• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

There’s a Giant Flaw in Human History

Hans Blaster

Raised by bees
Mar 11, 2017
22,240
16,715
55
USA
✟421,515.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Democrat
Why is it nonsense that prehistoric peoples used astronomical alignments.
We know pre-literate people built monuments with various stellar and planetary alignments.

What is rather nonsensical is the notion that 50 years of labor would build the largest structures in the world to make a star map of just a handful of stars. It is a particularly noxious notion because it is used by scoundrels and grifters as weak sauce "evidence" that the pyramids are twice as old as the actually are.

I am not saying this is the case and that it is ongoing. But we do have evidence going back as far as 7,500 years of pre Egyptians using atronomy to align their megaliths.

Astronomy at Nabta Playa, Southern Egypt
Nabta Playa may contain the oldest human-made features with astronomical alignments in Egypt. In the Late and Terminal Neolithic (7,500–5,400 BP), nomadic pastoralists built a ceremonial center on the western shore of Nabta Playa, consisting of some 30 complex megalithic structures, stone circles, and lines of megaliths crossing the playa. The megaliths may once have aligned with Arcturus, the Belt of Orion, Sirius, and α Cen.
I don't see how this changes anything. Aligning rocks in megaliths to match some astronomical observation is relatively common in megaliths. From what I can see of the link there is no "megaliths as star maps" at this site.

This doesn't change the construction date of the pyramids. It doesn't change the existence of "lost civilizatoins". It doesn't change the date of the "cognitive revolution". It's probably pretty cool, but I don't have access to this monograph.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

Hans Blaster

Raised by bees
Mar 11, 2017
22,240
16,715
55
USA
✟421,515.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Democrat
ok but its still a good example of skill.
Didn't say it wasn't. (It was also broken in Seba's tomb.
I don't know the test so far seem to point to it being near impossible.

Conclusions In Summary​

Based on the best understanding we currently have of the object, and on the knowledge of normal fundamental limits of physics and laws of nature, we have to conclude:

  • That this object was fabricated on a highly sophisticated subtractive manufacturing system, from a solid piece of granite.
  • That the manufacturing system would require, at the very least, sophisticated mechanical technology and high-precision components.
  • That the manufacturing system would necessarily have been guided by an automated control system, which could read the design as input, and produce the required motions as output.
  • That a turing machine, of considerable sophistication, would most likely have been employed to create and operate on the design, and to finally transfer it to the manufacturing system.
There is no way, in which we can attribute the production of this artefact, to anyone who do not possess, at minimum, the level of technological sophistication and capabilities mentioned above. This raises some very interesting questions regarding the origin of the object, which we hope to be able to explore in future work.
Not these numerology fools again. We went over this months ago and it had nothing to do with anything I had posted in this thread. Quit trying to expand the scope to everything.
 
Upvote 0

stevevw

inquisitive
Nov 4, 2013
16,165
1,801
Brisbane Qld Australia
✟324,919.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
Assumed? No. Did it raise some red flags? Absolutely.
Give me a break, the language used is dismissive. It does not speak of there being a possibility that any of this is real or worth considering even. The comment on the introduction of the vases sums up the overall attitude.

I mean your very first words were "5-6000 years ago is a creationist narrative". The mere mention of a time period is automatically about creation in your mind. You seem just as fixated on creating conspiracies as those you accuse.
The topic: lost ancient history: Red flag (General), be on the lookout for pseudo-archeology
Yes and in some peoples minds everything becomes a red flag and just mentioning certain trigger words and it is then turn it into a conspiracy and not the actual content even when it is a factual claim.
The poster: Sorry, Steve, but your threads on topics like this have a history of involving pseudoscience. (Be on alert.)
No I think they don't. From my experience some have turned it into conspiracy or whackery each and every time from the get go. I could go back and show you if you want. Just like this thread.

I am now begining to realise that I think it near impossible at least with how these kinds of threads attract such ideas and cannot ever proceed with any serious debate.

But one thing I see is clear the very same idea is being pushed by skeptics as a counter belief to muddy the waters. To conflate serious and factual evidence that there is some truth to some of these issues. That when it is proven or points that way that some purposely try to conflate this to maintain their worldview that any alternative is all whackery.
The means: Argument by video link. Not a good way to start. I didn't watch the video until the thread was several days old.
Trigger words, "mainstream": Another red flag warning. We wonder, "is he going to take us to pseudoscience land again."
Yes like I said skeptics have a radar for such words whereas others will see it with balance. Mainstream is often mentioned even by skeptics as a way of differentiating between a pushed narrative by the orthodoxy that is more about maintaining a worldview than fact or truth.

But at the same time they miss other key words like when the author said he was qualified in the field or that he was not saying this is all proven but brings up some questions. A balanced view that invites open investigation.

But some close it down by only seeing conspiracy and red flags according to their worldview.
It all compounds, but even so, we weren't assuming pseudoscience, but we were definitely on alert for it.
I think the "on alert" part is different depending on which worldview position your coming from. It seems skeptics see red flags everywhere even when theres none. Or see the same question mark as being a bigger red flag than warrants. Which then influences how they see the rest of the evidence.

While at the same time some go the other extreme and see everything as alternative and reject the science. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. But it doesn't help either way when people conflate things as either all whackery or all alternative.
There were other ways to introduce your thread that would have been way better. For example the question:

"What are we missing of potential settlements 10,000 years or more before classical archeology because of the loss of signs of construction due to the decay of building materials" or something like that.
Perhaps but that would not have made much difference to those who see anything no matter how its presented as all conspiracy. You are talking about a introduction or headline and sometimes they are designed to spark interest. But it doesn't mean the rest is automatically conspiracy.

Proper assessment is done in the content of the thread or paper. The view itself said nothing controversial and in fact posed things as questions. Perhaps yopu should have looked at the content before making the dismissive comments like its all about Genesis or some pseudoscience.
That would be good, but on these archeology issues, you do seem to frequently reject scientific results and analyses on artifacts. (cf. cutting rock with copper saws, drills, and chisels)
Well I am trying to destinguish the two. It doesn't help when everything said is assumed as conspiracy. Plus I am not sure what you mean bey rejecting the science. Is questioning the orthodox story that everything was pounded and rubbed into existence questioning the science.

I think sometimes its the other way around. If scientific evidence is shown that at least some works required something beyond the orthodoxy its deemed conspiracy. Who is rejecting the science then.
What is the spiritual aspect of ancient knowledge that relates to ancient construction techniques? You have not make that clear.
I don't know. Perhaps some knowledge of nature that can only be understood by some transcedent experience with nature. One thing that is apparent is that the greatest works seem to be to the gods or from the gods. So the motivation was spiritual.

Indigenous knowledge is probably a good example and how they possessed a deeper knowledge about nature such as the environment. There is some evidence of a deep understanding of astronomy, math and geometry and plants and even chemistry.
What is "higher knowledge"?
Understanding higher knowledge would be like trying to understand belief in God or gods and consciousness beyond brain into some transcedent consciousness that prevades everything.

As mentioned if God or consciousness beyond brain was real then logically there would be a deeper knowledge that comes with it because it is transcending temporal knowledge.

The best way I can explain this I think is with the thought experiment of Colourblind Mary who is a scientists that knows everything about how the eye and brain and light waves work to create colors in the brain. But she is colourblind and even though she has all the knowledge, data and facts on the processes has never experienced say the colour red like a red sports car or a juicy red apply.

One day Mark wakes up and can see colours for the firsdt time. She experiences the colour red and is then an donly then given new knowledge about reality that could not have come from all the technical and objective data.

In that sense I think our conscious experiences and beliefs impart this kind of knowledge in many ways and how Indigenous and ancients seen the world. Like I said if theres one thing we know is that these ancients were highly immersed in a different kind of world that was based on belief and experiences with nature. The modern material science world only came recently.
Personally, I don't know. It is not my field. If you want to know, I would look into the methodologies of psychology, sociology, and cultural anthropology. These are fields (and a few others) that study what people know, how they react to that knowledge, he we can understand what another person knows or believes, etc. Society is not blind to these states even if you or I are.
Yes I agree, these are the emerging fields which to some extent were at first seen as pseudoscience themselves. Or a by product of more fundemental physical processes (the extended genoytpe ect). Or a means to survival.

But in recent decades its become more apparent that this aspect of human thinking and behaviour cannot be reduced to physical processes and ideas like subjective experiences, agency, teleological beliefs, cultural imputs may actually be a force in themseves that not only directs evolution but reality itself in some ways.

Thus supporting there is some deeper knowledge to reality that may influence reality itself. Maybe that was within Indigenous knowledge or these ancients and has been lost.
The best demonstration of this "deeper knowledge" would be to demonstrate it. The origin isn't going to bother anyone if it is actually demonstrated.
Hum like I said such as with Marys thought experiement. She could not nor could anyone demonstrate and scientifically verify the experience and knowledge that came from the color red in her physical explanations.

Perhaps there is a way to workout this kind of knowledge. The trouble is it is intangible in many ways and we may see the end results which may be often attributed as a coincident or imagination ect.

I think its only been seriously taken in recent years. Like I said the orthodoc view said that Indigenous knowledge was just superstition and only recently we are beginning to see the deeper value of this knowledge. But even the Indigenous peoples are losing this knowledge as western scientific worldviews are pushed over all other ways of knowing.
Science will test it based on the known laws of nature, because that is what science does. Science will find it or not, or the answers will be inconclusive.
Going back to Marys example. Science will test everything and say that the cause is the physical processes. So the experience of colors and of nature as humans immersed in nature as a by product, an epiphenomena and therefore not fundemental knowledge.

So science can explain to great detail the physical processes but cannot even test for this kind of knowledge and will assume it as a byproduct of a material ontology.

But there are some areas of science as mentioned like psychology, the extended evolutionary synthesis which includes culture and agency and even quantum physics which is opening the door to perhaps a shift in thinking. Which is open to ideas beyond the orthodox material ontology.
At this point, you are being repetitive. If you want to understand possible investigations and tests of claims the claims need to be specified.
Yes its harder than I thought. Thats why I thought if showing that there is this possibility of a greater tech and knowledge through a specific example it may at least open minds to the possibility that there may be some deeper level of knowledge that we have lost.

Seeing a greater knowledge and tech in places where it should not be thus undermining the gradualism of simple to complex knowledge and tech.

But it seems we cannot even agree on that with all the conflations. Which brings me back to the thought that maybe this is impossible. Not because it can be achieved but because in threads like this theres no way to shift through all the conflations and reality from both sides.
What would any of this "transcendent knowledge" have to do with civilization and settlement that is unknown or lost to archeology?
The idea is that knowledge is not linear from simple to complex. Nor is it like we think today as in having a certain kind of expression of knowledge in say computers type tech.

That knowledge and tech can be contextual to the culture. What we today consider belief or spiritual was in fact a deeper knowledge that may have actually worked with nature to achieve what we are actually trying to still figure out.

It makes sense that if God is real and there is a deeperer knowledge to be found that cannot be found in the gradualism and material worldviews that this knowledge may be like some shortcut to actually understanding and working with the laws of nature. In fact not understanding technically but just knowing through experiencial knowlegde.

Something we lost through the gradual relegating this as unimportant but now are trying to refind except within the material worldview which perhaps will never find it as it belongs in a different ontology. Something only fringe science is now willing to explore because its been relegated as fiction from the time of enlightenment.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

stevevw

inquisitive
Nov 4, 2013
16,165
1,801
Brisbane Qld Australia
✟324,919.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
Didn't say it wasn't. (It was also broken in Seba's tomb.
OK
Not these numerology fools again. We went over this months ago and it had nothing to do with anything I had posted in this thread. Quit trying to expand the scope to everything.
Your only proving my point. What in the analysis is foolish. Did they mismeasure something within a 1,000ths of s degree or something. Did they miss measure the geometry.

You do know this has been repreated which is suppose to be good science when findings are replicated is it not.
 
Upvote 0

Hans Blaster

Raised by bees
Mar 11, 2017
22,240
16,715
55
USA
✟421,515.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Democrat
Actually I think you have derailed the thread into that from the first post which only supports my point that this is about a worldview and your worldview is that as soon as even a hint of alternative or advanced past knowledge is mentioned its put into the conspiracy box without proper and fair investigation.
Oh rly?

I went back to our very first interaction on this thread, my post #12. That was a response to your post #10. Your post #10 was a response to post #9 by Gene2meme. (I won't be "at"ing anyone since they seem to have bowed out of this conversation.)

Post #9 doesn't detail which post(s) it is quoting, but does seem to be responding to your OP, the video in the OP, and Bradskii's reference to a book (The dawn of everything) on the topic (post #5) and your reply (#8) to that post.

Post #9 opens with:

"Seems like he's attacking ideas that are of his own invention and/or deliberately misconstruing areas of active research. Or concepts that are a couple of decades out of date."

And it goes on from their to demonstrate that the the narative in Button's video is creating strawmen to burn by noting how well examples of cognitive modernity and civilization exist from 40 to 200 thousand years ago.

Your reply (post #10) talks repeatedly of "the mainstream" and some rather odd bit:

"Mainstream created this narrative to support the idea of gradualism in evolution. That humans evolved from dumb brute cavemen to more sophisticated living and thinking. That influenced how the evidence was seen."

which was really odd, frankly. It does not resemble any narative from the "mainstream" I was taught or heard as current. Some parts of it are antiquated, but I'd have to study the intellectual history of the past to know which things in that post were actually "mainstream".

While the OP and video are not fringe, nor are any post through #9 pushing any fringe theory of the past, in post #10 there really are some strong suggestions of the fring, starting with the repeated reference to "mainstream". Then it gets a bit wierd:

"Now it seems that there was more advanced humans who once ruled the earth and were destroyed and the megaliths and works they left were discovered and not created by later cultures who came along and found them."

Which lo and behold includes those very cores of the fring ideas: lost advanced civilizations creating ancient artifacts and structures claimed by later civilzations. This is *exactly* the fringe ideas, you, I, and @sjastro have gone around and around on this thread and several previous ones.

We can also throw in your odd reference to the mainstream having civilization starting 5-6000 years ago when my very mainstream JHS/HS world history text from *40* years ago talked quite confidently of civilization starting with the settlement and agriculture in the Fertile Crecent.

We finally get to my response (post #12).

I reacted to your repeat invocation of "mainstream" ( serious redflag ) and your invocations of lost civilizations and their megaliths (and you still haven't responded about Carhenge ). This was not my first go around with your claims of that category.

I also reacted to your 5-6000 year claim about "mainstream" (noted above in the post), given that my understanding of the traditional "mainstream" view was that civilization was *twice* that old and with your reference to the mainstream trying to fit an "evolutionary" narative, that age sure looked like a YEC narative and I commented on that. (You seem to have been confused by that comment as you don't in retrospect seem to have been thinking of that, but were definitely not properly aware of what the mainstream view of even a few decades ago was.)

As I noted in my final statements of that post, which I stand by:

When I saw this thread, I knew we were going to lost civilizations and Atlantean nonsense and this post did no disappoint.
It has been clear for a while that humans were anatomically and cognatively modern in the sense required to support civilizations for more than 50,000 years just from the migration out of Africa.

The lost (atlantean) civilization vibes were sitting in the background and growing. I just noted them.

Thus everything that anyone who suggests these possibilities are psudoscience even though much of what they say has also been supported by the scientific evidence ie classing the mention of precision vases as a conspiracy when extensive science supports the precision and advanced tech signatures.
The stuff summarized in post #9, most if not all of what was in the video in the OP, no that was not pseudoscience. But the lost civilizations and 'misdated' megaliths. Yep that is, specifically, pseudo-archeology.
The difference is I can take the conspiracies and sort them and be open to what is good and supported. Whereas you and those with the anti anything different worldview will dismiss it before it gets in the front door.
I stuck my foot in the jam while you were trying to sneak in some pseudo-history. I'll continue to do that.
 
Upvote 0

Hans Blaster

Raised by bees
Mar 11, 2017
22,240
16,715
55
USA
✟421,515.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Democrat
OK

Your only proving my point. What in the analysis is foolish. Did they mismeasure something within a 1,000ths of s degree or something. Did they miss measure the geometry.

You do know this has been repreated which is suppose to be good science when findings are replicated is it not.
We went over this months ago. If you want to read my response go search for the *last* time you posted that.
 
Upvote 0

Hans Blaster

Raised by bees
Mar 11, 2017
22,240
16,715
55
USA
✟421,515.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Democrat
Give me a break, the language used is dismissive. It does not speak of there being a possibility that any of this is real or worth considering even. The comment on the introduction of the vases sums up the overall attitude.
We discussed those stupid vases for weeks last year. I'm not interested in anymore discussions of them.

(And there is no way I am making a detailed response to a 9-page post. Please restrain yourself.)
I mean your very first words were "5-6000 years ago is a creationist narrative". The mere mention of a time period is automatically about creation in your mind. You seem just as fixated on creating conspiracies as those you accuse.
As I have noted 3 or 4 times already:

1. 5-6000 years was not the "mainstream narrative" of any kind I'd ever heard of.
2. It is the date use repeatedly by YECists.
3. You'd already primed me to think of creationism by referring to the "mainstream" narrative as designed to meet an evolutionary program of development.

This is the last time I will respond to this. It wasn't that important to begin with. Ignore my original statement if that helps you.
Yes and in some peoples minds everything becomes a red flag and just mentioning certain trigger words and it is then turn it into a conspiracy and not the actual content even when it is a factual claim.

No I think they don't. From my experience some have turned it into conspiracy or whackery each and every time from the get go. I could go back and show you if you want. Just like this thread.

I am now begining to realise that I think it near impossible at least with how these kinds of threads attract such ideas and cannot ever proceed with any serious debate.
You keep posting pseudoscience either from the top of your "P&LS" threads or you get there quickly. You could just abandon your views that aren't supported by facts.
But one thing I see is clear the very same idea is being pushed by skeptics as a counter belief to muddy the waters. To conflate serious and factual evidence that there is some truth to some of these issues. That when it is proven or points that way that some purposely try to conflate this to maintain their worldview that any alternative is all whackery.

Yes like I said skeptics have a radar for such words whereas others will see it with balance. Mainstream is often mentioned even by skeptics as a way of differentiating between a pushed narrative by the orthodoxy that is more about maintaining a worldview than fact or truth.
I'd like to hope I am doing skepticism well. I certainly would strive for that, but my patience with known pseudoscience is quite thin.
But at the same time they miss other key words like when the author said he was qualified in the field or that he was not saying this is all proven but brings up some questions. A balanced view that invites open investigation.

But some close it down by only seeing conspiracy and red flags according to their worldview.
I have not made any claims about conspiracy in this thread. Nor have I really seen anyone making any conspiratorial claims. I just see a lot of psuedoscience.
I think the "on alert" part is different depending on which worldview position your coming from. It seems skeptics see red flags everywhere even when theres none. Or see the same question mark as being a bigger red flag than warrants. Which then influences how they see the rest of the evidence.
This is not my first rodeo, Steve.
While at the same time some go the other extreme and see everything as alternative and reject the science. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. But it doesn't help either way when people conflate things as either all whackery or all alternative.
I think the truth needs to be demonstrated with evidence, not just speculations. Your sources make lots of unfounded speculations.
Perhaps but that would not have made much difference to those who see anything no matter how its presented as all conspiracy. You are talking about a introduction or headline and sometimes they are designed to spark interest. But it doesn't mean the rest is automatically conspiracy.

Proper assessment is done in the content of the thread or paper. The view itself said nothing controversial and in fact posed things as questions. Perhaps yopu should have looked at the content before making the dismissive comments like its all about Genesis or some pseudoscience.
Again, no conpsiracy was countered at you. The problem is pseudoscience.

More importantly, if you want your thread to stick to a discussion of your intended topic you need to shape it. You can't just post a video and write something like "this video has some interesting ideas to discuss". There is no wonder why the thread wandered away from what you wanted to discuss.

Summarize the topic carefully in a few short paragraphs, carefully edited, about archeological evidence for settlements and cognition prior to 50,000 years ago, then "and here is a video that communicates some of those ideas". Ask questions in the post like "what does this mean for our understanding of the lives of early modern humans?" "were they more sedentary than we thought?" "how long ago *did* we gain our modern congnitive traits". Leave out the complaints about the mainstream, etc., and the references to "alternative history/archeology" and stick to things like those in post #9 that talked about examples known to those with deep knowledge of early modern human archeology, but not necessarily to all of us.

I think that would have been an interesting and potentially thoughtful discussion. Instead you started talking about "mainstream" this and that and it went down hill from there.

[This section of the reply and the section of your post I was responding to, could have and should have been a separate post, but at this point I just want to get through this and go to bed.]

Well I am trying to destinguish the two. It doesn't help when everything said is assumed as conspiracy. Plus I am not sure what you mean bey rejecting the science. Is questioning the orthodox story that everything was pounded and rubbed into existence questioning the science.

I think sometimes its the other way around. If scientific evidence is shown that at least some works required something beyond the orthodoxy its deemed conspiracy. Who is rejecting the science then.
Unfortunately on these topics, particularly when you start source large amounts of counter content (the images and links) a significant fraction of your sources come from site we (the persons you are in conversation with) *KNOW* to be psuedoscience grifter sites. Sites like "global education project" (Chris Dunn), ancient-origins, etc.
I don't know. Perhaps some knowledge of nature that can only be understood by some transcedent experience with nature. One thing that is apparent is that the greatest works seem to be to the gods or from the gods. So the motivation was spiritual.

Indigenous knowledge is probably a good example and how they possessed a deeper knowledge about nature such as the environment. There is some evidence of a deep understanding of astronomy, math and geometry and plants and even chemistry.
In other words, trying to understand the beliefs and motivations of ancient peoples.
Understanding higher knowledge would be like trying to understand belief in God or gods and consciousness beyond brain into some transcedent consciousness that prevades everything.

As mentioned if God or consciousness beyond brain was real then logically there would be a deeper knowledge that comes with it because it is transcending temporal knowledge.
That's what I thought -- some sort of spiritualist notion.
The best way I can explain this I think is with the thought experiment of Colourblind Mary who is a scientists that knows everything about how the eye and brain and light waves work to create colors in the brain. But she is colourblind and even though she has all the knowledge, data and facts on the processes has never experienced say the colour red like a red sports car or a juicy red apply.

One day Mark wakes up and can see colours for the firsdt time. She experiences the colour red and is then an donly then given new knowledge about reality that could not have come from all the technical and objective data.

In that sense I think our conscious experiences and beliefs impart this kind of knowledge in many ways and how Indigenous and ancients seen the world. Like I said if theres one thing we know is that these ancients were highly immersed in a different kind of world that was based on belief and experiences with nature. The modern material science world only came recently.
onto the next response...
Yes I agree, these are the emerging fields which to some extent were at first seen as pseudoscience themselves. Or a by product of more fundemental physical processes (the extended genoytpe ect). Or a means to survival.

But in recent decades its become more apparent that this aspect of human thinking and behaviour cannot be reduced to physical processes and ideas like subjective experiences, agency, teleological beliefs, cultural imputs may actually be a force in themseves that not only directs evolution but reality itself in some ways.

Thus supporting there is some deeper knowledge to reality that may influence reality itself. Maybe that was within Indigenous knowledge or these ancients and has been lost.
No. Pseudoscience is not pseudo (false) because of what it studies, it is psuedo because of the false methodology. Pseudoscience is an activity that proports to be science/scientific, but is not actually so. The difference between what people like Chris Dunn do and what real scholars of ancient Egyptian stonework do is vast. I don't think you are properly aware of what actual scholars do and how they cross-check and challenge their own results.
Hum like I said such as with Marys thought experiement. She could not nor could anyone demonstrate and scientifically verify the experience and knowledge that came from the color red in her physical explanations.

Perhaps there is a way to workout this kind of knowledge. The trouble is it is intangible in many ways and we may see the end results which may be often attributed as a coincident or imagination ect.

I think its only been seriously taken in recent years. Like I said the orthodoc view said that Indigenous knowledge was just superstition and only recently we are beginning to see the deeper value of this knowledge. But even the Indigenous peoples are losing this knowledge as western scientific worldviews are pushed over all other ways of knowing.

Going back to Marys example. Science will test everything and say that the cause is the physical processes. So the experience of colors and of nature as humans immersed in nature as a by product, an epiphenomena and therefore not fundemental knowledge.

So science can explain to great detail the physical processes but cannot even test for this kind of knowledge and will assume it as a byproduct of a material ontology.

But there are some areas of science as mentioned like psychology, the extended evolutionary synthesis which includes culture and agency and even quantum physics which is opening the door to perhaps a shift in thinking. Which is open to ideas beyond the orthodox material ontology.

Yes its harder than I thought. Thats why I thought if showing that there is this possibility of a greater tech and knowledge through a specific example it may at least open minds to the possibility that there may be some deeper level of knowledge that we have lost.
Don't know what this Marys business is about.
Seeing a greater knowledge and tech in places where it should not be thus undermining the gradualism of simple to complex knowledge and tech.

But it seems we cannot even agree on that with all the conflations. Which brings me back to the thought that maybe this is impossible. Not because it can be achieved but because in threads like this theres no way to shift through all the conflations and reality from both sides.
Invoking mystery tech is not going to fix anything. That's why real archeologists stick to conclusions based on what they can demonstrate and test. And I'm out.
The idea is that knowledge is not linear from simple to complex. Nor is it like we think today as in having a certain kind of expression of knowledge in say computers type tech.

That knowledge and tech can be contextual to the culture. What we today consider belief or spiritual was in fact a deeper knowledge that may have actually worked with nature to achieve what we are actually trying to still figure out.

It makes sense that if God is real and there is a deeperer knowledge to be found that cannot be found in the gradualism and material worldviews that this knowledge may be like some shortcut to actually understanding and working with the laws of nature. In fact not understanding technically but just knowing through experiencial knowlegde.

Something we lost through the gradual relegating this as unimportant but now are trying to refind except within the material worldview which perhaps will never find it as it belongs in a different ontology. Something only fringe science is now willing to explore because its been relegated as fiction from the time of enlightenment.
 
Upvote 0

stevevw

inquisitive
Nov 4, 2013
16,165
1,801
Brisbane Qld Australia
✟324,919.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
Oh rly?

I went back to our very first interaction on this thread, my post #12. That was a response to your post #10. Your post #10 was a response to post #9 by Gene2meme. (I won't be "at"ing anyone since they seem to have bowed out of this conversation.)

Post #9 doesn't detail which post(s) it is quoting, but does seem to be responding to your OP, the video in the OP, and Bradskii's reference to a book (The dawn of everything) on the topic (post #5) and your reply (#8) to that post.

Post #9 opens with:

"Seems like he's attacking ideas that are of his own invention and/or deliberately misconstruing areas of active research. Or concepts that are a couple of decades out of date."

And it goes on from their to demonstrate that the the narative in Button's video is creating strawmen to burn by noting how well examples of cognitive modernity and civilization exist from 40 to 200 thousand years ago.

Your reply (post #10) talks repeatedly of "the mainstream" and some rather odd bit:

"Mainstream created this narrative to support the idea of gradualism in evolution. That humans evolved from dumb brute cavemen to more sophisticated living and thinking. That influenced how the evidence was seen."

which was really odd, frankly. It does not resemble any narative from the "mainstream" I was taught or heard as current. Some parts of it are antiquated, but I'd have to study the intellectual history of the past to know which things in that post were actually "mainstream".
Yes and I mentioned how despite the claim that this is old news and the narrative is more open to alternative ideas in reality its not. By the fact that the same basis that originally created the narrative is still being pushed to destinguish the mere suggestion of alternative ideas before they are investigated.

A similar thing is happening in evolution where alternative evidence and ideas are being claimed as already incorporated into the changing synthesis. While at the same time in reality still basically pushing the same old ideas in practice. Or in dismissing alternative explanations. The same with physics. Any alternative ontology beyond the material one is automatically regarded as psudoscience.

The same thing when people automatically say this is about creationism or conspiracy theories. In practice the language and narrative is still basically the same. Thats understandable. Because ultimately this is about two different worldviews on reality. Those who do not believe in a non material ontology will always regard any alternative as Woo and the language will reflect this.

They will say the allow for alternative ideas so long as they fit the worldview. As soon as you get into it then its a matter of belief and not science. But still those with a material ontology will use that to dismiss alternative views as though holding the more truthful position.
While the OP and video are not fringe, nor are any post through #9 pushing any fringe theory of the past, in post #10 there really are some strong suggestions of the fring, starting with the repeated reference to "mainstream". Then it gets a bit wierd:
I did not make any personal comments on the OP. JUst asked what others thought. The idea of it being or inviting conspiracy was implied by others. That opened the gate. Instead of perhaps 'what did the video mean by X or Y'. Or is the author pushing conspiracies. That opens up to investigation rather than pushing a personal view of what it represented.

But then I am not really too worried that this happened as I know it is something that will come up sooner or later. Just not as soon as I thought. Perhaps I was not prepared enough and could have directed things better.

But I know I certainly was not intending the level of how the thread exploded into conspiracies lol. Like I said within days it was full of comments for many people. In some ways you are right in that we already have the weight of past conspiracies causing people to be very skeptical. But still that is no reason to assume.
"Now it seems that there was more advanced humans who once ruled the earth and were destroyed and the megaliths and works they left were discovered and not created by later cultures who came along and found them."

Which lo and behold includes those very cores of the fring ideas: lost advanced civilizations creating ancient artifacts and structures claimed by later civilzations. This is *exactly* the fringe ideas, you, I, and @sjastro have gone around and around on this thread and several previous ones.
No this is a general simple and reasonable common sense statement. Nothing in that is controversial. It is a well recognised and common general view. I gave no specific as to aliens, creationism, magic ect.

Look what I said, the possibility that human knowledge was more advanced in our history that we realised or gave credit for. That the amazing works we see may be evidence for this.

Nothing in that speaks conspiracy itself. I have not injected into that space aliens or creationism and in fact have tried to ground it in ideas like Indigenous knowledge which is a well recognised alternative knowledge. Or in the specific examples of advanced knowledge and tech.
We can also throw in your odd reference to the mainstream having civilization starting 5-6000 years ago when my very mainstream JHS/HS world history text from *40* years ago talked quite confidently of civilization starting with the settlement and agriculture in the Fertile Crecent.

We finally get to my response (post #12).
I don't think its a straight forward as your rendition. For example GT was mentioned as an anomely in the historical records relatively recent in mainstream circles. Its not necessarily when these sites are discovered but the accumulative evidence which may cause the existing perspectives on the evidence to create a new hypothesis. Like any science.

That this issue of alternative histories is coming up generally in society more today than ever is itself part of the changing view of human history. That we have more access to alternative views of knowledge is what is fueling people to question the narratives of human knowledge and history.

This is a far bigger issue as far as the epistemics and metaphysics are concerned I think.

This article was written only 2 years ago speaking of the mainstream or establish historical view and its not from a religious or conspiracy site.
The civilisation myth: How new discoveries are rewriting human history
I reacted to your repeat invocation of "mainstream" ( serious redflag ) and your invocations of lost civilizations and their megaliths (and you still haven't responded about Carhenge ). This was not my first go around with your claims of that category.
Ok I will have to go back and find this and respond. Ok fair enough, you see the word 'mainstream' as code for conspiracy. I don't. I see it as a common term used in many applications that is well acceptable.

As far as mentioning megaliths and lost civilizations I am not sure I meant it as you would have seen this. When we talk about past knowledge and tech one of the most obvious ways to test this is with the only real visible and most obvious way that is left on the ground.

Its like a self fullfilling follow on evidence. If you want to show there was advanced knowledge then the only thing science can check is the empiricle evidence. Which just happens to be what we can see which has lasted through time (the megaliths and hard stone evidence).

But then thanks to modern tech we can now find other ways such as Lidar and GPR ect which is also revealing some surprising finds Or the engineering tests on these objects.

As I mentioned the topic of specific examples in the ground and especially Egyptian is a natural follow on to claiming there was some sort of advanced knowledge in the past. I am not surpised. But the same kind of signatures are seen all over the world.

Its the accumulation of all these out of place evidence that is fueling the speculation that there was some sort of advanced society that achieved a great level of tech and knowledge that is hard to explain with the conventional narratives. Even the updated ones.
I also reacted to your 5-6000 year claim about "mainstream" (noted above in the post), given that my understanding of the traditional "mainstream" view was that civilization was *twice* that old
Yes and I mentioned that despite this its still an overall worldview. I mentioned how in recent years despite the recognition that GT is old news that it had become in the mainstream again. Perhaps due to a rise in other discoveries and the recent work on astronomy on the glyphs. The same old worldviews were being mentioned again as recent as 10 years ago or less.

In fact here is an article from 2 years ago talking about how discoveries like GT are causing mainstream views on our history to change. I think perhaps now it has moved beyond realising that our history is throwing up some anomelies in the narrative. Its now becoming a matter of metaphysics and not the evidence. The accumulative evidence is causing people to question knowledge itself.
and with your reference to the mainstream trying to fit an "evolutionary" narative, that age sure looked like a YEC narative and I commented on that. (You seem to have been confused by that comment as you don't in retrospect seem to have been thinking of that, but were definitely not properly aware of what the mainstream view of even a few decades ago was.)
Yes that was not even in my mind lol. In fact why would I be suggesting a longer history for human knowledge that stretches back 100s of 1,00s of years lol. There goes the 6 or 7,000 year old creationist entire belief lol. But I get the connection as once again words have more than one meaning depending on the perspective and the year 6,000 seems to come with a lot of baggage.
As I noted in my final statements of that post, which I stand by:

When I saw this thread, I knew we were going to lost civilizations and Atlantean nonsense and this post did no disappoint.
Lol. Maybe this is true. Though I did not intend that. Like I said I have come to realise that discussing such topics is near impossible unless I guess there was some formal debate and conditions.

Anyway. I stayed right away from Atlantis and all that. You or someone else brought that in. Still I don't care as like you said it may be inevitable. But I did destinguish that all these ideas, stories and legends are loosely based on some true event and then elaborated. So I acknowledged the destinction and was not promoting conspiracies.

Thats really part of the problem. To be able to discuss even conspiracies to not them out and see what is fake and what may have some basis. I think that is the real problem, the fact that theres no way to formerly referee how the evidence is established without all the conflation.
It has been clear for a while that humans were anatomically and cognatively modern in the sense required to support civilizations for more than 50,000 years just from the migration out of Africa.

The lost (atlantean) civilization vibes were sitting in the background and growing. I just noted them.
Fair enough and this was a natural part of a thread like this. In some ways I wish that we could even go into this in more detail to see whether theres any basis. Not for some magical city. But that there was some great city that was perhaps the pinnacle of the great megaliths we see and then something happened that it disappeared in a relatively short time.

Usually this is how these legends are evolved. It would be interesting to see if there is any evidence for this on the ground. But unfortunately I feel that it would be hard once again without some formal way of establishing the rules of epistemics. As even clear evidence can be conflated.
The stuff summarized in post #9, most if not all of what was in the video in the OP, no that was not pseudoscience. But the lost civilizations and 'misdated' megaliths. Yep that is, specifically, pseudo-archeology.
Why, though. What is it about misdated megaliths that make it not a possibility. Remembering that sometimes its the accumulation of evidence ie we know pharoahs usurped or repurposed old stuff, we have evdience of it, we see the difference in signatures in that the clear signatures old the old stuff looks more or less the exact same as some of the stuff being claimed as new stuff.

Its not to say that this specific works is old or new. But to say 'hey wait a minute lets not be so fast in attributing this to the new and lets do some further investigation. Its the inistence no matter what that whatever is found at a new site or stamped with a name is the result of that site or name.
I stuck my foot in the jam while you were trying to sneak in some pseudo-history. I'll continue to do that.
You percieved I was trying to sneak in some pseudo-history. My language does not speak of promoting any conspiracy. In fact twice bitten 10 times shy. I know what that does to a thread lol. Thats the worst thing I could do if I wanted to get to the bottom of things and be taken seriously.

To a desgree I agree that these types of topics are rife with conflations and its easy to slip into on both sides. Perhaps this is the nature of such threads. But its fun anyway lol.

As I mentioned earlier in some ways that we are now discussing the epistemics, perspectives of how we each see what has been said is itself on topic of the OP. Because this is philsophy and metaphysics. How the evidence is seen, what is evidence and conspiracy.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

Hans Blaster

Raised by bees
Mar 11, 2017
22,240
16,715
55
USA
✟421,515.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Democrat
You percieved I was trying to sneak in some pseudo-history. My language does not speak of promoting any conspiracy. In fact twice bitten 10 times shy. I know what that does to a thread lol.
I'm not claiming that you are sneaking it it. Rather it seems that you just quote it credulously. The problem may just be that you don't recognize the psuedohistory for what it is. I don't know.
Thats the worst thing I could do if I wanted to get to the bottom of things and be taken seriously.
Oh well.
To a desgree I agree that these types of topics are rife with conflations and its easy to slip into on both sides. Perhaps this is the nature of such threads. But its fun anyway lol.
It grows less fun with time.
As I mentioned earlier in some ways that we are now discussing the epistemics, perspectives of how we each see what has been said is itself on topic of the OP. Because this is philsophy and metaphysics. How the evidence is seen, what is evidence and conspiracy.
I really don't think it has anything to do with philosophy, metaphysics or epistemics, or any "worldview" thing. Certainly not a naturalist versus non-naturalist view.

I'm not sure I'm going to respond to much of what remains of this post. I am, however, going to go back to the first page and reply to a few bits you wrote in the earliest posts (particularly before I responded the first time) to try to show you what concerned me at the time and still, but do so more carefully.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ophiolite
Upvote 0

Hans Blaster

Raised by bees
Mar 11, 2017
22,240
16,715
55
USA
✟421,515.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Democrat
Before I start this reply to stuff that wasn't in anyway a reply to me, I want to note that this is the text of the OP
The short video speaks for itself. Is this possible. If so what are the implications for the mainstream view of human evolution and history.
Right away you are invoking challenges to the "mainstream view" on both history and human evolution.

This does actually reflect what Mr. Button puts in the video that you also linked in the post exhibits the same need to challenge the "mainstream view/narrative".



In your next post (#4) you reply to this statement from post #3 "All our modern history has been re-written with half truths" as such in post #4:
I think we are living in interesting times. It seems the long held worldview of our history is being questioned across a wide range of areas. It am not sure whether this is beause of new discoveries or that we are in a time where there is so many persuing this that we are now getting a wider perspective which is moving outside the mainstream narriaves.

I suspect its a bit of both. The discoveries such as Gobekli Tepe and of prehistoric tool making and constructions which seem widespread and point to a greater sophistication have also undermined the orthodox narrative.
You seem to agree with the nonsense in post #3 again talking about "mainstream narratives" and "long held worldview(s) of history". For the first time you mention actual evidence of your claims via Gobekli Tepe, though you reference to "greater sophistication" is not clear as to greater sophistication in what. Given that the idea behind the *video* in the OP is about when human congnition became modern (and being earlier than many assume), the Gobekli Tepe site doesn't contribute to that at all since we are taking about the difference between dates that are at least 4 times older (the more recent "mainstream" version being challenged and much much older.


The next section is from your post #8 which was in response to Bradskii's post #5 where he linked to the wikipedia description of and then discussed a book that he thought was the source material for Button's video (from the OP). You have a few paragraphs commenting on the "western centric" and "colonialist" discussion in the book and then end (from #8) with:
THis is the narrative that is being exposed as western centric and that other forms of knowledge such as Indigenous knowledge may be just as advanced in their own way and even more sophisticated and reflecting reality.

It is the new discoveries such as Gobekli Tepe but also the rethinking of existing evidence in the context that this may not have just been myth but insightful knowledge or the world and more advanced than we thought.

I'm still not sure what "indigenous knowledge" is and what it is being compared to.

Then you invoke Gobekli Tepe again in reference to some "myth" that again, I do not know what the "myth" is that you write of as it is not clear. Again, it has no impact on any notions of mental modernity as it is well past when that happened. It does indicate that "intense settlement" was further along in the Anatolian upper Euphrates than had been realized as the discovery of what Gobekli Tepe was has spurred examinations of more pre-pottery Neolithic sites in the Anatolian upper Euphrates that shows that there are precursors and sucessors to that site. Other sites in the area that were contemporary. And, even other uses of the famous "T-pillars". Our understanding of the growth of settlement with very permanent structures and the nature of the local food economy has definitely grown a lot, but it does not tell us about pre-Columbian America, ancient China, etc.


Finally we get to post #10 which I quote only part of below. This was in response to the very sensible post #9 from Gene2MemE discussing a number of sites from a few tens of thousands to a few hundreds of thousand years ago that have been examined in the last few decades. Here was part of your reply.
So large megaliths and other works that were deemed too advanced for neolithic primitive nomads and was said to have somehow been created with primitive tools and knowhow. There could not have been sophisticated thinking and belief before at this stage in evolution.
In this part of your reply you speak of "megaliths" the kind of structures that "mainstream" archeology dates to various points within the last 10,000 years.

First you refer to the builders noted in the mainstream as "neolithic primitive nomads and was said to have somehow been created with primitive tools and knowhow", which is by no means what the "mainstream" claims. No one thought the Egyptians were "primative nomads" when any of their tombs were built (or there fancy vases and statutes were crafted). They were a large, settled agricultural civilization with an abolute monarch that engaged in international trade and had writing. Other large constructions including megaliths come from settled civilizations with organized leadership and sufficient labor and resources to build the thing in question in about one life time: from the pyramids of Mars Giza, to Stonehenge and other stone circles, to ziggurats of Mesopotamia, to Carhenge, to the massive mounds of Cahokia, to the temples of Malta, to the pyramids of Mexico, to the T-pillar enclosures of Gobekli Tepe.

Since all of those human built artifacts of civilization (megaliths and monumental construction) are from the last 10-12000 years, evolution of humans is not at issue, nor does it have anything to do with the "cognative revolution". The sites Button mentions in is videos and the ones Gene discusses in post #9 are relevant. But none of them fall into this category of megaliths and monumental construction. They are the remnants of settlements we are fortunate to have remains of.

Continuing on with post #10 we get to the really troubling part..
Now it seems that there was more advanced humans who once ruled the earth and were destroyed and the megaliths and works they left were discovered and not created by later cultures who came along and found them.

But current mainstream narratives still wants to force fit these works into peoples who never created them. Even the cultures own stories tell us they discovered them. Still the mainstream view wants us to believe that this was all created in a very short time by primitive tools and knowhow of those who found thees abandoned works.
Here you have just claimed that megalith monuments were found rather than constructed. This does not generally fit the archeology, and why when I first responded to this part of this message, I noted about the *WRITTEN* contemporary evidence for the building of the Giza pyramids.

These "found ancient monument" claims "more advanced humans who once ruled the earth and were destroyed" are straight out of the book of people like Graham Hancock. Hancock was inspired by von Danniken and by Donnelly. von Danniken was inspired by Donnelly's Atlantis mythology.

Today I watched both the overview video in the OP and the one you posted about Malta from Michael Button. One of them specifically mentioned "Younger Dryas, Gobekli Tepe, and Plato's Atlantis". I look at his web page indicates Button is a fan of Hancock's current "ideas" about a lost Atlantean civilization building megalith monuments that were found by locals millenia later. The same with Chris Dunn and the other "machined precise vase" people.

The uncited here, but popular "ancient aliens" notion (effectively aliens instead of Atlanteans building the megaliths, etc.) is built on the same sources with a bit of Theosophy thrown in (which also teaches about Atlanteans being one of the ancient "root races", the next one is the "Aryans" and you can kind of guess where that goes...). They all are influenced by the Atlantis myth, particularly the late 19th century version invented by Ignatius Donnelly.

You may not know that the ideas behind the claims you are propagating here is the modern myth of Atlantis, but they are.

By post #10 (the one I first replied to) it was clear to those of us who were aware that you were making arguments tied to the modern Atlantis fable. I just stated it outright when I replied.
 
Upvote 0

sjastro

Newbie
May 14, 2014
5,842
4,746
✟353,556.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Yes and I mentioned how despite the claim that this is old news and the narrative is more open to alternative ideas in reality its not. By the fact that the same basis that originally created the narrative is still being pushed to destinguish the mere suggestion of alternative ideas before they are investigated.

A similar thing is happening in evolution where alternative evidence and ideas are being claimed as already incorporated into the changing synthesis. While at the same time in reality still basically pushing the same old ideas in practice. Or in dismissing alternative explanations. The same with physics. Any alternative ontology beyond the material one is automatically regarded as psudoscience.

The same thing when people automatically say this is about creationism or conspiracy theories. In practice the language and narrative is still basically the same. Thats understandable. Because ultimately this is about two different worldviews on reality. Those who do not believe in a non material ontology will always regard any alternative as Woo and the language will reflect this.

They will say the allow for alternative ideas so long as they fit the worldview. As soon as you get into it then its a matter of belief and not science. But still those with a material ontology will use that to dismiss alternative views as though holding the more truthful position.

I did not make any personal comments on the OP. JUst asked what others thought. The idea of it being or inviting conspiracy was implied by others. That opened the gate. Instead of perhaps 'what did the video mean by X or Y'. Or is the author pushing conspiracies. That opens up to investigation rather than pushing a personal view of what it represented.

But then I am not really too worried that this happened as I know it is something that will come up sooner or later. Just not as soon as I thought. Perhaps I was not prepared enough and could have directed things better.

But I know I certainly was not intending the level of how the thread exploded into conspiracies lol. Like I said within days it was full of comments for many people. In some ways you are right in that we already have the weight of past conspiracies causing people to be very skeptical. But still that is no reason to assume.

No this is a general simple and reasonable common sense statement. Nothing in that is controversial. It is a well recognised and common general view. I gave no specific as to aliens, creationism, magic ect.

Look what I said, the possibility that human knowledge was more advanced in our history that we realised or gave credit for. That the amazing works we see may be evidence for this.

Nothing in that speaks conspiracy itself. I have not injected into that space aliens or creationism and in fact have tried to ground it in ideas like Indigenous knowledge which is a well recognised alternative knowledge. Or in the specific examples of advanced knowledge and tech.

I don't think its a straight forward as your rendition. For example GT was mentioned as an anomely in the historical records relatively recent in mainstream circles. Its not necessarily when these sites are discovered but the accumulative evidence which may cause the existing perspectives on the evidence to create a new hypothesis. Like any science.

That this issue of alternative histories is coming up generally in society more today than ever is itself part of the changing view of human history. That we have more access to alternative views of knowledge is what is fueling people to question the narratives of human knowledge and history.

This is a far bigger issue as far as the epistemics and metaphysics are concerned I think.

This article was written only 2 years ago speaking of the mainstream or establish historical view and its not from a religious or conspiracy site.
The civilisation myth: How new discoveries are rewriting human history

Ok I will have to go back and find this and respond. Ok fair enough, you see the word 'mainstream' as code for conspiracy. I don't. I see it as a common term used in many applications that is well acceptable.

As far as mentioning megaliths and lost civilizations I am not sure I meant it as you would have seen this. When we talk about past knowledge and tech one of the most obvious ways to test this is with the only real visible and most obvious way that is left on the ground.

Its like a self fullfilling follow on evidence. If you want to show there was advanced knowledge then the only thing science can check is the empiricle evidence. Which just happens to be what we can see which has lasted through time (the megaliths and hard stone evidence).

But then thanks to modern tech we can now find other ways such as Lidar and GPR ect which is also revealing some surprising finds Or the engineering tests on these objects.

As I mentioned the topic of specific examples in the ground and especially Egyptian is a natural follow on to claiming there was some sort of advanced knowledge in the past. I am not surpised. But the same kind of signatures are seen all over the world.

Its the accumulation of all these out of place evidence that is fueling the speculation that there was some sort of advanced society that achieved a great level of tech and knowledge that is hard to explain with the conventional narratives. Even the updated ones.

Yes and I mentioned that despite this its still an overall worldview. I mentioned how in recent years despite the recognition that GT is old news that it had become in the mainstream again. Perhaps due to a rise in other discoveries and the recent work on astronomy on the glyphs. The same old worldviews were being mentioned again as recent as 10 years ago or less.

In fact here is an article from 2 years ago talking about how discoveries like GT are causing mainstream views on our history to change. I think perhaps now it has moved beyond realising that our history is throwing up some anomelies in the narrative. Its now becoming a matter of metaphysics and not the evidence. The accumulative evidence is causing people to question knowledge itself.

Yes that was not even in my mind lol. In fact why would I be suggesting a longer history for human knowledge that stretches back 100s of 1,00s of years lol. There goes the 6 or 7,000 year old creationist entire belief lol. But I get the connection as once again words have more than one meaning depending on the perspective and the year 6,000 seems to come with a lot of baggage.

Lol. Maybe this is true. Though I did not intend that. Like I said I have come to realise that discussing such topics is near impossible unless I guess there was some formal debate and conditions.

Anyway. I stayed right away from Atlantis and all that. You or someone else brought that in. Still I don't care as like you said it may be inevitable. But I did destinguish that all these ideas, stories and legends are loosely based on some true event and then elaborated. So I acknowledged the destinction and was not promoting conspiracies.

Thats really part of the problem. To be able to discuss even conspiracies to not them out and see what is fake and what may have some basis. I think that is the real problem, the fact that theres no way to formerly referee how the evidence is established without all the conflation.

Fair enough and this was a natural part of a thread like this. In some ways I wish that we could even go into this in more detail to see whether theres any basis. Not for some magical city. But that there was some great city that was perhaps the pinnacle of the great megaliths we see and then something happened that it disappeared in a relatively short time.

Usually this is how these legends are evolved. It would be interesting to see if there is any evidence for this on the ground. But unfortunately I feel that it would be hard once again without some formal way of establishing the rules of epistemics. As even clear evidence can be conflated.

Why, though. What is it about misdated megaliths that make it not a possibility. Remembering that sometimes its the accumulation of evidence ie we know pharoahs usurped or repurposed old stuff, we have evdience of it, we see the difference in signatures in that the clear signatures old the old stuff looks more or less the exact same as some of the stuff being claimed as new stuff.

Its not to say that this specific works is old or new. But to say 'hey wait a minute lets not be so fast in attributing this to the new and lets do some further investigation. Its the inistence no matter what that whatever is found at a new site or stamped with a name is the result of that site or name.

You percieved I was trying to sneak in some pseudo-history. My language does not speak of promoting any conspiracy. In fact twice bitten 10 times shy. I know what that does to a thread lol. Thats the worst thing I could do if I wanted to get to the bottom of things and be taken seriously.

To a desgree I agree that these types of topics are rife with conflations and its easy to slip into on both sides. Perhaps this is the nature of such threads. But its fun anyway lol.

As I mentioned earlier in some ways that we are now discussing the epistemics, perspectives of how we each see what has been said is itself on topic of the OP. Because this is philsophy and metaphysics. How the evidence is seen, what is evidence and conspiracy.
You have mentioned the word conspiracy in your post 12 times in the context of if being inapplicable to the information you supplied, blissfully unaware you are the source of the conspiracy theories.
People who engage in conspiracy theories ignore the evidence which contradicts the conspiracy or distort the evidence so it fits their worldview.

Your conspiracy theory is Ramesses II forged Old Kingdom statues and monuments as proof the New Kingdom pharaohs couldn’t produce the same standards. The evidence however which you chose to ignore was a sizeable percentage of his works were original and the main victim of his forgeries was the 18th dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III who lived 200 years beforehand and was clearly not an Old Kingdom pharaoh.

An example of distorting the evidence is the find of a 6th dynasty granite obelisk which is considerably smaller and cruder than the 18th dynasty obelisks which you claim could only have been produced in the Old Kingdom.
Why does the archaeological evidence show the opposite; shouldn’t the 6th dynasty granite obelisk have been of a similar standard to those attributed to Hatshepsut, Thutmose III and Ramesses II as they no longer possessed the technology of producing larger and more refined obelisks?
The other question which arises how did Hatshepsut, Thutmose III and Ramesses II lacking this unknown technology and relying solely on Bronze Age chisels were able to erase the cartouche of the Old Kingdom pharaoh, carve their own and leave no evidence of tampering which according to your logic should have been impossible?

Then there is your statement which is a rare example of consistency, the golden age of pyramid building lasted for around 80 years. The 6th dynasty pyramids were constructed at least 200 years after the Great Pyramid and vastly inferior in both size and quality. The pyramid cores were no longer composed of cut limestone blocks but limestone chips, sand and rubble held together by a gypsum and lime mortar.
If they could cut and figure granite in the 6th dynasty to a standard unobtainable in the 18th dynasty, why did they cease cutting limestone blocks for their pyramid cores which would have been considerably easier?

You are clearly a candidate for the Dunning Kruger effect, you can boast about arguing logically but the reality is there are gaping holes in your logic a truck can be driven through.
Your so called logic which is based on conspiracy theories does not stand up to scrutiny when compared to the archaeological evidence.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Hans Blaster
Upvote 0

stevevw

inquisitive
Nov 4, 2013
16,165
1,801
Brisbane Qld Australia
✟324,919.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
I'm not claiming that you are sneaking it it. Rather it seems that you just quote it credulously. The problem may just be that you don't recognize the psuedohistory for what it is. I don't know.
Probably, belief is a hard concept to express and in some ways its all it comes down to. But its the same for skeptics who 'believe' not as fact that there is only rational, scientific evidence for all this. I have gone through the metaphysics and epitemics.

Maybe its more my poor articulation. But either way in the end I am not promoting conspiracy and have clarified this.
Oh well.

It grows less fun with time.
Yes it seems to lose steam and decend into opinions. Thats why the specific examples are possibly the only way to establish that there is some advanced knowledge in our past. Or maybe the overall view that our history shows a period of great works that seems to be early and a contradiction to the primitive to modern idea.
I really don't think it has anything to do with philosophy, metaphysics or epistemics, or any "worldview" thing. Certainly not a naturalist versus non-naturalist view.
Why not. I have found that for the most part those who see alternative histories are those who support the naturalistic and material worldview of no God or gods or anything transcendent that invites something beyond as a factor to that in the orthodox material science.

When it comes to the final evidence unless it has to be empiricle and due to naturalistic causes which include the orthodox methods because they reflect the naturalistic processes. Which are used to defeat any alternative view as pseudoscience or conspiracy.

Which as seen as unreal and not reflecting the naturalistic processes. Its called Woo for the reason it is not grounded in material science. Whereas I think a Theist or someone open to transcedent ideas (not necessarily religious) will be more open to such alternative ideas.

Seems to speak of metaphysics and philosophy to me. The persons worldview on what they consider valid evidence is setting the epistemic criteria before the evidence is assessed.
I'm not sure I'm going to respond to much of what remains of this post. I am, however, going to go back to the first page and reply to a few bits you wrote in the earliest posts (particularly before I responded the first time) to try to show you what concerned me at the time and still, but do so more carefully.
Ok.
 
Upvote 0

sjastro

Newbie
May 14, 2014
5,842
4,746
✟353,556.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
As much as I am reluctant to sift through the mountain of links thrown up by @stevevw given he has long history of using dubious sources, I decided to check out the claim Ramesses ll confiscated some Old Kingdom granite columns.

As I suspected the article is not accurate, while it is true Ramesses confiscated the columns they were from a Middle Kingdom temple dating from the 12th dynasty some 600 years later using the 5th dynasty as the Old Kingdom baseline.

 
Last edited:
  • Useful
Reactions: Hans Blaster
Upvote 0

Hans Blaster

Raised by bees
Mar 11, 2017
22,240
16,715
55
USA
✟421,515.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Democrat
Why not. I have found that for the most part those who see alternative histories are those who support the naturalistic and material worldview of no God or gods or anything transcendent that invites something beyond as a factor to that in the orthodox material science.

If those that like the same theories you do support "naturalistic and material worldview" why are you having a problem with my "worldview"?

When it comes to the final evidence unless it has to be empiricle and due to naturalistic causes which include the orthodox methods because they reflect the naturalistic processes. Which are used to defeat any alternative view as pseudoscience or conspiracy.
I couldn't figure out what you were trying to say.
Which as seen as unreal and not reflecting the naturalistic processes. Its called Woo for the reason it is not grounded in material science. Whereas I think a Theist or someone open to transcedent ideas (not necessarily religious) will be more open to such alternative ideas.
No one used "woo" yet. (It is a term usually used for new age spiritualism, not pseudoscience.)
Seems to speak of metaphysics and philosophy to me. The persons worldview on what they consider valid evidence is setting the epistemic criteria before the evidence is assessed.
My primary point is that nothing you've presented as "alternative theories" requires supernatural or spiritual things for them to exist. Nor have you even made supernatural or spiritual claims. You keep invoking advanced technology (or at least relative to what is assumed in the "mainstream narrative"), not supernaturalism. So why should it matter that any proponent of any historical theory is open to or opposed to non-natural aspects of reality?

(Do you just not want the ideas you are supporting to be tested? I am at a loss here to figure out why this matters at all.)
 
Upvote 0

stevevw

inquisitive
Nov 4, 2013
16,165
1,801
Brisbane Qld Australia
✟324,919.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
You have mentioned the word conspiracy in your post 12 times in the context of if being inapplicable to the information you supplied, blissfully unaware you are the source of the conspiracy theories.
Or that I mention it after the idea had been introduced. I have written an aweful lot of words so 12 times is not much. I think the idea has been mentioned by others way more.

But it doesn't matter. It was inevitable now it seems that such a thread like this would bring up such a word. I have to deal with that and that is what I am doing. Like I said in some ways this is actually redirecting things back to the point of the OP.

Which was about how we see the evidence and human history and the different worldviews where one is more orthodox and strictly by the rule book of material science and the other open to more transcedent knowledge. For which the orthodox and material worldview thinks conspiracy.

That we are debating the idea of conspiracy as opposed to 'real science' is philosophical.
People who engage in conspiracy theories ignore the evidence which contradicts the conspiracy or distort the evidence so it fits their worldview.
Yes and this can be exactly the same for those who claim to be siding with the evidence. Case in point, precision vases must be made by orthodox tools because thats whats in the records. Yet orthodox tools don't match the signatures. Oh thats right lets appeal to elbow grease which can mimick the evidence of machining.
Your conspiracy theory is Ramesses II forged Old Kingdom statues and monuments as proof the New Kingdom pharaohs couldn’t produce the same standards. The evidence however which you chose to ignore was a sizeable percentage of his works were original and the main victim of his forgeries was the 18th dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III who lived 200 years beforehand and was clearly not an Old Kingdom pharaoh.
But this itself is based on whether the works he usurped from 200 years ealier were in fact works 200 years earlier. I am saying the whole 'whoever has his name on it' is the creator of the work is questionable. Some works have 2 or 3 nsames on it.

The basic premise is that apart from the pyramids all the works of the old kindom are in the hardest stones. Or at least the great ones that stand out with precision and quality. The issue is the orthodoxy of who is attributed the works along with the tools. The tools even if Ramesses II commissioned them don't match the signatures.

But we see this signature prevelent in the old kingdom where it seems to originate and maybe even earlier. They are the originators. The point is we could just about appreciate that some of these works came much later when the tools improved such as steel and the wheel. But the highest of quality and precision is coming from the old kingdom and maybe earlier. At a time not expected due to the primitive tools and knowledge.
An example of distorting the evidence is the find of a 6th dynasty granite obelisk which is considerable smaller and cruder than the 18th dynasty obelisks which you claim could only have been produced in the Old Kingdom.
Well I am not saying everything, I don't know. But this does not deny the quality and precision of the old kingdom works. I showed the precision vases, boxes and pillars to within 1,000th of an inch perfection. With machine marks on them.

We should be going by the highest quality for the level of knowledge and tech and I think the old kingdom is unsurpassed in that sense.
Why does the archaeological evidence show the opposite; shouldn’t the 6th dynasty granite obelisk have been of a similar standard to those attributed to Hatshepsut, Thutmose III and Ramesses II as they no longer possessed the technology of producing larger and more refined obelisks?
I don't know with some specific examples. Its not as if there was one quality for the old kingdom. The great works seem a specialised area among other less quality works. Its interesting that most of these old works almost belong to one family in a relative short time of around 200 years.

All I know is we see some of the best in the old kingdom and that this same signature is seen in works attributed to later dynasties. But it doesn't really matter as even what is claimed as new kingdom works don't match the knowledge and tech in the orthodox records.
The other question which arises how did Hatshepsut, Thutmose III and Ramesses II lacking this unknown technology and relying solely on Bronze Age chisels were able to erase the cartouche of the Old Kingdom pharaoh, carve their own and leave no evidence of tampering which according to your logic should have been impossible?
Easy, the old kingdom works mostly had no glyphs on them for whatever reason. But we can definitely see how the later glyphs are of a completely different signature to the work itself.

Why would a new kingdom pharaoh and especially Ramesses who bragged out his great works create such amazing precision and quality finish only to virtually scribble like a child all over it with crooked and unfinished lines. Why create a beautiful finish only to destroy the quality with a poorly finished cartouche.

I gave this example of what looks like childs scribble on precision made boxes at Saqqara. !00 ton precision and polished to perfection to within a 1,000th of an inch in all points of reference made in Diorite. Spoilt by some vandel chiseling what looks like a kid did it.

Why would a pharoah commission such perfection only to have it spoilt by crooked lines and poor quality work. More like a latter addition. There are only 3 of 10 or so boxes with scribble on them and this is how they are dated.

1757235285117.png
1757216874962.png


Or this rough and inferior cartouche from Ramesses II on a beautifully polished piece. See how even the creases and every knook and cranny is polished to perfection. Then along comes another pharoah who is suppose to have made it with the same tech and wrecks it.

This is a Hyksos Sphinx. As you can see the fine lines in the ribs and its polished to the point the Diorite shines which is hard to do. But notice the later inferior cartouche that has a completely different signature to the work itself. Like someone actually did use a primitive chisel. You would think this would have the same level of quality so as to not deminish the work itself if the creator was the same person.

1757232496411.png
1757233053059.png


Thats apart from the obvious stamps where a later pharoah has actually changed the previous glyphs into his own or even stamped a cartouche over existing works and spoiling it. See this reused obelisk has the glyphs verticle rather than how obelisk use horizontal glyphs. Ramesses is reusing an older work he found as a wall.

1757233467728.png


Another example where he stamps his cartouche right over the preexisting work. In this case covering a belt, knife and the fine engraved lines of the skirt. In fact this example has two pharoahs stamped on it.

The interesting thing is these granite statues are suppose to be of Ramesses. Why would he go to all that trouble to finely shape the belt, knife and pattern on the skirt to then destroy this with a cartouche over work that would have taken weeks to finely craft.

They usually reserve a space or don't do any work under the cartouche. This seems an obvious later addition over work that was already in existence and Ramesses has usurped it.

The other a blantant stamp across a larger work covering the original fine work. Always usurping the finest hard stone works. There are many of these examples and along with the signatures matching so well the old kingdom I don;t think we should be assuming the named stamped is the creator.

1757233823287.png
1757234058535.png


The other piece of evidence is that this is not just restricted to Egypt but seen all over the world. Its the accumulation of these out of place works that question the orthodoxy that its just the primitive tools in the records.

I could show you though I know you won't like it of many examples that are hard to explain with the traditional tools. Where what is claimed by pounding, splitting, copper sawing in no way resembles the signatures and in fact the signatures reflect advanced knowledge and tech.

This 8300–7500 cal. B.C obsidian bracelet which is around 10,000 years old has evidence of sophisticated turning. When the wheel was not even suppose to have been invented or had very simple applications. Let alone controlled machine like signatures.

Multi-scale tribological analysis of the technique of manufacture of an obsidian bracelet from Aşıklı Höyük (Aceramic Neolithic, Central Anatolia)
Discussion
Our study produced evidence for skilled work of the obsidian bracelet from Aşıklı Höyük. This evidence is:

* The choice of high quality obsidian
* The use of different movements and abrasive materials for making the bracelet
*
The creation of a complex form and the control of symmetry during the shaping
* The near absence of manufacturing errors and the ability to deal with defects
Then there is your statement which is a rare example of consistency, the golden age of pyramid building lasted for around 80 years. The 6th dynasty pyramids were constructed at least 200 years after the Great Pyramid and vastly inferior in both size and quality. The pyramid cores were no longer composed of cut limestone blocks but limestone chips, sand and rubble held together by a gypsum and lime mortar.
If they could cut and figure granite in the 6th dynasty to a standard unobtainable in the 18th dynasty, why did they cease cutting limestone blocks for their pyramid cores which would have been considerably easier?
I don't know. Maybe they found the secret lol. I don't think it was laziness of lack of knowledge or tech. If the later dynasties could create works to the high level of the old kingdom then they had the same knowledge and tech.

But the question is as with the examples and evidence of widspread inherentence and reusing of older works and that the new kingdom sites once had oldkingdom sites and works on them. Its a question mark for at least some of these works being older. If you say the new kingdom actually usurped middle kingdom works then its a contradiction that the knowledge disappeared.

I just don't know but I am not going to assume that certain works belong to certain times because of a stamp on them. When the works that are stamped contain all the signatures of the old kingdom as shown already.
You are clearly a candidate for the Dunning Kruger effect, you can boast about arguing logically but the reality is there are gaping holes in your logic a truck can be driven through.
Your so called logic which is based on conspiracy theories does not stand up to scrutiny when compared to the archaeological evidence.
I don't think so. I think given the examples and evidence shown so far its clear there are out of place works and questions marks on their age. But basically forgetting all the times and who did what.

The fact is the very best of works is seen very, very early and possibly even pre dynastic that is on par if not better than later works. In a time when it should be a less quality and precision gradually improving to a higher level. Except we are seeing the complete opposite in these old kingdom works.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

Aaron112

Well-Known Member
Dec 19, 2022
5,616
1,390
TULSA
✟119,604.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Messianic
Marital Status
In Relationship
By hand the best diamond cutter(s) in the world are sitting on street curbs in India.
By hand the most renowned stone cutters remain "invisible" to onlookers today.
It would be way too embarrassing for the truth to be known. (that "no-bodies" , very poor in this world, are way better than the rich and famous and popular who continuously are being always promoted (for money))
 
Upvote 0

stevevw

inquisitive
Nov 4, 2013
16,165
1,801
Brisbane Qld Australia
✟324,919.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
If those that like the same theories you do support "naturalistic and material worldview" why are you having a problem with my "worldview"?
Sorry I should have said those who disagree with alternative theories are usually those who take the materialist worldview. Simple logic says that their worldview won't allow such transcedent possibilities.

You don't believe there is a God or gods or anything that transcends naturalistic causes right. So how could you even contemplate including such possibilities as a priori. Whereas I or others being theists or those supporting transcedent consciousness will be open to such possibilities. I am surprised you don't know this. Its been an issue in modern society for a while now.

Indigenous Worldviews vs Western Worldviews

Science Must Embrace Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge to Solve Our Biodiversity Crisis

I couldn't figure out what you were trying to say.
It means what it says. Western material science (naturalism) is often used to dismiss alternative ways of knowing. Refer to the above articles.
No one used "woo" yet. (It is a term usually used for new age spiritualism, not pseudoscience.)
Hum I have seen plenty of examples of Woo and pseudoscience being used interchangably. Quantum woo is often called pseudoscience. Wiki seems to use all these terms for the same thing lol.

Quantum mysticism, sometimes referred to pejoratively as quantum quackery or quantum woo,[1] is a set of metaphysical beliefs and associated practices that seek to relate spirituality or mystical worldviews to the ideas of quantum mechanics and its interpretations.[2][3][4][5][6][7] Quantum mysticism is considered pseudoscience and quackery by quantum mechanics experts.
My primary point is that nothing you've presented as "alternative theories" requires supernatural or spiritual things for them to exist. Nor have you even made supernatural or spiritual claims.
Thats right. I am not envoking aliens, God or gods or magic in a supernatural sense. Merely alternative knowledge that can be derived by other means besides the material processes claimed.

Whether thats like indigenous knowledge where knowledge has come from some higher level of existence in what is called spirituality or some transcedent state or something like that. Something only experiences within nature can bring such knowledge. Working with nature and having passed down this knowledge and then it was lost in many cases.

This is anthropology and cultural aspects of human thinking and behaviour that the material science cannot tell us about. Just like consciousness and the experience of colors as with Marys example. Some that is a real aspect of humans just as their biological reality but in experiential terms.
You keep invoking advanced technology (or at least relative to what is assumed in the "mainstream narrative"), not supernaturalism. So why should it matter that any proponent of any historical theory is open to or opposed to non-natural aspects of reality?
Because fundementally how a person sees the possibilities comes down to their metaphysical beliefs whether they like it or not. I am not saying that a Christian or someone who is open to something beyond cannot use the science. This is an important part that grounds most things.

But when the science is used to smack down alternative possibilities is when it becomes about metaphysical beliefs. An atheist or materialist who only believes there are naturalistic causes and nothing transcedent of this as far as fundemental reality will restrict things to such a worldview as a logical extention.

The only chance of alternative ways of knowing reality as a possibility is if the person is also open to this metaphysically. Otherwise they demand that only empiricle evidence epistemically. Alternatives are either discounted or completely defeated by the science and dismissed as crackery or superstition ect. Old make believe stories passed down but nothing real as far as fundemental knowledge of reality.
(Do you just not want the ideas you are supporting to be tested? I am at a loss here to figure out why this matters at all.)
I am all for these out of place examples to be tested. I even gave some of that testing showing evidence fo advanced knowledge and tech. Yet no one has challenged this.

I gave plenty of examples of our of place signatures that cannot be explained by the traditional tools in the records. There are many, many examples. Too many to fob off as done by sheer pounding, splitting and copper saw cutting and abrasions.
 
Upvote 0

stevevw

inquisitive
Nov 4, 2013
16,165
1,801
Brisbane Qld Australia
✟324,919.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
We discussed those stupid vases for weeks last year. I'm not interested in anymore discussions of them.
Yeah unfortunately considering the thread is now going into specific examples to prove advanced knowledge the vases are probably the best examples. I thought you wanted to apply the science. Thats what you asked me. Now your reluctant to engage in it.
(And there is no way I am making a detailed response to a 9-page post. Please restrain yourself.)
I am not going to restrain anything. If what I am saying is assumed as unreal or conspiracy then expect a detailed response. But nothing I said was irrelevant and was quite on point.
As I have noted 3 or 4 times already:

1. 5-6000 years was not the "mainstream narrative" of any kind I'd ever heard of.
Yes that you and not others have heard. Thats the point. Its your view, what you have heard or not. Not what others may have heard or view this. I just gave you evidence of a recent science article which is talking about this very issue. So perhaps you are not reading all the info out there and what you see is not necessarily what others see.
2. It is the date use repeatedly by YECists.
3. You'd already primed me to think of creationism by referring to the "mainstream" narrative as designed to meet an evolutionary program of development.
Ok fair enough. I was not intending that. Maybe a bit of oversight on both sides. Thats understandable as questioning the orthodoxy is often seen as some sort of fringe idea to mainstream. It happens in all areas of science.
This is the last time I will respond to this. It wasn't that important to begin with. Ignore my original statement if that helps you.
Ok I said the same and I am not trying to defend anything. Just thinking out loud as to try and explain things. Its no ones fault, it is what it is and to be expected. I don;t see it as an issue because its happened time and time again and I'm use to it.
You keep posting pseudoscience either from the top of your "P&LS" threads or you get there quickly. You could just abandon your views that aren't supported by facts.
Actually I disagree. Of the evidence I have linked or the reasoning used I have not seen you show how this is pseudoscience. I assume you think the link to precision vases is pseudoscience as you just dismissed it like it was. But there was zero engagement with the content as to whether it was actually pseudoscience.

The same with other links and actually if this is the case that you think all I am posting is pseudoscience then your proving my point that any attempt to support alternative and advanced knowledged is assumed as pseudoscience.

You did this with Dunn on the his work with the Giza pyramid being some sort of energy generator. You said this was all whackery. Only to find that his idea has now been supported by several scientific papers.
I'd like to hope I am doing skepticism well. I certainly would strive for that, but my patience with known pseudoscience is quite thin.
Hum known, which exactly. Not the ad hominums attacking people but the content in the articles. How is it pseudoscience. Which tests and analysis is wrong and based on pseudoscience. Can you show men the evidence that this is the case because so far you have not. JUst assertions thats its all pseudoscience. Which is really proving my point.
This is not my first rodeo, Steve.
Mine either. Like I said I am seeing the impossibility of such a thread without some formal guidelines. The point being you demand a certain kind of evidence and the thread is about whether that demand is justified in the first place. We have not even determined the epistemics let alone claiming anyone knows the rules lol. Maybe your rules but not everyone elses.
I think the truth needs to be demonstrated with evidence, not just speculations. Your sources make lots of unfounded speculations.
I just made this point above. Yes you demand a certain kind of evidence and if its not up to that criteria then its discounted. Yet the thread is about questioning the very criteria that is being demanded.

The science method can tell us that a specific example is made by advanced knowledge and tech for that time period and the tools. But still if the evidence is presented people will deny any possible alternative possibility that comes from experiences of nature and reality that may have given deeper knowledge like Indigenous knowledge.

It is still insisted that everything was made with the tools found and sheer effort. Even if this is obviously not the case. Because to admit there is alternative knowledge beyond the naturalistic causes goes against your belief that there is no such thing. There will be a rational and material explanation for everything.
Again, no conpsiracy was countered at you. The problem is pseudoscience.
I think it a conspiracy that its made out to be pseudoscience when its not lol. Isn't that how it works.
More importantly, if you want your thread to stick to a discussion of your intended topic you need to shape it. You can't just post a video and write something like "this video has some interesting ideas to discuss". There is no wonder why the thread wandered away from what you wanted to discuss.
I disagree. By not putting anything and asking what people think allows people to give their own views and not influenced by what I think. But I agree that it could do with some formal guides.

But not in an informal thread. I think its too hard to manage. You get people coming in haalfway through seeing maybe a reference to something or even just a word like 6,000 years or mainstream out of context and that starts the conspiracy theories rolling lol.

I have sort of given up in trying to harness such a thread. But I do think going into a specific example can go a long way to at least opening the door to alternative knowledge and tech. Thats what it seems to come down to. You claim its pseudoscience so now you have to show that it is.
Summarize the topic carefully in a few short paragraphs, carefully edited, about archeological evidence for settlements and cognition prior to 50,000 years ago, then "and here is a video that communicates some of those ideas". Ask questions in the post like "what does this mean for our understanding of the lives of early modern humans?" "were they more sedentary than we thought?" "how long ago *did* we gain our modern congnitive traits".
I thought I had already done this. Sometimes its not a settled topic. Just an open question overall. Getting idead from people as to what the criteria or kinds of questions should be.

But anyway I will learn next time lol. Maybe you can be my manager :sorry:

Leave out the complaints about the mainstream, etc., and the references to "alternative history/archeology" and stick to things like those in post #9 that talked about examples known to those with deep knowledge of early modern human archeology, but not necessarily to all of us.
Not just archeology but even moreso engineering, tool making and masons.
I think that would have been an interesting and potentially thoughtful discussion. Instead you started talking about "mainstream" this and that and it went down hill from there.
Darn words, I should not have mentioned such a word. I will know next time to exclude such trigger words. But what if theres another. How do I know all these trigger words as I don't think of them in the same way. Its like the word 'Evolutionist' and how it now means a negative word by creationists. When it was an accepted word by mainstream and still is to some extent.
[This section of the reply and the section of your post I was responding to, could have and should have been a separate post, but at this point I just want to get through this and go to bed.]
Fair enough and I appreciate the effort.
Unfortunately on these topics, particularly when you start source large amounts of counter content (the images and links) a significant fraction of your sources come from site we (the persons you are in conversation with) *KNOW* to be psuedoscience grifter sites. Sites like "global education project" (Chris Dunn), ancient-origins, etc.
Hum is this not an ad hominum. I have never really engaged with anyone in detail on the specific science in Dunns work. Considering he is well qualified and has extensive experience at the level of precision engineering and tooling including NASA.

Nearly 50 years seeing the transition of tech including pioneering precision tooling. That his findings have been supported by independent research. I think he is pretty qualified not to assume that all his work is psuedoscience. That you insist he is nothing but psuedoscience only proves my point.

See part of the problem is that what Dunn and others are doing is unheard of in mainstream archeology. They are reluctant to even submit pieces for testing or interested in testing them. They assume the orthodoxy. So yes Dunn and others are a minority and on the fringe will easily be assumed as psuedoscience.
In other words, trying to understand the beliefs and motivations of ancient peoples.
Yes thats part of it. But to the material science worldview beliefs will be a byproduct of more physical/biological processes and not a aspect of human cognition that itself is a source of knowledge about reality and nature.

As mentioned earlier if God is real or if there is some deeper knowledge gained through some transcendent cause such as consciousness beyond brain. Then don't you think that with this can come a deeper knowledge of nature and reality. Just like Marys example the conscious experience of colors was new knowledge of reality she could not gain from the bilogical or chemical processes.

Even the way you pose the question as "trying to understand the belief and motivation" sort of implies theres a rational and material explanation. That its not that important as its really a byproduct that can be explained by more fundemental physical processes. Is that right.
That's what I thought -- some sort of spiritualist notion.
There it is again. The dismissal, oh just what I though some sort of spiritual mumbo jumbo lol. Move on not important. Quite dismissive.
onto the next response...

No. Pseudoscience is not pseudo (false) because of what it studies, it is psuedo because of the false methodology.
I wasn't using QM as the example to say that QM is the only example. Just the best known example. Yes it can be applied to anything.

If its false methodology first the links which show analysis of the vases and other works is based on a rigorous methodology such as high-resolution 3D scanning and metrology and interferometry. I have not seen you mention any of this. How can you say its Pseudoscience if you havn't even looked at it.
Pseudoscience is an activity that proports to be science/scientific, but is not actually so. The difference between what people like Chris Dunn do and what real scholars of ancient Egyptian stonework do is vast. I don't think you are properly aware of what actual scholars do and how they cross-check and challenge their own results.
And yet you have not shown that this is the case. Real scholars lol. Dunn is probably the best expert to do the job. He is at least more qualified than an archeologists in determining tool signatures being a Master tool maker of high precision tools and parts for NASA.
Don't know what this Marys business is about.
Its a well known thought experiment which shows that some knowledge about reality cannot be explained by the physical processes. Which supports the idea that understanding human knowledge is not just about facts, and empiricle evidence but also conscious experiences that give knowledge the material world cannot.

What Did Mary Know?
What changes upon Mary’s encounter with the red apple? Has Mary learnt anything new about the colour red upon seeing the colour for the first time? Since Mary already knew everything about the physics and biology of colour perception, she must surely have known all there is to know about the colour red beforehand. Or is it possible that some facts escape physical explanations? (‘Physical’ in this sense refers to all the realms of physical science, including chemistry, biology, neuroscience, etc.). If Mary has learnt something new, then we can conclude that scientific explanations cannot capture all there is to know,
Invoking mystery tech is not going to fix anything. That's why real archeologists stick to conclusions based on what they can demonstrate and test. And I'm out.
I disagree, archeologists are the last ones you want in determining the signatures of advanced tech and knowledge. I am not invoking any mystery. Its simple. Look at the out of place signatures and try and work out technically through the science what sort of tool or tech would be needed to produce such results.

That is exactly the evidence I am giving with the vases. But you don't like the vases. Your sick of the vases lol. When ironically they are the best example for proving advanced tech and knowledge.

Since the last time we spoke on this more tests have been done and whereas there were only a few tested. Now there is over 60 and some even better than the originals in precision and advanced machining signatures. If theres one area thats hard to argue with and keep maintaining the primitive freehand pounding and rubbing with sticks and flint then this is it.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

Hans Blaster

Raised by bees
Mar 11, 2017
22,240
16,715
55
USA
✟421,515.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Democrat
Its a well known thought experiment which shows that some knowledge about reality cannot be explained by the physical processes. Which supports the idea that understanding human knowledge is not just about facts, and empiricle evidence but also conscious experiences that give knowledge the material world cannot.

What Did Mary Know?
What changes upon Mary’s encounter with the red apple? Has Mary learnt anything new about the colour red upon seeing the colour for the first time? Since Mary already knew everything about the physics and biology of colour perception, she must surely have known all there is to know about the colour red beforehand. Or is it possible that some facts escape physical explanations? (‘Physical’ in this sense refers to all the realms of physical science, including chemistry, biology, neuroscience, etc.). If Mary has learnt something new, then we can conclude that scientific explanations cannot capture all there is to know,
I don't care about some pointless philosphy stuff. I'm not going to discuss it or read it. This thread is already too broad and wordy.
 
Upvote 0

Hans Blaster

Raised by bees
Mar 11, 2017
22,240
16,715
55
USA
✟421,515.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Democrat
Sorry I should have said those who disagree with alternative theories are usually those who take the materialist worldview. Simple logic says that their worldview won't allow such transcedent possibilities.

well that comes closer to making sense.

You don't believe there is a God or gods or anything that transcends naturalistic causes right.
Correct, of course I don't. I have no reason to do so.
So how could you even contemplate including such possibilities as a priori. Whereas I or others being theists or those supporting transcedent consciousness will be open to such possibilities. I am surprised you don't know this. Its been an issue in modern society for a while now.
Means of construction and decisions to make permanent settlement do not require "transcendent consciousness" to understand.

Indigenous Worldviews vs Western Worldviews

Science Must Embrace Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge to Solve Our Biodiversity Crisis

It means what it says. Western material science (naturalism) is often used to dismiss alternative ways of knowing. Refer to the above articles.
This isn't about "ways of knowing" (whatever that fuzzy phrase means, I've heard it for years).
Hum I have seen plenty of examples of Woo and pseudoscience being used interchangably. Quantum woo is often called pseudoscience. Wiki seems to use all these terms for the same thing lol.

Quantum mysticism, sometimes referred to pejoratively as quantum quackery or quantum woo,[1] is a set of metaphysical beliefs and associated practices that seek to relate spirituality or mystical worldviews to the ideas of quantum mechanics and its interpretations.[2][3][4][5][6][7] Quantum mysticism is considered pseudoscience and quackery by quantum mechanics experts.
Off topic.
Thats right. I am not envoking aliens, God or gods or magic in a supernatural sense.
Well that's good to know. Just regular, physical methods for construction used, known or unknown. We can stop this "worldview" discussion, right? Right?

...
Merely alternative knowledge that can be derived by other means besides the material processes claimed.
Oh, my. I guess not. Sigh.
Whether thats like indigenous knowledge where knowledge has come from some higher level of existence in what is called spirituality or some transcedent state or something like that. Something only experiences within nature can bring such knowledge. Working with nature and having passed down this knowledge and then it was lost in many cases.

This is anthropology and cultural aspects of human thinking and behaviour that the material science cannot tell us about. Just like consciousness and the experience of colors as with Marys example. Some that is a real aspect of humans just as their biological reality but in experiential terms.
The discussion of artifacts is not about anthropology. It is about means of manufacture and dating. Neither of which are dependent on "cultural aspects".
Because fundementally how a person sees the possibilities comes down to their metaphysical beliefs whether they like it or not. I am not saying that a Christian or someone who is open to something beyond cannot use the science. This is an important part that grounds most things.

But when the science is used to smack down alternative possibilities is when it becomes about metaphysical beliefs. An atheist or materialist who only believes there are naturalistic causes and nothing transcedent of this as far as fundemental reality will restrict things to such a worldview as a logical extention.

The only chance of alternative ways of knowing reality as a possibility is if the person is also open to this metaphysically. Otherwise they demand that only empiricle evidence epistemically. Alternatives are either discounted or completely defeated by the science and dismissed as crackery or superstition ect. Old make believe stories passed down but nothing real as far as fundemental knowledge of reality.
Determining the type of tools used to make an object or its age are not dependent on the metaphysical beliefs of anyone.
I am all for these out of place examples to be tested. I even gave some of that testing showing evidence fo advanced knowledge and tech. Yet no one has challenged this.

I gave plenty of examples of our of place signatures that cannot be explained by the traditional tools in the records. There are many, many examples. Too many to fob off as done by sheer pounding, splitting and copper saw cutting and abrasions.
The claims you have posted in this thread have repeatedly been challenged. Only you seem to think they are unchallenged.
 
Upvote 0