UFO Cover-Up Inside the U.S. Government

In 1952 cameras spotted UFOs flying over the White House lawn in Washington D.C. – these sightings eventually lead to Project Blue Book, created by the U.S. government, in this clip from Season 5, “Aliens and Cover-Ups.”

{ https://www.latest-ufo-sightings.net/ }

“IF WE HAVEN'T REALLY UNDERSTOOD HUMAN EMOTIONS, CAN WE ACTUALLY ... PUT THEM INTO MACHINES?”

WHEN IT COMES TO EXPRESSING EMOTIONS, HUMAN FACES HAVE A LOT TO SAY.

Without speaking a word, we can signal our disgust to those around us with pursed lips and a furrowed brow. Our joy is expressed just as fast: Eyes open wide and lips upturned. Like an overturned flag signaling otherwise unnoticeable distress on a ship at sea, our facial expressions act as a bridge between our internal life and the outside world.

Robots that can expertly express these kinds of emotions will have a better chance at building human relationships and even persuading humans to do what they want, i.e. taking their medicine on time.

But having a robot nail this interaction every time is an incredibly difficult task, says Bilge Mutlu, an associate professor of computer science and psychology and UW Madison. Even humans don’t always get it right.

“When you look at the psychology literature, our understanding of emotions is incomplete,” Mutlu says. “And if we haven't really understood human emotions, can we actually simplify them and put them into machines? That's an open question.”

WHAT IS THE UNCANNY VALLEY?

For humans, these mismatched interactions can be uncomfortable or awkward, but with robots, they can be downright creepy, thanks to the uncanny valley.

The concept was proposed by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in the 1970s to describe a humanoid robot that looks close — but not quite close enough — to a real human.

According to the uncanny valley concept, humans are comfortable interacting with a more abstract and cute robot (think, Pixar’s WALL-E) or an incredibly human-like robot (think, Battlestar Galactica Cylons.) However, there exists a so-called valley between these two robotic extremes where robots look neither truly human nor robotic. This feeling of the “uncanny” might be the shiver you get when walking through a wax museum or when looking at a robotic Einstein video.

Psychologically, scholars have theorized that this discomfort with the not-quite-human may stem from an instinctual fear or distrust of dead human bodies, explains Niedenthal.

To steer clear of the uncanny valley altogether researchers will typically try and keep their robots on the cuter, more abstract side of the curve, says Mutlu. However, when it comes to programming emotions into your bot, he says avoiding creepiness altogether is a little impossible.

HOW DOES IT WORK

The uncanny valley was a challenge that Chen and colleagues were willing to take when designing Eva.

To start, they chose to design Eva as just a disembodied head. While this may instinctually sound creepy, the researchers explain in their April 2021 paper on the project that this design choice was made to help viewers more clearly separate this robot from humans in their minds. For similar reasons, the team also chose to leave Eva’s skull exposed and color its face a distinctly non-human color: blue.

Admittedly, Chen says this decision was influenced partially by the lab's affection for the 2009 movie “Avatar.”

In addition to their 2021 paper published in the journal HardwareX, the team also recently presented a second paper at the 2021 International Conference on Robotics and Automation which further describes Eva’s latest hardware and software developments.

Underneath its blue skin, Eva is equipped with:

• 42 “muscles”
• Expressive, hand-milled eyes
• Base knowledge of six basic human emotions (anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise)

Running an off-the-shelf learning framework on a small Raspberry Pi built into its skull, Eva is able to “look” at human expressions in person or through video and realistically mimic them. This is done by mapping the human face using discrete points, similar to the kind of dot arrays used in motion tracking for CGI in movies. Eva then imagines how these patterns of dots would look on its face and then moves its facial actuators to bring the new face to life.

Altogether, the team reports that Eva can be manufactured for just $900.

WHAT’S NEXT

Eva is still in its infancy, but Chen says he’s excited to see how other researchers will use this open-source platform to design their own emotional robots — from changing the skin tone to programming real human interactions for Eva. In the future, Chen hopes that expressive robots like Eva will find a home as educators or in healthcare to help care for humans when others can’t.

And as for whether or not Chen finds Eva’s smile creepy, he says he could never be scared by a smile like that.

“This is hard for me because the robot is like our baby,” says Chen. “I absolutely love every part of it.”

{ https://www.inverse.com/ }

Did The U.S. Government Steal Tesla’s Research?

Nikola Tesla was undoubtedly one of the brightest minds of the 20th century. Many of our modern day commodities owe their existence to his brilliant mind. However, he lived most of his life in a constant battle with the energy brokers of his day, namely Thomas Edison backed by General Electric.

On January 7, 1943, Tesla died alone and impoverished in room 3327 of the New Yorker Hotel. Two days after his death, the FBI ordered that all of his belongings be seized.

His lifetime work was confiscated by the Office of Alien Property even though he had been an American citizen for 52 years. It was known at the time that Tesla had been working on several important projects, including wireless communications and limitless free energy.

Last photo of Nikola Tesla

Tesla’s plan was to harness energy from the radiation present in the universe, using the entire planet as a conductor. This would have meant that anybody could have free electricity simply by sticking a metal rod into the ground.

These notions did not go well with the power elite, whose interest was maintaining the status quo, that is keeping their multi-billion dollar businesses running.

After all, what good was free energy if they wouldn’t be able to meter and control it? Therefore, many speculate that the U.S. government acted according to the pressure exerted by these big corporations. They eventually shipped his estate to Belgrade, Yugoslavia but not before taking nine years to go through it.

This situation gave rise to a pervasive notion that is strongly supported by circumstantial evidence: Tesla’s research was considered critical, even dangerous and was confiscated for good measure.

His ideas could have constituted an important advancement for humanity and that’s exactly why they were withheld.

It is believed that the technology behind HAARP is based on Tesla’s research. The U.S. has many top-secret compounds around the world and also has a history of secretly developing technology.

Perhaps this is why Tesla’s papers were seized but we might never know for sure.

After years of fielding questions about possible cover-ups, the FBI finally declassified some 250 pages of Tesla-related documents under the Freedom of Information Act in 2016. The bureau followed up with two additional releases, the latest in March 2018.

But even with the publication of these documents, many questions still remain unanswered—and some of Tesla’s files are still missing.

Shortly after an electrical engineer, Dr. John G. Trump (yes it is current President Donal Trump’s uncle) was assigned to review his papers to discover if any of it was of actual tangible value.

He determined that it was “primarily of a speculative, philosophical and promotional character” and said the papers did “not include new sound, workable principles or methods for realizing such results.”

Tesla’s extended family, including his nephew Sava Kosanovic, tried desperately to have at least his personal effects returned. Their requests were eventually accepted and some of his personal items were returned to the family.

Recently declassified documents reveal that the FBI, at the time, were concerned with his nephew’s intentions. They had even considered arresting him to prevent Tesla’s work falling into enemy hands.

After a long court battle, Kosanovic, the rightful heir to his uncle’s belongings, was finally given them. Tesla’s possessions and files were sent to Belgrade.

But, interestingly, of the 80 trunks or so of Tesla’s effects, only 60 arrived in Belgrade. Whether the U.S. Government had kept some of the information and effects or not is still, today, unknown.

• 
  Did Nikola Tesla Unintentionally Detect Signals From Another Civilization?

• 
  The Teleforce — Nikola Tesla’s Death Ray

It is also believed that Ronald Reagan’s “Star Wars” Strategic Defense Initiative program in the 1980s was probably inspired by Tesla’s “Death Ray”. But if the government is still using some of Tesla’s material for its Research and Development, this would explain why some, if any, of his original works, are still missing today.

Of course, we will never know for sure.

RELATED VIDEOS, selected and posted by peter2011

{ https://anomalien.com/ }

Bill Nelson, the former astronaut who is currently the new head of NASA and who just finished reading the classified Pentagon report on UFOs, should know something about them, right? However, the big question yet to be asked is, “If NASA knows about UFOs and UAPs, would it share that information with the people who pay their salaries – the tax-paying public?” The answer to that may be found on the agency’s own Frequently Asked Questions page on its website. It’s not as long as ‘War and Peace’. In fact, it’s not even as long as the Cliffs Notes for ‘War and Peace’ (which is actually four volumes itself!). it’s more like the jacket flap of ‘War and Peace’. If you’re still interested, NASA’s “FAQ: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs/UFOs)“ was updated recently to reflect the latest events in the search for explanations for the military sightings of UAPs. That should make it worth a look while in the bathroom, right?

“One of NASA’s key goals is the search for life in the universe.”

Where have I heard that before?

Right up front is NASA’s Trekkie “To seek out new life and new civilizations” mission statement, which completely ignores its Cold War military purpose from day one. Then the disclaimer:

“To date, NASA has yet to find any credible evidence of extraterrestrial life.”

Did the lawyers make them put that in right up front? More like the scientists, who accept the possibility but need the evidence, which the FAQ again states it hasn’t found … but “We do, however, continue to look.” Isn’t that what they’re paid to do? (Asking for a taxpaying friend.) Speaking of what they DO spend money on …

“NASA does fund research into technosignatures, but not for ground-based, radio-telescope searches due to NASA’s policy of supporting astrophysical research using space-based assets.

We also funded a Topical Workshops, Symposia, and Conference to develop a research agenda to prioritize and guide future theoretical and observational studies of non-radio technosignatures, and to draft a publishable report that can serve as the basis for building a library of technosignatures.”

Boring! There’s astronomers all over the world looking for technosignatures and biosignatures, but you’re the space agency that has put the most people and vehicles in space – vehicles with windows and instruments for watching for UFOs and UAPs. In fact, plenty of people make a point of watching the live International Space Station camera feed for the specific purpose of watching for UFOs as they fly by … and have noticed many times that said feed often mysteriously cuts out when this happens? Coincidence? Is that a frequently-asked question? If not, it should be.

OK, the last FAQ (yes, that’s all there are) is the big one: Does NASA search for or study Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs)? You can hold your breath if you want because the answer is disappointingly short.

“NASA does not actively search for UAPs. However, through our Earth-observing satellites, NASA collects extensive data about Earth’s atmosphere, often in collaboration with the other space agencies of the world. While these data are not specifically collected to identify UAPs or alien technosignatures, they are publicly available and anyone may use them to search the atmosphere.

While NASA doesn’t actively search for UAPs, if we learn of UAPs, it would open up the door to new science questions to explore. Atmospheric scientists, aerospace experts, and other scientists could all contribute to understanding the nature of the phenomenon. Exploring the unknown in space is at the heart of who we are.”

Sorry, NASA. Figuring out what those UFOs and UAPs are is the heart of who WE are … and we’re the taxpayers! It’s time to shape up. Bill Nelson says he believes we’re not alone. Answer the questions or commit to finding out!

We’ll be right here waiting.

{ https://mysteriousuniverse.org/ }

One of the earliest astronomers to ever produce a complete map of the moon, Johann Heinrich von Mädler’s four-quadrant representation of the lunar surface remained an unsurpassed early representation of Earth’s lonely natural satellite for almost half a century.

Known as the Mappa Selenographica, Mädler laboriously poured over the moon on an almost nightly basis through his refractor telescope, not only observing and mapping lunar features but also producing measurements of its various features that included craters and his estimates regarding the height of lunar peaks. Mädler’s collaborations with Berlin banker and fellow astronomer Wilhelm Wolff Beer also resulted in the earliest charts cataloging the surface of Mars.

The map of Mars produced by Johann Heinrich von Mädler and his associate Wilhelm Wolff Beer

(public domain).

While Mädler’s contributions to early astronomy remain of significance today, he is also remembered for one of his curious observations involving the planet Venus. Although documented elsewhere in historical accounts detailing observations of the planet, the anomalous occurrence has since become so closely associated with Mädler that astronomers have given it the apt title of “The Mädler Phenomenon.”

During the spring of 1833, prior even to the publication of his Mappa Selenogra, Mädler had been observing Venus’s approach of an inferior conjunction, a period where both Mercury and Venus are positioned on the same side of the sun. At the time, Mädler was observing Venus through a refractor telescope and had noticed a few minor irregularities in the planet’s appearance which may have been influenced by the planet’s position relative to the Sun. However, Mädler might never have guessed how unusual the planet’s appearance would become in the days ahead.

Johann Heinrich von Mädler

(public domain).

On April 7, as Mädler trained his telescope on Venus, he was surprised by a sudden, significant change in the planet’s appearance. Mädler was able to see long rays or “brushes” of light extending off to the side of the planet, giving it an appearance so curious that had he not known otherwise, the astronomer might have mistaken Earth’s neighbor for being a comet. The observation had not been fleeting either; over the course of the next 20 hours, Mädler was able to continuously observe these unusual beams of luminosity that gave Venus a fan-tailed appearance.

What might have been the cause of this peculiar display? Considering whether the problem had been originating with the telescope itself, Mädler made adjustments but could find no change in the appearance of Venus with adjustments in magnification, angle, or rotation. Mädler also conducted tests to determine if the ghostly rays emanating from Venus could be an illusion, but to no avail; whatever had been producing this curious spectacle appeared to be a real light phenomenon, the likes of which the astronomer had never witnessed before.

Venus photographed on February 5, 1974, during NASA’s Mariner 10 mission

(NASA/Public Domain).

The debate has continued as to what might have been the source of the mystery, although not everyone was convinced by Mädler’s account. In his Celestial Objects, the Reverend T.W. Webb discussed Mädler’s observation, noting that “it is an instructive instance of the oversights which may be incidental even to great philosophers, that it never occurred to [Mädler] to try another telescope.” Of the opposite perspective, R. Baum writing in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association would note in 1988 that “it is difficult to credit the greasy finger hypothesis advanced by one modern astronomer without charging Mädler with gross incompetence, a rather unlikely possibility given his later success.” Baum, however, offered his own take on what could account for the phenomena observed by Mädler, pointing to atmospheric conditions described in the weather diary of John Gadbury as being able to account for the unusual observation.

The likely solution would appear to have been some variety of halo or another effect similar to the atmospheric optical phenomena known as a light pillar. Nonetheless, Mädler’s reputation as a detailed chronicler of astronomical data resulted in the phenomena in question bearing his namesake to this day, being recognized as one of the many curious footnotes in the history of human observation of our planetary neighbors.

{ https://mysteriousuniverse.org/ }

Nineteen-eighty-seven was one of the most important years in the field of UFO research. That was the year in which Whitley Strieber’s book, Communion, was published. The alien abduction-themed book became a huge bestseller – even a New York Times bestseller, no less. Strieber’s book was an important one because it didn’t follow the same pathway that so many other abduction books did. Strieber suggested that the black-eyed, dwarfish creatures known as “the Greys” are far from being just entities from another world and who have come to visit us. Strieber’s work suggested something far more than that; something that has deep relevance to the world of robots. Or, maybe, of cyborgs. Some people were excited and intrigued by the story that Strieber told. Others were puzzled, some were appalled by the fact that Strieber brought into Communion matters relative to magic, to the human soul, to immortality, and to life after death – and all in one big mix. Indeed, Strieber put forth the distinct possibility that the Greys may have the ability to operate in both a physical state and a soul-based situation. As for that physical form, Strieber came up with a fascinating theory – based upon his very own experiences with the Greys. He strongly suspected that when not in spirit/soul form, the Greys had the ability to be “downloaded” into physical form. And vice-versa. And, in that particular form, they were far more like biological robots than literal extraterrestrial beings that many of the UFO research community embraced.

Mac Tonnies went down that pathway, too. He said: “Given the vast number of out-of-body and near-death experiences, I find it difficult to reject the prospect of ‘nonlocal’ consciousness; perhaps a sufficiently advanced technology can manipulate the ‘soul’ as easily as we splice genes or mix chemicals in test tubes. If so, encounters with ‘extraterrestrials’ may help provide a working knowledge of how to modify and transfer consciousness – abilities that seem remote to the current terrestrial state-of-the-art, but may prove invaluable in a future where telepresence and virtual reality are integral to communication. Already, the capabilities of brain-machine interfaces are tantalizingly like the popular perception of telepathy, often thought of in strictly ‘paranormal’ or even ‘magical’ terms.’ It should be noted that this is very much like what has become known as Transhumanism. Basically, it’s a case of being in a state of post-human, rather than present-human. Or, post-alien, rather than alien.”

In some respects this parallels what Philip Corso said of the “alien bodies” allegedly found at Roswell, New Mexico in July 1947. Namely, that they weren’t aliens as we understand the term. Rather, they may have been robots designed and “built” to perform specific tasks in relation to alien abduction events – and, quite possibly, that’s just about all they were designed for. If true, it would be highly logical to expect that the Greys still play that robot-like role. If, of course, Corso was telling the truth (and, I should stress that I have massive doubts about anything Corso ever said). Also, if Corso was telling the truth, then the creatures may never have had any degree of self-awareness, and had no knowledge of their place in world history. That provokes another question: who, then, were the creators of the Greys? Corso wasn’t at all sure. Let’s get it right on the target:, he actually had no real clue, at all. The Space Brothers? Cryptoterrestrials? Maybe, no-one – at all – has any idea. And, possibly, no human being has ever seen what we might call “The Controllers” of the Greys. Certainly, I’m only speculating here and musing on matters. As I said, I was not a fan of Corso’s back in 1997 when his book The Day After Roswell was published. I’m  still not a fan now. But, now and again, addressing theories outside one’s own conclusions isn’t a bad thing. After all, none of us really knows the truth of Roswell. A bit of speculation doesn’t hurt.

{ https://mysteriousuniverse.org/ }

Has the Earth undergone periods of violent change throughout its long history? If so, what had been the result of these changes and, of equal significance, what instigated them in the first place?

Many ancient texts appear to describe great cataclysms that have affected our planet in various ways, although debate remains as to whether all of them describe real phenomena or are in some cases just myths and allegories conjured from the minds of ancient commentators.

Arguably, the most famous of all these is Plato’s account of the destruction of the fabled Atlantis. While modern scholars generally accept that Plato’s dialogues recounting tales of Atlantis had been aimed at having an instructive purpose, even some of Plato’s early followers were said to have considered the story to have historical roots. Chief among these had been Crantor, a Greek philosopher of the Old Academy and one of the earliest scholars to write commentaries on Plato’s works.

Raphael’s depiction of Plato, seen holding a copy of his “Timeaus,” which describes part of the Atlantis legend

(Public Domain).

Modern science holds a different view on the matter, however. To date, there has been little evidence come to light that supports the existence of a literal island continent that sank into the Atlantic some 9000 years or so before Plato’s time. However, this is not to say that there weren’t incredible changes that the Earth underwent during this period which, although they may be coincidental, certainly have caused some academics to wonder about narratives like the ones Plato offered.

Around 12,700 years ago, as Earth was transitioning from the last major ice age into the modern era (or Holocene) several changes were underway, for which there is an abundance of modern geological evidence. As the glacial formations around the polar regions began to melt and the ice sheets that extended over parts of North America and Eurasia began to slowly thaw, meltwater runoff gradually flowed into the Atlantic Ocean, disrupting the circulation of ocean currents and causing temperature changes lasting for hundreds of years.

Some modern evidence—primarily in the form of concentrations of rare-earth elements in geological strata coinciding with this period—points to even more potentially catastrophic phenomena that might have occurred, having possibly instigated some of the other changes Earth underwent around this time. One emergent theory that had once been ridiculed, but in recent years had increasingly gained support among scientists involves a possible impact event that occurred as Earth exited the Pleistocene, which triggered a period of cold reversal known as the Younger Dryas.

Many modern catastrophists point to this not only as possible evidence of a cataclysmic period in the late Pleistocene but also note the similarity in its timing and the period during which Plato said Atlantis sank beneath Atlantic waters. If nothing else, it might be possible that legends that range from Atlantis to the idea of a “great flood” prevalent in mythologies from all over the world could have been born from what were once actual memories of such events in Earth’s past.

Map depicting the location of Atlantis, as depicted in Ignatius Donnelly’s “Atlantis: The Antediluvian World”

(Public Domain).

Over time, catastrophism has seen sympathy from a range of scholars. These include the Harvard-trained professor and one-time member of the Office of Strategic Services Charles Hapgood, who went on to become a proponent of rapid pole shifts, as well as a champion of the idea that the famous Piri Reis map detailed not merely the coastline of the Americas, but perhaps Antarctica too. Most of Hapgood’s theories, while entertaining (and perhaps not all of them entirely without merit) have nonetheless failed to withstand scientific scrutiny over the ensuing decades.

Nonetheless, others have appeared to champion the catastrophist cause. A 1978 paper by P. Warlow titled “Geomagnetic Reversals?” in the Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General, Volume 11, Number 10, revealed a comparatively fresh take on the matter (at least when compared with earlier theories proposed by the likes of Hapgood).

“The enigma of geomagnetic reversals and their apparent link with other phenomena,” Warlow wrote, “such as faunal extinctions, is shown to be explicable by treating these reversals as a relative rather than an absolute effect.” Rather than to suppose that mere magnetic reversals occur, Warlow posited the idea that an actual shift of the Earth’s rotation might periodically take place. Such an idea, he believed, “is sufficient to account for the behaviour of the field in detail during a reversal, and for explaining the links with the various other phenomena.”

Warlow cited information “not only from modern geological and related investigations, but also from astronomy and from ancient sources.” Among the sources he examined had been peculiar accounts from ancient Egypt that appear to describe the sun rising in the West, rather than in the East, a mystery which has been revisited more recently by author Scott Creighton in books like The Great Pyramid Void Enigma.

Of course, geomagnetic reversals certainly have occurred in the past and are widely recognized phenomena, although ideas about the range of effects they may cause remain varied. Geologists have long understood that changes in Earth’s magnetic field resulting in the reversal of the positions of magnetic north and south occur periodically throughout time, leading to alternating periods (known as chrons) where these polarity reversals occur.

As far as what leads to these changes, there are no definite patterns. While geomagnetic reversals appear to occur randomly, a total of 183 have occurred within the last 83 million years, meaning that on average such reversals occur once every 450,000 years or so. Some geomagnetic shifts appear to be far less widespread, which geologists call excursions. One interpretation is that these excursions could be the result of incomplete or failed geomagnetic shifts. Another possibility is that these shifts are instigated by cataclysmic events, and at least some data appears to correlate geomagnetic phenomena with periods like the Younger Dryas.

Will there be another geomagnetic reversal any time soon? Since the last one occurred around 780,000 years ago, some have noted that we appear to be overdue for the next one, which could occur at almost any time given our limited understanding of the mechanisms that might facilitate such changes. However, one thing that remains clear is that they do occur… and gaining a more complete understanding of why and how could be beneficial both in terms of understanding past changes our planet has undergone, as well as those which may await us in the future.

RELATED VIDEOS, selected and posted by peter2011

{ https://mysteriousuniverse.org/ }

FOUR Top Leading Experts Explain The Alien Human Abduction, Their Agenda And Who Are The Ones Doing The Abducting Based On Their Vast Research! Must See Videos!!

THE ALIEN-HUMAN ABDUCTION AGENDA EXPLAINED BY DR. KARLA TURNER PH.D. (TOP EXPERT #1)

THE ALIEN-HUMAN HYBRID PROGRAM/AGENDA BY DAVID JACOBS PH.D. (TOP EXPERT #2).

Abductions and Experiencer Cases Investigated by John Mack (TOP EXPERT #3).

Alien Abduction Documentary with Budd Hopkins (TOP EXPERT #4)

{ https://beforeitsnews.com/ }

LATEST UFO SIGHTINGS AND VIDEOS - 07 - 07 - 2021

UFO Sighted Over California Beach

UFO was sighted moving slowly across the water then disappearing under the ocean in California : Video surfaced on Tic Tok, July 2021

RELATED VIDEOS

UFOs Sighted Over Olaria, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ( July 6, 2021 )

STATEMENT :

Gravado hoje 06/07/2021 em torno das 18:56 no bairro de Olaria RJ
Desculpem a qualidade do vídeo. Meu celular não é muito bom para filmagens
Claro que dentro das possibilidades pode ser algumas coisas que conhecemos
Porém o movimento das luzes me chamou a atenção

TRANSLATE :

Recorded today 06/07/2021 around 18:56 in the neighborhood of Olaria RJ
Sorry for the video quality. My phone is not very good for filming
Of course within possibilities may be some things we know
But the movement of lights caught my eye

• credit : Jairo F Sampaio

UFOs Sighted Over Houston, Texas ( July 6, 2021 )

UFOs were sighted over Houston, Texas on July 6, 2021 

STATEMENT :

The two lights on the lower right end of the screen, Houston today

• credit : Luis Bauta

UFOs Sighted Over Phoenix, Arizona ( July 5, 2021 )

UFOs were sighted over the skies of Phoenix, Arizona on July 5, 2021 : STATEMENT : In Phoenix Az

• credit : Leonel Mendoza

ISS Camera Gets Cut Capturing UFOs ( July 4, 2021 )

ISS Camera Gets Cut Capturing UFOs on July 4, 2021 : UFOs ? : 23.40 pm : ISS Camera : Nasa Live Feed

UFO Zooms Past Steamship On River Weaver, England ( July 5, 20221 )

UFO Zooms past The Danny - Daniel Adamson a 1903 steamship with a unique story

STATEMENT : And at last... We are underway.
Get ready Abandon Normal Devices we are heading our way for your event.

• credit : The Danny - Daniel Adamson a 1903 steamship with a unique story

Multiple UFOs Sighted Over Texas ( July 5, 2021 )

Multiple UFOs were Sighted Over Texas in formation on July 5, 2021 

STATEMENT : Multiple objects Texas

• credit : Hellen Paula Monteiro
• note : no audio

{ https://www.youtube.com/ }

72 Hours With Strangers Who Have Seen Aliens

A few months ago Ammar heard about an incredibly strange event in Massachusetts on September 1st 1969 where several people that didn’t know each other from the same town claim to have been abducted by aliens on the same evening. The story seemed so surreal and otherworldly that we had to go speak to the people directly… Here are their stories. What do you think?

{ https://www.latest-ufo-sightings.net/ }

WAAR ZITTEN DE ALIENS? NEGEN MANIEREN OM DAAR ACHTER TE KOMEN!

Caroline Kraaijvanger

Bronmateriaal:

• Afbeelding bovenaan dit artikel: Ribastank from Pixabay

GERELATEERDE VIDEO'S, uitgekozen en gepost door peter2011

{ https://www.scientias.nl/ }

TAAI RADERDIERTJE LEEFT NA 24.000 JAAR INGEVROREN TE ZIJN GEWEEST, VROLIJK VERDER

Vivian Lammerse

Bronmateriaal:

• " Arctic rotifer lives after 24,000 years in a frozen state" - Cell Press (via EurekAlert)
  Interview met Stas Malavin
• Afbeelding bovenaan dit artikel: Michael Plewka

GERELATEERDE VIDEO'S, uitgekozen en gepost door peter2011

{ https://www.scientias.nl/ }

NASA Continues to Try to Rescue Failing Hubble Space Telescope

By MATT WILLIAMS  

This illustration shows the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in its high orbit 600 kilometers above Earth.

Credit: European Space Agency

Things are not looking very good for the Hubble Space Telescope right now. On Sunday, June 13^th, the telescope’s payload computer suddenly stopped working, prompting the main computer to put the telescope into safe mode. While the telescope itself and its science instruments remain in working order, science operations have been suspended until the operations team can figure out how to get the payload computer back online.

While attempting to restart the computer, the operations team has also tried to trace the issue to specific components in the payload computer and switch to their backup modules. As of June 30th, the team began looking into the Command Unit/Science Data Formatter (CU/SDF) and the Power Control Unit (PCU). Meanwhile, NASA is busy preparing and testing procedures to switch to backup hardware if either of these components are the culprit.

The payload computer is part of the Science Instrument Command and Data Handling (SI C&DH) unit, where it is responsible for controlling and coordinating the scientific instruments aboard the spacecraft. The current issues began when the main computer stopped receiving the “keep-alive” signal from the payload computer – which lets the main computer know that everything is working.

That’s when the operations team began investigating different pieces of hardware on the SI C&DH as the possible source. Based on the available data, the team initially thought that the problem was due to a degrading memory module and tried to switch to one of the module’s multiple backups – but met with failure. On the evening of Thursday, June 17^th, another attempt was made to bring both modules back online, but these attempts also led to failure.

At that point, they began looking into other possibles sources of the shutdown, like the Standard Interface (STINT) hardware. This component is responsible for bridging communications between the computer’s Central Processing Module (CPM), which they began investigating as well. Now, the team is investigating the Command Unit/Science Data Formatter (CU/SDF) and a power regulator within the Power Control Unit (PCU).

Whereas the CU/SDF sends and formats commands and data while the PCU is designed to ensure a steady voltage supply to the payload computer’s hardware. If either of these systems is responsible for the shutdown, then the team must once again go through an operations procedure to switch to the backup units. This time, however, the procedure is more complex and risky than the ones the team executed last time.

Mainly, switching to the backup CU/SDF or backup power regulator requires that several other hardware boxes need to be switched to their backups because of the way they are connected to the SI C&DH unit. The last time the operations team performed this task was back in 2008, which was the last time the CU/SDF module failed. This is what prompted the final servicing mission in 2009, which replaced the entire SI C&DH unit.

Given the complexity of switching multiple systems over to their backups, the operations team is currently reviewing and updating all of Hubble‘s operations procedures, commands, and all other items relating to switching to backup hardware. When they are finished (expected for next week) the team will run a high-fidelity simulator to test their plan of execution and see if they can pull it off.

Since Hubble first launched in 1990, it has taken over 1.5 million images, and more than 600,000 of those were taken since its last servicing mission in 2009. These images are some of the most breathtaking views of the Universe ever taken and have led to substantial discoveries about the nature of our Universe. Here at home, it has deepened our understanding of the Kuiper Belt and Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) like Pluto and Eris.

In 2014, it also observed the farthest object to ever be visited by a spacecraft – the Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) Arrokoth, which the New Horizons mission made a close pass with on Jan. 1^st, 2019. It also observed aurora in the atmospheres of Jupiter, and Saturn, as well as Jupiter’s moon Ganymede. Hubble is also responsible for providing the data that led astronomers to conclude that Ganymede likely contains a large saltwater ocean in its interior.

Beyond the Solar System, Hubble has aided in the first atmospheric studies of exoplanets, helped constrain the size and mass of the Milky Way, the evolution of galaxies over time, revealed the accelerating expansion of the Universe (leading to the theory of Dark Energy), and aided in the study of Dark Matter. These and other accomplishments are all part of Hubble‘s legacy as it celebrates being in space for 31 years, 2 months, and either days.

I think I speak for everyone when I wish Hubble a speedy recovery and hope it has a few more years left in her!

Originally published on Universe Today.

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Hubble

@NASAHubble

A multi-day test of procedures that would be used to turn on backup hardware on the Hubble Space Telescope began today. Meanwhile, NASA continues to investigate the cause of the payload computer issue that began on June 13.

For previous updates:

Operations Underway to Restore Payload Computer on NASA's Hubble

NASA is working to resolve an issue with the payload computer on the Hubble Space Telescope.

nasa.go

{ https://scitechdaily.com/ }

UFOs and aliens in Germany

The US government's release of a report on unidentified aerial sightings has been met with much interest in Germany. Enthusiasts believe UFOs have been sighted here, too.

The occasional sighting of saucer-like objects in the sky regularly give rise to speculation

"We're just a small blue planet in the middle of an infinite universe," UFO researcher Robert Fleischer told DW. "Anything is possible out there."

Fleischer, based in the eastern German city of Leipzig, is running the group, Exopolitik Deutschland. His YouTube channel, ExopolitikTV, has 100,000 subscribers. Although a recent unclassified US intelligence report neither confirmed — nor ruled out — that a series of unidentified craft are of extraterrestrial origin, Fleischer is convinced they are unique regardless.

"We'll see that these aircraft fly around with astounding properties — which we can't explain and are superior to ours," he said.

For Fleischer, Germany is a "valley of cluelessness" when it comes to UFO research. Other countries commit far more resources to researching and reporting unexplained events, he said.

"This only got big in Germany after Barack Obama talked about it," he added.

That is a reference to a May New York Times interview with the former US president, during which he referred to "footage and records of objects in the skies that we don't exactly know what they are. We can't explain how they move, their trajectory. They did not have an easily explainable pattern."

The pentagon has published images of unknown flying objects

Satellites and hotlines

Obama's comments piqued others' curiosity in UFOs, Hansjürgen Köhler told DW. After decades of running the Central Research Network for Extraordinary Aerospace Phenomena (CENAP) outside Frankfurt, the hobby astronomer has gone from believer to skeptic.

"Our hotline gets hundreds of tips every year. Most have natural causes," Köhler said. "We can explain 97% of them. The other 3% are open because we don't have enough data."

Köhler's phone has been ringing even more since the end of 2019, which he attributes to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite network. More than 600 of the nearly 900 reports have been linked to Starlink, he said.

A country of clubs — including for UFOs

In Germany, there seems to be an endless list of hobby clubs and nonprofit associations. The Association for UFO Research (GEP) is one of them. Their databank includes 140,000 entries, and 95% of them can be explained. Aside from satellites, strangely shaped balloons is one common answer, as well as weather phenomena and insects that zoom across photos.

The remaining 5% "perhaps also have natural causes, which we just can't explain yet," Hans-Werner Peiniger, GEP's head, told DW.

Members of Germany's UFO clubs — there are at least three — are not blind alien believers, Leipzig-based Fleischer said. They are rational, engineer types who use limited resources to analyze what curious sky watchers send them. The result, however, can be a great deal of information about what is happening above us.

The really interesting cases "are a matter for the military," Fleischer said. "They control the skies and have instruments and radar."

Do aliens exist?

Suddenly not so secret

No military or intelligence service is known for its transparency, however. That US agencies appear to be more forthcoming recently has taken Fleischer by surprise.

"The Americans have spent decades trying to laugh off these phenomena," he said. "Their reporting now is quite the surprise."

For him, the issue is not about convincing people that aliens are visiting earth, but "giving more space to discuss this topic publicly so it gains the importance that it deserves," Fleischer said. "We want it to be investigated in a scientific way."

• This article has been translated from German.

{ https://www.dw.com/en/top-stories/s-9097 }

Andean Gods Emerge From the Rock in Peru’s Mythological Sculpture Park!

A sculptor in Peru has assured the future for a range of ancient Andean gods, spirits and myths, by carving them into the face of a mountain just north of the famous ancient tourist city of Cusco.

Cusco near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range in southeastern Peru, is the ancient capital of the “ Tahuantinsuyo,” or ancient Inca Empire. While this legendary high altitude stone city attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world to see its magnificent buildings and streets, it now has a new attraction in the making: Apukunaq Tianan or the " Abode of the Andean Gods .”

Located in Senk, a community of the Poroy district, about 40 minutes by car from Cusco, Apukunaq Tianan features sculptures of Andean gods and figures from various Inca creation myths. While the new attraction is still under construction the public are already flocking to what  The Vale Magazine  call “a fun and fascinating outdoor recreation space.”

Created by Cusco sculptor  Michael de Titan  the new artworks are similar to the Mt. Rushmore monument in the United States, just much smaller in scale, with each sculpture work ranging from between 49 and 56 feet (15 and 17 meters) in height.

Two of the sculptures in the process of being created on the mountainside at Senk, near Cusco, Peru.

( Corporacion Monteagudo )

Apukunaq Tianan: A Modern Home For Andean Gods and Myths

Michael de Titan’s celebration of  Andean culture  merges art and nature “just like the ancient Inca did.” Therefore, Apukunaq Tianan is like a royal palace of Andean deities and spirits with its own private library of creation stories.

Pachamama or “Mother Earth” is represented at the new site, who was/is the deity who presides over agriculture, controlled earthquakes, and rain. This god was associated with feminine principals relating to the spirit of the Earth.

• Study of Ceramics Provides New Thinking on Origins of First Peruvian Empire
• Peruvian Archaeologists Unearth Silver Artifacts, a Massive Temple and an Astronomical Observatory Near Cusco

The Chinese music band Laguna Pai on their visit to the Apukunaq Tianan Andean gods sculpture park, north of Cusco.

( Apukunaq Tianan )

While Pachamama was associated with the fertile field and rivers on the sides of mountains, the mountains god, or “ Apu Guardian ” governed mountain tops and consorted with the sky gods. A stunning Apu cliffside sculpture is naturally featured in the new sculpture park.

Also represented at the majestic new tourist attraction is  Puma, one of the sacred animals of the  Andean trilogy  of the condor, the puma and the snake or serpent. Puma represented Earth while the serpent represented the underworld, and the condor was associated with the heavens.

The Andean creator god Viracocha is also immortalized in stone at Apakunaq Tianan. This chief deity of Inca mythology is believed to have emerged from  Lake Titicaca  where he created the entire universe, and everything in it, before vanishing to the east.

Also chiseled in stone in Apakunaq Tianan’s hall of Inca mythological fame, is the last Sapa Inca, " Tupac Amaru ," and mixed in with these massive sculptures are smaller carvings made of wood and stone.

Another of the fantastical Andean god sculptures at Apakunaq Tianan with a log house gallery on top.

( Apukunaq Tianan )

The Ayar Brothers And The Golden Rod Of Cuzco

It is hoped that Apukunaq Tianan will be completed later this year to coincide with the bicentennial year of Peru ’s independence. While each of the sculptures described so far are exceptionally esoteric in nature, there is one that penetrates the veil more so that all the others.

This work represents the myth of the  Ayar Brothers . Inca legends in Cusco say that at the end of the great flood which devastated the land of the mountain  “Tampu Tocco, ” four young brothers with their wives, and ten  “ayllus” (Inca family groups) ventured in search of fertile lands where they could settle.

• Ancient Andean Genes Reveal DNA Continuity Amid Cultural Clashes
• Beyond the Mists of Time: The Mysterious Timoto-Cuica Culture of the Venezuelan Andes

After a series of tribulations, the only survivor of the Ayar brothers was Ayar Manco who managed to reach the aforementioned fertile land. There, he took the golden rod that the  sun god Inti  had given him, and sank it into the moist earth, where it immediately vanished. Such an occurrence could only mean that the sun god had chosen a special spot and it was there that the city of Cusco was founded.

From this ancient Andean center of agriculture, the “Tahuantinsuyo,” would later expand and become  the Inca Empire .

• Top image: One of the Andean gods at the  Apukunaq Tianan sculpture park, featured on a publicity poster from the site.             
• Source: Apukunaq Tianan

By Ashley Cowie

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

Andean Gods Emerge From the Rock in Peru’s Mythological Sculpture Park!

A sculptor in Peru has assured the future for a range of ancient Andean gods, spirits and myths, by carving them into the face of a mountain just north of the famous ancient tourist city of Cusco.

Cusco near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range in southeastern Peru, is the ancient capital of the “ Tahuantinsuyo,” or ancient Inca Empire. While this legendary high altitude stone city attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world to see its magnificent buildings and streets, it now has a new attraction in the making: Apukunaq Tianan or the " Abode of the Andean Gods .”

Located in Senk, a community of the Poroy district, about 40 minutes by car from Cusco, Apukunaq Tianan features sculptures of Andean gods and figures from various Inca creation myths. While the new attraction is still under construction the public are already flocking to what  The Vale Magazine  call “a fun and fascinating outdoor recreation space.”

Created by Cusco sculptor  Michael de Titan  the new artworks are similar to the Mt. Rushmore monument in the United States, just much smaller in scale, with each sculpture work ranging from between 49 and 56 feet (15 and 17 meters) in height.

Two of the sculptures in the process of being created on the mountainside at Senk, near Cusco, Peru.

( Corporacion Monteagudo )

Apukunaq Tianan: A Modern Home For Andean Gods and Myths

Michael de Titan’s celebration of  Andean culture  merges art and nature “just like the ancient Inca did.” Therefore, Apukunaq Tianan is like a royal palace of Andean deities and spirits with its own private library of creation stories.

Pachamama or “Mother Earth” is represented at the new site, who was/is the deity who presides over agriculture, controlled earthquakes, and rain. This god was associated with feminine principals relating to the spirit of the Earth.

• Study of Ceramics Provides New Thinking on Origins of First Peruvian Empire
• Peruvian Archaeologists Unearth Silver Artifacts, a Massive Temple and an Astronomical Observatory Near Cusco

The Chinese music band Laguna Pai on their visit to the Apukunaq Tianan Andean gods sculpture park, north of Cusco.

( Apukunaq Tianan )

While Pachamama was associated with the fertile field and rivers on the sides of mountains, the mountains god, or “ Apu Guardian ” governed mountain tops and consorted with the sky gods. A stunning Apu cliffside sculpture is naturally featured in the new sculpture park.

Also represented at the majestic new tourist attraction is  Puma, one of the sacred animals of the  Andean trilogy  of the condor, the puma and the snake or serpent. Puma represented Earth while the serpent represented the underworld, and the condor was associated with the heavens.

The Andean creator god Viracocha is also immortalized in stone at Apakunaq Tianan. This chief deity of Inca mythology is believed to have emerged from  Lake Titicaca  where he created the entire universe, and everything in it, before vanishing to the east.

Also chiseled in stone in Apakunaq Tianan’s hall of Inca mythological fame, is the last Sapa Inca, " Tupac Amaru ," and mixed in with these massive sculptures are smaller carvings made of wood and stone.

Another of the fantastical Andean god sculptures at Apakunaq Tianan with a log house gallery on top.

( Apukunaq Tianan )

The Ayar Brothers And The Golden Rod Of Cuzco

It is hoped that Apukunaq Tianan will be completed later this year to coincide with the bicentennial year of Peru ’s independence. While each of the sculptures described so far are exceptionally esoteric in nature, there is one that penetrates the veil more so that all the others.

This work represents the myth of the  Ayar Brothers . Inca legends in Cusco say that at the end of the great flood which devastated the land of the mountain  “Tampu Tocco, ” four young brothers with their wives, and ten  “ayllus” (Inca family groups) ventured in search of fertile lands where they could settle.

• Ancient Andean Genes Reveal DNA Continuity Amid Cultural Clashes
• Beyond the Mists of Time: The Mysterious Timoto-Cuica Culture of the Venezuelan Andes

After a series of tribulations, the only survivor of the Ayar brothers was Ayar Manco who managed to reach the aforementioned fertile land. There, he took the golden rod that the  sun god Inti  had given him, and sank it into the moist earth, where it immediately vanished. Such an occurrence could only mean that the sun god had chosen a special spot and it was there that the city of Cusco was founded.

From this ancient Andean center of agriculture, the “Tahuantinsuyo,” would later expand and become  the Inca Empire .

• Top image: One of the Andean gods at the  Apukunaq Tianan sculpture park, featured on a publicity poster from the site.             
• Source: Apukunaq Tianan

By Ashley Cowie

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

Sacrifice and Destruction: The Apocalyptic Aztec Creation Myths

Many ancient cultures around the world have their own creation myth to explain their origins, and how the universe came into being. But few are as vivid, or as apocalyptic as the creation myth of the Aztecs. This myth has been referred to as the “Five Suns” wherein the world is created and destroyed again and again.

As the name given to this myth suggests, the current world is the fifth one, preceded by four cycles of creation and destruction. Whilst the Aztecs believed that we are now living in the fifth cycle of creation, they also believed that destruction would ensue if they neglected their duty of nourishing the sun god.

Different Accounts

Before going into the details of the  Aztec creation myth itself, it should be mentioned that there are various versions of the story. In some instances, these different versions even contradict one another. One of the reasons behind the multiple versions of the myth is the way it was transmitted. Since the creation myth was originally passed down orally, different versions emerged. Another reason for this is that the Aztecs incorporated the  gods and myths of the peoples they encountered and conquered, thereby modifying the myth.

Interestingly, the Aztec creation myth shares similarities with that of the  Maya, which is found in the  Popol Vuh , their foundational sacred narrative. For instance, both creation myths are cyclical in nature, though the Maya version has four, instead of five, cycles. It may be added that although both myths are cyclical, each cycle is not a mere repetition of the previous one, but rather, an improvement.

The Mayan “Hero Twins” of the  Popol Vuh  show clear parallels with Aztec mythology

(Lacambalam /  CC BY-SA 4.0 )

It is believed that the Aztec and Maya creation myths share a common source, and the former has been used to shed light on the latter. A key reason for this is that the Aztec creation myth is much more complete, whereas the Maya one has survived only in fragments.  

The Aztec Pantheon

The Aztec creation myth begins with a pair of  creator gods known collectively as Ometecuhtl (meaning ‘Two Lords’ in the Aztec language of Nahuatl). Ometecuhtl consisted of Ometecuhtli, the male deity, and Omecihuatl, his female counterpart. The pair of gods are known also as Tonacatecuhtli and Tonacacihuatl.

The Aztecs believed that Ometecuhtl resided in Omeyocan (meaning ‘Two Place’ or ‘Double  Heaven’), the 13th and highest heaven in the belief system of the Aztecs. Incidentally, Ometecuhtl was the only Aztec deity with neither a  temple dedicated to him, nor any formal cult in his name. Apparently, the Aztecs reasoned that since the deity lived so far away from them, he would never interact with them directly. In spite of Ometecuhtl’s remoteness, the Aztecs believed that he was omnipresent, being in every act of ritual, and in every rhythm of nature.

Ometecuhtl

(Unknown Author /  Public Domain )

According to the Aztec creation myth, Ometecuhtl created themself, after which, being both male and female, the god produced four children – Huizilopochtli, Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, and Xipe Totec. These four gods represented, amongst other things, the four cardinal directions – south, east, west, and north, respectively.

Gods and Monsters

These four gods existed for some time, 600 years, according to one version of the myth, before they began to create the universe. They created cosmic time, the world, and all the other deities.

In one version of the myth, the four gods created a giant  sea monster  called Cipactli, which was part crocodile and part fish. As the children of Ometecuhtl continued to create the universe, this great monster became a source of trouble. Cipactli lived in the water, and had an insatiable appetite. For one reason or another, the creations of the gods would fall into the water, and they inevitably ended up being devoured by Cipactli.

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

Eleven New Neolithic Hill Sites Discovered Near Göbeklitepe, Turkey

The Turkish government has just announced a major archaeological discovery that could have a serious impact on the study of Neolithic Era culture in the region. On June 27, Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy  told reporters  gathered in the southeastern Turkish city of Sanliurfa that several new sites had been found in the vicinity of Göbeklitepe, the world’s oldest prehistoric stone monument site. Also written as Gobekli Tepe, the site name translates into "belly hill" in Turkish.

"We have [discovered] 11 more major hills on a 100-kilometer line around Göbeklitepe,” Ersoy declared. “Here, we will give the details for the first time, and now call it 12 hills.” 

In fact, Ersoy offered few details about what had been found at these new sites. He explained that a “major study” was on the verge of being completed and said the results of that study would be released in September 2021.

Engaging in what may or may not have been hyperbole, Ersoy said that people may soon be describing the monuments found in the Sanliurfa region as “the pyramids of southeast Turkey.” 

If these new sites are on a par with the spectacular remains uncovered at Göbeklitepe, their discovery would represent a significant milestone in prehistoric archaeology in the Mesopotamian region.

An example of one of the many circular stone monolith formations unearthed at Göbeklitepe, Turkey.

( muratart / Adobe Stock)

The Meaning of Göbeklitepe: What We Know So Far . . . 

First unearthed in 1995 by German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, the Neolithic excavation site at  Göbeklitepe has produced the most stunning and impressive collection of standing stone pillar  monoliths ever found on Earth.

• Ancient Mesopotamia and the Rise of Civilization
• Scrutiny of Göbekli Tepe’s Construction Reveals Celestial Secrets

The biggest monoliths at Göbeklitepe are as tall as 20 feet (six meters) and are estimated to weigh between seven and ten tons (7.7-11 US tons). They were arranged in large circles, with a pair of heavy T-shaped pillars placed in the center of each arrangement. Some were decorated with carved images of animals, and others with obscure shapes and images that have no clear real-world references.

Neolithic hunter-gatherers  working in teams built and inscribed these stone circles, over a period of perhaps 1,000 years. The oldest construction work at Göbeklitepe has been dated to about 9,000 BC, meaning that some of the monoliths found there were carved and erected 6,000 years before the rock pillars at Stonehenge. 

It is important to realize this feat was accomplished by individuals who had no access to metal tools or wheeled transport carts. They used stone / flint hand tools to carve out and shape huge slabs of limestone from nearby quarries. The massive pillars would then be levered out of their places in the quarry rock walls, and somehow hauled, dragged, or lifted to the Göbeklitepe construction site.

In some instances, the builders placed the circles alongside each other. In other instances, they put them one on top of the other, after the circle on the bottom had been buried. Sometime after construction stopped the entire complex was buried, creating a low-topped  artificial mound  or hill that was 50 feet (15 meters) high and 1,000 feet (300 meters) in diameter.

The seemingly forgotten landscape around the Göbeklitepe site and likely where the latest 11 hills or artificial mounds have recently been discovered. So far photographs of the newest discovery area have not been released.

(Zhengan /  CC BY-SA 4.0 )

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy’s statement about the “12 hills” implies that new monolithic sites have been found buried beneath similar artificial mounds. If stone pillar circles have been unearthed at these locations, it remains to be seen if they were built to the same specifications and in the same style as the circles at Göbeklitepe, or if they are as old (or even older).  

Archaeologists have already found other sites in the region where stone pillars have been carved out of quarries and arranged in standing circles. None of the other sites are as ancient as Göbeklitepe, however, which was apparently in use 11,000 years ago. They do all feature the distinctive T-shaped central pillars found at Göbeklitepe, a type of monolith that has only been discovered in ancient sites built close to the city and province of Sanliurfa.

This suggests they all were created by the same stone-monument-building culture, which presumably would also be responsible for making whatever has been found during excavations at the 11 newly discovered hills.

A Neolithic totem pole from Göbeklitepe from Layer II, dated to 8800-8000 BC.

(Cobija /  CC BY-SA 4.0 )

Uncovering the Many Remaining Secrets of Göbeklitepe

Unsurprisingly, Ersoy’s primary interest in the new discoveries is how they might affect tourism in the region. 

"When you look at  Mesopotamia, this region has a unique culture,” the Minister said at his press announcement. “It has its own registered gastronomy. It has many products. And when you combine that with its unique archaeological value, it's a wonderful thing.”

The Turkish government’s priorities are understandable. But the interests of the archaeological community are quite different.

• The Secret of Gobekli Tepe: Cosmic Equinox and Sacred Marriage - Part 1
• Was Göbeklitepe An Ancient Temple of Sacrifice?

With respect to the incredible monuments at Göbeklitepe, perhaps the biggest question left unanswered is, why were they built?

The general consensus is that Göbeklitepe was a religious or spiritual mecca, sought out by ancient worshippers looking to commune with their gods or with the spirits of their ancestors. The site has often been referred to as the world’s oldest temple. Schmidt, the site’s original discoverer, believed that one day graves would be found beneath the monolithic circles, proving they were built as monuments to the dead.

This monolithic pillar at Göbeklitepe is decorated with pictograms of animals. Surprisingly, the meaning of these pictograms is still a mystery that archaeologists and anthropologists are hoping to solve.

( mknisanci / Adobe Stock)

Pictograms were carved into many of the pillars. But unfortunately, scholars have been unable to interpret them, as either pictures or as symbols. Many of the pillars are decorated with images of animals, of dozens of different species including gazelles, lions, bears, foxes, bulls, snakes, birds, spiders, and a variety of insects. While arid now, during the Neolithic era Turkey was part of the  Fertile Crescent , a region blessed with abundant rainfall, fertile soil, dense grasslands, and wildlife of all types.

The imagery on the pillars may relate to worshipping practices or religious rituals in some way. The same can be said about the shapes of the stone circles, which may have been arranged to reflect  astronomical alignments . But since Göbeklitepe was constructed by prehistorical peoples, there is no written record to guide archaeologists and historians in a useful direction, as they attempt to comprehend what they’ve found.

Assuming they were built by the same ancient people, the remains at the newly discovered sites will likely be similar to those found at Göbeklitepe. If so, their ultimate purpose may be just as mysterious. 

But if the stone pillars in these new locations contain different imagery than those at Göbeklitepe, or if they feature clearer pictograms that can be successfully interpreted, their discovery may be a game-changer. Having more remains to examine may increase understanding about the motivations of the builders. It could reveal whether they were inspired by religious sentiments, or by some other type of ancient or universal motivation.   

• Top image: Göbeklitepe is so important that it has been completely covered to protect it from rain. To date, it is the oldest place of worship ever found on Earth, dating to 12000 BC. Archaeologists are expecting more amazing finds and insights from the recently discovered 11 new hills (or artificial mounds) near the site for which details will be released in September 2021.                 
• Source:  Cihangir Zeybek  / Adobe Stock

By Nathan Falde

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/ }