Hidden History: Lost Civilizations, Secret Knowledge, and Ancient Mysteries, Brian Haughton [books you need to read .TXT] 📗

The Ogham Script-Ogham was an alphabet used by the ancient Irish, Welsh, and Scots, mainly to represent the Gaelic languages. Thought to be named after the Irish god Ogma, what were the origins of this mysterious script, and why did it die out?

The Bosnian Pyramid-Located in the Bosnia-Herzegovina town of Visoko, northwest of Sarajavo, Visocica Hill gained world-wide attention in October 2005 when BosnianAmerican businessman/explorer Semir Osmanagic sensationally announced that the mound was in fact a huge manmade pyramid, perhaps dating back some 12,000 years to the last ice age. Osmanagic claimed that the hill, once the site of a medieval walled town, possessed four perfectly symmetrical slopes facing toward the cardinal points, a flat top, and an entrance.

During excavations at the site, Osmanagic and his team discovered large stone blocks, believed by him to come from the outer layer of the pyramid; tunnels, interpreted by the excavators as ventilation shafts for the structure; and cut and polished stone slabs, possibly once part of the pyramid's sloping sides. Osmanagic is convinced that the hill, one-third taller than Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza, is man-made and has labelled the enormous structure the Pyramid

of the Sun, due to its similarity to the Pyramid of the Sun at the preColumbian city of Teotihuacan, Mexico. Satellite photographs and thermal imaging of the area revealed two further pyramid-like hills in the Visoko Valley. In fact, Osmanagic maintains that there is a whole complex of ancient structures on the site, including the Bosnian Pyramid of the Moon, the Bosnian Pyramid of the Dragon, the Bosnian Pyramid of the Love, and the Temple of the Earth.

A booming tourist industry has grown up around the astounding discoveries in the area of Visocica Hill, with souvenir models of the pyramid already available. Further marketing products, such as tourist facilities and an archaeological park, are in the pipeline.

However, there is growing unease among archaeologists throughout the world about the genuineness of the discovery. Many archaeologists believe that Osmanagic's findings are actually the remains of Roman and medieval structures on the hill. Professor Anthony Harding, president of the European Association of Archaeologists, who visited the site, believes the hill to be a natural formation. Harding has expressed his disbelief at the idea that the Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers who roamed the area at the end of the last ice age would have had the time, resources, or inclination to construct such a vast edifice.

Some of Osmanagic's claims certainly demonstrate a lack of knowledge of European prehistory. For example, his statement that Visocica Hill "is actually Europe's first pyramid in the heart of Bosnia" is untrue. There are at least 16 examples of pyramids in Greece, the oldest being the pyramid of Hellinikon, located southwest of Athens in the Argolid. Although this pyramid has been dated to 2720 B.C., some archaeologists dispute these results, and believe a date at the end of the fourth century B.C. more likely. In appearance, the Greek pyramids resemble those at Giza in

Egypt, though they are much smaller in size.

Osmanagic's excavations are ongoing at the site of Visocica Hill, while the world waits for convincing evidence (in the form of securely dated structures or artifacts) to back up his claim of ice age pyramids in Bosnia. Hopefully, when excavation has uncovered the supposed structures, they will be able to speak for themselves.

Enigmatic People

Who Murdered Hypatia?-Fe- male philosopher, mathematician, and teacher who lived in the ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria, and was brutally murdered by a mob in the early fifth century A.D.

Merlin the Magician-The origins of this powerful wizard and prophet of Arthurian legends go back to Celtic myth-and perhaps even further to a magical ancestral figure in prehistoric times-who allegedly erected the megalithic monument of Stonehenge.

The Phoenicians-An ancient seafaring and trading culture active over a wide area of the ancient world. They are known to have inhabited the coastal plains of what are now Lebanon and Syria, the origins of this extraordinary maritime culture are shrouded in mystery to this day.

Heinrich Cornelius AgrippaA massively influential German magician and occult writer, astrologer, and alchemist of the 15th and 16th centuries.

The Rosicrucians-A legendary secretive Order dating from the 15th or 17th century, but with supposed origins much earlier, whose esoteric rites were based on a mixture of early Christianity and Egyptian mysteries. Branches of the Rosicrucian Order still exist today, but what are their real origins, and how have they influenced modern Freemasonry?

The Neanderthals-The Neanderthal was a species of the homo genus that inhabited Europe and parts of western Asia from about 230,000 to 29,000 years ago, before they apparently disappeared with the arrival of modern humans. What happened to the Neanderthals? Why did they die out?

Queen Boudicca-Queen of the Celtic Iceni tribe of eastern Britain, who led a devastating revolt against the Roman invaders in A.D. 61. Boudicca and her 250,000 British burned the newly built London to the ground before being finally defeated in battle at a location which has never been discovered. Where was this battle, and what happened to Boudicca afterwards?

The Dorians-Supposedly an ancient Greek tribe who either invaded or migrated southwards into southern Greece with the collapse of the Late Bronze Age palace civilizations, centered on fortified citadels such as Mycenae. Are the Dorians just a myth, or is there evidence for the existence of these enigmatic people?

The Boxgrove People-Around 500,000 years ago a group of Homo heidelbergensis (an extinct species of the genus homo) inhabited an area near

the modern village of Boxgrove in Sussex, England. What was life like for these remote ancestors of modern humans and what happened to them?

The Fairy Folk of Britain and Ireland-Although fairies in the form of spirits or supernatural beings are found in the legends, folklore, and mythology of many different cultures, they are especially prevalent in Britain and Ireland. What lies behind the myths and tales of these legendary beings?

Further Information

The Lost Land of Atlantis

Castleden, R. Atlantis Destroyed. New