Ancient Societies

[bassai26]

like creating massive structures or observing heavenly bodies...

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

Yes.

Next question please.

[Harte]

I'd say yes.

But it's possible that few had heavenly bodies.

Harte

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

Heavenly bodies you say?

Helen of Troy leaps to mind

[bassai26]

sure she is...two men fighting over...

[Bavarian Raven]

Yes. But probably with techniques or more technology then we give them credit for at the time.

[seaturtlehorsesnake]

yes, yes, and again, yes

people back then had the same minds we have now. the same capacity for intelligence, creativity, and sheer bull-headed stubborness.

[bassai26]

yes, yes, and again, yes

people back then had the same minds we have now. the same capacity for intelligence, creativity, and sheer bull-headed stubborness.

If Alexandria hadn't been burned then we wont have to talk about ancient mysteries...

[The Lone Ranger]

you mean like prehistoric people being together? Well there is Göbekli Tepe, which if you believe modern science can`t exist, because Humans were still hunter gatherers.

[jaylemurph]

like creating massive structures or observing heavenly bodies...

..maybe you could explain to me what is so hard about craning your neck to look up two or more nights in a row that it requires extraterrestrial assistance?

--Jaylemurph

[Harte]

you mean like prehistoric people being together? Well there is Göbekli Tepe, which if you believe modern science can`t exist, because Humans were still hunter gatherers.

Strawman argument.

The fact is, Gobekli Tepe was first excavated by "mainstream science" and continues to be studied/excavated by "mainstream science."

You can't find anything real to rail against?

Harte

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

you mean like prehistoric people being together? Well there is Göbekli Tepe, which if you believe modern science can`t exist, because Humans were still hunter gatherers.

umm ... mainstream historians LOVE Gobekli Tepe, as it means it's something NEW to discover and explore and come to understand.

What was it Carl Sagan said - A man can make a career out of proving Einstein right, but prove him wrong and you make careers for people in the future? (please note: I read this yesterday in an Atomic Robo comic so it mightn't actually be a Sagan quote).

That's why historians love GT - it proves them wrong, it means they have to change their worldview and their horizons get bigger and more interesting.

The reason they go "aliens? ohh FFS" is because it narrows horizons and stiffles intellectual thought - "who built the pyramids? Aliens. how? Aliens. Why? Aliens".

BORING!

[laver]

..maybe you could explain to me what is so hard about craning your neck to look up two or more nights in a row that it requires extraterrestrial assistance?

--Jaylemurph

'two or more nights in a row' ??

Many years of detailed observations by some accounts ? but then, no TV around....

[jaylemurph]

'two or more nights in a row' ??

Many years of detailed observations by some accounts ? but then, no TV around....

Okay, then: what's so hard about /regularly/ craning your neck to look up that it requires extraterrestrial assistance?

--Jaylemurph

[laver]

Okay, then: what's so hard about /regularly/ craning your neck to look up that it requires extraterrestrial assista

--Jaylemurph

Its the recording of the data and passing it down the generations that puzzles some

[The Lone Ranger]

Strawman argument.

The fact is, Gobekli Tepe was first excavated by "mainstream science" and continues to be studied/excavated by "mainstream science."

You can't find anything real to rail against?

Harte

umm ... mainstream historians LOVE Gobekli Tepe, as it means it's something NEW to discover and explore and come to understand.

What was it Carl Sagan said - A man can make a career out of proving Einstein right, but prove him wrong and you make careers for people in the future? (please note: I read this yesterday in an Atomic Robo comic so it mightn't actually be a Sagan quote).

That's why historians love GT - it proves them wrong, it means they have to change their worldview and their horizons get bigger and more interesting.

The reason they go "aliens? ohh FFS" is because it narrows horizons and stiffles intellectual thought - "who built the pyramids? Aliens. how? Aliens. Why? Aliens".

BORING!

wow whats up with all the ranting, im just saying they haven`t really found an explanation considering humans were supposed to be still hunting and gathererings. no need to get all offensive.

Carl Sagan also said Human beings have a demonstrated talent for self-deception when their emotions are stirred. that says enough, start lookin at what is and stop judging it because you dont want to see the truth.

[ShadowSot]

you mean like prehistoric people being together? Well there is Göbekli Tepe, which if you believe modern science can`t exist, because Humans were still hunter gatherers.

That is not the stance of the archaeological community, I'm really not sure how you came up with that. It is surprising that such a structure seems to pre-date agrictulre (though evidence at the site would indicate that they did practice some basic planting and harvesting) no one is saying it couldn't exist.

There are a series of lectures up on the The Great Courses website and a recent edition of Actual Archaeology magazine was dedicted to the excavation of the site.

It's a recent find, so much work still has to be done in order to learn what we can about the site.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

Its the recording of the data and passing it down the generations that puzzles some

Yes, that's because they're idiots.

Because once we have LANGUAGE we have the ability to say "Ogg, see glowy thing in sky? When I was your age, that glowy thing was there and when my da was your age it was there".

Stuff me, this transmission of ideas is hard, must have been aliens.

[ShadowSot]

Yes, that's because they're idiots.

Because once we have LANGUAGE we have the ability to say "Ogg, see glowy thing in sky? When I was your age, that glowy thing was there and when my da was your age it was there".

Stuff me, this transmission of ideas is hard, must have been aliens.

This writing thing I hear about probably helped some.

[Harte]

Okay, then: what's so hard about /regularly/ craning your neck to look up that it requires extraterrestrial assistance?

--Jaylemurph

Obviously, the Aliens are chiropractors.

There's the rub, don'tcha know.

Harte

[ShadowSot]

Obviously, the Aliens are chiropractors.

There's the rub, don'tcha know.

Harte

B'dum tch.

[Harte]

wow whats up with all the ranting, im just saying they haven`t really found an explanation considering humans were supposed to be still hunting and gathererings. no need to get all offensive.

Sorry, kimosabe, but the Balbek Temple of Jupiter has been excavated - long ago. All the way down to the foundation. Typical Roman honeycombing was found, along with Roman artifacts underneath.

The wall shown in all the photos that fascinate the chronically astonished is a retaining wall. It is in front of the foundation.

The stone quarry was uphill from the site. The stones were never lifted, they were dragged - like by human (or animal) powered winches, such as the ones being used provide the power to the huge Roman cranes you can find on this page.

The topic has come up so many times that I thought you knew this explanation. I wouldn't have made fun of you (yet) if I'd known you didn't.

Carl Sagan also said Human beings have a demonstrated talent for self-deception when their emotions are stirred. that says enough, start lookin at what is and stop judging it because you dont want to see the truth.

The above applies to anyone that believes the wall in question at Balbek is pre - Roman.

Harte

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

This writing thing I hear about probably helped some.

Writing?

That's a fad, it'll never catch on - CAVE PAINTING that's the future.

[DKO]

Writing?

That's a fad, it'll never catch on - CAVE PAINTING that's the future.

I see modern cave paintings nowadays. Spray painted by cavemen in alleyways and on the back of buildings.

[ShadowSot]

Speaking of Göbekli Tepe, this popped up in my newsfeed:

World's oldest temple built to worship the dog star

I'm always suspicious when claims like this are made, but there is still a lot of ongoing work being done at that site - as is going on around the pyramids in Egypt.