|
History books are wonderful windows into the human
past but beware, they can also be misleading. On the whole,
historians do a remarkable job of piecing together what happened long
ago but they too make mistakes and quite often these mistakes are
deliberate. It has always been the powerful, the winners and the
secure that have the luxury of telling people what happened. You can be
sure that in most cases the story they tell makes them look good and
fits with their ideological beliefs. British history recalls how in
1558 a small but determined English naval fleet beat off the powerful
and evil Spanish Armada. Spanish history books tell a different
story. They tell how the evil British that had renounced the one true
Christ and his servant the Pope survived only because of an accident
of the weather. There are always two sides to a story. Another
important point about historians is that they like things to fit. Who
can blame them? The psychological Myers-Briggs profile of the average
historian is that they are inward looking, analytical and somewhat
insecure. When information is presented that disrupts the perfectly
recorded story it’s a real problem. Let’s face it ... you’ve just spent
half your life recording and explaining what you understood to be true
and then some smart guy comes along and says: “Hey, isn’t this amazing. Look at this circuit board I’ve just found in a lump of coal.”
For historians this is the stuff of nightmares. How do they deal with
these anomalies? For the closed minded it’s a three stage process:
Ignore, deny, debunk. Still, for all their efforts the museums of the
world are full of artifacts and records that don’t fit. Some are
hoaxes, some are mistakes ... but some are remarkable and deserve
better investigation. Here are ten popular examples of direct and
indirect ancient technology that have upset the official story.
|
THE ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM
The Antikythera Mechanism is currently on display in the Hellenic Museum in Athens, Greece.
|
|
|
ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM
This curious mechanical device is often described
as the World’s first analogue computer was retrieved by sponge divers
off the coast of Antikythera in or around 1900AD. Scientists all
agree that it is real and that it dates from some time during the 2nd
century BC making it well over 2,000 years old. It comprises of a
complex system of dials, gears and cogs of extraordinary precision.
Experts agree that it represents a standard of production that would
not be seen again until the rise of complex clocks and clockwork in the
18th century.
|
After many
years of research the current thinking is that it was used as an
astronomy calculator to predict and measure the movement and cycle of
the planets in relationship to the Sun, Earth and the Moon. For decades
after its original discovery the importance of the find was overlooked
until archaeologists and modern scientist began to appreciate the
significance of such early mechanical sophistication. Since then it has
been x-rayed many times using evermore advanced equipment. Working
reconstructions have been made and entire research groups established to
unlock the secrets of its manufacture and its purpose. Its existence
has challenged many preconceived ideas regarding the technological
abilities of the ancient civilisations.
|
ABYDOS CARVINGS
Located approximately 450 kilometres south of
Cairo in Egypt is the very ancient city-complex of Abydos. Believed by
many to be one of the most important historical sites relating to
ancient Egypt it is also the location of a set of carvings that have
caused a significant amount of academic controversy amongst
archeologists and historians. Within the Temple of Seti the 1st (Seti
I) you can find the outer Hypostyle Hall and on one of the lintels you
can find a series of carvings that look very much like helicopters and
futuristic space craft. The Helicopter is particularly recognizable
and this has led to questions being raised about how this can possibly
exist.
|
|
THE ABYDOS CARVINGS
(Ancient Flying Machines?)
The Abydos carvings showing a helicopter and other futuristic Vehicles.
Located in the Temple of Seti The First - Abydos, Egypt
|
|
Naturally,
every UFO enthusiast or believer in a once technologically advanced
Atlantean civilization has pointed to these images as proof of their
theories. Equally, every mainstream Egyptologist has gone to great
lengths to explain that they are nothing more than the result of older
hieroglyphs that were plastered over and then carved again so that when
the plaster later collapsed the modified images that were under the
plaster reappeared but in their new and coincidental design. This has
been the official line debunking the Abydos Machines. Quite complex
charts have been created to show how the process took place. Further
more, they have rolled out the old argument that because they have
never found items of this nature they could never have exited. Where
are they now, they laugh? Did they just fly away? Oh whoops!
Recently there has been some highly detailed and intelligent challenges
to the theory that these images were simply the byproduct of
re-carving. The first is that this was an important building and the
use of plaster would have been anomalous. Instead, the Egyptians would
have used a special sandstone filler that they were well experienced in
making that was much more robust. The re-carving theory is also
coming under scrutiny and recent practical experiments cannot duplicate
the effect described by the experts. Lastly, some researchers believe
that the layout of the items has a strong and accurate relationship
with the Golden Section concept. Their point becomes quite interesting
when they say that the coincidence that original carvings could be
covered and re-carved and then still align to a set of perfect
measurements is simply unbelievable. Either way there is something
persistent about this mystery and the debate will continue. Did the
Egyptians whiz around in strange futuristic craft or did they just
witness something they couldn’t explain and carve it in stone as a
record. Perhaps time will tell but it hasn’t so far.
|
THE DENDERA LIGHTS
One of the reliefs depicting the Dendera Lights. The other panels are even more impressive but not copyright free at this time.
Discovered in the Hathor Temple, Dendera, Egypt.
|
|
|
THE DENDERA LIGHTS
There are three stone reliefs (carvings) that can
be viewed in the Hathor Temple section of the Dendera Archaeological
complex which is located on the banks of the Nile approximately 300
miles south of Cairo, Egypt. Some researchers’ claim that these images
depict an ancient form of electrical technology or lighting system.
Mainstream Egyptologists strongly dispute that there is anything
unusual about the carvings and claim that they merely represent aspects
of Egyptian mythology and actual show the birthing of a snake from a
lotus flower. However, a close look at the picture does raise some
interesting points and questions.
|
The lotus
flower is easily recognisable but the beam (or bulb) is unusual. The
stem of the lotus is unusually long and cable-like – and does appear to
connect to a device that is similar to the ancient Baghdad Battery.
(Also featured in this section.) The pillar does look remarkably like a
modern electrical insulator of the type that is used on national
power-lines and from this device two arms reach up to support the bulb
or beam. The snake is a representation of power and energy and leaves
the lotus in a manner very similar to the elongated filaments
associated with industrial lighting. There have been many claims used
to try and prove that these objects were real and these claims have
subsequently been debunked. This criticism has then been associated
with the carvings too. Those opposed to the electrical lighting
theory have often argued that if these existed there would have been
archaeological artefacts found to corroborate pictures. They claim that
no such artefacts have been found. This is a fallacious argument. It
depends on the idea that something can’t exist because humanity either
hasn't found it or can’t understand it. This is a subject worth
exploring in much more detail.
|
GLORIFICATION OF THE
EUCHARIST
Located in the recently restored church of San
Pietro, Montalcino, Italy, are three beautiful works of art. The one
located immediately behind the alter is called the
Glorification of the Eucharist and was painted
just before 1600 AD by the very talented artist Ventura Salimbeni. What
makes this painting both rare and unusual is the focal point which
features a mechanical device that strongly resembles a satellite or
observation drone. Although this has been refuted as nothing more than
a creation globe there are a few points worth noting that challenge
this rather high-handed dismissal.
|
|
THE GLORIFICATION OF THE EUCHARIST
Glorification of the Eucharist by Ventura Salimbeni circa 1599 AD depicting ancient technology.
Located in the Church of San Pietro, Montalcino, Italy .
|
|
The device
clearly has telescopic antenna, what appears to be a camera (or lens)
as well as a spotlight. According to some people the lens is a
depiction of the moon and the light is a depiction of the sun. If this
is the case then the moon is a double crescent and the Sun is depicted
proportionally smaller than it should be. In addition, the antennas are
clearly fixed to the globe with grommet-like devices and are tipped with
aerial spheres. The globe also displays lines which have been claimed
to represent early longitude lines on the globe of the Earth. (We should
have better image soon.) In fact, the lines look like the joins in
metal plates and perhaps that is what they are.
|
|
THE BAALBEK MEGALITHS
One of the largest of the Baalbek Megaliths and known for some
|
|
|
BAALBEK MEGALITHS
Located at Baalbek in Lebanon are the largest
megalithic stones ever carved from the “living” rock of a quarry. Often
referred to as Cyclopean, they range in size and mass but the most
sizeable is estimated to weigh nearly 1,300 tons and lies unused. It
seems that thousands of years ago they were shaped into gigantic
rectangles and moved over a kilometre to be used in the early
construction of the Baalbek Archeological Complex which was expanded
during the Roman period when the town was known as Heliopolis (City of
the Sun). They are not merely foundation
|
stones as it
is quite clear that they rest on a deeper layer of smaller, but still
very large, blocks. These massive units each weighing approximately
750 tons were built into the western retaining wall of the plaza and
known as the Trilithon. The precision with which these megaliths have
been carved is incredible and would be nearly impossible to achieve even
today. How they were moved and placed within the construction of the
greater Baal-Jupiter (Zeus) Temple plaza remains unexplained. Over the
years various experiments have taken place that show that while it is
possible for vast numbers of men with levers and rollers to move large
building stones of up to 300 tons for short distances these megaliths
are more than twice as large. The size of the largest megalith and the
fact that moving it even with modern technology would be extremely
difficult does suggest that the ancient civilizations may well have had
more advanced technology than we currently believe. Still, what that
technology was and how it worked will have to remain a mystery for now.
|
THE PHAISTOS DISC
This unusual discovery was made in 1908 in an
underground temple depository linked to the ancient Minoan palace site
of Phaistos, on the island of Crete. Archeologist Luigi Pernier
removed the disk from a layer of black earth which has allowed the
artifact to be contextually dated to between 1850 BC and 1600 BC.
Made from fired clay, the disk is approximately 15cm in diameter and a
centimetre thick with symbols imprinted on both sides. The meaning of
the writing has never been understood in a way that is acceptable to
mainstream archeologists or students of ancient languages.
|
|
THE PHAISTOS DISC
The two sides of the ancient Phaistos Disk showing the undecipherable symbols
On display in the Heraklion Museum in Crete.
|
|
It
is unusual for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it is one of a
kind and no other item (with perhaps the exception of the Arkalochori
Axe) bears any similar script. The writing itself has been created by
pressing preformed characters into the soft clay which would make this
the earliest recorded use of movable type. It is important to note that
it was found close to a second tablet with standard writing from this
period know as Linear A. Although there has been some controversy
over the authenticity of the Disk it is widely believed to be genuine
and is on display in the Heraklion Museum of Crete, Greece. Numerous
theories have been suggested and range from the Phaistos Disk being a
prayer token to a message from ancient aliens. A recent and quite
plausible theory is that it was a coded message that was read and then
disposed of by dropping it into the pits. If this is the case it would
represent one of the earliest forms of sophisticated encryption.
|
THE BAGHDAD BATTERY
Reproduction
of the Baghdad Battery that was discovered in 1936 in Iraq. Believed
to be in the possession of the Baghdad Museum.
|
|
|
THE BAGHDAD BATTERY
These strange artefacts were originally
discovered in 1936 during an archaeological dig at village of Khuyut
Rabbou'a which is located approximately 20 miles south east of the city
centre of modern Baghdad and close to the Arch of Ctesiphon.
Described as 13 – 14cm in height they contained a
copper cylinder and within this was suspended an iron rod. In December
1939, shortly after the start of World War II a German archaeologist
by the name of Wilhelm Konig came across the item in the basement of
the National Museum of Iraq.
|
He
immediately recognised their similarity to galvanic batteries and
published a paper that suggested that these ancient electrical devices
may have been used for electroplating precious gold onto silver. It is
around this time that Adolf Hitler began a serious, if eccentric,
programme to study the technology of the ancients. Relatively modern
films such as “Raiders of the Lost Ark” are based on this obscure
reality. There is no easy explanation for the Baghdad Battery and
naturally this has created controversy, debate and disagreement in the
scientific community. Reconstructions of this device have proved that
it could generate an electrical current of between 0.4 and 1.9 volts.
Naturally, some scientists dispute these claims and argue that the
reconstructions are inaccurate. (Those scientist just love a good
dispute – it’s the scientific equivalent of arguing with you history
teacher to make sure that everyone else notices that you’re still in
the class.)
|
THE COSO ARTEFACT
During 1961 three rock collectors; Wallace Lane,
Virginia Maxey and Mike Mikesell were hunting for geodes near the town
of Olancha in the state of California, USA, when they discovered a
potential specimen that would stimulate more than five decades of
controversy.
While cutting through the geode they discovered
that instead of the normal cluster of crystals they expected to find
they discovered a white ceramic cylinder that had a central iron core
that was surrounded by an accretion of rust coloured stone.
|
|
THE COSO ARTEFACT
1920's
technology in the form of a spark plug encased in a 500,000 year old
stone geode. This is the Coso Artifact - real mystery or mistaken
analysis?
|
|
A faint
hexagonal discolouring of the surrounding material could also be made
out with the naked eye. According to Ms. Maxey the artifact was
examined by an experienced geologist who stated that material
surrounding the cylinder was at least 500,000 years old. X-rays of the
Coso Artifact revealed further metal components that several
independent experts have identified as parts of a 1920’s spark plug or
something similar. If the item is a genuine “Out of Place Artifact”
then it throws our understanding of history into total disarray. Today
the Coso Artifact has been largely discredited for three reasons.
Firstly, iron objects that are exposed to rain and the correct type of
sandy soil or clay can quite quickly build a concretion of rust that
appears very much like sandstone. Secondly, the artifact has
disappeared. It may still be in the possession of one of the surviving
discoverers but according to various sources they are no longer
prepared to discuss the matter. Thirdly, the identity of the geologist
who dated the Coso Artifact has never been revealed. We’ve only
included this item in our list because of the persistent interest in
the discovery and the ongoing conspiracy theory that the Item was
confiscated by the US Government and a gagging order placed on those
that found it. (Not very likely)
|
THE VIMANAS
Soviet
stamp depicting the USSR's space exploration ambitions alongside an
interpretation of a Vimana from ancient india. Fins, nose cone
detachable sections?
|
|
|
THE VIMANAS
This may be the most important section on this web page. It
refers to a collection of historical records from ancient India that
describe an array of incredible flying machines and weapons of a
technological standard even more advanced than those in existence
today.
The oldest mention of these machines is found in
the Sanskrit texts known as the Veda and date back to approximately
1,500BC. A modern translation reads: “jumping into space speedily with
a craft using fire and water ... containing twelve stamghas (pillars),
one wheel, three machines, 300 pivots, and 60 instruments.”
|
In the Ramayana texts there are references to flying machines that were used for the convenience of the ruling class.
In the Mahabharata texts there are descriptions of battle planes that
fire missiles that use sound to find their target and beams of light
that destroy anything they touch with their energy. Credit for these
machines was attributed to the Yavanas who are believed to be the
ancient Greek civilisations. In or around the early 1950’s a more
modern text was made available. Called the Vaimanika Sastra (science of
Aeronautics) it was allegedly the “inspired’ work of Subbaraya Shastry
who claimed it was based on the writings of the great sage Bharadwaja
thus giving authenticity to the scientific claims. The picture is a
concept drawing based on the written descriptions in the texts.
However, it could equally well describe the Russian concept rocket
depicted on the adjacent stamp. It is also worth noting that there are
claims that the 1960’s Russian scientists took a deep interest in the
Vimana phenomenon and strangely it is around this time that they made
significant leaps forward in their technological achievements. Still,
this is probably just a coincidence. Vimana are not unique to India
and there are references from all over the world and include the
Egyptian Saqqara Bird, the pre-Columbian golden airplane models, the
Greek Icarus legend, the Chariot of Ezekiel, the Nazca runways (lines),
The Abydos carvings, The Tassili rock paintings from Algeria and the
Chinese references to Lu Ban’s wooden aircraft that flew great
distances. Naturally, these references are often dismissed by modern
historians as simply impossible but there can be no doubt that humanity
has a collective memory of have once been able to fly in ancient
times. Is this a coincidence based on the worldwide wishful thinking
of past civilisations or is it a recollection of when it was actually
possible. You must decide for yourself.
|
GREEK FIRE / SEA FIRE
Fire has been used in war since the earliest
records began and may thousands of years later modern man still depends
on the same power taken to its extreme in the form of high explosives,
cannons, missiles, guns and of course flame throwers. However,
sometimes a weapon is developed that is so far ahead of its time and
the military capabilities of the other forces that it changes the
course of history. Greek Fire or Sea Fire as it is sometimes called
was one such development and became the secret weapon of the Byzantine
Empire.
|
|
GREEK FIRE / SEA FIRE
A
section from the illumination of the Skylitzes Manuscript in the
National Library of Spain, Madrid, showing the use of Greek Fire.
|
|
At
its most basic it was a fluid chemical mixture that could be ignited
and then sprayed onto enemy ships and personnel. Its effects were
devastating because this fluid could not be extinguished with water.
In fact, it was said to be able to burn under water and that any
attempt to damp it down only made the flames burn more fiercely. It
would cling to all materials and burn the flesh off the body of a man
in seconds in a manner very similar to modern day phosphorus weapons.
The formula was kept so secret that no one today knows how it was made
nor have scientists been able to recreate it using the ingredients
available at the time. Its invention has been attributed to the
Syrian Engineer and architect Kallinikos around 675 – 673 AD who had
fled from Baalbek (Heliopolis) in what is today Lebanon. An alternative
source of the knowledge is attributed to an Angel who revealed the
recipe to Constantine personally on the agreement that it should remain
a secret of Christianity forever. The one person who did attempt to
reveal the secret of the fire was allegedly struck down by a bolt from
heaven. Whatever the source the discovery and subsequent use of Greek
Fire certainly saved Constantinople from the Muslim conquest and held
back the rapid invasion of Europe. It was certainly discovered at a
critical time that could not have been more opportune and it saved the
Byzantine Empire. This coincidence deserves much more investigation.
As to the recipe it is believed it contained an early form of refined
petroleum, naphtha, sulphur, nitre, saltpeter and other ingredients
that may have even included phosphorus. Resins are also mentioned as a
possible component and recently there has been the suggestion that
iron dust may have been included. Until more accurate records are
discovered how it was made will remain a mystery and yet another lost
technology of the ancients.
|
|
|
0 comments:
Post a Comment