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Graham Hancock is literally just making up stories and saying "wouldn't it be cool if this happened" with absolutely zero evidence. The guy can't understand why

Graham Hancock is literally just making up stories and saying "wouldn't it be cool if this happened" with absolutely zero evidence. The guy can't understand why archeologist don't like his theories, but he doesn't have theories, he has fiction stories.

mandmandam 2y ago
"Hey archaeologists - here's a cool thing that doesn't fit with your timeline. Here are some ideas that could explain what's going on, but they're just ideas don't lynch me!" The archaeological establishment: "Lynch this fucker!"
- Hikikomori 2y ago
  Except he provides no evidence at all. It's cool fiction but nothing more than that.
  - mandmandam 2y ago
    That's just not true. He's really quite good at delineating the actual evidence while telling a thought-provoking story.
    - Hikikomori 2y ago
      Which evidence?
      - mandmandam 2y ago
        I would usually say, you first, since you made the outrageous claim he "provides no evidence at all". But this might be fun... You do know the difference between evidence and proof though, right? I'll go look at the most recent article on his website [0], and we'll see if there's evidence presented, or if he "provides no evidence at all"... To avoid bias - and save time, because I'm doing your research for free - I asked ChatGPT to examine whether he provided evidence or not: ... Evidence Provided by Graham Hancock Cultural and Archaeological Evidence: Hancock frequently references archaeological findings and scientific studies to support his theories. For example, he discusses the discovery of ancient human remains in California dating back 130,000 years, which challenges the conventional timeline of human migration into the Americas. Comparative Analysis: He often draws parallels between distant cultures to suggest the existence of a lost ancient civilization. For instance, he points out similarities between the spiritual beliefs of ancient Egyptians and Native American mound builders, arguing that these cannot be mere coincidences and suggesting a shared heritage from a forgotten civilization. Scientific Studies: Hancock cites recent studies and technologies, such as LIDAR, which have uncovered large, ancient geoglyphs and cities in the Amazon, suggesting advanced pre-Columbian civilizations that were previously unknown. Historical Documentation:He references historical texts and accounts from early archaeologists and explorers, such as the work of Flinders Petrie and Margaret Murray in Egypt, to support his claims about the existence of older and technologically advanced civilizations. Analysis of the Evidence Pros: Innovative Perspective: Hancock provides a fresh look at ancient history by challenging established narratives, which encourages further investigation and discussion. Detailed References: His works are often well-documented with footnotes and references to scientific studies, which lend a certain level of credibility to his arguments. Cons: Interpretation of Evidence: Critics argue that Hancock often selectively interprets evidence to fit his theories, sometimes ignoring data that contradicts his views . Speculative Nature: Some of his conclusions are speculative and not universally accepted by the academic community, relying heavily on what some consider circumstantial evidence. Conclusion While Graham Hancock does provide evidence to support his claims, the validity and interpretation of this evidence are often contested. His approach is not always balanced, as he openly admits to focusing on evidence that supports his alternative historical narratives. Readers must critically evaluate his claims and consider the broader academic consensus when interpreting his work. ... Summarizing: At least 4 different types of evidence are regularly laid out. Benefits to his approach include encouraging fresh investigation and discussion, and the cons are acknowledged by Hancock himself. I'm no Hancock fanboy - I've seen one show of his. But I've seen the way he gets attacked and it's so often so dumb. It reminds me of how people attack Assange and Snowden, or RMS, or Jared Diamond: surprisingly emotional, personal, venomous, and more often than not completely made up (as in this case). 0 - https://grahamhancock.com/hancockg23/ https://grahamhancock.com/hancockg23/
        Hikikomori 2y ago
        I'm not a native English speaker so some nuances are lost. But I can concede that he does have something you could call evidence, for his conjectures. Will you concede that he has no proof, only conjectures and that big archelogy are not out to get him? I'll leave this for your viewing pleasure, let me know what you think. https://youtu.be/IeIj_rNYhCU https://youtu.be/IeIj_rNYhCU
        mandmandam 2y ago
        > Will you concede that he has no proof I don't need to, because I never claimed he had proof, and neither did he. He is always very upfront about that fact. > and that big archelogy are not out to get him But they are. Look at all the comments in this thread accusing him of things he isn't doing; putting words in his mouth; completely inventing beliefs that he doesn't actually hold - where did all that come from? > I'll leave this for your viewing pleasure ... A 2 hour video nitpicking a Joe Rogan interview? I'll pass, sorry bud. Maybe if I get really bored later, but I hope to have better things to do. I'll leave you with this: We have bone flutes that are 50,000 years old that use a pentatonic scale. Reconstructions of the Divje Baba flute can be seen played on YouTube (2 mins long, not 2 hours). You can claim those perfectly circular, perfectly placed holes are animal bites, but there's other examples confirmed to be >30k years old, also using a perfect pentatonic scale. If you understand how music works, you know that's insane. You could play modern pop songs on these flutes. Saying that there isn't any chance of an advanced civilization older than 10k years just doesn't seem credible to me, and the insistence from 'big archaeology' that it's impossible is not to their credit.
        Hikikomori 2y ago
        So no proof, only conjectures? Sounds like he shouldn't act like he is correct and everyone else is wrong. I guess I am big archaeology then, somehow. Having a very hard time understanding how a bone flute equates humans having forgotten advanced technology in the past. I don't think anyone here disagree that modern humans have existed for hundreds of thousands of years and have made artifacts like this in their spare time and created bespoke tools to create them that have been lost.
colibri727 2y ago
And archeologists limit their picture of the past to the evidences they have at a given point in time, although they know what they have is a very limited and degraded record of what actually happened. See for instance the argument put forth by Hancock about network of ancient "highways" connecting cities in the amazon. Nonsense until lidar expose them: https://thedebrief.org/2500-year-old-network-of-elusive-ancient-roads-found-hidden-deep-within-the-amazon-rainforest/ https://thedebrief.org/2500-year-old-network-of-elusive-anci...

mandmandam 2y ago

"Hey archaeologists - here's a cool thing that doesn't fit with your timeline. Here are some ideas that could explain what's going on, but they're just ideas don't lynch me!" The archaeological establishment: "Lynch this fucker!"

Hikikomori 2y ago
Except he provides no evidence at all. It's cool fiction but nothing more than that.
- mandmandam 2y ago
  That's just not true. He's really quite good at delineating the actual evidence while telling a thought-provoking story.
  - Hikikomori 2y ago
    Which evidence?
    - mandmandam 2y ago
      I would usually say, you first, since you made the outrageous claim he "provides no evidence at all". But this might be fun... You do know the difference between evidence and proof though, right? I'll go look at the most recent article on his website [0], and we'll see if there's evidence presented, or if he "provides no evidence at all"... To avoid bias - and save time, because I'm doing your research for free - I asked ChatGPT to examine whether he provided evidence or not: ... Evidence Provided by Graham Hancock Cultural and Archaeological Evidence: Hancock frequently references archaeological findings and scientific studies to support his theories. For example, he discusses the discovery of ancient human remains in California dating back 130,000 years, which challenges the conventional timeline of human migration into the Americas. Comparative Analysis: He often draws parallels between distant cultures to suggest the existence of a lost ancient civilization. For instance, he points out similarities between the spiritual beliefs of ancient Egyptians and Native American mound builders, arguing that these cannot be mere coincidences and suggesting a shared heritage from a forgotten civilization. Scientific Studies: Hancock cites recent studies and technologies, such as LIDAR, which have uncovered large, ancient geoglyphs and cities in the Amazon, suggesting advanced pre-Columbian civilizations that were previously unknown. Historical Documentation:He references historical texts and accounts from early archaeologists and explorers, such as the work of Flinders Petrie and Margaret Murray in Egypt, to support his claims about the existence of older and technologically advanced civilizations. Analysis of the Evidence Pros: Innovative Perspective: Hancock provides a fresh look at ancient history by challenging established narratives, which encourages further investigation and discussion. Detailed References: His works are often well-documented with footnotes and references to scientific studies, which lend a certain level of credibility to his arguments. Cons: Interpretation of Evidence: Critics argue that Hancock often selectively interprets evidence to fit his theories, sometimes ignoring data that contradicts his views . Speculative Nature: Some of his conclusions are speculative and not universally accepted by the academic community, relying heavily on what some consider circumstantial evidence. Conclusion While Graham Hancock does provide evidence to support his claims, the validity and interpretation of this evidence are often contested. His approach is not always balanced, as he openly admits to focusing on evidence that supports his alternative historical narratives. Readers must critically evaluate his claims and consider the broader academic consensus when interpreting his work. ... Summarizing: At least 4 different types of evidence are regularly laid out. Benefits to his approach include encouraging fresh investigation and discussion, and the cons are acknowledged by Hancock himself. I'm no Hancock fanboy - I've seen one show of his. But I've seen the way he gets attacked and it's so often so dumb. It reminds me of how people attack Assange and Snowden, or RMS, or Jared Diamond: surprisingly emotional, personal, venomous, and more often than not completely made up (as in this case). 0 - https://grahamhancock.com/hancockg23/ https://grahamhancock.com/hancockg23/
      - Hikikomori 2y ago
        I'm not a native English speaker so some nuances are lost. But I can concede that he does have something you could call evidence, for his conjectures. Will you concede that he has no proof, only conjectures and that big archelogy are not out to get him? I'll leave this for your viewing pleasure, let me know what you think. https://youtu.be/IeIj_rNYhCU https://youtu.be/IeIj_rNYhCU
        mandmandam 2y ago
        > Will you concede that he has no proof I don't need to, because I never claimed he had proof, and neither did he. He is always very upfront about that fact. > and that big archelogy are not out to get him But they are. Look at all the comments in this thread accusing him of things he isn't doing; putting words in his mouth; completely inventing beliefs that he doesn't actually hold - where did all that come from? > I'll leave this for your viewing pleasure ... A 2 hour video nitpicking a Joe Rogan interview? I'll pass, sorry bud. Maybe if I get really bored later, but I hope to have better things to do. I'll leave you with this: We have bone flutes that are 50,000 years old that use a pentatonic scale. Reconstructions of the Divje Baba flute can be seen played on YouTube (2 mins long, not 2 hours). You can claim those perfectly circular, perfectly placed holes are animal bites, but there's other examples confirmed to be >30k years old, also using a perfect pentatonic scale. If you understand how music works, you know that's insane. You could play modern pop songs on these flutes. Saying that there isn't any chance of an advanced civilization older than 10k years just doesn't seem credible to me, and the insistence from 'big archaeology' that it's impossible is not to their credit.
        Hikikomori 2y ago
        So no proof, only conjectures? Sounds like he shouldn't act like he is correct and everyone else is wrong. I guess I am big archaeology then, somehow. Having a very hard time understanding how a bone flute equates humans having forgotten advanced technology in the past. I don't think anyone here disagree that modern humans have existed for hundreds of thousands of years and have made artifacts like this in their spare time and created bespoke tools to create them that have been lost.

colibri727 2y ago

And archeologists limit their picture of the past to the evidences they have at a given point in time, although they know what they have is a very limited and degraded record of what actually happened. See for instance the argument put forth by Hancock about network of ancient "highways" connecting cities in the amazon. Nonsense until lidar expose them: https://thedebrief.org/2500-year-old-network-of-elusive-ancient-roads-found-hidden-deep-within-the-amazon-rainforest/ https://thedebrief.org/2500-year-old-network-of-elusive-anci...