic ray flux has increased dramatically. The first was around circa60,000to70,000yearsago,thesecondoccurredapproximatelycirca35,000to40,000yearsago,andthethirdandlastpeakbeganaround16,000to17,000yearsago,andcontinued until around 14,000 years ago. Each spike lasted for a period ofapproximately 2,000 years. Similar results have been determined from a stalagmiteremoved from a submerged blue hole in the Bahamas. An examination of itsBeryllium-10contentindicatesthatatvariouspointsbetween45,000and11,000yearsago, theEarthwasbombardedby twice theamountofcosmic radiation thatwegettoday.

Where’stheCosmicSource?The first questionwemust ask iswhere this influxof cosmic radiationmighthavecome from.Was it really a neutron star, asCarl Sagan suggested, or could it havebeen another astronomical source out there in deep space?Alternatively,was theresome other, more prosaic solution to this enigma? The more or less regular gapsbetweenthespikesofBeryllium-10activitynotedintheicecoresmightwellindicatesomekindofcyclicforceinaction,mostobviouslythatofthesun.Cosmicraysareknowntobepartiallydeflectedbythesolarmagneticfieldthatstretchesfaroutintotheheartofthesolarsystem,makingtherateofBeryllium-10productionintheupperatmospheredependentonthestrengthofthesolarfield,whichisitselfconnectedwithsunspotactivity.

In addition to this, the sun’s long-term climate cycles of 100,000, 41,000, and23,000 years, first noted by Serbian geophysicistMilutinMilanković (1879–1958),must also affect the production of Beryllium-10 for similar reasons, such as theinfluenceofthesolarfieldupontheEarth’supperatmosphere.Thissaid,theremighteasilyhavebeenother factorsbehind thesudden increase incosmicrayshitting the

Earth,themostcatastrophicbeingasupernova,thedeathofastarasitexpelsthelastofitsnuclearfuelandcollapsestoformahigh-masscompactobject,mostusuallyawhitedwarf,blackhole,orneutronstar.

Supernovas are thought to produce enormous bursts of cosmic rays and gammarays,whicharesentcareeningacrossspaceatvirtuallythespeedoflight.Ifsuchanevent occurred close enough to our own solar system, then the Earth would beshoweredbydeadlyradiation.Thiswoulddamagetheozonelayer,causingnotonlymanymoreraystoreachthesurfaceoftheplanet,butalsotheonsetofhighlevelsofUV radiation from the sun.More conservatively, catastrophists suggest that cosmicraysfromaclosesupernovawoulddramaticallyincreasecloudformation,preventingthe sun frompenetrating through the atmosphere, thus bringing about a sudden iceage.

Whatevertheconsequencesofaclosesupernova,lifeonEarthwouldsuffermassextinctions.Asterrifyingascenarioasthismightseem,itwasthefavoredtheoryforthe sudden disappearance of the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago until thediscoveryin1980oftheChicxulubimpactcraterinMexico’sYucatanpeninsula.Thishelped confirm the alternative theory that a super-sized asteroidor comet hadbeenresponsiblefortheirextinction.Indeed,thesupernovasolutionhadbeenthechoiceofCarlSaganandhiscoauthorDr.I.S.Shklovskii,thefamousSovietastrophysicistandradioastronomer,inabookentitledIntelligenceintheUniverse,publishedin1966.Infact, one wonders whether Sagan’s unique view that cosmic rays have acceleratedhumanevolutionactuallystemmedfromhisobviousfascinationwiththeextinctionofthedinosaurs.

YetthepowerfulideaofaclosesupernovawreakingdevastationonEarthduringsomepastgeologicalagelingers,withsomecatastrophistsbelievingthatitcouldhavebrought about mass extinctions during other geological epochs, for instance at thecloseoftheJurassicAgesome145millionyearsago,aswellasattheculminationofthePleistoceneAge,which coincidedwith the endof the last ice age some12,000years ago.And such scientific speculation iswhere it starts getting interesting, forwhenthehighlevelsofBeryllium-10werefirstnotedintheicecoresatthebeginningof the 1990s, scientists from the Cosmic Ray Council of the Soviet Academy ofSciences,workingalongsidea teamfromtheUniversityofArizona, speculated thatthosearound35–40,000yearsagoprobablyresultedfromasupernovaexplosion.

To back up their dramatic claims, the joint Soviet-American team cited thepresence of an immense formation of glowing clouds of gaseous debris—theremnantsofanunimaginablesupernovaexplosionaround150light-yearsaway(that’sjust 900million,millionmiles from here) in the northern constellation of Cygnus.Had this remnant of a supernova explosion—known to astronomers as theCygnus

Veil,orVeilNebula—beenresponsibleforshoweringtheEarthwithcosmicraysforanything up to 2,000 years some 35,000 to 40,000 years ago? Did it bring aboutdramaticclimaticchangesandburstsofradiationthatevolvedhumanityintowhatwearetoday?

TheEmergenceofManForwhatever reason, theworldwidepresscoverage that resulted from thisdramaticannouncement of a close supernova decimating the Earth some 35,000 years agocametonothing.Yet,thankfully,therewasonepersonwhodidtakenotice—Britishanthropological writer DenisMontgomery. Having lived in Africa for many years,whereanatomicallymodernhumansemergedforthefirsttimearound200,000yearsago,hebecame intriguedas towhysudden jumps inevolutionoccur.Was itpurelyspontaneous, through chemical changes in the body, or were there other exteriorfactors at play, such as environmental and climatic changes, nutritional variety,interbreeding,orevensimplecompetitiveness?

AlthoughthereisampleevidencethatourearliestancestorsmigratedfromAfrica,most probably in search of new food resources, as early as 70,000 to 80,000 yearsago,onlytinyglimpsesexistofwhatwewerecapableofachievingatthistime.Forinstance, around 80,000 years ago, the peoples of theRepublic of theCongoweremakingbarbedbonehooksforfishing,whileacommunitythatinhabitedalargecaveataplacecalledBlombosonthesoutherncoastofSouthAfricawouldseemtohavefashionedtheearliestknownexamplesofexpressiveart.

Thesetaketheformofincisedpiecesofredochre,showingrecurringcross-hatchdesigns,aswellasperforatedsnailshellbeads,oncestrungonacordandworneitheras a necklace or a bracelet. All of these invaluable objects are thought to beapproximately75,000yearsold.Thenthereistherecentlydiscoveredarchaeologicalevidence from a remote mountain cave in Botswana sacred to the indigenous Sanbushmen.Thisshowsthatritualactivityhasbeenoccurringhereinasimilarmannerfor anything up to 70,000 years, around the time when the first migrations out ofAfrica are thought to have occurred. Strangely, this was also when the ice coresamplestellusthattherewasadramaticincreaseincosmicradiationhittingtheEarth,thefirstofthreemajorburstsinthepast100,000years.

AgeoftheArtistYet aside from this clear evidence of human creativity and imagination 70,000 to

80,000yearsago,itwasnotuntilthestartoftheUpperPaleolithicAgearound40,000yearsagothatsomethingquitedramaticstartedtotakeplace.AtatimecoincidenttowhenHomo sapiens first entered a Europe dominated by his Neanderthal cousins,thereisclearevidenceforthesuddenemergenceofacomplexlifestyle,theearliestknown to humankind. It involved religious expression and practices, includingdetailedfuneraryrites,aswellasmagnificentnewformsofart,suchasthecarvingofanimals, birds, and humans in bone and stone. It also involved, crucially, themanifestation of highly sophisticated cave art, such as the extraordinary paintedgalleriesdiscoveredasrecentlyas1994atChauvetinFrance’sArdècheregion.

Occupiedasearlyas30,000to32,000yearsago,itcontainsimagesandsculpturesofwholemenageriesofwildanimals,includinghorses,rhinos,lions,mammoths,andbison. Alongside these are perhaps the oldest known representations of the humanformanywhere in theworld.These are represented by painted torsos and legs of alarge-bodiedwoman,typicaloflater“Venuses”foundeitherinstatueformorashighreliefinothercaves,andanaccompanyingbison-headedfigurelabeledtheSorcerer,bothofwhicharetobeseeninthedeepestpartofthecavesystem.

Rapidly,hundredsofcavesacrosswesternEuropebecamefullofaccomplishedartforms, a tradition which lingered until approximately 17,000 years ago, when arenewedinterestinsacredpaintingdeepundergroundsuddenlydeveloped.Thistrendfinally ended around 12,000 years ago when the Upper Paleolithic Age climaxedcoincidenttothecessationofthelasticeage.

What Denis Montgomery wondered was whether, in addition to otherenvironmental, climatic, and human factors, the increase in cosmic raysapproximately 35,000 years ago (perhaps from the assumed supernova explosionwhich caused the creationof theCygnusVeil) acted as amutagen to effect suddenchangesinthebrain’sneurologicalprocesses.This,inturn,mighthavebroughtabouttheenlightenedageofthecaveartistinwesternEurope.ItcouldalsoexplainwhytheNeanderthalpeoplessuddenlybecameextinctaroundthistime,perhapsasaresultoftoomuchcompetitionfromtheircompetitivenewneighbors,theHomosapiens.

Montgomery’s unique ideas were privately published, and, inevitably, largelyignoredby thescholarlycommunity.Adding tohisproblemswas the realizationbyastronomersduring themid-1990s that theCygnusVeil, thenebula at the center ofwhatMontgomerycame tocall the“Cygnusevent,”was found tobenot150 light-years away from Earth, as had previously been thought, but much further away,probably around1,800 light-years’ distance fromhere.At this greater distance, anysupernovawouldhavebeenlittlemorethanabrightlightsourceinthenorthernsky,lastingforaperiodofseveraldaysbeforegraduallydyingaway.

Doublydamningwere recalculationsconcerning theageof the supernovaevent,

whichnowappears to haveoccurred as recently as 5,000 to 8,000years ago (eventhough some astronomers still reckon it tookplacemuch earlier, perhaps10,000 to15,000 years ago). Thus there was no way that the Cygnus Veil could have beenresponsibleforthehighlevelsofcosmicraysreachingEarth’satmospherepriortotheemergence of the first European cave artists some 32,000 years ago. Sowhere didtheycomefrom?

EntertheMeinelGroupItwould not be until 2005 that this same cosmological conundrumwould again betackled, this timebyanacademicthinktankfromNevada.At theconferenceof theTheoreticalArcheologicalGroup(TAG) inSheffield,England,held inDecemberofthatyear,Dr.AdenMeinel—professoremeritusoftheCollegeofOpticalSciencesatthe University of Arizona and distinguished veteran of NASA’s Jet PropulsionLaboratory,whointhe1980swasresponsibleforthelaunchofspacetelescopessuchas theHubble—told apackedaudienceof archaeologists and students that thehighlevelsofBeryllium-10intheGreenlandandAntarcticaicecoresindicatedthatcosmicrayswereresponsibleforgerm-linemutationsinbothanimalsandhumanlifearound35,000to40,000yearsago.This,hereported,hadbeenthereasonfortheemergenceof Cro-Magnon man in western Europe, and the sudden disappearance of theNeanderthalsatthesametime.

Inadditiontothis,Meinelrevealedthatheandhiscolleagueshadbeenabletousetheicecoreevidencetodeterminetheapproximateastronomicalcoordinatesfor thesource of the cosmic rays. They had pinpointed an area of the sky in the northernhemisphere, coincident to the constellation of Draco. Here they searched for apossiblesourceofcosmicraysandsettledonaplanetarynebula(amassofglowinggas and cloud) known as the Cat’s Eye. This, Meinel’s group proposed, was theremnants of a galactic binary system consisting of a super giant and a once-activeblackholethathadspewedoutjetsofplasma,superheatedionizedgas,alongitslineofaxisatclosetothespeedoflight.These,hesaid,hadpenetratedthousandsoflight-years of space to reach the Earth around 35,000 to 40,000 years ago, causing thechangesinevolutionwitnessedatthistime.

Itwasaboldtheory.Unfortunately,astrophysicistsareunanimousintheiropinionthattheCat’sEyenebuladoesnotcontain(andneverhascontained)ablackholeabletoproducecosmicraysthatmightreachthesolarsystem.However,theMeinelgroupare sticking to their guns, and remain convinced that the Cat’s Eye nebula is thesource of the cosmic rays that they believe affected human evolution inPaleolithictimes.Yettellingly,beforebeingbeguiledbythebeautyoftheCat’sEyenebula,the

Meinel group had originally determined the direction of the cosmic ray activitydetected in the ice core samples as coming not fromDraco,but from neighboringCygnus,theconstellationoftheswan.Sohadtheygotitwrong?Werethecosmicrayscoming,asDenisMontgomeryhadsurmised,fromsomewhereinCygnusafterall?

TheOldestConstellationThisiswhereIentertheframe.Myownindependentresearchintotheemergenceofprimitive societies, with their unique cosmologies and religion, had revealed aninordinateinterestinoneparticularconstellation—Cygnus,thecelestialbirdorswan,better known today as the Northern Cross. Indeed, it features as one of the oldestknownartisticrepresentationsofaconstellationanywhereintheworld,foritisseenonthewallsofthefamousLascauxcaveinsouthernFrance,whichisknowntohavefirstbeenoccupiedaround17,000yearsago.Hereitappearsinafrescofoundinthecave’sdeepestpart,knownasthewellshaft,asabird-manfallingintoatrancenexttoachargingbisonandabirdonapole.Thisislikelymeanttorepresenttheso-calledsky-pole of the shaman used universally to enter the sky-world via a cosmic axis,locatedinthevicinityofthenorthcelestialpole,orPoleStar.Fromaround16,000to13,000 BCE, this was located amid the stars of Cygnus, which even by this timewouldappeartohavebeenseenasasky-birdofsomesort.

Fig.9.1.ThewellsceneinthecaveofLascauxinFrance’sDordogneregion.Locatedinthedeepestpartofthecaves,thefrescodatesfromaround15,000BCEandseemstoshowCygnusasabirdonapoleandabird-manfallingintoatrance.Image

providedcourtesyofAndrewCollins.

Cygnuswas also very likely the inspiration behind the appearance of theVenusand Sorcerer fresco in France’sChauvetCave,where thewoman’s legs and thighsmightwellsignifyanabstractrepresentationoftheregionoftheMilkyWayknownastheDarkRift,whichopensoutintheCygnusregion.Throughouttheagesthisregionofthesky,closetowheretheecliptic,thepathofthesun,crossestheMilkyWay,hasbeenviewedasthevulvaandwombofasky-goddess,orCosmicMother,whogives

birthtothesun.SometimestheCygnusstarsareevenseentobeattachedtotheEarthviaakindofinvisibleumbilicalcord,showingitasanourisheroflife.

CygnusalsoappearsasabirdinChurchHolecaveinDerbyshire’sCreswellCragsalongside cave art dated to 12,800 years ago.A 12,000-year-old stone temple—theoldestanywhereintheworld—atGöbekliTepeinsoutheastTurkeyseemsalignedtothissameconstellation.Itisthesamestorywithancientstoneandearthenstructuresworldwide—fromthebirdeffigymoundsofNorthAmericatotheOlmeccentersofMexico, the Incan sacred cityofCuzco, theEgyptianPyramidsofGiza, theHindutemplesof India, to the IrishandBritishmegalithic stonecomplexesofNewgrangeandAvebury—allofwhichseemtoreflectanage-oldinterestinCygnus.

Fig.9.2.ThePre-potteryNeolithiccultcentreofGöbekliTepenearUrfainsoutheastTurkey,constructedaround12,000yearsago.DiditsshamaniceliteinheritideasrelatingtoflashesoflightcausedbycosmicraysfromthePaleolithiccaveartistsof

WesternEurope?ImageprovidedcourtesyofAndrewCollins.

Fig.9.3.TheCygnusconstellation,shownasbothaswaninflightandCrossofChrist.Author’scollection.

Putting asidemore obvious astronomical reasonswhy our ancestorsmight havefavoredthisparticularconstellationintheirreligiousbeliefsandpractices,Isearchedfor other reasonswhy it was depicted deep underground by the cave artists of the

Upper Paleolithic Age. In the knowledge that the work of South Africananthropologist and rock art specialist David Lewis-Williams had determined thatmuchprehistoriccaveartwasinspiredbyshamansinmind-alteredstates,Iwonderedwhether the stars of Cygnus had come to be associated with religious experiencesdeepunderground,wheretheirmostsacredcaveartwasexecuted.

ChildrenoftheSwanIsearchedforanswersandfoundthatintheearlytomid-1980s,undergroundparticledetectors indifferentpartsof theworldbegandetecting incomingcosmicraysfromdeep space.Since they came in cycles of exactly 4.79hours, the sourcewas easilydetermined, for this samecyclehadalreadybeen recorded inconnectionwithotherformsofelectromagneticradiationinboundfromanobjectcalledCygnusX-3,locatedsome 37,000 light-years away in the heart of the Cygnus constellation. Soinexplicable were these peculiar, neutrally charged, strongly interacting particles,resonating at some of the highest energies ever detected, that they were quicklydubbed“cygnons,”laterchangedto“cygnets,”meaning“childrenoftheswan.”Thisamazing data led to controversial claims that Cygnus X-3 was the first identifiedcosmicparticleacceleratorinthegalaxy.

CygnusX-3isabinarysystemcomposedofadyingWolf-Rayetstarthatfeedsaclose proximity neutron star (or, some suggest, a black hole or strange quark star)producing streams of superheated plasma (ionized gas). This ejecta is shot out atrelativisticspeeds,veryclosetothespeedoflight,alongitslineofaxis,causingjetsof debris that reach out into the local stellar medium for tens of light-years ofdistance.These unimaginable beams, like cosmic searchlights, are held together bymagneticsheathsthatproducepowerfulparticleaccelerationinavarietyoffrequencyranges, including X-rays, infrared, radio waves, and gamma rays. This is notuncommoninso-calledcompactstars,likeblackholesorneutronstars,butin2000,astrophysicistsannouncedthatCygnusX-3mightwellbethegalaxy’sfirstblazar,atermusedwhenoneofadeepspaceobject’s twinplasmajets isalignedtowardoursolar system (in otherwords, it is pointing straight at us).Other blazars have beenidentifiedoutsideofthegalaxy,butthisisthefirsttimethatonehasbeensuspectedtoexistinourownbackyard,sotospeak.

Fig.9.4.CygnusX-3asphotographedbytheChandraX-rayplatformin2000.IsthisthesourceofcosmicraysinfluencinglifeonEarth?Imageprovidedcourtesyof

NASA/SRON/MPE.

What this means is that we are looking straight down the barrel of the mostdangerouscosmiccannoninthegalaxy,andhavebeen,accordingtoastrophysicists,foranythingupto700,000years.ThesignificanceofthisisthattheejectaproducedbysuchjetscouldeasilyberesponsibleforincreasedlevelsofcosmicraysreachingtheEarth. This includesCygnusX-3’s unique cygnet particles that, being neutrallycharged, reach the Earth directly from source, and are able to penetrate deepunderground,whichissomethingthatcosmicraysareusuallyunabletodo,sincetheyare positively charged and break up before they reach the surface of the planet(neutrinos,whicharenegativelychargedcosmicparticleswithalmostnomass,passthrough the Earth all the time without affecting anything).More important, recentfindingsbyJapaneseandChinesescientistsusingdata froma facility inTibethaveshown that there is, even today, a huge excess of high energy cosmic rays comingfrom a point in the Cygnus constellation close to the astronomical coordinates ofCygnusX-3.

Fig.9.5.NASAreconstructionofCygnusX-3,showingitstwocomponents—oneacompactobject,eitherablackholeorneutronstar,withaccretiondiscandtwin

relativisticjets,andtheotheralargeWolfRayetstar.Althoughover30,000light-yearsaway,canitsactionsaffectlifeonEarth?ImageprovidedcourtesyofWalt

Feimer,NASA/GoddardSpaceFlightCenter.

Fig.9.6.SuspectedblackholeM87asphotographedbyHubble.Noticetherelativisticjetspewingoutsuperheatedplasmaatclosetothespeedoflight.IsoneofCygnusX-3’srelativisticjetsaimedstraightattheEarth?ImageprovidedcourtesyofNASAand

TheHubbleHeritageTeam(STScI/AURA).

SeeingtheLightThisstaggeringscenariomightwellexplainwhyourancestorscametorecognizethecelestialswanassoimportanttotheirreligiousmind-set,sincethereiseveryreasontoconcludethatancientshamanswhoachievedalteredstatesofconsciousnessindeepcave settings, most obviously using hallucinogens, somehow became aware of theeffectCygnuswashavingontheirlives.Thismightseemimpossible.However,thereiseverychancethattheywouldhavebeenabletoseethedisintegrationundergroundof cygnet particles, through aprocessknownasCherenkov radiation,which allowsdecayingcosmicraystobeseenasghostlyflashesofwhiteorblue-whitelightastheypassthroughtheaqueouspartoftheeye.

Astronauts firstdiscovered thisphenomenon in1968when theywereaboard theApollo11 spacecraft.As they tried togetoff tosleep, they reportedseeing“flashesandstreaks”beforetheireyes(scientificallyknownas“phosphenes”).Thisoccurredwiththeireyesopenorclosed,somethingthatrecurredduringfuturespacemissions,promptingaseriesofonboardexperimentsthatprovedthattheywerebeingcausedbycosmicrayspassingthroughthehullofthespacevessel.

LikelookingintotheUniverseHungarian-bornCorneliusA.Tobias (1918–2000),a foundingmemberofLawrenceBerkeleyNationalLaboratory’sDonnerLaboratoryandanexperton spacebiology,had earlier predicted the level of cosmic radiation that future astronauts would beexposedto,andevendescribeditspotentialeffects.Moresignificantly,hepredictedthattheywouldalsoseeflashesoflightbeforetheireyes.Totesthishypothesis,hedevisedaunique,butverydangerous, experiment.Hedecided toexposehimself tosubatomic particles produced byUCBerkeley’sBevalac particle accelerator,whichhasbeendescribedasaveritablecosmicrayfactory.

Partof its function is to ripawayelectrons fromheavyelements including iron,and then focus the nuclei into a beam of particles, which are then accelerated tovirtuallythespeedoflight,liketherelativisticjetsproducedbycompactobjectssuchasblackholesandneutronstars.TobiasquiteliterallystuckhisheadintheflowoftheparticlesandobservedsomethingalmostuniqueonEarth.“Youseevisualflashes,”herecalled, shortly before his death in 2000. “It is an exhilarating sensation. It is asthoughyouarelookingintotheuniverseitself.”Tobiasrepeatedtheexperiment,evenintroducinghiscolleaguestotheexperience,untilthetestswerefinallydiscontinuedonhealthgrounds.

Although it is suspected that these subatomicparticlespass through theaqueouspart of the eye, more recent research by Livio Narici of the National Institute forNuclear Physics inRome has suggested that some cosmic raysmight hit the braindirectly, causing not only the sensation of light flashes but also other seeminglyexternal effects such as odd smells.Narici believes that phosphenes can be createdwhentheparticleshitthevisualcortex,alongwiththeolfactorybulb(causingsmells)andpossiblyeventhecentralnervoussystem.Ifso,thentheycouldposeapotentialhealth hazard to astronauts on future space missions, especially if phosphenes, orindeed other forms of sensory phenomena, occur at crucialmoments such aswhenmaneuvering vehicles to land. Narici has now been granted permission to conductexperimentswithastronautsonboard theInternationalSpaceStation(ISS)under theprojectnameofALTEA.

Ahelmet-shapedmultisensordevicewillbewornbyvolunteers foranhourat atimetomonitorthepassageofincomingcosmicrays.Atthesametime,theastronautswilllogwhentheyseelightflashesortrails.Hopefully,thetwowillcoincide,tellingNariciandhisteamwhereexactlytheparticlesarehitting.

Undernormalcircumstances,wedonotseecosmicraysdownhereonEarth,sincewe rarely experience total darkness. Moreover, the vast majority of cosmic rayshitting the Earth are broken up in the upper atmosphere, and fall as showers of

harmlesssecondaryparticles.Evenifweweretoexperiencetotaldarknessatgroundlevel,somanyotherformsofenvironmentalradiation,whethernaturalorindustriallyproduced, might additionally cause phosphenes, meaning that any producedspecificallybyincomingcosmicrayswouldbelostintheprocess.

Virtuallyallformsofenvironmentalradiationareshieldedoutdeepunderground.This is the reason why particle detectors and accelerators are located deepundergroundinmines,oroffthesideoftunnelsinsidemountains.Onlyherecantheybe sheltered from extraneous radiation, including stray cosmic rays penetrating theoverhead rock. This, then, iswhatmakes the cygnets fromCygnusX-3 so unique.Onlystrong,neutralparticlesofthiskindareabletopenetratedepthsofhundredsoffeet,beforefinallybreakinguptocausesecondaryparticlesknownasmuons.Itisforthisreasonalonethattheywerefirstdetectedbyundergroundfacilities,whichatthetime were attempting to witness the decay of a subatomic particle known as theproton. They included the Soudan undergroundmine facility inMinnesota and theNUSEXexperimentintheMontBlancfacilityinsouthernFrance.

Fig.9.7.Amicrographshowingacosmicrayimpact.ImageprovidedcourtesyofAndrewCollins.

Thusashamaninthetotaldarknessofadeepcavesettingwouldbetroubledonlyby incoming cosmic rays from just a very few deep space sources, themost likelybeingCygnusX-3 (althoughsome facilitieshavedetectedaweakercosmicparticleinbound from a source designated Hercules X-1). Intriguingly, I have spoken to awoman whose father worked in the Soudan underground mine before the particledetection facilitywasbuiltat thebeginningof the1980s.Sheclaims thathewouldexperienceunaccountable flashesof light in the totaldarkness. Ihaveheardsimilarstories from those who have spent long periods inside deep caves and mines in

Britain, including the Cheddar Caves in southern England and an abandoned slateminebeneathamountainatDinas,WestWales.All reportunaccountable flashesoflight in such environments. Even though geologically produced radiation, such asradongas,mightaccountfortheproductionofsomephosphenesunderground,thereiseverychancethatsomearetheresultofincomingcosmicrays.

ClosertoGodIs this, then, what our Paleolithic ancestors also experienced deep underground—flashesof lightcausedby thepassageofcosmicrays inboundfromsourcessuchasCygnusX-3?Wouldtheyhaveinterpretedsuchexperiencesinareligiouscontext?Ithink the answer is going to be yes.On the isolated peninsular ofMountAthos insouthernGreece, asceticmonks adhering to a formof religious devotion known ashesychasm,alsocalledomphaloscopy,or“navel-gazing,”haveforcenturiesrepairedtothedarknessofcavesonthemountaintowitnessthedivinelightandgloryofGod,whichiscomparedwiththatexperiencedbythedisciplesonMountTaboratthetimeof the Transfiguration of Jesus. It is a process that involves a period of deepmeditationandcontemplationthatcanlastforseveraldays,perhapsevenlonger.Yeteventually, I have been told firsthand, they witness flashes of light, which areinterpretedastheLightofGod.WhenthisoccursitisoftenaccompaniedbyvisionsofJesus,theVirginMary,andtheChristiansaints—thewholeprocessissaidtobringthemclosertoGod.

No one knows the origins of hesychasm, although it is thought to have beenintroducedtoMountAthos, itsprincipalcenter,fromCappadocia ineasternTurkey,the home of the earliest Christian Fathers, and some of themost austere Christianascetics. Such religious practicesmost probably came originally from shamanicallybased notions that had their genesis among the earliest Neolithic communities ofcentralandeasternTurkey,includingthecityofÇatalHüyüknearKonyaand,beforethat, thePre-PotteryNeolithic cult centersofGöbekliTepe, circa10,000BCE, andNevaliCori,circa8400BCE.

Althoughapparentlyunconnectedtothetermomphaloscopy(whichisaderisoryterm), it should be pointed out that the navel (the Greek omphalos) is a primarysymboloftheaxismundi,theaxisoftheEarth,thoughttobelinkedviaaninvisiblesky-poleorumbilicalcordtoacosmicaxislocatedinthevicinityoftheNorthStar.Curiously,thenameGöbekliTepemeansinTurkishthe“hillofthenavel,”suggestingthatitwasoncethoughttobeanaxismundiinitsownright.

FeelsLikeHeavenIbelieve ithighlyprobable that thementaldisciplineof“seeing the light,”or in

otherwords,witnessingflashesof light indeepcavesettings, issomethingthatwasfirstexperiencedbyPaleolithicshamans, inEuropeespecially. Itwas then inheritedbytheshamaniceliteresponsiblefortheconstructionofsubsurfacecultcentersbuiltby the earliest Neolithic peoples. The idea of spending time in the darkness ofcavelike environments was, I suspect, a key element in their beliefs and practices.Such ideas brought with them the vision of a communion with otherworldlyinfluences that, as spacebiology expertCorneliusTobias commented in connectionwith his own experiences of seeing the light,made you feel like “looking into theuniverseitself.”

What we also know is that flashes of light produced in deep cave settings bycosmic rays coming from Cygnus X-3 will have increased and decreased inaccordancewith thepresenceoverheadof theCygnusstars,enabling thePaleolithicshamanstoeventuallysynchronizetheirchthonicbeliefsandpracticeswithitscosmicraycycle,and thus identify thisastronomical regionas thesourceoforiginof theirvisionaryexperiences.

Moreover, the appearance of seemingly objective flashes in the eyes mightadditionally have been taken, as is the case of the hesychasts ofMount Athos, asmanifestations of some kind of primal cause, triggeringmore complex connectionswithwhatmighthavebeenconceivedofasadivinebeing.Thisscenariomightwellhaveledourancestorstolearnwhatscienceisconfirmingtoday—thatlifecamefromthestars.Indeed,thetheoryofpanspermia,literally“lifeeverywhere,”proposesthatthemostprimitiveformsoflifeprobablyarrivedonthisplanethavinghitchedarideeitheronacomet,meteor,orasteroid.Inmanyways,itistheoriginofthebeliefthatwecomefromheaven,andwillreturnthereindeath.

InEurope,itwastheswanthatwassaidtocarrythesoulsofthedeadintothenextworld,whichwaslocatedinthenorth,thedirectioninwhichswansmigratedtotheirbreedinggroundseachspring.IntheBalticregionitwastheswanthattooktheplaceofthestorkinbringingbabiesintotheworld.Itisverylikely,forthesereasons,thatthe stars ofCygnus, an ever-present northern constellation, became associatedwithmigratorybirds suchas the swan.However, in regionswhere the swanwasabsent,otheravianstookitsplace.

Forinstance,itisclearthatintheNearEast,thebirdofCygnuswasoriginallythevulture,whichinearlyNeolithicpracticesatplacessuchasÇatalHüyükwasinvolvedintheexcarnationprocessofdenudingbodiesandthen,asapsychopomp(theGreekwordfor“soulcarrier”),accompaniedthesoulofthedeceasedintotheafterlife.

CosmicMotherInmyopinion,thiscommunionwiththegreatunknownindeepcavesettingsledtheancients to celebrate the idea that we are star-stuff by teaching that the sun wasperiodicallyrebornfrombetweenthethighsoftheCosmicMother,symbolizedbytheMilkyWay’s Great Rift which begins in the Cygnus constellation (something thatmight indeed be depicted in the Paleolithic Chauvet Cave in southern France).Moreover,Ifeelsurethatatleastaproportionofthecosmicraysthatarguablycausedmutagenic changes in DNA during Paleolithic times came from the direction ofCygnus, the location searched originally by both anthropological writer DenisMontgomery and ex-NASA scientist and astronomer AdenMeinel for a source ofcosmicrayshittingtheEarth.

Such an intrusion into human consciousness from a deep space object in theCygnus region might well explain why the cosmic bird has been at the heart ofreligiousbeliefsandpracticessincePaleolithictimes.Worldwide,thereisatraditionconcerningasky-birdthateitherlaysacosmiceggthatthenbecomestheuniverse,orgivesforthahonk,orcall,thatbringstheuniverseintomanifestation.ItispresentinIndia,Egypt,andeveninthePacificSouthSeas,andineachinstancethebirdissaidtoberepresentedbythestarsofCygnus.

Whenin1973CarlSaganwrotethatcosmicrayswereresponsibleforchangesinhuman evolution, he boldly asserted that their source wasmost probably a distantneutronstar.TodaytherecanbelittledoubtthattheneutronstarinquestionisCygnusX-3—the galaxy’s first blazar, as well as the best candidate by far for at least aproportionofthecosmicradiationresponsiblefortheaccelerationofhumanevolutionatatimewhenwewerejustbeginningtoemergeasmodernhumanbeings.YetmoredisturbingisthefactthatCygnusX-3isouttherenow,itscosmicgunbarreltrainedtowardthesolarsystem,everreadytoreleasevolleysofcosmicdebrisandothertypesof electromagnetic radiation in our direction. Astrophysicists studying Cygnus X-3are waiting for what they describe as the “next big bang”—showers of cosmicparticlesona levelneverseenbefore,andwhen thishappens,whoknows, itmightwellsignalthecommencementofthenextupgradeinhumanevolution.

TEN

ElectromagnetismandtheAncients

DIDANCIENTHUMANSHAVEKNOWLEDGEOFTHEELECTROMAGNETICSPECTRUM?

GLENNKREISBERG

It’sbeensuggested,atvarioustimes,thatancienthumanshadknowledgeanduseofunseenpowers,forces,andenergyfields.Couldtheseunseenforcesandfieldsconsistof electromagnetic frequency waves and particle fields that make up theelectromagneticspectrum?Thisisnotasimplequestiontoanswer.

What evidence exists, andwhat kind of evidencemay come to light, to supportsuchaclaim?Thereisnoquestionthat,asithasalwaysexisted,theelectromagneticspectrumisanaturallyoccurringpartofourenvironment,comprisedofacontinuoussequenceofelectromagneticenergyarrangedaccording towavelengthor frequency,as generatedbyparticlemotion (vibrations) andpulses created frommany sources.There isalsonodoubt thatmanyancientcultureshadaconnectionwithnatureandnatural forces that was fundamental and could only be described as intimate andprofoundinwayswemodernscanmerelyattempttocomprehend.

This articlewill examine some ofwhat evidence (and possible evidence) existsthat suggests ancient knowledge of the electromagnetic spectrum, examine itsscientificfoundationandwhetheritcanbeusedtoformahypothesisand,hopefully,beappliedtosolvingthismystery.

Fromancienttimestotoday,humanshavedemonstratedaninherentcuriosityandthedesire tounderstandmysteriousandoddphenomena,signs,andimages.For thevanishedculturesofEgypt,Sumer,andotherearlycivilizations,andactuallyfortheentirelapsedtimeofhumankind,thereremainmanyunsolvedandunsettledimages,messages, texts, tablets,artifacts, inscriptions,engravings, schemes,andphenomenathatsuggestaconnectiontounseenforces.

Asmodernsocietyexploresthemysteriousmeaningsofcertainuniversalculturalmythsandsymbols,so,too,mayhavehumansfromearliercivilizations,whorepeatedandveneratedvariousmotifsthroughouttimeandtraditions.Theoriginandmeaningofthesemysterioussymbolsmay,infact,haveremainedunknowneventotheancientculturesthatutilizedthem,theancientsknowingonlythatcertainsignsandsymbolswereimportantcluestoevenmoreancientlostknowledgeandpowers.

Ithasbeennotedbymanythatthedesignsandmotifsofancientarchitectureoftenreflect—and inmanyways try tomimic—the patterns, signs, and signals found tooccurnaturallyinourenvironment.Mostsignificant,forthepurposesofthisreport,arethemanyvariationsofthebasicwaveforms,beitsinewave,sawtoothwave,boxwave,ortheendlessvarietyofspiralsandwaveformsthatadornancientcavewalls,temples, and structures, and that appear in architecture, scrolls, tablets, andinscriptionsthroughouttheancientworld.

Southeastern Native American cultures dating back 20,000 to 25,000 yearsextensivelyusedwaveformsymbolsforornamentationonnearlyallhandmadeitemsand wares, such as pottery and textiles. The variety is nearly endless. As I havementioned, theelectromagnetic spectrumexistsnaturally,occurringasapartofournatural environment. And again, acknowledging the ancients’ intimacy andinterdependency with nature, it would not be surprising if they possessed someknowledgeofthisnaturallyoccurring“tool.”

The ancient cultures of thisworld are known to have identified and utilized theforces of nature to their benefit, includingwater, fire,wind, and sound.Arewe tobelieve that mankind is only now, in the past century, exploiting the waves andfrequenciesoftheelectromagneticspectrumforthefirst time?I’mnotsosure.Andperhapsmoreimportant, ifancientculturesdidpossessthisknowledge,wherediditcomefrom,andhowwasitprocessed?

Athoroughexaminationofthissubjectmustbeginwithtrackingthebreakthroughsand discoveries that have occurred throughout history and that have led to theconceptsandprinciplesthatmakeupmodernelectromagnetictheory.

Fig.10.1.MayanPyramidofKukulkanatChichénItzáhasasawtoothwaveformbuiltintoitsarchitecture.PhotographcourtesyofSacredSites.com.

Electromagneticradiationhasbeenaroundsincethebirthoftheuniverse;lightisits most familiar form. Electric and magnetic fields are part of the spectrum ofelectromagnetic radiation, which extends from static electric and magnetic fields,throughradiofrequencyandinfraredradiation,toX-rays.

From written history it appears that many of the concepts now familiar inelectromagnetic theory were explored and developed during a time when manymodernhigh-techinvestigativeanddetectiontoolsandmethodsdidnotexist.

But is it possible that the ability to manipulate the particles and waves of theelectromagnetic spectrum was discovered and developed even earlier than writtenhistory suggests? Could it be thatmany of the symbols, images, architectures, andmyths of ancient cultures are representations reflecting the possession of suchknowledge?

Observing what he believes to be power plant plans on ancient tapestry, andmicroprocessor design in Egyptian temple layout, Slovakian researcher Dr. PavelSmutny haswritten, “Maybe it is unusual and surprising, but in ornaments on oldcarpets arewoven-in schemes, andprincipleplansof advanced technologies,whichcomefromvanishedculturesandthousands-year-oldcivilizations.Theseresiduesareprobably the last ones which can help revive forgotten, very sophisticatedtechnologiesandmethodsforexploitationofnaturalelectrostaticenergysources.”

OntheEgyptiantemples,Smutnycontinues,“IfweseeplansfortheValleytempleat [the] Sphinx, or of the mortuary temple at Chaphre’s Pyramid, or the mortuarytempleatMenkaurePyramid,oralsoofOsereionfromAbydos,toapersonfamiliarwiththebasicsofcomputertechniques,orevenbetterto[a]personexperiencedwithconstructionofmicrowavecircuits inbandsaboveonegigahertz (GHz),hewill tellyouthattheseplansareschemesofPCBs(boardsforelectroniccircuits).”

Fig.10.2.PhotographshowingNeolithic“lobe”constructionoftheTempleofMnajdraonMalta.PhotographcourtesyofSacredSites.com.

Smutny further notes, “These plans look like schemes of electronic circuitsworkingonquitehigh frequencies above1GHz,withuseof so-called componentswithdistributed(spread)parameters.Thesecomponentsareofsuchsort,thatthetop

*5

conductive layer is formed to various shapes,whichwork as inductors, capacitors,resistors, filters, resonators, or have similar functions. Advantages of so producedcircuitsareverygoodfunctionsandlowlossesonhighfrequencies.Notsodifferentfrom classical electronic circuits with use of discrete components as began to beproducedinthe1980s,inatthattimesuperiorhighfrequencydevices.”

If, as Smutny suggests, these tapestry patterns and temple layouts arerepresentationsoffragmentaryremnantsfromlong-lostscience,whatcouldhavebeenthe original source, other than a previously existing technologically advancedcivilization?Ofcoursemoreevidenceisneededbeforeanysolidconclusionscanbedrawn.

Turning his attention to the ancient temples of Malta, Smutny explains,“complexes were used probably as generators of high frequency acoustic waves.Purposes were (maybe) to arrange a communication channel among variousislands.”

LegendsaboundinMaltaofsirens(acoustically)temptingordeafeningseafarers.Sirenswerepersons,possiblythebestsingerswiththestrongestvoices,namelyobeseorthickwomen,suchassomemodernoperastars.Manystatuesofjustsuchwomenhave been discovered everywhere on Malta, including in temples, standing onpedestals, and in the middle of complexes. Smutny speculates, “their singingmodulatedlowfrequencysignals,whichweregeneratedonoppositeendsoftemples(inwindowsandindoors)simplywithabell,orwithvibratingmetalplates,orevenwithastrongwinddraftedthroughawallopening.”

Tosupporthistheory,Smutnypointstothemassiveblocksusedforconstructionofthecomplexes,notingthattheyareaverygoodresonantmaterial.Smutnysuggestsa reconstruction experiment to prove functionality of the megalithic complexes, inwhichtheroofswouldbeintact(buildingsarecurrentlywithoutceilings),andmodelsmade from concrete, or from stone in suitable scale. For testing, acoustical orultrasoundfrequenciesshouldbeutilized,wherewavelengthsarediminishedtoscale.

As a radio frequency engineer, I find these possibilities fascinating, and whileponderingthem,Ihadabitofarevelation:Namely,abird’s-eyeviewofthetemplestructure and configurations in Malta in many ways closely resembles an antennapropagation pattern, with its main beam lobe, side lobes, and nulls (between thelobes).

*6

Fig.10.3.ThemultichamberedovalconfigurationoftheMaltesetemplesallowedsignalsformedfromgroupsofairparticles,beforeoutput,tobeamplifiedinasecondparalleloppositeovalspacesofthetemple.Thiswouldbeanalogouswitharesonator.

PhotographcourtesyofSacredSites.com.

There are an infinite variety of patterns that can be generated by antennas,depending on the beamwidth desired, distance between the antenna poles, and thefrequency being transmitted. However, nearly all antenna patterns have similarcharacteristics,consistingofmainbeamlobeandsidelobes,aswellasnullsandbacklobes.

I believe lobe was a word Graham Hancock specifically used in his bookUnderworld:TheMysteriousOriginsofCivilizationtodescribethetemplestructureson Malta. When Hancock mentioned the unusual acoustics he encountered in theHypogeumonMalta,Ibeganresearchinganythingthatreferredtothoseacousticsorasimilareffect.

InJosephS.Ellul’s1988publicationMalta’sPrediluvianCultureattheStone-AgeTemples,theauthordescribes,“Beforegoingintotheentrance,justhavealookatthelintelandatthelongblockslyingalongsideandontopofit.Mostofthem,includingthelintelitself,whichmeasuresaboutninefeetsquareandeighteeninchesthick,werescatteredaboutinthiscourtyard.Almostalloftheseblockshadbeenthrownoverintothisyardforadistanceofabouttwentyfeet.Thelintelfellonitsrightcornerandwassplintered in the fall.” Interestingly, Ellul continues, “That lintelwas found restingsomethirtyfeettotheeastofthedoorway,lyingonsomerubbishandwithoneofthelonghorizontalslabsontopofit.Ithappenedthattheupperstonehadcertainacousticcharacteristics and was positioned so as to be almost perfectly balanced, andwheneveronehititwithanotherstone,itranglikeabell.”Thatpeculiarityearnedit

thenicknameof“TheBellofaarQim”but,duringworkscarriedout in the1950s,thesevariousblockswereputbackintheirpresentplacesontopofthefrontwall,and“TheBellofaarQim”wasnomore.

Oddsare,ofcourse,thatthisisallsimplycoincidence,butitposestheinterestingquestion:Exactlywhat is theuniqueand specific templedesign layoutof a arQimbased upon? What was the impetus and influence that dictated the architecturalconfigurationsolongago?

I design digital wireless networks utilizing the electromagnetic spectrum,transmitters, receivers, modulators, and antenna. I also do propagation predictionmodelingusingpowerfulcomputerprograms.Theprogramcreatesamodelshowinghowalocationwillperformusingdifferentantenna,elevation,azimuths,andpowersettings.Sitesarechosenbasedonhowwellthelocationpropagatesasignal.

Again,whenHancockmentionsinUnderworldhowthelandgentlydroppedawayforagreatdistancefromatemplelocation,Icouldn’thelpthinkhowidealthatisforsignal propagation when designing sites that can transmit great distances. Is itpossible that some ancient temple locationswere chosen for similar reasons? If thetemple location were part of some kind of communications network utilizing theelectromagneticspectrum,I’dsaytheywere.

IsitpossiblethatacorrelationexistsbetweentheMaltesetemplearchitectureandantennapropagationpatterns?Perhaps,butmuchmoreresearchand investigation isneededbefore any firm conclusions can be drawn.Certainly it can be said that thetemple layout seems to conform strikingly to the characteristics of antennapropagationpatterns.

Ifaconnectionwereproventoexist,whatwouldbetheimplications?Certainly,aradicalrethinkingoftheleveloftechnologicalsophisticationthatmayhaveexistedinancientcivilization,not tomention thequestionofhowthisknowledgecameto thebuildersoftheMaltesetemples.

Let’s assume, for a moment, that the ancient builders had knowledge andunderstandingofwavepropagation.Perhapsearlypost-Floodculturespossessedtheknowledgeandunderstoodthepurposeofunseenforcesbutlackedthefunctionality.Ifitwasknownandhandeddownthroughgenerationsthatauniversalforceexistedthatcouldbecontrolledforthebenefitofallhumans,wouldnoteveryeffortbemade,nomatterhowfutiletheattempt,toresurrectandre-createthatfunctionality?Thisinitselfcouldaccountfortheexistenceofmanymegalithicstructures,aboutthemanyaspects and purpose of which humankind has puzzled over since their verydiscoveries.

Anotherexampleofanomalousscience,whichincludesapossibleelectromagnetic

spectrum connection, is the Celtic round towers of Ireland. These fascinatingstructures, the tallest measuring 111.5 feet (34 meters), once numbered over ahundred.Manystill stand today, anddot the Irish landscape.Basedon the fact thatnearly every tower is at the site of a knownCeltic church dating from the fifth totwelfth centuries CE, scholars have suggested that the most probable constructionperiodwasbetweentheseventhandtenthcenturiesCE.Initially,eachofthetowerswere freestanding structures, but later, other buildings, primarily churches andmonasticfoundations,wereconstructedaroundsomeofthetowers.

Inhisbook,IrishRoundTowers,LennoxBarrowstates,

Itisremarkablehowlittlethemaindimensionsvary.Inthegreatmajorityoftowersthe circumference at the base lies between 45.9–55.8 feet (14–17 meters) and thethicknessofthewallatthelowestpointatwhichitcanbemeasuredvariesfrom2.9–4.6 feet (0.9–14 meters). Doorways, windows, story heights, and diameters alsofollow clearly defined patterns, andwemaywell conclude thatmost of the towersweretheworkofteamsofbuilderswhomovedfromonemonasterytoanotherusingstandarddesigns.Mostdoorwaysareraised4.9–14.8feet(1.5–4.5meters)abovetheground.This isusuallyexplainedasbeing for security, toenable themonks to takerefugeinsidethetowersduringtimeswhenVikingraidersorbanditswereattackingthemonasteries.

Fig.10.4.ViewofIrishroundtowerwithconicalcapintact.PhotographcourtesyofSacredSites.com.

There is probably some truth in this theory, but it has also been noted that it’spossible that the stability of the tower had asmuch to dowith the door heights asanythingelse.Basicphysicsdictatesthatthehigheryoucouldbuildbeforemakingan

openinginthewall,thestrongerthebasewouldbe.Veryoftenthetowerswerefilledin,evenashighasthedoorways.

This idea that the round towerswereerectedandusedprimarily aswatchtowersandplacesofprotectionisstronglydebatedbytheAmericanscientistPhilipCallahan.Inhisbook,AncientMysteries,ModernVisions,Callahandiscusses research,whichindicatesthattheroundtowersmayhavebeendesigned,constructed,andutilizedashugeresonantsystemsforcollectingandstoringyard-longwavelengthsofmagneticandelectromagneticenergycomingfromtheearthandskies.

Basedon fascinatingstudiesof the formsof insectantennaand theircapacity toresonatetomicrometer-longelectromagneticwaves,ProfessorCallahansuggeststhatthe Irish round towers (and similarly shaped religious structures throughout theancient world) were human-made antennae, which collected and transmitted subtlemagnetic radiation from the sunandpassed it on tomonksmeditating in the towerandplantsgrowingaroundthetower’sbase.Theroundtowerswereabletofunctioninthiswaybecauseoftheirformandalsobecauseoftheirmaterialsofconstruction.

Ofthesixty-fivetowersthatremainasruins,twenty-fivewerebuiltoflimestone,thirteenofiron-rich,redsandstone,andtherestofbasalt,clayslate,orgranite—allofthesemineralshavingparamagneticpropertiesthatcanthusactasmagneticantennaeand energy conductors. Callahan further states that the mysterious fact of varioustowers being filled with rubble for portions of their interiors was not random, butrathermayhavebeenamethodof“tuning”thetowerantennasothatitmorepreciselyresonatedwithvariousspecificfrequencies.

EquallyintriguingisthatCallahanshowsthattheseeminglyrandomgeographicalarrangementoftheroundtowersthroughouttheIrishcountrysideactuallymirrorsthepositionsofthestarsinthenorthernskyduringthetimeofwintersolstice.

Archaeological excavations at the bases of the towers have revealed that manytowerswereerecteduponthetopsofmucholdergraves,anditisknownthatmanyofthetowersiteswereconsideredsacredplaceslongbeforethearrivalofChristianityinIreland.Thesefactspoint to the likelihoodthat theancientIrish, like theEgyptians,theMayans, and many other archaic cultures, understood there to be an energeticresonance between specific terrestrial locations and different celestial bodies. Allacross the Irish countryside particular locations were chosen, precisely designedstructureswereerectedtogatherandstorevariousenergies,andatraditionofhumanspiritualuseofthesitesaroseoverthemillennia.Whilemanyoftheroundtowersarenowcrumblingandtheirantennafunctionmaynolongerbeoperative,manyvisitorsfeelthatafieldofenergystillpermeatesthesitestoday.

Inanotherarticle,TheMysteriousRoundTowersofIreland:LowEnergyRadioinNature,fromTheExplorer’sJournal,Callahangivesfurtherdetailsofhisdiscoveries:

“Mostbookswilltellyouthatthetowerswereplacesofrefugeforthemonkstohidefrom Vikings raiding Ireland. They were, no doubt, bell towers and lookouts forapproaching raiders,but the speculations thatmonksescaped raiders,whonodoubtknewhow to smokebeesout of hivesor climb thenine to fifteen feet to thedoor,bordersontheludicrous.Roundtowersareperfectlydesignedtobetotallyuselessforhidingpeopleorchurchtreasures.”

Callahancontinues,“Anotherstrangethingaboutthetowersisthedirtthatfillsthebasebelowthehighdoors.Eachdoorhasadifferentlevelofdirtfillingthebase,asifthey were ‘tuned’ like a pipe organ. I had long postulated that the towers werepowerful amplifiers of radio resonance from the atmospheregeneratedby lightningflashes around the world.” Upon further investigation, Callahan concluded, “Theroundtowersprovedtobepowerfulamplifiersinthealphabrainwaveregion,2to24Hz,intheelectricalanesthesiaregion,1,000to3,000Hz,andtheelectronicinductionheatingregion,5,000Hzto1,000kHz....Itisfascinatingthatjustabovethesurfaceofthegroundtoabouttwotofourfeetupthereisanullofatmosphericfrequenciesthatgetstrongerandstrongeruntilatnine to fifteenfeetabove thesurface theyareextremelystrong.”

WereIrishmonksawareoftheseproperties,andthuspromptedtobuildtheirhighdoors?AteverytowerCallahanmeasured,therewasadirectcorrelationbetweentheheight of the tower door and the strength of the waves. That the highly amplifiedwavesoccurinthemeditativeandelectricalanesthesiaportionoftheelectromagneticspectrumisofutmostsignificance. In1963,G.WalterresearchedbrainEEGwavesfrom0.5to3Hz(Deltaregion)andfoundanti-infectiouseffects.

It’s interesting to note that recent research, including experiments conducted atUCLAbyprofessorValeryHunt,hasshownsomepositiveeffectofelectromagneticradiationfields.Subjectswhowereshieldedfromallelectromagneticfieldsreportedexperiencing amental breakdown, their brain no longer able to function normally.Remove the electromagnetic shielding and “normal” brain function returns. Whenthose subjects were exposed to intensified electromagnetic fields, they reported aprofound feeling of well-being. Others exposed to electromagnetic fields undercontrolled conditions reported hallucinatory visions similar to those reportedlyexperiencedbyshamansorindividualsinanalteredstateofconsciousness,undertheinfluenceofmind-alteringsubstances.

Additionally, research conducted in the 1980s by Dr. Michael Persinger atLaurentianUniversity inCanadareported thatsubjectswhosebrainswerebathed inlowenergyelectromagneticfieldswhilewearingamodifiedhelmet,whichPersingerdesigned,experiencedaprofound,otherworldlypresenceduringtheresearchsessions.Over80percentofthesubjectsinvolvedintheexperimentsreportedexperiencingthe

effectwhileundertheinfluenceoftheinducedandenhancedelectromagneticfield.Perhaps also related to the Irish stone towers, are the many anomalous ancient

stonestructures,chambers,andcircles found throughoutNewEngland. In thebookCelticMysteriesofNewEngland, authorsPhillip Imbrogno andMarianneHorrigannoteandmeasureunexplainedelectromagneticanomaliesatstonechamberlocations.The anomalies, described as “pulses,” seem to occur in a specific frequency rangebeginning at 16.5 MHz, with peak signal strength occurring at 1,675 MHz. Theauthorsclaimthatthiscouldbesuggestiveofa“doorway”or“portal”functionofthechambers, with a burst of electromagnetic energy released whenever the door isopenedorshut.

Iwould suggest that, as opposed to a “portal” or “doorway”opening to anotherdimension of time and space, it might be more likely that the chambers’electromagnetic anomalies could indicate a communication channel or conduit forenergy,openingforuseinsomeway.

Lastly, it’s important to mention the groundbreaking work of research scientistJohnBurke,whosebookSeedofKnowledge,StoneofPlenty:UnderstandingtheLostTechnologyof theAncientMegalith-Buildersdocuments how electromagnetic fieldshaveabeneficialeffectoncropyieldswhenseedshavebeenexposed.BurkeandhisteamtestedelectromagnetichotspotsatlocationsintheMidwestandinthenortheastoftheUnitedStates,includingsomeofthestonechambersalreadymentioned.Theylocated andmapped naturally occurring spikes in theEarth’s electromagnetic field;locationsthatinmanycaseshadlongagobeenidentifiedandmarkedas“sacred”bylocal indigenous shamans. What they found was that seeds they brought to theselocationsandleftforatimeperiodwouldproducemorerobustyieldscomparedtoacontrolgroupofseedsleftinthelab.

Is itpossible that thepurpose forwhichmanyof thesacredsitesandmegalithicstructures around the world were constructed was to receive or gather, process orfocus, and transmit or distribute naturally occurring electromagnetic energy?Couldancientpeoplehavebeenawareofthemedicinalandconsciousness-raisingpropertiesofelectromagneticfields?Thereismuchevidencetosuggestthattheywere.

TheInfantFieldofRadioArchaeologyIwouldsuggestaseriesofexperiments,conductedtoscientificmethodstandards,totestandmeasureboth the transmitand receivepropagationpropertiesofprehistoricsitesthatmeetspecificcriteria.Suchtestsshouldutilizecarrierwavetransmittersandspectrum-scanning receivers and software, along with spectrometers, spectrum

analyzers, andoscilloscopes todetermine ifpropagationproperties areenhancedbythesacredsitelocationsand/orsiteconfigurationandconstructionmaterials.

Someone once said that science is like a game of darts. The surface of thedartboard, albeit perhaps infinite, represents all the science there is to know. Eachtheoryconfirmed throughexperimentandscientificmethodrepresentsadarthittingitsmarkonthedartboardofscience.Whilethesurfaceoftheboardmayhavemanydarts in it, most of it, as of yet, remains untouched by a dart. And, of course,sometimes one dart thrown may knock out a previously thrown dart from itsapparentlysecurelocation.Inotherwords,thereisstillagreatdealoftruescienceyetto be discovered and confirmed, and perhaps some ideas that may need to beunlearned.Aboveall,theperspectivewithwhichwesearchisperhapsthekeytowhatwediscover.

AnimportantlessoncanbelearnedfromthemechanismknownastheAntikytheraDevice—discoveredoverahundredyearsagoontheflooroftheMediterraneanSea,thedevicehasbeen foundbyarchaeologists tobe two thousandyearsold.Becausethe device suggests that the ancient Greeks had the mechanical sophistication ofeighteenthcenturySwisswatchmakers,historiansandscholarshavegenerallyignoredit. Could this device be evidence that a period of technological devolution, as ageneraltrend,tookplaceovermanythousandsofyearsinfieldssuchasmathematics,mapmaking,mechanics,andmore?Canthesameclaimbemadeforwaveandparticletheory?Wasmuchmoreknown,muchearlieron, thancurrentevidencesupportsortheacademicworldiswillingtoaccept?

Nothinglessthanamajorshiftintheapproachtothesemysteriesneedstooccurfor a full debate and examination of the facts and theories to take placewithin theestablishedacademiccommunity.ThefactisthattheAntikytheraDeviceexists,asdomany other anomalies of science.No, they don’t fit into the context of establishedhistory,buttofailtoconsiderthemaspartofalargerpicturethatisfarfromcompletedoesagreatdisservicetothepursuitofknowledge.

The ancients may have seen the electromagnetic forces of the universe as thesingle common denominator of nature, of all that exists in the physical as well asnonphysicalworld. Ifso, theywouldhaveseen theelectromagneticspectrumas themediumonwhichallexistencerecordsitself.Learningtomanipulateandharnessthepropertiesofthatfieldwouldbetheultimatepower,thepowerofthegods.

Fromthefirst timeahumantossedapebble intoapondofwater, thedynamics,properties,andlawsofwavepropagationwereevidentforhimtoexamineandtest.Inairasinwater, thesepropertiesfollowmanyconsistent traits:Greaterpowercreateslargerwaves,andwavescouldeasilyberegulatedanddirected.Coulditbethatourancestors understood the subtle properties of electromagnetic waves and particle

fieldsandevenmanipulated them,harnessing thepowerofnatureand thepoweroftheunseenspectrum?Asif togive thegameaway, theyplacedcluesforus tofind.Alloftheirrituals,theirreligions,cults,gods,demigods,thewholeoftheirliveswerelinkedtothecyclesoftheuniverse.Anditisimportanttorecognizethatthisishowtheancientsunderstoodthepowersoftheuniverse,throughtheirgods.Perhapstheydidnotconceiveofelectromagneticpoweraswedo,butratherasgod-givensignsandsignals,asthepowerofthegods,tobetappedintobyhumans.

ELEVEN

TheGulfofKhambhat

DOESTHECRADLEOFANCIENTCIVILIZATIONLIEOFFTHECOASTOFINDIA?

S.BADRINARYAN

Itwasgenerallybelievedthatwell-organizedcivilizationscouldnothaveexistedpriorto 5500 BCE.Many were reluctant to accept the flood myths mentioned in manyancientreligiouswritings.TherecentdiscoverymadeintheGulfofKhambhat,India,shockedmanyandmadesomesitupandwatchwithinterest.Itclearlyestablishedtheexistenceofanancientcivilizationthatwassubmergedinthesea.Themethodologyadoptedwasnovelanddifferent,whereinadvancedmarinetechnologiesandthemostmodern scientific applications of various disciplines were put to best use. Thetraditional but conservative archaeologists found it hard to accept that a majordiscoverycouldhavebeenmadebyhithertounapplied,unheard-oftechniques.Someobserved and understood the importance of the discovery and came out in opensupport.

Initially,when the side-scan sonar images of underwater structureswere shown,some called it the magic of computer software. When hundreds of artifacts werecollected and shown, traditional archaeologists opined that the artifacts could havebeen transported by using the ancient river! Detailed scientific studies were againundertakentoprovethattheartifactsareinsitu.Thecriticismhasdrivenustoadoptmostmoderntechnologiesandscientificmethodologiesavailableintheworld,whichhavecompletelysubstantiatedourfindings,andtheresultswerepublishedasresearchpapersinreputedinternationaljournals.NowseveralauthorsarequotingtheGulfofKhambhat work as a standard benchmark methodology for modern marinearchaeological surveysand investigations.Thediscoveryhas clearly established thepossibility of ancient civilizations that were submerged due to flooding by risingseawatersafterthelasticeage.

Theoldestcity-statecivilizationwas thought tobeMesopotamia,dating to5500BCE.An extensivemature civilization also stood in the northwestern part of IndiaadjoiningPakistanandAfghanistan.Thisisthewell-known“Harappan”civilization,which lasted between 5300 and 2800 BCE. This includes major ruined cities likeMohenjoDaro,Harappa,andDholavira,aswellasvillages,craftcenters,campsites,riverstations,fortifiedplaces,andports.Thecitieshadwell-linedstreets,arrangedinstraightlines,properdrainage,sanitaryarrangements,andexcellentwater-conveyingsystems, including check dams for storing water. Usage of a variety of artifacts,metallic objects, many types of potteries, and the construction of huge structurescould not have happened overnight. So there was obviously a major missing linkbetweentheancienthunter-gatherergroupofpeopleandthe“Harappan”civilization.

In India, there were many Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic Stone Agecultures.Butnoneof themhaveany remote resemblance to the typeof civilizationfound in theHarappan sites. It is possible that themissing link between the two iseither undercover or has been submerged due to major sea level rise caused bymeltingicesheets.Itisawell-establishedfactthatduringthelastglacialmaxima(iceage),theseasallovertheworldshrank;thesealevelaround18,000BCEwasabout426.5feet (130meters)belowthepresent-daysea level.So, it is logical to lookforsuch submerged civilizations near areas surrounding the present-day Indian coastalareas,especiallyalongthepaleochannelofvariousrivers.

National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), an undertaking of the Indiangovernment,hasbeencarryingoutseveralmultidisciplinarymarinesurveysalongtheIndian coastal areas for various purposes. During the course of a few geologicalsurveysinGujaratintheGulfofKhambhat,NIOTcameacrossriverpaleochannelsinthe sea.Thesewere seen tobe the extensionof thepresent-daymajor riversof thearea.

Inasimilarmarinesurvey,inacoastalresearchshipduring1999–2000whentheauthorwasthechiefscientist,severalunusualframesofside-scansonarimageswereencountered. These had square and rectangular features in an arranged geometricfashion,whicharenotexpectedinthemarinedomain.Suchfeaturesareunlikelytobeduetonaturalmarinegeologicalprocesses.Thismadetheauthorsuspectthathumanworkmanshipmusthavebeeninvolved.Thesurveyswerefollowedupbytheauthorinthefollowingyears,andacoupleofpaleochannelsofoldriverswerediscoveredinthemiddleoftheKhambhatareaunder65.6–131.2foot(20–40meter)waterdepths,atadistanceofabout12.4miles(20kilometers)fromthepresent-daycoast.

TheGulfofKhambhatformsafunnel-shapedentrantoftheArabianSea,sandwichedbetweenmainlandGujaratandtheSaurashtrapeninsulainthewest.Thisgulfis83.9miles (135kilometers) long in anorth-southdirection, and ismore than62.1miles

(100kilometers)atitswidestpart.Itisoneoftheroughestandmostcomplicatedseasof the world, and covers an area of about 1,158.3 square miles (3,000 squarekilometers). Several major rivers, including the Narmada, Tapi, Sabarmathi, Mahi,andtheChathranji,drain into it. Ithasamacro-tidalrangeof39.4feet(12meters),and the currents are up to eight knots. The sea is often subjected to severe windsresultinginveryroughconditions.

This type of turbulence churns the seabed and produces enormous quantities ofsilt,makingtheseawaterbrownishandturbid,withtheresultthatitisimpervioustolightrays.Thecombinedeffectoftheseconditionsmakesthispartofthecountryunfitfordivingandunderwateroperations,andmakesunderwatervideographyimpossible.Hence,onlyinstrumentsoperatedontheprincipleofsound,likesonarandmagneticequipment, couldworkhere.This includes side-scan sonar, the sub-bottomprofiler,andthemultibeamecosounder,apartfromthemarinemagnetometer.

The term“sonar” stands for “soundnavigation and ranging.”Sonar is a sensingstrategythatmeasuresfeaturesofanenvironment(ormedium)bythewayinwhichthat environment transmits, reflects, and/or absorbs acoustic (sound) waves. Theseabed is a little-understoodenvironmentdue to its inaccessibility and resistance tolarge scale detailed analysis. Sonar represents a clear approach of looking at theseafloor.

Side-scan sonar uses sound waves to produce images of the seafloor. The hardareas reflectmore energy and are seen as dark shades,whereas softer areas do notreflect energy as well and are represented by lighter shades. This “backscatter” isabsentbehindobjectsorfeaturesthatriseabovetheseafloor,andarerepresentedaswhiteshadowsinthesonarimage.Thedimensionsofshadowsareusedtoinfer thesizeoftheobjects.Thesystemusedwasadigitalone,whichprovideshigh-resolutionsonarimagesoftheseafloorthroughadvanceddigitaltechnologyinthe100and400kHz frequency. The unit is connected to a Differential Global Positioning System(DGPS)fortheaccuratepositionofthesurveyvesseland,inturn,thatoftheobjects.

Inthesesurveysitwastheside-scansonarthatgaveexcellentresultssupportedbyothersystems.Initiallytwomajorpaleochannelsofriverswererecognized.Onewasoveralengthof5.7miles(9.2kilometers)andanotherover5.6miles(9kilometers).Whentheseweresampled,itwasseenthatjustbelowathinmarinesedimentcoverofa few centimeters were river alluvium and pebbles typical of terrestrial riversediments, below which typical river conglomerates were observed at depth. Suchevidenceclearlyindicatedthattheareapresentlyunderwaterwasoriginallydryland,overwhichriverswereflowing.Duetodifferentfactors,theygotsubmergedandnowliebeneaththesea.

Thesonar imagesshowed regulargeometricpatterns inonepaleochannelovera

lengthof5.6miles(9kilometers)intheseaabout12.4miles(20kilometers)westofthe Hazira coastal area. Associated with this on either side of the paleochannel,basementlikefeaturesinagridpatternwereobservedatawaterdepthof65.6–131.2feet(20–40meters).Theseresembleanurbanhabitationsite;pitlikestructurescanbeseen in the basement on the ocean floor.Another paleochannel over 5.7miles (9.2kilometers)wasdetectedofftheSuvalicoastalarea.Here,also,similarfeatureswereobserved. In general, the basementlike features were located in a linear east-westdirectiononeithersideofthepaleochannel.Itisseenthatthesefeaturesare16.4by13.1 feet (5 by 4 meters) on the eastern side, whereas the westernmost part haddimensionsof52.5by49.2feet(16by15meters).Thehabitationsitesareallseentobelaidinastrictgridindicatingagoodsenseoftownplanningbytheancients.

Therewasalsoevidenceofwaterconductingsystems,includingcanals.Allthesepointtoaproperlyplannedtownship,withahighlevelofknowledgeandpracticebytheancients.Thearea ingeneral is seen tobecoveredbysandwaves,whichoccurabovetheseabed.Oftenthesecoverthedwelling,buteventhentheshapescouldbemade out.Apart from the regular sites of habitation, the side-scan sonar picked upimagesofseveralbigstructures.Someofthesestructuresareasfollows:

There is a rectangular 134.5 by 82 feet (41 by 25 meters) shaped depression,whereinonecanseestepsgraduallygoingdowntoreachadepthofabout23feet(7meters).Surroundingthisdepression,thereisawall-likeprojectiononallsites.Onecouldobserveaninletandoutletandalsoaseparateenclosure.Thislookslikeatankorbathingfacilitynowoccurringbelow131.2feet(40meters)ofseawater.Itoccursnear thewesternperipheryof the town.It resembles theGreatBath that is foundintheruinsofMohenjoDaroandHarappa,wherethesealsooccuronthewesternsideofthe township. There are two divisions in the tank, which may represent separateenclosuresformenandwomenorforsociallyhigherandlowercategoriesofpeople.Therearetwoopenings,probablyforinletandexitofwatertokeepthewaterinthetankfreshandclean.

Inoneofthestructuresonecanobservealong,linear,prominent,andwell-madebasement measuring 656.2 by 147.6 feet (200 by 45 meters). It nestles on highground,andstepsapproachthestructureontherightcorner.Insidethestructureareseveralsquare-shaped,roomlikefeaturesthatare59feet(18meters)andhigher,andthataresurroundedbyfortifications.

These structures resemble those of theCitadel area ofMohenjoDaro,Harappa,andDholavira,wheresimilarstructuresoccuratthewesternextremity,againonhighground.Thestructurewaslikelyanadministrativebuildingmeantforsupervisingthecivic activities of the township, or could have been a place of worship. Pieces offossilizedhumanandanimalbones, aswell asnatural teeth,were recoveredduring

samplingontheeasternsideoftheCitadel.The sonar image picked up a major, dilapidated structure measuring 623.4 by

278.9 feet (190 by 85 meters), with spaces separated by what look like collapsedwalls.Infrontofthestructure,onthebottomside,thereareseveralrectangular,8.2to11.5 by 19.7 feet (2.5–3.5 by 6 meters) basement structures resembling minordwellings.Thesecouldhavebeenancientgranariesforthetownship,probablywithadwellingplacefortheworkersnearby.Somefossilizedfoodgrainshadbeencollectedin theneighboring areas.Thegranary is a regular feature inmanyof theHarappansites.

There isalsoabasementofaburiedsettlement, and itmeasures242.8by157.5feet(74by48meters).Ithasregularsquare,rectangular,andarchshapes.Thedarkerportionsaretheelevatedorstandoutfeatures.Theseindicatethattherearestillsomeconstructed portions partly standing up. A few square and rectangular-shapedbasementsarealsovisibletothenorthofthestructure.

Themainstructuremeasures131.2by62.3feet(40by19meters),withwall-likedarkfeaturesrisingto6.6–9.8feet(2–3meters)abovetheseabed.Aseriesofsteplikefeatures can be seen on the right side of the structure. To one corner of the mainstructure, a 36 by 23 feet (11 by 7meters) rectangular depression that looks like asmalltankorpondcanalsobeobserved.

Sub-bottom profiler surveys penetrate the seabed, instead of reflecting soundwavesfromitalaside-scansonar.Thewaves travelbeneath theseabedindifferentformations in different speeds, and the instrument collects the reflection data overselectedfrequencies.Itprovidesgooddepthinformationongeologicalfeatures,apartfromdelineatinganysuspectedburiedanthropogenicstructures.

Standout features, which appear to be the basement and foundations of thestructurewerepickedupbelowthe656.2by147.6feet(200by45meters),citadel-likestructure.Thesefeatureswerepickedupat regular intervals. It isobserved thatthe foundations have been dug up to 16.4–19.7 feet (5–6meters) in the soil, overwhich broad, columnlike features have been constructed, probably to help bear theloadofthehugestructureabove.

Belowtheburiedsettlementofthe242.8by157.5feet(74by48meters)structureareman-madefoundationslikecolumnsthatcanbeclearlyseenemergingfrombelowtheseabed,andoccurasstandoutfeatures.Here,thefoundationshavebeendugupto9.8–13.1feet(3–4meters)deepinthesoil.Thistypeofplanningandconstructionbyancient peoples clearly reveals that they had a very good knowledge of civil andstructural engineering, wherein broader and deeper foundations were provided forbigger and heavier structures, and thinner and shallower foundations forcomparativelysmallerstructures.Likewise,almostallofthestructures,includingthe

dwelling sites, indicate a good amount of planning and design, taking intoconsiderationthestructuralaspects.

Magnetic surveyswere carried out by deploying a high-resolution cesiumvapormarinemagnetometer.Thesurveywasforobservingmagneticsignaturesoccurringasanomaliesofsubsurfacemagneticbodiesinthearea.Theinstrumentwascapableofsensingup to0.001nT(nano-tesla)at1sample rate.Thevalueswerecorrected fordiurnalvariationsoastoremovethetemporalvariationintheEarth’smagneticfield.The correctedmagnetic field value is a result of themarinemagnetic components;regionalgeologicalfeaturesareverydeep-seatedinoriginandhavedepthpersistence,whereas one should look for very shallow and near-seabed anomalies that do notextendindepth.Severalshallow,near-surfaceanomalieswerepickedup,rangingindepthfrom3.3feet(1meter)belowsurfacetoasmuchas164feet(50meters).

Thedeep-seatedanomaliesareat leastbelow1,312.3 feet (400meters) fromtheseabedsurface.Thenear-surfaceanomaliesarecoveredbytopsedimentsingeneral,andare likely tobearchaeological sites, tobeexaminedandexplored later.Due tothesesurveys,avastareahasnowacquiredimportanceforarchaeologicalpurposes—including areas thatwere not picked up earlier by side-scan images.These surveysthereforeenhancetheareaofarchaeologicalinterest.Thiswasobviouslyanextensivecivilization, the remains and ruins of which have since been covered by shiftingshoals, sandwaves, and tectonism,which are very common features in theGulf ofKhambhat.

Eventhoughavarietyofobjectsandartifactswerecollectedinsettlements,doubtswereexpressedbysomepersonsastowhetherthesecouldhavebeentransportedbypaleochannels andmight, in fact, not be in situ. To clear up such doubts, detailedgeochemicalanalyseswerecarriedout.Tengeologicalsoilsamplesandtenartifactswere chosen from the Gulf of Khambhat area. Since trace elements like titanium,hafnium, and thorium—as well as rare earth elements (REE)—are immobile, theypreservetheirsignaturewithoutalteration,andhencereflecttheirprimarypetrogeniccharacter.ThesetwentyselectedrepresentativesampleswereanalyzedusinganICPmassspectrometer.

The leaching of light rare earth elements and a prominent European anomalysuggests there is a one-to-one match between the archaeological material andKhambhatbedsediments.Theternaryandbinaryplotsofboththematerialsshowtheclustering of all samples in one place, indicating the samples are of the same hostchemistry and are in situ. In other words, the archaeological materials are nottransported,butaremadefromlocallyavailablematerialonly.

To substantiate the findings, detailed sampling was carried out. Since the seaconditionwasveryrough,andthewaterturbidandbrown,samplingwascarriedout

inareaswhereside-scan imagesshowexcellent results.Thesampleswerecollectedbyutilizingagrabsampler,dredger,gravitycorer,andvibrocorer.Largenumbersofsampleswere carefully collected, systematically numbered, and properly preserved.Theartifactscollectedincludedavarietyofpotterypieces,Mesolithicstonetools,afewPaleolithicmacrostone tools,beadsmadeofsemipreciousstones,brickpieces,hearthmaterial, wattle and daub structurematerials, corals, perfectly holed stones,fossilizedhumanremains,andhumanteeth.

Threepotsherdpieceswerealsounearthed.Theseareunfiredandnormally sun-dried,made of clay, and are of great antiquity.They display a crosslike object andsomefigurines.Thereisalsoapieceintheshapeofadeer’shead,andawell-turnedornamental piecewith a straight hole in the center.How the ancientswere able tomaketheseinstoneisstillanenigma.

Four additional, important objects were unearthed. The first was a fossilizedjawbone(mandible)withanaturaltoothkeptinfront.Thesecondobjectwaspartofacarbonized wooden log. This was obtained from the top stratigraphic column at adepth of about 30–40 centimeters below the seabed, andwas sent for dating.Alsounearthedwererolledobjectsandlonglinearbeadsthat,whenstrungtogether,formanecklace.Aswell,linearbeadsmadeofstonewerefound,withholesinthemiddle.

AseriesofMicrolithictoolswerecollectedatvariouslocations.MicrolithictoolsaregenerallycharacteristicoftheMesolithicperiodandarefoundbetweenPaleolithicandNeolithicStoneAgeperiods.Thecharacteristic featuresofMesolithic toolsarethat, unlike the earlier Paleolithic stone tools, these are much smaller, normallybetweenonetofivecentimetersinlength,andaremadeoffinelycraftedsemipreciousstones. These include quartz, chert, jasper, flint, chalcedony, agate, and corundum.About248suchtoolswerecollectedbysampling.Thetoolsincludedabakedbladewith a serrated edge, point, point on flakes, lunate, scraper, cores with negativechipping,andaborer.Thetoolshavebothgeometricandnongeometricforms.

The Mesolithic period of western India revealed the existence of their culturalphases,namelyaceramicandceramic.Ingeneral,theMesolithicsitesconfirmedtheexistence of a ceramic phase in its later part, containing other materials besidespotteriesandMicrolithictools,likewattleandclayshredsforhouseconstructionandflooring. The Mesolithic sites are comparatively larger. Here the hunting andgatheringwayof lifewas replacedbyorganized foodproduction.Holedstones thatappeared in the late Paleolithic became prominent in the Mesolithic. These holedstonesappeartohavebeenusedasweightsindiggingsticksandasnetsinkersbythefishingfolks. Ingeneral,asedentary formof livingheralded thebeginningofotherassociated cultural artifacts like pottery, living in well-built houses like wattle andclay,orofsun-driedandfiredbricks.

Avariety of classic collections ofMicrolithic toolsweremade.These include athumbnailscraper toskin thesmallanimals,withanobliquely truncatedflutedcoremadeofredcorundumapartfromborersandpoints.Usageofcorundumissomethingunique, as it is the second hardestmaterial known after diamond (as per theMohsscale of hardness). The red and blue transparent varieties of corundum are thegemstones ruby and sapphire. This is the first reported usage of corundum as amicrolithictoolinIndia,andmaybeintheworld.

Other tools include a Microlithic blade made of chert and quartz for cuttingpurposes,aMicrolithicsidescraper,andaMicrolithictoolpointwithaserratededge.Apartfromthese,piecesofhearthmaterialhavebeencollected.Thesewereusedforfiringandheating,andhenceareverygoodfordatingpurposes.Piecesoflightweight,hollowcirclelikematerialshavebeencollectedinvariousplaces.Thesemaybeslagpiecesfromtheextractionofmetal;theancientsmighthavehadsomeknowledgeofmetallurgy.

Potterypiecesofvarioustypeshavebeencollected.Theseincludeabrokenbowl,coarse red-ware, pottery pieces embedded inmudwalls, slow-wheel-turned potterypieces,piecesofjarlid,potterypieceswithsomecordimpressionandaveryancientfragment of pottery, possibly amongst the oldest so far collected anywhere in theworld.

Even thoughmost of the artifacts areof theMesolithic period, therewere somePaleolithic tools thatweremucholder. It shows thatpeoplehavebeen living in theKhambhat area for quite some time. One example is the bifacial scraper, a verycharacteristicUpperPaleolithicstonetoolmadeofchert.Similarstonetoolswerealsopresent—but many of them, due to long submergence and rolling in the seabed,appeartohavehadtheiredgessmoothedout.

A thorough examination of the macro and micro levels of soil in the Gulf ofKhambhat brought to light a wealth of plant material typical of the land domain.Extensive studies are being carried out by a botany professor, and the studiesmayinitiateanewbranchinmarinearchaeology,perhapscalled“marinearchaeobotany.”So far, prominent plant species identified include palm, coconut, bamboo, and thearecaplant.Manyofthemarefossilized.

All these were recognized under themicroscope. Themajor wooden log, whentaken out of the seabed,was very fresh, dark, and hard, and showed growth rings.Within a couple of days of exposure to the atmosphere, the wooden log shrankcompletely and developed cracks. It has given an important date to the area. Thisspecies has been tentatively identified as hardwood,much like rosewood.All thesefacts point to well-grown trees and foliage, with lots of good fresh water and asomewhatwarmclimateatthetimeoftheirgrowthinthearea.

Harddarkalluviumandtypicalriverconglomeratearefoundinthepaleochannelbelowtheseabed.Theyclearlyindicateafreshwateralluvialenvironment.Severalinsitu pieces of alluvium and conglomerate have been collected. All these factorsclearlyestablishthatthepaleochannelswereoriginallywell-flowingriversintheland,whichweresubsequentlysubmergedbythesea.

As some people have expressed doubts about the pottery pieces, a thoroughscientificstudywasmadeinvolvingthepotterypiecestoestablishtheirauthenticity.To determine the properties of various materials, including pottery, many samplesweresubjectedtoX-raydiffraction(XRD)analysis.Sincethematerialsthatconstitutepotteryareclays,andaheterogeneousmixtureofavarietyofmaterials, thesewereanalyzedaccordingly.Everyareahasaspecial fingerprintpattern in theclay,whichcanberecognizedunderX-raydiffraction.

The above analysis was carried out in Deccan College, Pune, in the state ofMaharashtra, India, by using an advanced instrument, the energy dispersiveX-Rayfluorescence spectrometer that gave excellent results. The conclusion is that thepatternofpotterypiecescorrespondsverywellwiththelocallyavailableclayoftheGulf ofKhambhat.Themineral patterns of habitational floor,wattle anddaub, andlandmaterials(alluvialdeposit)arecomparable.Thepatternsoffiredclay,brickfloorpieces,andvitrifiedclaycompareverywell.

All these indicate that they are genuine artifacts, made from locally availablematerial, and are in situ. It fully confirms the presenceof archaeological sites.Thefindings indicate that the pottery was produced locally with levigated clay, fireduniformly at about 700°C.From thepresenceof calcite in clay andpottery, arid tosemi-arid environmental conditions prior to the submergence of the site could bededuced.CalcitizedalluvialdepositsindicatetheexistenceofancientriversthatonceflowedinthesubmergedregionsoftheGulfofKhambhat.

Dating of Samples: Most of the structures that were discovered in the Gulf ofKhambhat had many similarities to the Citadel, Great Bath, and grid-iron patternhabitation site granaryof theHarappan civilization.However,manyof the artifactsandtypologywereverydifferentanddistinctive,and,with thepresenceofsomanymicrotools,appearedtobemucholderthantheHarappan.Toestablishthecredibilityand ageof the civilization, itwas essential to date different objects and artifacts toestablishtheperiodoftheKhambhatcivilization.

There are many different types of dating of archaeological artifacts—carbondating, thermoluminescence, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating,acceleratormass spectrometry (AMS) dating, dendrochronology archaeomagnetism,electron spin resonance dating, Potassium-Argon dating, and cation-ratio dating. Inall, about twenty-three datable objects were selected, covering both of the

paleochannels. From the samples obtained from the marine archaeological sites, itwasclearthatthefollowingmethodswouldbemostsuitable,andafairlyaccurateagedetermination can be obtained from them. These are ¹⁴C radiocarbon dating,radiocarbon dating by accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS), thermoluminescence(TL),andopticallystimulatedluminescence.

Radiocarbondating is amethod forobtainingageestimatesonorganicmaterial,and is effective from the present back to amaximum of 50,000BCE. Radioactivecarbon(¹⁴C)isproducedintheatmosphereandisabsorbedbyplants;theradioactivecarbonentersthehumanandanimalcyclewhentheplantsareeatenbyanimalsandhumanbeings.Theabsorbingof¹⁴Cisstoppedwhenalivingorganismdies,and¹⁴Cstartstodisintegrate.Howmuch¹⁴Cisdisintegratedandhowmuchisleftoutcanbemeasured,andtherateatwhichitdisintegratesisknown.Fromthistheageoforganicobjects like trees, corals, human remains, and shells can be determined. For agedeterminationtests,about50–100goforganicmaterialisnecessary.

In the AMS, amuch smaller organic sample on the order of 1–2milligrams isenoughtocalculatetheage.Thishasseveraladvantagesovertheregular¹⁴Cmethod.The thermoluminescence (TL) method is mainly used for rocks, soil materials,pottery,andothermaterialsthatwerefired.Itisbasedontheprinciplethatalmostallnatural minerals are thermoluminescent. Energy absorbed from ionizing radiationfrees electrons, which are trapped. Later heating releases the trapped electrons,producing light.Measurementof the intensityof the lightcanbeused todeterminehow much time has passed since the last time the object was heated. Naturalradioactivity causesTL tobuildup, so that theolder anobject is, themore light isproduced.Sinceacertainamountofheating(generallyupto350°C)isrequired,TLworks best for ceramics, cooking hearths, fired bricks, fire cracked rocks, or firetreatedmineralssuchasflintorchert.

OSLissimilar toTLdating.Theminerals inthesedimentgrainsaresensitivetolight;whenexposedtolight,theelectronsvacatethesedimentgrains.Thisprocessiscalledrecombination,oraclock-settingevent.Todetecttheage,thecomparisonmustbe made between sediment grain with a known amount of added radiation andsedimentgrainsthatareacteduponnaturally.Thismethodissuitableforavarietyofunheated sediments not older than 500,000 years. This includes silty and sandysedimentsthataredepositedbywater.

The selected samples for various types of dating were sent to some reputedinstitutes in India,OxfordUniversity inEngland,and toHannover,Germany.Somesamples were repeated in different institutes to get confirmation of the age. Theresults tallied verywell. The datable objectswere selected to represent both of thepaleochannels. However, comparatively fewer datable samples were obtained from

the southern paleochannel. In the northern paleochannel, alluvial samples werecollectedatdifferentdepthstogainanideaabouttheageofalluvium,aswellastheriver.Ofthetwenty-threetotalsamplesthatweredated,the¹⁴Cmethodwasfollowedinfoursamples,theTLmethodinsixsamples,andtheOSLinthirteensamples.

The alluvium samples of the northern paleochannel were tested by ManipurUniversity at the behest of NIOT. The top alluvium collected just below marinesedimentwasdatedtoaround3000BCE,andaslightlyloweralluviumgaveanageofabout 5000 BCE. A black alluvium that was somewhat semi-consolidated, andcollectedabove the river conglomerate,gaveanageof19,000BCE.Obviously theriverhasbeenflowingatleastbetween19,000BCE,priortoglacialmaxima,andupto3000BCE.Thisshowsthatthepaleochannelinthenorthwasactive,andariverineregimeexistedfromatleastabout19,000BCE.Astheareaandthepaleochanneltothesouthwereproventobeahydrocarbon-richzone,severaloil-andgas-producingwellsandplatformshavebeenputupalongwithChristmastrees,andseveraloilandgas pipelines are crisscrossing the area. Due to these factors, no further samplingbeyondthepreliminaryonecouldbeundertakeninviewofthesafetyandrestrictionsintheoilproductionareas.Thewaterdepthsofthealluvialsamplescollectedinthenorthernpaleochannelvariedfrom20to32meters.

Inthesoutherntownshiporpaleochannelarea,sixsamplessuitablefordatingwereidentified. Of these, three are carbonized wooden samples, one was a sedimentsample,onewasafiredpotterypiece,andonewashearthmaterial.Samplesfromthesame carbonized wood were sent to National Geophysical Research Institute,Hyderabad, India, and Geowissenschaftliche Gemeinschaftsaufgabe, Hannover,Germany, for carbon dating.Thiswas the first sample (Location 21° 03.08'N; 72°30.83'E)fromnear thesouthernpaleochannel.Thisfirstgaveaclue to theageandenvironment of the civilization. The calibrated age, as per NGRI, was 9580–9190BCEand, asperHannover Institute,was9545–9490BCE. Itmeans that the age isabout9500BCE,morethanfourthousandyearsolderthantheoldestcitycivilizationofMesopotamiaandaforerunnertotheHarappancivilization.Butthisoccurrednearthetopofthestratigraphiccolumn.Becauseofthis,itwasexpectedthatatthelowerlevels the agewould bemuch older, showing that the civilization could be a trulyancientone.

ThewoodenpiecetestedatBirpalSaniInstituteatLucknow,UttarPradesh,gaveacalibrated age of 8450 BCE. However, two important artifacts were obtained in anearby area at lower levels. Thesewere a nice, thin pottery and a brownish to redhearth material. A local clay sediment was also chosen along with it. All threesamples were analyzed in the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, GujaratState, using standard thermoluminescence-based pottery dating techniques. As

expected, theoneof thepotterypiecewhose figure isgiven,gaveadateof13,000±1950BCE.Thisisanimportantdate.

Anotherpotterypiecethatwasill-fired,onOSLdating(Location21°12.54'N;72°30.370'E)byOxfordUniversitygave an ageof16,840±2620BCE.These are theoldest fired pottery pieces obtained so far in the world. Previous to this, Japanesepotterywastheoldestknownintheworld.The“Jomon”potteryfromtheFukuicavein Kyushu gave 12,000 BCE uncalibrated age. The pottery findings from OdaiYamamoto gave an uncalibrated age of 13,800–13,500 BCE. In the Gulf ofKhambhat,attemptsappeartohavebeenmadeinexperimentalpotterymaking.Thisisdeterminedfromtheeffectsoffiredclay(formakingpottery),whichgavetheagesof20,130±2170BCE(Location21°13.720'N;72°26.190'E)and16,600±1150BCE(Location 21° 13.80' N; 72° 26.10' E) by OSL, as determined by the OxfordUniversitydatinglab.Thewell-firedthreepotteriesinthenorthernpaleochannelgaveages of 7506 ±785BCE, 6097 ±611BCE (both byManipurUniversity) and 4330±1330BCEbyOxfordUniversity.

Apartfromthissun-driedpottery,otherpieceswerecollectedintheseareas.ThreeofthespecimensweredatedbyOSLfacilityinOxford.Theresultsobtainedare:

1.31,270±2050BCE2.25,700±2790BCE3.24,590±2390BCE

Ablackslippeddish,whichwasalsosundried,wasdatedinOxfordbyOSL.Thisgaveanageof26,710±1950BCE.Thehearthmaterialfromthesoutherntownship(Location 21° 03.04' N; 72° 30.70' E) by TL dating from Physical ResearchLaboratory, Ahmedabad, gave an age of 10,000 ±1500 BCE, whereas the hearthmaterial near the top in the northern township gave an age of 3530 ±330BCE byOSL,atOxfordUniversity.Oneofthecharcoalpiecesobtainedonthenorthernsidewastestedby¹⁴CdatinginBSIP,Lucknow.Itgavethecalibratedageof3000BCE.Ittalliesverywellwiththeageofuppermostalluviuminthenorthernpaleochannel.

Thewattleanddaubmaterialsthatwereoriginallyofwoodandclaywereseentobeburnt,butthestructureofthewoodwaswellpreservedatplaces(beingfossilized).TheseweretestedbyOSLatOxfordandbyTLatManipurfromthesamelocations.OSLdatingfoundit tobe5860±720BCE,andTLdatingdeterminedit tobe5530±550BCE.Theyappeartobeacomparativelygoodmatchandtheyreflecttheproperages.Theymayrepresenttheperiodatwhichthesestructurescaughtfire.

From this information it is quite clear thathumanactivity is evident fromabout31,000BCEinwhatisnowtheGulfofKhambhat,longbeforetheglacialmaximaat

18,000BCE.Theancientsweremakingpotteriesandgettingthemdried,initiallyinthesun.Fromabout20,000BCEon,itisclearthattheancientswerefiringtheclaytoproduce pottery. That means they knew how to make, maintain, and manage fire.Theyappeartohavesucceededinmakingfiredpotteryfromabout16,800BCE.Theyknewtheartofconstructionoftownsandhousesinneatstraightlines,rowafterrow,aspickedupbyside-scansonarimages(alsotheuseofwattleanddaubstructuresandrammedfloor).

Both the northern and southern townships have continuous habitation sitesinterspersedwithlargestructuresinbetween,butgoodqualityfiredpotterymakesitsappearancefromabout13,000BCEon—inthesoutherntownship(wecancallthemmetropolises),thereappearstobeorganizedactivityintheformofcommunityliving,and a granary (where fossilized food grains were collected). To the south of thistownship,intheGulfofKhambhat,side-scansonarpickedupadrowneddeadcoralcolonyabout1,312.3feet(400meters)longand65.6feet(20meters)wideinwaterdepthsofabout131.2feet (40meters), substantiated laterbysampling. It isawell-known fact that these corals live inhardly6.6 to9.8 feet (2–3meters)waterdepthverynearcoastalareas.Theyrequireacleanenvironmentandgoodsunlight.

Obviously, the southern metropolis appears to have been near a seacoast at aparticularpointoftime,whenthemetropolisitselfstoodondrylandwithagoodfree-flowingriver,andwasamajorbustlingcity.Thedatingofcoralcoloniesbydrillcore,likeotherplaces,willprovidethedateofthebeginningofcoralbuild-upinthearea,and the top sample of coralwill reveal the age atwhich itwas drowned, giving adirectcluetothedrowningofthesouthernmetropolis.Itisworthwhiletonotethatthedatable objects, as found, only date up to 8450 BCE, based on the age of thecarbonizedwood.

Thenorthernmetropolishaswell-madepotterypieces,wattleanddaub,andsoonfromabout7506BCEonward.Thisindicateswell-organizedcityliving.Henceit ispossible that thismetropolissprangupafter8450BCE,but longbefore7506BCE,perhapsafterthesubmergenceofthesouthernmetropolis.Theancientsappeartohaveshiftedandfoundedthenorthernmetropolis.However,thevariousearlierdatesfromsun-driedpotsandothermaterialsindicatethatitwasunderconstanthabitation.

EvidencefromMicrolithicToolsApartfromPaleolithicmacrotools,severalpiecesofmicrotoolshavebeencollected.UsageofsuchtoolshasbeenreportedinAmerica,Europe,andotherplaces.InSouthAmerica, especially Brazil, the presence of human beings is reported from 14,000BCE and on, coinciding with big Pleistocene mammals. Research indicated that

between17,000 and7000BCE,most coastal plainswere lost due to sea level rise.SeveralMicrolithictoolsthatwererecoveredareseentooccurfrom10,970BCE.ButtheLagoaSantapeopleoccupyingtheseareasinBrazilsuddenlydisappearedbetween8000and7000BCE.InEurope, inFrance,Germany,Belgium,andothercountries,theMicrolithic tool period started around 11,800 BCE, taking back the age of theMesolithicperiod.TheMicrolithicperiodspreadtoseveralareasandlasteduptotheseventhmillenniumBCE.

In the Gulf of Khambhat, a variety of Microlithic tools have been obtained incontinuation of late Paleolithic tools. The presence of highly evolved experimentalpottery from 13,000BCE, organized living, sedentarywell-planned habitation, andadvanced sanitary and townplanning activities in the southernmetropolis indicatesthat ithaddevelopedtobeaestablishedcivilizationfromabout13,000BCE.Therewas already evidence for the control of fire and themaking of pottery from about16,840BCEandon.Thesouthernmetropolishassofarprovideddatableobjectsupto8500BCE.

Thewell-developednorthernmetropolishasdatesofcivilizationfromabout7506BCE. One should take into consideration the ideas of GrahamHancock, who alsopostulated that several cultures in near-coastal areas have been flooded andsubmergedbyrisingsealevelscausedbythemeltingoficecapssubsequenttothelastice age. The inundation maps prepared by Dr. Glen Milne of Durham University,England,clearlyshowthattheGulfofKhambhatareapriorto7600BCEwasmostlyland,andafter6900BCEitismostlysubmerged.ThistypeofriseinsealevelisverymuchsupportedbytheworkofDr.P.K.Banerjee,pertainingtothesoutheastcoastofIndia, the work of Shahidul Islam and M. J. Tooley in the Bay of Bengal inBangladeshandSenandBanerjee’sworknearCalcutta.

The area is highly prone to severe seismicity. In the past five hundred years,severalearthquakeshaveshakenthearea,includingthemajor8.0magnitudeRichterscale event on January 26, 2001. On January 16, 1819, an 8.3 magnitude eventdevastated several nearby areas. These quakes cause a lot of subsidence at someplaces,andelevationatotherplaces.

In theGulf ofKhambhat itself, various surveys have picked up fault zones andearthquake-affected areas with throws up to as much as 98.4 feet (30 meters)(elevation and depression). TheGulf ofKhambhatwas formed by amajor rift. Tounderstand the phenomenon and paleoseismic activity, NIOT commissioned Dr.Rajendran of CESS, Trivandrum, to carry out paleoseismic studies in the areasurrounding the Gulf of Khambhat. His path-breaking work of identifyingpaleoseismic events and dating them with OSL—and also dating nearby organicmaterial—has given excellent evidence to support the findings. He detected the

presence of sand blow layers caused by old earthquakes as well as new ones. Hiswork in peripheral land areas of the Gulf of Khambhat, like Kathana, Lotal, andMotibaur,gaveevidenceofmajorearthquakesintheKhambhatareasinthefollowingperiods:

1.2780±150BCE2.3983±150BCE3.7540±130BCE

Herein lies the evidence of the end of the Gulf of Khambhat civilization. In amajor event at about 7600 BCE, the southern metropolis appears to have beencollapsedbyfaulting,andsunkunderwater.Becauseofthis,thepeopleappeartohaveproceedednorthintheelevationhigherthanthesealevel,andestablishedthesecondornorthernmetropolis.Thiswasalsoaffectedbyfaultingduetoearthquakesaround4000BCE,andwasdestroyedandsubmergedbyanearthquakein2780BCE(±150years).Inthisconnection,itisworthwhiletopointoutthreeimportantaspects:

Thefolksongs(inlocalKachchidialogue)mentionaboutfourmajortownsoftheancient past. Three of these have been identified as Mohenjo Daro, Harappa, andDholavira. (Obviously the fourthone, and thebiggest andoldestof themall, is theGulfofKhambhatmetropolis.)

The second aspect is work by other agencies describing small-scale stone ruinsnear the Gulf of Kutch, at the present-day town of Dwarka, as the remains of theancient,fabledcityofDwaraka—soaptlydescribedastheabodeofLordKrishna,ofMahabharatafame.Thecityissaidtohavebeencompletelytransgressedbythesea,andthisisvividlydescribedbyArjuna,Krishna’smaindiscipleintheMahabharataepic.

Thepuzzling,incoherentaspectisthelocationofthecityofDwaraka.Thetempleweseetodayishardly900yearsold.Theareaallaroundisdry,voidofvegetation,andwithbrackishwater.Krishnaissupposedtohavemaintainedahugearmyofmen,as well as animals such as elephants and horses. There are absolutely no trees orfoliageorfreshwaterforabigarmy,sothelocationstrikesadiscordantnote.ButthesubmergedmetropolisoftheGulfofKhambhathasstrong,powerfulflowingrivers,lotsoftreesandfoliage,andahugetownshipoftrulyancienttimes.SothemetropolisintheGulfofKhambhatcouldlikelybethe“DwarakaCity”oftheMahabharata.

Thethirdaspecttoconsideriswhathappenedwhenthefirstandsecondmetropolisgotsubmerged.ItisinterestingtonotethatthereareaboutfivehundredHarappanandpre-HarappansettlementsinGujarat,ofwhichabout258areontheperipheralareasof the Gulf of Khambhat. All of them are younger than the southern Gulf of

Khambhat metropolis. To the immediate west of the Gulf of Khambhat on theSaurashtraCoastisthewell-knownpre-HarappanandHarappanarchaeologicalsiteofPadri. It has been established by the Deccan College researchers that the riverChatranji,which is now flowing east into theGulf ofKhambhat, originally flowedwest,butwastiltedtowardtheeastbylarge-scalestructuralchanges.

Byconnectingittothesouthernpaleochannelandextendingit,itisseentogotoPrabhas Patan in the Arabian sea, a well-known pre-Harappan archaeological sitementioned in theMahabharataepic.To the east, the paleochannel is seen to be anextensionofthepresent-dayTapiRiver.ObviouslytheriverwasflowingrightuptoPrabhasPatanon theArabian seaprior to thedriftingand formationof theGulfofKhambhat. It now falls into theGulf ofKhambhat insteadof theArabian sea.Theancients,after thecatastropheandsubmergence in theGulfofKhambhat,appear tohave spread out all over Gujarat and then to the surrounding areas to establish acontinuingandevolvingcivilizationofHarappantype.

So, from the foregoing it is very evident that the prehistoric civilization thatmaturedanddevelopedinthepresent-dayGulfofKhambhatwastheforerunnerandmodel of the subsequent advanced Harappan civilization known to history. Thiswonderful twin prehistoricmetropolis ofKhambhat lasted fromabout 13,000–3000BCE,making it themost ancient and largest city not only inAsia but in the entireworld. It is seen tobeat least7,500yearsolder than theoldestMesopotamiancity.However, strong evidence supports the presence of humans, from at least 31,000BCE,whowereevolvinganddeveloping,andwhoformedagreathithertounknowncivilization that was submerged by the flood, giving credence to local and globalfloodmyths.

TWELVE

TheOrionZone

ANCIENTSTARCITIESOFTHEAMERICANSOUTHWESTGRAYA.DAVID

OrionoftheHighDesert

To watch Orion ascend from the eastern horizon and assume its dominant winterposition at the meridian is a wondrous spectacle. Even more so, it is a startlingepiphanytoseethisconstellationriseoutofthereddustofthehighdesertasastellarconfigurationofAnasazicitiesbuiltbetweenthemid-eleventhcenturyandtheendofthethirteenthcenturyCE.TheskylooksdownwardtofinditsimagemademanifestintheEarth,whiletheEarthgazesupward,reflectingontheunificationofterrestrialandcelestial.

ExtendingfromthegianthandofArizona’sBlackMesa that jutsdownfromthenortheast,threegreatfingersofrockbeckon.TheyarethethreeHopimesas,isolateduponthisdesolatebutstarklybeautifullandscapetowhichtheAncientOnessolongagowereled.Directingourattentiontothis“CenteroftheWorld,”weclearlyseetheclosecorrelationtoOrion’sBelt.

Mintaka,adoublestarandthefirstofthetrinitytopeekovertheeasternhorizonas the constellation rises, corresponds to Oraibi and Hotevilla on Third (or West)Mesa. The former village is the oldest continuously inhabited community on thecontinent,foundedintheearlytwelfthcentury.

Approximatelysevenmilestotheeast,locatedatthebaseofSecond(orMiddle)Mesa, thevillageofShungopavi (initiallyknownasMasipa, a cognateof theHopiunderworld deityMasau’u) was reputedly the first to be established after the BearClanmigrated into the region around the year 1100 CE. Its celestial correlative is

Alnilam,themiddlestarofthebelt.About sevenmiles farther east on First (or East)Mesa, the adjacent villages of

Walpi,Sichomovi,andHano (orTewa)—the firstofwhichwasestablishedprior to1300CE—correspondtothetriplestarAlnitak,risingasthelastofthethreestarsofthebelt.

NearlyduenorthofThirdMesa’sOraibiatadistanceofjustoverfifty-sixmilesisBetatakinRuin inTsegiCanyon,while about fourmilesbeyond isKeetSeelRuin.LocatedinNavajoNationalMonument,bothofthesespectacularcliffdwellingswerebuilt during themid-thirteenth century.Their sidereal counterpart is the double starRigel, theleftfootorkneeofOrion.(WeareconceptualizingOrionasviewedfromthefront.)

Due south of Oraibi at an equal distance of fifty-sixmiles is Homol’ovi RuinsStatePark, agroupof fourAnasazipueblosconstructedbetween themid-thirteenthand early fourteenth centuries. These represent the irregularly variable starBetelgeuse,therightshoulderofOrion.

Forty-seven miles southwest of Oraibi is the primary Sinagua ruin at WupatkiNational Monument, surrounded by a few smaller ruins. (“Sinagua” is thearchaeological term for a group culturally similar and contemporaneous to theAnasazi.)Built in theearly twelfthcentury, theircelestialcounterpart isBellatrix,aslightlyvariablestarformingtheleftshoulderofOrion.

About fifty miles northeast of First Mesa’s village of Walpi is the mouth ofCanyondeChellyanditseponymousnationalmonument.Inthisanditssidecanyon,CanyondelMuerto,anumberofAnasaziruinsdatingfromthemid-eleventhcenturyarefound.Saiph,thetriplestarformingtherightfootorkneeofOrion,correspondstotheseruins—primarilyWhiteHouse,AntelopeHouse,andMummyCave.

ExtendingnorthwestfromWupatki/Bellatrix,Orion’sleftarmholdsashieldovernumerous smaller ruins in Grand Canyon National Park, including Tusayan nearDesert View on the south rim. Reaching southward from Homol’ovi/Betelgeuse,Orion’s right arm holds a nodule club above his head. This club stretches acrossMogollon Rim (an escarpment that cuts east to west across northern Arizona) anddown to the Hohokam ruins near modern-day Phoenix. (The “Hohokam” was anearlier group than the two previously mentioned. They used irrigated farmingmethods,ratherthandry.)

TheheadofOrionisasmallstellartriangleformedbyMeissaatitsapexandbyPhi-1 and Phi-2 Orionis at its base. It correlates to the Sinagua ruins at WalnutCanyon National Monument, together with a few smaller ruins in the immediateregion.

If we conceptualizeOrion not as the rectangle but as a polygon of seven sidesappendedtoanothertriangle,whosebaserestsontheconstellation’sshoulders,weseethat therelativeproportionsof theterrestrialOrioncoincidewithamazingaccuracy.The apparent distances between the stars as we see them in the constellation (asopposed toactual light-yeardistances),and thedistancesbetween thesemajorHopivillages or Anasazi/Sinagua ruin sites, are close enough to suggest that somethingmorethanmerecoincidenceisatworkhere.

Forinstance,fourofthesidesofthepolygon—A,BetatakintoOraibi;B,OraibitoWupatki; C, Wupatki to Walnut Canyon; and F, Walpi to Canyon de Chelly—areexactly proportional, while the remaining three sides—D, Walnut Canyon toHomol’ovi;E,Homol’ovitoWalpi;andG,CanyondeChellybacktoBetatakin—areslightlystretchedinrelationtotheconstellation—frombetweentenmilesinthecaseofDandEandtwelvemilesinthecaseofG.(Pleaseseefigure12.1)

Fig.12.1.Orionasapolygonofsevensides.

Thisvariationcouldbedueinparteithertopossiblecartographicdistortionsofthecontemporary sky chart in relation to the geographic map, or to ancientmisperceptionsof theproportionsof theconstellationvis-à-vis thelandscape.Giventhephysicalexigenciesforbuildingavillage,suchasspringsorrivers(whicharenotprevalent in the desert anyway), this is a striking correlation, despite these smallanomaliesintheoverallpattern.

AsJohnGrigsbysaysinhisdiscussionoftherelationshipbetweenthetemplesofAngkor in Cambodia and the constellation Draco: “If this is a fluke then it’s anamazing one. . . . There is allowance for human error in the transference of theconstellationontoamap,andthenthetransferenceofthefalliblemapontoadifficultterrainoverhundredsofsquarekilometerswithnomethodofcheckingtheprogress

*7

ofthesitefromtheair.”In this casewe are not dealingwithHindu/Buddhist temples, butwithmultiple

“star cities,” sometimes separated from each other by more than fifty miles.Furthermore,the“map”isactuallyrepresentedonanumberofstonetabletsgiventothe Hopi at the beginning of their migrations. This geodetic configuration wasinfluencedorevenspecificallydeterminedbyadivinepresence—namely,Masau’u,godofdeath,theunderworld,andtheEarthplane.

Referringtothetablebelow,wealsonoticetheangularcorrespondencesofOrion-on-the-Earth to Orion-in-the-Sky. Here, again, the visual reciprocity is startlingenough to make us doubt that mere coincidence is responsible. Using the BersoftImageMeasurementsoftware,however,wecancorrelateindegreesthepreciseanglesofthispairofdigitalimagesseeninthediagram.

The closest correlation is between the left and right shoulders (BC and DErespectively) of the terrestrial and celestial Orions, with only about two degreesdifferencebetweenthetwopairsofangles.Inaddition,theleftandrightlegs(AGandFG respectively) are within the limits of recognizable correspondence, withapproximately6–8degreesofdifference.Theonlyanglesthatvaryconsiderablyarethose that representOrion’shead (CD),withover15degreesofdifferencebetweenterra firma and the firmament. Given the whole polygonal configuration, however,thisdiscrepancyisnotenoughtoruleoutagenerallyclosecorrespondencebetweenOrionAboveandOrionBelow.

SolsticeInterrelationshipofVillagesAnother factor that precludesmere chance in thismirroringof sky and earth is the

*7

angularpositioningoftheterrestrialOrioninrelationtolongitude.Accordingtotheircosmology,theHopiplaceimportanceonintercardinaldirections—thatis,northwest,southwest, southeast, and northeast—rather than cardinal directions. The Anasazicouldnot,ofcourse,makeuseofthecompass,butreliedinsteaduponsolsticesunriseandsunsetpointsonthehorizonfororientation.

The Sun Chiefs (in Hopi, tawa-mongwi) still perform their observations of theeastern horizon at sunrise from the winter solstice on December 22 (azimuth 120degrees)throughthesummersolsticeonJune21(azimuth60degrees),whenthesungodTawaismakinghisnorthwardjourney.Ontheotherhand,theystudythewesternhorizonatsunsetfromJune21(azimuth300degrees)throughDecember22(azimuth240 degrees),whenTawa travels south from the vicinity ofwhat theHopi call theSipapuni to the San Francisco Peaks southwest of theHopimesas. (An azimuth isdefinedasthearcofthehorizonmeasuredindegreesclockwisefromthetruenorthpoint.TheSipapuniisthenamefortheHopientrancetotheunderworldintheGrandCanyon, locatednear the confluenceof theLittleColoradoRiver and theColoradoRiver.TheSanFranciscoPeaksnearthetownofFlagstaffarethehighestmountainsinArizonaandareconsideredsacredtoboththeHopiandtheNavajo.)

Afewdaysbeforeandaftereachsolstice,Tawaseemstostop—thetermsolsticeliterallymeaning“thesuntostandstill”—andrestinhiswinterorsummerTawaki,or“house.”Infact,thewinterSoyalceremonyisperformedinparttoencouragethesunto reversehisdirectionand return toHopiland insteadofcontinuingsouthwardandeventuallydisappearingaltogether.

Thekeysolsticepointsonthehorizonthatwedesignatebytheazimuthaldegreesof60,120,240,and300degrees(onlyatthisspecificlatitude,however)recurintherelativepositioningoftheAnasaziskycities.Forinstance,ifwestandontheedgeofThirdMesa in the village ofOraibi on thewinter solstice,wewatch the sun set atexactly240degreesonthehorizon,directlyinlinewiththeruinsofWupatkialmostfiftymilesaway.ThesundisappearsoverHumphreysPeak,thehighestmountaininArizona,where themajor shrine of thekatsinam (also spelled kachinas, beneficentsupernaturalbeingswhoactasspiritualmessengers)islocated.

Incidentally, if this linebetweenOraibiand theSanFranciscoPeaks isextendedsouthwest,itintersectsthesmallpueblocalledKing’sRuininBigChinoValley,oncea stop-off point on the major trade route from the Colorado River. If the line isextendedstillfarthersouthwest,itintersectsthemouthofBillWilliamsRiverontheColorado.

Inhabitedfrom1026CE(orpossiblyearlierinlightoftheunderlyingpithouse)toabout1300CE,King’sRuinhasa thirteen-roomfoundation, twelveofwhichcouldhave been two stories high. The 500 pieces of unworked shell found at the site

indicatesubstantialtradewiththePacific.Necklacesofturquoise,blackshale,andredargillitewerealsofound.Oneargillitenecklace,consistingof2,031beads,stretchedsixty-six inches long. Fifty-five graves were also discovered, containing sixty-sixindividuals,mostofwhichwereburied in theextendedposturewithheadsorientedtowardtheeast,awaitingPahana’s(ortheWhiteBrother’s)return.

Ifwe stand atWupatki during the summer solstice,we see the sun rise directlyoverOraibionThirdMesaat60degreesazimuthonthehorizon.Onthatsamedaythe sun sets at 300 degrees azimuth, to which the left arm of the terrestrial Orionpoints.Inaddition,fromOraibithesummersolsticesunsets12degreesnorthoftheSipapuni near theColoradoRiver, the “Place of Emergence” of theHopi from thepreviousThirdWorld(orera)tothecurrentFourthWorld.

If we perch on the edge of Canyon de Chelly, not looking downward into thecanyon but instead southwest at the winter solstice sunset, the sun on the horizonappearsabout5degreessouthoftheFirstMesavillageofWalpi.Thisline,extendedfarther southwest beyond the horizon, intersects both Sunset Crater, a volcano thateruptedin1064CE,andHumphreysPeak,elevation12,633feet.

Again,thereciprocalangularrelationshipbetweenthetwopueblositesremains,sofromWalpiduringthesummersolsticethesunappearstorisefromCanyondeChellyfiftymilesaway.Anortheastwardextensionofthis65degreelineeventuallyreachesapointinNewMexiconearSalmonRuinandAztecRuin.SalmonRuinneartheSanJuanRiverwasoccupied for a fewgenerations after1088CE, thenabandonedandreoccupiedbetween1225CEandthelate1200s.

Thepueblocontainedbetween600and750rooms.Italsohadatowerkivabuilton a platform twenty feet high that was made of rock imported from thirty milesaway.TenmilesnorthofSalmonisAztecRuin(anobviousmisnomer),locatedontheAnimasRiver.During itspeakdevelopment itcontainedabout500rooms.Like theformer,thislattersitewasoriginallyinhabitedintheearlytwelfthcenturybypeopleofChacoCanyon, and then re-inhabited from1225 to1300CEbypeopleofMesaVerde.Inaddition,ithasarestoredGreatKiva.

Awintersolsticesunriseline(120degreesazimuth)drawnfromWalpipastWideRuintraversestheZuniPueblo(theZuniareatribecloselyrelatedtotheHopi)andends just southofElMorroNationalMonument. Inhabited from1226 to1276CE,WideRuin(orKin-Tiel)islocatedaboutfiftymilesduesouthofCanyondeChelly.Itisanoval-shapedpuebloof150–200roomswithanumberofkivas.Atsinnapueblo,located atop a high mesa at El Morro National Monument, was a mid-thirteenthcenturyrectangularstructure,partofwhichwasthreestoriesinheight.Ithad500to1,000roomsandtwokivas,onecircularandtheothersquare.

IfduringthewintersolsticewestandattherimofTsegiCanyon(whereintheruinsofBetatakinandKeetSeelare located)andsightsoutheastalongtheedgeofBlackMesa,weseethesuncomeupoverCanyondeChellyandCanyondelMuerto.Thesun is in fact at 120 degrees azimuth on the horizon directly overAntelopeHouseRuininthelattercanyon.AnextensionofthesamelineintoNewMexicointersectsCasameroRuin.

Constructedinthemid-eleventhcentury,CasameroRuinwasasmallthirty-roompueblo.However,itsGreatKiva,oneofthelargestintheSouthwest,wasseventyfeetin diameter—even slightlymore spacious than thebetter-knownCasaRinconada atChacoCanyonaboutforty-fivemilestothenorth.

FromthesamespotatTsegiCanyon,alsoonthefirstdayofwinter,weseethesunset at 240 degrees azimuth over Grand Canyon more than eighty miles to the

southwest. From Tsegi, a summer solstice sunrise line of 60 degrees azimuthadditionally intersects Hovenweep National Monument in southeastern Utah, wellknown for the archaeo-astronomical precision of its solstice and equinox markers.Again from Tsegi, a sunset line of 300 degrees azimuth crosses Bryce CanyonNational Park and Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah, where nearly 150 smallAnasaziandFremontruinshavebeenidentified.

Ifwetravel112milesalmostduesouthofTsegiCanyontotheruinsatHomol’oviand look fiftymiles to thenorthwest, the summer solstice sunset appears8degreessouth of Wupatki. This line (designated as “H” in the table) running betweenHomol’oviandWupatkipassesbetweenGrandFalls(animpressivecataractalongtheLittle Colorado River) and Roden Crater (a volcanic cinder cone that artist JamesTurrellhasturnedintoanimmenseearthsculpture)tofinallyendatTusayanRuinonthesouthrimoftheGrandCanyon.

Again, from the reciprocal village of Wupatki, the winter solstice sun rises 8degrees north of Homol’ovi. This Wupatki-Homol’ovi line (128 degrees azimuth)extending southeast passes just south ofCasaMalpaisRuin and ends less than tenmiles south of Gila Cliff Dwellings in New Mexico. Located in the MogollonMountainsofwest-centralNewMexico,GilaCliffDwellingsNationalMonumentisaruin comprised of forty rooms in five separate caves located 150 feet above thecanyonfloor.Thetimbersofthesestructureshavebeentree-ringdatedtothe1280s.ThelateMogollon(orMimbres)peopleareknownfortheirexquisiteblack-on-whitepottery,usingrealisticthoughstylizeddesigns.Thesitewasabandonedby1400CE.

From Homol’ovi, a winter solstice sunrise line (120 degrees azimuth) falls 7degreesnorthofCasaMalpaisand3degreesnorthofRavenSiteRuin,bothnorthofthe modern town of Springerville, Arizona. Casa Malpais is a thirteenth centuryMogollonsiteofahundredroomswithasquareGreatKiva(oneofthelargestintheSouthwest).Italsohascatacombs,ceremonialrooms,threewindingstonestairways,andanastronomicalobservatory.Becauseofthenatureoftheartifactsfound,suchascrystals, ceremonial pipes, and soapstone fetish stands, it is thought to have beenprimarilyareligiouscenter.

LocatednearlyninetymilessoutheastofHomol’oviandabouttwelvemilesnorthof the Casa Malpais, the Raven Site (privately owned by the White MountainArchaeologicalCenter)wasoccupied as early as800–1450CE, andhadmore thaneighthundredroomsandtwokivas.

FromHomol’ovi during thewinter solstice sundown (240 degrees azimuth), thesun passes directly through East and West Sunset Mountains, the gateway to theMogollonRim.ThislinefromHomol’oviproceedspasttheearlyfourteenthcentury,thousand-room Chavez Pass Ruin on Anderson Mesa (known in Hopi as

Nuvakwewtaqa, “mesa wearing a snow belt”) and continues along the PalatkwapiTraildowntoVerdeValley,endingnearClearCreekRuin.

If the summer solstice sunrise line (60 degrees azimuth) is extended fromHomol’ovi intoNewMexico, it intersects thevicinityofChacoCanyon, the largestandperhapsmostimpressiveofalltheAnasazisitesintheSouthwest.Intheoverallastral-terrestrialpatternChacocorrespondstoSirius,thebrighteststarintheheavenslocatedintheconstellationCanisMajor.

Inthisschema,eachvillageisconnectedtoatleastoneotherbyasolsticesunriseor sunset point on the horizon. The interrelationship provided a psychological linkbetween one’s own village and the people in one’s “sister” village miles away.Moreover,itreinforcedthatthedivinelyorderedcoordinatesofthevariousskycitiescomedowntoearth.NotonlyhadMasau’u/Orionspokeninageodeticlanguagethatconnected the Above with the Below, but Tawa/ Sun had also verified thisconfiguration by his solar measurements along the curving rim of the tutskwa, orsacredearth.

Non-SolsticeLines,theGrandChakraSystem,andtheHopiWinterSolsticeCeremony

Inadditiontothesolsticealignments,anumberofintriguingnon-solsticelinesexisttocorroboratethepatternasawhole.Asheretoforestated,anextensionofthesolsticelinebetweenOraibi andWupatki (thebelt and left shoulder of the terrestrialOrionrespectively)wouldultimatelyendontheColoradoRiveratthepointwhereamajortrail east towardAnasazi territorybegan.Similarly, if thenon-solstice linebetweenWalpi and Homol’ovi (the belt and the right shoulder respectively) is extended, itintersects the wrist of the constellation and terminates within five miles of theimportant Hohokam ruin site and astronomical observatory of Casa Grande RuinsNationalMonument,neartheGilaRiver150milestothesouth.

We have also already discussed the extension of the Walpi-Canyon de Chellysolstice line (Orion’s right leg), ending up at the Salmon-Aztec ruins area. AnextensionoftheOraibi-Betatakinnon-solsticeline(Orion’sleftleg)wouldbringustoGlen Canyon National Recreation Area, nearly fifty miles to the north. Ruefully,hundredsorperhapseven thousandsof smallAnasazi ruinswere submergedby theconstructionoftheGlenCanyonDamin1963,andthefewthatremaincanonlybereachedbyboat.

AnotheralignmentofancientpueblositesformsthegrandchakrasystemofOrionand indicates thedirection thathis spiritualenergyflows.Drawinga linesouthwest

fromShungopavi/AlnilamonSecondMesa,wepasslessthanfivemilessoutheastofRodenCraterandGrandFalls,bothmentionedabove.Continuingsouthwest,thelineruns by Ridge Ruin, through Winona Village, and into the forehead of Orion—namely, Walnut Canyon National Monument, a significant mid-twelfth centurySinaguaruinlocatedinthefoothillsoftheSanFranciscoPeaks.

Occupied from1085–1207CE,RidgeRuinwasa thirty-roompueblowith threekivas and aMaya-style ball court. It was also the site of the so-calledMagician’sBurial. Thought by Hopi elders to be of the Motswimi, or Warrior Society, thisapparently important man was interred with twenty-five whole pottery vessels andover600otherartifacts,includingshellandstonejewelry,turquoisemosaics,wovenbaskets,woodenwands, arrow points, and a bead cap.WinonaVillage,whichwasoccupied at the endof the eleventh century, contained about twenty pit houses andfivesurfacestoragerooms.

Ifthelineisextendedfartherstill,itintersectstheredrockcountryofSedonawithits electromagnetic vortexes, passing the small but gorgeously located ruin andpictograph (rock painting) site of Palatki (or “Red House”), as well as the largerHonanki (or “Bear House”). In Verde Valley the newly energized vector directlytransitsTuzigootNationalMonument,amajorthirteenthcenturySinaguaruinofoverahundredroomsperchedonahilltopfortheprobablepurposeofstellarobservation.

This line traverses theBlackHills ofArizona and goes by the newly excavatedEmilienneRuininLonesomeValley,whichhadafoundationoftwelverooms,mostofwhichcouldhavebeentwostorieshigh,pluselevenoutlyingone-roomunits.Theline then intersects theFitzmauriceRuin, locateduponaridgeon thesouthbankofLynxCreek in PrescottValley.TheFitzmauriceRuin, occupied from1140 to 1300CE, had twenty-seven rooms in which were found beads, pendants, bracelets, andeighty-one amulets, including crystals, animal fetishes, obsidian nodules (so-calledApacheTears),andacurioussix-faceted,truncatedpyramidcarvedfromjadeiteandmeasuringone-and-a-halfcentimeterswide.

ThelinecontinuesthroughthesmallLynxCreekRuinatthenorthernbaseoftheBradshaw Mountains, treks across the northern limits of the Sonoran desert, andpassesnearthegeoglyphsontheArizona/Californiabordertoultimatelyreachapointjust northof theColoradoRiver’smouth.Similar to theNazca lines ofPeru, thesegeoglyphs (also called intaglios) of human, animal, and star figures, some over ahundredfeetlong,weremadebyremovingthedarker,“desert-varnished”pebblestoexpose the lighter soil beneath, as relayedby authors JeffersonReid andStephanieWhittleseyinArchaeologyofAncientArizona.

AccordingtotheMohaveandQuechantribesofthelowerColoradoRiverregion,thehumanfiguresrepresentthedeityMastamho,thecreatoroftheEarthandalllife.

Notice the similarity between the name of this god and that of theHopi earth godMasau’u.Thesefiguresarethoughttobebetween450and2,000yearsold.

Thesame lineextended in theotherdirection fromShungopavi travelsnortheastacrossBlackMesa, passing just southeast of FourCorners to finally end up at themajorAnasazisitesatMesaVerdeNationalParkinsouthwesternColorado.

Inthisseriesofvillages,weseeatotalofelevenbothmajorandminorAnasaziorSinaguaruinsandoneHopipuebloperfectlyalignedoveradistanceofmorethan275mileswithin the framework of the tellurianOrion. The probability that thesewererandomlydistributedishighlyunlikelyandincreasesthepossibilitythatMasau’u(orsomeotherdivineagent)directedtheirpositioning.

This“leyline”formsagrandchakrasystemthatprovidesaninseparablelinkandaconduitofpranicearthenergyflowingfromtheHopimesastotheevergreenforestsof the San Francisco Peaks. More specifically, Walnut Canyon symbolizes theterrestrialOrion’sthirdeye,orpinealgland,whichisetymologicallyderivedfromtheLatinwordpinus,or“pinecone.”

Atthispointwemightask:WhywasthetemplateofOrionplacedontheEarthatthe specific angle that we find it relative to longitude? The chakra linementionedabove, which runs in part from Shungopavi/Alnilam (the belt of Orion) toWalnutCanyon/ Meissa (the head of Orion), is 231 degrees azimuth in relation toShungopavi. The direction of southwest is 225 degrees azimuth. The axis for theterrestrialOrionisthuswithin6degreesofnortheast/southwest.

Imagine we are standing at Shungopavi shortly after midnight on the wintersolsticeninecenturiesago—about the timewhen theHopimesaswere first settled.Lookingsouthwest,we find themiddlestarofOrion’sBelthoveringdirectlyabovethesouthwesternhorizonatanaltitudeofapproximately38degrees.Specifically,at1:15a.m.onDecember22,1100CE,Alnilamwasat231degreesazimuth.Inotherwords, aswegaze from the central starof the earthboundbelt ofOrion towardhishead located in the foothills of theSanFranciscoPeakswhere the sacred katsinamlive, we see the celestial constellation precisely mirror the angle of the terrestrialconfiguration.

Alsoat1:15a.m.onthisdate,Bellatrixisat240degreesazimuth,andMeissaisat242 degrees azimuth. Fortyminutes later,Alnilam is at 240 degrees, the azimuthaldegree atwhich the sunwill set at 5:15 p.m. on this same day. Incidentally, at thewinter solstice sunset time, Orion is just rising on the opposite horizon, thusemphasizing the pivotal relationship of Orion/Masau’u and the Sun/Tawa. AllastronomicalcomputationswereperformedwithSkyglobe(madebythenow-defunctKlassMSoftware).

Butwhat is thesignificanceof thisprecise timewhen themiddlestar inOrion’sBelt isat231degrees?Attheverymomentwearewatchingthissiderealspectacle,“oneofthemostsacredceremonies”oftheHopi,knownastheSoyal,isalsotakingplaceinthekiva,orsubterraneanprayerchamber.Justpasthismeridian,Orioncanbeclearly seen through the hatchway overhead. This is the time “when Hotomkam[Orion’sBelt]beginstohangdowninthesky.”

Now a powerful, barefooted figure descends the kiva ladder. White dots thatresemblestarshavebeenpaintedonhisarms,legs,chest,andback.Hecarriesacrookon which has been tied an ear of black corn—Masau’u’s maize that signifies theAbove.One account identifies him asMuy’ingwa, the germination deity related toMasau’u.Anothercallshim“StarMan,”ostensiblybecausehisheaddress,madeoffour white corn leaves, represents a four-pointed star; perhaps Aldebaran in theHyades.

Thisrituallytransmutedpersontakesahoopcoveredwithbuckskinandbeginstodance.His“sunshield,”fringedwithredhorsehair,isaboutafootindiameterwithadozenorsoeaglefeathers tied to itscircumference. Its lowerhemisphere ispaintedblue, its upper right quadrant is red, and its upper left quadrant is yellow. Twohorizontal black lines for the eyes and a small downward pointing triangle for themoutharepaintedonthelowerhalfofthisstrikingfacerepresentingTawa.

AlexanderStephen,whowitnessedtheriteatWalpiin1891,remarkedthatthestarpriest stampsupon thesipapu (or a hole in the floor of thekiva that links it to theunderworld) as a signal to start the most important portion of the ceremony. Thisoccursjustafter1:00a.m.,thetimeonthisdatein1100CEwhenOrionwasat231degreesazimuth.

Asthedancerhythmcrescendos,the“StarMan”beginstotwirlthesunhoopveryfastinclockwiserotationaroundtheinter-cardinalpointsbetweentwolinesofsingers—one at the north and the other at the south. By his “mad oscillations” (to useAlexanderStephen’sphrase),thestarpriestisattemptingtoturnbackthesunfromitssouthwardjourney.“Allthesedances,songs,andspinningofthesunaretimedbythechangingpositionsofthethreestars,Hotomkam,overhead.Nowisthetimethismustbedone,beforethesunrisesandtakesuphisjourney.”

Ifthisweremerelyasolarritual,weassumethatitwouldtakeplaceatsunrise.Onthecontrary, thesiderealpositionofOrionmust reflect the terrestrialpositioningoftheconstellation,whichoccursonlyaftertheformerhaspasseditsmeridian,thatis,“whenHotomkambegins tohangdownin thesky.”Prior todawn, runnersaresentout to theshrinesofbothMasau’u(Orion)andTawa(thesun) todepositpahos (orprayerfeathers),offeringstothetwogodswhosecomplexinteractionhelpstoassuretheseasons’cyclicreturn,keepingtheworldinbalanceforyetanotheryear.

EgyptianParallelstotheArizonaOrionIn their bestseller The Orion Mystery, Robert Bauval and Adrian Gilbert havepropounded what is known as the Orion Correlation Theory. The coauthors havediscoveredanancient“unifiedgroundplan”inwhichthepyramidsatGizaformthepatternofOrion’sBelt.Accordingtotheirentireconfigurationdescribedjustbrieflyhere, the Great Pyramid (Khufu) represents Alnitak, the middle pyramid (Khafre)represents Alnilam, and the slightly offset smaller pyramid (Menkaure) representsMintaka.

Inaddition,tworuinedpyramids—oneatAbuRawashtothenorthandanotheratZawiyatAlAryantothesouth—correlatetoSaiphandBellatrixrespectively.Farthersouth, three pyramids atAbusir correspond to the triangular head ofOrion.BauvalandGilbertalsobelievethatthepyramidsatDahshur—namely,theRedPyramidandthe Bent Pyramid—represent the Hyades stars of Aldebaran and Epsilon Taurus,respectively.

This schema furthermore correlates Letopolis, located due west across the NilefromHeliopolis,with Sirius, themost brilliant star in the sky.As coauthorGilbertstatesinSignsintheSky:

It was Bauval’s contention that the part of the Milky Way which interested theEgyptiansmostwastheregionthatrunsfromthestarSiriusalongtheconstellationofOrion on up toward Taurus. This region of the sky seemed to correspond, in theEgyptianmindatleast,totheareaoftheMemphitenecropolis,thatistosaythespanof Old Kingdom burial grounds stretching along the west bank of the Nile fromDashurtoGizaanddowntoAbuRuwash.AtthecentreofthisareawasGiza;this,hedetermined,wastheearthlyequivalentofRostau(Mead’sRusta),thegatewaytotheDuatorunderworld.

The region in Hopi cosmology corresponding to the Duat is called Tuwanasavi(literally, “Center of the World”), located at the three Hopi mesas. Similar to theground-sky dualism of the three primary structures at the Giza necropolis, thesenatural“pyramids”closelyreflecttheOrion’sBeltstars.Inaddition,theentrytothenetherrealmsisknowninHopias theSipapuni, located in theGrandCanyon.ThisculturallysacrosanctareamirrorstheleftarmofOrion.WhereastheEgyptianRostauiscoextensivewiththeaxismundioftheBeltstarsformedbythetriadofpyramids,theHopigatewayto theunderworld inGrandCanyonisadjacent to thecenterplacebutstillcloseenoughtobearchetypallyresonant.

Ina laterbookentitledTheMessageof theSphinx,RobertBauval and coauthor

GrahamHancockdescribethecosmicjourneyoftheHorus-King,orsonofthesun,tothe underworld: “He is now at theGateway toRostau and about to enter the FifthDivision[Hour]oftheDuat—theholyofholiesoftheOsirianafterworldKingdom.Moreover,heispresentedwithachoiceof‘twoways’or‘roads’toreachRostau:onewhichison‘land’andtheotherin‘water.’”

ThediscussionbyBauval,Gilbert,andHancockoftheEgyptianmasterplanisagreatdealmorecomplexthanwhatismerelysketchedoutinthisarticle.Theiropusinvolves the precession of the equinoxes, star-targeted shafts in theGreat Pyramid,and other topics that are not directly relevant to our discussion. However, thiscompellingwork has challengedmany orthodox ideas in Egyptology and spawnedheateddebatesatboththeamateurandprofessionallevels.

WehavebeenblessedwithawealthofEgyptianhieroglyphictexts,bothonstoneandonpapyrus,fromwhichwecanreconstruct theEgyptiancosmology.Unlessweconsiderpetroglyphsmoreasaformoflinguisticcommunicationthanasrock“art,”thentheHopiandtheirancestors,ontheotherhand,hadnowrittenlanguage;hencewe must rely on their recently transcribed oral tradition. In this regard the tawa-mongwi (or “sun watcher”) Don Talayesva from Oraibi Village describes aninterestingparalleltoRostau.

As a young man attending the Sherman School for Indians in Riverside,California,duringtheearlyyearsofthetwentiethcentury,Talayesvabecamedeathlyilland, in trueshamanistic fashion,madea journey to thespiritworld.Aftera longordealwithmanybizarre,hallucinatoryvisions,hereachedthetopofahighmesaandpaused to look. The following is his account from his book Sun Chief: AnAutobiographyofaHopiIndian.

Beforemeweretwotrailspassingwestwardthroughthegapofthemountains.Ontherightwastheroughnarrowpath,withthecactusandthecoiledsnakes,andfilledwithmiserable Two-Heartsmaking very slow and painful progress. On the left was thefine, smooth highway with no person in sight, since everyone had sped along soswiftly. I took it, passed many ruins and deserted houses, reached the mountain,enteredanarrowvalley,andcrossedthroughthegaptotheotherside.SoonIcametoa great canyon where my journey seemed to end; and I stood there on the rimwonderingwhattodo.Peeringdeepintothecanyon,Isawsomethingshinywindingitsway like a silver thread on the bottom; and I thought that itmust be the LittleColoradoRiver.Onthewallsacrossthecanyonwerethehousesofourancestorswithsmokerisingfromthechimneysandpeoplesittingoutontheroofs.

In this narrative, the dry, narrow road filled with cacti and rattlesnakes, whereprogressismeasuredatjustonestepperyear,iscontrastedwiththeeasy,broadroad

quickly leading to thecanyonof theLittleColoradoRiver.A fewmileseastof theconfluenceofthisriverandtheColoradoRiveristhepreviouslymentionedSipapuni,the actual location of theHopi “Place of Emergence” from theThirdWorld to theFourthWorld.Physically,itisalargetravertinedomeintheGrandCanyontowhichannualpilgrimagesaremadetogatherritualisticsalt.

Incorrelativeterms,theMilkyWayisconceptualizedasthe“wateryroad”oftheColorado River at the bottom of the Grand Canyon—that sacred source to whichspiritsofthedeadreturntoexistinauniverseparalleltothepuebloworldtheyonceknew.(Inanalternateconception,thisstellarhighwaytraversestheevergreenforestsof the San Francisco Peaks, upon whose summit a mythical kiva leading to theunderworldislocated.)

Talayesva’s account also includes such traditionally otherworldly motifs as the“JudgmentSeat”onMountBeautiful,whichsupportsagreatredstairway,atleastinhis vision. (This peak is actually located about eight miles west of Oraibi.) WefurthermorehearofaconfrontationwiththeLordofDeath,inthiscaseathreateningversionofMasau’u(theHopiequivalentofOsiris),whochasesafterhim.

Like the Egyptian journey to the Duat, the Hopi journey to Maski (literally,“HouseofDeath”)hastworoads—oneonlandandtheotheronwater.Inthiscontextwemustdecideifthelatterisreallyacodewordforthesky.Inthe“double-speak”ofthe astral-terrestrial correlation theory, are these spirits in actuality ascending to thecelestialriveroftheMilkyWay?Isthis,then,thepurposeofthegrandOrionschema?TodrawamapontheEarththatpointsthewaytothestars?

Returning to the subject ofOrion projected upon the deserts of both Egypt andArizona, we find both discrepancies and parallels. In terms of distinction, theEgyptian plan is on a much smaller scale than the one incorporating the Arizonastellarcities,using tens rather thanhundredsofmiles.Furthermore, in theEgyptianschemathebrightstarsofBetelgeuseandRigelareperplexinglyunaccountedfor.

TheGiza terrestrial Orion from head to foot is oriented southeast to northwest,while theArizonaOrionisorientedsouthwest tonortheast.Ofcourse, thepyramidsarelocatedwestoftheNileRiver,whiletheHopimesasarelocatedeastofthe“NileofArizona,”namely,theColoradoRiver.

WeshouldalsopointoutthatAbusirisnotinthecorrectlocationtomatchOrion’shead on the constellatory template. Bauval and Gilbert state that Abusir is “akilometer or so southeast of Zawiyat al Aryan,” which is Bellatrix (Orion’s leftshoulder). It is, in fact, about 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) southeast. In other words,Abusir is nearly fourmiles south-southeast ofwhere it should be according to theOrionCorrelationTheory.UnlikeBauval,Gilbert, andHancock, Ihavenotbeen toEgypt,buttheconsultationofanyscalemapwillverifythisstatement.

Despite these few differences, the basic orientation of the Egyptian Orion issimilartothatoftheArizonaOrion—thatis,south,thereverseofthecelestialOrion.According to Dr. E. C. Krupp of the Griffith Observatory, this is one factor thatinvalidates the Orion Correlation Theory. His critique, however, is the result of aspecificculturalbiasinwhichanobserverislookingdownuponamapwithnorthatthetopandthesouthatthebottom.

Imagine, instead, thatweare standingon topof theGreatPyramid—or, for thatmatter,atthesoutherntipofFirstMesainArizona—andgazingsouthwardjustaftermidnight on the winter solstice. The other two pyramids, or mesas, would bestretching off to the southwest in a pattern that reflects the belt of Orion nowachievingculmination in thesouthernsky.Wecan further imagine that if theupperportionoftheterrestrialOrionweresimplyliftedperpendiculartotheapparentplaneoftheearthwhilehisfeetwerestillplantedinthesameposition—AbuRawashandanundeterminedsiteinthecaseofEgypt;CanyondeChellyandBetatakininthecaseofArizona—thenthispositioningwouldperfectlymirrorOrionasweseeitinthesky.

WhentheAnasazigazedintotheheavens,theywerenotlookingatanextensionofthe physical world the way we perceive it today. They were instead witnessing amanifestationofthespiritworld.MuchliketheEgyptianDuat,theHopiunderworldencompassesboththevastreachesoftheskyandtheregionbeneaththesurfaceoftheearth.Thisfactisvalidatedbythedichotomousexistenceofancestorspiritswholivein the subterranean realm, but who periodically return to their earthly villages ascloudsbringingtheblessingofrain.

Is it simply just another coincidence that the Hopi word tu’at, also spelledtuu’awta, meaning “hallucination” or “mystical vision,” sounds so close to theEgyptianDuat—spelledbyE.A.WallisBudge, formerdirectorofantiquitiesat theBritishMuseum,asTuat,thatseeminglyillusoryrealmoftheafterlife?

Even though the eastern and western domains ruled by Tawa (the sun) remainconstant, the polar directions of north and south—controlled by the Elder andYoungerWarriorTwins(sonsof thesun), respectively—arereversed.Therefore, therighthandholdingthenoduleclubisintheeastandthelefthandholdingtheshieldisin the west, similar to the star chart. The head is, however, pointing roughlysouthward instead of northward. This inversion is completely consistentwithHopicosmology,astheterrestrialconfigurationisconceptualizedasareversalofthespiritworld, ofwhich the sky ismerely anotherdimension. (Analternate explanation forthe change in directions is the possibility that the pole shift, which destroyed theHopi’sSecondWorld,reversedthepositionoftheconstellation’smundaneaspect.)

Gazingup atOrionon amidwinter night,we can imagine thatour perspectiveshaveswitched.Suspendedhighabovetheland,westaresouthwesttowardthesacred

katsinapeaksandtheheadofthecelestialMasau’usuffusedintheevergreenforestsoftheMilkyWay.Ironically,itishereonthehighdesertofArizonathatwealsointuitthetruthofthehermeticmaximattributedtotheEgyptiangodThoth(laterknownasHermesTrismegistus):“Asabove,sobelow.”

Let’s briefly look at onemore so-called coincidence: The word zona, as in thenameArizona,isparticularlysignificant.Fromclassicaltimesonward,ithasliterallybeendefinedas“Thegirdle[orBelt]ofOrion.”

THIRTEEN

OnthePossibilityofInstantaneousShiftsofthePoles

HASITOCCURREDDURINGHUMANEXISTENCE?FLAVIOBARBIERO

ItiswellknownthatthepoleshaveoftenchangedtheirpositionontheEarth’ssurfaceduringpastgeologicaleras.ThemarksleftbythickicesheetsinAfricaandIndia,theresidualmagnetisminancientrocks,theoldcoralreefs’andcoaldeposits’distributionandsoonarecompellingevidencethatthepoleshavewanderedfromwhatistoday’sequatortotheactualpoles.Accordingtogeologicaldata,thiswanderingshouldhavehappenedin“jumps.”

Scientists attribute it to the drift of continents and to the displacement of largequantitiesofmaterials,due toerosionandsedimentationprocesses,which in theorycanprovokeaveryslowshiftofthepoles:afewcentimetersperyearatthemost,butinhundredsofmillionsofyearsitcanresultinshiftsofthousandsofmiles.

Thereisstrongevidence,however,thatthisphenomenoncouldbemuchfaster.InhisbookThePathofthePole,CharlesHapgoodexpressesthehypothesisthat

the poles have changed their position three times during the past 100,000 years.Between50,000and12,000yearsago,attheendofPleistocene,theNorthPolewaslocatedsomewherearoundHudsonBayineasternCanada,anditmovedtoitscurrentpositioninthetwelfthmillenniumBCE.

They were eccentric with respect to the actual poles, suggesting a differentpositionforthem.Tosupporthisthesis,Hapgoodpresentsanimpressivequantityofevidence,whichcanbesummarizedasfollows:

1. Between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago an impressive ice cap,more than twomilesthick,spreadfromtheHudsonBayareasouthward,downtothelatitudeofNewYork,andwestward to join,at itsmaximumextent,glaciersflowingdownfromtheRockyMountainsinAlaska.Duringthesameperiod,northernEuropewascoveredbyicecaps,whichat theirmaximumextentreachedthelatitudeofLondonandBerlin.

Thequantityofwatertrappedintheseicesheetsandintheglaciersscatteredaroundtheworldwassolargethatthesealevelwasabout426.5feet(130meters)lowerthantoday.

2.The current “scientific” explanation for the existenceof these ice caps is thatthey were created by a cooler climate all over the world. But this theory iscontradictedby theabsence,during the iceage,of ice sheets inSiberia,whichwasactually populated, up to its northernmost regions, by one of the most impressivezoologicalcommunitiesofalltime.Millions(morethan40million,accordingtoF.C.Hibben) ofmammoths roamedSiberia andAlaska.Animals as large as this canbefoundtodayonlyintropicalregions,orinotherareaswherethesupplyoffodderisguaranteedyearround.

Fig.13.1.AnextensionofthepolaricecapsduringthePleistoceneera.

Figs.13.2.TheChauvetcaveinsouthernFrancecontainshundredsofanimalpaintingsdatingfromPaleolithictimes(ca.31,000BCE).

Fig.13.3.Therepresentationofhumansincavepaintingswasrare.Moreoftenthannot,animalssuchasthereindeer,depictedhere,werefeaturedprominently.

Fig.13.4.ThemammothillustratedinthiscavepaintingfromChauvetcaveinFranceapparentlycoexistedwithalargenumberofmanyothertypesoffaunaandmega

fauna,botharticandtropical,leavingscholarspuzzledabouttheclimateofthetime.

Fig.13.5.InthecavepaintingsofChauvetcave,predatorssuchasthelionareoftendepictedalongsidesuchanimalsastherhino.

Fig.13.6.Thehyenaandtheleopardsharedthesameenvironmentascamels,buffalo,giantbeavers,andmanyothertypesofanimalsthatexistedduringthePleistocene

era.

Fig.13.7.HorsesappearintheimageryofthetheChauvetcave,aseriesofchambersandvestibulesallcoveredwithmasterworksbreathtakingintheiruseofthe

sophisticatedtechniquesofperspectiveandshading.

It is counterintuitive that during the ice age one of the largest zoologicalcommunitiessincethedinosaursexistedinthoseveryareasthataretodayregarded,duetotheirextremeclimaticconditions,asamongthemosthostileonEarth.Withthemammoths there were dozens of other animal species, the majority of which are

extincttoday.Ofthesespecieswehaveagreatnumberofskeletons,completeanimalsthat have been preserved in the permafrost, and many wonderful paintings inPaleolithic caves. The oldest among the latter is Chauvet Cave in France, parts ofwhichwerepaintedasearlyas33,000yearsago.Itcontainspaintingsofbreathtakingbeauty.

Theunknown artists have,with a few strokes, represented to perfection animalsthatat the timewere living in theplainsofcentralEurope(andat thesame time inSiberiaandAlaska)—butthebeautyof thepaintingsmakesthezoologistwonder inmorewaysthanone.Howcouldsuchavariedassemblyofanimalscoexist?Towhatbizarreecologicalenvironmentcouldsuchmotleyfaunabelong?Wefindthereindeernexttotherhinoceros;themammoth,withitswoollymantle,nearthehippopotamus;lionssidebysidewithbears,leopards,andPrzewalski’shorses.Therearealsogiantbeavers and sloths, big-horned deer, camels, saber-tooth tigers, buffaloes, aurochs,andmanyotherspecies.

These images represent an incredible mixture that leaves us puzzled andastonished.Arcticand tropical fauna together,on thesameplain, inperfectbalancewith the environment! Such an extraordinarily varied and numerous animalcommunity—the likes of which can be found nowhere on Earth today—seems tochallenge current opinion on climatic conditions during the ice age.Moreover, thiscommunity suddenly disappeared when the ice age ended—exactly at the momentwhen, according to modern theories, climatic conditions were supposed to havebecomemilderandmoresupportiveoflife.

Fig.13.8.Animalsthatsymbolizedstrength,suchasthebuffalorenderedhere,arefeaturedfrequentlyonthecave’swalls.

Fig.13.9.Theprehistoricartworksthataredisplayedinthecavearesosophisticatedthatspecialistsiniceageartinitiallyassumedthattheworkswerecreatedinrecent

times.

Fig.13.10.Theancientibexwasawildgoatwithlarge,recurvedhorns.Itwasapparentlyreveredbytheancientpeopleswhopainteditsimageonthewallsofthe

cave.

Thismysterious, now-vanished fauna populated the Siberian islandswell insidetheArctic Sea; their remnants can be found on islands located at only 621.4miles(1,000kilometers)fromtheNorthPole,androckengravingshavebeenfoundinthesame islands. This strongly suggests that in the late Pleistocene (a period duringwhich theglobalclimatewassupposedlymuchcolder than it is today, especially atthehighlatitudes),theArcticSeawasinfactmuchwarmerthanitistoday.

3.On the other side of theworld, the climatewas cooler inAustralia andNewZealand,backthenpartiallycoveredbylargeglaciers—butthereissolidevidencethatAntarctica,nowcompletelycoveredbyathicklayerofice,musthavebeenpartiallyfreeofitatthattime.Sedimentcores,collectedintheWeddellarea,showthatinthelatePleistocenelargeriversmusthaveflowedinthispartofAntarctica.Again,isthisnot a strong suggestion that theclimateofpartofAntarcticamusthavebeenmuchmilderduring the iceage than it iseven today—despite the intenseglobalwarmingexperiencedinthepastcentury?

Ashiftofthepoles,occurringaround11,500yearsago,couldexplaincompletelyandcoherentlytheclimaticsituationbeforethatdate,andthesituationthatcameintobeingafterthatdate.

The hypothesis that the position of the poles—as well as the inclination of theterrestrial axis in relation to the ecliptic—might change first started to gain seriousconsideration during the nineteenth century. Some of the greatest scientists of thetime, including J. C.Maxwell and Sir George Darwin (son of the famous CharlesDarwin), considered this problem and decided that the stabilizing effect of theequatorialbulgewassogreatthatnoconceivableforcecouldmaketheEarthshiftonitsaxisexceptforacollisionwithanotherplanet.Theythereforedismissedtheideaofanyshiftofthepolesasimpossibleand,infact,notworthdiscussing.Theirinfluencehas been so strong that to this day no one has seriously contemplated such ahypothesisagain.

Hapgoodalsouncriticallyacceptstheassumptionthatonlya“planetarycollision”is capable of displacing the axis of rotation. Therefore he proposes a theory thatexplains the shift of the poles as the result of the shift of thewhole Earth’s crust.Basedontheresearchof theRussianscientistV.V.Beloussov,heassumesthatatadepth of approximately one hundred miles in the upper mantle there is a layer ofliquid rock, which behaves as a bearing allowing the whole crust to “shift” whensubjected toadisplacing force. InHapgood’sopinion, this force isprovidedby thecentrifugalmomentumoficecapspositionedeccentricallywithrespecttothepoles.InthiswaytheEarthwouldkeepitsaxisofrotationunchanged,butthepolesandthewholeEarth’ssurfacewouldshiftandchangelatitude.

The evidence proving that the poles were in different positions during thePleistocene era is quite impressive, and this explains why Hapgood’s theory wasapprovedbyscientistsofthecaliberofEinsteinandK.F.Mather.Yetitmeetswithsomanydifficultiesthatitappearshighlycontroversial.Aboveall,itdoesnotseemtobecompatible with other geological theories that are widely accepted today, notablyplatetectonicsandcontinentaldrift.

Furthermore, the theory does not explain some of the key peculiarities of theclimate changes of the late Pleistocene—most significantly the speed with whichthesechangesappeartohavetakenplace.AccordingtoHapgood’stheory,ittooktheNorth Pole at least two thousand years to move from its previous position to thepresent.Theevidencewehave,however,supportsamuchfasterclimaticchange. ItwasHapgoodhimselfwhounderlinedagreatamountofdataprovingthehighspeedat which the shift of the poles appears to have happened; yet the mechanism heproposesdoesnotexplainthisspeed.

It appears thatwecancompletelyandcoherentlyexplainwhat tookplaceat the

endofthePleistocenebyadmittingthepossibilityofashiftofthepolesofthesamemagnitudeHapgoodhypothesizes,but in amuch shorter time:notmore thana fewdays.Thispossibilityisgenerallyrejectedbecausenoconvincingexplanationforsuchaphenomenonhassofarbeenbroughtforward.Accordingtoscientists,theonlywaytomakeaplanetchangeitsaxisofrotationisby“adding”toitamasscomparabletoitsown.However,itismyviewthatatleastoneotherwayexists,onethathasnotyetbeenconsidered—thatof“reshaping”itsequatorialbulgesaroundadifferentaxis.

If Earth was a perfectly rigid and spherical body, a single man walking on itssurfacecouldmakeitspolesshift.Infact,thestabilityoftheEarthisprovidedonlybyitsequatorialbulges,some7.4miles(12kilometers)thick—verysmallwithrespecttotheEarth’s radius.Move theequatorialbulgesand thepoleswillmoveaccordingly.Impossible?Not really, ifyouconsider that two thirdsofEarth’s surface iscoveredwith water; every naval engineer knows that free liquid surfaces induce instability(experience shows that a simple tsunami is enough to make the poles shift by ameasurableamount).Let’sseehowthisinstabilitycanresultinawideandpermanentshiftofthepoles.

TheApolloObjectsSevereconsequencescanfollowwhentheEarthishitbyacometoranasteroid.Weknowforcertainthat thishappenedmanytimesinthepastandcanhappenagainatanymomentinthefuture.

IftheEarthdidn’thaveoceansandatmosphere,itssurfacewouldbemarkedwithhugenumbersofcraters,likethemoonandMercury.Onourplanet,instead,erosionandsedimentaryprocessesveryquicklyerase the tracesofcollisionswithasteroids,meteorites,andcomets.Onlywhererecent icesheetshavescraped thesurface, thusuncovering the traces of ancient collisions, as in parts of Canada, is it possible tocount the craters accurately.Basedon this approach,G.W.Wetherill has estimatedthatinthelast600millionyearsourplanethasbeenhitbyatleast1,500objectswithadiameterlargerthanonekilometereach.

The majority of these collisions are caused by a class of celestial bodies thatastronomershavenamed“Apolloobjects,”aclassofasteroidswhoseperihelionliesinsidetheorbitoftheEarth.ThefirstoftheseobjectswasdiscoveredbyReinmuthon1932andnamedApollo,whichgavethenametotheclass.Atpresent,morethanonehundred Apollos of a diameter of at least one kilometer are known. The largestdiscoveredsofar,Hephaistos,hasadiameterof6.2miles(10kilometers).ThetotalnumberofApolloobjectswithadiameterofhalfamile (onekilometer)ormore isestimatedtobebetweenoneandtwothousand.

Astheperihelionof theApollos lies inside theorbitof theEarth, it follows thattheyperiodicallyhavethechancetocollidewithit.Theprobabilityofsuchaneventisestimatedat5x10 peryearpersingleApollo.Thereforewehaveaprobabilityofatleastfourcollisionseachmillion-yearperiodwithobjectsaslargeasonekilometerormore.Asthesizeoftheobjectsbecomessmaller,thisprobabilitygrowsexponentiallytoreachoneimpacteveryfewcenturiesforobjectsof328.1to656.2feet(100–200meters)diameter.

ThedirecteffectsofacollisionwithanApollo-likeobjectaredevastating.AuthorTomGehrelsestimatesthatahalfmile(onekilometer)wideobject,collidingwiththeEarth at a speedof 12.4miles (20 kilometer) per second,would liberate an energyequivalenttotenbillionHiroshima-typenuclearbombs.

HowthePolesCanShiftScientistsaretryingtounderstandwhattheoveralleffectontheEarthofacollisionwith anApolloobject couldbe.The scenarios theyhave comeupwith so far lookrather dire.After all,manybelieve that the extinctionof the dinosaurs followed animpact with an asteroid. None of these scenarios, however, has taken intoconsideration the possibility that such an impact could also provoke an almostinstantaneous shift of the poles. This is because, compared to the Earth, a one-kilometer-wideasteroid is likea tinysphereof twomillimetersnext toaballof82feet (25 meters). Its mass is absolutely negligible. The displacement of the polesdirectlyduetoit,ifany,canbemeasuredintheorderofcentimeters.

Whatcan’tbeneglected,however, is the torqueprovokedby the impact.Due tothe very high speed of the asteroid, the impulsive torque it delivers can be ofsufficientmagnitudetoovercome,foraninstant,thereactiontorquedevelopedbytheEarth. The torque, in itself, lasts for too short a period to produce anymeasurableeffect;yetIwillarguethatitcantriggeraprocessthatintheendresultsinachangeoftheaxisofrotation.

Let’sseehow.Earthisagyro.Agyrosubjecttoadisturbingforcereactswithamovementcalled

“precession.” The precession phenomenon has been studied exhaustively—but,unfortunately,onlyfor thecasewhen theprecession’s rotation ismuchsmaller thanthe gyro’s main rotation, the only interesting case for technical applications.Scientists, therefore, are not familiar with the case in which the two rotationalcomponents have the same order of magnitude. This case is examined here in theappendix,where thebehaviorof agyro subject to adisturbing torqueof increasing

-9

valueisshown.Itappearsthatwhenthetorquereachesacriticalvalue,equaltothemaximum reaction torque that can be developed by the gyro, the latter changes itsaxis of rotation permanently. The new axis, which coincides with the previousprecession’saxis,ismaintainedevenifthedisturbingtorquediminishesagain,aslongas itsvalue ishigher thanzero.Only if andwhen the torque is completelynull (orbecomesnegative),doesthegyrorecoveritspreviousrotationalaxis.

ThebehavioroftheEarthwhensubjectedtoadisturbingtorqueisobviouslythesame. In fact, theEarthhas amovementofprecessiondue to thedisturbing torqueexercised by the sun-moon gravitational attraction on the equatorial bulges. Thistorque is onemillion times smaller than themaximum reaction torque that can bedevelopedbyEarth.Simplecalculations,however,allowustoestablishthatanobjectassmallasahalf-kilometer-wideasteroid,hitting theplanet in the rightspotandattherightangle,iscapableofdevelopinganimpulsivetorqueofthesamemagnitudeof themaximumEarth’s reaction torque. In this case theEarth assumes, for a veryshortinstant,adifferentaxisofrotation.

Ifat themomentof the impact theforceof thesun-moongravitationalattractionontheequatorialbulgehasthesamedirectionastheforcedevelopedbytheimpact,ashift of the poles will inevitably follow. Immediately after the impact, in fact, thetorqueshouldgodown tozero, and theEarth should recover itsprevious rotationalaxis.Butifthetorqueexertedbythesun-moonattractionhasthesamedirection,thetorquecannotbezeroedandthereforetheEarthkeeps“memory”oftheimpactandofits direction. This “memory” consists of an extremely small rotational component,with the same direction as that of the impact, on the order of onemillionth of thenormalrotation.

WhatisparticularinthisrotationalcomponentisthatitisfixedwithrespecttotheEarth. If the latter were a solid gyroscope, this situation would stay unchangedindefinitely. The planet, however, is not homogenous and rigid. First of all, it iscoveredbyathinlayerofwater,whichreactsimmediatelytoanychangeofmotion.Second,eventhe“solid”outershellisinrealityplasticandcanbeeasily“reshaped”bycentrifugalforces.

Undertheeffectofthistinyrotationalcomponent,seawaterbeginstomovetowardacircleperpendicular to that rotation(thenewequator).This isaverysmalleffect,and if itwere theonlycomponent, theresultingequatorialbulgewouldbeofafewfeetonly.Butasthishappens,thevalueoftherotationalcomponentincreasesattheexpense of themain rotation, therefore increasing the centrifugal force that makesmorewatermovetowardthenewequator, thus increasingtheforceandsoon.Thisprocess starts very slowly, but accelerates progressively, until the centrifugal forcedevelopedbythisrotationalcomponentgrowsstrongenoughtoinducedeformations

oftheEarth’smantle.Fromhereon, theequatorialbulge isquickly“reshaped”aroundthenewaxisof

rotation and Earth will soon be stable again, with a different axis of rotation anddifferentpoles.

Thismechanism shows that theEarth’s poles, contrary towhat has alwaysbeenpostulated,canmake“jumps”inamatterofdays(thatis,almostinstantaneously)ofthousandsofmiles, due to the effectsof forces at first sightnegligible, such as theimpact of a medium-size asteroid and the sun-moon gravitational attraction on theequatorialbulge,combinedwiththeeffectsofwatermobilityandtheplasticityofthecrust.

PhenomenaThatOccurduringaShiftofthePolesSupposethattheEarthhasbeenhitbyanasteroidandthattheconditionstotriggerashiftofthepoleshavebeenmet.Onthebasisoftheadjustmentsnecessarytoreshapethe equatorial bulge around the new axis of rotation, and the consequentreestablishmentoftheisostaticequilibriumofthecrust,wecanpredictwhatkindofphenomenawouldhappenonthesurface.

Some areas of the Earth’s crust would be driven to move upward, othersdownward. The up and downmovements necessary to reshape the bulgewould bedifferent from site to site. For a shift of 20 degrees, for example, the movementswould be about 2,200 to 2,600 feet (700–800 meters) at the most. Very small,compared to thediameterof theEarth,butnonethelessofgreatconsequenceon thesurface.Weknowthat themechanismsthatmaintaintheisostaticequilibriumofthemantleareveryeffective;sothereisnodoubtthatafterawhiletheequilibriumwouldbereestablishedaroundthenewaxisofrotation,withpolesandequatorindifferentpositions.

Itisimportanttoevaluatehowlongitwouldtakeforthistohappen.Weknowthatthelayersofthecrust,whensubjectedtoaforceoveracertainlimit,breaksuddenly,causinganearthquake.Inthesituationwehavehypothesized,onlyseawaterwouldbedisplacedatthebeginning,withagradualincreaseofthespeedofrotationaroundthenew axis. When the rotational speed reaches a certain critical value, suddenadjustments of the mantle would begin to happen, and from that moment on theprocess would be sharply accelerated, and the reshaping of the bulge would becompletedinaveryshorttime.

How short? Weeks, days, or hours? Impossible to say. A simulation with amathematical model should give reliable results. The process of reshaping the

equatorial bulge should follow a course of exponential type: after the initial sharppeak,itshoulddecreaseveryquickly.Adjustmentphenomena,however,areexpectedtocontinueforalongtime,astheisostaticequilibriumisreestablishedmoreandmoreaccurately.

Obviously, readjustments of the equatorial bulge of that size cannot happenwithoutcausingextensivefracturesofthecrust,whichwouldprovokeearthquakesoftremendousmagnitudepredictablystrongerthanthemostdevastatingknowntoday.Asuddenburstofvolcanicactivityinallareassubjectedtostrainisalsoexpected.

Thebeginningofadjustmentsofthecrustwouldstartmorethanjustearthquakesandvolcanicactivity.Onthewholetheoceans’waterandtheatmospherefollowtherotational movement of the Earth, but they are not tied to it—if the Earth shouldsuddenlychangethedirectionofitsrotation,thankstotheirinertia,theywouldkeepup their previous motion at first, thus provoking a dreadful hurricane all over thecontinents,withviolentwindsandtorrentialrains.Thecontinentswouldbesweptbyhurricaneforcewinds,reachingspeedsofhundredsofmilesperhour.However, theattritionwiththeEarth’ssurfacewouldsoonforcethemtofollowthenewmovement.

The water of the oceans would play a much greater destructive role.We mustexpectwide fluctuation of sea level inmany parts of theworld, predictably in theorderofhundredsofyards.

ThesamereasoningapplieswherethecenterofEarthisconcerned,consistingofasolid core, surrounded by a liquid layer of iron. Thiswould at first continue in itsmotion, naturally undergoing strong attrition in the mantle boundary region thatwouldcreateturbulence,whichmighthaveimportanteffects.Accordingtothelatesttheories, the liquid iron layer is thesiteofelectricalcurrents,whichare responsiblefor the Earth’s magnetic field. This turbulence could provoke perturbation in themagneticfieldthatmightevenleadtoaninversionofthemagneticpoles.

Animportantelement toevaluate theclimaticconditionsfollowingashiftof thepolesistheinclination(tilt)thatthenewaxisofrotationwillassumewithrespecttotheecliptic.Thishasatremendouseffectontheclimate.Accordingtothemechanismwehave spelled out so far, the axis of rotation that theEarthwould acquire at themomentofimpactshoulddependonthedirectionofthehit.However,itisimpossibleto predictwhat the actual direction of the new axiswould be once stabilized. It iscertainthatitwouldnotbethesameasthepreviousone,unlessbyfortuitouschance.Therefore,followingashiftofthepolesthecourseoftheseasonswouldverylikelybedifferent.

For example, on the hypothesis that the axis of rotation is almost vertical withrespecttotheecliptic,therewouldbeanenormousgrowthoficeathighlatitudesandaltitudes,withsubsequentloweringofsealevel.Ontheotherhand,theclimatewould

be much more stable than it is today, with very limited (or nonexistent) seasonalclimatic differences and an uninterrupted growth of vegetation. This would bringaboutthedisruptionoftoday’sclimaticbarriers,withsubsequentspreadingoftropicalspecies towardnorthern regions andvice-versa.Therewould alsobe themaximumpossibledevelopmentofecologicalcommunities.

ThisappearstobethesituationthatexistedinthePleistoceneera,whenimposingzoologicalcommunities thrivedat theveryedgeof the icecapsand thephenomenathatputanendtothissituationappeartobethesameaswehavedescribed.

The tenth millennium BCE appears to be critical under several aspects. It waspreciselyinthatperiodthatthePaleolithiccultures,whichhadthrivedformorethenthirtymillennia,allofasuddendisappeared.Andallovertheworld,bothinlandandat sea, most of a megafauna that thrived for more than 100,000 years declined toextinction.

ThePleistocenegeological era came to an end,markedby a burst of volcanismand terrible earthquakes,witnessedby the collapseof thevaults inmanyEuropeanandAmericancaves,andadreadfulhurricaneallovertheworld.Eventhemagneticfieldunderwentseriouschallengesandnearly inverted—not tomention theclimate,whichfromthenonunderwentaradicalchange.

Twelve thousand years have elapsed since then, a period that is only twice thelengthofthehistoricalperiod.Wearethedirectdescendantsofmenwhomanagedtosurvive those cataclysms. Is it possible that thememory of events of that kind hasbeencompletelycanceledinsucharelativelyshorttime?Mythsandlegendsaboutanapocalyptic disaster, which marked the “beginning” of humankind—the “universalflood”—arecommontoalmostallpopulationsoftheworld.Someofthoselegends,startingfromPlato’s,reportnotonlythesamekindofphenomenawehavedescribed,buteventhesamedate.

Isthisonlyamerecoincidence,oraretheyreferringtothephenomenathatputanendtothePleistoceneeraonly12,000yearsago?Ifweconsiderthatatinyasteroidcan provoke an almost instantaneous shift of the poles, the second alternativedefinitelylooksthemostlikely.

FOURTEEN

MysteriousStrangers

NEWFINDINGSABOUTTHEFIRSTAMERICANSGRAHAMHANCOCK

IhaveconsistentlyarguedthattheAmericaswereinhabitedinprehistorictimesbyavarietyofdifferentethnicgroups—Negroid,Caucasoid,andMongoloid.Such ideashavecauseddeepoffensetosomeAmericanIndians,whohavelongclaimedtobetheonly “native”Americans, and also contradict academic teachings that hold that theNewWorldremaineduninhabitedbyhumansuntiltheendofthelasticeage,andwasthen settled exclusively byMongoloid nomads from Asia who crossed the BeringStrait about 12,000 years ago (when there was a land bridge between Siberia andAlaska) andmade theirway thence intoallofNorthandSouthAmerica—reachingthe latter only about 9,000 years ago. Naturally, this teaching also holds that noCaucasoidsorNegroidswerepresentanywhereintheAmericaspriortothecomingofColumbusandtheEuropeanconquestinthefifteenthandsixteenthcenturiesCE.

One of the historical mysteries that drewme into writingFingerprints was theeloquentmythicalandsculpturaltestimonyconcerningatime,longago,whenpeoplewho were definitely not American Indians inhabited the Americas. Both the godViracocha,inSouthAmerica,andthegodQuetzalcoatlinMexicoweredescribedastall,white-skinned,andred-bearded—sometimesblue-eyedaswell.

Fig.14.1.AnimageofViracocha.ProvidedcourtesyofSanthaFaiiaatwww.GrahamHancock.com.

Fig.14.2.Caucasoidfigureknownasthe“Walker”orLaVenta.ProvidedcourtesyofSanthaFaiiaatwww.GrahamHancock.com.

AtMonte Alban, near Oaxaca, and at LaVenta, on the Gulf ofMexico (a siteassociatedwith themysterious “Olmec” culture, supposedly the first and theoldesthighcivilizationofMesoamerica),ancientcarvedfigureshavebeenfoundthatseemtodepictsuchindividuals.InthecaseofMonteAlban,theseCaucasoidfiguresdatebacktoabout600BCEand,inthecaseofLaVentatoabout1200BCE—almostthreethousandyearsbeforetheEuropeanconquest.

Fig.14.3.Caucasoidfigure,MonteAlban.ProvidedcourtesyofSanthaFaiiaatwww.GrahamHancock.com.

More intriguing still, other sculptures, mostly in the form of carved megalithicheads,werealsofoundatLaVentainthesamearchaeologicalstrataastheCaucasoidfigures.Onceagain, thesesculptures, theso-calledOlmecHeads,donotdisplaythetypicalfeaturesofNativeAmericanIndians.ThistimetheyareunmistakablyNegroidin appearance—depicting individuals who must have closely resembled modernAfricans,Melanesians,orAustralianAborigines.

Fig.14.4.OlmecHead,MonteAlban.ProvidedcourtesyofSanthaFaiiaatwww.GrahamHancock.com.

InFingerprints of theGods andHeaven’sMirror, I wrote at length about theseanomalisticsculpturesandthemythsthataccompanythem.Iarguedthatrealpeoplemusthaveservedasthemodelsforbothtypesandthattheyshouldthereforebetakenseriously ashistorical testimonyof thepresenceofCaucasoids andNegroids in the

NewWorldmore than three thousand years ago. This viewwas not accepted by asingle orthodox scholar in 1995whenFingerprintswas first published. Since then,new evidence has come to light, which has obliged the experts to reconsider theirposition and step back from the dogmaof exclusivelyMongoloid settlement of theAmericas. The first breakthroughs came in 1996 and 1997, as published in theWashingonPost,FinalEdition,Tuesday,April15,1997.

Fig.14.5.OlmecHead.ProvidedcourtesyofSanthaFaiiaatwww.Graham-Hancock.com.

Fig.14.6.OlmecHead.ProvidedcourtesyofSanthaFaiiaatwww.Graham-Hancock.com.

Skeletons unearthed in several western states and as far east as Minnesota arechallengingtraditionalviewsthattheearliestAmericansallresembledtoday’sAsians.The skeletons’ skulls bear features similar to those of Europeans, suggesting thatCaucasoid people were among the earliest humans tomigrate into theNewWorldmorethan9,000yearsago.Anthropologistshaveknownofsuchbonesforyears,butdidnot fully appreciate their significanceuntil re-appraising themover the last few

months.Thenewanalyseswerepromptedbythediscoverylastsummerofthenewestaddition to thebodyofevidence—theunusuallycompleteskeletonofanapparentlyCaucasoid man who died about 9,300 years ago near what is now Kennewick,Washington....Theman’sheadandshouldersweremummified,preservingmuchoftheskin in thatarea. . . .Thosewhoexamined [himat first thought that thebones]were the remains of aEuropean settler [until radiocarbon revealed their great age].“It’sanexcitingtime,andI thinkwe’regoingtoseesomerealchangesinthestoryabout the peopling of North America,” said Dennis Stanford, an authority at theSmithsonianInstitution’sNationalMuseumofNaturalHistory.

NotallscholarsagreethatKennewickManwasaCaucasoid.ButattheveryleastthediscoveryhasraisedsignificantdoubtsabouttheestablishedmodelofthepeoplingoftheAmericas.Otherdiscoverieshaveraisedfurtherdoubts.

SimilaritiestoModern-DayAboriginesorAfricansInFingerprintsoftheGods,IdescribedoneofthecolossalOlmecHeadsofLaVenta:

Itwas the headof an oldmanwith a broad flat nose and thick lips.The lipswereslightlyparted,exposingstrong,squareteeth.Theexpressiononthefacesuggestedanancient, patientwisdom, and the eyes seemed to gaze unafraid into eternity. . . . Itwould be impossible, I thought, for a sculptor to invent all the different combinedcharacteristicsofanauthenticracialtype.Theportrayalofanauthenticcombinationofracialcharacteristicsthereforestronglyimpliedthatahumanmodelhadbeenused.

Iwalkedaroundthegreatheadacoupleoftimes.Itwas22feetincircumference,weighed19.8tons,stoodalmost8feethigh,hadbeencarvedoutofsolidbasalt,andclearlydisplayedanauthenticcombinationofracialcharacteristics.Indeed,likeotherpiecesIhadseen,itunmistakablyandunambiguouslyshowedaNegro....MyownviewisthattheOlmecHeadspresentuswithphysiologicallyaccurateimagesofrealindividualsofNegroidstock....

IreturnedtothismysteryinmybookHeaven’sMirror:

Orthodox historians do not accept the presence of anyAfricans in theNewWorldprior to the time of Columbus and have tried to sidestep the implications of theobviouslyAfrican featuresof the three-thousand-year-oldOlmecHeads—sixteenofwhichhavesofarbeenfound.Itmayatleastbetakenasasignthatthereisnoracisminarchaeology that therearealsosupposed tohavebeennoCaucasians in theNewWorld before Columbus! Scholars have therefore predictably raised quibbles abouttheQuetzalcoatlmythofthetallbeardedwhitemanandhavesoughttodismissany

suggestionsthatitmightbereflectedinthenumerousreliefsofCaucasianfacesthathave been excavated in some of the oldest archaeological sites of Mexico. In theOlmecarea,severalwerefoundinthesamestrataastheAfricanheadsandsometimesside by sidewith them, but images ofCaucasians have also been excavated as farafieldasMonteAlbaninthesouth-west,asitedatedtobetween1000and600BCE.

In1996and1997thediscoveryofCaucasianbonesmorethanninethousandyearsoldintheAmericasseems,quitesuddenly,tohavevalidatedtheQuetzalcoatlmyth.Itisthereforenowlegitimatetoaskhowlongitmaybebeforeanotherluckyturnofthearchaeologist’sspadewilluncoverthebonesofindividualswhocouldhaveservedasprototypesforthegreatOlmecHeads.

That“luckyturnofthearchaeologist’sspade”wasnotlongincoming.OnAugust22, 1999, the London Sunday Times (and, a few days later, a BBC2 televisiondocumentary) reported the discovery in Brazil and Columbia of more than fiftyskeletons and skulls of a Negroid people who had lived in South America about12,000yearsago—about3,000yearsbeforethefirstknownpenetrationofMongoloidpeoplesintothisregion.

One particularly well-preserved example, the remains of a young girl whomscientistshavenicknamed“Luzia,”hasbeendescribedas“theoldesthumanskeletonyetfoundontheAmericanlandmass.”IthasbeenstudiedbyWalterNeves,professorofbiologicalanthropologyattheUniversityofSaoPaolo,whostates:

Whenwestartedseeingtheresults,itwasamazingbecausewerealizedthestatisticswerenotshowing thesepeople tobeMongoloid; theywereshowing that theywereanything except Mongoloid. . . . They are similar to modern-day Aborigines orAfricansandshownosimilaritiesatallwithMongoloidsfromeastAsiaandmodern-dayIndians.

TheSundayTimesalsoquotesRichardNeave,aforensicartistwiththeUniversityofManchester,whohasmadeareconstructionofLuzia’sface.“That,”hecomments,“is aNegroid face. The proportions of the face do not say anything about it beingMongoloid.”

Up till now, as far as I know, no scholar has pointed out that the discoveries inBrazilandColumbiacouldofferanexplanationfortheNegroidfeaturesoftheOlmecHeads.It’struethattheOlmecsculptureswerefoundinstratabetweenthreeandfourthousandyearsold—whereastheBrazilianandColumbianskeletonsaremucholderthan that. But this does not rule out a possible connection. At the very least, it issurely an intriguing coincidence (a) that pieces of monumental sculpture depictingNegroid individuals have come down to us from the prehistoric antiquity of the

Americasand(b)thataNegroidpeople,previouslyunidentifiedandunsuspectedbyhistorians,havenowbeenscientificallyproventohaveinhabitedtheAmericasaround12,000yearsago.Perhapsthe“Olmec”Headswerenotmadebythe“Olmecs”atall,butwereinheritedbythemasheirlooms,handeddownfromanearliertime?

AChineseInfluence?A footnote to this story, and a signof thegalloping collapseof consensus amongstorthodox scholars concerning the peopling of theAmericas, is a row that began tosimmer in academic circles in the late 1990s concerning possible cultural linksbetweenancientChineseandancientAmericancultures—specificallytheOlmecandtheShang.ThemainproponentsofthisviewareProfessorMikeXu,whoteachesintheforeignlanguagesdepartmentattheUniversityofCentralOklahomaintheUnitedStates,andChenHanpingofChina’sHistoricalResearchInstitute.

AccordingtoanarticlepublishedinU.S.NewsandWorldReport,andtoInternetpostings,Xubelievesthat“thefirstcomplexcultureinMesoamericamayhavecomeintoexistencewiththehelpofagroupofChinesewhofledacrosstheseasasrefugeesat the end of the Shang dynasty. The Olmec civilization arose around 1200 BCE,which coincideswith the timewhenKingWuofZhou attacked anddefeatedKingZhou,thelastShangruler,bringinghisdynastytoaclose.”

Xuisalsoreportedtohave“explosive”evidenceintheformofarchaicwritings:

Over the past three years he has found some 150 glyphs on photographs of realspecimensofOlmecpottery,jadeartifacts,andsculptures.Aswellashimselfleafingthrough dictionaries of ancient Chinese, he has also taken his drawings of thesemarkings tobeexaminedbymainlandChineseexperts inancientwriting,andmosthave agreed that they closely resemble the characters used in Chinese oracle bonewritings and bronze inscriptions. “At first these experts all tried to sendme away,sayingtheycouldnotgiveanopinionofforeignartifacts,”MikeXurecalls.Butafterhis repeated entreaties, they reluctantly took a look. The moment they saw hisdrawings,eachofthemasked:“WhereinChinaweretheseinscriptionsfound?”

When they heard they came fromAmerica, theywere all dumbstruck. “If theseinscriptionshadbeenfoundinexcavationsinChina,”saysChenHanping,aresearchassociate at the mainland’s Historical Research Institute, “they would certainly beregardedassymbolsofthepre-Quin-dynastyperiod.”

Reaction from other scholars has been almost universally hostile. This posting,fromConstanceCook,associateprofessorofChineseatLehighUniversity,sumsup

severalkeyobjections:

Someaskedmetopostmyobservationsre:thescriptontheOlmecCeltsidentifiedbyChen,Hanping asChinese inU.S.News andWorldReport. I have finally seen thearticlewiththereproductionoftheOlmecgraphsandthesectionthatChenbelievedwassimilartotheoraclebonescriptoftheShang.

Thegraphs isolatedbyChenarenotChinese.Theybear somegraphic similarity tosomearchaicChinesegraphsorpartsofgraphsbutassinglegraphsequalnothinganddonothavetheequivalentsheassignedtothem.Itisbogus.

Obviously, the graphs/glyphs pulled out by Chen should be considered within thecontext of the entire “inscription.”This is impossible as the rest of themarks bearnone but a few isolated similarities. In fact the Olmec “script” may not representlanguageatall,butliketheNaxiandotherurscripts,bemoreacodeforstorytellingthananactual transcriptionof language.TheShangoraclebonescript,on theotherhand,isveryadvancedandunquestionablyqualifiesasbelongingtoawritingsystem.

Finally, the “inscription” must be considered within the context of the sculptures.There is very little beyond the occasional face of human representation in Shangperiod art (some carved jade figures, but these are kneeling, often incised, andcoveredwithanimaldécor, tattoos,andclothes).Onefamousbronzehasashaman-like figure in the mouth of an animal, but there is no similarity to the Olmecrepresentations.

Apointofcorrection:TheU.S.NewsandWorldReportarticleclaimsthatChenistheforemostauthorityofonlyabouttwelvescholarsworldwidewhoaretrainedinancientscript. First, Chen is a very minor scholar. Second, there are more than twelvescholars in theUnitedStatesalonewhocanreadShangscript,manymanymore inChinaandelsewhere.

BulgingEyesandaLong,CurlingNoseIhaven’t the faintest ideawhetherProfessorCookand theother critics are rightorwhetherXuandChenareontosomethingwiththeirShang-Olmecconnection.Furtheropen-mindedresearchisrequiredtosettletheissue,butinthemeantimeIwouldliketodrawattentiontoasmallpieceofevidencethatSanthaandIfirstbecameawareofwhenwevisitedthe“MysteriesofAncientChina”exhibitionattheBritishMuseuminearlyJanuary1997and,morerecently,whenwevisitedBeijing’sHistoryMuseuminMarch1999.

Fig.14.7.Sanxingduimask.ProvidedcourtesyofSanthaFaiiaatwww.Graham-Hancock.com.

Fig.14.8.MayanChacmask,architecturalfeature.ProvidedcourtesyofSanthaFaiiaatwww.GrahamHancock.com.

Wewere intriguedbyartifacts from the sacrificialpits atSanxingdui inSichuanprovince, includingbronzes in the shapeof humanheads, fragments of gold,manyjades,anda largenumberofelephant tusks; theseartifactswerediscovered in1986and are the work of a previously unidentified high civilization that flourished inSichuanfromaround1200to1000BCE.

Ofparticularinterestwasanexhibitdescribedas“Maskwithornamentedforehead

andprotrudingpupils.” It isoneof three largemasks thatwerefound inPitTwoatSanxingdui.According to theBritishMuseum’s commentary, found inMysteries ofAncientChina:

Themoststartlingfeaturesarethepupilsoftheeyes,whichprojectonstalks....Afurther remarkable feature is the longupstandingprojection rising from thenoseofthemask.Thisprojection is scroll-shaped,with anupright section coiled at the topandwith a double loop at the bottom. . . . The combination of the large ears, theprotrudingeyesandthetallquillmakesthisfacecompletelyfantastic.

Isitacoincidencethatalmostexactlythesame“fantastic”and“startling”features—bulgingeyesandalong,curlingprojectiontothenose—arefoundupontheChacmasksoftheancientMayaofCentralAmerica, thesuccessorstotheOlmecs?ChacmasksweresometimesalsoincorporatedasarchitecturalfeaturesintoMayatemples.

Figs.14.9–10.Steppyramids,Xian,China.ProvidedcourtesyofSanthaFaiiaatwww.GrahamHancock.com.

ConspicuousStrangersPerhapssuchsimilaritiesarejustcoincidences—althoughpersonallyIratherdoubtit.Settingasideallotherissuesandanomalies,however(andtherearemany),Icontendthat the ancientCaucasoid andNegroid skeletons that havebeen found in theNewWorldmeanthattherecannolongerbeanyroomforpreconceivednotions.Thetrue

history of the peopling of the Americas is likely to turn out to be extraordinarilycomplexandattenuated,involvingmanydifferentethnicgroupsandculturesinmanydifferentepochs.ItdoesnotsurprisemeatallthattheChinesemighthavebeenherethreethousandyearsago,orthePhoeniciansataboutthesametime—asothershavesuggested—or the remarkable Jomon culture of Japan, or the Egyptians, or—muchlater—theVikings.Ibelieveittobeverylikely,indeedlittleshortofacertainty,thatallthesepeoplesandseveralothersaswellmusthaveindependently“discovered”theAmericas, in isolated individual cases, over and over again, from the very earliesttimes.

Buthowearly?Ifwekeeponpushing this inquiryback into thepast—backbeyondtheearliest-

knownhistoricalcivilizations—thenwhat,ultimately,dowecometo?ThepossibleShanginfluenceonOlmecwritingandarttakesusback3,000years,

wellwithin theboundsof recordedhistory.ButKennewickManandLuzia takeusback, respectively, 9,300 and 12,000 years, the latter date being some 7,000 yearsearlierthanSumerandEgypt—theearliestknownhistoricalcivilizations—andsmackinthemiddleoftheendofthelasticeage,whentheEarthpassedthroughagiganticcataclysmandfloodsfromthemeltingicesheetsscouredtheglobe.

Some scholars have expressed the view thatLuzia’s people could have come toSouthAmericafromthePacificandbeenrelatedtoAustralianAborigines.CertainlythereisevidencethatinancienttimestheAboriginespossessedsophisticatedsailingandnavigationalskills.Sofar,however,thereisnohistoricaltheorythatcanexplainthepresenceintheNewWorldatsuchearlydatesnotonlyofNegroidAboriginesbutalsoofCaucasoids—letalone thefact thatmemoriesof theseconspicuousstrangersappeartohavebeenpreservedinmythsandinsculpturesasfarafieldasBoliviaandMexico.

Aswellasbeinganintriguinghumanandarchaeologicalmystery,therefore,whatwenowknowaboutthefirstAmericansrepresentsaradicalandrobustchallengetoorthodoxscholarship.

Isuspectthatthisstorywillrunandrun.

Footnotes

*1Myths are not simply fairy tales or false stories, and in ancient times oftenencodedbothpragmaticinformationandprofoundknowledge.

†2TheprecessionalcycleiscomprisedoftheAgeofAries,theAgeofPisces,theAgeofAquarius,andsoon,basedintheWestonthelocationofthesunamongthezodiacalconstellationsonthevernalequinox.

*3The Parable of the Beast, by John Bleibtreu, published by Paladin in 1976,chapter2.

*4AlvinPlantingaisoneoftheleadingfiguresintheAnglo-Americanschoolofanalyticphilosophy.HeiscurrentlyJohnA.O’BrienProfessorofPhilosophyat theUniversityofNotreDame.

*5 FromMicrowave, Optics, Acoustics, and Ancient Egyptian Temples, by Dr.PavelSmutny.http://farshores.org/moae.htm.

*6FromAcousticsinTempleComplexesonMalta’sIslands,byDr.PavelSmutny.*7 Grigsby cited in Heaven’s Mirror: The Quest for the Lost Civilization by

GrahamHancockandSanthaFaiia.NewYork:CrownPublishers,Inc.,1998,p.127.

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FOX.“ConspiracyTheory:DidWeLandontheMoon?”February15,2001.Hoagland,RichardC.,andMikeBara.DarkMission:TheSecretHistoryofNASA.

PortTownsend,Wash.:FeralHouse,2007.www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_gallery.html.www.history.nasa.gov/alsj/frame.html.www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/ap15fj/index.html.www.spacearchive.info.

Chapter7.HistoryandCelestialTimeCruttenden,Walter.TheGreatYear.TheYugaProject,2003.———.LostStarofMythandTime.Pittsburgh,Pa.:St.Lynn’sPress,2005.De Santillana, Giorgio, and Hertha von Dechend. Hamlet’s Mill: An Essay

Investigating theOriginsofHumanKnowledgeand ItsTransmission throughMyth.Jaffrey,N.H.:GodinePress,1977.

Diamond, Jared.Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. NewYork:W.W.Norton,2005.

Yogananda,Paramahansa.AutobiographyofaYogi.LosAngeles:Self-RealizationFellowship,2006.

Yukteswar, Sri. The Holy Science. Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship,1990.

Chapter8.theOrionKeyBauval,Robert.TheOrionMystery:UnlockingtheSecretsofthePyramids.New

York:ThreeRiversPress,1995.Bauval,Robert,andGrahamHancock.KeeperofGenesis/MessageoftheSphinx.

Portsmouth,N.H.:WilliamHeinemannLtd.,1996.

Chapter9.TheCygnusMystery

Collins,Andrew.TheCygnusMystery.London:WatkinsBooks,2006.Sagan, Carl.Carl Sagan’s Cosmic Connection: An Extraterrestrial Perspective.

Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress,2000.Sagan,Carl,andI.S.Shklovskii.IntelligentLifeintheUniverse.NewYork:Dell,

1966.www.sondela.co.uk

Chapter10.ElectromagnetismandtheAncientsBarrow,Lennox.IrishRoundTowers.London:JarroldandSons,1976.Burke,John,andKajHalberg.SeedofKnowledge,StoneofPlenty:Understanding

the Lost Technology of the Ancient Megalith-Builders. Tulsa, Okla.: Council OakBooks,2005.

Callahan, Philip S. Ancient Mysteries Modern Visions: The Magnetic Life ofAgriculture.Austin,Tex.:AcresUSA,2001.

———. “The Mysterious Round Towers of Ireland: Low Energy Radio inNature.”TheExplorer’sJournal,Summer1993.

Ellul, Joseph S.Malta’s Prediluvian Culture at the Stone Age Temples. Malta:PrintwellLtd.,1988.

Hancock, Graham. Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization. NewYork:Crown,2002.

Imbrogno, Philip, and Marianne Horrigan. Celtic Mysteries in New England.Woodbury,Minn.:Llewellyn,2000.

Chapter11.TheGulfofKhambhatBuck,William.Mahabharata.Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2000.

Chapter12.TheOrionZone

Allen,RichardHinckley.StarNames:TheirLoreandMeaning.NewYork:Dover,1963.

Barnett, Franklin. Excavation of Main Pueblo at Fitzmaurice Ruin: PrescottCulture inYavapaiCounty,Arizona.Flagstaff,Ariz.:MuseumofNorthernArizona,1974.

Bauval,Robert,andAdrianGilbert.TheOrionMystery:UnlockingtheSecretsofthePyramids.NewYork:CrownPublishers,Inc.,1994.

Bradfield,RichardMaitland.An InterpretationofHopiCulture.Derby,England:Self-published,1995.

Cunkle, James R.Raven Site Ruin: Interpretive Guide. St. Johns, Ariz.: WhiteMountainArchaeologicalCenter,n.d.

Gilbert,Adrian.SignsintheSky.London:BantamPress,2000.Hancock,Graham,andRobertBauval.TheMessageoftheSphinx:AQuestforthe

HiddenLegacyofMankind.NewYork:ThreeRiversPress,1996.Hancock, Graham, and Santha Faiia. Heaven’s Mirror: Quest for the Lost

Civilization.NewYork:CrownPublishers,Inc.,1998.Haney,MarkA.Skyglobe2.04forWindows.AnnArbor,Mich.:KlassMSoftware,

1997.Houk, Rose. Sinagua: Prehistoric Cultures of the Southwest. Tucson, Ariz.:

SouthwestParksandMonumentsAssociation,1992.James,T.G.H.AncientEgypt:TheLandandItsLegacy.Austin,Tex.:University

ofTexasPress,1989.Johnson,Ginger.AViewofPrehistoryinthePrescottRegion.Prescott,Ariz.:Self-

published,1995.Krupp,E.C.Skywatchers,Shamans&Kings:AstronomyandtheArchaeologyof

Power.NewYork:JohnWiley&Sons,Inc.,1996.Lister, Robert H., and Florence C. Those Who Came Before: Southwestern

Archeology in the National Park System. Tucson, Ariz.: Southwestern Parks andMonumentsAssociation,1994.

Loftin, JohnD.Religion andHopi Life in the TwentiethCentury. Bloomington,Ind.:IndianaUniversityPress,1994.

Malville,J.McKim,andClaudiaPutnam.PrehistoricAstronomyintheSouthwest.Boulder,Colo.:JohnsonBooks,1989.

Noble,DavidGrant.Ancient Ruins of the Southwest: An ArchaeologicalGuide.Flagstaff,Ariz.:NorthlandPublishing,1989.

Oppelt,NormanT.Guide toPrehistoricRuins of theSouthwest. Boulder, Colo.:PruettPublishingCompany,1989.

Reid, Jefferson, and StephanieWhittlesey.The Archaeology of Ancient Arizona.Tucson,Ariz.:UniversityofArizonaPress,1997.

Smith,Stan.“HouseoftheBadlands.”ArizonaHighways,August1993.Talayesva, Don, and LeoW. Simmons, eds.Sun Chief: An Autobiography of a

HopiIndian.NewHaven,Conn.:YaleUniversityPress,1974.

Waters,Frank,andOswaldWhiteBearFredericks.BookoftheHopi.NewYork:Penguin,1987.

Williamson,RayA.LivingtheSky:TheCosmosoftheAmericanIndian.Norman,Okla.:UniversityofOklahomaPress,1989.

www.teamatlantis.com.

Chapter13.OnthePossibilityofInstantaneousShiftsofthePolesDeimel,R.F.MechanicsoftheGyroscope:TheDynamicsofRotation.NewYork:

Dover,1950.Gehrels,Tom.“CollisionwithCometsandAsteroids.”ScientificAmerican,March

1996.Hapgood,Charles.ThePathofthePole.Philadelphia,Pa.:ChiltonBookCo,1970.Spedicato,E. “Apollo objects,Atlantis and the deluge: a catastrophical scenario

fortheendofthelastglaciation”Quad.90/22,1990,BergamoUniversity,Italy.Wetherill,G.W.“TheApolloObjects.”ScientificAmerican,May1979.

Chapter14.MysteriousStrangersBritishMuseum’s commentary, inRawson, Jessica.Mysteries of Ancient China.

NewYork:GeorgeBraziller,1996.Hancock, Graham. Fingerprints of the Gods: The Evidence of Earth’s Lost

Civilization.NewYork:ThreeRiversPress,1995.———.Heaven’sMirror.NewYork:ThreeRiversPress,1998.

ContributorsS. Badrinaryan is the chief geologist with the scientific team from the NationalInstitute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), the Indian Agency responsible for theunderwater surveys in the Gulf of Khambhat. His current field of research, inconjunction with archaeologists and other scientists, is exploring the mysteriousHarappan(IndusValley)civilizationthatflourishedacrosswhatisnowPakistanandnorthwestIndiafromabout3000BCE.

FlavioBarbiero,aretiredadmiralintheItalianNavy,spentmostofhisprofessionallife as an engineer in research centers of the Italian Navy and the North AtlanticTreatyOrganization (NATO).He hasworked in conjunctionwith various scientificinstitutions on several research programs ranging from paleoclimatology—withexpeditions in Antarctica—to biblical archaeology in Israel. He is the author ofseveralbooks,includingUnaCiviltàsottoghiaccio(Afrozencivilization),AtlantisinAntarctica,BibleWithoutSecrets,andTheSecretSocietyofMoses.HelivesinItaly.

RobertBauvalhasresearchedandwrittenextensivelyaboutthepyramidsofGiza.HisOrionCorrelationTheory,inparticular,hasattractedenormouspopularattentionandsupportaroundtheworld,buthasalsostirredupahornet’snestofanimosityamongstEgyptologists andorthodoxhistorians.Bauval’s latest book,The Egypt Code, takeshisgroundbreakingworkevenfurtherandprovidesuswithstunningnewinsightsintothemysteriesofancientEgyptianreligionandcivilization.FormoreinformationonRobertBauval,pleasevisithiswebsite:www.robertbauval.co.uk.

MarkBooth,aLondonpublisherwhohastaughtphilosophyandtheologyatOxford,is the author ofThe Secret History of the World, which reveals extraordinary andthought provoking insights into the esoteric teachings of secret societies downthroughtheages,andoffersaradicallynew(orperhapsveryancient)perspectiveonhuman history.The Secret History of theWorld was published by Quercus Books,London,in2007.

AndrewCollins isascienceandhistorywriterand theauthorofvariousbooks thatquestion the way we perceive the past. These include From the Ashes of Angels(1996),GodsofEden (1998),Gateway toAtlantis (2000),andTheCygnusMystery(2006). He lives near Marlborough, Wiltshire, in the United Kingdom. For moreinformationaboutAndrewCollinsandhisworkpleasevisitwww.andrewcollins.com.

Scott Creighton is fascinated by the mysteries of the ancient world. Out of thisfascination he has developed a series of extraordinary theories that challengeentrenched orthodox ideas of history, particularly those concerning the design andpurposeofthepyramidsatGiza.AnICTengineerbyprofession,helivesandworksinScotland.

Walter Cruttenden is the Director of the Binary Research Institute, an archaeo-astronomy think tank located in Newport Beach, California. His focus is on theastronomy,mythology, and artifacts of ancient cultures.Cruttenden is the author ofLost Star of Myth and Time, published by St. Lynn’s Press, and the writer andproducer of the award-winning documentaryThe Great Year, which examines themythandfolkloreofancientculturesandseekstofindthemessagethattheseculturesleftformodernman.HeresidesinCalifornia.

Gary A. David is an independent researcher and the author of The Orion Zone:Ancient Star Cities of the American Southwest. This work reveals how theconstellation Orion provided the template by which the Anasazi (ancestral Hopi)navigatedtheirmigrationsacrossthesouthwesternUnitedStates,migrationsthattookplaceoverthousandsofyears.

Graham Hancock is the author of the major bestsellers The Sign and the Seal,FingerprintsoftheGods,KeeperofGenesis,Heaven’sMirror,andSupernatural.Hisbookshave soldmore than fivemillion copiesworldwide andhavebeen translatedinto twenty-seven languages. His public lectures and broadcasts have furtherestablished his reputation as an unconventional thinker who raises controversialquestionsabouthumanity’spast.

RichardC.Hoaglandhasdonemorethananyotherresearchertodrawattentiontothedevastatingpossibilitythattheruinsofancientandunknowncivilizationsmaylieonthe surface of the planet Mars and on the moon. Although his views and hismeticulous presentation of the evidence have been pilloried by many mainstreamscientists,hehascontinuedformanyyearstobuilduphiscaseandputitbeforethepublic, drawing attention to what he believes are deeply disturbing cover-ups andmisrepresentationsof the factsbyNASA(theU.S.NationalAeronautics andSpaceAdministration).

GlennKreisberg isa radio frequencyengineer,writer,and researcherwhocurrentlyserves as vice president of the New England Antiquities Research Association(www.NEARA.org). He has researched and published articles and interviews onsubjectsasdiverseaselectromagnetismandtheancients,historicbluestonequarryinginupstateNewYork,andlithicsitesandalignmentsinnortheastAmerica.Heisalso

the founder and editor of the alternative science and history website www.AS-Hnews.org., and the current editor of the Author of the Month page featured atwww.grahamhancock.com.

EdwardF.Malkowskihasalifelonginterestinancienthistory,withaspecialinterestin philosophy, the rise of civilization, and the development of ancient religiousbeliefs.Inthelate1990shebeganinvestigatingthepossibilitythattheancientbiblicalstories inGenesiswerebasedonhistorical fact,which led tohis firstbookSons ofGod—Daughters ofMen.Other books followed; they includeBefore the Pharaohs,TheSpiritualTechnologyofAncientEgypt,andhismostrecentwork,AncientEgypt39,000BCE.

Robert M. Schoch, who earned his Ph.D. in geology and geophysics at YaleUniversity,hasbeenafull-timefacultymemberoftheCollegeofGeneralStudiesatBostonUniversity since 1984.He becameworld famous in the early 1990s for hiswork on theGreat Sphinx,which demonstrated that the statuemay bemuch olderthanthedynasticcivilizationofancientEgypt.Schochhasauthored,coauthored,andeditedmanybooks,includingVoicesof theRocks,Voyagesof thePyramidBuilders,PyramidQuest,andTheParapsychologyRevolution.

JohnAnthonyWestisawriter,scholar,andPythagorean,borninNewYorkCity.HeistheauthorofTheTraveler’sKeytoAncientEgyptandSerpentintheSky:TheHighWisdom of Ancient Egypt, an exhaustive study of the revolutionary Egyptologicalworkof theFrenchmathematicianandOrientalistR.A.SchwallerdeLubicz. JohnAnthonyWestwonanEMMYAward for his 1993NBCSpecialDocumentaryTheMystery of the Sphinx, hosted by Charlton Heston. He is featured in the recent 8-EpisodeDVDseriesMagicalEgypt:ASymbolistTour.

AbouttheAuthorGlennKreisberg,editoroftheAuthoroftheMonthpageatGrahamHancock.com,isanengineerandvicepresidentoftheNewEnglandAntiquitiesResearchAssociation.He is the author of numerous articles and papers, includingLithicMysteries of theNortheast.HelivesinWoodstock,NewYork.

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