Forge of Creation

Petroglyphs - Valley of Fire

The Valley of Fire derives its name from red sandstone formations, which were formed from sand dunes during the Jurassic period. Prehistoric users of the Valley of Fire were the Anasazi who were farmers from the nearby fertile Moapa Valley. The timespan of approximate occupation has been dated from 300 B.C. to 1150 A.D. Their visits probably involved hunting, food gathering, and religious ceremonies, although scarcity of water would have limited the length of their stay. Fine examples of rock art left by these ancient peoples can be found at several sites within the park. The most numerous being along Petroglyph Trail, leading to Mouse Tank.

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Of Gods and Mortals

Is it possible that our definition of God has changed over the last 10,000 years?

Could it be that the original meaning of the word God was “a master more powerful/intelligient than anyone else we have encountered”? or even “the strong guy that wields lightning and orders us around a lot”? and that through centuries of encounters with god and storytelling about these experiences we have embellished to the point of deification? It would explain a lot…

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The Piri Reis Map

In 1929, scholars working in the archives of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey’s Topkapi Palace Museum made an exciting discovery: a section of an early 16th-century Ottoman map based in part, apparently, on the original chart drawn or used by Christopher Columbus and showing his historic discoveries in the New World. The map, signed by an Ottoman captain named Piri Reis, was dated 1513, just 21 years after Columbus discovered America.

A Turkish friend of mine was kind enough to locate and obtain an official Turkish Navy copy of the Piri Reis map as it is displayed in the museum in Istanbul…with one key difference. The Arabic comments in the margins have been replaced by English translated comments.

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