Interview with Jerry

Jerry interviews anthropologist and author, George Erikson. George's new book and his theories on the demise of the Atlantean Civilization, some 13 to 11,000 years ago, and the mythology and cultural legacies that were left in the aftermath of a series of catastrophes, which included massive rises in sea levels of over 300 feet and giant tsunamis that marked the end of the last Ice Age. George's research, along with that of Professor Ivar Zapp of the University of Costa Rica, seem to finally have uncovered conclusive evidence that Atlantis actually existed and is the basis for much of mankind's post flood and current civilizations. Will the cycle of destruction return again in 2012 and result in the end of our civilization? Listen to this provocative but intelligent discussion, and watch the show on the History Channel on March 7 at 11 PM ET. Repeats of the program will likely air throughout 2005 and beyond. 

News from George

Website: www.AtlantisInAmerica.com

 E-mail: ivarzapp@racsa.co.cr and EriksonGD@aol.com

I am the coauthor of Atlantis in America: Navigators of the Ancient World (with Professor Ivar Zapp of the University of Costa Rica). As an anthropologist I published several important works in oral traditions of pre-Columbian Mesoamericans including the highly acclaimed Maria Sabina: Her Life & Chants (Ross-Erikson, 1981). "For authenticity this oral autobiography of 80-year-old Mazatec Shaman Maria Sabina puts Castaneda's Don Juan to shame." - Los Angeles Times.

Prof. Zapp and I believe that in Atlantis In America (AUP, 1998) we present evidence of stone structures that reenact myths of destruction and foundation. Colin Wilson, author of the world-wide bestseller The Outsider commented, "Groundbreaking. Remarkable. Manna from heaven!" Colin and his coauthor Rand Flem-Ath devoted most of Chapter Six of their recent The Atlantis Blueprint (Delacorte, 2001) to Prof. Zapp, myself, and the spheres of Costa Rica.

Andrew Collins, author of Gateway to Atlantis (Atlantis In Cuba) and From the Ashes of Angels wrote, "...(Atlantis In America) is a cornucopia of new ideas regarding the origins of Mesoamerican civilization and the Atlantean tradition. Its clues on ancient navigation could provide vital keys in understanding trans-oceanic contact prior to the Age of Columbus."

In their December, 2002 Italian language edition EDIZIONI PIEMME called Le Strade di Atlantide, "Un Best Seller provocatorio e intrigante."

The History Channel to feature research of Prescott anthropologist _ Investigating History, "The Lost Atlantis", March 7, 10PM CST/ 9PM MST, 11PM PT/ET
By RACHELLE BUMP The Daily Courier, PRESCOTT, ARIZONA

Local anthropologist George Erikson is interested in “the mythologies of Pre-Columbia people in the Americas,” and the History Channel will soon feature him and his discoveries about ancient civilization during a series called “Investigating History.”

“All Pre-Columbian cultures have myths of creation and cataclysmic destruction,” he said. “In the 1970s, I focused primarily on India, and by ’77, I started focusing on the Americas as the most interesting place for discovering ancient civilization.”

He said that through his travels and research, he is discovering that “the great stone spheres of Costa Rica (and sighting-stones found throughout the Pacific) were used to teach sea routes and constellation paths to world-wide navigators of the ancient world, a purpose overlooked by modern academic archaeologists.”

In his latest book, titled “Atlantis in America: “Navigators of the Ancient World,” he writes about several myths.

“The Mayan people believe (the Pre-Columbia) civilization was born when a man god called Kukulcan arrived from across the sea and taught the Mayan people the arts of language, mathematics, astronomy and civilization,” he said.

Also, “Pre-Inca people believe a god named Kon-Tiki came over the sea with the arts, and for the Aztec people, it was a god named Quetzalcoatl.”

Erikson said what fascinates him about his studies is that “Plato’s tale of Atlantis (‘a civilization that was destroyed’) is a cautionary tale that emphasizes that civilization rises and falls in cyclical fashion.

The legend of Atlantis points to an advanced civilization for its time.”

He said he began traveling to places such as Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, the Yucatan and Southern Mexico more than 15 years ago to study early civilization.

“I wanted to see what I could find expressed in stone and the construction of pyramids and star temples of the Maya and Olmec people.”

He said he found signs of navigators (sailors) and “I found evidence of people around the world. I found proof that sailors were crossing the ocean thousands of years before Columbus.”

He added, “This confirmed that civilization in Central America was much older and diverse and sophisticated than is commonly given credit for because those people have been thought of as pagans.

Their temples and pyramids have been seen as enigma.

I see the temples as a result of a highly sophisticated culture that has been on the continent thousands of years before Christ.”

He said that “according to Plato, Atlantis was probably destroyed over 11,000 years ago, and that most of the proof of Atlantis was destroyed. I believe there were some survivors and they recreated civilization as best they could.”

The History Channel will explore and feature Erikson’s (as well as other researchers) studies at 10 p.m. (MST), 11p.m. (ET/PT) Monday, March 7.

He said the crew filmed most of the program in the Yucatan, and went to archaeological sites such as Chichen Itza, Tulum, Kohunlich and Uxmal.

“This discovery is being made by myself and many others, and eventually, they’ll have to change the textbooks because right now, they’re portraying America as only recently populated by primitive tribes from Northeast Asia.”

Contact the reporter at rbump@prescottaz.com