Nah. I had occasion to troll around on the PseudoAstronomy blog a couple days ago and found Episode 99: The Saga of the Lunar Ziggurat. Astronomer Stuart Robbins exposes the (pseudo)astronomical crapulence like only he can. Enjoy! (If that's the right word).
Megaliths
Moving the Stones at Baalbek: No Aliens Needed
I can second Jason Colavito's thoughts on Aaron Adair's recent post on the very human technology used to move the trilithon stones at Baalbek (and other such stones at other locations). It's a very good post and, for critical thinkers at least, lays to rest the myths...
Those “Incredible” Inca Walls: A Matter of (Photographic) Perspective
Jason Colavito recently posted a picture worth a thousand of von Daniken's words over at his blog. A good illustration of some photographic sleight of hand that draws in the gullible when it comes to ancient astronauts. Check it out at "Are Inca Walls Too Big for...
The Sirius Mystery: You Don't Need Columbo For This One
[[UPDATE: Talk about good timing! I guess the person who wrote this article, dated today, does need Columbo; --MSH]] I'm hoping my reference to the venerable TV detective doesn't date me too much here! Way back in 2009 I wrote the only post on this blog about the...
PseudoScience and the Ohio Serpent Mound
An interesting discussion on this over at the "Hot Cup of Joe" blog, which focuses on archaeology and anthropology. Check it out for some holiday PaleoBabble!
Pyramid Inches and Pyramidiots
In preparing for the ancient Egypt class I'll be teaching in a couple weeks, I came across this article on John Greaves, a mathematician who was obsessed with ancient metrology (measurements) and the pyramids. The article is about him and his pursuits. Editor's note:...
The Bosnian “Pyramids”, Ancient Astronaut Quackery, and TV Dishonesty
Jason Colavito as a lengthy summary of a recent "Unexplained Files" episode (apparently the Science Channel wants to a be the new Fantasy [er, History] Channel). The episode was on the so-called "Bosnian Pyramids." They aren't pyramids, and Jason's review does a good...
Robert Morningstar and His “Egyptian-LIke Symbol” on the Moon
Have you ever been in a situation where you witness someone doing or saying something so embarrassingly stupid that you feel awkward? You may feel that sort of spasm after reading this short post by EXPAT, demonstrating the utter absurdity and falsehood of Robert...
Those Pyramids on Mars
Like the face on Mars that wasn't really a face, the so-called pyramids on Mars aren't really artificially-made structures. I have friends who would insist they are, but I've never bought into the idea. Astronomer Stuart Robbins, the voice behind the PseudoAstronomy...
BBC’s Head-in-the-Sand Report on “New” Pyramid Building Theory
Ah, the archeo-pundit media. To quote Time Bandits, one of my favorite college-years movies, "You are so mercifully free from the ravages of intelligence." A BBC reporter published this clueless piece today: "Newport Man's Theory Turns Pyramid Building on its Head."...
Easter Island and Ancient Aliens
Those readers who have watched the three-hour documentary debunking the History Channel's Ancient Aliens series know that part of the documentary is devoted to debunking an extraterrestrial explanation for the statues at Rapa Nui - Easter Island. I came across this...
“We Couldn’t Build the Great Pyramid Today” – We Could Do Better
I'm nearly finished with the book by David McCullough, The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914. I don't ever want to hear any such nonsensical statement again about how the Great Pyramid is beyond modern reach. Ever. To not laugh when I...
Megalithic Quarrying Techniques
I came across this article today ("Megalithic Quarrying Techniques and Limestone Technology in Eastern Spain") and thought I'd share it with readers. I get lots of questions about the "impossibility" of quarrying huge stones for megalithic structures, usually with...
Building the Pyramids – It’s Not a Mystery
Well, it's that time of year again. The Ancient Egypt class that I teach at the local university is set to begin on Wednesday. I devote a full week to pyramids. The articles below are part of the readings. Two of these have appeared on this blog before, but the...
Using Google Books to Combat PaleoBabble
I mentioned a while back that I was reading a book called Building in Egypt. It's about construction and masonry techniques in ancient Egypt. I'm still hitting it (among other books) a few pages here and there. But the thought struck me today that I could share some...