A new expanded edition of the groundbreaking investigation into early high cultures and ancient solar outbursts

• Updated throughout with recent developments and additional illustrations

• Reveals how solar outbursts caused the end of the last ice age, unleashed catastrophe upon ancient advanced civilizations, and led to six millennia of a Solar-Induced Dark Age

• Includes evidence from solar science, geology, oceanic circulation patterns, the Sphinx, the underground cities of Cappadocia, the Easter Island rongorongo glyphs, and the Göbekli Tepe complex in Turkey

In this newly revised and expanded edition, updated throughout with recent developments, geologist Robert Schoch builds upon his revolutionary theory that the origins of the Sphinx date back much further than 2500 BCE and examines scientific evidence of the catastrophe that destroyed early high culture nearly 12,000 years ago.

Combining evidence from multiple scientific disciplines, Schoch makes the case that the abrupt end of the last ice age, circa 9700 BCE, was due to an agitated Sun. Solar outbursts unleashed electrical/plasma discharges upon Earth, triggering dramatic climate change as well as increased earthquake and volcanic activity, fires, high radiation levels, and massive floods. Schoch explains how these events impacted the civilizations of the time, set humanity back thousands of years, and led to six millennia of a Solar-Induced Dark Age (SIDA). Applying the SIDA framework to ancient history, he explores how many megalithic monuments, petroglyphs, indigenous traditions, and legends fall logically into place, including the underground cities of Cappadocia, the Easter Island rongorongo glyphs, and the Göbekli Tepe complex in Turkey. He also reveals that our Sun is a much more unstable star than previously believed, suggesting that history could repeat itself with a solar outburst powerful enough to devastate modern society.

Weaving together a new view of the origins and antiquity of civilization and the dynamics of the planet we live on, Schoch maintains we must heed the megalithic warning of the past and collectively prepare for future events.

Robert M. Schoch, Ph.D., a tenured faculty member at Boston University, earned his doctorate in geology and geophysics at Yale University in 1983. Known for his research on ancient civilizations, he is the author of numerous books, including Origins of the Sphinx. Catherine Ulissey, a 20-year ballet and Broadway dance veteran, earned her B.A. from Emerson College in 2002. Married to Dr. Schoch in 2010, she enjoys contributing to his research while teaching her art, formerly for Harvard University’s dance program and more recently for Wellesley College.

Preface to the Revised and Expanded Edition

Preface to the First Edition

1 A Whirlwind Trip
2 The Great Sphinx
3 Göbekli Tepe and the Origins of Civilization
4 Defining Civilization
5 Te Pito Te Henua (The Navel of the World), Easter Island
6 The End of the Last Ice Age
7 Our Not-So-Eternal Sun
8 Cosmoclimatology
9 Galactic Superwaves and Interstellar Dust Clouds
10 Ezekiel’s Vision
11 Glass Castles, Fire from the Sky, and the Spoils of the Gods
12 The Carrington Event
13 The 2012 Date of the Maya
14 Ancient Wisdom, New Discoveries, and New Science
15 The Solar-Induced Dark Age (SIDA) and Other Matters Arising

APPENDICES

1 Was the Great Sphinx Surrounded by a Moat?
2 Politics, Money, and Science
3 A Note on the Naming and Dating of the End of the Last Ice Age
4 Moving the Moai: Easter Island and Psychokinesis
5 Did a Comet Hit Earth at the Beginning of the Younger Dryas, circa 10,900 BCE?

Bibliography
About the Authors
Index