Short version: there’s a network of ancient ruins in southern Africa, stretching from South Africa to Kenya. Their opening claim is that they represent the oldest surviving man made structures currently known, one of which appears to function as a calendar. Claims beyond that start rubbing the skeptical kitty the wrong way, beginning with the statement that these artifacts are 75,000 years old (or possibly older). It appears this site is almost brand new news: Googling “makomati” yields fewer than 1,000 results. Does anyone have the straight dope?
I don’t have the whole straight dope on this, but I can tell you that there has been virtually no media attention to this here in South Africa. Reputable archaeologists and historians here regard Dr Hromnik, who seems to be the scientist behind this, as completely wrong in his theories. (I don’t have an internet cite for my claim, unfortunately, so take its worth for what you will.)
This new project seems to me to be essentially an attempt to appeal to the “historians-are-covering-up-the-real-history” market and sell tours to them.
It has all the hallmarks of a pseudo-archeological BS to me. Of course there are very real ancient ruins throughout southern Africa, the largest of which being Great Zimbabwe. But this kind of far fetched theory does not explain them.
At least this site isn’t also pushing his discredited Khoi-India link. I’ve had fat chats with archeologist friends at UCT about this dude. Suffice to say he’s not well thought-of
That’s what it looks like to me. Oh, and coffeetable books with aerial photos of abandoned cattle kraals in them.
Hey yourself. Whereabouts are you, city, S’burbs or behind the Boerewors Gordyn? Obs guy here.
Yeah, I was wondering how he could reconcile this new thing with the old “everything in Africa came from India” idea. My uncle’s an ex-UCT archaeologist, and he just laughs (or sometimes groans) when you mention ol’ Cyril.
That’s exactly what I thought - when I read the bit where it says “When historians first stumbled upon these structures they simply assumed that they were cattle kraal left behind by the Bantu people as they moved south…” my first thought was “Yes, and it looks like their assumption was right.”
I think there’s a couple of flaws in this theory. Firstly, how can he know that the walls that are knee-height were originally 2.5m - not all walls are the same height! Secondly, why haven’t these walls that are still 2.5m high also eroded if they’re so old? Thirdly, how can he be sure that “nature alone” was the only force? After all, the rocks could have been removed to be used in other buildings.
Oh come now. Don’t you know anything? They had to have been 2.5 metres high to at the time he claims they were built so that they could erode at the rate he claims and result in knee-high walls today. Q.E.D .*
(* And I don’t mean the doper by that name. BTW, welcome to the posting-world.)
I’m up for it - this is the first time a vanity search has actually resulted in anything worthwhile!! MrDibble, Why did I think you lived out near Darling??
As to the OP - my BS alarm went off at this (bolding mine): “There is an overwhelming consensus by scholars, academics and even mystics that southern Africa is the cradle of humankind…”
