The web page above describes a historic map drawn up by a known Turkish cartographer from the early 14th century. The map contains details about the Antarctic coastline that couldn't possibly have been known at that time based on what was known of the Earth to Europeans of the time. The cartographer, Piri Reis, admists in footnotes on the map to it being a combinatory map of data derived from other map-makers dating all the way back to the 4th century BC. Possibly earlier.
There is speculation that some of the data could have come from the Library of Alexandria, but it insinuates cartographic knowledge that according to modern understanding of human history is literally impossible. They used advanced cartographic projection techniques to reveal areas of coastline of Antarctica that have been buried under more than a mile of ice for over 6,000 years - and could not have been plotted without an aerial view of the uncovered site. The accuracy of the coastline map is so perfect, in fact that it reportedly has corrected errors in current maps of the same region.
I can imagine a civilization more advanced than others perhaps forcibly or accidentally (natural disaster?) wiped out leaving surrounding cultures "in the dark" (so to speak). If there were nuclear annihilation tomorrow and the few people who survived had to come together over time and rebuild our civilizations from scratch, how long do you think it would take before they rediscovered how to make a transistor or calculator on their own? Having only a vague idea of how things work is enough to create a legend, but not necessarily enough to bring it back to reality. In time, certain types of knowledge could fade.
If you like that story, check out some of the other articles on that site. I've been reading them for the last two hours and several of them are quite fascinating!
Well, I'm a little late on the reply, but I just spent about 45 minutes reading about the skulls, and the ancient planes, the ancient maps, the celtic cross.
This kinda thing tells us that we aren't necessarily "better" or "more enlightened" than people from ancient times. They very well may have had a ton of knowledge about technological refinements that we don't even have to this day.
It kinda reminds me of this novel that I'm reading now called Ishmael, about a telepathic, highly civilized and intelligent gorilla who illuminates a man on the history of mankind and the world. Very interesting book. I consider anything regarding technology of ancient times interesting.
I liked the idea of Antarctica moving down to the pole really fast, vs. taking millions of years through Plate Tectonics.
However, the very map they are using, shows it at the bottom where it should be, just without the ice. The dudes argument was the guy that made the map took bits and pieces from various old world maps in the Library of Alexandria. And made a homogenized map of all those. Since he knew where Antarctica was now, he put it down there, but in all it's detail.
Anyhow, that's what I got out of reading it. The guy that runs that sight makes some huge assumptions. I dunno.
Only reason I liked Antarctica moving so fast, was I'm a big fan of the Pangea argument, that is Pangea not being hundreds of millions of years ago, but about 4000 or so ago, pre flood. The animals migrated to the ark, then the continental drift which they say took hundreds of millions of year to achieve, happened in a very short time. First time I have heard that other than the Pangea argument.
The more I think about it though, the more far fetched it seems. Hundreds of millions of years make a whole lot more sense, as the mountain range that has Mount Everest in it, was formed when India slammed into China. I can see mountains forming over a vast amount of time, but not overnight. The earthquakes alone would bring down the whole planet.
Who are the first to prepare world map?
Rig Veda mentions ships with 100 oars. The Buddhist
Jataka stories wrote about large Indian ships carrying
seven hundred people. History says that that Telugu
King Samudra Gupta went around the world several times.
The Harivamsa informs that the first geographical
survey of the world was performed during the period of
king Vaivasvata. The towns, villages and demarcation of
agricultural land of that period were depicted on maps.
Brahmanda Purana provides the best and the most
detailed description of world map drawn on a flat
surface using an accurate scale. Padma Purana says that
world maps were prepared and maintained in book form
and kept with care and safety in chests. Surya
Siddhantha speaks about construction of wooden globe
representing earth and marking of horizontal circles,
equatorial circles and further divisions. Accidental
finding of an old map some where can only open
questions. Any continued knowledge must have many
centuries of usage. Only India has it. http://hinduwisdom.info/Seafaring_in_Ancient_India.htm http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/...n=9780521804554 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scienc...n_ancient_India http://www.answers.com/topic/achiev...an-civilization http://www.infinityfoundation.com/m...hip_bibliog.htm
This sound like Atlantis... Ancient maps and ancient planes; technologies that were unknown to the world... I don't know about it. I am thinking hoax but I am looking into it further.
Ooh-rah
4 years as a scout sniper in the USMC.
21 months in Iraq in two tours.
Best job in the world. (Sitting around with an M40A3)
Don't look at me like
I am a monster
Frown out your one face
But with the other
Stare like a junkie
Into the TV
Stare like a zombie
While the mother
Holds her child
Watches him die
Hands to the sky crying
Why, oh why?
'cause I need to watch things die
From a distance
Ooh-rah
4 years as a scout sniper in the USMC.
21 months in Iraq in two tours.
Best job in the world. (Sitting around with an M40A3)
Don't look at me like
I am a monster
Frown out your one face
But with the other
Stare like a junkie
Into the TV
Stare like a zombie
While the mother
Holds her child
Watches him die
Hands to the sky crying
Why, oh why?
'cause I need to watch things die
From a distance
I have read about Piri Reis map. That is what I have referred to
as accidental finding of an old map. Neither some texts connected
with theory of making of that map nor some older less detailed
'beginings' were found. It must have been copied from an old
Indian map.
Among all countries in the world, India has inherited
the largest number of ancient manuscripts from time
immemorial. They were written on the widest range of
subjects known to humans. Indians have travelled around
the world in ships to spread their knowledge since
millenia. The oldest universities of the world like
Patali Putra and Taksha Sila are located in India.
Scholars from far east and Europe came here for higher
knowledge.
12-05-2004 04:30 AM
