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Asherlee
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Asherlee
5,001 posts
Shepherd

What?

Yeah. Let me get there.

It's been a while since I've been on AG. Long story-short, I now work 3 jobs while trying to start up my own business. Moving on!

So, I was reading a book that mentioned Pangaea and then the TV was on Nat Geo talking about some of the Pyramid locations across the world. It got me thinking, but before I explain let me provide the "facts" (and theories) as we know it.

---Pangaea---
http://i.imgur.com/Okpws.png
hypothesized as a supercontinent that existed during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras, forming 300 million years ago[2] and beginning to break up approximately 200 million years ago, before the component continents were separated into their current configuration.[3] (wiki)


--- Homo Sapiens---

H. sapiens (the adjective sapiens is Latin for "wise" or "intelligent&quot have lived from about 250,000 years ago to the present. Between 400,000 years ago and the second interglacial period in the Middle Pleistocene, around 250,000 years ago, the trend in skull expansion and the elaboration of stone tool technologies developed, providing evidence for a transition from H. erectus to H. sapiens. The direct evidence suggests there was a migration of H. erectus out of Africa, then a further speciation of H. sapiens from H. erectus in Africa. A subsequent migration within and out of Africa eventually replaced the earlier dispersed H. erectus. This migration and origin theory is usually referred to as the recent single origin or Out of Africa theory. Current evidence does not preclude some multiregional evolution or some admixture of the migrant H. sapiens with existing Homo populations. This is a hotly debated area of paleoanthropology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_evolution#H._sapiens

---Pyramids and other similarities---

This is just going to be my rant, not quoted from anywhere (yet). Basically, there are pyramids, architecture, glyphs, and etc. that are scattered across South America, East Asia and North Africa. The problem (as I see it) is this:

1. These 3 areas apparently didn't have contact with each other during the time of these related structures (and etc) were constructed.

2. The timelines do not match up.
- Pangaea happened and separated before modern human (and even human relatives).

So...what am I missing? How did each 3 areas create so much that is so similar? Even some of the structures in South America look VERY oriental. Are we missing major pages in human history?

nb4ancientaliens

  • 15 Replies
Dewi1066
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Dewi1066
539 posts
Nomad

Isn't it just possible that several cultures developed separately who came up with similar ideas?

The structures in South America, whilst looking similar to those in Africa, aren't identical and both cultures used these structures for different purposes.

Saying that though, I'm almost positive I read somewhere that grain had been found in South America dating from the Egyptian period, and the grain could only have come from North Africa. I'm going to see if I can find a reference to it as knowing my luck it was probably in some sci-fi book.

Asherlee
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Asherlee
5,001 posts
Shepherd

Isn't it just possible that several cultures developed separately who came up with similar ideas?

The structures in South America, whilst looking similar to those in Africa, aren't identical and both cultures used these structures for different purposes.

Saying that though, I'm almost positive I read somewhere that grain had been found in South America dating from the Egyptian period, and the grain could only have come from North Africa. I'm going to see if I can find a reference to it as knowing my luck it was probably in some sci-fi book.


Right.

The point is that it's more than just pyramids. It's food, glyphs, architectural design, way of life, etc.

There are so many close similarities, that I feel like we are missing something large.
EmperorPalpatine
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EmperorPalpatine
9,439 posts
Jester

Are we missing major pages in human history?

I saw a show on either the History Channel or NatGeo where it showed that people may have traveled from Asia to South America in ancient times. Perhaps stories spread.
nichodemus
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nichodemus
14,991 posts
Grand Duke

The point is that it's more than just pyramids. It's food, glyphs, architectural design, way of life, etc.

There are so many close similarities, that I feel like we are missing something large.


Could you elaborate in more detail please?

Anyway, to explain the pyramids. Look here. There are several reasons why they are refuted to be of the same culture.


Long story short:

The pyramids of Mexico and Egypt are separated by at least 2,000 years.

One of the largest differences between the Egyptian and Mesoamerican pyramids is the Egyptians use of only cut stone as both building material and decoration, which they quarried from sources, some of which were hundred of miles away, along the Nile. Though the degree to which the stones were polished or "finished" varied depending upon their location within the structure--stones being more finished varied directly with their proximity to the exterior surface of the pyramid--they were all finished to some degree. This method of using only cut stone enabled the Egyptians to construct a very sturdy central core that would withstand the centuries without modification. To them, this was an essential aspect of the design because according to their beliefs the pyramid was meant to house the body of the pharaoh, whom they considered a god, for eternity.


The pyramids of Mesoamerica, which are not even true pyramids, served an entirely different purpose, and as such, they were not built to withstand the ravages of time. Rather, these "step" or truncated pyramids rose in tiers, on the top of which a small temple was erected. Additionally, their central core was comprised primarily of large, irregular stones that they brought from the general area and piled. An exterior layer of cut stone served as a kind of retaining wall. To give the pyramids a finished look, their builders often added coats of stucco, sometimes colored blood red.


The people of the Old World possessed the true arch with its associated load-bearing keystone. Civilizations in the New World only possessed knowledge of the corbelled arch


Another key difference between the pyramids of Egypt and those of Mexico is the function that each had. The pyramids of Egypt were used as tombs for the pharaohs, and they were not meant to be entered once the dead pharaoh was placed safely inside. Those of Mexico, though sometimes housed the bodies of kings, were temples of public ceremony and ritual. Not only were they easily accessible via the staircases on their faces, they were also placed at the heart of cities. This contrasts sharply with the locations of the Great Pyramids, which were on the plains west of Memphis and the hidden nature of their recesses.

The most obvious difference between the pyramids of Mesoamerica and those of Giza is their physical appearance. The Pyramids of Cheops, Kephren, and Menkaure are all true pyramids. That is to say that their relative dimensions of equal and they rise in straight lines at a constant angle. Though there are exceptions to this among the earlier pyramids in Egypt this has more to do with the Egyptians learning the how to make a true pyramid than it has to do with them intentionally designing a truncated one, like the pyramids of Mesoamerica.

That wasn't so short though. My bad.
Asherlee
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Asherlee
5,001 posts
Shepherd

I saw a show on either the History Channel or NatGeo where it showed that people may have traveled from Asia to South America in ancient times. Perhaps stories spread.


A few men (that go unnoticed) managed to gather certain similarities from each culture and spread it across the globe? It just doesn't sound right to me.

We know that travelling across the world (at the estimated time these structures, etc were being produced) was not really happening. Sure, some lucky folks might have made it. But enough to alter culture that much?

Could be the hole that I'm looking for, but something still doesn't seem right.
nichodemus
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nichodemus
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Grand Duke

And it's not that hard for people to think of pyramids. When you stack things up, you naturally find a larger base to support the top.

As for the cultural similarities I would tend to disagree. The Mayans/Aztecs for example, celebrated death with their ripped hearts and human sacrifices, but I don't think the Cambodians or people of Angkor Wat did have such a fascination with death.

Dewi1066
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Dewi1066
539 posts
Nomad

The similarities in symbols could just be a natural thing again. I mean how many ways can you draw the sun using a symbol, or the moon for that matter.

Dewi1066
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Dewi1066
539 posts
Nomad

The link below doesn't relate to the grain I mentioned earlier, but it does mention South American products appearing in Ancient Egypt..



The mystery of the cocaine mummies.

Deth666
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Deth666
653 posts
Nomad

A few men (that go unnoticed) managed to gather certain similarities from each culture and spread it across the globe? It just doesn't sound right to me.


I guess it depends on who these few men were and how influential they were. I mean that if one of them was the Kings son and future ruler or adviser to the king they definitely would have had a lot of say on what they built. Although, I do agree with Nichodemus it's not that hard for people to think of pyramids.
MageGrayWolf
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MageGrayWolf
9,462 posts
Farmer

And it's not that hard for people to think of pyramids.


That's quite true, I use to make them out of my building block as an infant. It was because it was an easy and stable structure to build.
Nacimin
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Nacimin
13 posts
Nomad

Searching on the internet about human genoma related to migrations i was amazed to find many similarities in South America ancient populations Dna compared to that of ancient Egyptians and ancient Papuasians people. As for the moment, explanations are not 100% clear, more yet, in the chronickes of Plinius the old is described the continent of Atlantis and it's destruction as Plinius read it in the tomes of the great library of Alexandria.
Maybe we're missing a lot of pages in human history.

nichodemus
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nichodemus
14,991 posts
Grand Duke

Sorry to burst your bubble but the original writer of Atlantis is Plato in his Timaeous which he SPECIFICALLY stated is a hypothetical thought experiment.

Also derp human DNA is extremely similar across continents because we all are humans which means we are the same species which means our genomes are almost all the same. No missing pages whatsoever at this point.

HahiHa
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HahiHa
8,256 posts
Regent

Searching on the internet about human genoma related to migrations i was amazed to find many similarities in South America ancient populations Dna compared to that of ancient Egyptians and ancient Papuasians people.

Just be cautious when handling information from the internet, even more genome infos... plus I think that analyzes up to now were mostly in line with the Out of Africa model, which is why I'd be even more careful..
What also strikes me is that, excuse me if my bad geographical notions lead me astray but, the three cultures that are taken into account here, what with pyramids and all, are more or less on the same latitude. Maybe that has an influence on similar diet, among other?
Dewi1066
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Dewi1066
539 posts
Nomad

No missing pages whatsoever at this point.


Wholeheartedly agree. Nothing proves a definite link between cultures in the early stages and I don't really think that is because something has been overlooked or missed.
masterperson
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masterperson
107 posts
Nomad

It's not hard to build pyramids.
(agreed to nichodemus)

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