"The correct analyses of myths and of
mythical thought, of symbols and primordial images,
especially the religious creations that emerge from
Oriental and 'primitive' cultures, are, in my opinion,
the only way to open the Western mind and to introduce
a new, planetary humanism."
- Mircea Eliade (1976)
My research interests are diverse, but
the dominant theme is the history of cosmology,
with 'cosmology' defined in the widest sense: knowledge
about the origin, structure and workings of the natural
world on all levels, from subatomic particles to galaxies.
This includes the history of science
proper, but also of traditional cosmology:
prescientific conceptions of the world defined more
by cultural tradition than by repeated observation,
logic and restraint. Of special interest to me
are the earlier or more archaic belief systems
and the potential evidence they contain of transient
natural events. The latter range from objectively
innocuous spectacles such as aurorae and solar eclipses
through potentially more harmful events like meteorite
falls and localised earthquakes to much more impactful
phenomena on even larger scales, traditionally the preserve
of catastrophist thinkers.
One long-term project concerns the
emergence of planetary astronomy, primarily in the
ancient Near East and the Graeco-Roman world. Another
is the reconstruction of a global template of 'creation
mythology', with possible physical explanations
for its origins.
character
These subjects are of an interdisciplinary
character, combining aspects of humanities such as the
history of science, the history of religions, art history,
comparative mythology, archaeology and anthropology
with geology, palaeontology, geophysics, astronomy and
other natural sciences.
They are also sensitive on both
sides of an ideological divide. On one hand, specialists
are often wary of any combination of catastrophism and
myth or 'recent', due to a history of pseudoscience
in this area. At the other end are those who feel my
approach is too timid as long as I omit alien visitations,
numerology and sacred geometry, a young, hollow or flat
earth, divinely revealed scriptures, technologically
advanced civilisations in the Ice Age and so on. It
is a fine line to tread, but the principle is simple:
a courageous, dispassionate use of the scientific method,
relying solely on adequate evidence and logic.
sources
Tradition refers to anything passed
on collectively within one or more societies, often
imbued with a sense of sacrality and truth. Myths and
legends, rituals, designs of portable objects (such
as pottery, statuary and costumes), of architectural
monuments (such as pyramids, stūpas and
cathedrals) and on the ground, rocks or natural walls
(such as stone circles, geoglyphs and petroglyphs),
in all their myriad combinations, are replete with references
to the natural world and its past. Some of this information
is still available to us in the mute form of
ruins and artefacts or in oral tradition. Another
repository is the written record of history.
All frequently incorporate observations of the sky or
the landscape and interpretations thereof.
As far as the celestial aspect is concerned, such traditional
information has been the ambit of disciplines labelled
'archaeoastronomy', 'cultural astronomy', the 'history
of astronomy' and the 'history of ideas' or 'of religion',
depending on geographical and chronological scope. Geomythology
addresses any geological and indeed palaeontological
implications and applications of myth in particular.
utility
The study of historical information about
the natural environment is useful in a variety of ways.
It is of interest in its own right, facilitating our
understanding of past societies and their outlook on
the world, not least their religions. This is especially
felt in cases where recent discoveries in science shed
fresh light on historical data that had previously been
inscrutable.
Conversely, historical sources have much
to contribute to science. They can broaden our perspective
on what is possible in nature and can complement the
scientific reconstruction of the past 10,000 to 20,000
years. Areas that stand to gain much from historical
input include: solar cycles and aurorae; eclipses; comets,
meteor showers, meteorites and the zodiacal light; extreme
weather events and climate change; earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions; biodiversity; and the development of human
consciousness, conduct and society.
Marinus Anthony van der Sluijs
2000-2024
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