Bizarre History

[Oggar]

I often find myself watching shows I do not like on the various "education" channels, History, H2, etc. I see Ancient Aliens or America Unearthed and find myself swearing at the tv. And yet earlier I was trying to find out about the most current scholarship on the Kensington Runestone. I do love the fact that there is ancient history that is still being discovered but I like to see actual scholarship on it. For instance there might be evidence of booze going back almost 20K years. We now know that dogs were domesticated at least 19K years ago. Those are significant because it goes back to the middle of the last ice age. And without the domestication of dogs we probably never domesticate livestock.... which of course has implications. Anyone else find themselves dwelling on this shit?

[Frankennietzsche]

I dig where you are coming from.

But Ancient Aliens always gets me: I'll unknowingly stop on it in the middle of an episode, watch for a few minutes as they expound on something historical or religious that could possibly be interesting, and then they hit you with the UFO's. Everything is UFO's.

[Oggar]

FN I know what you are saying about Ancient Aliens they throw out something tantalizing and then just throw in their bullshit far overreaching conclusion. But this article has been messing with my head for about 3 years http://www.forteantimes.com/features/ar ... ation.html

It concerns the possibility of a sophisticated Neanderthal civilization. There is just enough there to make it thoroughly tantalizing.

[Patchez]

He seems to make a very well thought out case. I would love to get a copy of his 2006 book, the full Atlantis theory book. It would make very thought provoking reading.

[Oggar]

Atlantis is mildly interesting to me but I don't think they'll find anything like the myth has built up. I think we have a tendency to vastly underestimate the distances ancient people travelled though. The presence of cocaine in Egyptian mummies all but proves contact although wether it is direct or tangental through the Phoenicians is still up in the air.

If there was an Atlantis I suspect it would have been a highly successful maritime trading culture and nothing more, obviously making the Minoans and Phoenicians prime candidates. The Canary and Madeira Islands seem to be in the right place and have that concentric appearance but there seems to be sparse info about historic volcanic eruptions in the area. Those two factors obviously make them good candidates for the location of Atlantis. Also the fact that there is some evidence of ancient genetic connection between the Canary Islands with populations of the Arawak Indians on the Eastern side of Hispaniola and some Berber populations in North Africa.

But to me some of the most interesting stuff to come out of the search for Atlantis is the fact that they are looking into the lost cities of the Amazon. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3077413/ns/te ... txIz3l6iqQ
Francisco de Orellana (Francisco Pizarro's cousin) got lost on the Amazon/Orinoco Rivers and described several large cities along the rivers. They all seem to disappear immediately afterward. I speculate there may have been enough contact to spread disease since I think there were able to trade for food at the first city. And carrying over the 75%-95% mortality rates European diseases has on the native populations the conclusion seems pretty obvious.

[Frankennietzsche]

There was some interesting parts of The Mythic Image by Campbell talking about contact between Asia and the pre-Columbian civilizations in the Americas. Also, I think it was that book as well, that had somethign about the Olmecs having contact with sub-saharan Afica, before they disapeared.
And now this reminds me of The Fingerprints of the Gods. It's been years, adn I didn't finish it, but this guy argued that civilization is tens of thousands of years older than we figure. ANd he dismisses ETs.

It's too late for me to find them, but I seem to remember several "findings" last year about Neanderthals, both genetic.

Also:

I think we have a tendency to vastly underestimate the distances ancient people travelled though.

That Piri Reis Map still fascinates me.

[Oggar]

I think the idea that the Piri Reis map shows Antarctica is all Von Daniken making shit up again. Reis sites most of his sources and they all come from known explorers including Columbus. Which is why the depiction of North America is just made up bullshit. But if you look at all the places they have found pipestone from Minnesota or seashells from the Gulf of Mexico you get a sense.

[oettinger]

I was abducted by aliens three times when drunk one time. Don`t exactly know what they did to me but that headache was brutal. They even took all the money I had with me, stupid assholes they are! Btw the Neandertal is only a couple of miles from my place. Believe me, we exsist and we are planing on taking over the local brewery

[Palinka (RIP)]

This is utterly fantastic - and utterly addictive! The Complete Pathé News Reels, as shown in British cinemas before the great one-eyed god took over everyone's lives.

[oettinger]

the great one-eyed god took over everyone's lives.

I usually try to drink that bastard away

[mistah willies]

the great one-eyed god took over everyone's lives.

I usually try to drink that bastard away

WTF?!


Heheheheeee

[Patchez]

This is utterly fantastic - and utterly addictive! The Complete Pathé News Reels, as shown in British cinemas before the great one-eyed god took over everyone's lives.

Oh no... no way I'm going down that rabbit hole. It say there are 85,000 films loaded there.


Oh, who am I kidding. Ok, maybe later when I'm good and loaded I'll start.