donald raab Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> And as far as Pacal is concerned. Some
> sensationalism. Kat Writing a response 30 years
> AFTER publication.

Well had I known of the book earlier I would have written something earlier... and archaeologists refuted him almost the minute the book came out.

> Woodman was NOT an archaeologist doing a
> professional dig or research. He had an idea and
> pursued it. And she forgot the context of the
> book. He assembled his information from myths and
> legends.

What makes you think I forgot this? I addressed his "myths" in the paper, I've read through Inca myths and I can find NO suggestion of ANY Inca's being sent to the sun, or any use of balloon flight.

And he SPECIFICALLY
> stated what he demonstrated was the the NATIVE
> material COULD have worked if they had the idea.
> He left it up to the reader as to whether they
> would think they had the idea.

Which is why he said this:

“I know damned well someone flew at Nazca,” I kept insisting. "You simply can’t see anything from ground level. You can’t appreciate any of it from anywhere except from above. You can’t tell me the Nazca builders would have gone to the monumental efforts they did without ever being able to see it.”

and this:

“Nazca was not an ancient landing field –it was just the opposite. The lines, burn pits and ‘runways’ were once takeoff sites for a religion that worshipped the sun. Our flight was a modern demonstration of an ancient religious ceremony.”

Right? Those aren't outright statements?


> The edition I have of the book does show the
> pottery with balloon type objects.

I ASKED you if your version did!!! You never replied !! Considering how many times you hassled me on this board over not having the paper available yet I would have thought that you'd have been happy to assist. And I specifically stated that my comments refer to the version of the book that I have. But by all means scan the images and send them to me.

> And she forgot one of the most important points.
> While discussing making the ballon with the fabric
> testing engineers (they build modern balloons)
> they warned Woodman of thermal gain. That
> phenomena when the balloon overheated from the sun
> would continue to rise. That fufilled the legend
> of Verochia sailing off into the sun.

Nope! The winds would have pushed the balloon into the mountains. Woodman doesn't say that they sent Viracocha to the sun... he says that the Inca dead were sent to the sun according to legends. Legends which I can find no trace of btw.

> The one serious weakness of the book is as kat
> says the mixing of Inca with the various
> predecessors. That is not an uncommon occurrence
> even among professional archaeologists.

I'm not familar with what you've read that does this! Please cite an example....


> The book never claimed that it was proven the
> Nazcans could fly. Only that the materials from
> the period and the idea would have worked.

Once again the quote from Woodman after the flight was:

“Nazca was not an ancient landing field –it was just the opposite. The lines, burn pits and ‘runways’ were once takeoff sites for a religion that worshipped the sun. Our flight was a modern demonstration of an ancient religious ceremony.”

> Viewing the legendary Maria Reich (photo)
> participating in the adventure sealed it for me.

Did you read the book or just look at the pictures? Maria only came down to watch the ballooning event ... she didn't endorse it ... as best as I recall the ONLY time she's mentioned in the book she the morning of the flight. Considering how protective she was of the flight I'm not surprised she came down.




Kat

Ma'at Moderator

Founder and Director of The Hall of Ma'at

Contributing author to Archaeological Fantasies:
How pseudoarchaeology misrepresents the past and misleads the public
"If you panic, you're lost" -- W. T. 'Watertight' Southard