Bosnian 'Pyramids' Redux

[DougWeller]

A geomorphologist I know has recently had an exchange of correspondence with Dr. Aly Barakat, which is at:
http://irna.lautre.net/A-corresponde...r-Barakat.html

There's quite a bit of other stuff on this on her website.

She has also partially translated an article in a recent issue of BiH Dani, which in part says:
-----
"Since Sead Pilav left, the "biggest geo-archaeological project in the
world" lays upon two archaeologists - Silvana Cobanov and the Greek
Nancy Gallou. No use to explain that the two of them could not succeed
in visiting all the probes, which, as it is explained in another,
un-published, report by Nadija Nukic, are opened wherever someone "saw a
stone" and decided "I'll excavate here". The following sentence by Ms.
Nukic is very indicative: "On the pyramid of the Moon I still do not
know how many probes are opened, because of the way are working not only
the president of the board of Directors [Osmanagic] but also the person
presently responsible who leads these works. Even if it has been said
during the meeting of the scientific team that no new probe should be
opened without consultation with the leading archaeologist and
geologist, this way of working has become the usual way."

In this aspect are very interesting some parts of the parting email of
the 14.11.2006 sent by Silvana Cobanov to the members of the Board of
Directors of Osmanagic's foundation: "It is difficult to admit, first
for myself and then to the others, that I have been doing the figurehead
on the terrain. The works on Pljesevica were conducted by Goran Cakic
(graduate mechanical engineer, author's note). My efforts to change this
have been unsuccessful. To my regret, I have contacted orally several
times the project manager, discussed with Goran Cakic, cautionned him
that he should write his observations and conclusions in his private
diary, categorically protested that Amir Susa Zombi[a man employed by
the Foundation who seems to be more or less in charge of everything, and
particularly the security] may not and should not plot, dig and excavate
a little bit here and a little bit there (and this litterally as it
seems)..."

The archaeologist from Belgrade Aleksandra Andelkovic, who was also
temporary employed in Osmanagic's foundation, has noted down on the
29.10.2006 some special entries from Goran Cakic's diary: "As the
findings show the presence of the objects, they (the scientists,
author's note) have to make statements about construction for the
existing natural objects as embellification of the hill", "I will forbid
the access of all from the scientific team who do not wish to
co-operate" and "Zombi is making a secret probe". And Nancy Gallou in
her report explains that they have treated her as a "village idiot", and
that on the 27.6.2006 "the man responsible for the hill Moon [Zombi] was
excavating from the morning", without consulting her. Actually he
removed layers from the rectangular construction at the basis of
Plesevica, which was called for the media propaganda "entry to the
pyramid", "mastaba" or "grave".

Silvane Cobanov in her parting email informed Osmanagic about what it
really was; a recent construction with "dry walls, very unstable". The
evidence for this are the bricks of which it is made, and the nails,
also recent. "I have protested that one should not talk about a tomb, or
entry to the pyramid, or a military post... to say to the visitors such
unfounded suppositions is in my opinion dishonest. So, to conclude: on
Pljesevica we didn't find a single archaeological artifact, and it is,
in my opinion, sterile in the archeaological sense."

The same conclusion was also given in her report by the archaeologist
Nancy Gallou, who, in an e-mail sent to Dani [the magazine], wrote that
she would "as scientist be happy to sign any petition against the
terrible destruction of hills around Visoko". In her report Silvana
Cobanov mentions that she asked of Semir Osmanagic that they talk about
all this face to face, that he agreed "but never found the time".
Understanding that for Osmanagic and his faithful followers her opinion
was "unimportant and minor", and considering the "impossibility to
change anything", Silvana Cobanov decided that she "does not wish and,
according to her conscience, can not be part of this project".
-----

Doug

[Beagle]

Hello Doug - for some reason I'm not able to access that link right now.
But, in any case, it's been a long time since I've even thought about the Bosnian "pyramids". Since Schoch went over I've barely given them a thought.

From what you say it seems that there are still some people that believe it is a genuine pyramid. That's pretty sad actually. I can only imagine that it's good for the local economy. Otherwise his right to dig would have been revoked I think.

Although sad, it seems to be an internal Bosnian governmental issue.

[DougWeller]

This is also interesting:
http://www.tol.cz/look/TOL/article.tpl? ... icle=19314

[Minimalist]

Supporters include the powerful leader of the Islamic community, Mustafa Ceric, who last year visited Visoko, his birthplace, to shower Osmanagic with praise. He described the pyramids as an “attraction which may bring hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions of tourists, to make Bosnia a tourist destination.”

Uh-huh. Money talks and bullshit walks.