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| This is another in a continuing series of books I've read on the topic of ancient
civilization. This book doubles as a coffee table picture book of exotic sites from around
the world. But for those who take the time to read the text, Hancock continues the
arguments he began in books like Fingerprints of the Gods and Message of the
Sphinx. The essence of this discussion is that there is evidence to suggest the
existence of an ancient civilization capable of worldwide navigation and astronomical
calculations. Hancock connects archaeological sites from Thailand, Mexico, Egypt, Easter Island and Peru. He shows how these sites reflect on the ground the configuration of stars and star patterns as they appeared around the Spring Equinox in 10,500 BC. I believe it's necessary to separate the evidence from Hancock's musings about the common religious heritage among these peoples. It's as if he's looking for the secret of eternal life in some long-dead and long-hidden religious system. However, these passages do not dominate the text. I'm also not convinced of the significance of the 72 degrees of longitude (and multiples thereof) that separate these sites. Hancock points out the tie to precession, but there's no explanation of why this particular number (the number of years it takes for 1 degree of precession to be observed) would be used in this way. If sites separated by this distance could be used to observe some astronomical event or effect, that would be interesting. But as it is it appears this is just a coincidence. (I would be more impressed if the structures were separated by 120 degrees, forming an equilateral triangle when a cross-section of the earth was taken through all three points.) The book makes for good reading if you're following Hancock's work. (I refuse to read, on the other hand, his book on life on Mars.) |
Heaven's Mirror: Quest for the Lost Civilization