4 ms·
Ancient people got confused with fossils. For example, the cyclopes myth may have its origin in the fossils of Pleistocene dwarf elephants, because they look li
by 29athrowaway 6y ago
Ancient people got confused with fossils. For example, the cyclopes myth may have its origin in the fossils of Pleistocene dwarf elephants, because they look like a giant skull of a one eyed human, if you use your imagination.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclopes https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclopes
(see Possible origins section)
- jdminhbg 6y agoThere is a very good book called "The First Fossil Hunters" that deals with discovery and interpretation of fossils in antiquity. Bones of large prehistoric mammals were frequently dug up and displayed as "giants." Some of the more esoteric animals in Herodotus are probably actually references to fossilized dinosaurs. https://www.amazon.com/First-Fossil-Hunters-Dinosaurs-Mammoths/dp/0691150133/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2BGVLOMIK1OXN&dchild=1&keywords=first+fossil+hunters&sprefix=first+fossil%2Caps%2C200&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/First-Fossil-Hunters-Dinosaurs-Mammot...
- zw123456 6y agoAlso, ancient people would hike up to the top of a hill or mountain and see fossils of sea shells and fish and would accurately conclude that this ground used to be under water. Of course they would have naturally assumed there must have been a helluva flood at one time. Which is perhaps why there are flood myths in so many different cultures.
- animal_spirits 6y agoI strongly believe the flood myths we find from cultures around the globe is due to the end of the last ice-age and the influx of polar icecap meltwater[0] into the oceans during the incredible global climate catastrophe around that time[1] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meltwater_pulse_1A https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meltwater_pulse_1A [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Younger_Dryas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Younger_Dryas