Short Answer: Yes (at least for some, like Erich von Daniken). Slightly Longer Answer: Yes, because some presume that humans in antiquity were so primitive they could not build these things without the assistance of non-human intelligence. Then, an elect super-race...
pseudoarchaeology
Ancient Astronaut Theory and Racism
I've blogged before about how the theory of ancient aliens being responsible for the monumental building of ancient Egypt and other contemporaneous civilizations is inherently racist. The idea is basically that the humans of Egypt and these other cultures were simply...
On the Talmud and Giant Teeth
Jason Colavito has an interesting piece about "rows of teeth" and ancient giants supposedly supported by the Talmud. It's really about a plagiarized reference, but giant fans (no World Series pun intended there) will find it interesting. I left a comment that should...
Archaeologist Specializing in Neolithic Period Reviews Hancock’s Book, America Before
No surprise, but it doesn't go well. Carl Feagans, "The Pseudoarchaeology of America Before: A Review," April 22, 2019 As in biblical studies, where a lot of research can impress amateur readers, so it is with books like those of Hancock, which emphasize data that...
Why the Moundbuilder Myth is Wrong
Readers interested in ancient North America (and who are data-driven, not conspiracy-driven or fans of bad biblical interpretation) would do well to read this old (2011) essay by Kenneth Feder, Bradley T. Lepper, Terry A. Barnhart, and Deborah A. Bolnick:...
The Myth of Double-Row Teeth and Elongated-Skull Nephilim
I’ve blogged once before about this point of pseudo-research as it relates to using the Talmud for its justification. In biblical thinking and history, however, the nephilim (who were unusually tall) died out in biblical times. That means there were no modern nephilim...
American Moundbuilders and Earthworks: Textbook Pseudo-Archaeology
Here's a link to a short essay that outlines the basic "techniques" for pseudo-archaeological analysis. While the essay notes the flawed thinking of Glenn Beck in regard to the Newark Earthworks, the essay ought to be a cautionary piece for all Christian Middle Earth...
Aliens, the Sphinx, and Fantastic Archaeology
Jason Colavito has another telling and humorous review of the latest Ancient Aliens episode from season 7. Jason's review starts this way: Tonight’s exceptionally boring episode of Ancient Aliens, S07E07 “Mysteries of the Sphinx,” takes us back in time—to the 1990s,...
Did Muslims Discover America in 999 AD?
Short answer: No. Longer answer: Jason Colavito's post: Did Ibn Farrukh Discover America in 999 CE? (CE is the "non-Christian" abbreviation commonly used in academic convention in place of "A.D."). As usual, Jason has done a great job here. I recommend the post to...
Chariots of the Frauds: The Real Erich von Daniken
Kudos are once again in order for Jason Colavito for his review of the Ancient Aliens episode entitled "The Legacy of von Daniken." As part of his review, Jason summarizes some of the material that can be found in his book The Cult of Alien Gods: H.P. Lovecraft And...
Two Items Regarding Talpiot B and James Tabor
I'm just reading James Tabor's post regarding Prof. James Charlesworth's apparent discovery of the name "Jonah" on the ossuary that purports to have a fish symbol on it. If that turns out to be a true inscription (looks pretty reasonable to me), then that would...
Another Giant Human Skeleton That Isn't
I've blogged before about giant human skeletons that aren't giant human skeletons. The first two examples I blogged about were hoaxes, created with image editing software (see here and here). The Remnant of the Giants blog recently had an interesting post about a...
Gobekli Tepe: Stop the Madness, Please
Boy, am I tired of hearing about Gobekli Tepe. Pardon the pun, but it's become a monument to those who cannot distinguish speculation from data. The truth is that no one really knows what the site was for, who built, or why it was built. No one knows the meaning of...
Elongated Skulls: Not a Mystery
I wish I had a dollar for every TV show, website, or ancient alien enthusiast email that touts the bogus idea that elongated skulls are proof of either aliens, nephilim, or both. It's utter nonsense. These enthusiasts regularly suggest and assume that mainstream...
Simcha Jacobovici’s Conspiracy Fantasy
I recommend readers have a look at this recent post by Dr. Larry Hurtado. It begins this way: If you want to see a good example of what be-devils any scholarly analysis of practically anything to do with Jesus and early Christianity, have a read of the postings of the...