Hyperdiffusionism in archaeology

Grafton Elliot Smith Cultural Diffusion Map from Egypt

Hyperdiffusionism is a hypothesis stating that one civilization or people is the creator of all logical and great things which are then diffused to less civilized nations. Thus, all great civilizations that share similar cultural practices, like pyramids, are derived from the same ancient nation [1] Examples of hyperdiffusionism can be found in religious practices, cultural technologies, megalithic monuments, and lost ancient civilizations. Hyperdiffusionism is specifically different from trans-cultural diffusion in a few ways, one being that hyperdiffusionism is usually not testable due its pseudo-scientific nature (Williams 1991, 255-156). Additionally, unlike trans-cultural diffusion, hyperdiffusionism does not use trading and cultural networks to explain the expansion of a society within a single culture; instead, hyperdiffusionists claim that all major cultural innovations and societies derive from one (usually lost) ancient civilization (Williams 1991, 224-232). Ergo, the Tucson artifacts derive from Ancient Rome due to the "Romans who came across the Atlantic and then overland to Arizona" because of their extreme likeliness to factual ancient Roman artifacts (Williams 1991, 246).

Some key proponents

Charles Hapgood

Grafton Elliot Smith

Barry Fell

Summary

These three authors describe hyperdiffusionism as the driving force behind the extensive cultural similarities and population distribution throughout all civilizations. Hapgood's hypothesis states that one specific civilization is responsible for similar cultural practices in all other civilizations. In Smith's hypothesis it is said that religion is proof to hyperdiffusionism due to similar worshiping ceremonies seen through geographically different societies. Also, Smith believes that the Earth's population is due to only six types of mankind who diffused all across the Earth's continents at which their skin tone I.E. white, brown, and black decided what continent they populated (Smith 1931,47-48). Finally, Fell asserts that ancient mariners such as the Druids and the Phoenicians who traveled from Europe are responsible for the early population of ancient America.

Popular culture

Atlantis and Lemuria

Lost civilizations of the sea

Mayans

Culture

Religion and mythology

Egypt

Critiques

Ethnocentrism and Racism

Pigeonholes and Continuums[8]

Pseudoarchaeology

Fantastic Archaeology

Hyperdiffusionism versus Independent Invention[9]

Ideology

Culture

The Diffusion Controversy

Methods

Notes

  1. Fagan, Garrett G., ed. (2006). Archaeological Fantasies. Oxford, England: Routledge. pp. 362–367. ISBN 978-0-415-30593-8.
  2. Hapgood, Charles H. (1966). Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings. Philadelphia: Chilton Company. pp. 193–206.
  3. Smith, G. Elliot (1929). The Migrations of Early Culture. Manchester: Manchester University Press. pp. 4–30–132. OCLC R0019431446.
  4. Smith, G. Elliot (1931). The Evolution of Man. London: Ernest Benn Limited. pp. 13–47. OCLC R0005619309.
  5. Fell, Barry (1976). Ancient Settlers in the New World. New York: Quadrangle. pp. 81–92. ISBN 0-8129-0624-1.
  6. Webster, David (2006), "The Mystique of the Ancient Maya", in Fagan, Garrett G., ed., Archaeological Fantasies, Oxford: Routledge, pp. 129–154, 978-0-415-30593-8
  7. Hale, Christopher (2006), "The Atlantean Box", in Fagan, Garrett G., ed., Archaeological Fantasies, Oxford: Routledge, pp. 235–259, ISBN 978-0-415-30593-8
  8. Shermer, Michael (2002) [1997]. Why People Believe Weird Things. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-8050-7089-7.
  9. Kehoe, Alice Beck (2008). Controversies in Archaeology. California: Left Coast Press, INC. pp. 140–172. ISBN 978-1-59874-062-2.
  10. Goldenweiser, Alexander (1927). Culture: The Diffusion Controversy. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. pp. 99–106. OCLC R0002597443.
  11. Williams, Stephen (1991). Fantastic Archaeology: The Wild Side of North American Prehistory. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 224–257. ISBN 0-8122-1312-2.

See also

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