atlantis.found-第50部分

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ient　ones　lived　on　a　planet　very　different　from　the　one　we　live　on。〃
　　　　　〃What　happened　to　the　Amenes？〃　asked　Sandecker。　〃Why　hasn't　evidence　of　their　existence　e　down　to　us　before　now？〃
　　　　　〃Their　civilization　was　utterly　destroyed　when　a　et　struck　the　earth　around　7000　B。C。　and　caused　a　worldwide　cataclysmic　disaster。　That's　when　the　land　bridge　from　Gibraltar　to　Morocco　was　breached　and　the　Mediterranean　became　a　sea。　Shorelines　were　inundated　and　changed　forever。　Within　the　time　it　takes　for　a　raindrop　to　fall　from　a　cloud；　the　sea　people；　their　cities；　and　their　entire　culture　were　erased　from　the　earth　and　lost　until　now。〃
　　　　　〃You　deciphered　all　that　from　the　inscriptions？〃
　　　　　〃That　and　more；〃　Yaeger　answered　earnestly。　〃They　describe　the　horror　and　suffering　in　vivid　detail。　The　impact　of　the　et　was　gigantic；　sudden；　appalling；　and　deadly。　The　inscriptions　go　on　to　tell　of　mountains　shaking　like　willows　in　a　gale。　Earthquakes　shook　with　a　magnitude　that　would　be　inconceivable　today。　Volcanoes　exploded　with　the　bined　force　of　thousands　of　nuclear　bombs；　filling　the　sky　with　layers　of　ash　a　hundred　miles　thick。　Pumice　blanketed　the　seas　as　dense　as　ten　feet。　Rivers　of　lava　buried　most　of　what　we　call　the　Pacific　Northwest。　Fires　spread　under　hurricanelike　winds；　creating　towering　clouds　of　smoke　that　blanketed　the　sky。　Tidal　waves；　perhaps　as　much　as　three　miles　high；　swept　over　the　land。　Islands　vanished；　buried　under　water　for　all　time。　Most　of　the　people　and　all　but　a　handful　of　animals　and　sea　life　disappeared　in　a　time　span　of　twenty…four　hours。〃
　　　　　Giordino　put　his　hands　behind　his　head　and　looked　up　at　the　ceiling；　trying　to　picture　in　his　mind　the　terrible　devastation。　〃So　that　explains　it　the　sudden　extinction　in　the　Americas　of　the　saber…toothed　tiger；　the　humped…back　camel；　the　musk　oxen；　that　giant　bison　with　a　horn　spread　of　six　feet；　the　woolly　mammoth；　the　small　shaggy　horse　that　once　roamed　the　plains　of　North　America。　And　the　instant　turning　to　stone　of　clams；　soft　jellyfish；　oysters；　and　starfish　you　remember　we　discovered　them　during　projects　coring　under　the　sediments。　These　discrepancies　have　always　been　an　enigma　to　scientists。　Now　maybe　they　can　tie　it　to　the　et's　impact。〃
　　　　　Sandecker　stared　at　Giordino　with　an　appraising　look　in　his　eyes。　The　short　Etruscan　possessed　a　brilliant　mind；　but　worked　to　conceal　it　behind　a　sardonic　wit。
　　　　　Stevens　pulled　out　his　pipe　and　toyed　with　it。　〃It's　well　known　in　the　scientific　munity　that　mass　global　extinctions　of　animals　weighing　over　a　hundred　pounds　occurred　in　unison　with　the　end　of　the　last　ice　age；　about　the　same　time　as　the　et's　impact。　Mastodons　were　found　preserved　by　ice　in　Siberia；　the　food　undigested　in　their　stomach；　establishing　the　fact　that　they　died　quite　suddenly；　almost　as　if　sent　into　an　instant　deep　freeze。　The　same　with　trees　and　plants　that　were　found　frozen　while　in　leaf　and　in　bloom。〃
　　　　　The　degree　of　horror　could　not　be　pletely　imagined　by　anyone　sitting　at　the　table。　The　scope　was　simply　too　enormous　for　them　to　conceive。
　　　　　〃I'm　not　a　geophysicist；〃　said　Stevens　quietly；　〃but　I　cannot　believe　that　a　et　striking　the　earth；　even　a　large　one；　could　cause　such　tremendous　destruction　on　such　a　massive　scale。　It's　inconceivable。〃
　　　　　〃Sixty…five　million　years　ago；　a　et　or　asteroid　killed　off　the　dinosaurs；〃　Giordino　reminded　him。
　　　　　〃It　must　have　been　one　enormous　et；〃　said　Sandecker。
　　　　　〃ets　can't　be　measured　like　asteroids　or　meteors　that　have　a　solid　mass；〃　Yaeger　lectured。　〃ets　are　a　posite　of　ice；　gas；　and　rocks。〃
　　　　　Pat　continued　reciting　the　story　of　the　inscriptions　without　reading　from　her　notes。　〃Some　of　the　inhabitants　of　Earth　who　survived　lived；　farmed；　and　hunted　in　the　mountains　and　high　plains。　They　were　able　to　escape　the　aftermath　of　horror　by　going　underground　or　hiding　in　caves；　existing　on　whatever　pitiful　vegetation　and　flora　that　could　revive　and　grow　under　unhealthy　conditions；　along　with　the　few　animals　left　to　hunt。　Many　died　of　starvation　or　from　the　gaseous　clouds　smothering　the　atmosphere。　Only　a　scant　handful　of　the　Amenes　who　happened　to　be　on　high　ground　during　the　tidal　waves　survived。〃
　　　　　〃The　story　of　what　has　e　down　to　us　as　the　deluge；〃　clarified　Stevens；　〃has　been　recorded　by　Sumerian　tablets　dating　back　five　thousand　years　in　Mesopotamia　the　legend　of　Gilgamesh　and　the　flood　predates　the　biblical　story　of　Noah　and　the　ark。　Stone　records　of　the　Mayans；　written　records　by　Babylonian　priests；　legends　handed　down　by　every　cultural　race　of　the　world；　including　the　Indians　throughout　North　America；　all　tell　of　a　great　inundation。　So　there　is　little　doubt　the　event　actually　occurred。〃
　　　　　〃And　now；〃　said　Yaeger；　〃thanks　to　the　Amenes；　we　have　a　date　of　approximately　7100　B。C。〃
　　　　　〃History　tells　us　that　the　more　advanced　the　civilization；〃　Stevens　mented；　〃the　more　easily　it　will　die　and　leave　little　or　nothing　of　itself　behind。　At　least　ninety…nine　percent　of　the　grand　total　of　ancient　knowledge　has　been　lost　to　us　through　natural　disasters　and　man's　destruction。〃
　　　　　Pitt　nodded　in　agreement。　〃A　golden　age　of　ocean　navigation　seven　thousand　years　before　Christ；　but　nothing　to　show　for　it　but　inscriptions　in　rock。　A　pity　we　can't　have　more　to　inherit　from　them。〃
　　　　　Sandecker　exhaled　a　cloud　of　blue　smoke。　〃I　sincerely　hope　that　won't　be　our　fate。〃
　　　　　Pat　took　over　from　Yaeger。　〃Those　who　remained　of　the　Amenes　formed　a　small　cult　and　dedicated　themselves　to　educating　the　remaining　Stone　Age　inhabitants　in　arts　and　written　munication；　as　well　as　teaching　them　how　to　construct　substantial　buildings　and　ships　to　sail　the　seas。　They　tried　to　warn　future　generations　of　another　ing　cataclysm；　but　those　who　came　later　and　had　not　lived　during　the　et's　destruction　and　horrible　aftermath　could　not　bring　themselves　to　accept　that　such　a　traumatic　episode　from　the　past　would　repeat　itself。　The　Amenes　realized　the　awful　truth　would　soon　bee　lost　in　the　mists　of　time；　recalled　only　in　a　score　of　myths。　So　they　attempted　to　leave　a　legacy　by　building　great　monuments　of　stone　to　last　throughout　the　centuries；　engraved　with　their　message　of　the　past　and　future。　The　great　megalithic　cult　they　created　became　widespread　and　lasted　for　four　thousand　years。　But　time　and　the　elements　eroded　the　inscriptions　and　erased　the　warnings。
　　　　　〃After　the　Amenes　finally　died　out；　centuries　of　paralysis　set　in　before　the　Sumerians　and　Egyptians　began　to　emerge　from　primitive　cultures　and　gradually　build　new　civilizations；　using　bits　and　pieces　of　the　knowledge　from　the　distant　past。〃
　　　　　Pitt　tapped　a　pencil　on　the　table。　〃From　what　little　I　know　on　the　subject　of　megaliths；　it　would　seem　that　later　cultures；　having　lost　the　original　intent　of　the　Amenes　through　the　centuries；　used　monumental　structures　as　temples；　tombs；　and　stone　calendars；　eventually　building　thousands　of　their　own。〃
　　　　　〃In　studying　the　available　data　on　megaliths；〃　said　Yaeger；　〃the　very　early　structures　show　that　the　Amenes　had　a　distinct　form　of　architecture。　Their　style　of　building　was　mostly　circular；　with　triangular…shaped　stone　blocks　cut　like　interlocking　pieces　of　a　jigsaw　puzzle；　making　them　almost　impervious　to　any　movement　of　the　earth；　regardless　of　how　severe。〃
　　　　　Stevens　spoke　very　deliberately；　as　he　replaced　the　globe　in　its　socket　inside　the　black　skull。　〃Thanks　to　the　efforts　of　Mr。　Yaeger　and　Dr。　O'Connell；　it's　beginning　to　look　as　if　elements　of　the　Amenes　culture　and　ancient　heritage　were　passed　through　the　centuries　and　eventually　absorbed　by　the　Egyptians；　Sumerians；　the　Chinese；　and　Olmecs；　who　preceded　the　Mayans；　and　both　the　Asian　Indians　and　the　American　Indians。　The　Phoenicians；　more　than　any　other　civilization；　took　up　the　torch　of　deep…ocean　navigation。
　　　　　〃Their　revelations　also　help　to　explain　why　most　of　the　gods　and　deities　from　nearly　every　later　civilization　in　every　part　of　the　world　came　from　the　sea；　and　why　all　the　gods　setting　foot　in　the　Americas　came　from　the　east　while　the　gods　appearing　in　the　early　European　cultures　came　from　the　west。〃
　　　　　Sandecker　stared　at　his　cigar　smoke　spiraling　to　the　ceiling。　〃An　interesting　point；　Doctor；　that　answers　any　number　of　questions　about　our　ancient　ancestors　that　we've　puzzled　over　for　hundreds　of　years。〃
　　　　　Pitt　nodded　at　Pat。　〃What　finally　happened　to　the　last　of　the　Amenes？〃
　　　　　〃Frustrated　that　their　message　would　not　be　received　and　acted　upon；　they　built　chambers　in　different　parts　of　the　world　that　they　hoped　would　not　be　found　for　thousands　of　years；　and　only　then　by　future　civilizations　with　the　science　to　understand　their　message　of　danger。〃
　　　　　〃Which　was？〃　prompted　Sandecker。
　　　　　〃The　date　of　the　second　et's　return　to　earth's　orbit　and　the　almost　certain　impact。〃
　　　　　Stevens　wagged　his　finger　to　make　a　point。　〃A　recurring　theme　in　mythology　is　that　the　cataclysm　with　its　acpanying　deluge　will　repeat　itself。〃
　　　　　〃Hardly　a　cheery　thought；〃　said　Giordino。
　　　　　〃What　made　them　so　certain　there　would　be　another　devastating　visitor　from　outer　space？〃　wondered　Sandecker。
　　　　　〃The　inscriptions　describe　in　great　detail　two　ets　that　arrived　at　the　same　time；〃　answered　Yaeger。　〃One　impacted。　The　other　missed　and　returned　to　space。〃
　　　　　〃Are　you　suggesting　the　Amenes　could　accurately　predict　the　date　of　the　second　et's　return？〃
　　　　　Pat　simply　nodded。
　　　　　〃The　Amenes；〃　said　Yaeger；　〃were　masters　not　only　of　the　seas　but　of　the　heavens　as　well。　They　measured　the　movement　of　the　stars　with　uncanny　accuracy。　And　they　did　it　without　powerful　telescopes。〃
　　　　　〃Suppose　the　et　does　e　back；〃　said　Giordino。　〃How　could　they　know　it　wouldn't　miss　the　earth　and　sail　off　into　the　great　beyond　again？　Was　their　science　so　sophisticated　they　could　calculate　the　time　of　impact　at　the　exact　position　of　the　earth's　orbit　in　space？〃
　　　　　〃They　could　and　did；〃　Pat　retorted。　〃By　puting　and　paring　the　different　positions　of　the　stars　and　constellations　between　the　ancients'　star　map　in　the　Colorado　chamber　with　present　astronomical　star　positions；　we　were　able　to　arrive　at　our　own　date　in　time。　It　matched　the　Amenes　prediction　within　an　hour。
　　　　　〃The　Egyptians　devised　a　double　calendar　th