Catastrophism



My Interest in Catastrophism

Ever since childhood I've been interested in the interaction of the history of astronomy with archaeology and mythology. I remain intrigued by the possibility that small solar-system bodies like comets, asteroid, and meteors have played a significant role in the shaping the destiny of proto-historic and historic peoples all over all the world. In my youth in the 1960s I devoured the works of authors such as Hans Bellamy, Immanual Velikovsky, Comyns Beaumont, and Ignatius Donnelly, each of whom suggested that mythology encoded catastrophic astronomical events resulting from decaying moons, wildly careening planets, or asteroidal and cometary impacts.

As I grew older and learned more about astronomy and physics, I realized the untenability of the physical scenarios embraced by these authors. Yet I could not shake the idea that the mythology, religion, and ritual of different people all over the world stemmed at least in part from astronomical causes, including catastrophic impacts. In the early 1970s I read Hamlet's Mill by Giorgio de Santilliana and Hertha von Dechend. These authors collated myths from all over the world to show the universality of certain themes which most likely had an astronomical basis, primarily in the procession of the equinoxes. Santilliana and von Dechend noted that many of the myths discussed catastrophic occurrences, but they ascribed an allegorical meaning to these.

The first part of Terry Alden's essay The Mill of Time provides an overview of Santilliana and von Dechend's astronomical approach to mythology. Alden contrasts this with the psychological approach of Joseph Campbell. Alden suggests that both approaches represent valid understandings of the mind of the ancients, who he suggests believed "As above, so below." In the second part of his essay, Alden attempts to explain the "Star of Bethlehem" in terms of Santilliana and von Dechend's ideas. I do not know that von Dechend (who is still living; Santilliana died some years ago) would necessarily agree with Alden's conclusions about the Star of Bethlehem.

William Sullivan's The Secret of the Incas: Myth, Astronomy, and the War Against Time applies Santilliana and von Dechend's astronomical approach to unravel the technical language of Andean mythology. The Secret of the Incas contains 413 pages, bibliographical references, and an index.

     Date     : 1996
     Price    : $35.00 (US)
     ISBN     : 0-517-59468-4
     Publisher: Crown Publishers, Inc.
                New York, NY.
Jane B. Seller's The Death of Gods in Ancient Egypt: An Essay on Egyptian Religion and the Frame of Time, now regrettably out of print, combines Santilliana and von Dechend's approach involving precession with the phenomena associated with total eclipses to explain the prehistoric origins of Egyptian religion and mythology.

Clube and Napier

In 1982, two British astronomers, S. V. M Clube and William Napier, published a book entitled The Cosmic Serpent. Clube and Napier suggested that Jupiter and Saturn occasionally divert giant comets (>50 km in diameter -- Chiron is an example) into the inner solar system into short-period orbits. Debris from the resultant disintegration of these giant comets can adversely affect the environment of the Earth. Dusting can block sunlight, resulting in globally cooler conditions. Impact events in the Super-Tunguska class may result in not only heavy localized destruction but also the occasional "impact winter" or dust veil with global climatological effects. Clube and Napier identified the progenitor of the Taurid complex as such a giant comet whose injection into a short-period (about 3.3 year) orbit occurred sometime in the last twenty thousand years. The effects of the disintegration of this object in an Earth-crossing orbit should appear in the geological and climatological record. Clube and Napier marshalled evidence for such effects in "The Cosmic Serpent" as well as their later book Cosmic Winter published in 1990. Clube and Napier, following in the footsteps of earlier catastrophists, also sought evidence of catastrophic events in ancient mythology and history. These authors have also written papers in standard peer-reviewed journals about the role giant comets play in constructing a tenable physical theory of coherent catastrophism. The extracts from Clube's paper "Giant Comets and their Role in History" which appeared in The Universe and its Origins edited by S. Fred Singer (Paragon House, New York, 1990) emphasize the potential climatic effects of the Taurid complex.

I believe that Clube and Napier provide the best physical model for recent astronomical catastrophes. Independent researcher Bob Kobres thinks so too. You can find his papers on the role of comets in the Bronze age collapse and on Comet Phaeton's Ride on his Web site, among other interesting things.

Catastrophism and Mass Extinctions

Since 1980, the theory that the impact of a large asteroid or comet brought about the demise of the dinosaurs and many other forms of life at the end of the Cretaceous (the "K-T boundary") has gained in popularity. Some scientists remain unconvinced by the evidence, however. Here are some Web pages which discuss this mass extinction event as well as others before and since.

Other Catastrophism

Research continues into Velikovsky-style planetary catastrophism which calls for large-scale disruptions of the solar system during the Holocene. I do not agree that the physical, historical, or mythological evidence requires or supports such disruptions. Here are some Web pages which discuss this alternative viewpoint.

Richard L. Meehan offers a "performance/hypertext" Ignatius Donnelly and the End of the World based upon the life and ideas of the famous nineteenth-century American catastrophist.

Polar Publishing presents books by authors such as C. Warren Hunt, Peter James (the geologist, not the historian), and others which challenge orthodox geology concerning the role of impact events in generating geological features as well as alternatives to plate tectonics and new theories of endogeny.

Impact Images

The images of terrestrial impact craters compiled by Calvin J. Hamilton clearly show that the Earth, like the Moon and other terrestrial planets, bears scars caused by the impact of extraterrestrial objects.

How Dangerous are Earth-Crossing Objects?

Peter Tyson's article Comet Busters from Technology Review discusses the dangers posed by earth-crossing objects. He discusses some of the proposals for diverting such objects. So does Nick Nuttall in "Avoiding Armageddon by redirecting space debris" , adapted from his article in The Times of London. Bob Kobres also discusses these topics in the Meteor Defense article at his Web site. David Morrison at NASA/Ames maintains an impacts Web page dealing with the hazards from comet and asteroid impacts. You will find a short bibliography of recent scientific publications about impact hazards on Morrison's Web page, as well as links to other Web sites with related information. Asteroids, Comets, Death, and Extinction by J. Z. Ponder also discusses the danger posed by earth-crossing objects.

On the lighter side, The Worldwide Institute for the Preservation of Everything offers some thoughts about a protective satellite force shield.

Books and Articles on the Danger Posed by Earth-Crossing Objects

Several fairly recent books discuss the ongoing role of impact processes and the danger from near-Earth objects.

You may be interested to read David Morrison's reviews of recent books and articles on the impact hazard which includes the books by Lewis and Steel, among others.

Web Sites Devoted to Meteoritics

Bill Arnett at the University of Arizona offers a number of Web pages about meteoritics and small bodies in the solar system.

Each of Arnett's pages provides links to other sites with information about small bodies.

The Web page of the Meteorite and Impacts Advisory Committee to the Canadian Space Agency contains information about meteorites and impact structures in French and English.

I list many more Web pages with information on meteoritics on my astronomy page.

Terrestrial Catastrophism

My Web page on Volcanos and Earthquakes lists resources providing information about these destructive agents. As various authors point out -- see, for example, Stephen Harris in his book Agents of Chaos -- impact events can trigger volcanic eruptions and earthquakes by tectonic slip. Harris suggests the enormous volcanic activity in the Deccan flats in India at the close of the Cretaceous stemmed from an impact which penetrated the earth's crust down into the mantle. Harris also suggests an impact origin for the Columbia River plateau and associated Snake River plateau and Yellowstone volcano. Large volcanic eruptions can also effect global climate changes.

Catastrophist Bibliography

I am compiling an annotated bibliography of works which I consider relevant to the study of astronomical catastrophism, and especially on its effects on humankind during the Holocene. Initially, this bibliography will include only works which I have read myself. I will list standard works on mythology, archaeology, astronomy, and archaeoastronomy as well as a variety of works on catastrophism.

I haven't had time to work on this bibliography for many months. I'm still hopeful I'll find some time to work on it again!

Criticisms of Catastrophism

Traditionally, talk.origins has been the principal USENET news group hosting discussions of catastrophism. Thus you will find criticisms of catastrophist positions (primarily those of Velikovsky and the Saturnists) at the talk.origins archive maintained by Brett Vickers. The USENET news group alt.catastrophism, created in July of 1995 and not available at all sites, is intended to be a new focal point for discussions of historical catastrophism.

My Web page on Astrology, Psychic Stuff, and Skepticism provides links to resources containing criticisms of other catastrophist positions such as those of Zechariah Sitchin.

You may be interested in some messages about Clube and Napier's work which I posted to the USENET news group talk.origins. These messages contain responses to criticisms and comments about Clube and Napier's hypotheses from catastrophists who subscribe to the Saturnist and Velikovskian viewpoints.

Tell Me More

If you find other sites with information about catastrophism, pro or con, please send me email telling me the URLs. Thanks!


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Last modified by pib on July 16, 1996.


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