Rare 3,000-Year-Old Weavings Discovered In Alaska

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com -  During excavations of an ancestral sod house on the shore of Karluk Lake, Kodiak Island, Alaska, archaeologists uncovered rare fragments of woven grass artifacts estimated to be 3,000 years old.

The fragments, which appear to be pieces of mats, are the oldest well-documented examples of Kodiak Alutiiq/Sugpiaq weaving.

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Weaving is a long-practiced Alutiiq art.

Image credit: Patrick Saltonstall, Alutiiq Museum

“We were excavating a sod house beside Karluk Lake as part of a broader study to understand how Alutiiq people used Kodiak’sinterior,” said Saltonstall. “When we reached the floor, we discovered that the house had burned and collapsed.

The walls of the structure, which were lined with wood, fell into the building and covered a portion of the floor. This sealed the floor quickly and limited burning. As we removed the remains of the walls, we were surprised and excited to find fragments of charred weaving. It looks like the house had grass mats on the floor. The pieces covered about a two-meter area at the back of the house, perhaps in an area for sleeping,” Alutiiq Museum Curator of Archaeology Patrick Saltonstall explained in a press release.

Weaving is a long-practiced Alutiiq art, but one that is difficult to document archaeologically as fiber artifacts are fragile and rarely preserved. The Alutiiq Museum’s extensive archaeological collections contain grass and spruce root baskets that are as much as 600 years old but nothing older.

Detail of ca. 3,000-year-old grass matting from ancestral Alutiiq house by Karluk Lake.

Image credit: Patrick Saltonstall, Alutiiq Museum

The house that produced the weavings was radiocarbon-dated to about 3,000 years old. The style of the structure and artifacts found in association support this determination.

“It is likely that our ancestors worked with plant fibers for millennia, from the time they arrived on Kodiak 7500 years ago,” said April Laktonen Counceller, the museum’s executive director.

“It makes sense. Plants are abundant and easily harvested, and they are excellent materials for making containers, mats, and other useful items. It’s just very hard to document this practice. This wonderful find extends our knowledge of Alutiiq weaving back an additional 2400 years.”

Close inspection of the woven fragments shows that their makerslaid down long parallel strands of grass (the warp) and then secured them with perpendicular rows of twining (the weft)spaced about an inch apart.

This technique created an open weave, also found in historic examples of Alutiiq grass matting. Small fragments of more complicated braiding may represent the finished edge of a mat.
The field crew carefully lifted the fragile woven fragments off the floor of the sod house and placed them in a specially made box for transport back to Kodiak and the Alutiiq Museum’slaboratory.

The sod house after excavation. The structure is oval and about 4 x 6 meters across. Modern sticks mark the locations of holes left by posts that once held up the structure roof. Image credit:

Patrick Saltonstall, Alutiiq Museum

Here, they will be preserved, documented, and made available for study as a loan from Koniag—the regional Alaska Native Corporation for Kodiak Alutiiq people and the sponsor of the research. The corporation owns the land on which the excavation took and has been generously supporting archaeological studies in the region.

See also:

•  More Archaeology News

“Discoveries like these highlight our Alutiiq people’s innovation and resilience,” said Koniag President Shauna Hegna.“Koniag is humbled to partner with the Alutiiq Museum on critical projects like this.”

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer

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05-09-2023 om 00:32 geschreven door peter  

Approximately one million years ago, the Earth was populated by a few hundred thousand or so ancient human ancestors. But about 900,000 years ago there was a sudden and dramatic crash in this population, which caused the number of archaic human breeding couples to drop down to below 1,300.

Or at least, this is the latest claim from a team of Chinese and Italian genetic researchers, who’ve just published a comprehensive historical analysis of the evolution of the human genome and its relation to past population levels in the journal Science.

To detect the genetic traces of what was nearly an extinction-level population crash, the scientists analyzed genetic data collected from 3,154 individuals in 10 modern African populations and 40 non-African populations. These people all had their genomes sequenced completely, which made it possible for the researchers to assess the differences and correlate them with long-term population patterns.

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Using this form of complex analysis, the researchers were able to detect a steep decline in the breeding population of our distant human ancestors of nearly 99 percent about 930,000 years ago. By measuring the lack of diversity of genetic material passed on from that time period, they were able to calculate that the number of reproducing couples among archaic humans dropped from around 100,000 to just 1,280.

Astonishingly, human population numbers remained extremely low for about 117,000 years after that, showing little signs of improvement. Only around 813,000 years ago did they suddenly begin to rise again.

The new study claims that the population of our human ancestors dropped to just 1,280 couples about 930,000 years ago.

( Robert Kneschke / Adobe Stock)

Genetic Time Travel Reveals a Dangerously Depopulated Earth

This groundbreaking genetic study was led by a pair of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yi-Hsuan Pan and Haipeng Li. Going in, the scientists knew that human genetic diversity was much lower than that of other primate species, which suggested some kind of depopulation event or bottleneck had occurred that had dramatically reduced genetic diversity among our most immediate Homo sapiens ancestors .

With the help of powerful computers, Pan and Li were able to untangle the web of genetic diversity amongst our human ancestors that both united and divided their 3,154 human specimens, creating a detailed timeline for when various genetic traits emerged. When they arrived at the period between 900,000 and one million years before the present, they were able to zero in on a time when the evolution of fresh diversity slowed dramatically, even catastrophically.

This is when the population crash occurred, the genetic researchers asserted. Its scope and impact would have been truly astounding.

If the conclusions of this new study are correct, it raises two important questions. Number one, what caused the astonishing population decline? And number two, how did our human ancestors manage to avoid extinction with such a low breeding population?

As for the first question, Pan and Li are virtually certain it had something to do with calamitous climate change . They hypothesize that long periods of glaciation, low temperatures in the sea, and massive global-scale droughts could have put ancient humans in grave peril. Following this thesis, perhaps a tipping point was reached where survival became incredibly difficult.

And yet, whatever happened did not lead to the total extinction of archaic humans, who eventually evolved into Homo sapiens . “The novel finding opens a new field in human evolution because it evokes many questions, such as the places where these individuals lived, how they overcame the catastrophic climate changes , and whether natural selection during the bottleneck had accelerated the evolution of the human brain,” Pan Yi-Hsuan told China Daily .

Pan and his fellow researchers explained that they believe that an improving climate might have helped spur population increases around 813,000 years ago, ending the severe demographic crisis. Before that time, humans would have only been able to survive in a few isolated outposts, presumably fairly close to the equator, where the glaciers didn’t reach and where droughts and temperatures may not have been as extreme. If they survived elsewhere they would have needed to have shelter and the ability to start and control fires, to keep themselves warm on an unusually cold Earth.

The study argues that these human ancestors survived catastrophic climate change which led to a period of glaciation.

( Agustin / Adobe Stock)

Skeptics Address Population Crash Amongst Human Ancestors

The results of this new study are being met with some skepticism. What is being contested is that the population crash or bottleneck was a global rather than a regional event.

Janet Kelso, a computational biologist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, noted that the genetic signal suggesting an ancient population plunge amongst human ancestors is strong only in modern-day African populations, and not in those who live elsewhere.

While she admits a stunning population decline did occur 930,000 years ago, she doubts it was experienced everywhere. The conclusions of the Chinese researchers, she told an interviewer from Science, “should probably be taken with some caution and explored further.”

Other researchers ground their skepticism in the archaeological and anthropological record. “The hypothesis of a global crash does not fit in with the archaeological and human fossil evidence,” stated Nicholas Ashton, a Paleolithic archaeologist from the British Museum who was asked to assess the new study.

Fossil of Homo antecessor discovered around the time of the supposed near-extinction of human ancestors. Some scientists have argued that at the time of the bottleneck, not all human ancestor populations were affected in the same way.

( Public domain )

Concurring with this opinion was Chris Stringer, a British anthropologist who researches human evolution. “During the period of the bottleneck, there are a number of sites that record evidence of human occupation,” he commented in a review of the new study published by the UK’s Natural History Museum . “This could mean that there wasn’t a bottleneck, but could equally mean it only had a localized impact on part of the human population.”

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Responding to such objections, Li Haipeng was quick to emphasize that his team’s work is not finished and that they plan to do more research to prove their case. “These findings are just the start,” he explained. “We plan to paint a more complete picture of human evolution during this transition period to unravel the mystery of early human ancestry and evolution.”

It is likely the true nature of the event that caused the population of our human ancestors in at least some parts of the planet to decline precipitously and rapidly will never be known. If it was in fact global in nature, it would have to be classified as miraculous that our ancestors were able to avoid extinction when their population numbers were so low. And, of course, without that miracle modern humans would never have evolved.

• Top image: Human ancestors overlooking a bleak, ice-covered landscape.
• Source: Dr_Microbe / Adobe Stock

By Nathan Falde

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02-09-2023 om 00:41 geschreven door peter  

500-Year-Old Manuscript Describes 3-Stage Space Rockets And Talk About Flights To Moon

Some researchers believe that there was once a highly developed culture on Earth. But as a result of unknown circumstances, civilization was destroyed. This is evidenced by archaeological finds that cannot be explained from the scientific point of view of modern society. There is a theory that in the past, our planet was visited by alien representatives who shared their knowledge and technologies with people, so maybe they donated incredible technologies thousands of years ago, but then these technologies brought humanity to the brink of extinction.

Some people claim that our ancestors used so advanced technologies that in our time, it is difficult to imagine them. But some of the modern technologies may have been borrowed from the past, although almost no one knows about it. You may have heard of the ancient nuclear war hypothesis or ancient flying vehicles, which can also be found in ancient texts. It is said that our ancestors could even move in space and had knowledge about the universe that surpasses all modern knowledge.

A 450-page manuscript was examined in 1963 by Romanian engineer Doru Todericiu in Sibiu’s national archive (former Hermannstadt). Todericiu examined the manuscript’s scientific and technological substance before classifying it as a work on various artillery and ballistics difficulties, despite the fact that it had previously been known as such. He learned that Conrad Haas, the author of the manuscript’s third section, had written about some amazing concepts related to rocketry.

The Sibiu manuscript does not fit into the present history, so it draws increased attention. There aren’t many details available concerning Conrad Haas’s life. He was born not far from Vienna in Dornbach. He worked for the Imperial court of Vienna as an artillery guard and commissioned officer. He most likely traveled to Transylvania in 1551 with Imperial forces to fulfill this role, when he took the position of chief of the artillery camp at the Hermannstadt arsenal.

He penned the manuscript between 1529 and 1569, and it appears to contain, among other things, the earliest explanation of the multistage rocket’s basic operating principle. He talks about bundling rockets, stabilizing fins, and employing liquid fuel as well as describing and showing two and three-stage rockets.

The Sibiu manuscript is written in German. Many people believe that it was written using some even more ancient texts. The manuscript texts describe in detail the principles of rocketry, and there are also drawings of models of space three-stage rocket. The document contains a description of technologies for combining fireworks with weapons and even the construction of a hang glider, as well as instructions for creating fuel mixtures as liquid rocket fuel.

What’s more, there are references to flights to the moon. According to researchers from Romania, the manuscript contains stories about a man who was able to get to the Earth’s satellite due to a unique flying machine. There are also descriptions of prehistoric fuel, which consisted of several rare elements. The rockets of this type were later launched at Cape Kennedy and used by cosmonauts in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs.

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It looks like this chronicler visited the future world. The handwritten text of Sibiu is quite long as it consists of 450 pages. It is known that the Sibiu manuscript is genuine and the experts do not doubt this, but they are in no hurry to comment on the contents of this text.

It could be claimed that this case is just science fiction if researchers of anticity did not find other strange texts and technologies. In addition, multiple artifacts found by archaeologists confirm that our ancestors were much more civilized than modern historians imagine. Manuscripts such as Sibiu have the potential to change the way people think about our history.

It remains a mystery whether Haas succeeded in using his designs and bringing them to life. However, there are people who claim that a rocket was launched in Sibiu in 1550. It is believed that Conrad Haas created the first rocket. According to Haas, it took him more than 25 years to develop a unique aircraft. The biggest challenge, in this case, was the search for a fuel that would be sufficient to lift it into the air.

The main focus of the paper is the fuel issue. In addition to the conventional powder components of saltpeter, sulfur, and coal, Haas also used “brandy”, with the help of which the thrust development of the rockets was to be increased: “Again, take a little crushed powder and pour in enough brandy to make a little dough. Then take it and paint the little chamber (= rocket chamber) together with the little hole (= ignition hole) on the rocket by heart.” Haas also tried and used other “fuels” – significantly, the missile’s purpose dictated the particular fuel combination.

In summary, one can say that the following developmental solutions and developments can be attributed to Conrad Haas:

• Multistage and cluster rocket
• Arrangement of fuel sets in stage rockets
• Use of different fuel mixtures depending on the rocket type, performance, area of ​​application and design
• Use of liquid fuel
• delta-shaped stabilizing fins
• Anticipating the idea of ​​the modern spaceship

Although Conrad Haas designed weapons to kill, he secretly believed in basic human values. His basic humanistic attitude is particularly clear from the following statement: “But my advice is more peace and no war, leave the rifles under the roof, so the bullet won’t be fired, the powder won’t be burned wet, so the prince kept his money, the gun master his life; that is the advice Conrad Haas does.”

The technical characteristics of the rocket are similar to those of modern vehicles. It was made of wooden parts covered with a layer of special stone dust, which was supposed to protect the body from burning when rubbed against the air. Contemporaries note that in the 16th century, researchers did not know the intricacies of physical processes in the air, which is why scientists could receive information from aliens.

In addition, from his youth, he was engaged in research on ancient writings found in the territory of modern Egypt. A mission to the Moon could take place in 1550. But there is no documentary evidence to support all these claims.

Lady Sala Shabazz, the founder of the Black Inventions Museum who passed away on March 28, 2002 said once: “… Unfortunately, the individuals who are commissioned to write textbooks many times exhibited prejudice and omitted other historical information. In an effort to cover large spans of time, they have briefed history and left out so many other important facts and that’s something that many people have not been aware of.”

The city of Sibiu is known to many of us because it is the birthplace of Hermann Oberth, considered to be one of three fathers of rocketry and modern astronautics. Additionally, there is a dedicated document (ID 19770026087) in the NASA archives about the Sibiu manuscript.

{ https://www.howandwhys.com/ }

31-08-2023 om 01:05 geschreven door peter  

4,000-Year-Old Bronze Age Pyramid Found in Kazakhstan Is First Ever on Asian Steppe!

A giant 4,000-year-old Bronze Age pyramidical structure with links to a horse cult has been uncovered in the ochre-tinted earthen steppes of Kazakhstan. The culmination of almost a decade of research and excavation, this large-scale steppe pyramid in Kazakhstan—which dates back to the 2nd millennium BC—languished in relative obscurity for countless centuries. Nothing like it has ever been discovered in the Central Asian steppes, making it an especially exciting find.

The Pyramid in Kazakhstan: A Geometric Marvel and an Equestrian Cult?

This carved stone edifice, possessing an air of sophistication and considerable proportions, has finally had its veil of anonymity lifted, with archaeologists diligently excavating a segment of the Kyrykungir monumental and funerary complex in Toktamys. As announced in a press release by the L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University on August 8, 2023, the pyramid in Kazakhstan traces its origins to an illustrious Bronze Age , with its symmetrical proportions speaking volumes about the geometric precision of its ancient architects.

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“The steppe pyramid is built with great precision, it is hexagonal,” explained Ulan Umitkaliyev, Head of ENU’s Archaeology and Ethnology Department, in a press release. “There are thirteen meters and eight rows of stones between each face. It is a very sophisticated complex structure with several circles in the middle. The exterior walls of the structure of this complex are dominated by images of various animals, especially horses.”

Excavations have been taking place at the site of the pyramid in Kazakhstan since 2014. Previous archaeological digs have unearthed groupings of sepulchral hillocks originating from the Hun (4th-6th century AD) and Saka (mid-2nd century BC to mid 1st century AD) periods. These burial sites have revealed an assortment of mortuary contents, encompassing ceramic containers, culinary tributes and intricately fashioned bronze beads.

One side of the pyramid in Kazakhstan, each section is adorned with a block stone.

(L. N. Gumilyov / Eurasian National University )

Ancient Architecture and Artifacts at Pyramid in Kazakhstan

The pyramidical structure possesses a striking hexagonal form, with each face spanning a length of approximately 42 feet (12.8 meters). A glimpse at the photographs shared by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan shows that each terminal of the monumental wall is adorned by a grandiose upright black stone whose flattened facade faces outwards to the world beyond. Meanwhile, in between these resolute markers, a different kind of rock was used to create an imposing exterior wall.

An assortment of other relics was unearthed too – fragments of pottery, gold earrings and other adornments. Umitkaliyev described these in conjunction with the pyramid as a shining example of “the pyramid’s former role as the pulsating heart of ancient cultural expression.” Another snapshot shared by the Ministry documented a less immaculately conserved stretch of the pyramid in Kazakhstan, revealing a tableau of dilapidated walls.

“Findings in excavations, ceramics, female gold earrings and other jewelry indicate that this Bronze Age was the center of culture in ancient times. This means that even at that time the cult of the horse was extremely high, as evidenced by the discovery of horse bones around the stone building,” stated Umitkaliyev. “There are also images of camels,” he added.

A cross-section of the pyramid which was unearthed in Kazakhstan.

( Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education )

The Bronze Age in the Eurasian Steppe: A Culturally Rich Era

Situated in Toktamys, some 420 miles (676 km) southeast of the bustling capital Astana, this archaeological site is the gift that keeps on giving. It provides some missing pieces to the larger jigsaw of the Bronze Age civilizations in the Eurasian steppe . The tribes that inhabited these regions were responsible for many landmark achievements, including the transport of languages (the Indo-European languages), foods, ideas and other cultural symbols across the ancient Silk Routes .

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The Eurasian steppe played a significant role in the Bronze Age, a period characterized by the widespread use of bronze for tools, weapons and other artifacts. The steppe region, which stretches from Eastern Europe to Asia, served as a conduit for cultural exchange, trade and the movement of people.

The steppe was home to various nomadic and semi-nomadic cultures that relied on pastoralism (animal herding) as a primary means of subsistence. These cultures included the Yamnaya, Andronovo, and Srubna cultures in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, known for their expertise in horse domestication , which facilitated mobility and warfare. The steppe cultures also had interactions with sedentary civilizations located on the periphery of the steppe, such as the Sumerians, Akkadians and later the Persians and Chinese.

• Top image: Archaeologists with 4,000-year-old pyramid remains in uncovered in Kazakhstan.
• Source: L. N. Gumilyov / Eurasian National University

By Sahir Pandey

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/ }

18-08-2023 om 01:04 geschreven door peter  

Unraveling the Mystery of Europe’s Mysterious Erdstall Tunnels

The erdstall is type of tunnel prominently found scattered across Europe, predominantly in Bavaria, southeast Germany, and Austria. Thought to be crafted during the Medieval period, some theorists argue that these ancient subterranean structures date back to the Stone Age. The purpose of these mysterious tunnels remains a tantalizing enigma. Advocates for the Stone Age theory propose that these tunnels formed an extensive underground network stretching from Scotland to Turkey.

Erdstall Construction

The term 'erdstall' originates from German, signifying 'earth stable' or 'mining tunnel.' While there are various kinds of subterranean tunnels worldwide, the erdstalls have unique characteristics that set them apart. Typically, an erdstall network includes narrow, low tunnels, often oval-shaped and running either vertically or horizontally. These intriguing tunnels usually span between 20 and 50 meters. An especially distinctive feature is the 'schlupf' or 'slip out' – incredibly tight holes (around 40 cm in diameter) connecting tunnels at different levels.

Venturing into the Shadowy Depths of Erdstall

Currently, Europe is home to an estimated 2000 erdstalls, with Bavaria in Germany housing the lion's share of around 700. Its neighboring country, Austria, is not far behind with about 500 erdstalls. Countries like the UK and France also host these enigmatic underground passages.

The Cryptic Function of Erdstalls

The intended use of these erdstalls is still shrouded in profound mystery. In some local lore, the tunnels are believed to be the dwellings of mythical creatures like elves and gnomes, thought to have constructed them. Consequently, erdstalls often receive whimsical names reflecting these tales, like 'Schrazelloch' ('goblin hole') or 'Alraunenhöhle' ('mandrake cave'). Some believe they were secret escape routes linked to castles as some sagas suggest. However, this theory hits a snag as erdstalls typically have a single entry and exit point, rendering them unsuitable for such a purpose.

A Bold Assertion and its Hurdles

Others theorize these tunnels as hideouts, though their narrow dimensions and lack of airflow, due to the single entry-exit, would make it a rather inhospitable refuge. Some argue that the erdstalls were storage facilities, but the tight space and occasional waterlogging (especially in winters) deem it unlikely.

One of the most intriguing assertions suggests that these erdstalls were parts of an enormous subterranean network stretching from Scotland to Turkey. Further, they propose this network dates back to the Stone Age, dubbing it as an "ancient underground superhighway" for safe interregional travel. This theory, however, grapples with numerous issues, including the fact that the erdstalls aren't interconnected and are structurally dissimilar to the vast underground cities found in Turkey's Cappadocia regions.

Erdstalls remain a fascinating enigma. Despite the many theories and speculations about their origins and purpose, definitive answers are still elusive. Nevertheless, the study of these structures provides an intriguing glimpse into the past, and could potentially lead to new discoveries about the societies that built them. Their mysteries continue to captivate scholars, adventurers, and anyone with a curiosity for the unknown.

• Top image: Erdstall entrance, Erdstall Ratgöbluckn, Austria ( CC BY-SA 3.0 )

By Wu Mingren

References

• Daily Mail Reporter, 2011. Going underground: The massive European network of Stone Age tunnels that weaves from Scotland to Turkey. [Online]
  Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2022322/The-massive-European-network-Stone-Age-tunnels-weaves-Scotland-Turkey.html
• Grundhauser, E., 2015. We Still Don’t Know Why Medieval Europeans Built Their Mysterious ‘Erdstall’ Tunnels. [Online]
  Available at: Going underground: The massive European network of Stone Age tunnels that weaves from Scotland to Turkey
• Palma, B., 2016. Tunnel Trek. [Online]
  Available at: http://www.snopes.com/stone-age-tunnels/
• Schulz, M., 2011. Experts Baffled by Mysterious Underground Chambers. [Online]
  Available at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/hideouts-or-sacred-spaces-experts-baffled-by-mysterious-underground-chambers-a-775348.html
• Tegün, T. M., 2016. Erdstall Tunnels Do Not Reach From Scotland to Turkey, Contrary to Rumor. [Online]
  Available at: http://interestingengineering.com/the-tunnels-are-not-reaching-from-scotland-to-turkey/

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09-08-2023 om 23:46 geschreven door peter  

Stairway To Heaven In Noah’s Ark

The story of Noah’s ark and the flood epic is one of the oldest nursery legends in the world and it has captivated the imaginations of children and adults alike throughout the ages. From childhood memories one may recollect that God sent the deluge to destroy all the evil people upon the earth. It is known that Noah and his family were saved by departing on a titanic ark with every species of animals and birds on board the floating zoo. The ark began its maiden voyage on the 17th day of the second month when the rain began and it lasted for the proverbial 40 days and 40 nights.

Noah's Ark by Edward Hicks (1846)

(Public Domain)

Celestial Knowledge Of The Flood Saga

Some of the more precise details after that may be a little sketchy but the Book of Genesis tells that the waters started to rise on the earth over a period of 150 days. Few will remember hearing of so many days, but they may recall that the tops of the mountains finally disappeared below the waves. Perhaps children rub their sleepy eyes when they listen to how the ark docked on Mount Ararat and miss out on the fact that it was on the 17th day of the seventh month.

Noah’s ark seemed so real then right up to where the saga ended with a rainbow on the horizon. It was the ultimate image of a colourful finale but never did anyone realize that there was a magical formula of celestial knowledge of the heavens on display in the timing details of the flood saga. Those timing details listed particulars days and specific months together with the length of periods in days. It was very mysterious how the dates and periods were so precise as if they adhered to a deliberately planned timetable.      

Noah by Lorenzo Monaco (circa 1370 –circa 1425 ) Metropolitan Museum of Art

(CC0)

The Riddle Of Noah’s Age

The first sign that there was some time amiss in the flood story was with an anomaly with the ages of Noah and his son Shem. It stated in the Book of Genesis that Noah was 500 years old when he became the father of triplets, one of whom was Shem. It also outlined that the flood finished on the end of Noah’s 600th year. However, later in the story it stated that Noah’s son Shem became a father when he was 100 years old, which was listed as two years after the flood. That was fake news for Shem would have been 102 years old when it was two years after the flood. It appeared that the scribes had tempted one with an intellectual challenge where the episode of the flood contained possibly the first numerical riddle in written existence.

Ham sees his father, Noah, naked and drunk; Shem and Japheth. Etching by S. Mulinari after A. Sacchi.

(Wellcome Images / CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Ark Blocked In Its Tracks

The cockups continued when tracing the dating events in the saga of the flood as outlined in the Book of Genesis. Read the three chapters in order to get a greater appreciation of the timing details. The relevant times given for the events at the beginning of the flood are listed below and to make the presentation more user-friendly, the names of the months used today are utilized. It should be stated that ancient numbers and arithmetic were very different than what is used today. The timing details were as follows:

All went into the Ark on the 17th day of the second month and the rain started – February 17.

It rained for 40 days and 40 nights and the waters rose for 150 days until the Ark was 15 cubits above the mountains. This would date the event forward to the 17th day of the seventh month –July 17.

But it then stated that the Ark rested on Mount Ararat on the 17th day of the seventh month –July 17.

There was a major problem for how could the ark rest on Mount Ararat on the 17th day of the seventh month when the waters were 15 cubits above the mountains on the same day and had not the time to recede? 

The ark had come up against a barrier worse than an iceberg and it was amazing to find that this blunder had never featured prominently in previous biblical commentary. It was back to the drawing board to investigate what the story tellers had in mind when they devised the puzzling dating system in the flood saga.

The Deluge towards Its Close by Joshua Shaw (1813) Metropolitan Museum of Art

(Public Domain)

Time On Earth Different Than Time At Sea

Biblical academics have established that there were two versions of the flood story standing back to back. One of those versions was in the earthly realm where it simply rained for 40 days and 40 nights. But the other version was in the cosmic realm where it stated that the windows of the heavens were thrown open and the fountains of the deep were broken open. Because the ark sailed up to the heavens and with such a precise dating schedule, one has to take cognizance of how time is measured. It introduces the astronomical terms of the solar year and the sidereal year as follows:

• Modern calendar is based on the solar year, which is measured against a fixed point on the landscape such as a sun dial and it is 365.242 days long.  

• The year is also measured against a fixed star in the heavens and it is 365.256 days long. This is known as a star or sidereal year.

Ancient Greek astronomer Hipparchus with the astrolabe he invented. William Cuningham, "The Cosmographical Glasse", (1559).

(CC BY-SA 4.0)

Current opinion is that the Greek astronomer Hipparchus discovered the difference between solar and sidereal time and he lived in the second century BC. The sidereal year is longer than the solar year by a little over 20 minutes. In the era before mechanical clocks were invented, the period of 20 minutes would have been almost impossible to measure. However, the biblical astronomers seemingly made theoretical projections where the tiny time period of 20 minutes added up to one day in 72 years and 14 days in 1,000 years. It gave a meaning to the phrase in the second Book of Peter where “with the Lord a day was like a thousand years.” The scribes also used time on land to represent solar time and time at sea to represent sidereal time.  

Calculating-Table by Gregor Reisch: Margarita Philosophica, (1503). The woodcut shows Arithmetica instructing an algorist and an abacist.

(Public Domain)

The biblical astronomers went further where they devised a unique formula to measure sidereal time and solar time. To achieve their objective they projected the tiny period of 20 minutes out over 100, 1,000 and 3,000 years. It was a simple formula where they applied 777 beads on an abacus to represent the days. Then they simply counted out 777 beads over and over again and found that after 47 lots had been counted, they had the total of 36,519 to represent the days in 100 years. There was a shortfall of 5.2 days so they would have added an extra five beads to complete the exercise with 36,524 days precisely. With 100 sidereal years there was a shortfall of 6.6 days and therefore they would have added on six extra leap days to achieve the target of 36,525 days precisely.

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They would then have repeated the same exercise many times until the numbers to represent the periods of 1,000 and 3,000 years had been projected. There would have been a shortfall of 157 beads to achieve the target with the number of days in 3,000 solar years. They would have added on those extra 157 beads to the overall total to represent 3,000 solar years precisely. It was simply a matter of conducting the same exercise to project out 3,000 sidereal years except that the maths shows that it would have required adding an extra 197 beads to reach the precise target.  The periods involved were thus 3,000 solar years with 157 leap days and 3,000 sidereal years with 197 leap days. 

Genesis 7, 11-14: "In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights..." Augsburger Wunderzeichenbuch, (c. 1550)

(Public Domain)

Noah’s Ark Sailed Back In Time

Armed with the knowledge of the 777-day calendar and its indices it was quite obvious that the leap days for solar time were on display in the flood story. The saga outlined that the rain started on the 17th day of the second month and the waters rose for a period of 150 days. After that the waters receded for another 150 days. There were also two periods with Noah waiting for seven days plus seven days when he sent out the dove which returned the second time with an olive leaf in its beak. These collective periods added up to two distinct intervals with 157 days plus 157 days. The two intervals fitted like gloves for they equated exactly to the leap days, which had to be added on to synchronize the 777-day calendar when projected out over 3,000 plus 3,000 solar years.

The period of 197 days to represent 3,000 sidereal years was not openly discernible in the flood saga. But while drawing up a chart to show the complete dating of the flood epic from beginning to the end, a very unusual picture emerged. The mental arithmetic suggested that the timing details of the flood epic also dated back in time to the tune of sidereal time. This seemed surreal until the complete timing details of going forward in time and going back in time were mapped out as shown in the illustration.

The Blue and Yellow Routes of the Ark through Solar and Sidereal Time

(Compiled by Michael Hearns)

In was an amazing spectacle where this illustration formed naturally into the shape of a huge ship with sails. The details may seem overwhelming to digest but approach the diagram as one would use a street map to find one’s way around a foreign city. In simple terms the route the ark took forward in accord with solar time is outlined in blue. The events began on February 17, follow the arrows and it points to two periods of 150 days plus two periods of seven days to when the flood ended on the last day of December of that same year. Thus, there were two combined periods of 157 leap days on the blue route to mirror two periods of 3,000 solar years in the heavens, when measured with the 777-day formula. That was the journey on the blue route and it was in accord with solar time.

The sidereal time route was paradoxically, back in time as shown on the yellow route. The starting day was the same on the yellow route where it began on February 17 when the rain began. Follow the arrows back in time with the 40 days and nights rain together with a seven-day waiting period, as was outlined in the Book of Genesis. That brought the dating schedule back to January 1. Then continue back in time through the previous year starting with January, February, March and April until an extra 150 days had elapsed and that was on May 30. In all it was a total of 40 + 7 + 150 = 197 days, which equated to the same period in leap day for 3,000 sidereal years. On that date of May 30 on the yellow route the ark would have been 15 cubits above the mountains.

Subsiding of the Waters of the Deluge by Thomas Cole (1829) Smithsonian American Art Museum

(Public Domain)

Tracing the path back in time from May 30 to July 17, the waters would have had 47 days to recede. That was the date in the timing schedule where it stated in the flood story that the ark rested on Mount Ararat on the 17th day of the seventh month. The problem of the ark resting on Mount Ararat was resolved for the waters had those 47 days to recede. Continuing back in time from July 17 for another 150 days it brought the schedule to December 17. That made it an extra period of 197 days with 47 +150 days. Therefore, there were two periods of 197 days back in time from when the flood began on February 17 to the December 17 of the previous year. These equated to two periods of 197 leap days with sidereal time when projected out over 3,000 plus 3,000 sidereal years. This puzzle has to be studied like the moves on a chest board, so it may help to retrace the two routes again as follows:

• On the blue route follow the arrows forward in time from February 17 and note the timing in the blue boxes. Notice where the 150 days plus 150 days plus seven days plus seven days are listed for the complete period to the last day in December.

Therefore, there were two combined periods of 157 days plus 157 days on the blue route and they were in accord with solar time. The 40 days and nights of rain ran in parallel with the 150 days that the waters rose.

• On the yellow route trace the arrows initially back in time starting on February 17 and it took in the 40 days and nights rain plus seven days that Noah waited. Then the route switched on January 1 back in time through the previous year.  Follow the arrows and note the dates in the yellow boxes. The days added up to 47 days plus 150 days (197 days) to when the ark was 15 cubits above the waves on May 30. The schedule showed the ark traveling back anticlockwise in time on the yellow route and the 40 days and night ran in series with the 150 days. Follow the yellow route back in time to July 17 (seventh month) when the ark rested on Mount Ararat. The anomaly was solved for the waters had 47 days to recede to let the ark dock on the mountain. Continue on the yellow route back in time for another 150 days making it a total of 47 + 150 = 197 days to end on December 17 of the previous year.

• But now for the real demanding challenge because one has to follow the mind map of the puzzle along both the yellow and blue routes at the same time. It is an exercise that will utilize both sides of the brain.

It was the ‘double speak’ of two separate routes which confused the issue with the ark resting on Mount Ararat on July 17 (seventh month) on the yellow route whereas it would have been 15 cubits above the mountains on that date on the blue route.

The Deluge by Hans Baldung (1516)

(Public Domain)

The Period Of 777 Days

Noah and His Ark by Charles Wilson Peale (1819)

(Public Domain)

Zoroastrian Wisdom

What mortal eye could look upon such a majestic display that the scribes prepared of the ark’s dual journeys and not be captivated by its breathtaking numerical logic? Who were those visionaries who could see into the future and demonstrate in a thought-provoking matrix, the difference between solar and sidereal time projected out over the period of 12,000 years? They changed modern perception of history for it is reckoned that the flood saga was rewritten between 722 and 609 BC and that was five centuries before Hipparchus.

All those souvenir hunters who long to go to Mount Ararat to look for the wooden skeleton of Noah’s ark must have been puzzled at how the vessel could dock on the mountain on the same date as when it was 15 cubits above the mountain tops. Now one knows the reason why, for it was 15 cubits above the mountains on that date on the blue route whereas the waters had receded on the yellow route allowing the ark to rest on Mount Ararat.  It was also correct to say that Shem became a father when he was 100 years old at the end of the blue route because it was two years after the flood ended on the yellow route. 

Those two periods of 157 days and two periods of 197 days mirrored four periods of 3,000 years in the heavens, which added up to 12,000 years. This forged a link to the Zoroastrian period of the long dominion of 12,000 years and it was at the very beginning of the Book of Genesis. It was a dramatic statement about how the biblical writers were influenced by Zoroastrianism and where the religious concept of good and evil originated.

The moral of the flood story was the theme of good and evil. On earth the journey was in solar time and the evil mortals on the ground perished in accord with God’s command. In contrast, the journey back in time was in accord with sidereal time of the heavens and all the good people with Noah and his family on board the ark survived to tell the tale.

Michael Hearns has been involved for many years conducting independent research on some of the cryptic puzzles and unsolved mysteries in the Bible. He is the author of several books including The Mystery of the Tabernacle, The Messiah Immortalized in Time, Mary Magdalene – the First Pope, The Copper Scroll Bible and Noah and the Magic Time Formula.

• Top Image: Noah's ark on the Mount Ararat by Simon de Myle (1570) (Public Domain)

By Michael Hearns

{ https://www.ancientoriginsunleashed.com/ }

02-08-2023 om 16:34 geschreven door peter  

Nematode resurrected from Siberian permafrost lay dormant for 46,000 years

By Sascha Pare

The ancient nematode has lain dormant in a fossilized squirrel burrow since the late Pleistocene, revealing that these worms can survive for tens of thousands of years longer than thought.

A microscopic worm survived in the Siberian permafrost for a record-breaking 46,000 years, scientists have discovered — tens of thousands of years longer than previously resurrected worms.

The ancient roundworm, or nematode, belongs to the newly described species Panagrolaimus kolymaensis. Researchers discovered it nestled inside a fossilized squirrel burrow that was extracted from permafrost near the Kolyma River, in the northeastern Arctic, in 2002. Scientists resuscitated the frozen nematode in 2018, but its age and species remained unclear.

Now, a study published Thursday (July 27) in the journal PLOS Genetics may have found answers to these questions. "Survival in extreme environments for prolonged periods is a challenge that only a few organisms are capable of," researchers wrote in the study. "Here, we show that a soil nematode Panagrolaimus kolymaensis suspended life for 46,000 years in the Siberian permafrost."

Organisms such as nematodes and tardigrades can enter a dormant state — a metabolic process known as "cryptobiosis" — in response to being frozen or extremely dehydrated, intermediary states known as cryobiosis and anhydrobiosis, respectively. In both cases, the critters reduce their oxygen consumption and the amount of heat produced by metabolic processes to undetectable levels.

Related: 'Prehistoric' mummified bear discovered in Siberian permafrost isn't what we thought 

The newly described nematode entered cryptobiosis in the late Pleistocene (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago), an epoch that included that last ice age. The permafrost that imprisoned the tiny creature had not thawed since then, meaning this is the longest recorded cryptobiosis in nematodes — by tens of thousands of years — according to the study. Until now, the Antarctic nematode species Plectus murrayi and a Tylenchus polyhypnus specimen held this record; the former was frozen in moss for 25.5 years and the latter was desiccated in a herbarium for 39 years.

The researchers analyzed the newly described nematode's genes and compared them to those of Caenorhabditis elegans roundworms, which were the first multicellular organisms to have their entire genome sequenced. In the absence of established genetic methods to study the recently thawed worm, C. elegans provided a well-studied model organism for comparison. The analysis revealed several shared genes linked to cryptobiosis.

To find out exactly how nematodes can survive for such long periods, the researchers got a new group of P. kolymaensis and C. elegans worms and mildly desiccated them in the lab. As the worms entered anhydrobiosis, the team observed a spike in the production of a sugar called trehalose, which they think could help protect the nematodes' cell membranes from dehydration. They then froze the worms at minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 80 degrees Celsius) and found that desiccation improved the survival rates of both species. Worms that were frozen at this temperature without being dehydrated beforehand died instantly, according to the study. 

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Equipped with molecular pathways to cope with Arctic conditions, nematodes have evolved to survive in these hibernating states for many thousands of years, the researchers concluded. "Our findings indicate that by adapting to survive [in a] cryptobiotic state for short time frames in environments like permafrost, some nematode species gained the potential for individual worms to remain in the state for geological timeframes," they wrote in the study.

This means that extinct nematode species could be revived if they escape from the permafrost, the researchers noted. "Drastic changes" to the environment in which they lay dormant, including fluctuations in temperature and natural radioactivity, can wake ancient nematodes from their deep slumber, they added. 

The nematode was able to survive in the permafrost for so long by entering a state of suspended animation called cryptobiosis

(Picture: Alexei V. Tchesunov and Anastasia Shatilovich)

The worm was found in the Siberian permafrost.

Shatilovich et al, 2023, PLOS Genetics, CC-BY 4.0

Melting permafrost near the Kolyma River southwest of the town of Chersky in the Russian Far East in 2021.

Credit...Maxim Shemetov/Reuters

C. elegans. (HeitiPaves/Getty Images)

The general morphology of P. Kolymaensis,

(Shatilovich et al., PLOS Genetics, 2023/CC-BY 4.0)

{ https://www.livescience.com/ }

02-08-2023 om 00:28 geschreven door peter  

2,000 year old Nazca Ant Drawing Found In Peru, UFO Sighting News.

Date of discovery: July 18, 2023

Location of discovery: Peru

Location of discovery:  14°59'58.83"S 75° 0'56.54"W

 

I found something in Peru using Google Earth map. I found what I thought was an ant carved into the ground. Most Nazca lines were created over 2,000 years ago by the people of the Nazca culture. This particular drawing has never before been reported before today. It's easy to understand why, it's hard to see. It was so hard that I clicked the history button to see past photos of that area and found that the best image of it is from 1/2016 as you can see in the screenshots here. The ant has three main body parts unlike a spider which has two. So this is an ant. Its antenna really stick out. However ants have six legs, this little fellow has 6 legs on one side and 7 on the other. No ant has 13 legs so wow! Never before seen or reported by anyone. They were often said to be messages created as signs to the gods or aliens above. 

Scott Waring 

 

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{ https://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/ }

19-07-2023 om 20:48 geschreven door peter  

A Mysterious Pyramid In The Middle Of a Jungle Shocked Everyone

Throughout history, there have been some amazing discoveries made in the most unexpected places. From natural wonders to archaeological finds, there’s just so much out there waiting to be uncovered.
But if it weren’t for some Lucky Travelers, we wouldn’t even know about the most exciting things found in the middle of nowhere. These daring individuals have made some remarkable discoveries that have captivated people from all around the world.
In this video, we’re going to take a look at some of the most interesting things people have found in the most unexpected places. From a mysterious door in the middle of the desert to a strange pyramid, we’re counting down the most incredible discoveries found in the middle of nowhere.

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{ https://beforeitsnews.com/ }

12-07-2023 om 21:44 geschreven door peter  

Unraveling the Mystery: Who Sculpted California's Intriguing Hemet Maze Stone?

Located in Reinhardt Canyon, southern California, near the quaint town of Hemet, sits an enigmatic petroglyph known as the Hemet Maze Stone. This curious figure comprises interconnected rectangular patterns forming a cyclical labyrinth set within a square or rectangle. The overarching form intriguingly echoes the shape of a swastika, a motif prominent in Native American and Asian art for thousands of years prior to its ill-famed association with the Third Reich.

Despite fervent studies, archaeologists remain in the dark about the exact origin or age of this drawing. Various theories suggest the creator of the petroglyph could have been an unidentified indigenous Californian tribe or even Chinese Buddhist monks. This piece seeks to evaluate these compelling theories, anchored in the certainty archaeologists, historians, and scholars have about the real artist behind the maze.

IN 1914, A RANCHER JUST outside Hemet, California was surveying his property and discovered a boulder with a strange maze-like image carved into it. Archeologists later determined – based on some artifacts found near the stone – that the carving is at least 500 years old, if not even older. However, even today archeologists are not sure who made the carving, or why.

Part of the mystery comes from the design itself. The maze-like design is quite different from other petroglyph designs in the United States; most petroglyphs are stylized pictures of animals or people, or designs representing rivers, trails or other natural features. The carving on the Hemet stone, however, is an intricate maze in a swastika-like shape -a design more commonly found in Buddhist tradition. It’s also rare – since 1914, only 50 other similar carvings have turned up, all of them within 150 miles of each other.

The design’s Buddhist symbolism, and the proximity of other such stones, sparked a theory that they were all carved by a crew of Chinese sailors shipwrecked in California as early as 500 CE. However, the swastika is also found in Native American art – to the once-nomadic Hopi, for example, the swastika represents their wanderings, while among the Navajo it represents the movements of the tsil no’oli, or “whirling log,” a canoe which a legendary hero rode during a quest. Native American swastika designs turn up on textiles, pottery, and sand paintings more so than in petroglyphs, but their prehistoric use does at least suggest a more local source for the maze carvings.

Unfortunately, today the swastika is more often associated with the German Third Reich, and the Hemet Maze Stone has suffered some damage as a result. The stone and its surrounding land became a California state landmark in 1956, and sometime thereafter a vandal added swastika in the orientation favored by the Nazis to one corner of the carving.  The stone is now protected by a pair of chain-link fences, and the surrounding park has since been closed.  But the carving is still an official California Historical Landmark, receiving occasional visits from intrepid and curious guests.

{ https://www.ancientoriginsunleashed.com/ }

10-07-2023 om 23:46 geschreven door peter  

New Moai Statue Found on Chile’s Easter Island Excites Researchers

In the news last October for the damage inflicted by a forest fire over 100 hectares, Easter Island is now in the news again – for the discovery and addition of a new Moai statue on the Chilean island. The discovery was found buried in a dried lake bed, in an area not usually available for access to humans, but now reachable due to climate-change related drying up. It has been described as a “very, very important discovery” for the Rapa Nui people.

Researchers inspect the new-found Moai in the dry lake bed on Rapa Nui.

(GMA/ YouTube Screenshot )

New Moai Smaller Than Most: Hiding in Plain Sight

The new Moai is smaller than most of the other sacred monuments found on Easter Island - statues that are important markers of Rapa Nui culture and heritage. The Rapa Nui people carved almost 1,000 Moai statues from tuff, a volcanic rock, between the 13th and 16th centuries. The statues are believed to represent ancestors or important leaders of the community and are arranged in a ring around the island, facing inwards.

“The moai are important because they really represent the history of the Rapa Nui people,” Terry Hunt, professor of archaeology at the University of Arizona, told  ABC. “They were the islanders’ deified ancestors. They’re iconic worldwide, and they really represent the fantastic archaeological heritage of this island.”

The discovery of the new Moai statue has excited researchers, as it is smaller than most others on the island, and had been hidden by tall reeds in the dry lake bed. Archaeologists believe that there may be more statues to uncover, and are looking for evidence of other Moai as well as the tools that might have been used to make them. The discovery of new Moai statues could provide insight into the culture and traditions of the Rapa Nui people.

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New Moai seems to be lying on the lake bed, and smaller than the existing finds.

(GMA/ YouTube Screenshot)

“They’ve been hidden by the tall reeds that grow in the lake bed, and prospecting with something that can detect what’s under the ground surface may tell us that there are in fact more moai in the lakebed sediments,” Hunt added. “When there’s one moai in the lake, there’s probably more.”

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The Moai Statues and the Rapa Nui People

The Moai statues are one of the most recognizable and fascinating features of Easter Island, which is also known as Rapa Nui. The Moai are large, monolithic stone statues that were carved by the Rapa Nui people between the 13th and 16th centuries. They are thought to represent ancestors or important leaders of the community.

The Moai are made from a volcanic rock called tuff, which is found in several quarries on the island. The statues were carved using stone tools and were transported to their final locations on the island using a system of ropes, ramps, and rollers, reports Artnet News .

There are over 800 known Moai on Easter Island, ranging in height from a few feet to over 30 feet tall. The largest Moai weighs over 75 tons, and it is believed that the Rapa Nui people used a combination of levers and ropes to move the statues from the quarries to their final locations.

The Moai were placed on stone platforms called ahu, which were built by the Rapa Nui people. The ahu served as a ceremonial center and were often located near the coast. The Moai were typically placed with their backs to the sea, facing inland, and were arranged in a line along the ahu.

Moai (stone statues) on Ahu Nau, Anakena Beach, Easter Island, with their backs to the sea.

(Guillaume Massardier/ CC BY-SA 3.0 )

The reason why the Rapa Nui people carved and erected the Moai statues is still a mystery, though it is believed that they may have served as a way to honor ancestors, leaders, or gods. The decline of the Rapa Nui civilization is often associated with the over-exploitation of the island's resources, including the deforestation of the island and the loss of fertile soil, which led to a collapse in the island's agricultural system. The exact cause of the Rapa Nui civilization's decline is still debated among archaeologists and historians.

The Moai statues are vulnerable to damage or attack. For instance, an arsonist set fire to the island last fall, leaving some statues charred and cracked, while in 2020, another was knocked over by a runaway pickup truck .

As a result, there is an ongoing debate about the repatriation of one sculpture, Hoa Hakananai'a, which was taken without permission by the U.K.'s Royal Navy in 1868 and is currently held by the British Museum. In the current political climate, where there are renewed conversations around protecting the heritage of indigenous peoples all over the world, the Rapa Nui people and their cultural heritage hold a vital place in this discourse.

• Top image: Stylized AI generated graphic of a Moai statue.        
• Source: artefacti/Adobe Stock

By Sahir Pandey

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/ }

05-07-2023 om 01:30 geschreven door peter  

The Brilliance of ‘Pre-diluvian’ Sculpture - Cannot Be Hand Made!

I'm still digesting our recent tour to Egypt; the temple and the pyramids - just the atmosphere of the ancients was a lot to take in. Each time I visit, I’m stunned at the beauty, sophistication, and intelligence of those who left evidence of their time on Earth.

Each Spring, a group of listeners joins me and our guide, Mohamed Ibrahim, for a 12-day tour of ancient Egypt. These visits are unique and feature compelling evidence of a highly sophisticated people who shaped Egypt’s pre and Dynastic periods. This past May, we were introduced to a class of statuary that appeared to reveal clues about these people who settled in Cairo and the surrounding area. We're also learning that the egos of many of the dynastic pharaohs and their “God” status may have overwhelmed their common sense, and in the case of Ramses, Khafre, and others - - buildings, temples, and statuary thought to be commissioned in their time period are actually from earlier people.

Diorite sculpture of Khafre. Egypt Museum, Cairo Egypt.

(Cliff Dunning)

An example of this misinterpretation is a discovery presented by Mr. Ibrahim is a statue identified as  the pharaoh Khafre at the Cairo Museum. Found in the valley temple of his pyramid complex thought to have been commissioned by Khafre, the figure is seated on a throne decorated with the  sema-tawny, a symbol of the unity of Upper and Lower Egypt. Perched on the back of the throne, behind the king's head, the god Horus in the form of a falcon spreads his wings around the head of the individual in a gesture of protection. Khafre is thought to have reigned during the Old Kingdom (c. 2600 BC – c. 2551 BC), which can be confused with a much earlier pre-diluvian period (perhaps 9500 BC or earlier.) Very little is known of the pharaoh, and few other statues remain.

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Historians attribute the sculpture to Khafre based on a cartouche crudely scratched into the base of the seated figure. The cartouche shows none of the craftsmanship or tooling used in the creation of the statue, is poorly cut into the stone, and appears entirely out of place, like graffiti, marring the elegance of the statue. Why was it defaced??? Did the priesthood or an administrator notice a slight resemblance to Khafre, and choosing to gain favor with the pharaoh, mention its uncanny likeness?

One would think it sacrilegious to carve their name on an ancient relic, but here we can look at what writings we have of the dynastic period for a possible reason for defacing the statue. During that period in history, pharaohs were elevated to gods and goddesses allowing them to behave in a manner we might consider disrespectful. In this example, the god Khafre, agreeing with his counsel, has an artist carve his name on the statue.

Wanting to learn more, I found two additional statues and created a comparative view which is telling; each figure has unique and separate features but is not the same man.

The known statues of Khafre - three similar, but different statues.

(Cliff Dunning)

In his seminal book Lost Technologies of Ancient Egypt, Christopher Dunn provides a comprehensive look at exquisite and precise statuary created with unknown and highly advanced cutting tools. His primary focus is on the Ramses II statues at Karnak, Egypt. Each is identical and leaves us wondering how the work was achieved. I’ve applied Dunn’s formula to this seated figure, leaving us with remarkable evidence of machining technology.

I took a photo of the face of the statue, cut it down the middle, then flipped it - placing the two sides together. When you compare the original to the manipulated version, you can see they are identical. This means that the face, perhaps the entire body, was cut using some schematic or what may have represented the ideal man.

Left is the original photo, right is the photo cut in half and flipped. The symmetry is remarkable.

(Cliff Dunning)

You can see from the images below and above, that both feet, the shoulders and chest, left to right, are identical and that a human being did not carve the work by hand as is generally proposed, but rather, some sophisticated technology. My conclusion is, this sculpture was made from a highly advanced culture  from an early, unknown epoch. 

• Why Are So Many Ancient Egyptian Statues Missing Their Noses?
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The crude cartouche of Khafre at the base of the statue. Notice the exacting quality of the left and right feet.

(Cliff Dunning)

I’ve often wondered what type of people occupied the earth’s previous epoch, before 9500 BC. Archaeologists tell us that our ancestors were hunters and gatherers, primitive hominids of limited intelligence and means. But I think a great deal of evidence is confusing because we have little documentation for places like Atlantis, Doggerland, and other cultures that were swallowed by the seas when the ice caps melted. The dynastic Egyptians were left with the ruined cities and statues as evidence of these early people, and because there were no records of their existence, much of the culture was absorbed, sanctified, and resurrected (copied as a form of devotion.) It’s likely, the gods known to us as Isis, Osiris, Ra, Amon, Hathor, and others were once living human beings immortalized in stone by the survivors of the planetary deluge. I believe this statue represents these early people.

This wonderful statue is another key to understanding our past.

• Cliff Dunning  is an archeo-investigator, author, and host of the popular History podcast, Earth Ancients: Startling New Discoveries from our Planets Distant Past:  www.earthancients.com
• Top image: Left is the original photo of the Khafre statue; right is the photo cut in half and flipped.
• Source: Author provided.

By Cliff Dunning

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{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/ }

04-07-2023 om 20:56 geschreven door peter  

The Siberian Unicorn: A Collision of Science, Myth, and Legend

The Elasmotherium, colloquially known as the Giant Rhinoceros or the Giant Siberian Unicorn, is a prehistoric rhinoceros species that once roamed the Eurasian region during the Late Pliocene and Pleistocene eras. Their existence has been traced back to 2.6 million years ago, with the most recent fossils being approximately 29,000 years old. The most recognized species of this group, the E. sibiricum, compared to a mammoth in size, had a hairy exterior and is believed to have sported a large horn on its forehead, giving rise to its nickname, the "Siberian Unicorn". Initial descriptions estimate the beast to have stood around 2 meters (6.56 ft.) in height, measured 4.5 meters (14.76 ft.) in length, and weighed a hefty 4 tonnes.

Decoding the Tale of the Siberian Unicorn

The Elasmotherium species was first identified in 1808 by Johan Fischer von Waldheim, the perpetual Director of the Natural History Museum at Moscow University. His claim was based solely on the lower jaw of the species, gifted to the museum by Yekaterina Romanovna Vorontsova-Dashkova, which led to further study and identification of the species.

In March 2016, an excellently preserved skull was discovered in the Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan, indicating the species' survival until the Pleistocene era around 29,000 years ago, challenging the prior belief that they had vanished 350,000 years ago. Judging by the skull's size and condition, it is hypothesized that it belonged to an elderly male, though the cause of death remains a mystery.

• What Extraordinary Discovery Led to Unicorn Cave Magically Transforming into a Cash Cow?

• Best Preserved Ice Age Woolly Rhino Discovered in Siberia

The Siberian unicorn's appearance, dietary habits, and behavior are subjects of various hypotheses owing to the wide-ranging interpretations of the reconstructions. Some depict the creature running like a horse, others bent over with its head towards the ground similar to a bison, and still others submerged in a swamp like a hippo.

Controversies over the Siberian Unicorn’s Horn and Extinction

The existence, size, and purpose of the horn remain hotly contested. Speculations regarding its function span from self-defense, to mate attraction, to competition deterrence, to snow clearing for feeding, and even to digging for water and plant roots. Considering the creatures were herbivores like present-day rhinos, it's unlikely the horn was used to attack or kill prey.

Only indirect evidence from sparse specimens exists to confirm if the beast had a horn or not and whether it was covered in hair or was hairless. Nonetheless, some evidence points towards the animal having a hairy exterior, much like the well-known woolly mammoth.

The primary evidence indicating that the Siberian unicorn possessed a horn is the frontal protrusion on the skull, which caught 19th-century paleontologists' attention and was instantly deemed the base for a horn. There is also evidence that the horn was not circular, as a fossil with a non-circular, partially healed puncture wound in the base suggests it could have been the result of combat with another male possessing a horn.

While male Siberian unicorns likely engaged in territorial disputes, their territory stretched from the Don River to eastern Kazakhstan. Findings suggest these ancient rhinos inhabited the southeast of the West Siberian Plain for an extended period. The exact cause of the extinction of the last Siberian unicorns remains uncertain. Scientists are examining specific environmental elements that might have triggered the species' extinction, hoping to glean insights that could be applied to modern species facing extinction.

The Legendary Unicorn

Myths and legends about unicorns, or creatures with a single horn, have permeated Chinese and Eastern European cultures for thousands of years. The Chinese term "K’i-lin," referring to a certain type of creature, was assimilated into Turkish and Mongolic languages and folklore. Although scribes in these languages struggled to describe the creature, a recurring theme was its single horn and its imposing size.

A bronze relic from the Warring States period portrays an animal remarkably similar to one depicted in cave paintings thought to represent Elasmotherium: grazing with its head lowered, a horn jutting from its forehead, and a drooping head and shoulders.

In 1866, Vasily Radlov encountered a Yakut legend in Siberia about a "gigantic black bull" slain by a lone spear. The beast reportedly had a single horn so enormous it had to be transported by sled. Other legends in this region typically involve a large white or blue woolly bull with a massive horn on its forehead.

From medieval Northern Russia, a collection of ballads, named "Golubinaia kniga" or "The Book of the Dove," influenced by Zoroastrianism and laced with Christian nuances, emerged. The ballads portray a righteous unicorn combating a lion, symbolizing falsehoods. The unicorn in these tales resided on a sacred mountain and was considered the progenitor of all animals. This creature saved the world from drought by using its horn to dig up springs of clean, fresh water. At night, it wandered the plains, blazing trails with its mighty horn.

• Is the Story of Christ Portrayed in the Unicorn Tapestries?

• Legends of the Unicorn Horn: Cures, Antidotes and Medicinal Magic

This creature features in other religious scriptures as well, though it is generally seen more as a symbolic entity than a real one. The Arabo-Persian term for a unicorn conflates unicorn and rhinoceros, viewing the rhinoceros as a symbol of truth and goodness. In Christianity, the single horn represents monotheism.

While mythology hints at the creature's existence, it is only circumstantial evidence. More research and additional fossils need to be discovered before we can definitively determine what this creature looked like and if unicorns were ever real.

If you're intrigued by our deep dives into the mysteries of history and want access to even more exclusive content, consider subscribing to Ancient Origins Premium.

• Top Image: A reconstruction of what the Siberian unicorn may have looked like.
• Source: Elenarts /Adobe Stock

By Veronica Parkes

{ https://www.ancientoriginsunleashed.com/  }

19-06-2023 om 20:54 geschreven door peter  

Unraveling the Tower of Babel: Myth or Reality? (Video)

The ancient ruins of Babylon, located in central Iraq, have long captivated historians and archeologists alike. Among its remnants lies a structure that has stirred intrigue and speculation—the Etemenanki ziggurat, believed by some to be the legendary Tower of Babel . With its colossal size, estimated to have reached a towering height of nearly 300 feet, this ancient edifice stands as a testament to the grandeur and ambition of the Babylonian Empire.

The biblical account of the Tower of Babel portrays a tale of human unity, divine intervention, and the consequences of defying higher powers. Scholars draw parallels between the ziggurat and the Tower, noting the shared location and remarkable similarities in construction materials. The presence of bitumen-infused bricks, as described in biblical texts, adds weight to these connections. Yet, the story does not end there. The question remains: Was the Tower of Babel destroyed by a mighty wind summoned by an angered deity, or was it brought down by the forces of nature, such as a powerful earthquake?

• Inside Etemenanki: The Real-Life Tower of Babel
• Ancient Babylonian Tablet Provides Compelling Evidence that the Tower of Babel DID Exist

• Top image: The Tower of Babel.
• Source: FrankBoston / Adobe Stock.

By Robbie Mitchell

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/ }

18-06-2023 om 23:42 geschreven door peter  

700,000-Year-Old Tools Found in Greece Rewrite History

The rich historical tapestry of Greece has been dramatically expanded with the recent discovery of hunting tools dating back an astonishing 700,000 years. Unearthed in a coal mine in Megalopolis, these ancient stone tools have not only pushed back Greece's historical timeline by a staggering quarter of a million years but have also opened a window into the development of our ancient hominin ancestors before their migration to northern Europe.

Megalopolis: Where Time Began

The ancient Greek city of Megalopolis was located in Arcadia, a region in the central Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. The original settlement was founded in 371 BC by the Theban general Epaminondas, during the Peloponnesian War, to counter the power of Sparta and to support the independence of the smaller Greek city-states.

Megalopolis shares the same sun-battered landscapes as Olympia, Mycenae and Pylos, each of which feature centrally in Greek mythology. Olympia, the home of the Olympic Games, housed the chief sacred site of the god Zeus, and Mycenae was the city of the legendary King Agamemnon who led the Greeks during the Trojan War. Pylos, was a centre of the Mycenaean civilization most famously ruled by King Nestor, and it featured in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.

But now, the recent discovery of very ancient stone tools in a coal mine are shadowing the nation's semi-mythological history, by revealing valuable secrets about the development of our ancient hominin ancestors, before they populated northern Europe.

A Game Changing Discovery

According to a report in Greek City Times the latest archaeological discoveries in Megalopolis are “game-changing.” In the oldest-known archaeological site in Greece, dating back approximately 700,000 years, not only did the archaeologists recover the remains of now extinct giant deer, elephants, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, and a macaque monkey, but they also found stone tools from the Lower Palaeolithic period (3.3 million to 300,000 years old).

The skull of a member of the deer family in Megalopolis

(Greek Culture Ministry)

Used for butchering animals and chopping plants approximately 700,000 years ago, the still sharp stone flakes are suspected to have been manufactured by a Lower Palaeolithic Homo antecessor, considered a possible ancestor of both Neanderthals and modern humans. While this is yet to be confirmed, if hominin remains are discovered, the find pushes back Greece’s official archaeological record by up to 250,000 years.

Until now, the oldest tools in Greece date back to around 500,000 years ago, and were discovered in the Petralona Cave, in the Chalkidiki region of northern Greece. These stone tools were unearthed alongside the fossilized remains of an ancient human skull, known as the Petralona Skull , and such a discovery would need to be made at the Megalopolis site to definitely date the new discoveries.

• The controversial Petralona skull and Greek government suppression of information
• New Information on the Petralona Skull Controversy

Stone tools dating back 700,000 found in the coal mine.

(Greek Culture Ministry)

Pushing Back Archaeological Timelines

These new finds come after a 5-year-long project led by Professor Panagiotis Karkanas of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens , Eleni Panagopoulou from the Greek Ministry of Culture and Katerina Harvati, a professor of paleoanthropology at the University of Tübingen in Germany .

An article in Breaking News said these “groundbreaking discoveries surpass any previously known archaeological record in Greece.” And, if the dating is confirmed, what these finds demand, effectively, is a rewriting of Greek archaeology with a new starting point at around 700,000 years ago.

A Second Stunning Discovery

In addition to this main discovery, the team of archaeologists explored a second site in the Megalopolis area where they found “the oldest Middle Palaeolithic remains ever found in Greece, dating back approximately 280,000 years.” In conclusion, the researchers said of this second discovery, that it suggests Greece played a significant role in stone industry developments throughout ancient Europe, “solidifying its position as a pivotal hub of ancient civilisation.” Furthermore, the researchers said this discovery further illustrates what is known about “hominin migrations to Europe and human evolution as a whole.”

Megalopolis declined in importance following the rise of Macedon under Philip II and his son, Alexander the Great, and it finally lost its prominence during the Roman era, after which it faded into obscurity. Today, the ancient ruins of Megalopolis can still be visited, but these new archaeological discoveries extend well beyond the ancient city's history and architecture, providing new insights into Greece’s ancient past.

• Top image: Stone axe and knife (representational).
• Source:  JPS / Adobe Stock.

By Ashley Cowie

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/ } 

14-06-2023 om 01:23 geschreven door peter  

In 1938, a discovery was made off the eastern coast of South Africa that shook the science world. A peculiar fish was discovered among the day’s catches of a group of local fishermen, and fortunately, a museum curator named Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer was on hand and noticed the primeval-looking specimen. Upon contacting Rhodes University ichthyologist J.L.B. Smith and sending sketches she made of the fish, Smith dispatched an emergency responding cable that read, “Most Important Preserve Skeleton and Gills = Fish Described.”

Smith’s urgency was based on the fact that, rather than being a new species, what Courtenay-Latimer had found was something he recognized… from the fossil record. Remarkably, the specimen appeared to be a variety of ancient fish known from the late Cretaceous period known as the Coelacanth, a kind of transitional species whose curious fins placed it someplace within the evolutionary lineage between fish and tetrapods.

Since the famous discovery, several similar instances of “living fossils” have been discovered, and the most recent of these turned up in an unlikely place: off the southern coast of California.

Discovered alive within the waters at Naples Point, slightly North of UC Santa Barbara, is a small variety of clam previously known only from the fossil record.

Jeff Goddard, a research associate at the Marine Science Institute at UC Santa Barbara and co-author of a new paper detailing the discovery, says it is remarkable partly due to the location where the specimen was found.

“It’s not all that common to find alive a species first known from the fossil record, especially in a region as well-studied as Southern California,” Goddard said in a statement released by the University.

Comparing the find to the famous discovery of the Coelacanth in the late 1930s, Goddard notes that what he and his colleagues turned up at Naples Point doesn’t go quite as far back as the famous ancient fish did, “representing an entire class of animals thought to have disappeared 400 million years ago.”

Still, Goddard notes that the remarkable little bivalve they found “does go back to the time of all those wondrous animals captured by the La Brea Tar Pits.”

The discovery was made in November 2018, as Goddard had been searching under rocks at low tide for a variety of sea slugs when he noticed not one, but instead a pair of tiny, translucent clams. As he observed them, he noticed that they possessed a white-striped foot that exceeded the length of their shell. Goddard then realized that he recognized this species, even though that seemed impossible.

Specimens of Cymatioa cooki photographed by Jeff Goddard

(Credit: Jeff Goddard/Paul Valentich-Scott/ZooKeys).

Mirroring the Coelacanth discovery of almost a century earlier, Goddard, rather than procuring sketches, took high-quality images of the pair of bivalves, opting to leave the pair in their natural habitat. The images were immediately sent to Paul Valentich-Scott curator emeritus of malacology at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Like Goddard, Valentich-Scott found the appearance of the little creatures intriguing, as they were unlike any of the well-known similar species along the California coast.

Ultimately, it was decided that a specimen would be needed after all, but by the time Goddard returned to Naples Point in search of his new quarry, the mysterious clams proved more difficult to find a second time around. In fact, such would be the case over the course of several more failed attempts to rediscover the tiny creatures.

After nine attempts over the course of the next several months, Goddard finally managed to relocate the creatures—this time a single clam—beneath a rock alongside two of the nudibranch sea slugs he had originally come to Naples Point in search of.

Initially, Valentich-Scott thought they might have uncovered an entirely new species.

“When I suspect something is a new species, I need to track back through all of the scientific literature from 1758 to the present,” the curator said in a statement announcing the discovery. “It can be a daunting task, but with experience it can go pretty quickly.”

After pouring over data in the museum’s collections, including fossils of similar species known from California’s prehistoric coasts, the two researchers uncovered drawings of a variety of bivalve, Bornia cooki, first described in 1937—just two years prior to the rediscovery of the Coelacanth—which looked like a match for the tiny, long-footed California clams Goddard had found.

After comparisons between the original fossils discovered by George Willett in the 1930s with the new specimen, as well as a single shell Goddard retrieved during a subsequent visit, a positive match was confirmed: Willet’s original discovery, now given the classification Cymatioa cooki, was indeed still alive in California’s coastal waters. Another living fossil had been confirmed.

Cymatioa cooki, the latest “living fossil” discovered off the California coast

(Credit: Jeff Goddard/Paul Valentich-Scott/ZooKeys).

Noting the intertidal boulder fields that cover broad ranges of the California coast, Goddard says he thinks it’s likely that the newly rediscovered “living fossil” Cymatioa cooki is “probably living in close association with animals burrowing beneath those boulders.”

“There is such a long history of shell-collecting and malacology in Southern California,” Goddard says, admitting that “it’s hard to believe no one found even the shells of our little cutie.” Indeed, sometimes the most remarkable discoveries turn up right under our noses, and in Goddard’s case, quite by accident.

Goddard and Valentich-Scott’s remarkable discovery was the subject of a recent paper published in the journal ZooKeys.

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 { https://thedebrief.org/ }

11-06-2023 om 01:15 geschreven door peter  

The Oldest Living Tree on Earth is Older Than the Egyptian Pyramids

Visitors from around the world flock to visit the famed 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza , now remembered as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world . But hidden high in California’s White Mountains is an unassuming natural wonder which out-dates the Giza Pyramid by hundreds of years.

A Bristlecone Pine tree ( Pinus longaeva ) known as Methuselah holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest named individual tree on Earth. At over 4,850 years old, its age was determined through core samples. To put its age into proportion, by the time of the Trojan War around 1200 BC, Methuselah would have been over 1,600 years old! The name pays homage to the biblical figure Methuselah, the oldest person of all time (969 years to be precise) according to Judeo-Christian tradition.

With their distinctive gnarled appearance, molded over (literally) thousands of years, Bristlecone Pines have survived unforgiving landscapes and temperatures. There’s something ironic in the fact that the oldest living tree is actually located in the so-called New World .

Methuselah’s discovery in the 1950s attracted tourists to the area, causing damage over time. Another Bristlecone Pine, nicknamed Prometheus, was inadvertently cut down when a researcher tried to recover his tree corer from its trunk. Smithsonian Magazine revealed he only realized what he’d done after reviewing the sample and discovering it had been over 5,000 years old. This tragic event inspired the authorities to create the Great Basin National Park to protect the millennial Bristlecone Pines. As a result, the true location of Methuselah is now classified.

A Bristlecone Pine in the White Mountains of California, home to the oldest living tree in the world.

(Rick Goldwaser / CC BY 2.0 )

But, what’s the secret to its survival? Resilient to extreme conditions, its roots have adapted to nourish only certain branches, limiting the impact when they die. The Bristlecone Pine is also a slow-grower (one-hundredth of an inch a year) while its needles live for over 30 years, helping the tree conserve energy.

Over the years, Methuselah has faced some stiff competition. In 2022, Science reported that the Jonathan Barichivich concluded that a Patagonian cypress ( Fitzroya cupressoides ) in Chile, known as the Gran Abuelo (great grandfather) was actually over 500 years older than Methuselah. Alternatively, a clonal forest of Populus tremuloides in Utah, known as Pando, could be as old as 14,000 years. The enormous forest—spanning 80 football fields according to National Geographic —is a collection of genetically identical stems which sprang from one single seed.

Studying and protecting these ancient trees and their tree rings can provide invaluable information about the climate throughout ancient history, which in turn can provide clues for protecting against the effects of climate change. Dubbed “faithful chroniclers of the world’s weather patterns,” we have a lot to learn from ancestral trees, be they South American conifers or weathered Californian pines.

• Top image: Methuselah is the oldest named individual tree on Earth and is located in the White Mountains of California.
• Source: Yen Chao / CC BY-ND 2.0

By Cecilia Bogaard

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/general }

03-06-2023 om 00:40 geschreven door peter  

The Mysterious Sphinx of Balochistan: Natural Formation or a Man-made Architectural Wonder?

Bibhu Dev Misra

A mysterious Sphinx-shaped structure known as the Balochistan Sphinx looms over the desolate, rocky, landscape of the Makran coastline in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The region of Balochistan lies between Iran and Afghanistan on the west and India on the east, with the Arabian Sea bordering the south. This arid region of desert and mountains is primarily populated by the ethnic Baloch people who converted to Islam after the Arab occupation of the region.

No-one really knew about the existence of the Balochistan Sphinx before the Makran Coastal Highway opened in 2004, linking the city of Karachi with the port town of Gwadar on the Makran coast. The structure lies right alongside the highway, in close proximity to a number of other structures resembling temples and buildings. It takes nearly four hours by car to reach the Balochistan Sphinx from Karachi (240 kms) along the Makran Coastal Highway which meanders through a surreal landscape. The Sphinx is located within the Hingol National Park, where people occasionally come for day visits from Karachi.

When I first saw pictures of the Balochistan Sphinx and the surrounding areas, it looked to me as being a rock-cut archaeological site of great antiquity. However, I was surprised to find that, the journalists who wrote about the Balochistan Sphinx, routinely referred to it as a natural formation, even though no there is no evidence of any archaeological survey being conducted at the site. This was very strange, to say the least. How can any person – with even a little bit of interest in history or archaeology - look at this place and not feel a desire to investigate further? Why have archaeological excavations not been conducted here? And, on what basis are journalists calling this a natural formation? Are they simply guessing or have they been instructed to refer to it that way?

I first wrote about the Balochistan Sphinx in a blog post in 2017, where I brought attention to the many peculiarities of the site, and since then more people have become interested in the place, even though an official survey has not yet been done. A cursory glance at the Sphinx shows that it has a well-defined jawline and discernible facial features such as eyes, nose and mouth. The Sphinx wears a head-dress that closely resembles the Nemes head-dress of the Egyptian pharaoh. The Nemes head-dress is a striped head cloth that covers the crown and back of the head. It has two large, conspicuous flaps which hangs down behind the ears and in front of the shoulders. The ear-flaps of the Nemes head-dress can be clearly seen on the Balochistan Sphinx. The Sphinx also has a horizontal groove across the forehead corresponding to the pharaonic head-band that holds the Nemes head-dress in place. We can even make out the contours of the reclining forelegs of the Sphinx, terminating in well-defined paws.

In other words, this is not just any other rock formation that bears somewhat of a resemblance to an animal. It is a very realistic rendition of the Sphinx – a well-known legendary animal that is found in the art and archaeology of many ancient cultures.

What is really intriguing about this site is not just Sphinx itself, but the surrounding structures, all of which give the impression of being carved by the hands of man. Let’s look at the elevated platform on top of which the Sphinx is located. One can easily make out pillars, niches and a symmetric crosshatch pattern carved on this platform, just as you would expect in any temple complex. There are a series of steps leading to site. The steps, and in fact the entire site, has been covered by sediment and heavily eroded. 

Some people look at the Sphinx and associated structures and say it is “pareidolia.” In case you didn’t know, pareidolia is the phenomenon of seeing familiar objects and patterns where none exists. It is the easy way out for those who don’t want to do the hard work of surveys and excavations. If pareidolia was even a "thing" in archaeology, then none of the Mesoamerican pyramids - as well as many other archaeological structures from around the world - would have been discovered, for they had turned into mounds of earth, and were completely unrecognizable until the hands of man cleared away the mud. The only logical thing to do when you see a place like this is to conduct full-scale surveys and excavations. And that, unfortunately, has not yet been done here.

Now onto the surrounding structures. Very close to the Sphinx, situated on top of the same platform is a large temple-like structure, with a symmetrical spire. The Sphinx appears to be looking in the direction of the temple, and acting as its protector. Close by there are two more structures which look man-made. One resembles a small temple, resembling the typical rock-cut temples of India, and the other seems to be a megalithic building.

Let’s look at these structures a bit more closely. The structure closest to the Sphinx appears to be large temple with a flat-topped spire. I am calling it the Sphinx Temple, since the Sphinx appears to be looking in the direction of the temple, functioning as its protector. In sacred architecture, the Sphinx always performed a protective function. The Egypt, the Sphinx faces the eroded ruins of the Old Sphinx Temple which dates to the time when the Sphinx was built. The limestone blocks used to build the walls of the Old Sphinx Temple came from the ditch surrounding the Sphinx. When the Sphinx was being carved out of the bedrock, workmen hauled away the quarried blocks to construct the temple.[1]

In India, the Sphinx appears in the early Hindu-Buddhist art of Central and North-west India from the 1st century BCE onwards. Its primary position was near the temple gateway, acting as a guardian of the sanctuary. However, figures of sphinxes were sculpted all over the temple premises including the entrance gates, halls and near the central shrine.[2] In one of its forms, it crouches or stands in front of a miniaturized temple, indicating that it is a protector of the temple.

A closer look at the Sphinx Temple of Balochistan shows evidence of pillars carved on the walls. The temple entrance may be concealed behind a large pile-up of sediment in front. It seems there are one or more figures carved on the façade of the temple, above the entrance. These figures may have been intended as “dvarapalas” i.e. door guardians. In Hindu-Buddhist temples, dvarapalas are giant figures who stand guard in pairs on either side of the temple entrance. The Sphinx Temple of Balochistan actually looks similar to the flat-topped entrance towers, called gopurams, of the temples of Southern India. 

Close to the Sphinx Temple, there is a smaller temple-like structure on top of the elevated platform. This temple has clearly defined pillars and a spire, and looks very similar to the rock-cut temples of ancient India. For anyone who is familiar with Indian architecture, it hard to believe that this is not man-made.

In addition to these two temples, there are a number of interesting structures in lying in close proximity to the Sphinx. Some of them resemble palaces, while other look like rectangular megalithic buildings. It is inconceivable how such symmetric structures can be produced through random processes of erosion. Here are a few such structures, which are routinely passed off as natural formations by journalists.

Right next door to the Balochistan Sphinx there is another prominent landmark of the Makran coast called the “Princess of Hope”. The name was coined by Angelina Jolie who had visited the Hingol National Park in 2002 as a UN Goodwill Ambassador. She thought that the structure resembles a crowned and skirted female figure looking toward the horizon. However, in my opinion, the structure looks more like a heavily eroded watchtower or temple spire. A drone view of surrounding landscape shows how surreal it is, with pillars and geometric patterns everywhere you look.

There are a few interesting YouTube videos made over the past few years which provide a good sense of what is going on that area. This video (click here) of a drive along the Makran Highway is an excellent place to start.

As you cross the Buzi Pass, the scenery suddenly changes for a distance of around 2-3 kms (till 3:30 min in the video) when all kinds of surreal and apparently man-made structures start popping into view. It is almost as if this was an ancient city, with the Balochistan Sphinx located at its extremity. If this was solely the work of nature then why would be restricted to a specific area? Humans, on the other hand, tend to build their buildings in clusters. Some interesting drone footage of the Sphinx and Princess of Hope can be seen in this video (click here) shared by Juliette Jean, who also references my blog post.

This video (click here) gives a good virtual tour of the Princess of Hope area where one can easily spot rock cut caves, balconies, and regularly spaced pillars.

Many people from Balochistan and Pakistan who have visited the Balochistan Sphinx site are of the opinion that the Sphinx is such an imposing and majestic structure, and looks so lifelike, that it is most likely man-made, in addition to all the other structures nearby. My opinion, based on all the images and videos I have seen online, is on similar lines. There was, probably, a large ancient city here, which was devastated by cataclysms and subsequently suffered extensive erosion.

Geologists have observed that the hills around the Makran coastline are covered with sea shells, which indicates that the place was once inundated by sea water. This is not surprising since the Makran coast of Balochistan is a seismically active zone, which frequently produces enormous tsunamis. It is reported that the earthquake of November 28, 1945, with its epicenter off the coast of Makran, caused a tsunami with waves reaching as high as 13 meters at some places. Moreover, a number of active mud volcanoes are strewn along Makran coastline, with a bunch of them concentrated within the Hingol National Park, near the delta of the Hingol River. Intense earthquake activity triggers the mud volcanoes to erupt, which can spew staggering amounts of mud drowning the surrounding landscape. Sometimes, mud volcano islands appear in the Arabian Sea, off the coast of Makran, which are dissipated by wave action within a year. 

This tells us that the Balochistan Sphinx complex may have been ravaged multiple times by powerful earthquakes and destructive tsunamis which dumped tons of sediments on the structures before the waters receded. Subsequently, wind and water erosion did its job. The actions of humans and nature appear to have combined to create this surreal landscape, which seems to be hiding a lost city of unknown antiquity.

The question is, if this site or ancient city is man-made, how old is it? We know that the Indus Valley Civilization extended along the Makran coastline and its westernmost archaeological site was Sutkagen Dor, situated near the Iranian border. Therefore, some of these structures could have been built thousands of years ago, during the Indus Period (c.3000 BCE). It could be even older than that, and may have been built by some pre-Indus culture. The site may have been constructed in phases, starting from a very remote period. Perhaps, it was on the mountains of the Makran coast that the Indus artisans honed and perfected their architectural and rock cutting skills, which were later transported to the Indian civilization.

During the historical period, the Makran region was regarded by the Arab chroniclers as the “frontier of al-Hind” i.e. the frontier of India. The sovereignty of parts of the region alternated between Indian and Persian kings from the early historical period. In the decades preceding the Muslim raids, Makran was under the dominion of a dynasty of Hindu kings, who had their capital at Alor in Sind.[3]

When the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang visited Makran in the 7th century CE, he noted that the script which was in use in Makran was “much the same as India”, but the spoken language “differed a little from that of India”. Historian Andre Wink writes that:

“The same chiefdom of Armadil is referred to by Hiuen Tsang as O-tien-p’o-chi-lo’, located at the high road running through Makran, and he also describes it as predominantly Buddhist, thinly populated though it was, it had no less than 80 Buddhist convents with about 5000 monks. In effect at eighteen km north west of Las Bela at Gandakahar, near the ruins of an ancient town are the caves of Gondrani, and as their constructions show these caves were undoubtedly Buddhist. Traveling through the Kij valley further west (then under the government of Persia) Hiuen Tsang saw some 100 Buddhist monasteries and 6000 priests. He also saw several hundred Deva temples in this part of Makran, and in the town of Su-nu li-chi-shi-fa-lo - which is probably Qasrqand- he saw a temple of Maheshvara Deva, richly adorned and sculptured. There is thus very wide extension of Indian cultural forms in Makran in the seventh century, even in the period when it fell under Persian sovereignty. By comparison in more recent times the last place of Hindu pilgrimage in Makran was Hinglaj, 256 km west of present day Karachi in Las Bela.”[4]

Thus, as per the accounts of Hiuen Tsang, even in the 7th century CE, the Makran coast was dotted with hundreds of Buddhist monasteries and caves, as well as several hundred Hindu Temples, including a richly sculpted temple of Lord Shiva. What happened to these caves, temples, and monasteries of the Makran coast? Were they all destroyed during the Arab raids? Or is it possible that some remnants of them have survived? And having become highly eroded and covered with sediment, they are being passed off as natural formations?

It is a mystery, therefore, why an official archaeological survey has not yet being conducted at this place, when the signs of human civilization are so obvious. Could it be due to a lack of funding? Balochistan is an impoverished place, and from the conversations I had with some academics of the region, there are no trained archaeologists in Balochistan to carry out a scientific survey. The onus is on Pakistan, and from what I have heard, archaeological explorations in Pakistan are heavily underfunded, with many known Indus sites still remaining unexcavated. However, funding cannot be a such big issue for a preliminary survey to be done here. Some people think that the Balochistan Sphinx is a dangerous place to visit because of the Baloch insurgency that has been going on for many years, which is why official surveys are risky. That is not really true, because people from Karachi routinely travel along the Makran highway, and they have told me that it is quite safe to travel to the Sphinx, since the insurgents are not active along this route. The other issue is that, this region falls under the CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) and is under the control of the Pakistan army. However, I do not see why that should hinder an official survey, although it could be difficult for foreigners to roam around freely here.

So what is going on? Could it be that the people in authority are already aware that this is a very ancient site which could topple the chronology of civilization in South Asia, or in fact, the entire world, and are deliberately trying to cover it up? It’s a possibility that cannot be ruled out. Some recent contacts have told me that they are not being allowed by the army to walk up to the Sphinx and explore the surrounding ruins, with the excuse that it could “endanger” these natural formations. So, not only are official surveys not being conducted, ordinary people not being allowed to explore the site freely, and the media is being instructed to refer to these astonishing monuments as “natural formations”. All the signs of a deliberate cover-up seem to be in place. It is an unfortunate reality of our times that many people in power misuse their authority to hide and distort the truth. The only possible way this situation can be salvaged is if international attention can be drawn to these monuments, appropriate pressure is exerted on the government of Pakistan through petitions and other means, and international bodies like the UNESCO are alerted and convinced to conduct a much-need archaeological survey of the site, so that thtruth can emerge.

References

1. Allen Winston, "The Old and New Kingdom Sphinx Temples at Giza", http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/sphinx3.htm
2.  Sphinx in Indian Art <http://www.chidambaramhiddentreasure.com/sphinx-indian-art/>
3. André Wink, Al-Hind: The slave kings and the Islamic conquest (BRILL, 1991) 132-133
4. André Wink, Al-Hind: The slave kings and the Islamic conquest (BRILL, 1991) 135

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01-06-2023 om 23:10 geschreven door peter  

Lost Treasures of Chichen Itza: Maya Marvels Revealed (Video)

In a world where Europe languished in the dark ages , the splendor of the Maya civilization reached its zenith. Their majestic temples soared high into the heavens, their intricate hieroglyphic writing system captured the essence of their culture, and their breathtaking artworks showcased their impeccable sense of style. Nestled in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula , the grand city of Chichen Itza rose to prominence. Legends speak of sacrificial rituals, where victims were thrown into sacred wells to appease the rain god. The Maya's astronomical prowess shone through their observatory, where they meticulously tracked the stars and predicted solar eclipses.

Influenced by diverse cultures, Chichen Itza became a melting pot of civilizations. Its most renowned structure, El Castillo, an awe-inspiring pyramid with 365 steps, guarded a remarkable secret. During the equinoxes, a shadow descended upon the pyramid in the form of a slithering serpent, captivating all who witnessed this celestial spectacle. From the colossal ball court to the bustling trading center, Chichen Itza thrived for centuries until succumbing to the same forces that plagued other Maya cities. Now, amidst the encroaching rainforest, the remnants of this ancient metropolis endure, a testament to the proud and enigmatic Maya civilization that crafted it.

• Chichen Itza: Ancient Maya City Built Above A Gateway to the Underworld
• Advanced Engineering Discovered at the Maya Observatory at Chichen Itza

• Top image: Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico.
• Source:   IRStone / Adobe Stock.

By Robbie Mitchell

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25-05-2023 om 23:54 geschreven door peter  

Discoveries of Ancient Underground Cities Around the World

Beneath the surface of our world, hidden under layers of soil, stone, and history, lie remnants of ancient civilizations - vast networks of tunnels, expansive  underground cities , and complex subterranean structures. Our ancestors demonstrated remarkable ingenuity, carving out these intricate labyrinths for reasons as diverse as their cultures. Whether born out of necessity, spirituality, or security, these underground marvels have been preserved, waiting to share the untold stories of our human past.

South and Central America

In the heart of Mexico, the  ancient city of Teotihuacan  houses an extensive labyrinth of tunnels beneath the Pyramid of the Sun. Discovered only in the 1970s, this intricate network of tunnels extends to over 5 kilometers, with rooms branching off in various directions. These chambers are believed to have been used for rituals and ceremonies, with artifacts such as sculptures, pottery, and even human remains unearthed during excavations. The  tunnels of Teotihuacan  offer a unique insight into the spiritual and cultural life of this ancient civilization.

In 2008, another remarkable discovery was made in Mexico that further underscored the importance of the underground in Mesoamerican cosmology and architecture. Archaeologists uncovered eleven stone temples inside an underground cave system beneath the Yucatan Peninsula, complete with an underground road which the Mayans believed led to the mythical underworld city known as Xibalba. The underworld was a crucial part of the Mayan spiritual belief system, with Xibalba often depicted as a dangerous place filled with deadly trials for deceased souls.

In Peru, the Qenqo Chico tunnel network is an impressive example of Incan engineering. These tunnels, part of the larger Qenqo archaeological complex near Cusco, were carved directly into the rock and are thought to have been used for religious and ceremonial purposes. Qenqo Chico and its subterranean passages continue to fascinate archaeologists and tourists alike, offering a glimpse into the spiritual life of the Inca civilization.

The sprawling  Mayan pyramid complex at Tikal , located in present-day Guatemala, has also revealed an intricate system of underground tunnels. These tunnels, rediscovered in the late 20th century, appear to connect various parts of the vast city-state, suggesting an efficient transportation or communication system. However, their exact function remains the subject of ongoing study. What is clear, however, is that these subterranean structures provide significant insights into the city planning and architectural capabilities of the ancient Mayan civilization, which flourished at Tikal from around 200 to 900 AD.

• Secret Chamber and Tunnel Discovered Under the Temple of the Moon at Teotihuacan Emulate the Underworld
• Descending into the Underworld of Teotihuacan: Labyrinthine Tunnels and Rivers of Mercury

Underground shrine at Qenqo Chico, Peru.

Source:  Leon petrosyan  / CC by SA 3.0

Africa

In Ethiopia, the  rock-hewn churches of Lalibela  represent an impressive feat of subterranean architecture. Carved directly into solid rock in the 12th century, these 11 monolithic churches were reportedly created to represent a symbolic representation of Jerusalem. Each church was chiseled out of the ground, then further shaped into doors, windows, columns, and decorated with carvings. This UNESCO World Heritage site is a testament to the ingenuity of ancient African architects, and the underground network connecting the churches adds to the mystical aura of Lalibela.

In Egypt, the Giza Plateau has an  enormous underground system  that is a combination of manmade caverns and tunnels as well as subterranean rivers and passages. Since 1978 the caverns have been mapped using ground penetrating radar with  explorations led by Dr Jim Hurtak who has allegedly entered massive chambers larger than our largest cathedrals. A few historians believe that the underground cave system in Giza, is the legendary ‘City of the Gods’, a massive underground city described by ancient writers Herodotus (5 ^th century BC) and Strabo (1 ^st Century AD). Herodotus wrote:

“There I saw twelve palaces regularly disposed, which had communication with each other, interspersed with terraces and arranged around twelve halls. It is hard to believe they are the work of man. The walls are covered with carved figures, and each court is exquisitely built of white marble and surrounded by a colonnade. Near the corner where the labyrinth ends, there is a pyramid, two hundred and forty feet in height, with great carved figures of animals on it and an underground passage by which it can be entered. I was told very credibly that underground chambers and passages connected this pyramid with the pyramids at Memphis.”

Furthermore, Herodotus spoke of the discovery of a multi-level megalithic metropolis under Giza that was 15,000 years old.

Many ancient writers supported Herodotus' record of underground passages connecting major pyramids. Lamblichus, a 4 ^th century AD Syrian representative of the Alexandrian School of mystical and philosophical studies, recorded information about an entranceway through the body of the Sphinx into the Great Pyramid:

“This entrance, obstructed in our day by sands and rubbish, may still be traced between the forelegs of the crouched colossus. It was formerly closed by a bronze gate whose secret spring could be operated only by the Magi. It was guarded by public respect, and a sort of religious fear maintained its inviolability better than armed protection would have done. In the belly of the Sphinx were cut out galleries leading to the subterranean part of the Great Pyramid.  These galleries were so art-fully crisscrossed along their course to the Pyramid that, in setting forth into the passage without a guide throughout this network, one ceasingly and inevitably returned to the starting point.”

One of the most impressive underground constructions in Egypt is the Serapeum of Saqqara, a vast subterranean complex that housed the Apis bulls, considered incarnations of the god Ptah. Housing massive granite sarcophagi in crypt-like galleries, this labyrinthine network showcases the Egyptians' advanced engineering skills.

• Underground Cities Around the World – Myths and Reality
• The Ancient Subterranean City of Nushabad: Why Were People Living Underground?

Asia

The discovery in 1992 of 24 man-made caves in China, known as the  Longyou Caves , revealed an extraordinary feat of ancient engineering and craftsmanship. The caves, carved into solid siltstone, represent a massive undertaking that required the removal of an estimated 36,000 cubic meters of stone. The floor area of each grotto extends over two thousand square meters, with the highest point in the caves reaching over 30 meters. Interestingly, there are no historical records or legends pertaining to the caves, rendering their origin and purpose a mystery. The precision and symmetry of the carving, along with the sheer volume of excavated material, imply a level of planning and organization that challenge our understanding of ancient Chinese society and its capabilities. The absence of tool marks or signs of work, coupled with the scale and complexity of the caves, continue to perplex researchers and historians, making the Longyou Caves one of the most enigmatic archaeological sites in the world.

One of the Longyou caves.

Source:  Zhangzhugang  / CC by SA 4.0.

India, with its rich and ancient history, is also home to a number of fascinating underground structures. The city of Varanasi, believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, has an extensive network of underground passages and rooms that date back several centuries. These passages were used by the residents for various purposes including travel, trade, and religious ceremonies. Furthermore, the UNESCO World Heritage site of  Ellora in Maharashtra , famous for its rock-cut temples, includes an intricate network of tunnels and chambers beneath the surface. One of the most astonishing of these underground marvels is the Kailasa Temple, which was carved from a single rock and extends into the earth, showcasing the advanced architectural and engineering skills of ancient Indian civilization. The purpose and full extent of these subterranean networks in India remain subjects of ongoing archaeological exploration and research.

Turkey, particularly the region of  Cappadocia, is world-renowned for its ancient underground cities. These cities were primarily used as hideouts by early Christians to escape persecution.  Derinkuyu, one of the most well-known of these underground cities, is an expansive network that extends approximately 60 meters deep and could accommodate an astonishing 20,000 people along with their livestock and food stores. It had more than 600 entrances to the surface. Another famous subterranean city is Kaymakli, which was believed to have been used as a large agricultural depot and trading hub. The cities contain numerous features such as ventilation shafts, wine and oil presses, stables, cellars, storage rooms, refectories, and chapels, showcasing a sophisticated understanding of underground construction. Turkey may have the greatest number of underground cities and networks in the work and more are being discovered every year.

Europe

In Italy,  the legacy of the Etruscans , a pre-Roman civilization, is visible through an extensive network of underground tunnels known as "Vie Cave" or "Etruscan Ways." These narrow, canyon-like paths, which were dug into tuff stone, often reach staggering heights, creating an impressive spectacle. Their purpose remains largely a mystery, with theories ranging from a means of communication and transport between settlements, to having religious or ceremonial importance.

On the archipelago of Malta is home to a vast network of underground tunnels. The  Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni , a UNESCO World Heritage site, is an extraordinary subterranean structure dating back to around 3300-3000 BC. This labyrinthine complex spans three levels, with rooms, halls, and passages hewn directly into the limestone. The Hypogeum was likely used as both a sanctuary and a necropolis, with remains of over 7,000 individuals discovered within its depths.

Elsewhere in Europe, the city of Odessa in Ukraine is known for its labyrinthine catacombs, which stretch approximately 2,500 kilometers, making them among the largest networks of tunnels anywhere in the world. Originally, these tunnels were the result of limestone mining in the 19th century, the same limestone used to build much of the city. Over time, the catacombs served various purposes – from a hideout for Soviet partisans during World War II to an illicit playground in more recent years. These varied examples underline Europe's rich history of utilizing subterranean spaces for an array of purposes, each of them contributing to our understanding of past civilizations.

The ability of ancient people to shape the earth, to build beneath the surface, and to create these complex subterranean networks across continents is a testament to their resilience, ingenuity, and adaptability. These underground cities, tunnels, and structures are more than just historical relics; they are enduring symbols of humanity's enduring desire to innovate, adapt, and survive.

• Top image: Man standing in underground city of Derinkuyu, Turkey.
• Source:  Parilov / Adobe Stock.

By Joanna Gillan

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24-05-2023 om 01:28 geschreven door peter