The document discusses why people find pseudo-archaeological claims appealing. It notes that pseudo-archaeologists use rhetoric skillfully, accusing scientists of hiding things and portraying themselves as visionaries revealing hidden truths. They also commit logical errors like presuming coincidences are intentional and jumping to conclusions without evidence. Overall, the document aims to understand why questionable claims spread by examining the persuasive techniques used to promote pseudo-archaeology.

1. October 31st:
Why do people believe in questionable factual claims?
In other words, what makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
This is also a field guide for recognizing which claims are likely to be bogus

2. Sales rank on
Amazon: #36,435
Sales rank on
Amazon: #23,430
Sales rank on Amazon: #4181

3. Why do people believe in questionable factual claims?
Are people dumb? NO
So, let’s find the logic behind why people believe bogus claims
What we are doing today and Monday:
What makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
A. Pseudo-archaeologists make skillful use of rhetoric
B. Pseudo-archaeologists commit logical errors that are difficult to notice
C. The nature of belief

4. What makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
A. Pseudo-archaeologists make skillful use of rhetoric
1. Accusations that Scientific archaeologists are hiding something
“Shamefully, archaeologists refuse to recognize the scattered
clues to our forgotten heritage ”
--Graham Hancock, Fingerprints of the Gods, page 295
2. Pseudo-archaeologists make it sound like they are letting you in
on something special
“Archaeologist are trivializing the mystery”
--Graham Hancock, Fingerprints of the Gods, page 295
Khufu
Graham Hancock
Khafre
Menkaure

5. What makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
A. Pseudo-archaeologists make skillful use of rhetoric
1. Accusations that Scientific archaeologists are hiding something
“Shamefully, archaeologists refuse to recognize the scattered
clues to our forgotten heritage ”
--Graham Hancock, Fingerprints of the Gods, page 295
2. Pseudo-archaeologists make it sound like they are letting you in
on something special
“Archaeologist are trivializing the mystery”
--Graham Hancock, Fingerprints of the Gods, page 295
Terracotta warriors of Xian, China

6. What makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
A. Pseudo-archaeologists make skillful use of rhetoric
1. Accusations that Scientific archaeologists are hiding something
“Shamefully, archaeologists refuse to recognize the scattered
clues to our forgotten heritage ”
--Graham Hancock, Fingerprints of the Gods, page 295
2. Pseudo-archaeologists make it sound like they are letting you in
on something special
“Archaeologist are trivializing the mystery”
--Graham Hancock, Fingerprints of the Gods, page 295
3. Pseudo-archaeologists portray themselves free-thinkers, rebels
“We must begin to doubt everything that is established”
--Van Daniken, Chariots of the Gods, 1968:10.
versus

7. What makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
A. Pseudo-archaeologists make skillful use of rhetoric
1. Accusations that Scientific archaeologists are hiding something
“Shamefully, archaeologists refuse to recognize the scattered
clues to our forgotten heritage ”
--Graham Hancock, Fingerprints of the Gods, page 295
2. Pseudo-archaeologists make it sound like they are letting you in
on something special
“Archaeologist are trivializing the mystery”
--Graham Hancock, Fingerprints of the Gods, page 295
3. Pseudo-archaeologists portray themselves free-thinkers, rebels
“We must begin to doubt everything that is established”
--Van Daniken, Chariots of the Gods, 1968:10.
4. Nevertheless, when it serves them, pseudoarchaeologists embrace establishment figures
--Robert Schoch’s “275 geologists”, Mystery of the Sphinx, 1993
5. Pseudo-archaeologists frame their contributions as visionary.
“All the textbooks will have to be rewritten”
--Chris Dunn, Giza PowerPlant, page 3.

8. What makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
A. Pseudo-archaeologists make skillful use of rhetoric
1. Accusations that Scientific archaeologists are hiding something
“Shamefully, archaeologists refuse to recognize the scattered
clues to our forgotten heritage ”
--Graham Hancock, Fingerprints of the Gods, page 295
2. Pseudo-archaeologists make it sound like they are letting you in
on something special
“Archaeologist are trivializing the mystery”
--Graham Hancock, Fingerprints of the Gods, page 295
3. Pseudo-archaeologists portray themselves free-thinkers, rebels
“We must begin to doubt everything that is established”
--Van Daniken, Chariots of the Gods, 1968:10.
4. Nevertheless, when it serves them, pseudoarchaeologists embrace establishment figures
--Robert Schoch’s “275 geologists”, Mystery of the Sphinx, 1993
5. Pseudo-archaeologists frame their contributions as visionary.
“All the textbooks will have to be rewritten”
--Chris Dunn, Giza PowerPlant, page 3.
6. Pseudo-archaeologists act like they are being bullied. They relish the role of underdog.

9. Scientific
archaeologist
Pseudo-
archaeologist
Emmanuel “Tiny” Yarborough Daiju Takase
Vs.
(600 lbs) (169 lbs)
Mixed martial arts match, June 24th 1998

10. What makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
A. Pseudo-archaeologists make skillful use of rhetoric
1. Accusations that Scientific archaeologists are hiding something
“Shamefully, archaeologists refuse to recognize the scattered
clues to our forgotten heritage ”
--Graham Hancock, Fingerprints of the Gods, page 295
2. Pseudo-archaeologists make it sound like they are letting you in
on something special
“Archaeologist are trivializing the mystery”
--Graham Hancock, Fingerprints of the Gods, page 295
3. Pseudo-archaeologists portray themselves free-thinkers, rebels
“We must begin to doubt everything that is established”
--Van Daniken, Chariots of the Gods, 1968:10.
4. Nevertheless, when it serves them, pseudoarchaeologists embrace establishment figures
--Robert Schoch’s “275 geologists”, Mystery of the Sphinx, 1993
5. Pseudo-archaeologists frame their contributions as visionary.
“All the textbooks will have to be rewritten”
--Chris Dunn, Giza PowerPlant, page 3.
6. Pseudo-archaeologists act like they are being bullied. They relish the role of underdog.
They draw strength from criticism: Supposdly, truth passes through three stages:
Who is usually doing the bullying? ridicule, opposition, acceptance

11. Pseudo-archaeologists usually do the bullying!
Example: Mike Parker Pearson:
“Stonehenge may have been built
as a symbol of peace and unity”
First responses to this on the Graham
Hancock website?
“This is the usual nonsense.”
“So this author is saying that Stonehenge
is in fact a prehistoric United Nations
kinda thing? Lol, I can see it now, all of
these ancients standing hand in hand in
a circle around Stonehenge singing "I'd
Like To Teach The World To Sing In Perfect
Harmony"

12. What makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
Pseudo-archaeologists make skillful use of rhetoric
7. Pseudo-archaeologists shift attention away from their own flaws
8. Defending bold claims by stating that we still have a lot to learn
Example: Tiwanaku, Bolivia
(South America) is 17,000 years
old.

13. What makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
Pseudo-archaeologists make skillful use of rhetoric
7. Pseudo-archaeologists shift attention away from their own flaws
8. Defending bold claims by stating that we still have a lot to learn

14. What makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
Pseudo-archaeologists make skillful use of rhetoric
7. Pseudo-archaeologists shift attention away from their own flaws
8. Defending bold claims by stating that we still have a lot to learn
9. Pseudo-archaeologists are preachy (scientific archaeologists
prefer just stating the facts)
10. Pseudo-archaeologist show unwavering certainty, and speak
with complete authority

16. What makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
Pseudo-archaeologists make skillful use of rhetoric
7. Pseudo-archaeologists shift attention away from their own flaws
8. Defending bold claims by stating that we still have a lot to learn
9. Pseudo-archaeologists are preachy (scientific archaeologists
prefer just stating the facts)
10. Pseudo-archaeologist show unwavering certainty, and speak
with complete authority
11. Kitchen-sink attack
12. Direct marketing technique (skipping peer review)

17. What makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
B. Pseudo-archaeologists commit logical errors that are difficult to notice
1. They presume that coincidences are intentional
(in other words, they presume that coincidences are not coincidental)
146.5m
230.4m
circumference divided by height
(230.4 x 4)/146.5 = 6.29078
2 x pi (3.14159) = 6.28318
So, did the Egyptians build the Khufu pyramid to demonstrate their knowledge of pi?

18. What makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
B. Pseudo-archaeologists commit logical errors that are difficult to notice
1. They presume that coincidences are intentional
2. They jump to conclusions without enough facts
Khufu’s sarcophagus

19. What makes pseudo-archaeology appealing?
B. Pseudo-archaeologists commit logical errors that are difficult to notice
1. They presume that coincidences are intentional
2. They jump to conclusions without enough facts
3. They ignore the concept of representativeness
There are a handful of
artifacts that look like
they were made with
modern lathes.
So…the true function of
the pyramids was to generate
electricity for all the lathes
But what about all the other artifacts?
And where are the lathes and other machines?