Pardon my yawn just now….
Anyone out there believe this primary data will stem the tide of the nonsensical hysteria? Nope; me neither. If the heretofore known Mayan primary material (which also does not predict the end of the world) didn’t rebut the quackery, this won’t either. But I assume readers will be interested.
I just wanted to alert readers to this page on the NASA astrobiology website. It’s a Q&A regarding the 2012 hysteria. The page answers the questions that the more conspiratorially-minded think are “gotchas” that really aren’t. Very worthwhile. (Thanks to Guy for the heads up!)
You’ll notice that one of the links the NASA people refer people to is my site debunking Zecharia’ Sitchin’s Nibiru nonsense. Nice to get the love!
I came across this lengthy essay (from this past August) recently. It’s a good article that provides a number of links for understanding the history and past cultural applications of the 2012 Mayan “prophecy” nonsense. It’s a good starting point for research into the mythology. Very informative.
Wouldn’t surprise me, but I’d just say it was hopelessly misinterpreted and used as archaeoporn. No translation from any authority at any time has an apocalypse predicted. The calendar just ends.
This is a very worthwhile link on the 2012 silliness. It features an upcoming book, an interview with a Mayan specialist, and a link to an academic paper (but it isn’t free). The book may be quite expensive, too (Equinox titles usually are). But at least you get the interview.
Despite my enthusiasm, I expect that the new-agers or ancient astronaut theorists will make sure this good scholarly deed gets punished (or ignored).
Methinks the Star Wars thing has finally pushed George over the edge. Or maybe this is the explanation for why the last Indiana Jones was so unforgivably crappy.
Better yet, maybe this is part of the plotline for the next one! In the immortal words of Howard Dean, yyyyyeeeeeaaaaahhhhhh !!
I can hardly wait for the paleobabble-sphere gets hold of this one. No, archaeologists haven’t discovered ancient electronics in the Mayan temples. This article is about how the positioning and certain architectural features of Mayan temples may reflect a knowledge of good acoustics (as opposed to a good knowledge of acoustics). This shouldn’t be a surprise. Acoustics (the fact that the human voice carries better in certain places and under certain conditions) is something that can be learned by experience and experimentation. But duplicating it takes some smarts. No aliens needed, just smart humans.
But just wait — I would bet my paleobabble library that talk shows that cater to this sort of thing will have “researchers” on that will tell us the temples were designed to communicate messages from the space gods. Or maybe they designed the temples that way so everyone could here “we’re all going to die tomorrow!” on December 20, 2012.
What a bummer. I’m going to file this one under my “if only I were God for a day.” I’d use my phenomenal cosmic powers to have a mass public removal of all 2012 doomsday books from bookstores all over the world, complete with public renunciation of this idiocy.
Read about the 2012 boo-boo here.
Think it will matter? My guess is that this will be like me showing Sitchin followers the Sumerian tablets. Who cares about the primary sources when you want to believe a myth?
The best thing about this piece is that the Mayan elder has had enough of the nonsense. The worst thing about it is that the “journalist” seems determined to milk some truth from the hysteria turnip.