Is there any compelling evidence that there was any advanced human civilization in pre-history?

by EpilepticFits1

Graham Hancock's "Fingerprints of the Gods" offer's the theory that there was an advanced human civilization in pre-historic times. Is there enough evidence to merit further examination? Is there any 'slam-dunk' evidence to dismiss his theory entirely?

CommodoreCoCo

The most compelling evidence against theories like this is that there isn't any evidence to begin with. In 9/10 cases, there's a good developmental path that can be seen for whatever architecture/religious idea/symbol/language. Egyptian pyramids are the cliche "Look at this tech that appeared out of nowhere," but the development of mastabas to step pyramid to "true" pyramid is clear, as are the improvements in internal structure. Additionally, cross-cultural analogies as evidence for some universal mother culture draw more on superficial modern observances rather than actual understanding. You get the "Why are there pyramids and heiroglyphs in BOTH Egypt and Mexico?" a lot. This ignores the entirely different function, structure, and local conceptions of two constructions with the same shape if reduced to elementary-school solid shapes, and it makes assumptions from an arbitrary title given to two entirely unrelated languages before one of them had been deciphered.

Certainly Fingerprints contains more well thought out ideas than these stereotypes, but I don't think any of us want to do an analysis of the whole thing. Are there any points in particular that you wanted to know more about?

NickEggy

The currently uncovered/excavated structures at Gobekli Tepe (four or five right now, with good evidence indicating at least a dozen more still buried in the immediate vicinity of the site, possibly more in the surrounding countryside) date between 12,000 and 10,000 years ago with monumental pillars, bas-reliefs, and oriented toward celestial points from a time when the people in the area were supposed to be little more than hunter-gathers (possibly semi-nomadic horticulturalists). As well, the Gunung Padung site in Indonesia is a very rough step-pyramidal structure made from "logs" of cut stone laid down to make the platforms - it's top level is accepted by most archaeologists as dating to around 800 CE, but in the last year or two ground-penetrating radar has indicated artificial layers in the same style beneath it with voids ("chambers", possibly), and organic material extracted from those layers have resulted in ages between roughly 15,000 and 25,000 years.

So, we're not exactly talking Atlantis and crystal death-rays or anything, but it is possible that there was a bit more going on during the last ice age then what is currently accepted. We'll have to wait and see what fruits excavation, dating, and research will bear.

Edit: spelling