Fingerprints of the Gods
The meeting of history, myth and legend
Everyone loves a good story. History has some of the most tantalizing tales involving love, lust, betrayal, and power struggles. I don’t understand the allure of gossip when history is a drama, wrapped in a mystery, hidden in an enigma. The human condition in all its complexity, is laid bare again and again over time. The best part of digging into our collective past is fulfilling that sense of curiosity to know, learn, and evolve. To study history is to understand people. I’ve always been a sucker for an enticing origin story, ours gets more fascinating by the minute.
It must have been about a decade ago or more that I first discovered Graham Hancock’s ‘Fingerprints of the Gods’. I’d previously dabbled with books like ‘Chariots of the Gods’ which was written in the late ‘60s when archeology was less an interdisciplinary discipline. The occult, alien aspect never appealed to me. The history, evidence-based theories, geologic, and archaeological evidence presented by both authors parked themselves in my imagination. Theories surrounding humanity’s past have been fleshed out with better tech and cross-discipline analysis.
It is generally accepted that most archaeological evidence points to the first traces of civilization appearing somewhere around 5000-3500 B.C.E. The Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Indus civilizations being some of the earliest. If you can read or listen to credible lectures on these topics, it will be time well spent and your brain will be all the happier for it. Excavating our origin story is a daunting task for the archeologically uninitiated. As a result, I’m going to stick with just two specific topics, the pyramids of Giza (and the Sphinx) and Gopekli Tepe (a new site of circular stone monoliths found in Eastern Turkey near Syria).
Beyond the typical tourist photo-op, the pyramids of Giza are a mathematical and cultural wonder in every sense of the word. Khufu (the great pyramid), Khafre, Menkaure, and the Sphinx are the last of the ancient wonders of the world. To date, they capture the imagination of all those that gaze upon them. The great pyramid is a technological modern marvel. It has withstood at least three major earthquakes, including one that leveled much of Cairo, and was the tallest structure to exist for thousands of years. It is an elegant monument to the ingenuity of mankind. The two main chambers (the King’s and Queen’s chambers) are connected by a large corridor called the grand gallery. In recent years, two secret chambers have been discovered using modern technology. The secrets these chambers may reveal will add another chapter to humanity’s story.
Just the mathematical knowledge needed to construct the great pyramid is astonishing. The great pyramid was built using 2.3 million limestone blocks that were quarried nearby weighing an average of two tonnes each. The base of the pyramid is level within a few centimeters and the sides are equal within the same deviation. The mathematical precision required to build an earthquake-proof monument to within centimeters is phenomenal. It is aligned to true north and was originally covered in white limestone. I believe the granite used for the interior chambers was quarried in Aswan and traveled to its destination by boat. The interlocking stones are a near-perfect fit. Rather than a measure of inches or feet, the Egyptians were said to use a granite cubit as a standard unit. The mathematical ‘coincidences’ that can be discovered in the measurements of Khufu’s pyramid are prodigious enough for you to explore on your own. Pi, a calendar year, the proportions of the sun and moon can be calculated from it’s uncanny measurements. Some of the explanations found on the web feel a little less like earnest inquiry and more like occult fanaticism but the pure math and elegance of the structure is truly a thing of beauty.
Egyptologists are generally staunchly opposed to dating the great pyramid earlier than the current consensus. What they will not acknowledge, is that the translation of hieroglyphs and the cross-referencing of Greek and Roman sources make the authenticity of dating earlier dynasties problematic. This is where dating of the Sphinx and the more recent discovery of Gobleki Tepe add credence to the idea that civilizations with a high level of sophistication existed before 5000 B.C.E.
The date of the Sphinx seems more open for debate than that of the pyramids of Giza. The basis of the theory is that the head of the Sphinx exhibits signs of water erosion via rainfall. The last time that would have occurred in Egypt was 7000 B.C.E. Also the head of the sphinx appears a little too small for the base implying that it has been replaced. This supports the theory that civilizations existed earlier than previously thought and broadens our view of mankind’s genealogy and cultural life. These ancient ruins, within a short distance of each other, sharing similar motifs may be linked. Gobekli Tepe may tie together a possible shared history of eastern Africa, the Mediterranean and, the Arabian peninsula. Sophisticated use of math, possible astrological symbolism, and advanced engineering all embedded in the natural world would be a provocative origin story.
The ruins being unearthed at Gobekli Tepe, Turkey have been carbon-dated to 9,600 B.C.E. This site is incredibly unique for many reasons. There is no pottery found at the site, which adds weight to the carbon dating. Pottery is one of the oldest human technologies and its absence makes Gobekli Tepe a pre-pottery neolithic society. This is evidence of a predominantly hunter-gatherer society just beginning to domesticate animals that created religious structures rich with symbolism. Some theorists believe that animal symbolism may representative of constellations. While it is only five percent excavated, Gobekli has the potential to be transformative for mankind.
Religion is thought to follow agrarian societies, Gobekli Tepe turns that notion on its head. The bewildering size and scope of the limestone pillars used to create these sites demonstrate architectural abilities that in theory shouldn’t have existed at the time. It currently has the oldest religious iconography. The t-shaped monolithic blocks, some weighing up to sixteen tonnes, are carved with rich human and animal symbolism. Scorpions, foxes, snakes, various birds, and vultures display some similar features to the stone reliefs, etchings, and art of the Egyptians. Yet they are supposedly separated by some 6,000 years. Some have theorized that both have astrological significance in common. The Egyptians had celestial diagrams, showing the seasons, lunar cycles, the planets, and the deities that went along with them. Perhaps Gobekli Tepe is precursor or sister society. This is a completely plausible theory because mankind has always looked to the stars for guidance, wonder, and answers.
Gobekli Tepe is structured in three circular sites with the center pillars forming an equilateral triangle. This in itself implies geometric planning. Similarly repeating the constant geometric patterns and mathematical constants echoed with the pyramids. There is no water near Gobekli Tepe indicating that it may have been a pilgrimage site for the surrounding area. Some of the stone reliefs have unusual totem-like structures depicting odd groupings like vultures, scorpions, and geese. One stone relief appears to be depicting a mass extinction event which may be supported by accounts from Plato and Herodotus.
The elegance, beauty, and sheer engineering awe that is inspired by the great pyramids of Giza and Gobekli Tepe fuel the curious mind. The idea that thousands of skilled laborers built such awe-inspiring monuments using crude primitive tools seems implausible to say the least. These monuments were meant to create enduring legacies. I can only suppose that it was much more than ego, that drove mankind to create such wonders. People have an innate drive to innovate, advance, and explore. While modern society appears to want to preserve history in some manner, we seem to be lagging architecturally. Scientifically and artistically society is flourishing.
Our architectural creations seem mostly utilitarian and don’t have the enduring god-like mammoth presence of the past. Our ties to the earth, reverence for nature, and spiritual coffers seem empty to say the least. This reflects how and what we build. Knowledge has a factual component but I believe that to thrive, knowledge needs a wisdom component. That is something people are sorely lacking. Maybe we can look to the ancients for inspiration so we leave legacies that endure like the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu, or Stonehenge. The unraveling story of mankind is one worth understanding. Gobekli Tepe being another magnificent chapter in our origin story.
As trite as this sounds and as sick as we are of hearing it, I hope this finds you safe, at peace, and with hope.
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My dream soundtrack: One by U2, A definitive classic.
All cookie gift boxes should have something like this in them: Brownie petit fours. Make the brownies the usual way, coat them with almond bark, and decorate to your whim. Really rich but a great treat with bubbly or coffee.
