In this episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan and Cody Tucker examine how archaeological discoveries are changing our understanding of human history. The discussion covers evidence of advanced ancient civilizations, including sophisticated agricultural societies in the Amazon and mysterious structures in sub-Saharan Africa that some compare to descriptions of Atlantis.
The conversation also explores how ancient myths and religious narratives might preserve historical knowledge, from flood stories appearing across cultures to the origins of mythological creatures. Rogan and Tucker consider the existence of living fossils like the alligator gar, discuss the possibility of undiscovered prehistoric creatures, and address how institutional biases in academia can affect the interpretation of archaeological findings.
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In a fascinating discussion between Joe Rogan and Cody Tucker, they explore how recent archaeological discoveries are reshaping our understanding of human history. Rogan points to evidence of sophisticated cultures in the Amazon that possessed advanced agricultural knowledge, citing "The Lost City of Z" as an example of a vanished civilization. He also discusses the "Richard Structure" in sub-Saharan Africa, noting its similarities to Plato's descriptions of Atlantis.
Rogan and Tucker examine living fossils like the alligator gar, which has remained largely unchanged for about 100 million years. They discuss how these creatures, along with alligators, still inhabit areas like Caddo Lake and Florida, creating ecosystems that appear almost prehistoric. The conversation then shifts to widespread legends of giants, with Rogan suggesting these stories might be based on real tall humans or different hominid species, like the Denisovans.
The discussion explores how ancient myths might be rooted in historical events. Rogan suggests that stories like the Cyclops could have been inspired by elephant skull discoveries, while flood narratives appearing across cultures might represent actual catastrophic events. Tucker adds that the "Epic of Gilgamesh," humanity's oldest known written story, includes such a flood narrative, supporting the idea that these tales might preserve historical knowledge.
Rogan and Tucker examine how institutional biases can impede the acceptance of unconventional findings in archaeology. They discuss the challenges of accurately reconstructing the distant past, with Jamie noting that even the oldest preserved DNA falls far short of reaching back to the T-Rex era. The hosts also explore how incomplete fossil evidence and cultural biases can affect our understanding of ancient history.
1-Page Summary
Cody Tucker and Joe Rogan delve into the realm of archaeology and discuss how recent discoveries are challenging our understanding of human history.
The discovery of the ancient city of Troy, for example, once thought to be purely mythological, exemplifies how archaeological findings can reshape our views of the past. The conversation highlights how the widely held beliefs about prehistoric capabilities are often based on limited evidence and can be turned on their head by new discoveries.
Joe Rogan brings attention to explorer accounts suggesting that there were once sophisticated cultures with large populations in the Amazon, contrary to the notion that it was sparsely populated by simple hunter-gatherer communities. Advanced agricultural setups that coexisted with the rainforest were unlike any agriculture seen at the time elsewhere, suggesting these societies possessed advanced land management knowledge. These societies, however, seemed to have vanished, underscoring the transient nature of civilizations.
Rogan specifically cites the book "The Lost City of Z," which explores a reputedly advanced city in the Amazon that disappeared—an early European explorer reported its existence in the 1500s, but a century later, it was gone. This narrative includes references to the rich, fertile Amazonian soil known as terra preta and the devastating impact of European settlers on indigenous populations, akin to the Native American experience post-Columbus.
Continuing on these lines, Joe Rogan discusses how advanced the Aztec cities were and marvels at how amazed the first European explorers must have been upon encountering them. He then pivots to the "Richard Structure" in sub-Saharan Africa, pointing out its similarities to Plato's descriptions of Atlantis. Rogan emphasizes the anomaly's size, concentric rings, and geographic features that match ancient texts might indicate its true identity as the legendary civilization. Surrounding the structure are signs of enormous water erosion, as well as evidence such as pottery, which suggest human habitation and coincide with narratives of a cataclysmic flood.
Archaeology and Discovering Lost Civilizations
In a fascinating discussion, Joe Rogan and Cody Tucker consider the existence of living fossil creatures and legends of giants, hinting at the possibility that prehistoric beings might still reside in unexplored corners of our world.
Joe Rogan and Cody Tucker explore the alligator gar and sturgeon, surprised by their prehistoric characteristics that seem unchanged since the Cretaceous period, around 100 million years ago. They express amazement at how these creatures are still present today, noting that they're even hunted. The alligator gar is specifically cited as a creature that has overlapped with dinosaurs for 35 million years. Describing these ancient-looking fish, they note unusual features like nostrils and a swim bladder that functions to breathe air—traits that might explain their survival into modern times.
The presence of alligators in locations like Caddo Lake and Florida is discussed, where the ecosystem appears ancient and teeming with such creatures that resemble prehistoric animals. Tucker and Rogan both agree that alligators and alligator gars have striking resemblances to the creatures found in dinosaur books.
The conversation shifts to the topic of giants. Joe Rogan discusses the potential for a race of giants to have existed, pointing to stories shared across various cultures and biblical references. They delve into the possibility that tales of giants were actually based on real tall humans or different races of humans, like naturally large individuals found in Iceland.
Rogan and Tucker discuss the unearthing of Denisovans and another unnamed group with large heads, implying that variations of human-like creatures could have given rise to the legends of giants. They suggest that the phenomenal height recorded in history, such as a person who was 7'6" tall during the Civil War, supports the potential of extraordinary stature in the human genome.
They also mention conspiracy theories about the Smithsonian Institution hiding evidence of gia ...
Cryptozoology and the Possibility of Undiscovered Prehistoric Creatures
Joe Rogan and Cody Tucker discuss the potential historical foundations underlying mythological and religious narratives, suggesting that they may have been based on real events and encoded sophisticated knowledge of ancient societies.
Rogan suggests that ancient myths, such as the story of the Cyclops, may have been inspired by real-world discoveries like elephant skulls, which have a large central hole that could be mistaken for a single giant eye socket. He also proposes that stories like Noah and the Ark, as well as other flood narratives from various cultures, could be historical depictions of catastrophic events, such as a flood that might have wiped out Atlantis.
Cody Tucker agrees with Rogan, noting that the "Epic of Gilgamesh," the oldest written story known, includes a flood narrative, a recurring motif in ancient religions and cultural stories. Tucker suggests that these shared themes across cultures could stem from common catastrophic flooding events.
Rogan discusses how biblical stories and ancient cultural tales, such as the Sumerians' accounts of the Anunnaki, might be early peoples' attempts to communicate significant events of their times. He suggests that they could be connected to real events or entities interpreted symbolically through storytelling.
Rogan touches upon the general reluctance within academia to investigate the historical basis of ancient myths, as these narratives are often dismissed outright as fictional.
Rogan speculates on the potential metaphorical meanings behind religious phrases such as "God created the universe in six days" and the Islamic reference to "72 virgins." He suggests that these might describe complex cosmological p ...
Mythological and Religious Narratives as Historical Accounts
Cody Tucker and Joe Rogan explore the biases and limitations that affect the study of history and how these can hinder the acceptance of unconventional findings and the understanding of the distant past.
Rogan and Tucker suggest that there is reluctance within the academic community to acknowledge findings that could upend established narratives. These professionals may fear for their reputations or funding and, as a result, might not want to admit that they could have overlooked something significant—especially if it was discovered by an amateur.
There are accusations that the academic community might suppress evidence which contradicts mainstream historical accounts. Rogan raises the hypothetical example of the discovery of a 10-foot human and questions whether archaeologists or scientists would acknowledge it, suggesting institutional bias. He also humorously imagines the dire fate of someone who finds proof of giants, remarking that scientists might try to "run you off the road" as a reflection of the belief that such evidence could be deliberately obscured.
Skepticism about the feasibility of accurately interpreting the distant past arises in their discussion. Jamie points out that the oldest preserved DNA on record is a far cry from the era of the T-Rex, discrediting the idea of engineering dinosaurs from ancient DNA.
The hosts also consider how artistic interpretations can drastically distort our perception of ancient creatures, such as dinosaurs, and that cultural biases could affect the reconstruction of past organisms. The Cyclops myth, for instance, might have stemmed from misinterpretations of elephant skulls. This idea suggests how such myths can steer the narrative and potentially misguide scientific understanding.
Rogan and Tucker discuss how museum displays of dinosaur skeletons are often not composed entirely of real bones due ...
Biases and Limitations in Historical Research and Academia
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