Ancient Mysteries by Peter James and Nick Thorpe. Published by Ballantine Books, 1998

ISBN 0-345-40195-6

CB311.J385

Ancient Mysteries – "The unsolved puzzles of lost civilizations and knowledge; the inexplicable monuments and earthworks built by the ancients; the strange messages conveyed by the world's great legends; the riddles of early exploration; and even apparent evidence of extraterrestrial and paranormal phenomena of ancient times"

From the introduction:

"Interest is burgeoning, but most books on ancient mysteries are written by authors with little, if any, background in the fields involved…  Many of these titles, full of amazing claims about lost civilizations, Atlanteans, extraterrestrial visitors, and the "secret wisdom" of the ancients, are frankly very badly researched and can be completely misleading.  The authors do not treat the evidence critically, and deliberately overmystify subjects in order to convince readers that they are being told some awesome secret about the past."

"On the other side of the coin are the ancient mysteries books written by professional historians and archaeologists.  Unfortunately, these are usually sterile exercises in debunking, written with a closed rather than inquiring mind.  Their authors easily fall into a lecturing mode, telling their readers loudly and slowly that such and such is merely nonsense…"

"In this book we have tried to chart a middle course between the uncritical enthusiasts and the professional skeptics.  Each of the topics covered steers the reader through the main lines of evidence and most frequently offered explanations, although these cannot, of course, be exhaustive.  We present our opinions not as fact but as an attempt at a reasoned conclusion from the material, rather than starting from a position of acceptance or rejection.  We have tried to condense and present enough evidence on each myster for readers to judge for themselves and, we hope, have fun devising their own solutions."

And the authors do just that and they do it very well.

I’ve referred to this book many times when various programs are aired, especially the ones that seem to lean more toward the “way out” theories. Many items covered in the Ancient Aliens series that was on the History Channel recently are dealt with quite well in this more than 600-page book.

The authors give a very good summary of the events, items, places, etc and then discuss them in a rational sense. You are initially treated to a story that starts to make you go “hmmmm” and then the facts are brought in one by one to either explain or counter various claims.  Some of the events are left open-ended, but most are explained.

Here, then, is a brief rundown of the eight chapters:

Lost Lands and Catastrophes

Read about Atlantis, was the explosion at Thera the demise of Atlantis? What of the connection to the Lost City of Tantilis?  In this chapter, too, is Sodom and Gomorrah, Poleshift, and what happened to the Maya. The Piri Reis map is described and debunked. Is 2012 the end?

Watching the Skies

Covered in this chapter is the subject of megalithic astronomers, the Dogon and Sirius mystery…was a primitive tribe aware of Sirius' companion star, even though it was only discovered in 1876.  Furthermore how could they have known its orbital period or that it was the "heaviest star" (Sirius B is, in fact, a neutron star!).  The biblical account of the day the earth stood still with modern parallels is given as well as a lengthy discussion on the Star of Bethlehem and what it could have been. The Face on Mars gets its own section.

Architectural Wonders

A discussion on Stonehenge, the Pyramids, the Sphinx, Tiahuanaco, and of course Easter Island.  How were these structures built?  Why?  By who?  Von Daniken's theories are mentioned but not in the most positive of lights.

Earth Patterns

Get your fill and some reasonable information regarding Ley Lines, the Nazca Lines, the zodiac at Somerset, and the Glastonbury Spiral.

Voyages and Discoveries

Who reached America first? Specific treatment of the Viking claim and the Welsh Indians. The former includes such items as the Newport Tower, the Kensington Rune Stone, and the settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows. Then some discussion of lost Roman armies (more plausible than you might think), and were the Portuguese the first to round Africa…the answer may surprise you.

Legendary History

Robin Hood, perhaps GHI should consult this chapter. And of course Dracula and King Arthur get their own sections, the discussion of the latter is quite a read. Going back further we have Theseus and the Minotaur and a description of the Amazons.

Hoax?

A discussion of the possibility that the body found in the Tyrolean Alps was a hoax is examined.  Piltdown Man, the Vinland Map, King Arthur’s Grave, Troy, the Cardiff Giant, Collargate (just kidding!) The first Dead Sea Scrolls which were thought to be a hoax and have sense been lost is examined.

Archaeology and the Supernatural

Crystal Skulls.  Tutankhamun’s curse. Edgar Cayce and his prophesies. The Company of Avalon directing an archaeological dig? A very interesting section on Omm Seti, one of the more intriguing cases of contact with the past.

Although over 10 years old and some sections need updating to counter or explain new claims (especially regarding the Kensington Rune Stone among others) this book continues to serve me well. I have read it cover to cover several times and refer to it quite often when various shows appear on the History and other channels.

The book is still available and for quite a reasonable price give the information contained within. Search Ancient Mysteries at amazon.com or your favorite bookstore.  Definitely a worthy book to add to your Skeptics Library.

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