#2215 - Graham Hancock

In 'Fingerprints of the Gods,' Graham Hancock argues that an advanced civilization existed in prehistory, which served as the common progenitor to all subsequent known ancient historical civilizations. He proposes that this civilization ended in a cataclysm around the end of the last ice age but passed on profound knowledge of astronomy, architecture, and mathematics to its inheritors. Hancock uses tools such as archaeo-astronomy, geology, and computer analysis of ancient myths to support his theory. He explores various ancient sites, including Egypt’s Great Sphinx, the Andean ruins of Tihuanaco, and Mexico’s Temples of the Sun and Moon, revealing evidence of a lost civilization’s vast sophistication and technological advancement.

In this book, Graham Hancock embarks on a decade-long quest to uncover the truth behind the legends of the Ark of the Covenant. He explores various historical and mythological sources, including the Knights Templar, the Holy Grail, and Ethiopian traditions. Hancock proposes that the Ark was removed from Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem and eventually brought to Ethiopia, where it is believed to be kept in the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum. The book combines elements of scholarship, adventure, and mystery, tying together intriguing tales from different historical and mythological contexts.

The book recounts the story of Percy Fawcett, a British explorer who vanished in the Amazon jungle in 1925 while searching for a fabled city he called 'Z'. David Grann delves into Fawcett's expeditions, using previously unseen diaries and correspondence to reconstruct the events leading up to Fawcett's disappearance. The narrative is a mix of biography, detective story, and adventure tale, highlighting the dangers and mysteries of the Amazon jungle and the obsessive nature of Fawcett's quest. Grann's own journey into the jungle to uncover the truth adds an additional layer of suspense and personal risk to the story.

In 'Hamlet's Mill', de Santillana and von Dechend propose that ancient myths are not just stories but rather encode astronomical knowledge, particularly the precession of the equinoxes. They argue that these myths represent a sophisticated, preliterate astronomy that was later suppressed by the Greco-Roman worldview. The book draws on a wide range of mythological, historical, and literary sources to support their thesis that myths are ciphers for celestial activities and the transmission of complex astronomical data.