Civilization One
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Civilization One is a book written by Christopher Knight (co-author of the best-seller The Hiram Key) and Alan Butler and was first published in the UK in 2004.[1] It describes in great length and detail the period before or 'on the unknown side' of the Great Wall of History (or before approximately 3200 BC), claiming that certain peoples who existed in those times, in the British Isles specifically, were of a highly advanced culture and who created devices and discoveries that were well beyond their time.[2] It was published by Watkins Publishing and the cover was illustrated by Kevin Jones Associates.[2]
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The book is widely concerned with an alleged technologically and astronomically developed civilization that is commonly referred to in the text as 'Civilization One'.[2] The book also makes various other statements that are not in line with more widely accepted historical interpretations:
- The book is in part based upon Alexander Thom's argument for the existence of a hypothetical megalithic yard, a standard unit of measurement supposedly used in ancient structures, which has never gained scholarly acceptance.
- This civilization, which is said to have built the Stone Age monuments, used a unit of measurement that they claim is fundamental to the Sun, Earth and Moon.
- The number of degrees in a circle is arbitrary, since it merely represents the number of divisions in one complete revolution. However, Knight argues that rather than the contemporarily universally accepted 360 degrees that is thought to descend from the Sumerian civilisation, Knight's hypothetical ancient culture used 366 degrees in a circle, matching the number of observed siderial days in a year.
- That the kilogram, metre and litre were in use 4 millennia prior to the commonly accepted date for their French invention.
- The hour, minute and second were developed and used 2000 years before Christ, through the movement of the moon.
- That many of the stone circles and monuments were in fact early, ingeniously crafted orreries built by a people who had an adept comprehension of astronomy.
