Alternative Egyptology
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Egyptology is the scientific study of Ancient Egypt and Egyptian antiquities and is a regional and thematic branch of the larger disciplines of ancient history and archaeology. A practitioner of the discipline is an Egyptologist.
Alternative Egyptology is a broad set of alternative theories that are evolving into an alternative explanation of certain aspects of Ancient Egypt. Alternative Egyptology theorists are becoming a cohesive group, thuogh alternative Egyptology itself does not represent a single cohesive view. Alternative Egyptology is a branch of historical revisionism.
Egyptologists acknowledge unsolved problems in Egyptology. Some artifacts have been found that appear to use or require 19th or 20th century technology. The precision in apparently machining the granite of the sarcophagus in the Great Pyramid exceeds many methods available today. Alternative Egyptology initially emerged from alternative explanations of this evidence of ancient technology.
Perhaps the greatest single achievement of conventional Egyptology was at its modern inception in 1822, when Jean-François Champollion announced his general deciphering of the system of Egyptian hieroglyphics for the first time, employing the Rosetta Stone as his primary aid. There is, however, sufficient ambiguity in translation to allow alternative theorists to suggest alternative meanings for many words.
(Note: By definition, the theories in this article are not accepted by the mainstream, peer-reviewed archaeological and scientific community, and are considered by that community to be pseudo-archeology. See the Archeology links at the bottom of the Great Pyramid article for mainstream views.)
[edit] Hypotheses
Alternative Egyptology is predicated on acceptance of the concept of cyclical history - the belief that technology, government and other aspects of society do not move inexorably forward. Cyclical history assumes that society is fundamentally unstable, that some aspects of history will tend to repeat themselves, and that knowledge has been lost almost as often as it has been gained, over the course of human development.
Alternative theorists note that there is little physical evidence that the pyramids were used as tombs. The great Pharaohs were entombed in the Valley of the Kings, not in the pyramids. The granite box in the Great Pyramid that traditional Egyptology refers to as a sarcophagus bears little resemblance to the sarcophagi in the Valley of the Kings. Christopher Dunn's theories, presented in The Giza Power Plant, suggest that the Great Pyramid was designed to collect and focus energy and convert it to microwaves. It does not go as far as to suggest a final use for the collected and converted power. Dunn gained increased recognition when he made what seems to have been the most accurate prediction of what was found beyond Gantenbrink's Door.
On a smaller scale, technologists commonly note the apparent construction in Ancient Egypt of batteries for the production of electricity.
Another important common observation in alternative Egyptology regards problems with dating. Dr. Robert M. Schoch's work in dating construction of the Sphinx by considering the weathering of the stone in relationship to ancient climatic changes suggests construction dates significantly older than those understood by Egyptologists. Alternative Egyptology theorists conclude either that there was a previous civilization in Egypt that created certain key artifacts, or that Ancient Egypt as we know it was the successor to an even more ancient civilization.
[edit] External links
- It's A Weird and Dangerous World. Ancient Egypt Anomalies.
- The Great Sphinx Dating Debate. Another summary of Alternative Egyptology.
