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In October of 2005 Semir Osmanagic declared that the world's largest
pyramid lay beneath a hill in Bosnia. Such a prediction is unparalleled
for no pyramid has ever been found in Europe and yet Osmanagic claimed
it was the world's largest, about 33% larger than the Great Pyramid of
Giza. This
prediction was based mostly on satellite photos of the hill
and thermal images which showed that it cooled faster than the
surrounding hills, suggesting that it was man-made. Once excavation
began Osmanagic's predictions were confirmed, partially, by the
finding of large stone blocks beneath the surface of the hill. Tunnels
were also found to connect the large mound with smaller mounds,
geologists upon examining the interiors of the hill declared that the
hill was not a natural formation. (MSNBC) In rebuttal the Archaeological Institute of America says, "Semir Osmanagic, a Houston-based Bosnian-American contractor first saw the hills he believes to be pyramids last spring". The criticism continues calling Osmanagic's work a "fantasy" and accusing him of "grandstanding". They sneer at his prediction of the date and builders of the pyramid before he even began excavation. Why can these professional archaeologists dismiss Osmanagic's work with so little scientific reason or explanation? It is their right; for they are experts, and Osmanagic is a mere amateur. This is the fact which the AIA so clearly points out in the beginning of their argument and this is the premise on which their argument rests. "Semir Osmanagic, a Houston-based Bosnian-American contractor" need more be said? The track record for archaeology is filled amateurs and their finds, filled with ridiculed amateurs and their finds. Before For instance, in 1868 Heinrich Schliemann predicted that the lost city of Troy lay beneath a mound called Hisarlik. Experts on The Illiad and the Trojan Legend considered Troy to be purely mythical and non-existent. The Greek historians sneered when an old millionaire, who had known Greek for less than 6 months, proclaimed that he had found Troy based on The Illiad. ( Brackman) That year Schliemann began digging at Hisarlik and uncovered remains of an old city. Further excavation revealed more cities one built on top of another. And yet the historians continued to sneer at the divorce he had had, the new wife he now had, the millions he had gotten, but did not dispute the evidence. (the AIA argument is not very different, it simply ridicules Osmanagic's beliefs) Today archaeologists recognize that Schliemann discovered Troy and he is considered one of the founders of the discipline (along with Layard and Budge). Another amateur who revolutionized archaeology was Michael Ventris, an architect. For decades archaeologists had been puzzled by a script called Linear B. Linguists had tried to decipher it by relating it to Hittite, Sumerian and Basque, but had failed. Greek, the experts thought, could not be related to Linear B because at the time this script was used the Greeks were supposed to be illiterate. In April of 1954, Ventris announced that he had deciphered Linear B script by relating it to Greek. The New York Times said the ancient script "that for the last half century and longer has baffled archaeologists and linguists has been decoded finally—by an amateur." (Velikovsky) The scholarly world delayed its agreement, however, and contested the deciphering for some time. Finally they agreed Michael Ventris, an architect, had deciphered Linear B. And lastly the archaeological world was turned upside down by an expert. An expert in archaeology? No, the world's expert on star fish and sea urchins, Barry Fell. Barry Fell discovered Celtic homes and temples in New England. Fell found Ogam inscriptions, the Celts written language, in caves, on old "root cellars, and in burial mounds. (Fell) Mr. Fell also provided evidence that the advanced Adena, Hopewell, and Mississppian cultures of the Ohio River valley were the results of trading and colonization by Europeans. These cultures suddenly became advanced around 200 B.C. and continued until 1000 A.D. when the disappeared just as suddenly. Barry Fell also saved Mystery Hill the largest of the Celtic temples and it is currently a tourist site. Before Fell's discoveries the earliest European explorerers were thought to be the Vikings. However, because these discoveries were somewhat recent (1983) they are highly contrversial. After such a dynamic history of archaeology, the impossible being found, ridicule of another great find should be considered cautiously. When the AIA makes statements such as, "Such stories infuriate serious scholars like Runnels." and "The person (Osmanagic) making the claims appears to have no training in archaeology", before the AIA concludes "This is simply sensationalism and grandstanding and the journalists who have reported on these claims[...]should be ashamed of themselves" are really more emotionalistic than scientific. Osmanagic is only one week into the excavation and now the AIA has a petition asking the Bosnian government discontinue the work. Can't the AIA just wait to see what Osmanagic finds proving the controversy one way or the other; or are they afraid, afraid that he will find something? References: Brackman, Arnold C. The Dream of Troy. New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.: 1979 Fell, Barry. America B.C. Velikovsky, Immanuel. The Dark Age of Greece. Unpublished. Available at VArchive |