Archaeologica.org

So, Ishtar - I don't think I've seen you anywhere before. I only post here but I make the rounds in other forums to see any hot new discussions.

Where have you been posting? And do you like that forum?

I've posted on some of the archaeology forums from time to time - but not under the name of Ishtar.

I get a bit bored on Graham Hancock's - I don't know why...maybe they're too young and easily impressed for me. They're like "Whoa, man, did you hear about the Watchers and Enoch and the secret code of the pyramids...?"

I don't like the Hall of Ma'at much either - bunch of over-stuffed egos over there, mutual admiration society...gives me a headache.

How about you?

How about you?

I only post here, Ishtar, as far as Archaeology goes. Once in a while I post in an RV forum since I own one - those guys give good advice on maintenence, campgrounds, etc.

I sometimes post in a political forum, but rarely anymore.

Like yourself, Beagle is not my real name. Most people pick a user name that says something about themselves. Not wanting to do that, I could have just as well picked "doorknob".

You've picked and interesting thread to start in. I'll watch with interest, and I think a lot of additional investigation needs to be done by the scientific community on the monolith and the culture it belonged to.
Nice meeting you Ishtar.

Pardon my previous remarks about Marduk folks. Up to this point I've had no comment on the recently departed fellow. I've considered it unfair.

I responded too quickly to Monks description of him. I won't do that again.

BTW Ishtar, I would love to hear your thoughts on the Pokotia Monolith.

Forum Monk wrote:

Rokcet Scientist wrote:Well, since we're not complete âssholes, and have imaginations too, we already got your number now, Ish . . .

So now we're waiting for the photos of course . . .

Welcome aboard!

R/S do you have some kind of european "Über keyboard" with umlauts and backward 'e's? (I can barely handle 63 keys)

Nope, Monk.
Simply an Apple running OSX: it's got dozens and dozens of keyboards built in that you can select on the fly. But FYI: "â" comes from the American keyboard...
If you're on a PC running XP you probably got it too. Although I suspect you need to press 5 keys simultaneously...

Beagle, you started this thread and now that Ishtar has revived interest it sounds like you're backing away. Gonna leave me and others to flounder a bit, eh?

As for previous comments on Marduk, some may disagree he was an expert on Sumerology but he knew more than me. Therefore he was an expert. Its no secret that I and others have collaborated with him. He has many interesting theories and a few I have supplied evidence to support. Never once, did he ever say Sumerians originated in South America. If he said that, he was probably twisting someones crank at the time.

Anyway, back on topic -

The actual inscriptions on the Pokotia monolith are probably neither Sumerian, Akkadian, or Babylonian and definately do not appear to be cunieform. Another troubling thing, I have never seen a decent dating of the artifact. One site claims the writing style is from 2500bce, another implies the monolith itself may date to 1000bce. This suggests, perhaps the discovery was made under unknown circumstances.

Still if Dr. Winters is correct, then it appears the monolith is an oracle of some type.

Rokcet Scientist wrote:Nope, Monk.
Simply an Apple running OSX: it's got dozens and dozens of keyboards built in that you can select on the fly. But FYI: "â" comes from the American keyboard...
If you're on a PC running XP you probably got it too. Although I suspect you need to press 5 keys simultaneously...

I spent a good amount of time working in Europe using the 'standard' international keyboards. Often I had to pause and go hunting and pecking for the correct keys. There are not a lot of differences but they are significant.

XP supports 'code' pages, but why change it? We're americans and the world revolves around us you know.

Aha!
NOW I understand what that stench is!

Rokcet Scientist wrote:Aha!
NOW I understand what that stench is!

Bad, huh?
It can be worse on this side of the atlantic.

Forum Monk wrote: As for previous comments on Marduk, some may disagree he was an expert on Sumerology but he knew more than me. Therefore he was an expert.

Don't follow your logic there, Monk. He knows more about something than you, therefore he's an expert.

He's not so much an expert as a weather system, and the only way to survive his thunder, hail and lightening is to be sensible and button your waterproofs up tight until he passes, the sun comes out again and if you're lucky, you get a rainbow.

Forum Monk wrote:

It's no secret that I and others have collaborated with him. He has many interesting theories and a few I have supplied evidence to support. Never once, did he ever say Sumerians originated in South America. If he said that, he was probably twisting someones crank at the time.

I'm afraid he was twisting your crank, Monk. He was holding out on you. I can tell you, the poor boy does think the Sumerians came from South America. Why do you think he was dive bombing Beagle so hard?

I believe this topic is Pokotia Monolith, not Marduk......back on subject folks!

Ishtar wrote:Don't follow your logic there, Monk. He knows more about something than you, therefore he's an expert.

Perhaps its a saying on this side of the pond which you took way too seriously: "An expert is anyone who knows more than I do." Or "An expert is anyone more than 50 miles from home carrying a briefcase."

Ishtar wrote:He's not so much an expert as a weather system, and the only way to survive his thunder, hail and lightening is to be sensible and button your waterproofs up tight until he passes, the sun comes out again and if you're lucky, you get a rainbow.

I find the rainbow comment hilarious.

Ishtar wrote: I'm afraid he was twisting your crank, Monk. He was holding out on you. I can tell you, the poor boy does think the Sumerians came from South America. Why do you think he was dive bombing Beagle so hard?

I'm not sure why. It started long before the Pokotia thread, though. Maybe you're twisting my crank, now, eh?

So if in your opinion, GHMB was too wacky and HOM was too stuffy we must be the right combination of what interests you, somewhere between wacky and stuffy. And I was seriously considering starting up at GHMB.

EDIT: Posted while Michelle was sending out her moderators comment - yeah back to the subject: What is your opinion of the monolith?

OK Michelle,

But please let me reply to my man Monk first, and then I'll get back on topic.

There are plenty of posts on GHMB where Marduk puts forward his theories about the proto Sumerians coming from South America, so this is nothing particularly confidential and I'm definitely not twisting your crank, Monk.

He has a history of joining sites, convincing everyone he's an expert so that they'll help him with his 'interesting theories' for his 'book' and then intimidating people to the extent that the more sensible ones get fed up with him, and challenge him, whereupon he throws all his toys out of the pram and then gets thrown off the site. He always leaves, in his wake, a few people with egg on their faces, who trusted him and supported him, only to be let down by him. Sound familiar?

Reading through this thread, I saw all his usual tantrums going on and more...and I was really impressed with the way Beagle dealt with him. It was what made me think that this might be a good place for me to share my ideas. I was only sorry that not more of you came on to support Beagle, but now I know about the book colloboration...that probably explains it.

Sorry...but it's the truth.

You probably know, Beagle, that Marduk's writing a book about how the Sumerians came from South America - and you should see his evidence. It would be laughable if it weren't so pathetic.

That will get him kicked out of the Club!

Sorry, boss...couldn't resist.

I'm gonna be Holier than thou and say nowt!