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Technology of the Ancients

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Book cover Pseudoscience and Science Fiction

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Abstract

One of the recurring themes of pseudoscience is the belief that, thousands of years in the past, Earth was home to a technologically advanced civilization. Some authors attribute this to a lost continent such as Atlantis, others to extraterrestrial visitors who were perceived as “gods” by primitive humans. As well as offering comforting myths about the superiority and importance of homo sapiens, such beliefs provide neat explanations of historical oddities such as the legendary flying machines of ancient India or the UFO-like vision of Ezekiel. So beguiling are such ideas that they often seep over into popular culture, everywhere from Dr Who to Marvel comics, and from Raiders of the Lost Ark to 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Crewkerne, UK

    Andrew May

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  1. Andrew May
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May, A. (2017). Technology of the Ancients. In: Pseudoscience and Science Fiction. Science and Fiction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42605-1_7

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