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Evil Archaeology: Demons, Possessions, and Sinister Relics
An investigation into the historical and archaeological evidence of demons, curses, and possession featuring some of the most gruesome artifacts and sites ever discovered
Demons, jinn, possession, sinister artifacts, and gruesome archaeological discoveries haunt the pages of the new book by Dr. Heather Lynn. Evil Archaeology investigates the archaeological record for artifacts and evidence of evil entities, revealing how demons from the ancient world may be dwelling among us. It also looks at the history and lore behind real relics believed to be haunted and includes historical accounts of demonic possession that go as far back as King Solomon invoking demons to help him build his famed temple.
Is there really a prehistoric fertility goddess figure that has been known to bring death to the families of anyone who holds it? Are there real vampire graveyards? Can the archaeological record prove the existence of demons and malevolent entities?
Some tantalizing questions Evil Archaeology addresses
What is the origin of demons?What role did Sumerian demons play in the development of civilization?Are curses real?Can material objects contain evil? What about places?What can we do to protect ourselves, according to historical records?Was Jesus an exorcist?
Demons, jinn, possession, sinister artifacts, and gruesome archaeological discoveries haunt the pages of the new book by Dr. Heather Lynn. Evil Archaeology investigates the archaeological record for artifacts and evidence of evil entities, revealing how demons from the ancient world may be dwelling among us. It also looks at the history and lore behind real relics believed to be haunted and includes historical accounts of demonic possession that go as far back as King Solomon invoking demons to help him build his famed temple.
Is there really a prehistoric fertility goddess figure that has been known to bring death to the families of anyone who holds it? Are there real vampire graveyards? Can the archaeological record prove the existence of demons and malevolent entities?
Some tantalizing questions Evil Archaeology addresses
What is the origin of demons?What role did Sumerian demons play in the development of civilization?Are curses real?Can material objects contain evil? What about places?What can we do to protect ourselves, according to historical records?Was Jesus an exorcist?
280 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2019
106 people are currently reading
538 people want to read
About the author
Heather Lynn
5 books43 followersDr. Heather Lynn is a professional historian and renegade archaeologist. She is also a member of the Association of Ancient Historians and World Archaeological Congress.
In addition to regular appearances on radio programs, such as Coast to Coast AM, she speaks at various conferences and events. Dr. Heather Lynn's research topics include hidden history, ancient mysteries, mythology, the occult, and spirituality.
When she’s not researching or writing, she plays the French horn in a local symphony orchestra whose performances raise money to provide art and cultural education to low-income communities.
Official Website: www.drheatherlynn.com
Amazon Author Profile
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In addition to regular appearances on radio programs, such as Coast to Coast AM, she speaks at various conferences and events. Dr. Heather Lynn's research topics include hidden history, ancient mysteries, mythology, the occult, and spirituality.
When she’s not researching or writing, she plays the French horn in a local symphony orchestra whose performances raise money to provide art and cultural education to low-income communities.
Official Website: www.drheatherlynn.com
Amazon Author Profile
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
May 18, 2019
The publisher of a book tells you much, without even opening the cover. Disinformation is a plucky press that has moved toward the speculative non-fiction market. Nevertheless, Heather Lynn holds a doctorate in archaeology and has some very interesting things to say. I saw Evil Archaeology advertised as a book about demons, and this is partially true of the volume. The subtitle Demons, Possessions, and Sinister Relics suggests as much. The main problem is there doesn’t seem to be a thesis beyond “neat stuff” holding the book together. This is not an academic book, but since academic books are seldom priced to move, who can blame Lynn for seeking Disinformation?
Several topics, unrelated, are covered here. The book begins with trepanation—the surgical procedure of drilling holes in the skulls of living patients. It has been suggested that this was, in ancient cultures, to let the demons out. Since the contexts are generally prehistoric, however, we don’t really know why this was done. The book goes on the describe, in some detail, the ancient Mesopotamian demon Pazuzu, of Exorcist fame. As I state on my blog (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World) little is actually known of Pazuzu and when the sources are checked, they tend to be sparse. Lynn ranges widely and includes materials as diverse as ghost stories, interviews with exorcists and ghost hunters, and weird things archaeologists have found.
This is a guilty pleasure read. Books that state on the cover that an author holds a Ph.D. generally seek to impress readers. Many non-fiction books are written by those with advanced degrees (it’s what we’re taught to do) and putting it on the cover makes you look like your grasping for respectability. While this book is only loosely organized, and the bibliography is very slim, it is nevertheless interesting. You’ll likely find yourself, however, taking things with a grain of salt, which is not a bad idea when demons are involved, as you start to notice some of the inevitable errors that creep in when the press has its eye on general readers who don’t do much fact-checking on their own. For some of us it's an occupational hazard. This book is sincere and intriguing, and addresses topics that most academics are afraid to touch.
Several topics, unrelated, are covered here. The book begins with trepanation—the surgical procedure of drilling holes in the skulls of living patients. It has been suggested that this was, in ancient cultures, to let the demons out. Since the contexts are generally prehistoric, however, we don’t really know why this was done. The book goes on the describe, in some detail, the ancient Mesopotamian demon Pazuzu, of Exorcist fame. As I state on my blog (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World) little is actually known of Pazuzu and when the sources are checked, they tend to be sparse. Lynn ranges widely and includes materials as diverse as ghost stories, interviews with exorcists and ghost hunters, and weird things archaeologists have found.
This is a guilty pleasure read. Books that state on the cover that an author holds a Ph.D. generally seek to impress readers. Many non-fiction books are written by those with advanced degrees (it’s what we’re taught to do) and putting it on the cover makes you look like your grasping for respectability. While this book is only loosely organized, and the bibliography is very slim, it is nevertheless interesting. You’ll likely find yourself, however, taking things with a grain of salt, which is not a bad idea when demons are involved, as you start to notice some of the inevitable errors that creep in when the press has its eye on general readers who don’t do much fact-checking on their own. For some of us it's an occupational hazard. This book is sincere and intriguing, and addresses topics that most academics are afraid to touch.
May 3, 2019
Where to start... I was really looking forward to reading this book. My dream was to become an archaeologist, before life got in the way. I was fascinated by the premise of "Evil Archaeology", even if I did find the title a bit silly. I like to think of myself as an open minded skeptic. I began reading with that mentality.
The author begins with a "shocking" story of prehistoric trepanning, but then doesn't provide her source material. I assume that the story she is telling is completely fabricated based on "evidence" that others have found. From there she jumps around continuously. There is no real flow to the book. It's like, here's a "horrific" ritual preformed by some ancient society, here's why I believe they did it. Then she provides no real evidence for her conclusions. The author states many times that scientists and archaeologists are supposed to to look at things with an unbiased eye. You're not supposed to come to conclusions based on your own cultures morals, ethics, beliefs, etc... She does exactly the opposite and for me it firmly placed this book in fiction rather than non-fiction.
While some of the stories were interesting, there were many I had heard over and over again. Then she began telling flat out fabrications and now it is not only fiction, but pseudoscience and pseudo-archaeology. Her first description of the Aztecs and Montezuma's interaction with Cortes is presented from only the Spanish point of view. Worse yet it is another made up story with absolutely no references given. Even someone with a passing knowledge of the Aztec people, learned from nothing more than the History Channel, know that the Spanish and Cortes in particular, were only there for gold. They raped, slaughtered, and passed on disease to the Aztecs. They burned the Aztec's writings and destroyed their temples. I would say from the Aztec point of view it was the Spanish that were "Evil". I must admit I am a bit biased since my family lineage is directly linked to Montezuma II, he was my 15th great-grandfather.
About 30 pages later the author goes into the tale of "Solomon's Magic Ring". I was aghast at what I was reading. I am a Christian and while not a theologian, I have a fair knowledge of the Bible. This story does not come from the Bible. She claims that King Solomon had a magic ring given to him by God. With this ring he could call on and control demons. He used these demons to help build his holy temple. WHAT THE F**K?!!! Demons are reportedly not able to be near a church, let alone help to build one. After reading this rubbish I almost quit the book. I would have, but I remembered that I came to goodreads looking for reviews of this book before purchasing it, and found none. Only a few ratings. I felt compelled to finish so that I might be able to help another person before they wasted their time with this drivel. Back to the topic of Solomon and his demon work force. Unsurprisingly, the author provides no references for the story. I looked it up and found this:
"The idea that Solomon used demons in the building of the temple comes from the writing that is called The Testament of Solomon, which is part of the writings that are referred to as the Pseudepigrapha. Pseudepigrapha literally means ‘false subscriptions’. This means that the writings were falsely attributed to well-known writers in order to gain acceptance. Although the Testament of Solomon is attributed to Solomon, it is commonly accepted that it dates back to the 3rd century, when Solomon actually lived around 1000 BC." -http://answersfromthebook.net/did-sol...
This ridiculous story isn't even part of the Apocrypha. It's just as if I sat down and wrote a false story about Jesus, then claimed it was written by John the Baptist. Whether or not one is Christian doesn't matter. The reality is that the author presents this fable as if it were documented history!
These are just a few examples of the pseudoscience that went into this book. The lies or fabrications presented as facts put all the rest of the information given in the book into a category of falseness. Who knows which parts of what she wrote are factual and which are made up? The book isn't interesting enough to fact check every story she related, at least not for me.
Even if the fictitiousness of the book does not bother you the overall composition is poor. The author claims that the book may be too scary for some readers. I found this not to be true at all. Not much, if any, about the relics, cultures, and rituals are new ideas. I was led to believe that the author would be recalling historical events that were sinister in nature and unexplained thus far by modern science. Always in a manner of non-fiction and scientific research. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I think Ms. Heather Lynn PhD would get along fabulously with the ancient aliens guy, Giorgio A. Tsoukalos! If you enjoy that show, you will probably enjoy this book. If like me, you cringe every time you even hear the narrator's voice, then I would not recommend it.
The author begins with a "shocking" story of prehistoric trepanning, but then doesn't provide her source material. I assume that the story she is telling is completely fabricated based on "evidence" that others have found. From there she jumps around continuously. There is no real flow to the book. It's like, here's a "horrific" ritual preformed by some ancient society, here's why I believe they did it. Then she provides no real evidence for her conclusions. The author states many times that scientists and archaeologists are supposed to to look at things with an unbiased eye. You're not supposed to come to conclusions based on your own cultures morals, ethics, beliefs, etc... She does exactly the opposite and for me it firmly placed this book in fiction rather than non-fiction.
While some of the stories were interesting, there were many I had heard over and over again. Then she began telling flat out fabrications and now it is not only fiction, but pseudoscience and pseudo-archaeology. Her first description of the Aztecs and Montezuma's interaction with Cortes is presented from only the Spanish point of view. Worse yet it is another made up story with absolutely no references given. Even someone with a passing knowledge of the Aztec people, learned from nothing more than the History Channel, know that the Spanish and Cortes in particular, were only there for gold. They raped, slaughtered, and passed on disease to the Aztecs. They burned the Aztec's writings and destroyed their temples. I would say from the Aztec point of view it was the Spanish that were "Evil". I must admit I am a bit biased since my family lineage is directly linked to Montezuma II, he was my 15th great-grandfather.
About 30 pages later the author goes into the tale of "Solomon's Magic Ring". I was aghast at what I was reading. I am a Christian and while not a theologian, I have a fair knowledge of the Bible. This story does not come from the Bible. She claims that King Solomon had a magic ring given to him by God. With this ring he could call on and control demons. He used these demons to help build his holy temple. WHAT THE F**K?!!! Demons are reportedly not able to be near a church, let alone help to build one. After reading this rubbish I almost quit the book. I would have, but I remembered that I came to goodreads looking for reviews of this book before purchasing it, and found none. Only a few ratings. I felt compelled to finish so that I might be able to help another person before they wasted their time with this drivel. Back to the topic of Solomon and his demon work force. Unsurprisingly, the author provides no references for the story. I looked it up and found this:
"The idea that Solomon used demons in the building of the temple comes from the writing that is called The Testament of Solomon, which is part of the writings that are referred to as the Pseudepigrapha. Pseudepigrapha literally means ‘false subscriptions’. This means that the writings were falsely attributed to well-known writers in order to gain acceptance. Although the Testament of Solomon is attributed to Solomon, it is commonly accepted that it dates back to the 3rd century, when Solomon actually lived around 1000 BC." -http://answersfromthebook.net/did-sol...
This ridiculous story isn't even part of the Apocrypha. It's just as if I sat down and wrote a false story about Jesus, then claimed it was written by John the Baptist. Whether or not one is Christian doesn't matter. The reality is that the author presents this fable as if it were documented history!
These are just a few examples of the pseudoscience that went into this book. The lies or fabrications presented as facts put all the rest of the information given in the book into a category of falseness. Who knows which parts of what she wrote are factual and which are made up? The book isn't interesting enough to fact check every story she related, at least not for me.
Even if the fictitiousness of the book does not bother you the overall composition is poor. The author claims that the book may be too scary for some readers. I found this not to be true at all. Not much, if any, about the relics, cultures, and rituals are new ideas. I was led to believe that the author would be recalling historical events that were sinister in nature and unexplained thus far by modern science. Always in a manner of non-fiction and scientific research. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I think Ms. Heather Lynn PhD would get along fabulously with the ancient aliens guy, Giorgio A. Tsoukalos! If you enjoy that show, you will probably enjoy this book. If like me, you cringe every time you even hear the narrator's voice, then I would not recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2020
For a book titled "Evil Archaeology", it contains minimal information about archaeology or archaeological find, but does include a hodge-podge of stories about demons, pagan-deities, demonic possessions, and relics. Some of the stories were interesting, like the Mesopotamian Toilet Demon and hypotheses about the reasons for trepannation and the creation of "gods/demons" by humans to deal with stressful situations like civilization. But after a while the run-on collection of summaries about ancient/pagan deities, demonic possession anecdotes, summaries of gruesome archaeological find, fictional scenes and references to films and the like just got tedious. The organisation of the book was somewhat erratic and the author wasn't clear about her overarching hypothesis (if she had one). At the end I couldn't determine if she was trying to find evidence that demons and gods were created by humans or if they actually exist or if she was just listing a bunch of things she found interesting. I'm so happy I didn't impulse buy this at the bookshop and borrowed a library copy instead. This was a particularly disappointing read.
January 29, 2020
For an author that added "PhD" to the end of her name, one would have expected a scholarly work. And this is what I had genuinely hoped for since this is a topic that had much potential. Instead, her writing style was barely above grocery-checkout-tabloid in it's complexity and she made many appeals to that ancient-aliens-just-asking-questions pretense in attempt to demonstrate some literary deniability to her credulous positions.
In addition, she flat out did some poor research and got some key facts utterly wrong. If she did, indeed, earn a PhD, somewhere there must be a doctorate committee hiding in shame. It's so bad, I'm considering writing a book of exactly the same title just to show what it could have been, which is to say this book could have been both fun to read AND scholarly. It was neither.
In addition, she flat out did some poor research and got some key facts utterly wrong. If she did, indeed, earn a PhD, somewhere there must be a doctorate committee hiding in shame. It's so bad, I'm considering writing a book of exactly the same title just to show what it could have been, which is to say this book could have been both fun to read AND scholarly. It was neither.
June 13, 2025
This book marks something of a bittersweet moment for me.
Nothing whatsoever to do with the book itself. Rather, it just happens to be the one I will be ending my Audible membership with, since my wife and I need to financially hunker down now and eliminate all expenditures which are purely for pleasure and not necessity. Not for any grave reason - we are not sick or anything, thank God, and God willing.
In fact, we have just taken the great family plunge and entered true adulthood by taking out a scarily large loan to buy a house in one of the most damned expensive effing cities in the world. I love Sydney - absolutely love it. One of the best cities in the world, if you ask me. But damn, is it beyond comprehension, how much simply buying a modest townhouse in a non-central city (that is, within the area of Greater Sydney) costs you now. Scarier still that, unlike many people who manage to get over the line, we have not and cannot rely on any money from parents on either side. So, it's sink or swim, and in order to swim, a lot of painful sacrifices must be made.
But that's me done patting myself on the back like an asshole. I'm just venting my excitement and anxiety. How was the book then?
For being the last before cancelling my seven-years-running Audible account, it was very run-of-the-mill. Certainly, it was better than the last demon-related book I read: Paranormal Activity. And it did have plenty of information about so-called possessed relics, real-life exorcisms, and a lot of history about the ritual across different cultures and religions. Given the whole "renegade archaeologist" thing the writer, Heather Lynn, is going for, it is surprisingly well-written and actually comes across as seeming fairly academic - or at least scholarly, if there is any distinction between the terms. My suspicion, justified or not, is that calling yourself a "renegade" of any respective field is just a more glamorized way of saying you're a crackpot who nobody with worthwhile accolades takes seriously.
Who knows? I don't imagine she has many friends in her field of study, given her apparent credulity to the supernatural, demonic possession and such things.
Nothing whatsoever to do with the book itself. Rather, it just happens to be the one I will be ending my Audible membership with, since my wife and I need to financially hunker down now and eliminate all expenditures which are purely for pleasure and not necessity. Not for any grave reason - we are not sick or anything, thank God, and God willing.
In fact, we have just taken the great family plunge and entered true adulthood by taking out a scarily large loan to buy a house in one of the most damned expensive effing cities in the world. I love Sydney - absolutely love it. One of the best cities in the world, if you ask me. But damn, is it beyond comprehension, how much simply buying a modest townhouse in a non-central city (that is, within the area of Greater Sydney) costs you now. Scarier still that, unlike many people who manage to get over the line, we have not and cannot rely on any money from parents on either side. So, it's sink or swim, and in order to swim, a lot of painful sacrifices must be made.
But that's me done patting myself on the back like an asshole. I'm just venting my excitement and anxiety. How was the book then?
For being the last before cancelling my seven-years-running Audible account, it was very run-of-the-mill. Certainly, it was better than the last demon-related book I read: Paranormal Activity. And it did have plenty of information about so-called possessed relics, real-life exorcisms, and a lot of history about the ritual across different cultures and religions. Given the whole "renegade archaeologist" thing the writer, Heather Lynn, is going for, it is surprisingly well-written and actually comes across as seeming fairly academic - or at least scholarly, if there is any distinction between the terms. My suspicion, justified or not, is that calling yourself a "renegade" of any respective field is just a more glamorized way of saying you're a crackpot who nobody with worthwhile accolades takes seriously.
Who knows? I don't imagine she has many friends in her field of study, given her apparent credulity to the supernatural, demonic possession and such things.
October 22, 2019
This has nothing to do with Archaeology and needs ample citations added for context.
I've read this book through twice now and can say, this was exactly what I expected it to be. Wild speualtion, miss-matched stories, things strung together out of context and history. There's very little citations or footnotes in this, and as someone with such an educational pedegree, including in education, I would think citation would be second nature to the author. If you are looking for a collection of unrelated and unsupported horror stories about old gods and "demons" from a very catholic viewpoint, then this is the book for you. If you are looking or anything to do with archaeology, I suggest going elsewhere.
I've read this book through twice now and can say, this was exactly what I expected it to be. Wild speualtion, miss-matched stories, things strung together out of context and history. There's very little citations or footnotes in this, and as someone with such an educational pedegree, including in education, I would think citation would be second nature to the author. If you are looking for a collection of unrelated and unsupported horror stories about old gods and "demons" from a very catholic viewpoint, then this is the book for you. If you are looking or anything to do with archaeology, I suggest going elsewhere.
July 19, 2021
Not actually an archaeology book, simply a gathering of mythological and historical accounts of demons and evil spirits. No critical thought appears to be directed to the assertions of demonic possession, evil artifacts, either, and statements beginning with "the ancients believed...." (p 167) rub me the wrong way. It's readable though, hence 2 stars. The author put PhD on the cover, but it is in education not archaeology.
August 16, 2019
Evil, how do you define it? Is there an objective answer to this question or is the answer more subjective. Judeo Christian thinking would have us believe it is objective meaning that there is a definite right from wrong. God is good and the devil is bad. The ancient pagans saw things differently. The gods and demons were not so easy to tell apart. Both had their good point and their bad points. Pazuzu was a Mesopotamian demon was a bad boy that brought plague and pestilence in his wake. Yet Pazuzu was evil against evil. One of his jobs was to fight against other demons, especially Lamashtu.
The Gods themselves were not always good guy, or all good I should say. Goddesses like Sekhmet was considered as part of the good guys. When mankind was rebellious Hathor was turned into a lion goddess and she went on a killing spree taking out almost all of mankind. To placate her she was given pomegranate beer to settle her down and stop killing. Ammit a hippo goddess ate your soul in the afterlife if you were not good enough. The lines were blurred on that one there.
Both gods and demons demanded sacrifice, human sacrifice. The Celts would burn hundreds of people in Wicker Men to placate their gods in return for another year of abundance. Demons were given sacrifice in order to placate them not to use their powers against the community. A mock human sacfirice is held at the Bohemian Grove. Reminiscent of the biblical sacrifice to Molekh of young infant children. This could have been what gave rise to legend of Jinn.
Jinn are fire spirits and in fact they are comparable to Demons. Living mostly in desolate places like deserts, bathrooms, caves and abandoned dwellings, they used to be the rulers of the land. Jinn like demons can oppress and possess people. Places and things can be haunted. Always good to bless and remain at a high vibrational level. Great book.
The Gods themselves were not always good guy, or all good I should say. Goddesses like Sekhmet was considered as part of the good guys. When mankind was rebellious Hathor was turned into a lion goddess and she went on a killing spree taking out almost all of mankind. To placate her she was given pomegranate beer to settle her down and stop killing. Ammit a hippo goddess ate your soul in the afterlife if you were not good enough. The lines were blurred on that one there.
Both gods and demons demanded sacrifice, human sacrifice. The Celts would burn hundreds of people in Wicker Men to placate their gods in return for another year of abundance. Demons were given sacrifice in order to placate them not to use their powers against the community. A mock human sacfirice is held at the Bohemian Grove. Reminiscent of the biblical sacrifice to Molekh of young infant children. This could have been what gave rise to legend of Jinn.
Jinn are fire spirits and in fact they are comparable to Demons. Living mostly in desolate places like deserts, bathrooms, caves and abandoned dwellings, they used to be the rulers of the land. Jinn like demons can oppress and possess people. Places and things can be haunted. Always good to bless and remain at a high vibrational level. Great book.
January 18, 2022
Dear lord this book was bad. It wasn't offensive, but it was written to a 2nd or 3rd grade level. I've read Chariots of the Gods and other deep time nonsense books, but this one is just the worst. It doesn't make leaps of logic based on facts, it muddles facts, confuses them, and flat out gets them wrong. To say that it draws conclusions from those mistakes of understanding is to give a leap of logic a bad name.
I do have one good thing to say about the book. The ending. It is helpful and hopeful and basically says that while demons manifest (according to the book) as depression and other forms of mental illness, there is help out there (even providing the suicide prevention hotline number) and that doing good for yourself - eating right, exercising, having a positive outlook, and friends - is the best way to protect yourself in the unlikely event that there really are demons. So at least it's not also selling the reader snake oil.
But man, the rest of the book is aggressively stupid.
I do have one good thing to say about the book. The ending. It is helpful and hopeful and basically says that while demons manifest (according to the book) as depression and other forms of mental illness, there is help out there (even providing the suicide prevention hotline number) and that doing good for yourself - eating right, exercising, having a positive outlook, and friends - is the best way to protect yourself in the unlikely event that there really are demons. So at least it's not also selling the reader snake oil.
But man, the rest of the book is aggressively stupid.
December 16, 2019
This book started out interesting but quickly dissolved into ghost stories and other “spooky” stories from around the world. To make matters worse, the book is somewhat biased, as the author is Christian. Instead of sticky solely to facts, she went on about how to protect yourself from demons and other superstitious religious beliefs. Sorry, but I expect better from someone who works in a scientific field.
August 6, 2019
ALL OVER THE PLACE SMH...
Some interesting bits though so I won't kill it with one star.
Certainly did not live up to my expectations in the slightest though..
Some interesting bits though so I won't kill it with one star.
Certainly did not live up to my expectations in the slightest though..
October 25, 2021
The book was interesting, but i really hoped for some more evidences than anecdotal evidences, besides one of moving statue, but i really hoped for looking at the spectrum trough lenses of quantum mysticism, as it is very interesting explanation of the a non-ordinary mental expressions. Also i find evidences as "photo looks real" as at least unconvincing and with Occam's razor such evidences should be treated as fake, as extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidences. Also the evidences for possible demonic influence over people is extremly unconvincing as we know by theory of group selection that actions which we see as highly immoral, as genocide, cannibalism can be group selective, that's why simply violence can't be evidence in itself, as it's natural for humans to be violent. This book seems to be brief intrudoction to a subject and asks for futher explanation, like theoritical explanations for the existance of interdimentional beings, as it seems contradictive to as the protective deity becomes a spiteful demon and patterns and material signatures of their existance. The scientifically made books about near death experience or non-ordinary mental expressions could be handy if author want's to continue and i hope so, as this subject for shure needs futher writings, but also should be more precise in the subject of patterns of demonic activity, possible theories about origins of interdimentional beings and nature of consciousness itself
August 10, 2019
Before I get too far into this I want to address the title of this book as it’s a bit of a misnomer (in my opinion, anyway.) This book is primarily a book about some of the darker things within human society of the past and present. It does discuss in a fair amount of somewhat disturbing detail (if you’re sensitive to that sort of thing) some truly macabre findings from archeological digs. But I would argue that it’s more an anthropological study vs. an archeological text. There are far more discussions of human belief systems, superstitions and plain old history than there are of information about straight archeology. And while there were some parts that gave me the willies, it was more in reaction to humankind’s ability to hurt each other vs anything “Evil”.
I’d also like to say something about the types of books I’ve been reviewing lately in case anyone who follows my reviews is wondering. I’m reading a great deal about Witchcraft and other esoteric belief systems as part of my research for the novel I am writing (at the pace of a snail heavily dosed with tranquilizers) as these themes come into play within the plot and I want to be historically accurate. Additionally, as I feel more in tune with a pagan belief system than the strict Christian tradition I was raised in, I’m just fascinated by it.
There.
Now, on to the book. I found it incredibly well written and well researched. I was interested in every aspect the author discussed, even those I had learned about from other sources. What I particularly appreciated about it was that it was very accessible, yet interesting reading. I didn’t feel as though the author was dumbing down her expertise for the sake of accessibility nor did I feel that it was too high brow.
As I’ve been engaged in a fair amount of research, I’ve discovered that a lot of source material on these topics tends to be very dry, academic writing. I believe that happens because authors are striving to be taken seriously while writing about a topic that still has a fair amount of stigma attached to it.
I happen to have an advanced degree and in order to earn it, I had to engage in a level of reading that would cause even the most dedicated bibliophile to raise their eyebrows. I enjoyed most of it, but there were a few books that I just couldn’t stand, either because of tone or writing style or because they couldn’t hold my attention. I mention that simply because of the enormous amount of study I’ve been through, I’ve determined that when all the life of an otherwise interesting topic is sucked out due to overly scholarly writing, it just turns readers off, even if they’re perfectly capable of understanding it. Phew! That was the long way around to my point.
I’m only giving this 4 stars, even though I thoroughly enjoyed it, because I did notice several typos and some issues with sentence structure that I feel shouldn’t have made it through editing, but beyond that, if you can stomach some of the darker stuff, I would highly recommend.
It only seems fair to warn you that the darker things to which I am referring are descriptions of child sacrifices in early civilization (That was the hardest part for me to wade through.) in addition to the fact that a large portion of the text is dedicated to a discussion and description of various demons and ghosts, so if you’re easily frightened or you are strongly empathetic, you should probably skip it.
I’d also like to say something about the types of books I’ve been reviewing lately in case anyone who follows my reviews is wondering. I’m reading a great deal about Witchcraft and other esoteric belief systems as part of my research for the novel I am writing (at the pace of a snail heavily dosed with tranquilizers) as these themes come into play within the plot and I want to be historically accurate. Additionally, as I feel more in tune with a pagan belief system than the strict Christian tradition I was raised in, I’m just fascinated by it.
There.
Now, on to the book. I found it incredibly well written and well researched. I was interested in every aspect the author discussed, even those I had learned about from other sources. What I particularly appreciated about it was that it was very accessible, yet interesting reading. I didn’t feel as though the author was dumbing down her expertise for the sake of accessibility nor did I feel that it was too high brow.
As I’ve been engaged in a fair amount of research, I’ve discovered that a lot of source material on these topics tends to be very dry, academic writing. I believe that happens because authors are striving to be taken seriously while writing about a topic that still has a fair amount of stigma attached to it.
I happen to have an advanced degree and in order to earn it, I had to engage in a level of reading that would cause even the most dedicated bibliophile to raise their eyebrows. I enjoyed most of it, but there were a few books that I just couldn’t stand, either because of tone or writing style or because they couldn’t hold my attention. I mention that simply because of the enormous amount of study I’ve been through, I’ve determined that when all the life of an otherwise interesting topic is sucked out due to overly scholarly writing, it just turns readers off, even if they’re perfectly capable of understanding it. Phew! That was the long way around to my point.
I’m only giving this 4 stars, even though I thoroughly enjoyed it, because I did notice several typos and some issues with sentence structure that I feel shouldn’t have made it through editing, but beyond that, if you can stomach some of the darker stuff, I would highly recommend.
It only seems fair to warn you that the darker things to which I am referring are descriptions of child sacrifices in early civilization (That was the hardest part for me to wade through.) in addition to the fact that a large portion of the text is dedicated to a discussion and description of various demons and ghosts, so if you’re easily frightened or you are strongly empathetic, you should probably skip it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2020
On the spectrum between rigorous scholarship and tabloids at the grocery store checkout counter, "Evil Archeology" hews much closer to the "Bat Boy" end. It's not without its merit, but take it for what it is and don't expect something much more in-depth than an hour-long History Channel segment (although thankfully the author does not do the "Ancient Aliens" thing when confronted with elongated hominid skulls in her archeological explorations).
The book concerns itself with objects that were created either to ward off or invoke evil, everything from potsherds to little fetish totems. The style's breezy, the tone conversational, the typographical errors more and more noticeable as one goes along. Some of the supernatural bestiary will be familiar to anyone who's ever seen Hollywood's more iconic horror movies. Things don't get too esoteric, but they do get anecdotal, as Dr. Heather Lynn talks about her own potentially paranormal experiences and bad dreams she endured while researching the topic. The interviews with priests and assorted exorcists disrupt the narrative flow of the book, and some skeptical voices would have added a nice counterweight. Some photos and illustrations included.
The book concerns itself with objects that were created either to ward off or invoke evil, everything from potsherds to little fetish totems. The style's breezy, the tone conversational, the typographical errors more and more noticeable as one goes along. Some of the supernatural bestiary will be familiar to anyone who's ever seen Hollywood's more iconic horror movies. Things don't get too esoteric, but they do get anecdotal, as Dr. Heather Lynn talks about her own potentially paranormal experiences and bad dreams she endured while researching the topic. The interviews with priests and assorted exorcists disrupt the narrative flow of the book, and some skeptical voices would have added a nice counterweight. Some photos and illustrations included.
March 31, 2021
The part where her retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh in no way resembles the actual story *and* she felt the need to hit the thesaurus to find insulting terms for the temple prostitute who appears in that story ("lurid seduction" - not so much if you'd ever read it) was where I stopped. This is utter trash and this woman is a religious psycho. It's not even *fun* trash.
September 28, 2021
I thought this book would be more about spooky archaeological finds, but was more about proving the existence of demons and teaching the reader how not to get possessed. Fun to read but not what I was expecting.
September 5, 2022
This is one of those books that I would usually not have picked up but something I watched about a cult lead me down a rabbit hole.
Honestly I thought this was fascinating. The first half I learned quite a bit. The second half was more of a guilty pleasure. 5 stars for being surprisingly interesting!
Honestly I thought this was fascinating. The first half I learned quite a bit. The second half was more of a guilty pleasure. 5 stars for being surprisingly interesting!
February 21, 2022
I was very excited for the release of this book and got my hands on it as soon as I could, unfortunately subsequent to reading it I was not nearly as enchanted. The premise was fascinating but the book itself held little substance. The questions on the back cover were apparently rhetorical as they were never answered, only repeated throughout the book accompanied by surface level (and highly biased) explanations of ancient cultures in no cohesive order. There wasn't really any new information to glean nor were there any conclusions drawn other than opinion, it seemed to be rushed, lacking in structure and research and rife with circular thinking. The ending was posed as kind of a “you decide” type of deal but rather than it being thought provoking, it just seemed to be a way for the author to get off easy having not actually given the reader anything of substance to work with. I expected it (not unfairly so given the description) it to be about reportedly "cursed" objects but instead It read as "ancient people were uncivilized and believed in demons, are demons real? You decide based on me giving you various accounts of ancient customs I find weird without nuance, context or citations along with my opinion on these practices". Despite it consisting of little else than premise, it seemed to loosely correlate with its own premise due to the author's lack of information.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2025
as a light read, this was an entertaining book, i thought it was good, it does not feel like it's very well structured, but it does catch on a lot myths and stories, to paint a good, broad portrait of the symbolism of evil and what people, in their desperation, chose to do with it and against it.
i had a look a bit around the comments, because i though it was strange that the book did not score more, i think it's ridiculous that what we know about the topic today is based on the latest version of the ultra-edited bible and pop-culture...like the fact that Solomon could not have urged the demos for help (teaching: are you willing to employ Evil to do good? in a world where a temple/church is not an ultimate place of God, but only a symbolic representation with no real power) because demons can't step on church grounds...this is modern movies, not old lore and religious fables (a church is not off-limits for conceptual demons, who were gods or fallen angels or the best of the world who chose to be bad, depending on where you look, because they are not equivalent to the damned souls they torture, but the lore that it is off-limits was added so that people seek comfort in a place of worship, so that people can have trust in a religious representative, so that someone can go do their politics and have people follow, "i, the Church, offer you the place where you are safe from all these things which are not under your control and of another world" style). at the end of the day, all of these things were allegories and metaphors and need interpretation from a logical perspective. ...but even if i go and ask the internet, AI tells me the same thing, that Solomon asked the demons for help.
another one i spotted which stood out to me was "from nothing more than the History Channel, know that the Spanish and Cortes in particular, were only there for gold", a comment (with the implication that the book is wrong because of this), is not something true, they were there to explore, find anything which can be helpful, and, because it looked like a good place, permanently expand territory and get a potentially advantageous position in trading..."for gold" was more like this "come back with something interesting, like gold, or something"...we need to take history, and what "facts"/statements we have about it with a grain of salt, and interpret politically and economically. the question is, does ritualistic sacrifice look like "evil" to the modern man? yes. the statement was reasonable. if today we'd find some cult doing things like sacrificing virgins or similar, we'd act against that, at least that's my impressions of current society.
...but i am also the one who takes demons/angels or anything like that as no more than religious/political gimmicks...so i would have wanted for the book to take a strong position on that front...there is science, and these things were tools of manipulation or to shape ethical values in society. the "How To Protect Yourself" from demon possession chapter was a bit annoying to me, but, on the other hand, it's sending people to the doctor and to call a suicide prevention help-line, and, considering many might believe and might be sick or hurt themselves, that chapter might not have been a bad idea after all...but the afterword...anything is interpretable, just look.
otherwise, i did not feel that this book was a "thesis", on the topic, just a collection of interesting speculative, and factual, bits of information.
...no, i do not think this book is missing evidence of other dimensions (another comment)...demons are not real, and neither are other dimensions like that...but i guess man will be tempted by the idea of magik (with a k, the magic that is even more than regular magic, :D ) to transcend whatever normality, and repetitiveness, of actual life ("wow, it'd be so cool if all these things were actually more than me and having to go to that boring job" style...but we risk detaching from reality)...and this is how the modern world (who found more science and expanded its logic from the metaphorical, and literal :D, Edison, darkness of the ancient world) ended up with so many crazy things like "indigo children" and "higher selves"...which i find absolutely ridiculous. this book was supposed to be about science...while some are calling it out for not having enough of it, others want it to be more magik (because of the human appeal for evil, temptation for what is not right)...what a paradox...
could this book have been more, yes, but definitely not like that...for that there's the local magik shop with magik crystals and magikness...
i think the example about that mysterious forest in Romania was interesting, they say it's demons and magic, but then people go and report anything, all the way to UFO sightings...it's just anything, because it needs to be something special, so all sorts of conspiracy theories and new age religions can get born like this...while demon possessions were likely poisoning with heavy metals, some plant/mushroom or mould and similar...being in pain, for whatever reason (and back then they did not have the magik of ibuprofen, just some opioids which were likely to cause even more hallucinations and bad experiences), can make a person behave erratically, demonic like, there's even the expression "crucified by pain".
"duality exists so we can understand the difference"
i had a look a bit around the comments, because i though it was strange that the book did not score more, i think it's ridiculous that what we know about the topic today is based on the latest version of the ultra-edited bible and pop-culture...like the fact that Solomon could not have urged the demos for help (teaching: are you willing to employ Evil to do good? in a world where a temple/church is not an ultimate place of God, but only a symbolic representation with no real power) because demons can't step on church grounds...this is modern movies, not old lore and religious fables (a church is not off-limits for conceptual demons, who were gods or fallen angels or the best of the world who chose to be bad, depending on where you look, because they are not equivalent to the damned souls they torture, but the lore that it is off-limits was added so that people seek comfort in a place of worship, so that people can have trust in a religious representative, so that someone can go do their politics and have people follow, "i, the Church, offer you the place where you are safe from all these things which are not under your control and of another world" style). at the end of the day, all of these things were allegories and metaphors and need interpretation from a logical perspective. ...but even if i go and ask the internet, AI tells me the same thing, that Solomon asked the demons for help.
another one i spotted which stood out to me was "from nothing more than the History Channel, know that the Spanish and Cortes in particular, were only there for gold", a comment (with the implication that the book is wrong because of this), is not something true, they were there to explore, find anything which can be helpful, and, because it looked like a good place, permanently expand territory and get a potentially advantageous position in trading..."for gold" was more like this "come back with something interesting, like gold, or something"...we need to take history, and what "facts"/statements we have about it with a grain of salt, and interpret politically and economically. the question is, does ritualistic sacrifice look like "evil" to the modern man? yes. the statement was reasonable. if today we'd find some cult doing things like sacrificing virgins or similar, we'd act against that, at least that's my impressions of current society.
...but i am also the one who takes demons/angels or anything like that as no more than religious/political gimmicks...so i would have wanted for the book to take a strong position on that front...there is science, and these things were tools of manipulation or to shape ethical values in society. the "How To Protect Yourself" from demon possession chapter was a bit annoying to me, but, on the other hand, it's sending people to the doctor and to call a suicide prevention help-line, and, considering many might believe and might be sick or hurt themselves, that chapter might not have been a bad idea after all...but the afterword...anything is interpretable, just look.
otherwise, i did not feel that this book was a "thesis", on the topic, just a collection of interesting speculative, and factual, bits of information.
...no, i do not think this book is missing evidence of other dimensions (another comment)...demons are not real, and neither are other dimensions like that...but i guess man will be tempted by the idea of magik (with a k, the magic that is even more than regular magic, :D ) to transcend whatever normality, and repetitiveness, of actual life ("wow, it'd be so cool if all these things were actually more than me and having to go to that boring job" style...but we risk detaching from reality)...and this is how the modern world (who found more science and expanded its logic from the metaphorical, and literal :D, Edison, darkness of the ancient world) ended up with so many crazy things like "indigo children" and "higher selves"...which i find absolutely ridiculous. this book was supposed to be about science...while some are calling it out for not having enough of it, others want it to be more magik (because of the human appeal for evil, temptation for what is not right)...what a paradox...
could this book have been more, yes, but definitely not like that...for that there's the local magik shop with magik crystals and magikness...
i think the example about that mysterious forest in Romania was interesting, they say it's demons and magic, but then people go and report anything, all the way to UFO sightings...it's just anything, because it needs to be something special, so all sorts of conspiracy theories and new age religions can get born like this...while demon possessions were likely poisoning with heavy metals, some plant/mushroom or mould and similar...being in pain, for whatever reason (and back then they did not have the magik of ibuprofen, just some opioids which were likely to cause even more hallucinations and bad experiences), can make a person behave erratically, demonic like, there's even the expression "crucified by pain".
"duality exists so we can understand the difference"
May 8, 2021
Let me start with, I got some interesting information from this book. I knew a lot on the topics, but I still learned a lot, which is good.
However...
***SPOILER***
I will be honest: anyone who holds a PhD, I tend to hold them to higher standards, especially in history and archaeology, because it's heavily research based. Which is why this book really disappointed me.
First and foremost, it was incredibly inconsistent. Given the title, I expected more material examples of her theories on demons, but really there was little archaeology compared to folk-stories and mythology. Additionally, the author didn't seem to be able to make up her mind on whether she had concrete evidence of demons or not. She gave irrelevant information and more than once didn't complete her thought. She also jumps from topic to topic, sometimes willy-nilly, and while the theme might seem like it should be "evil" in the material history of humans, there was so much in this book that didn't really seem to be part of that.
Secondly, there was a clear Catholic bias, despite the author's reassurances that she was unbiased. This showed up a lot when she discussed other religions, which I found really disappointing, as well as in her conclusion (which basically was a lecture). She also seems to be particularly disgusted by the Meso-American cultures, talking of their human sacrifices but glossing over the conversion tactics used by the missionaries who tried to eradicate them.
Mostly, though, what was most irritating was her constant reaching for examples that didn't really fit into her theory. She starts out by trying to prove demons, but then she starts trying to bring in aliens and UFOs and "spooky" locations.
And her grammar and syntax has a lot off problems, but that could be as much an editor's problem as hers.
All in all, I was really disappointed with this book, and found myself having a hard time getting through it.
However...
***SPOILER***
I will be honest: anyone who holds a PhD, I tend to hold them to higher standards, especially in history and archaeology, because it's heavily research based. Which is why this book really disappointed me.
First and foremost, it was incredibly inconsistent. Given the title, I expected more material examples of her theories on demons, but really there was little archaeology compared to folk-stories and mythology. Additionally, the author didn't seem to be able to make up her mind on whether she had concrete evidence of demons or not. She gave irrelevant information and more than once didn't complete her thought. She also jumps from topic to topic, sometimes willy-nilly, and while the theme might seem like it should be "evil" in the material history of humans, there was so much in this book that didn't really seem to be part of that.
Secondly, there was a clear Catholic bias, despite the author's reassurances that she was unbiased. This showed up a lot when she discussed other religions, which I found really disappointing, as well as in her conclusion (which basically was a lecture). She also seems to be particularly disgusted by the Meso-American cultures, talking of their human sacrifices but glossing over the conversion tactics used by the missionaries who tried to eradicate them.
Mostly, though, what was most irritating was her constant reaching for examples that didn't really fit into her theory. She starts out by trying to prove demons, but then she starts trying to bring in aliens and UFOs and "spooky" locations.
And her grammar and syntax has a lot off problems, but that could be as much an editor's problem as hers.
All in all, I was really disappointed with this book, and found myself having a hard time getting through it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2025
This was one of those reads that completely sucked me in from the first chapter—dark, twisted, and full of the kind of historical rabbit holes I could fall into for hours. It explored the line between mythology, folklore, and fact in a way that felt both academic and deeply entertaining. From cursed objects to haunted burial sites, the book dug into the murky world where archaeology meets ancient fear—and I was absolutely here for it.
What really got me was how much of this stuff still lingers in the modern psyche. We like to think we’ve evolved past superstition, but you start connecting the dots and realize how many of our fears, beliefs, and even pop culture obsessions are rooted in the things people were terrified of thousands of years ago. There’s something so fascinating about that—how these ancient whispers still echo today, shaping how we see the unknown.
The writing struck the perfect balance between informative and captivating. It never felt dry or preachy. It was like sitting down with someone who not only knew their stuff but genuinely wanted to share the thrill of uncovering these strange, unsettling pieces of history. The tone was engaging, a little eerie at times (in the best way), and packed with enough depth to keep me highlighting and rereading certain sections.
This kind of content always hooks me—it feeds my curiosity and makes me question how much of our fear is learned versus inherited. I walked away from this with a head full of theories, a growing list of creepy archaeological sites to research, and a renewed fascination with the way the ancient world still wraps its fingers around the modern one.
Read more here: https://annietheinkdrinker.wordpress....
What really got me was how much of this stuff still lingers in the modern psyche. We like to think we’ve evolved past superstition, but you start connecting the dots and realize how many of our fears, beliefs, and even pop culture obsessions are rooted in the things people were terrified of thousands of years ago. There’s something so fascinating about that—how these ancient whispers still echo today, shaping how we see the unknown.
The writing struck the perfect balance between informative and captivating. It never felt dry or preachy. It was like sitting down with someone who not only knew their stuff but genuinely wanted to share the thrill of uncovering these strange, unsettling pieces of history. The tone was engaging, a little eerie at times (in the best way), and packed with enough depth to keep me highlighting and rereading certain sections.
This kind of content always hooks me—it feeds my curiosity and makes me question how much of our fear is learned versus inherited. I walked away from this with a head full of theories, a growing list of creepy archaeological sites to research, and a renewed fascination with the way the ancient world still wraps its fingers around the modern one.
Read more here: https://annietheinkdrinker.wordpress....
November 11, 2019
Evil Archaeology is a fun, archaeological perspective on those more nefarious practices and rites that humans have practiced since the beginning of civilization.
The book begins with a discussion of trepanning, one of the earliest surgical processes we ever practiced – the act of drilling or creating a hole in the skull to allow various issues to escape (demons, bad spirits, pressure, haunting thoughts) and providing mental and physical relief. Other topics discussed include human sacrifice, exorcisms and demon summoning, cursed objects, and places believed to be evil unto themselves.
Dr Heather Lynn approaches the topic with humor but without judgment, which is a complicated task, and through the eyes of science and history. It’s refreshing that she doesn’t discuss practitioners (ancient or present day) as ignorant or stupid, but, rather, presents their practices as reasonable. She applies humor as she relates her own experiences in learning about practices, as it’s impossible to truly be without judgment, which really gives the reader a chance to get comfortable with and acknowledge their own biases and assumptions.
The material in the book is absolutely fascinating and the approach is academic, without being dry, and so is educational and insightful all at once.
We had the opportunity to interview Dr. heather Lynn, and you can listen to that interview here: https://wewitchesthree.podbean.com/e/...
The book begins with a discussion of trepanning, one of the earliest surgical processes we ever practiced – the act of drilling or creating a hole in the skull to allow various issues to escape (demons, bad spirits, pressure, haunting thoughts) and providing mental and physical relief. Other topics discussed include human sacrifice, exorcisms and demon summoning, cursed objects, and places believed to be evil unto themselves.
Dr Heather Lynn approaches the topic with humor but without judgment, which is a complicated task, and through the eyes of science and history. It’s refreshing that she doesn’t discuss practitioners (ancient or present day) as ignorant or stupid, but, rather, presents their practices as reasonable. She applies humor as she relates her own experiences in learning about practices, as it’s impossible to truly be without judgment, which really gives the reader a chance to get comfortable with and acknowledge their own biases and assumptions.
The material in the book is absolutely fascinating and the approach is academic, without being dry, and so is educational and insightful all at once.
We had the opportunity to interview Dr. heather Lynn, and you can listen to that interview here: https://wewitchesthree.podbean.com/e/...
April 18, 2020
Evil Archaeology: Demons, Possessions and Sinister Relics by Heather Lynn
Writing a horror story? This book may be a good resource.
This book is essentially a survey of legends, myths, folktales, and wive's tales about demons and the spooky spanning the period from 3000 BC to the last thirty years. It contains a lot of unverified and unchecked stories and folderol, so take it with a grain of salt. On the other hand, the book does seem to include some obscure "real deals," such as a description of "witch bottles." I remember reading earlier this year (2020) that a witch bottle had been recently discovered in Virginia. So they really existed and are obscure enough that I had never heard of one until it turned up in a couple of news stories.
This is not an academic work. If you are interested in details of archeology or history, then give this a miss. If you are looking for something that trots out the weird things that have happened in history, then it is something of a diversion.
Writing a horror story? This book may be a good resource.
This book is essentially a survey of legends, myths, folktales, and wive's tales about demons and the spooky spanning the period from 3000 BC to the last thirty years. It contains a lot of unverified and unchecked stories and folderol, so take it with a grain of salt. On the other hand, the book does seem to include some obscure "real deals," such as a description of "witch bottles." I remember reading earlier this year (2020) that a witch bottle had been recently discovered in Virginia. So they really existed and are obscure enough that I had never heard of one until it turned up in a couple of news stories.
This is not an academic work. If you are interested in details of archeology or history, then give this a miss. If you are looking for something that trots out the weird things that have happened in history, then it is something of a diversion.
July 6, 2019
I have always been fascinated by archaeology, but not the kind that tells you about the dating of old ceramics or the provenance of ancient coins. What I love to hear about are the human stories and what archaeology can reveal to us about the way ancient people once lived and what they believed. For me, this kind of archaeology is like picking up a good novel – you are drawn into the lives of people that live in a world so different from your own, only in this case, they really did exist.
This is what I enjoyed most about Heather Lynn’s ‘Evil Archaeology’. It takes you on a journey across countries and cultures to explore some of the weird, and sometimes sinister, beliefs and practices of people that lived in the past, from exorcisms to demonic invocations, brain surgery, and human sacrifice.
This is not a dry, academic analysis of cultural beliefs, but a fun and fascinating look into some spooky and bone-chilling archaeological discoveries and the stories behind them.
This is what I enjoyed most about Heather Lynn’s ‘Evil Archaeology’. It takes you on a journey across countries and cultures to explore some of the weird, and sometimes sinister, beliefs and practices of people that lived in the past, from exorcisms to demonic invocations, brain surgery, and human sacrifice.
This is not a dry, academic analysis of cultural beliefs, but a fun and fascinating look into some spooky and bone-chilling archaeological discoveries and the stories behind them.
July 31, 2023
This book looked at how the demon is perceived by people in different aspects (such as how it is perceived by people from this and that era, perceived by a certain religion, specific place/country, etc.). It also shares some information about exorcism, possessed items, how it is associated with demons or evil entities, and how some eerie beliefs or curses are debunked by science.
I've been finding a clearer explanation about 'demons' through archeology and history without relying upon religious text alone. This book answered some of the questions I have had in my mind for years and gave me new knowledge which lured my mind to be more curious again. We can never count how many demons exist based on different eras, countries, and religions which is why — I can say that — this book only discusses a few of them.
Nevertheless, I am grateful to live in this current gen wherein modern medical treatment exists and society is more civilized.
I've been finding a clearer explanation about 'demons' through archeology and history without relying upon religious text alone. This book answered some of the questions I have had in my mind for years and gave me new knowledge which lured my mind to be more curious again. We can never count how many demons exist based on different eras, countries, and religions which is why — I can say that — this book only discusses a few of them.
Nevertheless, I am grateful to live in this current gen wherein modern medical treatment exists and society is more civilized.
September 13, 2020
Giving this book only 3 stars... Because of the biased views on demons. I myself work with them... as a Luciferian. With respect, of course... But otherwise it was a very enlightening read... to know all the bizarre facts from the past. Or the very best of them, at least! Explains many cases with a scientific approach too... So not every single case is a paranormal happening. Although seems like so at first! The author claims not to be a very religious person... But some of the writings are leaning heavily into that direction... The fact which puts me into a defence mode!!! But each of their own... We build our world as we see it... Some might be afraid of demons... and so called other "dark forces"...Maybe that's the reason why those kind of people get "possessed", etc. But the truth is... there isn't any duality... Only balance. The grey area.
November 19, 2021
This was a very interesting read, and I particularly enjoyed the discussion of ancient demons and how human concepts of evil and “demons” have changed over time. I also though that it was well organised and that the different topics flowed into each other well and were nicely defined without the need for excessive subtitles or sections. I will say that the interview section lost me and that there are definitely parts of this book were the authors christian beliefs shine through, perhaps to the detriment of scientific accuracy. Overall though, I enjoyed it and I think it has definitely built upon my understanding of world history and religion.
May 29, 2022
I really enjoyed Heather Lynn's "Evil Archaeology," but I wanted more. Frankly, I was surprised by how open-minded it is since it is written by a scientist. It rode the line between utter acceptance of "evil," and a scientific look at measuring it. All of this was told through stories of ancient finds and relics, cultural beliefs, and folklore. Ultimately, however, I wanted more of everything. More studies, more folklore, more relics.
If you are someone looking for a read that doesn't dismiss the notion of the unexplained, and nor does it fully embrace it, look no further. This is about the best you will find.
If you are someone looking for a read that doesn't dismiss the notion of the unexplained, and nor does it fully embrace it, look no further. This is about the best you will find.
August 30, 2022
Valuable information. I loved it people who telling that the author jumping around they need to read novels . It's all about information not wining about it . Then u see that some people call different sciences and archaeology pseudo this and that why ? Because government controlled system dose not allow other views to take place some revealing info about different topics it's juat weakens the controlling powers. If u just hold ur mind open and not kissing government ass then u will see how certain information falls in to the right places and how truthful it is . DO UR OWN RESEARCH AND STOP KISSING GOVERNMENT ASS .
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June 20, 2024This book was a fascinating look into how Anthropology and Supernatural occurrences can cross paths. This author explores a wide variety of deaths, lives, and discoveries that were shrouded in mysteries, tragedies, and possible curses. It is fascinating to look at archaeology through this lens, though the author does also give 'plausible' explanations where available, while still leaving the inexplicable as such. If something cannot be logically explained the author admits as much.
If you are interested in the paranormal and supernatural and would like to take a look at it through a different lens then this is the book for you. Skeptics need not apply.
If you are interested in the paranormal and supernatural and would like to take a look at it through a different lens then this is the book for you. Skeptics need not apply.
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