The current Atlantis excitement is much more than a harmless Don Quixotean quest for a non-existent ancient civilization, supported by money-making glitzy TV shows and other media. Katy Evans shows how Plato’s creation mutated since the 1870s into something possessing much darker, evil aspects that would surprise many. It’s also part of an anti-science element presently rife in this country. Evans’ main archaeologist source Stephanie Halmhofer bemoans ideas that Atlantis or ETs must have helped native Americans achieve the feats European colonials found upon arrival in the New World. But while archaeologist Flint Dibble here says “There’s this misconception that archaeology is about solving mysteries,” Ruth Schuster headlines Archaeologists Solve Century-old Mystery of Prehistoric ‘Desert Kites’. Three new papers conclude that vast stone arrangements first discovered from the air were simply animal traps and not religious sites or other types of human gathering spots. Schuster reports how archaeologists explain how the walls erected worldwide, which apparently never rose higher than 80 centimeters, served this herding function. They also differ in suspected purpose from similar-appearing Saudi Arabian monumental constructions, the “mustatils.” BBC America features The US’ 2,000-year-old Mystery Mounds. Brandon Withrow’s story of the Hopewell Culture ceremonial earthworks includes how surprised Europeans were to see such advanced geometry and mathematical sophistication, plus astronomical alignments. And Jason Colavito quotes Scott Wolter: Space Aliens Helped Templars Found America. (WM)
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