The proposal is simple. Some historians and independent researchers
believe that ancient civilisations were much more technologically
advanced than is commonly accepted. Specifically, they believe that
some sectors of society had access to electricity and used it for both
practical and religious purposes.
|
Here are the top ten contenders for
the existence of ancient electricity. The electric catfish and the
cat fur and amber effect are well recorded and not in dispute. The Coso
Artefact is almost certainly the misinterpretation of evidence. As for
the rest ... well they're open to debate.
1. CAT FUR AND AMBER GENERATOR
There can be no doubt that ancient civilizations
were aware of static electricity even if they may not have fully
understood it. They also appreciated the godlike power of lightning and
must have been curious to observe this effect replicated in miniature
when the fur of a cat was rubbed against certain materials in a darkened
room. The effects of static electricity were first recorded by a
Greek philosopher, Thales of Miletus, who lived between 624 BC and 546
BC. He is said to have experimented with amber, which the Greeks
referred to as Elektron, and cat fur to create an electrical discharge
as well as magnetism. From this observation a simple machine consisting
of two spinning disks, one covered with leopard fur and one coated
with glass or amber could be connected to gold axles and foil strips
which would produce an electrical charge capable of generating sparks
several inches in length.
|
|
REPRODUCTION OF A FUR AND AMBER GENERATOR - ANCIENT GREECE.
By
spinning the disks in opposite directions a static electrical charge
could be transferred to the gold foil strips to create visible sparks. |
|
ELECTRIC EEL OR ELECTROPHORUS ELECTRICUS THE KNIFE FISH
The
Knife Fish of South America is capable of delivering between 500 - 600
volts of electricity. The Nile (Electric) Catfish, Malapterurus
Electricus, is capable of delivering approximately 350 volts. Photo
credit: Wikimedia Commons: Steinhart Aquarium - Photographer: Stan Shebs
- 2005.
|
|
|
2. ELECTRIC EELS - SHOCK THERAPY
Although it looks like an eel, Electrophorus Electricus is actually a
Knife Fish that is able to generate and deliver significant electric
shocks of up to 600 volts. The ancient Egyptians referred to an
electric catfish, Malapterurus Electricus, as the "Thunderer of the
Nile" which indicates that they had already made the connection to
storm-related atmospheric discharges - lightning. According to various
sources the Greeks and Romans were familiar with these creatures and
may well have bred them in captivity. Historic records show that they
were certainly farming many other types of exotic fish both for food
and for amusement. Scribonus Largus, a physician at the court of the
Roman Emperor Claudius (c.47AD), is reported to have written that these
'torpedo fish' could be used to treat a wide variety of ailments. They
were used to numb the feet of gout sufferers as well as those suffering
from persistent headaches. If this is true then this is the first
recorded use of shock therapy. As recently as 2009 doctors in Boston
have been successfully experimenting with electric currents to block
migraines.
|
3. THE BAGHDAD BATTERY
In 1938 the Director of the National Museum of
Iraq, Wilhelm König, discovered a number of curious terracotta pots in
the archives. Each one was approximately 13 cm in height with a capped
3.3 cm opening at the top. Each pot contained an open-ended copper
cylinder and inside this was a small iron rod. These artefacts strongly
resembled simple galvanic batteries and in 1940 König published a
scientific paper proposing that these objects may well have been used
to generate electrical current which could have been used for
electroplating objects with either gold or silver. Mainstream
archaeologists continue to doubt this theory even though reproductions
using lemon juice as an electrolyte have been proven to work and no
other sensible explanation exists for the iron and copper contents.
The pots are likely to have been created during the Sassanid Period
(224 AD - 640 AD). The debate continues.
|
|
EXAMPLE OF A BAGHDAD BATTERY
Discovered in the archives of the National Museum of Iraq in 1938.
Believed to have been originally excavated in 1936 in the village of
Khuyut Rabbou'a. Capable of generating between 0.75 and 1.1 volts. |
|
THE LIGHTHOUSE OF PHAROS / ALEXANDRIA
The lighthouse survived from 247 BC to 1303 AD
when it was severely damaged in an earthquake. By 1408 it was simply a
pile of rubble which was then used to build a medieval fortress by
Al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Qa'it Bay, the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, which
remains standing today. It is possible to still visit Qaitbay Castle. |
|
|
4. THE LIGHTHOUSE OF PHAROS
Considered to be one of the seven wonders of the
ancient world, construction of the 130m tall Pharos Lighthouse probably
began around 280 BC on a small island just off the coast of Alexandria,
Egypt. Originally commissioned by the Macedonian general, Ptolemy Soter
who became ruler of Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great, it was
completed during the reign of his son Ptolemy Philadelphos. Today the
island of Pharos has become part of the mainland and shields a natural
harbour. The building was erected to house a brilliant light to assist
ships to find the port at night. Historic reports claim that the light
could be seen nearly thirty miles out to sea and that it housed a beam
so bright that could blind sailors and burn enemy ships. This has given
rise to the theory that only an electrical arc lamp and a huge concave
mirror could have created this effect. Proponents of this theory admit
that the source of the power is a mystery but that an electric light is
the only possible explanation for the extraordinary intensity of the
lamp.
|
5. THE DENDERA LIGHTS
Within the Temple of Hathor, which is part of
the Dendera (Tentyra) Temple Complex in Egypt, are a series of carvings
that many people believe depict the sophisticated use of electricity
to generate light. Items identified are as follows: an arc light lamp
(horizontal) several upright lamps, lamp socket, arc light flicker
(snake) electric cables, an isolator and even a large upright battery.
If historians and archaeologists believed that the Egyptians from this
period used electricity then this would probably be considered a
classic example. A further point that is often overlooked is that
Hathor was a goddess who is usually shown with a sun disk suspended
between two horns exactly like the reflecting mirror of an arc-lamp -
even the dimensions are optimal. Although the equipment in the images
may seem obvious it should also be noted that many historians,
archaeologists and Egyptologists strongly deny that the images are
anything more than the representation of a fertility rite based on
Egyptian mythology. Proponents of the 'lights' theory are often
dismissed as fringe scientists while mainstream Egyptologists are often
accused of hiding behind conveniently concocted myths and retentive
thinking. Both groups seem certain in their beliefs.
|
|
THE DENDERA LIGHTS
The picture above is not the best representation but is the only one
available on Wikimedia Commons. From the point of view of the proponents
of the 'lights' theory the beam can be see emerging from the lotus
flower socket. A cable appears to run from the battery via the isolator
to the lamp. Under the light are people engaged in activities made
possible by the illumination. The snake is often referred to as a lamp
filament but, if the lights are real, is more likely to represent the
flickering of the arc light. There are other pictures on the internet
that are even more suggestive and it is worth reviewing them if you are
interested in this subject. Real or imagined - you decide? |
|
THE ABYDOS MACHINES
Top Left: Helicopter, Top Right: Hovercraft
Centre Right - High: Airship / Dirigible
Centre Right - Low: Satellite
Bottom Right: Spaceship / Jet Fighter
|
|
|
6. THE ABYDOS MACHINES
Roughly 450 kilometres south of Cairo is the
ancient city-complex of Abydos. It is widely considered to be one of
the most important archaeological sites in Egypt although for some
quite differing reasons. Mainstream Egyptologists recognise it as the
site of the Osiris and Isis cult while proponents of ancient electricity
believe it holds definite proof that ancient civilisations were
significantly more advanced than historians will acknowledge. The
reason for this is that within the Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of Seti I
there are a series of carvings that clearly depict modern aircraft,
particularly a helicopter and dirigible. Mainstream archaeologists
claim that they are merely a coincidence caused by over-carving while
proponents of ancient technology state that this is actually misleading
and that attempts to recreate the over-carving effect have been less
than conclusive. In addition, they point out that the coincidence
required to produce these images is staggeringly unlikely.
|
7. THE COSO ARTEFACT
The area around the town of Olancha in
California, America, is popular destination for 'rock hunters' and
attracts both professional and amateur geologists. On Monday the 13th
February 1961 three geode collectors, Wallace Lane, Mike Mikesell and
Virginia Maxey discovered an interesting specimen which Mike Mikesell
took home and cut in half with a diamond edged saw. Inside the specimen
he discovered what appeared to be an off-white ceramic cylinder with a
small metal core running through the centre - in short, a sparkplug.
According to Ms. Maxey the specimen was examined by a professional
geologist who estimated that the casing was at least 500,000 years
old. The identity of the geologist has never been revealed. The
discovery caused significant controversy with some experts claiming
that the rock was nothing more than a 'concretion' of rust and
localised fossils. Perhaps because of the controversy the finders
refused to further display or discuss the artefact after 1969. The
location of the artefact is currently unknown as are the people who
found it although it is believed that Lane passed away in 2008.
|
|
EXAMPLE OF A COSO ARTEFACT
(Probably a case of mistaken identification)
Named after the Coso Mountain Range where it was found above the Owens Dry Lake on the edge of Death Valley.
X-rays of the Coso artefact revealed
additional pieces that the Spark Plug Collectors of America identified
as parts of a 1920’s spark plug or something similar. |
|
THE LIGHT OF THE TEMPLE VENUS / ISIS
(The quotation from St. Augustine's book
The City of God, Book XXI, Chapter 6:)
" ... that there was, or is, a temple of
Venus in which a candelabrum set in the open air holds a lamp, which
burns so strongly that no storm or rain extinguishes it, and which is
therefore called, like the stone mentioned above, the asbestos or
inextinguishable lamp." |
|
|
8. TEMPLE LIGHT OF ISIS / VENUS
Aurelius Augustine was born in North Africa in 354
AD and spent much of his early life dedicated to passionate pursuits,
philosophy and academic studies. At the age of 32 he became a
Christian and after some time in Rome he journeyed to Hippo Regius
(near modern day Annaba) in Tunisia where he was persuaded to become
first a priest and later Bishop of the town. He remained an academic at
heart and was one of the most prolific writers of his time. In his
work, City of God, (book 11 chapter 6) he describes a temple in Egypt
dedicated to Venus (Isis) in which there is a lamp that requires an
asbestos base and is completely unaffected by the weather. The correct
translation is under the picture to the left. It worth pointing out
that some websites misquote this passage to emphasise the argument
while others suggest that Augustine himself visited the temple. In
fact, Augustine was referring to books written by earlier travellers.
However, the story is intriguing and was considered relevant enough to
be selected as an example by the Bishop. St. Augustine suggested that
the lamp might have been the work of corrupted men or even a resident
demon.
|
9. ARC OF THE COVENANT
According to the Old Testament, which records the
history of the Abrahamic religions, God summoned Moses to Mount Sinai
(Horeb) and gave him the Ten Commandments inscribed on two tablets of
stone . This list of divine laws specified the way in which the people
were to live their lives. Five of these laws form the basis of all
modern legal systems. To store the stone tablets the people of Moses
built a chest according to specific instructions provided to them by
God. This was to be the Ark of the Covenant and since its construction
there have been countless references to its 'power' such as its
ability to part waters, to destroy buildings such as the walls of
Jericho and to emit beams of light sometimes referred to as the power
of God. Based on descriptions found in the Old Testament a number of
researchers now believe that the wings of the cherub may have acted
like an arc lamp or as two electrical charged poles that could induce a
sense of the divine. This proposal was recently featured on the
Discovery Channel's Myth Busters programme and found plausible.
|
|
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
Said to have extraordinary powers. May
have been and arc lamp. Featured in Episode 29 of Mythbusters, a
Discovery Channel programme first broadcast on the 23rd March 2005.
The Ark of the Covenant has been lost for many
centuries and may have been removed from the Temple of Solomon during
the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 587 BC.
|
|
GOLDEN OBJECTS FROM SUMERIA
It is fair to point out that there are
techniques that can mimic electroplating. The first is
electro-deposition which is possible without an electric current and
the Tumbaga process that involves the production of a seemingly pure
gold object even though it has a high percentage of copper. To achieve
this the surface copper is oxidised and dissolved leaving only a gold
coating which is polished into a plated surface. |
|
|
10 ELECTROPLATED ARTEFACTS
Over the centuries a number of artefacts
ranging from coins to small religious statues have been discovered with
very thin coatings of gold or silver that is typical of modern
electroplating techniques. In 1938 Wilhelm König, the Director of the
National Museum of Iraq, discovered a series of small objects that
strongly suggested the use of electroplating using electrical current
rather than the less effective electrochemical process. Several small
vases dating from 2,500BC appeared to have been electroplated and were
kept at the Baghdad museum. In 1851 archaeologist August Mariette
claimed to have found electroplated objects at a dig near the Sphinx in
Egypt. In 2006 Stefano Natali and Giuseppe Giovannelli of the
University of Rome discovered a coin that had been deliberated plated
with silver around 250 BC to create a forgery. A number of
pre-Columbian golden artefacts show traces of plated surfaces. There are
undoubtedly many more items in the collections of the great museums
that may well turn out to have been electroplated rather than solid
gold or silver items.
|
Human history is a vast subject. It
took Edward Gibbon 17 years to research and write his famous work, The
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. It was published in six volumes
and contains more than 1.5 million words. Naturally he wasn't
impressed when critics believed his views were distorted by his
possible paganism.
In general, history is a factual subject that can be fixed in place to
create solid foundations upon which to build a picture of times gone
by. However, if something doesn't fit the existing jigsaw, one that
has taken centuries to establish, then it is often ignored. What if
someone discovered that the Battle of Hastings had actually taken place
in 1067 instead of 1066? What if Benjamin Franklin turned out to be a
British spy and documents surfaced to prove that George Washington was
actually a Royalist supporter? Beliefs and ideologies are based on
perceptions of history and if those perceptions are wrong then maybe the
ideologies are too. It's because of this that historians from every
culture are very reluctant to engage with ideas that might turn
established history upside down. Ancient Electricity is one such
subject.
Believers cite a growing list of evidence that
they claim should be reviewed with an open mind - something they claim
is missing in formal academic circles. Unfortunately, real discoveries
such as the Antikythera mechanism can get lost in enthusiastic
theorising that is unrestricted by peer group evaluation and original
research.
|
|
Traditional historians and archaeologists
refute the evidence as misinterpretation and a desire to see things that
simply aren't there. They quite often use disparaging terms such as
'pseudo-science' and 'fringe elements' which isn't helpful to anyone.
They also tend to put their efforts into smug debunking rather than
re-evaluation.
|
|
0 comments:
Post a Comment