name	Fingerprints of the Gods
author	Graham Hancock
language	English
subject	Alternative archaeology
genre	Non-fiction
pub date	1995
oclc	}}

''Fingerprints of the Gods: The Evidence of Earth's Lost Civilization'' is a book first published in 1995 by Graham Hancock, in which he echoes nineteenth century writer Ignatius Donnelly, author of ''Atlantis: The Antediluvian World'' (1882), in contending that some previously enigmatic ancient but highly-advanced civilization had existed in prehistory, one which served as the common progenitor civilization to all subsequent known ancient historical ones. Supposedly, sometime around the end of the last Ice Age this civilization ended in cataclysm, but passed on to its inheritors profound knowledge of such things as astronomy, architecture, and mathematics. Most of his claims are based on the idea that mainstream interpretations of archaeological evidence are flawed or incomplete, rather than supplying "new" evidence. Part of Hancock's argument is towards a reassessment of existing archaeological evidence, which in the introduction to a new edition he outlines as being more important than the theory he uses to link together his conclusions.

Thesis

The book pivots on "fingerprints" of these civilizations, evidence of which Hancock finds in the descriptions of Godmen like Osiris, Thoth, Quetzalcoatl, and Viracocha. These creation myths predate history, and Hancock suggests that in 10,450 BC, a major pole shift took place, before which Antarctica was further from the South Pole than it is today, and after which it was moved to its present location. This civilization was supposedly centered around Antarctica, and later survivors initiated the Olmec, Aztec, Maya, and Egyptian cultures.

The book was influenced by Rand and Rose Flem-Ath's ''When the Sky Fell: in Search of Atlantis'' (1995/2009) in which they expand the evidence for Charles Hapgood's theory of earth crust displacement and propose Antarctica as the site of Atlantis.

The pole shift hypothesis hinges on Charles Hapgood's theory of Earth Crustal Displacement . Hapgood was also fascinated with the story of Atlantis and suggested that crustal displacement may have caused its destruction. His theories have few supporters in the geological community compared to the more accepted model of plate tectonics.

The title of the book seems to play off of Erich von Däniken's earlier book, ''Chariots of the Gods?'', which examines much of the same archaeological, geological and historical evidence as Hancock, while reaching a far different conclusion as to the origin and significance of such evidence.

Reception

Members of the scholarly and scientific community have described the proposals put forward in the book as pseudoscience and pseudoarchaeology.

''Fingerprints of the Gods'' has been translated into 27 languages and is estimated to have sold more than three million copies around the world.

A second edition of the book was published in 2001, entitled ''Fingerprint of the Gods: The Quest Continues.'' It includes a new introduction and new appendices in which Hancock responds to some of his critics.

Influence

In 2009, Roland Emmerich, Hollywood Director released his blockbuster disaster movie ''2012'' citing ''Fingerprints of the Gods'' in the credits as inspiration for the film. In a November 2009 interview with the London magazine Time Out, Emmerich states: "I always wanted to do a biblical flood movie, but I never felt I had the hook. I first read about the Earth's Crust Displacement Theory in Graham Hancock's ''Fingerprints of the Gods''." Also in the extras of the blu-ray ''10,000 BC'', the director Emmerich and the co-writer Harald Kloser, said that they had found inspiration to the same book .

Notes

External links

Brass, M., 2002, ''Tracing Graham Hancock's Shifting Cataclysm. '' Skeptical inquirer. vol. 26, no. 4, pp. ??-??.

Edlin, D., nd, ''The Gentle Art of Myth Management.'' Hall of Ma’at Papers

Fagan, G., nda, ''Tiwanaku: Alternative History in Action'', Hall of Ma’at Papers

Fagan, G., ndb, ''An Answer to Graham Hancock'', Hall of Ma’at Papers

Hancock, Graham, nd, ''Fingerprints of the Gods'' Hancock's own page on the book

Malek, J. 1996, ''Fingerprints of the Gods: A Review.'' Discussions in Egyptology. vol. 34, pp. 135-142.

Wildside of Geoarchaeology web page ''Fingerprints of the Gods'' Comments on geology discussed in Fingerprints of the Gods.

Category:1995 books Category:Pseudoarchaeology Category:Pseudohistory

it:Impronte degli dei ja:神々の指紋 ru:Следы богов (книга)

Gods as the plural of god, is a synonym of "deities", indicating a context of polytheism.

God (male deity)

Goddess

List of deities

Names of God

;proper names

The gods (theatrical), the upper levels of a theatre

The Gods (band), a rock band from England

''Gods'' (video game)

Gods of Metal, a music festival in Italy

See also

God (disambiguation)

God (monotheism)

The Godz (disambiguation)

DJ Skitz or Skitz is a British DJ and music producer. He was born in 1970 in Cambridgeshire and started DJing in 1991. He has compiled a number of British Hip Hop compilations and other Hip Hop compilations. Along with Rodney P he produced the first track to ever be played on BBC Radio 1Xtra in 2002, when the station launched, the BBC called Skitz a "hip-hop star". They also presented a weekly show on the station called "Original Fever", which formed the backbone of the radio station, until 2007. ''The Independent'' considered it the "show of the week" on the radio station. In 2008 he competed in the DMC UK DJ Championship. He has also created his own record label, Titan Sounds.

Discography

In 1996, Skitz released a single "Where My Mind Is At" with Roots Manuva, which launched both of their careers, being noticed in both the hip hop and jazz scenes, as well as by Gilles Peterson and Patrick Forge. The track was sampled by Dallas Austin on Monica's track "Gone be Fine" on her 1998 album, ''The Boy Is Mine''. In 1998, he released a second single, "Fingerprints Of The Gods", which was the only British track to feature in the ''Hip Hop Connection'''s top ten tracks of the year and which ''The Independent'' called "impressive". Speaking to ''The Independent'' at the time, he remarked how the genre was entering a new era and how the quality of British Hip Hop in general was improving. In 2000 he released "Dedication" featuring Rodney P rapping and the DJ, Deckwrecka; the single went on to win the best single at the UK Hip Hop awards in 2000.

Countryman

Skitz's debum album ''Countryman'', released in 2001 on Ronin Records, is considered "ground breaking" in the British Hip Hop genre. Skitz told ''Billboard'' magazine that the album reflected his rural upbringing and that it "helps define the simplistic life most of us strive for". Estelle, who was then unknown, featured in the album on the track "Domestic Science" along with two other female MCs, Wildflower and Tempa. Estelle approached Skitz to create the tune, thinking it would be successful due to the 1990 single, "Ladies First" by Queen Latifah and Monie Love and because nothing similar had been made in the UK since the Cookie Crew in the 1980s. Other artists on the album included Roots Manuva, Rodney P, Skinnyman, Phi-Life Cypher, Taskforce and MC Dynamite and the DJs Tony Vegas and Primecuts from the Scratch Perverts. ''The Independent'' said the album provided "evidence of the rude health of the UK's hip-hop scene". A BBC review said that Skitz "delivered a consolidation of talent and attitudes of a musical movement that has been both struggling and hugely underrated for too long" and that it was "perhaps the best illustration of the state of home grown hip-hop today. The beats on the album were described as "a distinctive blend of breakbeat funk, jungle and reggae". Dotmusic.com said that Taskforce's track "The Junkyard" did for Highbury Estate, what Mobb Deep and Nas did for Queensbridge. Roots Manuva's "Inner City Folk" was based around a chorus sang by Valerie Ettiene from the acid jazz group Galliano.

In June 2001, ''The Face'' ran a feature, including Skitz, which stated that there was a renaissance in British Hip Hop. In July 2001, the ''Los Angeles Times'' reported on how after 15 years of British rappers mimicking their American counterparts, they had recently created their own style. Skitz was introduced in the article as a "prominent British hip-hop DJ" and in it he discussed why British Hip Hop had not been successful before and how it was different to American Hip Hop. Later that year, ''Countryman'' was named the best UK Hip Hop album at the UK Hip Hop awards and Estelle was awarded best female Hip Hop artist for her performance on the album. This was at a time that there was an "astonishing increase in the numbers of great UK rap records being released". Interviewed by ''The Guardian'', Rodney Smith, also known as Roots Manuva, said he considers ''Countryman'' to be "one of the greatest hip-hop records of all time".

Later albums

BadMeaningGood (DJ Skitz) Homegrown Volume 1 Homegrown Volume 2 Sticksman (2010)

References

External links

Interview with DJ Skitz thesituation.co.uk

Skitz interview ukhh.com

The Big Chill biography

Interview at Knowledge

Category:British DJs Category:Living people

name	Rodney Smith
background	solo_singer
birth name	Rodney Smith
alias	Lord Gosh, Hylton Smythe, Rodrick Manuva, Brigadier Smythe, Cecil P.Y.L.M. Pim Pimpernel
birth date	September 09, 1972
origin	Stockwell, South London, UK
instrument	Vocals, Rapping
genre	Hip hop Dub
occupation	Vocalist, rapper, producer, remixer
years active	1994–present
label	Big Dada, Banana Klan
associated acts	Ricky Ranking, DJ MK, Mr. Scruff, Toddla T, Lotek, Hi Fi, Leftfield, Speech Debelle, DELS
website	}}

Rodney Hylton Smith (born 1972), better known by his stage name Roots Manuva, is a British rapper from Stockwell, South London. He is currently signed to Big Dada.

Biography

Smith grew up around Stockwell in South London. His parents were from a small village in Jamaica called Banana Hole where his father was a preacher and tailor. Spending much of his early years in poverty, this and his strict Pentecostal upbringing clearly had an influence on his music as can be seen in many of his tracks such as "Sinny Sin Sins" and "Colossal Insight".

A quote from Smith himself sums up his early discovery of music:

Smith made his recorded debut in 1994 as part of IQ Procedure through Suburban Base's short-lived hip hop imprint Bluntly Speaking Vinyl. He debuted as Roots Manuva the same year on Blak Twang's "Queen's Head" single, before releasing his own single, "Next Type of Motion" the following year through the same label, the hugely influential Sound of Money. 1996 saw the release of his collaborations with Skitz ("Where My Mind Is At"/"Blessed Be The Manner") on 23 Skidoo's Ronin label. The release of "Feva" on Tony Vegas' Wayward imprint followed in 1997. This was also the year that saw the first releases from Big Dada, a collaboration between Coldcut's Ninja Tune label and hip hop journalist Will Ashon.

Releasing for Coldcut's renowned experimental/hip hop label Ninja Tune in 1998, some of his music may be seen as a predecessor of grime. The following year he released his groundbreaking debut album, ''Brand New Second Hand''. A reference to his family's modest lifestyle, the title refers to a phrase his mother used for presents he often got as a youngster that were pre-used. He had such an impact on the UK rap scene that ''The Times'' declared that "his is the voice of urban Britain, encompassing dub, ragga, funk and hip hop as it sweeps from crumbling street corners to ganja-filled dancehalls, setting gritty narratives against all manner of warped beats." Manuva was rewarded for his breakthrough with a MOBO as Best Hip Hop Act that year.

The lyrics of his songs are usually known to take a distinctly British edge, with many critics highlighting his references of eating cheese on toast and drinking bitter as examples of this. His warm and easily recognizable voice can be heard on many songs he performed with other artists such as Chali 2na (and Ozomatli), DJ Shadow, Mr Scruff, U.N.K.L.E., Nightmares on Wax, The Cinematic Orchestra, Beth Orton, The Herbaliser, Leftfield, Saian Supa Crew and most recently Coldcut. He also made an appearance on the Gorillaz album, ''Demon Days'', on the track "All Alone".

Roots Manuva headlined the Lounge On The Farm Festival 11 July 2009

He now lives in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

Discography

Studio albums

''Brand New Second Hand'' (22 March 1999) UK #167 ''Run Come Save Me'' (13 August 2001) UK #33 ''Dub Come Save Me'' (8 July 2002) UK #75 ''Awfully Deep'' (31 January 2005) UK #24 ''Alternately Deep'' (13 March 2006) UK #139 ''Slime & Reason'' (25 August 2008) UK #22

''Duppy Writer'' (6 September 2010)

Singles

"Juggle Tings Proper" (22 February 1999)

"Motion 5000" (5 July 1999)

"Witness (1 Hope)" (23 July 2001) UK #45 "Dreamy Days" (8 October 2001) UK #53

"Yellow Submarine" (14 October 2002)

"Colossal Insight" (17 January 2005) UK #33 "Too Cold" (21 March 2005) UK #39

"Buff Nuff" (30 June 2008)

"Again & Again" (25 August 2008) - featured on the EA TRAX soundtrack for the EA Sports videogame ''Fight Night Round 4''

"Let the Spirit" (27 October 2008)

"Do Nah Bodda Mi" (29 June 2009)

"It’s On (BananaKlan)" (28 April 2011)

EPs

''Next Type Of Motion'' (1995)

''Awfully De/EP'' (24 October 2005)

Live albums

''Live from London (iTunes)'' (15 August 2008)

Guest appearances

Amon Tobin – "Saboteur mix" (from Ninja Tune compilation ''Xen Cuts'')

Audio Bullys – "Made Like That" (feat. Roots Manuva & Mr Fox) (from ''Generation'')

Blak Twang – "Queen's Head" (from ''Dettwork S.E.'' promo); "Shhhoosh" (from ''19 Long Time'')

Breakage – "Run 'Em Out"

The Cinematic Orchestra – "All Things to All Men" (from ''Every Day'')

Cornish Waters – "Look to Myself for Faith" (from ''UK Hustlerz – The Return'', under the pseudonym Brigadier Smythe)

Coldcut – "True Skool" (from ''Sound Mirrors'') UK #61

DJ Mentat – "Rugged Wid' It" (with Seanie T)

DJ Shadow – "GDMFSOB (UNKLE Uncensored mix)" (from "Mashin' on the Motorway")

DJ Skitz – "Inner City Folk" and "Fingerprints of the Gods" (from ''Countryman'')

Dobie – "Connectivity" (from ''The Sound of One Hand Clapping'')

Freq Nasty – "Boomba Clatt" (from ''Bring Me the Head of Freq Nasty'')

Fun Lovin' Criminals - "Keep On Yellin'" (from ''Classic Fantastic'')

Gorillaz – "All Alone" (from ''Demon Days'')

The Herbaliser – "Lord Lord" (from ''Take London''); "Starlight" (from ''Very Mercenary'')

INORAN – "Rat Race" (from ''Sou'')

King Kooba – "Barefoot" (from ''Indian Summer'')

Killa Kela – "Here Comes The Submarines feat. Roots Manuva" (from ''Elocution'')

Leftfield – "Dusted" (from ''Rhythm and Stealth'') UK #28

Lotek HiFi – "Move Ya Ting" (from ''Mixed Blessings'')

The Maccabees - "Empty Vessels"

Mr. Scruff – "Jus Jus" (from ''Keep It Unreal''), "Nice Up The Function" (from ''Ninja Tuna'')

N'fa - "My Style" (from ''Cause An Effect)

New Flesh for Old – "Norbert & Cecil" (from ''Understanding'', under the pseudonym Cecil P.Y.L.M. Pim Pimpernel)

Reachout – "For Whom the Heart Beats" (from ''The Bristo Sq. EP'')

Ty – "Oh U Want More?" (from ''Upwards'') UK #65 (also "So U Want ? (refix)" on ''Upwards'' new edition)

Saian Supa Crew – "Hey Yo My Man"

Colossus – "Thrupenny Bits" (from "West Oaktown") (OmRecords 2002 – pseudonym Hylton Smythe)

Nightmares on Wax – "70s 80s (Up Bringing Mix) (feat. Roots Manuva & LSK & Rodney P & Tozz 180)" (from "70s 80s" single)

The Herbaliser - "Something Wicked (Roots Manuva's Haunted House Dub)" (limited free release from Ninja Tune website to celebrate forthcoming Ninja Tune boxset).

DELS - "Capsize" (from GOB - 2011)

Other

''Badmeaningood Vol.2'' (7 October 2002) (19 tracks selected by Rodney Smith for the ''Badmeaningood'' series.)

''Back to Mine: Roots Manuva'' (24 October 2005) (18 tracks selected by Smith for the ''Back to Mine'' series.)

The Blacknificent 7 – ''Riding Thru Da Undaground!'' (collaboration with Seanie T, Rodney P, Skeme, Est'elle, Karl Hinds, Jeff3)

Notes

External links

Roots Manuva interview at musicOMH.com

Category:1972 births Category:People from Stockwell Category:English rappers Category:Living people Category:English people of Jamaican descent Category:Ninja Tune artists

de:Roots Manuva es:Roots Manuva fr:Roots Manuva no:Roots Manuva pl:Roots Manuva pt:Roots Manuva

Name	Graham Hancock
Birth date	August 02, 1950
Birth place	Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Death date
Resting place coordinates
Nationality	British
Citizenship	British
Known for	Author, ''The Sign and the Seal'', ''Fingerprints of the Gods'', ''The Message of the Sphinx''
Alma mater	Durham University
Occupation	Author
Footnotes	}}

Graham Hancock (born 2 August 1950 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is a British writer and journalist. Hancock specialises in unconventional theories involving ancient civilisations, stone monuments or megaliths, altered states of consciousness, ancient myths and astronomical/astrological data from the past. One of the main themes running through many of his books is the possible global connection with a "mother culture" from which he believes all ancient historical civilizations sprang.

Biography

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hancock's formative years were spent in India, where his father worked as a surgeon. Having returned to the UK, he graduated from Durham University in 1973, receiving a First Class Honours degree in Sociology.

As a journalist, Hancock worked for many British papers, such as ''The Times'', ''The Sunday Times'', ''The Independent'', and ''The Guardian''. He was co-editor of New Internationalist magazine from 1976–1979 and East Africa correspondent of ''The Economist'' from 1981-1983.

Works

His books include ''Lords of Poverty'', ''The Sign and the Seal'', ''Fingerprints of the Gods'', ''Keeper of Genesis'' (released in the US as ''Message of the Sphinx''), ''The Mars Mystery'', ''Heaven's Mirror'' (with wife Santha Faiia), ''Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization'', and ''Talisman: Sacred Cities, Secret Faith'' (with co-author Robert Bauval). In 1996 he appeared in The Mysterious Origins of Man. He also wrote and presented the documentaries ''Underworld: Flooded Kingdoms of the Ice Age'' (2002) and ''Quest for the Lost Civilisation'' (1998) shown on Channel 4. In Hancocks's book ''Talisman: Sacred Cities, Secret Faith'', co-authored with Robert Bauval, the two put forward "a version of the old Jewish-Masonic plot so beloved by ultra-right-wing conspiracy theorists." They suggest a connection between the pillars of Solomon's Temple and the Twin Towers, and between the Star of David and The Pentagon.

Hancock's most recent non-fiction book, ''Supernatural: Meetings With the Ancient Teachers of Mankind'', was published in the UK in October 2005 and in the US in 2006. In it, Hancock examines paleolithic cave art in the light of David Lewis-Williams' neuropsychological model, exploring its relation to the development of the fully-modern human mind.

His first novel, ''Entangled: The Eater of Souls'', the first in a fantasy series, was published in the UK in April 2010 and in the US in October 2010. The novel makes use of Hancock's prior research interests and as he has noted, "What was there to lose, I asked myself, when my critics already described my factual books as fiction?"

Although his books have sold more than five million copies worldwide and have been translated into twenty-seven languages, his methods and conclusions have found little support among academics.

Often criticised for being a pseudoarchaeologist, Hancock has never claimed that he has formal training in archaeology, or that he is an archeologist. He sees himself as a journalist who asks questions based upon observation and as someone who provides a counterbalance to what he perceives as the "unquestioned" acceptance and support given to orthodox views by the education system, the media, and by society at large.

Orion Correlation Theory

One of the many recurring themes in several of Hancock's works has been an exposition on the "Orion Correlation Theory" (or OCT) , first put forward by Belgian writer Robert Bauval and then further expounded in collaborative works with Hancock, as well as in their separate publications.

BBC ''Horizon'' controversy

BBC 2's ''Horizon'' TV series broadcast a programme, "Atlantis Reborn", on 4 November 1999 that challenged the ideas presented by Hancock. It detailed one of Hancock's claims that the arrangement of an ancient temple complex was designed to mirror astronomical features and attempted to demonstrate that the same thing could be done with perhaps equal justification using famous landmarks in New York. It also ''alleged'' that Hancock had selectively moved or ignored the locations of some of the temples to fit his own theories (see below).

Hancock claimed he was misrepresented by the programme, and he and Robert Bauval made complaints to the Broadcasting Standards Commission against the way ''Horizon'' had portrayed them and their work. Eight points were raised by Hancock, two by Bauval (one of which duplicated a complaint of Hancock's). This included the complaint that:

"''The programme attempted to create the impression that he [Hancock] was an intellectual fraudster who had put forward half baked theories and ideas in bad faith, and that he was incompetent to defend his own arguments."''

The BSC dismissed all but one of the complaints. Overall, the BSC concluded that "the programme makers acted in good faith in their examination of the theories of Mr Hancock and Mr Bauval". The complaint which was upheld was that '"The programme ''unfairly omitted one of their arguments in rebuttal of a speaker who criticised the theory'' of a significant correlation between the Giza pyramids and the belt stars of the constellation Orion (the "correlation theory")"', which the Commission did find to be unfair. That speaker was the astronomer Edwin Krupp. Krupp accused Bauval of somehow fudging the maps of Orion and the Pyramids by placing them "upside down" in order to make the theory work. Krupp's argument hinges on the modern convention that 'north is up and south is down' in map-making. In interviews filmed with Horizon, Hancock and Bauval provided detailed rebuttals to Krupp and argued that the ancient Egyptians had made the Pyramids correlate in the most obvious and intuitive manner with the three stars of Orion's Belt: Lower Egypt is ''North'' and Upper Egypt is ''South''. Krupp's criticism was rejected by two prominent British astronomers, Dr. Percy Seymour of Plymouth University and Dr. Archie Roy, professor Emeritus at Glasgow University. ''Horizon'' subsequently offered to broadcast a revised transmission of the programme which takes into account the larger point which was found in the writers' favour. This went to air under the name ''Horizon: Atlantis Reborn Again'' on 14 December 2000.

Cultural references

In 2009, Roland Emmerich released his blockbuster disaster movie 2012 citing ''Fingerprints of the Gods'' in the credits as an inspiration for the film, stating: "I always wanted to do a biblical flood movie, but I never felt I had the hook. I first read about the Earth's Crust Displacement Theory in Graham Hancock's ''Fingerprints of the Gods''." Also in 2009, author Geoff Stray released his best-selling book "Beyond 2012: Catastrophe or Awakening?" in which he sites Graham Hancock as one of his inspirations and as a guidepost to point others to do their own investigation into the wonder of ancient societies.

Books

Published in the United Kingdom as

See also

Archaeoastronomy

Erich von Däniken

Mythology

Zahi Hawass

References

External links

The Official Graham Hancock Website

Broadcasting Standards Commission – Synopsis of adjudication. Horizon: Atlantis Reborn (November 4, 1999)

Horizon: Atlantis Reborn and the Broadcasting Standards Commission The BBC's response to the Horizon programme debate.

Brass, M., nd, ''An analysis of the quality of Graham Hancock's "science"'', The Antiquity of Man Web Site.

Brass, M., 2002, ''Tracing Graham Hancock's Shifting Cataclysm'', Skeptical Inquirer. vol. 26, no. 4: 45-49.

Carroll, R. T., 2009, ''Atlantis'', The Skeptic’s Dictionary website.

Fagan, N., nd, ''An Answer to Graham Hancock'' and ''Analysis of Hancock's Position Statement on C-14 Dating'', Papers, In the Hall of Ma’at website.

Tonkin, S., nd, ''Some Astronomical Errors of Graham Hancock'', The Astronomical Unit website.

Flemming, N., nd, ''Review of Flooded Kingdoms of the Ice Age'', Papers, In the Hall of Ma’at website.

The Big Idea: Graham Hancock

Category:1950 births Category:Atlantis Category:Living people Category:British non-fiction writers Category:Pseudoarchaeology Category:Pseudohistory Category:Alumni of Durham University Category:2012 theorists

ca:Graham Hancock da:Graham Hancock de:Graham Hancock es:Graham Hancock fr:Graham Hancock it:Graham Hancock ja:グラハム・ハンコック no:Graham Hancock pl:Graham Hancock pt:Graham Hancock ru:Хэнкок, Грэм sk:Graham Hancock sv:Graham Hancock ta:கிரஹாம் ஹான்கோக் zh:葛瑞姆·汉卡克