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| Fingerprints of the Gods
Graham Hancock
Three Rivers Press; 578 Pages
I found this book about ten years ago. I purchased it because I had watched a special on the History Channel. The special had two scientists, one of whom was Graham Hancock, exploring the great pyramid in Egypt. I read snippets and chapters here and there, but I never really sat down and read the whole book until about a month ago. I am sorry I waited.
Now, allow me to state that I am not a fan of Chariots of the Gods, the Mayan Calendar (which is really Olmec,) or 666. I find all of these things a bit of a stretch. But ‘Fingerprints of the Gods’ is very, very different, and that is what makes it a recommended read.
The premise of Hancock’s book is that the human civilization is far, far older than archeologists, sociologists, anthropologists, and historians claim. He states his case, logically and scientifically, by pointing out the holes in the historical record and the proceeds to use some of the logic of the traditionally accepted facts against the traditionalists.
Mr. Hancock begins with the story of Noah and the flood. Everyone who was raised in a Judeo-Christian-Islamic household knows the story of Noah. Most serious Biblical scholars believe it is a retelling of the ancient Sumerian story, ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh.’ Mr. Hancock has identified 500 cultures that have a legend of the flood being used by the gods to punish a wicked humanity. These cultures are as diverse as Chinese, Indian, American Indian, South American native, Australian, Nordic, and Eskimo. The story of the flood, which he believes occurred during the melting of the ice sheets during the last ice age, is where he begins.
Mr. Hancock then moves on to the ancient monuments. He points out the similarities between the Central and South American building styles and the style of the ancient Egyptians. Archeologists have explanations as to how these buildings were constructed. Mr. Hancock, however, talks to modern construction engineers. He points out the fact that today, in our modern era, only three overhead cranes exist capable of moving the blocks used in both the South American and Egyptian structures.
Mr. Hancock is clearly fascinated by ancient Egypt, and that is where he devotes a lot of his effort. He attacks accepted fact in two areas. The first is the linear theory of civilization. That theory basically states that society evolves from hunting-gathering, to farming, to communities, to trade with money, and finally to government and public works. Mr. Hancock asks the question, ‘How did a people go from fishing and cannibalism to building the pyramids and being a world power overnight?’ Unfortunately, no one proposes an answer.
The second fact he attacks is the building construction. The pyramids at Giza are over 4500 years old. The Egyptians continued to build pyramids after their construction. Most of the pyramids built after the three great pyramids are piles of sand and rubble today. How did the Egyptians manage to forget the fabulous construction techniques that enabled them to build the great pyramids after just 150 years?
Mr. Hancock points out numerous other facts and questions that have simply been dismissed by the people who have written the histories over the centuries. He offers no explanations of his own; he only asks why these questions and holes in the historical record have been ignored or dismissed. He also cites the works of other members of the scientific community who embrace the same theory that he embraces: that human civilization is much older than the accepted historical record.
Mr. Hancock also touches on the ancients as astronomers. He devotes a long section in the book that deals with that fact, and how the ancient peoples studied the skies. He points out an interesting item that I never knew: The three great pyramids, long thought to be offset, are laid out in a pattern that the belt of the constellation Orion displays in the night sky. He also points out that the sphinx, ten thousand or so years ago, would have watch the sun rise in the constellation of Leo. Today it rises in Aquarius.
Mr. Graham gets into some quite sophisticated topics in the book. The part that I read, and then reread, was the sections dealing with the melting of the ice after the ice age. Billions of tons of ice, pressing down on the surface of the earth, completely melted in a period of roughly one thousand years. He states that this would have caused worldwide catastrophic flooding. Having seen the monsoons in Southeast Asia, and observed what three inches of rain falling in the space of one hour can do, I have no doubt that the melting of the ice caps would have caused massive destruction worldwide to the ecosystems and any civilization that was existing at that time.
Mr. Graham touches on a great deal of scientific study in this book. However, he never overwhelms the reader with technical jargon. He explains the technology used in simple, down-to-earth terms that just about everyone can understand. He is quite good at making his case in common, everyday language.
There is one difficult section in the book that requires the reader to brush up on their algebra. Mr. Hancock discusses the mathematics of precession at length in this section. Precession is the mapping of the constellations and other heavenly bodies through the sky, with the Earth as a reference point. The algebra can be a bit confusing to the non-mathematical.
For those interested in alternative history, without the alien and supernatural references, this book is a riveting and fascinating read. It’s well worth the time and money.
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#1 |
on July 14 2010 23:13:08
#2 |
on July 20 2010 11:01:15
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If you’re lucky enough to have a launch party for your next book, spare a thought for those who are not on the invitation list, the project editor, the proof reader, even the printer who struggled on your behalf to make that deadline.-- Colin Walsh |
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Character Battle 1-10
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Thanks for the recommendation!