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We Are Not the First: Riddles of Ancient Science
The development of modern science during the course of the past 400 years is merely a rediscovery of ancient knowledge.
- Atomic theory was worked out by Democritus 2500 years before Rutherford.
- Penicillin was used by the ancient Egyptians 4000 years before Fleming.
- Electric batteries were used by the Babylonians 2000 years before Volta's cells
- Space travel was described by the prehistoric Chinese 4000 years before the Apollo Flights.
- Atomic theory was worked out by Democritus 2500 years before Rutherford.
- Penicillin was used by the ancient Egyptians 4000 years before Fleming.
- Electric batteries were used by the Babylonians 2000 years before Volta's cells
- Space travel was described by the prehistoric Chinese 4000 years before the Apollo Flights.
180 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 17, 1971
22 people are currently reading
537 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Tomas
33 books21 followersAndrew Thomas (1906-2001) was born in St. Petersburg in Russia, but after stopovers in Finland, Machuria, China and the USA, he later became an Australian citizen. He has written a number of books on the theme of ancient technology and wisdom.
His book on Atlantis is fairly pedestrian fare that purports to link Plato's city with an age of long lost high-technology.
His book on Atlantis is fairly pedestrian fare that purports to link Plato's city with an age of long lost high-technology.
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March 20, 2016
Ну, начать с того, что эту книжку я читал в детстве, когда и английский не так хорошо знал. Помню, что она произвела на меня впечатление — но вот решил перечесть, чтобы освежить. И что вы думаете? Оказалось, она вполне годная — эдакий приятный научпоплит в духе нынешнего журнального, из того, что получше. Практически каталог необъясненных фактов и фактоидов из истории науки — преимущественно древней, понятно. Палеоконтакт и все дела, но это все и без меня знают. Но в моей жизни эта книжка описала полный круг, и вот об этом хотелось бы чуть подробнее.
В этот раз меня по-прежнему радовала искренняя, судя по всему, увлеченность и несомненно честное стремление автора мыслить «вне коробки» (как это происходит далеко не у всех «уфологов») и ставить правильные вопросы, не боясь общественного осмеяния. То есть — попытка играть за пределами поля, размеченного организованной наукой. Легко, разумеется, отмахиваться от него и прочих таких же увлеченных любителей как от дурачков и чудаков, но ведь никто не запрещает развлекать свой ум попытками ответить на эти вопросы, правда? Парадоксография — вполне, на мой взгляд, уважаемая традиция спекулятивной литературы, еще со времен великого трагического чудака Чарлза Форта.
Но вот что поражает в книжке, изданной в 1971 году (http://www.unicusmagazine.com/PDF/tom... удивительное количество ссылок на русские и советские источники — от Брюсова и Горького до Горбовского и публикаций в «Литературной газете» конца 60-х. Что показывает нам знакомство автора с русским языком, как минимум (также он рассказывает местами о приездах в СССР и знакомстве, в частности, с Казанцевым).
С одной стороны — это вроде как спекулятивное пользование мало кому доступными источниками. Мы не станем подвергать сомнению его каталогизаторскую честность — он не выдумает источники и факты, он может неверно их интерпретировать, как это происходит в случае с канадским Магнитным холмом. Ну или склоняться к более выгодной для себя версии, как в случае с трактовками подвигов Рериха — он опирается на обычную официальную версию, санкционированную им сами и его присными (хотя, к его чести, здесь подробнее касается только «Чинтамани» — «камня Мории», который, при всем должном уважении, до сих пор непонятно откуда взялся у Рериха и непонятно куда потом делся: даже недавняя биография Вальденфельса об этом умалчивает).
А с другой стороны, в этом обилии русскоязычных источников ничего удивительного нет, если покопаться в биографии самого Эндрю Томаса. Которая не сказать, что слишком известна — например, про него знает только финская википедия (https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_...), хотя он считается австралийском уфологом. Ну, про уфологию мы не будем, и без летающих тарелок в его жизни было немало занимательного.
Начиная с того, что не очень понятно, как его звали на самом деле (фамилия его пишется так, что подозреваешь, что он не Томас, а Томаш); некоторые русские источники называют его Андреем Павловичем, хотя вот финны считают, что он урожденный Альфред. И вроде как полностью его фамилия — Бонча-Томашевский. Вторая часть фамилии — пожалуй, единственная точка, в которой разные, но немногочисленные источники не спорят друг с другом. По официальной его биографии, завещанной потомкам его вдовой (http://www.auforn.com/Bill_Chalker_7.htm), он родился 23 июня 1906 года в Санкт-Петербурге. Хотя в биографических справках на некоторых его книгах годом рождения значится 1913-й. В 1911 году семейство переехало в Хельсинки, где его отец получил должность «гражданского инженера» в военно-морском ведомстве (тут становится понятно, отчего его знает только финская вики).
Дальше все становится гораздо для нас интереснее. Через год отца переводят, судя по всему, ревизором на другой конец Российской империи. Куда? Правильно — во Владивосток. Шестилетний ребенок прекрасно помнил всю жизнь 10-дневное путешествие по Транссибу. И все детство Томаса прошло во Владивостоке, о чем в подавляющем большинстве упоминаний об этом человеке умалчивается. Правда, владивостокскому журналисту Евгению Шолоху откуда-то известны обрывки его воспоминаний (http://oldvladivostok.ru/articles/?a=...
Как вспоминал Андрей Томашевский (Эндрю Томас), мальчишкой с родителями проживавший во Владивостоке до революции, который затем эмигрировал в США: «Недалеко от нашего дома стоял на сопке Народный дом, на балконе которого в те годы военный оркестр часто играл бравурные марши и обязательно вальс «На сопках Маньчжурии», польки, под которые в зале танцевали люди среднего достатка - мелкие служащие, молодые рабочие с завода и порта, солдаты и матросы с горничными и дочками небогатых купцов».
Но и тут все касаемо его личности неточно (ни в какие США никто, говоря строго, не эмигрировал). В 1917-м семейство намеревалось вернуться в столицу империи, потому что отец вышел в отставку и намеревался заниматься архитектурой, но империя неожиданно закончилась. Поэтому с 1922 года семейство живет где? Правильно — в Харбине, пойдя по пути всей восточной ветви русской эмиграции. Маньчжурия и стала основополагающим фактором, сформировавшим сознание Томаса, судя по его теплым упоминаниям о ней в разных его книжках. В Харбине он ходил в английскую методистскую школу, что определило его дальнейшую ориентацию на англоязычную ойкумену. В 1924 году семья переехала в Шанхай, где Андрей-Альфред-Эндрю и закончил школу. С 1927 по 1931 год он действительно жил в Штатах, но потом опять вернулся в Китай (потому что в Штатах началась Великая депрессия). В сентябре 1935 года, по его собственному утверждению, познакомился с Рерихом, заехавшим в Шанхай при своей последней странной экспедиции. В 1948-м Китай начал становится красным, и Томас уехал из Шанхая — уже надолго — в Австралию, где и прожил почти 20 лет. Там он стал масоном, кочевал по стране и ездил по миру, о чем сам нам рассказывает местами. В 1966 году переехал в Европу, затем в Штаты, а по миру ездил так, что завидки берут. Семь книг его опубликованы, несколько, по утверждению вдовы, — нет.
Вот такой вот интересный персонаж дальневосточной Атлантиды, чью жизнь кому-нибудь из владивостокских историков/краеведов/литераторов было бы неплохо исследовать по-настоящему, а не как я тут. Потому что историей родного города он незаслуженно обойден. И не надо мне рассказывать, что вы все это и без меня знали, потому что, совершенно очевидно, это неправда. Иначе давно уже написали бы сами.
В этот раз меня по-прежнему радовала искренняя, судя по всему, увлеченность и несомненно честное стремление автора мыслить «вне коробки» (как это происходит далеко не у всех «уфологов») и ставить правильные вопросы, не боясь общественного осмеяния. То есть — попытка играть за пределами поля, размеченного организованной наукой. Легко, разумеется, отмахиваться от него и прочих таких же увлеченных любителей как от дурачков и чудаков, но ведь никто не запрещает развлекать свой ум попытками ответить на эти вопросы, правда? Парадоксография — вполне, на мой взгляд, уважаемая традиция спекулятивной литературы, еще со времен великого трагического чудака Чарлза Форта.
Но вот что поражает в книжке, изданной в 1971 году (http://www.unicusmagazine.com/PDF/tom... удивительное количество ссылок на русские и советские источники — от Брюсова и Горького до Горбовского и публикаций в «Литературной газете» конца 60-х. Что показывает нам знакомство автора с русским языком, как минимум (также он рассказывает местами о приездах в СССР и знакомстве, в частности, с Казанцевым).
С одной стороны — это вроде как спекулятивное пользование мало кому доступными источниками. Мы не станем подвергать сомнению его каталогизаторскую честность — он не выдумает источники и факты, он может неверно их интерпретировать, как это происходит в случае с канадским Магнитным холмом. Ну или склоняться к более выгодной для себя версии, как в случае с трактовками подвигов Рериха — он опирается на обычную официальную версию, санкционированную им сами и его присными (хотя, к его чести, здесь подробнее касается только «Чинтамани» — «камня Мории», который, при всем должном уважении, до сих пор непонятно откуда взялся у Рериха и непонятно куда потом делся: даже недавняя биография Вальденфельса об этом умалчивает).
А с другой стороны, в этом обилии русскоязычных источников ничего удивительного нет, если покопаться в биографии самого Эндрю Томаса. Которая не сказать, что слишком известна — например, про него знает только финская википедия (https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_...), хотя он считается австралийском уфологом. Ну, про уфологию мы не будем, и без летающих тарелок в его жизни было немало занимательного.
Начиная с того, что не очень понятно, как его звали на самом деле (фамилия его пишется так, что подозреваешь, что он не Томас, а Томаш); некоторые русские источники называют его Андреем Павловичем, хотя вот финны считают, что он урожденный Альфред. И вроде как полностью его фамилия — Бонча-Томашевский. Вторая часть фамилии — пожалуй, единственная точка, в которой разные, но немногочисленные источники не спорят друг с другом. По официальной его биографии, завещанной потомкам его вдовой (http://www.auforn.com/Bill_Chalker_7.htm), он родился 23 июня 1906 года в Санкт-Петербурге. Хотя в биографических справках на некоторых его книгах годом рождения значится 1913-й. В 1911 году семейство переехало в Хельсинки, где его отец получил должность «гражданского инженера» в военно-морском ведомстве (тут становится понятно, отчего его знает только финская вики).
Дальше все становится гораздо для нас интереснее. Через год отца переводят, судя по всему, ревизором на другой конец Российской империи. Куда? Правильно — во Владивосток. Шестилетний ребенок прекрасно помнил всю жизнь 10-дневное путешествие по Транссибу. И все детство Томаса прошло во Владивостоке, о чем в подавляющем большинстве упоминаний об этом человеке умалчивается. Правда, владивостокскому журналисту Евгению Шолоху откуда-то известны обрывки его воспоминаний (http://oldvladivostok.ru/articles/?a=...
Как вспоминал Андрей Томашевский (Эндрю Томас), мальчишкой с родителями проживавший во Владивостоке до революции, который затем эмигрировал в США: «Недалеко от нашего дома стоял на сопке Народный дом, на балконе которого в те годы военный оркестр часто играл бравурные марши и обязательно вальс «На сопках Маньчжурии», польки, под которые в зале танцевали люди среднего достатка - мелкие служащие, молодые рабочие с завода и порта, солдаты и матросы с горничными и дочками небогатых купцов».
Но и тут все касаемо его личности неточно (ни в какие США никто, говоря строго, не эмигрировал). В 1917-м семейство намеревалось вернуться в столицу империи, потому что отец вышел в отставку и намеревался заниматься архитектурой, но империя неожиданно закончилась. Поэтому с 1922 года семейство живет где? Правильно — в Харбине, пойдя по пути всей восточной ветви русской эмиграции. Маньчжурия и стала основополагающим фактором, сформировавшим сознание Томаса, судя по его теплым упоминаниям о ней в разных его книжках. В Харбине он ходил в английскую методистскую школу, что определило его дальнейшую ориентацию на англоязычную ойкумену. В 1924 году семья переехала в Шанхай, где Андрей-Альфред-Эндрю и закончил школу. С 1927 по 1931 год он действительно жил в Штатах, но потом опять вернулся в Китай (потому что в Штатах началась Великая депрессия). В сентябре 1935 года, по его собственному утверждению, познакомился с Рерихом, заехавшим в Шанхай при своей последней странной экспедиции. В 1948-м Китай начал становится красным, и Томас уехал из Шанхая — уже надолго — в Австралию, где и прожил почти 20 лет. Там он стал масоном, кочевал по стране и ездил по миру, о чем сам нам рассказывает местами. В 1966 году переехал в Европу, затем в Штаты, а по миру ездил так, что завидки берут. Семь книг его опубликованы, несколько, по утверждению вдовы, — нет.
Вот такой вот интересный персонаж дальневосточной Атлантиды, чью жизнь кому-нибудь из владивостокских историков/краеведов/литераторов было бы неплохо исследовать по-настоящему, а не как я тут. Потому что историей родного города он незаслуженно обойден. И не надо мне рассказывать, что вы все это и без меня знали, потому что, совершенно очевидно, это неправда. Иначе давно уже написали бы сами.
April 30, 2012
This book was recommended to me, years ago, by my late friend Raj. Raj was interested in Fortean/paranormal subjects.
However, there is much in this book that is accepted by the academic community. This book is about science and technology which we usually consider modern, yet was anticipated by the ancients.
For example, in the Middle Ages, the geo-centric theory held sway, and we now accept helio-centrism. However, helio-cetrism was advocated by the ancient Greek astronomer Aristachus of Samos.
Another example is the Antikythera mechanism. It is a mechanical computer designed to calculate astronomical positions. Its construction has been dated to the early 1st century BCE. Technological artifacts of similar complexity and workmanship did not reappear until the 14th century, when mechanical astronomical clocks were built in Europe. In fact, in just the past few years, there has been further academic research into the Antikythera mechanism.
A criticism I have of the book is that sometimes the author reasons fallaciously. For example, Tomas describes the Voynich manuscript--a work which dates to the early 15th century, possibly from northern Italy--as containing scientific knowledge ahead of its time. Tomas accepts uncritically the work of William Newbold. But Newbold's attempted decipherment of the Voynich manuscript is highly disputed. Others think that the manuscript is just gibberish. Of course, Newbold might be right, by Tomas doesn't defend Newbold's views.
A second example of what I think is fallacious reasoning concerns what he says about alchemy. Alchemy is considered a precursor to chemistry, and it does appear that the alchemists were on the right track in believing that the elements can be transmuted. However, Tomas gives examples of warnings and even public edicts by rulers against alchemy, implying that the alchemists could turn things into gold and also produce great explosives. After all, Tomas reasons, why would rulers take the time to issue such edicts? Well, I reply that just because someone thinks that X is dangerous, or a threat, does not mean that it IS actually dangerous or a threat. For example, in the past, some authorities denounced and punished witchcraft, but witchcraft really is just bunkum.
Since the publication of this book, more examples of the author's thesis has been discovered. According to a Greek text that was overwritten with Christian prayers, Archimedes worked out some of the principles of calculus over 1900 years before Newton and Leibniz. Another example is the discovery of tall stone works at Gobekli Tepe. According to Wikipedia: "Thus, the structures not only predate pottery, metallurgy, and the invention of writing or the wheel; they were built before the so-called Neolithic Revolution, i.e., the beginning of agriculture and animal husbandry around 9000 BC. But the construction of Göbekli Tepe implies organisation of an order of complexity not hitherto associated with Paleolithic, PPNA, or PPNB societies."
Gobekli Tepe is something I might discuss on another occasion.
However, there is much in this book that is accepted by the academic community. This book is about science and technology which we usually consider modern, yet was anticipated by the ancients.
For example, in the Middle Ages, the geo-centric theory held sway, and we now accept helio-centrism. However, helio-cetrism was advocated by the ancient Greek astronomer Aristachus of Samos.
Another example is the Antikythera mechanism. It is a mechanical computer designed to calculate astronomical positions. Its construction has been dated to the early 1st century BCE. Technological artifacts of similar complexity and workmanship did not reappear until the 14th century, when mechanical astronomical clocks were built in Europe. In fact, in just the past few years, there has been further academic research into the Antikythera mechanism.
A criticism I have of the book is that sometimes the author reasons fallaciously. For example, Tomas describes the Voynich manuscript--a work which dates to the early 15th century, possibly from northern Italy--as containing scientific knowledge ahead of its time. Tomas accepts uncritically the work of William Newbold. But Newbold's attempted decipherment of the Voynich manuscript is highly disputed. Others think that the manuscript is just gibberish. Of course, Newbold might be right, by Tomas doesn't defend Newbold's views.
A second example of what I think is fallacious reasoning concerns what he says about alchemy. Alchemy is considered a precursor to chemistry, and it does appear that the alchemists were on the right track in believing that the elements can be transmuted. However, Tomas gives examples of warnings and even public edicts by rulers against alchemy, implying that the alchemists could turn things into gold and also produce great explosives. After all, Tomas reasons, why would rulers take the time to issue such edicts? Well, I reply that just because someone thinks that X is dangerous, or a threat, does not mean that it IS actually dangerous or a threat. For example, in the past, some authorities denounced and punished witchcraft, but witchcraft really is just bunkum.
Since the publication of this book, more examples of the author's thesis has been discovered. According to a Greek text that was overwritten with Christian prayers, Archimedes worked out some of the principles of calculus over 1900 years before Newton and Leibniz. Another example is the discovery of tall stone works at Gobekli Tepe. According to Wikipedia: "Thus, the structures not only predate pottery, metallurgy, and the invention of writing or the wheel; they were built before the so-called Neolithic Revolution, i.e., the beginning of agriculture and animal husbandry around 9000 BC. But the construction of Göbekli Tepe implies organisation of an order of complexity not hitherto associated with Paleolithic, PPNA, or PPNB societies."
Gobekli Tepe is something I might discuss on another occasion.
August 22, 2017
The subject of this book is fascinating.But we must not judge a book only on the basis of the subject.
It should be well written,in case of historic issues,well documented, with serious ,reliable references.
This book is very bad according to these requirements. It jumps from one problem to the other, never explaining well what the writer claims.
The author had money to travel the world to visit archeological sites,but he had no scientific seriousness to write a good book about his superficially mentioned topics.
It should be well written,in case of historic issues,well documented, with serious ,reliable references.
This book is very bad according to these requirements. It jumps from one problem to the other, never explaining well what the writer claims.
The author had money to travel the world to visit archeological sites,but he had no scientific seriousness to write a good book about his superficially mentioned topics.
November 28, 2012
This book is okay. It makes a lot of great points and makes a good case for a technologically advanced civilization that predates modern times. But, unfortunately, the UFO bullshit rears its ugly head once again, polluting what would otherwise be a pretty darn good book if it would've just kept it down to Earth.
July 20, 2020
Bagaimana orang zaman dahulu bisa membangun Piramida yang menjulang tanpa bantuan alat modern? Atau jangan-jangan memang ada alatnya hmm. Jalan raya yang dibangun suku Inca adalah yg terpanjang di dunia, melintasi ketinggian hingga 3000m MDPL dan masih awet dilewati truk dan bus sampai sekarang. Peta misterius karya Piri Reis yang menggambarkan daratan artartika sebelum tertutup lempeng es tebal. Mercusuar di pharos setinggi 120 m yang bertahan ratusan tahun. Gambar gambar misterius di dinding gua yang menggambarkan orang memakai helm astronot. Gambar menyerupai orang Eropa di dinding purba suku aborigin. Begitu banyak misteri dunia kuno yang belum berhasil dikuak.
Kita beranggapan bahwa orang zaman dulu masih primitif dan belum maju. Namun berbagai temuan kuno membuktikan bahwa manusia sudah mampu membangun peradaban yang semaju bahkan mungkin lebih maju dari peradaban modern. Sebuah bencana besar (hipotesis umum) kemungkinan menyapu bersih segala peradaban maju ini sehingga yg tersisa adalah remah-remah pengetahuan yang kini hilang. Bahkan hanya dari remah inilah, bangsa India kuno bisa membangun kota Mohenjo Daro yang serba teratur dengan jalanan yang mulus, bangsa Inca bisa membangun peradaban sosialis yang tanpa mata uang, bangsa Mesir bisa membangun monumen batu kolosal, dan bangsa Sumeria bisa menguasai ilmu hitungan.
Ini belum termasuk warisan yang diturunkan pada bangsa Yunani kuno. Pernahkah kita berpikir bahwa ada sedikit kebenaran dalam setiap kisah mitologis. Atau menurut penulis, mungkinkan kisah mitologis Yunani adalah cara orang dahulu menerima atau memahami alat-alat canggih. Jangan jangan, Icarus adalah orang kuno yang memiliki alat untuk terbang. Mungkinkah sepatu Hermes adalah alat teleportasi. Jangan jangan dewa dewi Mesir adalah manusia berperadaban tinggi yang turun dari pesawat ruang angkasa.
Lepas dari itu, ada begitu banyak keajaiban dunia kuno yang mungkin bisa dijelaskan oleh sains. Kaisar China di abad sebelum Masehi konon punya cermin besar yang mampu memantulkan gambaran organ dalam orang di depannya (sinar x pertama), ada kuil di Mesir yang patungnya bisa mengeluarkan bunyi ketika terkena sinar matahari, alat seismograf kuno yang dipahat di sebuah tebing di pantai Amerika Selatan, tiang antigravitasi di sebuah pelosok India, juga helikopter pertama yang dikisahkan dalam sebuah cerita Tiongkok dari abad pramasehi.
Semua kisah menarik ini masih diperkaya dengan sosok misterius dari dunia kuno, seperti Saint Germain yang menguasaiseni alkemi, perjalanan ke Shambala di Tibet yang menjadi pusat segala keajaiban dunia kuno, kebenaran tentang Nicholas Flammel, hingga sosok Appolonius dari Yunani kuno yang mengadakan perjalanan hingga ke India pada abad pertama Masehi. Benarkah ada peradaban maju dari dunia kuno yang kini menghilang? Yang jelas, dunia modern bukan yang pertama dalam penemuan berbagai peralatan modern. Orang-orang zaman dulu mungkin lebih dulu daripada kita.
Kita beranggapan bahwa orang zaman dulu masih primitif dan belum maju. Namun berbagai temuan kuno membuktikan bahwa manusia sudah mampu membangun peradaban yang semaju bahkan mungkin lebih maju dari peradaban modern. Sebuah bencana besar (hipotesis umum) kemungkinan menyapu bersih segala peradaban maju ini sehingga yg tersisa adalah remah-remah pengetahuan yang kini hilang. Bahkan hanya dari remah inilah, bangsa India kuno bisa membangun kota Mohenjo Daro yang serba teratur dengan jalanan yang mulus, bangsa Inca bisa membangun peradaban sosialis yang tanpa mata uang, bangsa Mesir bisa membangun monumen batu kolosal, dan bangsa Sumeria bisa menguasai ilmu hitungan.
Ini belum termasuk warisan yang diturunkan pada bangsa Yunani kuno. Pernahkah kita berpikir bahwa ada sedikit kebenaran dalam setiap kisah mitologis. Atau menurut penulis, mungkinkan kisah mitologis Yunani adalah cara orang dahulu menerima atau memahami alat-alat canggih. Jangan jangan, Icarus adalah orang kuno yang memiliki alat untuk terbang. Mungkinkah sepatu Hermes adalah alat teleportasi. Jangan jangan dewa dewi Mesir adalah manusia berperadaban tinggi yang turun dari pesawat ruang angkasa.
Lepas dari itu, ada begitu banyak keajaiban dunia kuno yang mungkin bisa dijelaskan oleh sains. Kaisar China di abad sebelum Masehi konon punya cermin besar yang mampu memantulkan gambaran organ dalam orang di depannya (sinar x pertama), ada kuil di Mesir yang patungnya bisa mengeluarkan bunyi ketika terkena sinar matahari, alat seismograf kuno yang dipahat di sebuah tebing di pantai Amerika Selatan, tiang antigravitasi di sebuah pelosok India, juga helikopter pertama yang dikisahkan dalam sebuah cerita Tiongkok dari abad pramasehi.
Semua kisah menarik ini masih diperkaya dengan sosok misterius dari dunia kuno, seperti Saint Germain yang menguasaiseni alkemi, perjalanan ke Shambala di Tibet yang menjadi pusat segala keajaiban dunia kuno, kebenaran tentang Nicholas Flammel, hingga sosok Appolonius dari Yunani kuno yang mengadakan perjalanan hingga ke India pada abad pertama Masehi. Benarkah ada peradaban maju dari dunia kuno yang kini menghilang? Yang jelas, dunia modern bukan yang pertama dalam penemuan berbagai peralatan modern. Orang-orang zaman dulu mungkin lebih dulu daripada kita.
July 16, 2023
IS THE ORIGIN OF CIVILIZATION ‘FARTHER BACK IN TIME’ THAN WE THOUGHT?
Author Andrew Tomas wrote in the Introduction to this 1971 book, “Three aims are set in this work: --To show that in former eras people possessed many scientific notions that we have today. –To demonstrate that the technical skills of the men of antiquity and prehistory have been greatly underestimated. –To prove that certain advanced ideas of the ancients on science and technology came from an unknown outside source. ‘Civilization is older than we suppose’ is the principal thesis of this treatise.” (Pg. 1)
He continues, “The mass of historical data presented in this work demonstrates the presence of an archaic science in the past. But who were the teachers of the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks, from whom we ourselves receive a store of knowledge through the Arabs?... This book is about penicillin before Fleming, about airplanes before the Wright brothers, about the moons of Jupiter before Galileo, about voyages to the moon before the Apollo probes, about the atomic theory centuries before Rutherford, about electric batteries before Volta, about science before this Science Age. A fragmentary account of the adventures of ancient man in the scientific realm is not a history of science. But this sketch will reveal unorthodox historical facts of educational value, provoke speculation as to the reasons for the presence of advanced scientific and technologic concepts in early civilizations, or at least entertain the reader by a story stranger than fiction.” (Pg. 2, 4)
He points out, “One of the greatest handicaps that the historian is confronted with is a lack of evidence. If it were not for the burning of libraries in antiquity, history would not have had so many missing pages… The famous collection of Pisistratus in Athens (sixth century B.C.) was ravaged… The papyri of the library of the Temple of Ptah in Memphis were totally destroyed. The same fate befell the Library of Pergamus… But the greatest blow to history was the burning of the Alexandrian library in the Egyptian campaign of Julius Caesar during which 700,000 priceless scrolls were irretrievably lost… The fate of libraries was no better in Asia… Because of these tragedies we have to depend on disconnected fragments, casual passages, and meager accounts… The history of science would appear totally different were the book collection of Alexandria intact today.” (Pg. 8-9)
He states, “Our wonder drugs like penicillin … had their origin in ancient Egypt. A medical papyrus of the eleventh dynasty speaks of a certain type of fungus growing on still water which is prescribed for the treatment of wounds and open sores. Did they have penicillin 4,000 years before Fleming?” (Pg. 48)
He asserts, “The sacred writings of India contain descriptions of weapons which resembled atomic bombs. The ‘Mausola Parva’ speaks of a thunderbolt---‘a gigantic messenger of death’---which reduced to ashes whole armies and caused their hair and nails of the survivors to fall out.” (Pg. 53)
He recounts, “The sixteenth-century Turkish cartographer Admiral Piri Reis compiled an atlas … containing 210 well-drawn maps… The map with the date 1513 shows Brittay, Spain, West Africa, the Atlantic, parts of North America, and a complete outline of the eastern half of South America. At the very bottom of the map is shown the coastline of Antarctica… The chart is torn but it is suspected that originally there we three more sections exhibiting the Indian Ocean, and perhaps Australia, Europe, and Asia… this sixteenth-century map was superior to later navigational charts.” (Pg. 87)
He explains, “After World War II Willard Gray of the General Electric Company made a duplicate of the 2,000-year-old battery, filling it with copper sulfate instead of the unknown original electrolyte, which had evaporated. The sister battery of the ancient Babylonian vase-shaped cell was tested and it worked! This I conclusive proof that the Babylonians did indeed use electricity. Inasmuch as a number of electroplated articles had been excavated in the same general area, it was assumed that one of the purposes of the battery was electroplating…” (Pg. 93) He adds, “Classical authors have made many statements in their works testifying to the reality of ever-burning lamp in antiquity. Unfortunately, there is no way of finding out if those lamps shone by electric light or some other energy.” (Pg. 94)
He asserts, “Some of the most incredible tales of antiquity concern levitation or the power to neutralize gravity. Francois Lenormant writes … that by means of sounds the priests of ancient Babylon were able to raise into the air heavy rocks which a thousand men could not have lifted… The phenomenon of weightlessness is not miraculous to us anymore, because we are ow accustomed to seeing our astronauts experience this in space. There must be a scientific explanation for the fact that some people or objects have been shielded from the force or terrestrial gravity in the past.” (Pg. 99-100)
He observes, “The pre-Incan stonemasonry uncovered … is megalithic. The weight of some stone blocks is estimated to be from 20 to 100 tons. Yet in pit of the great mass of the stones, the joints are too tight to permit the penetration of a razor blade… Only the ancient Egyptians with their 70-ton blocks in the pyramids matched the skill of the South American masons.” (Pg. 135-136)
He says, “The only manuscript known to have been written by Saint-Germain… contains symbolic illustrations and enigmatic text. Section 5 has some very strange sentences… It does not take a great deal of imagination to recognize in this passage a record of a long space flight in which the earth became small as it did to the Apollo crewmen…” (Pg. 155)
He suggests, “there is another hypothesis which can … explain a number of the enigmas posed in this book. It is fascinating yet utterly fantastic… we will begin at … the dawn of civilization. Strange demigods appeared on the world’s scene who enlightened, taught, and helped primitive man. A superior being once came to the land of the Nile in the distant past. He civilized the dwellers of Egypt… A culture bearer arrived in Greece in ancient times… The Feathered Serpent of Quetzalcoatl descended from ‘a hole in the shy’ when he came to Mexico. Another version describes a winged ship in which he sailed… in South America, a tall white man …revealed to the Indians the secrets of civilization and inspired them with high ethical ideas…” (Pg. 167)
He continues, “[W]hat will be a technological advance to us tomorrow may already be a means of transport to some other galactic civilization today… An older cosmic race could have mastered interstellar flight a million years ago and may even now be cruising in the expanses of our galaxy… The view that contacts between worlds have taken place in the past, are occurring at present, and will happen in the future is shared not only by science fiction writers but by some men of the highest caliber in academic circles.” (Pg. 168)
He concludes, “The principal thesis of this work, that the source of civilization lies farther back in time, will one day be vindicated. The origin of civilization is constantly receding as science advances. Since true science is fluid and modified by new evidence, it is not improbable that a great deal of the speculation offered in this study of the history of science will be found reasonable in the end.” (Pg. 174)
This book will be “must reading” for those interested in ‘Ancient Aliens’ theories.
Author Andrew Tomas wrote in the Introduction to this 1971 book, “Three aims are set in this work: --To show that in former eras people possessed many scientific notions that we have today. –To demonstrate that the technical skills of the men of antiquity and prehistory have been greatly underestimated. –To prove that certain advanced ideas of the ancients on science and technology came from an unknown outside source. ‘Civilization is older than we suppose’ is the principal thesis of this treatise.” (Pg. 1)
He continues, “The mass of historical data presented in this work demonstrates the presence of an archaic science in the past. But who were the teachers of the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks, from whom we ourselves receive a store of knowledge through the Arabs?... This book is about penicillin before Fleming, about airplanes before the Wright brothers, about the moons of Jupiter before Galileo, about voyages to the moon before the Apollo probes, about the atomic theory centuries before Rutherford, about electric batteries before Volta, about science before this Science Age. A fragmentary account of the adventures of ancient man in the scientific realm is not a history of science. But this sketch will reveal unorthodox historical facts of educational value, provoke speculation as to the reasons for the presence of advanced scientific and technologic concepts in early civilizations, or at least entertain the reader by a story stranger than fiction.” (Pg. 2, 4)
He points out, “One of the greatest handicaps that the historian is confronted with is a lack of evidence. If it were not for the burning of libraries in antiquity, history would not have had so many missing pages… The famous collection of Pisistratus in Athens (sixth century B.C.) was ravaged… The papyri of the library of the Temple of Ptah in Memphis were totally destroyed. The same fate befell the Library of Pergamus… But the greatest blow to history was the burning of the Alexandrian library in the Egyptian campaign of Julius Caesar during which 700,000 priceless scrolls were irretrievably lost… The fate of libraries was no better in Asia… Because of these tragedies we have to depend on disconnected fragments, casual passages, and meager accounts… The history of science would appear totally different were the book collection of Alexandria intact today.” (Pg. 8-9)
He states, “Our wonder drugs like penicillin … had their origin in ancient Egypt. A medical papyrus of the eleventh dynasty speaks of a certain type of fungus growing on still water which is prescribed for the treatment of wounds and open sores. Did they have penicillin 4,000 years before Fleming?” (Pg. 48)
He asserts, “The sacred writings of India contain descriptions of weapons which resembled atomic bombs. The ‘Mausola Parva’ speaks of a thunderbolt---‘a gigantic messenger of death’---which reduced to ashes whole armies and caused their hair and nails of the survivors to fall out.” (Pg. 53)
He recounts, “The sixteenth-century Turkish cartographer Admiral Piri Reis compiled an atlas … containing 210 well-drawn maps… The map with the date 1513 shows Brittay, Spain, West Africa, the Atlantic, parts of North America, and a complete outline of the eastern half of South America. At the very bottom of the map is shown the coastline of Antarctica… The chart is torn but it is suspected that originally there we three more sections exhibiting the Indian Ocean, and perhaps Australia, Europe, and Asia… this sixteenth-century map was superior to later navigational charts.” (Pg. 87)
He explains, “After World War II Willard Gray of the General Electric Company made a duplicate of the 2,000-year-old battery, filling it with copper sulfate instead of the unknown original electrolyte, which had evaporated. The sister battery of the ancient Babylonian vase-shaped cell was tested and it worked! This I conclusive proof that the Babylonians did indeed use electricity. Inasmuch as a number of electroplated articles had been excavated in the same general area, it was assumed that one of the purposes of the battery was electroplating…” (Pg. 93) He adds, “Classical authors have made many statements in their works testifying to the reality of ever-burning lamp in antiquity. Unfortunately, there is no way of finding out if those lamps shone by electric light or some other energy.” (Pg. 94)
He asserts, “Some of the most incredible tales of antiquity concern levitation or the power to neutralize gravity. Francois Lenormant writes … that by means of sounds the priests of ancient Babylon were able to raise into the air heavy rocks which a thousand men could not have lifted… The phenomenon of weightlessness is not miraculous to us anymore, because we are ow accustomed to seeing our astronauts experience this in space. There must be a scientific explanation for the fact that some people or objects have been shielded from the force or terrestrial gravity in the past.” (Pg. 99-100)
He observes, “The pre-Incan stonemasonry uncovered … is megalithic. The weight of some stone blocks is estimated to be from 20 to 100 tons. Yet in pit of the great mass of the stones, the joints are too tight to permit the penetration of a razor blade… Only the ancient Egyptians with their 70-ton blocks in the pyramids matched the skill of the South American masons.” (Pg. 135-136)
He says, “The only manuscript known to have been written by Saint-Germain… contains symbolic illustrations and enigmatic text. Section 5 has some very strange sentences… It does not take a great deal of imagination to recognize in this passage a record of a long space flight in which the earth became small as it did to the Apollo crewmen…” (Pg. 155)
He suggests, “there is another hypothesis which can … explain a number of the enigmas posed in this book. It is fascinating yet utterly fantastic… we will begin at … the dawn of civilization. Strange demigods appeared on the world’s scene who enlightened, taught, and helped primitive man. A superior being once came to the land of the Nile in the distant past. He civilized the dwellers of Egypt… A culture bearer arrived in Greece in ancient times… The Feathered Serpent of Quetzalcoatl descended from ‘a hole in the shy’ when he came to Mexico. Another version describes a winged ship in which he sailed… in South America, a tall white man …revealed to the Indians the secrets of civilization and inspired them with high ethical ideas…” (Pg. 167)
He continues, “[W]hat will be a technological advance to us tomorrow may already be a means of transport to some other galactic civilization today… An older cosmic race could have mastered interstellar flight a million years ago and may even now be cruising in the expanses of our galaxy… The view that contacts between worlds have taken place in the past, are occurring at present, and will happen in the future is shared not only by science fiction writers but by some men of the highest caliber in academic circles.” (Pg. 168)
He concludes, “The principal thesis of this work, that the source of civilization lies farther back in time, will one day be vindicated. The origin of civilization is constantly receding as science advances. Since true science is fluid and modified by new evidence, it is not improbable that a great deal of the speculation offered in this study of the history of science will be found reasonable in the end.” (Pg. 174)
This book will be “must reading” for those interested in ‘Ancient Aliens’ theories.
January 11, 2022
unusual among the ancient aliens genre in that it takes an explicitly socialist utopian position
(why do these ancient astronaut books always circle back to aliens? why couldn't aztecs have developed a space program on their own)
(why do these ancient astronaut books always circle back to aliens? why couldn't aztecs have developed a space program on their own)
February 22, 2018
A fun read if you enjoy fact-checking bad archaeological claims constantly or laughing at terrible reasoning from the author.
March 12, 2024
From the early phase of the Ancient Alien literature this one is by far the best book on the subject. Surpassing most of the written work till then, that is not to say there were not very interesting and provocative ideas back then (Van Daniken, Richard Mooney, Peter Kolosimo, and other writers). The strength of the book is to list true astonishing facts and legends in a clear and credible way, asking for proper answers and giving good clues on what to research, many late researchers take on the text and the examples of this book to lead the inquires of their work, David Hatcher Childress is one of them, but many others do as well, if you are interested in researching this kind of questions in a historical perspective, and understand how they cam about, then you must read this incredible book.
July 20, 2023
Fascinating. For the sceptics…do your research. Tomas tells you where he found his info, go look it up. We have become so lazy that we don’t go and check things out for ourselves but if someone gives a book and page it must be correct…no not always as it can be interpreted differently by many different views/opinions. Tomas like many authors today opens our eyes and ears to things we just took for granted and didn’t check out, but after the crazy few years we have been in I am revisiting many areas of history and seeing how we have been easily and wantonly misled. Can’t wait to read more from Tomas, Breshears, Dr Salla etc we are awake.
March 6, 2021
Muy interesante. Muestra cómo los antiguos tenían conocimientos que hemos redescubierto en estos días, conocimientos que no debieran haber tenido si la historia del hombre es lineal como se especula hoy en día. Sin embargo, esto muestra que la historia puede que no sea cómo nos la han contado...
July 23, 2017
Some great historical mysterious lodged between crackpot theories and beliefs.
November 22, 2017
Extremely well researched, enjoyable little read. The theories get more and more crackpot as the book goes on, but fascinating none the less.
June 11, 2022
Excelente recopilación del redescubrimientos de conocimiento científicos, enunciados por culturas antiguas. 👏🏻
October 25, 2022
Excelente libro para conocer que efectivamente no somos los primeros.
May 31, 2024
Interesting, thought provoking. May go back and read again focusing more on details.
December 30, 2017
There are lots of interesting facts and theories in this novel that I took notes on and researched along the journey. I love all the details and the pictures included were great. The one thing was how informational it was, the author often got caught up in tangents with names and numbers, which I did not always follow. This being said, I don't often research this area so I had little experience with what he was writing. Overall I liked it and definitely look at things a little differently.
March 2, 2017
Es como leer un programa de History Channel. En parte divertido, en otras te hace pensar. Lo rescatable de este lo libro es, quiza, la forma en como la tesis se plantea. ¿En realidad tenemos más tiempo viviendo en la tierra de lo que imaginamos?
Es recomendable si te gusta la Ciencia Ficción y si también gozas de los programas de History Channel.
Es recomendable si te gusta la Ciencia Ficción y si también gozas de los programas de History Channel.
August 5, 2016
So interesting! Some parts felt like the author might be stretching theories a bit, but it was extremely gripping to read. I would liked to have been able to stop and research all the stories that are mentioned and I actually might still do that some time. It was written in 1971, so some of the information may have had new discoveries since then. It would be amazing if this text was updated! A fascinating read...
July 28, 2013
For you who did not read it yet. You will be astonished to know that all the inventions of nowadays are actually re-inventions of what is already invented in the past. If the knowledge of our ancestors was passed down to us this is not the status of science, culture, ...etc we will be living in but something much more greater. There is a lot to say but it is for you to discover. goodreads.....
November 28, 2017
An interesting compilation of many unexplained, mysterious things that make it seem likely that there's more to the history of our planet than we've been taught. For many, the author draws speculative conclusions without logical reason. They're compiled by category rather than chronologically, making it even more difficult to buy his conclusion of ancient aliens.
August 5, 2008
If you're into science, you can check this out.
November 27, 2013
It is really a very good book.
This shows that our science is too behind than before
This shows that our science is too behind than before
January 27, 2014
Extremely interesting!! Someone should write a similar book with updated information.
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