Fingerprints of the Gods

“Fingerprints of the Gods” is a popular and influential work by Graham Hancock. Published in 1995, the book is an exploration of ancient mysteries, posing questions about humanity’s past that challenge conventional historical understanding. Hancock’s work has had a considerable influence on the public perception of ancient history and archaeology.

Graham Hancock was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on August 2, 1950. He is a British author and journalist known for his controversial theories about ancient civilizations.

Before his interest in ancient civilizations took root, Hancock had a successful career in journalism. He graduated from Durham University in 1973 with a degree in sociology. After graduation, he began working as a journalist, first for local newspapers and then moving onto larger publications. In the early 1980s, he was a correspondent for The Economist, reporting from East Africa.

His experience in East Africa would go on to shape his later work. While there, he developed a deep interest in the region’s culture and history, which led him to write several non-fiction books about Africa, including “Ethiopia: The Challenge of Hunger” (1984) and “Lords of Poverty” (1989).

Hancock’s shift towards alternative history and archaeology began with “The Sign and the Seal” (1992), a book exploring the legend of the Ark of the Covenant. His following work, “Fingerprints of the Gods” (1995), brought him into the limelight, cementing his reputation as a prominent figure in alternative history.

Hancock suggests that the alignment of ancient monuments, such as the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, is intentionally linked to specific astronomical events tied to the precession of the equinoxes. He argues that these structures were not only designed as tombs or ceremonial sites but also as sophisticated astronomical observatories.

According to Hancock, the layout of the Giza pyramids correlates with the positions of the stars in the constellation of Orion during a specific era, specifically around 10,500 BC. He suggests that this alignment reflects a deep understanding of precession and its connection to the shifting ages of astrological significance.

Furthermore, Hancock connects these alignments and ancient myths with a cataclysmic event around 12,800 years ago, which he associates with the end of the last Ice Age. He argues that this event, possibly triggered by a comet impact or other natural catastrophe, led to the destruction of an advanced civilization that possessed knowledge of precession and encoded it into their architectural and cultural legacy.

1. Advanced Ancient Civilization: Hancock posits that there existed an advanced civilization in Earth’s prehistoric era which was wiped out by a cataclysmic event, probably around 10,500 BCE. The remnants of this civilization, he argues, are visible in ancient monuments and cultural practices found around the world.
2. Global Cataclysm: The book hypothesizes that a global cataclysm occurred, likely due to a pole shift caused by the accumulation of ice at the poles. Hancock suggests that this event caused massive flooding and wiped out the majority of this advanced civilization.
3. Survivors and Cultural Diffusion: The survivors of this ancient civilization, according to Hancock, scattered across the globe, carrying their advanced knowledge with them. They helped to jump-start civilization in areas like Egypt and Central America, which explains the sudden appearance of advanced societies in these regions.
4. Sacred Geometry and Astronomy: Hancock argues that these ancient societies used sophisticated mathematical and astronomical knowledge, evident in the construction of monuments like the Pyramids of Giza and the Mayan calendar. He asserts that these structures embody a deep understanding of Earth’s precession, which could not have been possible without advanced knowledge.
5. Orion Correlation Theory: Hancock supports the Orion Correlation Theory proposed by Bauval and Gilbert, which suggests that the layout of the three main pyramids of Giza mirrors the alignment of the three stars in Orion’s Belt. This, he believes, is evidence of the advanced astronomical knowledge of the ancient civilization.
6. Legacy and Warning: The final key claim of Hancock’s book is that these ancient survivors left behind a message—a warning for future generations of another impending cataclysm. This warning is encoded in myths, monuments, and ancient texts.

Important People:

1. Graham Hancock: The author of the book, who extensively researched and traveled to various archaeological sites worldwide.
2. Robert Bauval and Adrian Gilbert: Co-authors of the Orion Correlation Theory, their work is central to Hancock’s arguments.
3. Rand and Rose Flem-Ath: The couple proposed the theory of Earth Crust Displacement, which inspired Hancock’s global cataclysm theory.

Books Written About “Fingerprints of the Gods”:

1. “The Mystery of the Sphinx: Ancient Egypt, The Younger Dryas, and the Origins of Civilization” by Robert Schoch: This book explores Hancock’s theories, particularly the idea of advanced prehistoric civilizations and the global cataclysm. Schoch, a geologist, provides additional scientific context and explores the geological evidence supporting the idea of a cataclysm.
2. “Forbidden Archeology: The Hidden History of the Human Race” by Michael Cremo and Richard L. Thompson: Though not solely about Hancock’s work, this book complements his theories about an advanced ancient civilization. It presents archaeological evidence that challenges conventional timelines of human evolution and civilization’s emergence.
3. “Magicians of the Gods” by Graham Hancock: This is Hancock’s own sequel to “Fingerprints of the Gods.” In it, he updates his theories with new evidence and further explores the idea of a lost civilization and the cataclysm that caused its downfall. Particularly, he looks into the evidence for a comet impact around 10,800 BCE, which could be the cataclysm he previously theorized.
4. “Origins of the Sphinx: Celestial Guardian of Pre-Pharaonic Civilization” by Robert Schoch and Robert Bauval: This book explores the mysteries of the Sphinx in Egypt, which Hancock mentions in “Fingerprints of the Gods”. The authors argue that the Sphinx is much older than traditionally believed and may be a relic of the advanced civilization proposed by Hancock.
5. “Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization” by Graham Hancock: Another of Hancock’s works, this book expands on the theories presented in “Fingerprints of the Gods”. It focuses particularly on underwater archaeology and the idea that many remnants of the ancient civilization lie beneath the sea, due to the cataclysmic flooding event.

“Fingerprints of the Gods” by Graham Hancock is a thought-provoking exploration of our past, suggesting the existence of an advanced civilization in prehistoric times that was decimated by a global cataclysm. While the book’s theories are controversial, they have ignited a new interest in ancient mysteries and inspired further research and debate about human history’s early chapters.