EARTHQUEST NEWS

Magazine Overview

Title: EARTHQUEST NEWS
Issue: Vol. 4, No. 2
Date: Summer 2000
Publisher: Andrew Collins
Focus: This issue of Earthquest News, edited by Andrew Collins, delves into various mysteries surrounding ancient history, human origins, and unexplained phenomena, featuring contributions and discussions on out-of-place artifacts, lost civilizations, and ancient knowledge.

Questing Conference and Michael Cremo

The newsletter announces the upcoming Questing Conference in London on Saturday, 14 October. A key speaker will be Michael Cremo, author of 'Forbidden Archaeology'. Cremo's lecture will argue for the existence of humanity millions of years earlier than accepted by palaeontologists, presenting evidence of human remains and artifacts found in geological strata that he claims have been suppressed by Darwinian scientists. Examples cited include flint tools found by gold miners in California within Eocene epoch rock (65-38 million years ago) and fossilized footprints of modern man found in Tanzania by Mary Leakey, which exhibit features inconsistent with known hominids of that era (3.7 million years ago).

Michael Cremo's research also includes the case of American geologist Virginia Steen-McIntyre, who dated stone artifacts and human remains in Mexico to 250,000 years ago, a finding that was dismissed by archaeologists who favored a much younger date. The newsletter emphasizes that these are not isolated incidents but part of hundreds of well-attested cases of 'out-of-place artifacts' (OOPArts) found in geological strata where they should not be. The conventional explanation of 'intrusive burial' is challenged by Cremo's evidence of remains found deep within solid rock.

Other speakers at the Questing Conference include Colin Wilson on the age of civilization, Michael Baigent on lost civilizations and Hermetica, Victor Clube on catastrophe myths, Graham Phillips on Egypt and the Marian Conspiracy, Andrew Collins on Feathered Serpents, Michael Carmichael on Egypt and sacred drugs, and archaeologist Neil Steede on Giza, Mexico, and Tiahuanaco. Neil Steede's work on Tiahuanaco in Bolivia is mentioned, specifically his confirmation of Arthur Posnansky's dating of the Kalasasaya palace court to between 9000 and 7000 BC, slightly later than Posnansky's proposed 15,000 to 10,000 BC.

Tickets for the conference are priced at £28 and are available via PO Box or a credit card hotline. The conference is sponsored by NEXUS magazine.

Antarctic Antiquity

The newsletter explores the possibility of ancient human habitation in Antarctica, a topic often dismissed due to the continent's extreme conditions. Italian engineer and writer Flavio Barbiero presented research at the San Marino conference suggesting that ancient man inhabited the region. Evidence cited includes findings by Swedish explorer Carl Larsen on Seymour Island in the Weddell Sea in 1903, who discovered fossils indicating a warmer climate and artificial clay cylinders and balls. Although the original artifacts were destroyed, copies of Larsen's report exist. Further evidence comes from sediment cores extracted by a Chilean research vessel from the sea-bottom off South Shetland Island, which contained flint tools of human manufacture.

Barbiero proposes that Antarcticans arrived from Island Southeast Asia around 40,000 to 50,000 years ago and settled in the ice-free north-west region. He suggests that around 9500 BC, an impact event caused a pole shift, leading to ice cover and rising waters that obscured evidence of their occupation. These Antarcticans then migrated to various parts of the world, including South America, the Caribbean, Africa, India, and Egypt. Andrew Collins notes that while he differs on the dates, he finds much of Barbiero's proposal credible. The article also references the theories of Charles Hapgood, Flem-aths, and Graham Hancock regarding Antarctica as the seat of a major lost civilization and Arthur Posnansky's work on Tiahuanaco.

Unsolved Mysteries Exhibition

An upcoming exhibition titled 'DIE WELT DES UNERKLÄRLICHEN: UNSOLVED MYSTERIES' is scheduled to take place at the Design Center in Linz, Austria, from June 22 to August 25. This exhibition will bring together over 150 out-of-place artifacts from around the world, including crystal skulls, gold models of aeroplanes from Peru, carved stones from Ica, Peru, and pieces from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Andrew Collins is invited to present a lecture at the opening seminar. The article describes some of the artifacts, such as black stone surgical instruments from Colombia with strange designs and magnetic qualities, which do not fit known ancient world ideologies.

Ashes Confirmation: Vittorio di Cesare's Research

Vittorio di Cesare, a top Italian archaeologist, presented his findings at the San Marino conference concerning the Dead Sea Scrolls, specifically the Testament of Amram (circa 200 BC). This scroll describes two beings appearing to Amram: one unnamed (possibly Michael or Melchizedek) and Belial, the teacher of the Children of Darkness. Di Cesare focuses on Belial, described as dark with a viper-like face and blazing eyes, linking this figure to serpents, which are universally associated with knowledge and wisdom.

Di Cesare presented slides of snake-headed clay figurines found at sites in Lower Iraq, dating to the Ubaid period (circa 3500 BC). He suggested these figurines, which depict males, females, and females holding babies, were buried to protect the souls of the dead from vampires. He proposed that these Ubaid statues represent the same serpent-like figure from the Testament of Amram, suggesting they are evidence of a prehistoric race that lived in the Near East and imparted knowledge of civilization. This theory is detailed in Collins' books 'FROM THE ASHES OF ANGELS' and 'GODS OF EDEN'.

Di Cesare also discussed abstract eye goddess statues found at Tel Brak in northern Syria, linking them to serpentine symbolism and the Neolithic cult of the dead. He showed Mesopotamian figurines identified as Anunnaki, the Sumerian pantheon of lesser gods, and suggested they, along with the Ubaid figurines, represented the strange figures from the Testament of Amram. Di Cesare concluded that there is evidence of a widespread cult that revered an ancient race connected with the symbol of the serpent and the eye, believed to be the givers of ancient knowledge.

Andrew Collins notes that di Cesare's work independently confirms his own research on a similar subject. Di Cesare is preparing a book titled 'GODS OF FIRE'. The article also mentions Christian O'Brien's book 'GENIUS OF THE FEW' and Collins' own identification of the 'Watchers' as a shamanic ruling elite.

Publications and Contact Information

The issue concludes with information about Andrew Collins' books: 'FROM THE ASHES OF ANGELS', 'GODS OF EDEN', and 'GATEWAY TO ATLANTIS'. It notes that the UK hardback edition of 'GATEWAY TO ATLANTIS' is out of print, but soft-cover editions are available. A reply coupon is provided for ordering books and for unsubscribing from future mailings.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of Earthquest News revolve around challenging conventional historical and archaeological timelines, exploring evidence of lost civilizations and ancient knowledge, and investigating unexplained phenomena. The editorial stance, as presented by Andrew Collins, is one of open inquiry into controversial theories, particularly those that suggest a much older and more complex human past than is currently accepted by mainstream science. There is a strong emphasis on presenting evidence from OOPArts, ancient texts, and archaeological findings that deviate from established narratives, often linking these disparate pieces of information to a common thread of ancient wisdom or a forgotten advanced civilization. The newsletter actively promotes the work of researchers who present such alternative perspectives, positioning itself as a platform for disseminating these ideas to a wider audience.