The Role of Solar Outbursts in Our Past and Future

A first rate scientist with an open mind. Something very difficult to find these days. The archeological concepts presented here
are based on geological evidence and not hampered by preconceived beliefs. Very thought provoking.

Found this book to be extremely informative and interesting. Solar flares and their impact on this Earth is an interesting and important subject that needs more attention than the media or society gives. Schoch is a great man of science and thank you for this great book!!

Wow! Dr. Schoch has done it again! In addition to plasma, flares, and ancient mysteries, this time he also touches on the consciousness/memory of water and the phenomenon of the future affecting the past!!! His brilliance is an important herald in setting the stage for the new age!

I'd give this scientifically sound, groundbreaking book 10 stars if I could.
The prevailing academic/archaeological paradigm of humanity's ancient history
is hopelessly flawed, and Robert Schoch is one of the few 21st-century scientists with
enough integrity, respect for the truth and sheer grit to do something about it. He also
knows how to relate complicated matters in reader-friendly terms, and with
a great sense of narrative flow. I couldn't put this book down from the moment
I started it. If only more scientists were writing books like this!

One of the most incredible books I have ever read put into layman's terms so that everyone can understand clearly (without having to use a dictionary for jargon relating to various scientific fields of study). I recommend it to everyone interested in preparing for events which may be soon upon us.

"Professionalism" too often means the total suppression of any contrary views, rather than the open consideration of newly discovered facts. We will never learn the truth about the past until we learn to open our minds to the possibilities of new facts and newly discovered possibilities.

If you are tired of sitting around waiting for mainstream science/history to catch up with all the new discoveries, READ THIS BOOK! This is one of the very best explanations of the current ideas of ancient history being unveiled by the latest information and theories.

I thought this book was very well written and though it dealt w/ some subjects most of us are not very familiar w/, they were clearly and concisely explained so they could be understood by the layman and become an integral part of the whole picture..well done and fascinating !

Careful collection of evidence of structure where it is not supposed to be, has lead to Robert Schoch' terrific book . He suggests new ways to interpret ancient artifacts Gobekli Tepe, Sphinx, Easter Island, climate change, warns of stellar influences to climate, and ends with examples of unexplained electromagnetic phenomenon. Never a dull moment- eye opener!

The book deals with a hypothetical scenario that early efforts at civilization were interrupted by extremely intense solar plasma discharges. However, the author digresses a good deal talking about climate change and scientific consensus. There was little information about the purported early civilization, although the book was generally interesting.

Forgotten Civilizations is a great presentation of the problems attempting alterations to the errors in science and science teaching. In Australia too much is decided in this field by numb headed politicians. The opinions and suguestions deliniated by Schoch are very stimulating and certainly more accurate than the paradim accepted in this country on global warming. A very entertaining presentation. I immediately re-read it.

I first heard of Robert Schoch about fifteen years ago when I watched the NBC special "The Mysterious Origins of Man." Schoch was brought into the project both for his PhD in geology from Yale and for his open-mindedness, specifically on the age of the Sphinx. Despite the assertion of mainstream Egyptology that the Sphinx could not be more than, at most, about 4,500 to 5,000 years old - Schoch said the Sphinx showed obvious erosion from intense rainfall, the likes of which Egypt had not seen for several thousand years before conventional theories permitted. He stuck his neck out (though not as boldly as John Anthony West, who suggested a far older date for the Sphinx) and said that mainstream Egyptology's date for the Sphinx is probably off by a few thousand years. This unorthodoxy brought many negative responses from established PhDs in a variety of fields.

At the time (early to mid 1990s) when Schoch and West were first getting attention for the idea that erosion by rainfall proved the Sphinx is older than we have been taught, one rebuttal from the orthodox Egyptologists was to ask who built it. "Where's the civilization" before dynastic Egypt? In the early 90s there was little evidence to counter the accepted paradigm that no society that far back was organized enough to build monuments.

This changed with the ongoing discoveries at Gobekli Tepe in southeast Turkey, which has been excavated by German (and Turkish) archeologists since 1994. As Schoch points out in "Forgotten Civilization" mainstream archeologists now date the monuments there to approximately 9-10,000 B.C. The established existence of an organized society at this point in time makes Schoch's conservatively early dating of the Sphinx seem less unlikely. It offers proof that man had achieved civilization earlier than we were taught.

But a very ancient Sphinx and very ancient Gobekli Tepe also force us to wonder what happened to this early civilization which rose and fell with no continuation, with no evidence of organized society for thousands of years after - until approximately 3,100 B.C. Why did the earliest monument builders completely disappear?

Schoch suggests that there were "catastrophes that occurred over ten thousand years ago, eradicating this early, forgotten civilization." (p. 8) He tells us that "geological data indicate that the last ice age ended extremely suddenly, catastrophically, around 9700 BCE.... and I believe, the date of a major solar outburst." (p. 253) He describes evidence of a major solar flare hitting the earth, and suggests that the sun is nowhere near as stable as recent history implies. Instead he assumes "that major plasma events might impact Earth approximately every ten thousand years. It has been 11,700 years since the last one." (p. 103)

The implication is that we are overdue for a solar event capable of causing a civilization-ending catastrophe. It might originate with the sun's own cyclical variations, or perhaps the sun's activity is triggered by a cosmic source like Dr. Paul LaViolette's galactic superwaves. While not specifically assuming that a pole shift will occur, nor that it will occur on December 21, 2012 at the end of the Mayan Long Count - Schoch suggests that something catastrophic may very well occur near the Mayan end date. But to him, such an approximation could mean 2012, 2013, or even 2050. (p. 216)

As an author covering similar topics (ancient civilizations, cosmic catastrophes, the Mayan Calendar, prophecies of the end of the world, etc. - see End Times and 2019: The End of the Mayan Calendar and the Countdown to Judgment Day) I agree with Schoch on many points, although my analysis concludes that we should worry about a very specific date in 2019. Schoch takes a slightly different route than I do (focusing on geological evidence and solar outbursts) but we reach similar overall conclusions because we are analyzing many of the same facts. The truth is becoming more obvious, (especially within the last twenty years) despite attempts from established schools of thought to stifle innovative reevaluations of cherished paradigms.

A major part of Schoch's premise assumes not only that a solar plasma event devastated Earth around 9700 BCE, but that our distant ancestors recorded what they saw when the plasma hit and strange electrical discharges and auroras dominated the skies. He discusses what might be drawings and descriptions of this event from many cultures, but focuses on Easter Island's moai statues and rongorongo text. I do not feel there is enough evidence on Easter Island to be thoroughly convincing, but his ideas on this merit consideration - he made a sensible argument based on the minimal evidence available.

I am not quite sure why, near the end of the book, he delves into many unusual topics - such as ESP and parapsychology, quantum entanglement, harmonic resonances, faster than light travel, retrocausality, precognition, and the illusion of free will - to name a few. I suppose his aim is to point out that many ideas are viewed as pseudoscience, even when there is some evidence in their favor... or perhaps to suggest that research in these fields challenges accepted conclusions, and like his early dating of the Sphinx, may be accepted in due time. If nothing else, such topics provide readers with more questions to ponder after finishing the book - because Schoch proves fairly conclusively that a solar event did terminate a forgotten civilization over ten thousand years ago, and that we have reasons to expect a similar catastrophe soon ourselves.

Full disclosure: I have been to Egypt and to Gobekli Tepe with Dr. Schoch, and would be hard pressed to imagine a better mix of intellectual rigour, humility and - most strikingly - the kind of open-mindedness that we're taught to believe prevails in academia but which is actually far from the norm.

In fact that might be for me the most impressive and disconcerting takeaway from Forgotten Civilization. Dr. Schoch's experiences, which he discusses candidly here, illustrate that many in academia are devoted not so much to open-minded inquiry as to establishing and defending consensus. It's a pretty disheartening picture. If scientists and academics are just as likely to defend their turf against new ideas by means both honest and dishonest as they are to examine those new ideas in a spirit of genuine critical inquiry, where does that leave our notions of human progress?

I'd already gathered from conversations with Dr. Schoch that he's paid a price for advancing his theories about the advent of civilization, but not until I read this book did I really understand how systematic and widespread the resistance of his "fellow" scholars has actually been, not only to his ideas but also to many others that challenge prevailing orthodoxy. But maybe I'm just being naive. Academics are humans too! And after all, at the end of the day ideas do still manage to evolve and advance over time. It just takes longer than it should because new ideas have to break through the walls people throw up around old ones, a struggle that takes time and energy. One wishes we could use all that time and energy more efficiently and develop our knowledge of our world and ourselves at a steady pace instead of waging this two-steps-forward-one-and-a-half-steps-back intellectual warfare. It's such a waste.

Still, the back-and-forth, never-uniform advance of historical understanding nicely mirrors Dr. Schoch's own theories about the development of human civilization, which he believes got off to a rocky start, to put it mildly. At the risk of caricaturing his ideas by trying to sum them up in such a short space, he believes it is very possible that human civilization had attained a much higher level of sophistication millennia earlier than is generally acknowledged, only to be virtually destroyed by a period of catastrophic solar activity that forced survivors to seek shelter and set human progress back thousands of years. Gobekli Tepe is a centrepiece of this new thinking - a haunting site of amazing beauty and sophistication that dates to at least 9000 BCE, several millennia before conventional thinking even admits the possibility that humans should have been able to build such structures.

Another discouraging point Dr. Schoch makes is that these periods of solar hyperactivity occur cyclically and, judging by the length of the cycles, we're now officially overdue for another major outburst - a sobering thought given how utterly dependent we've become on the electrical grid, which would be one of the first things to be fried. Just try to imagine for a moment what would happen if electrical power suddenly failed over the entire planet with no reasonable hope of getting it back up and running for weeks, months or maybe even years.

Anyway I won't try to present all of the ideas presented in this very wide-ranging book. There's way more here than what I've talked about. Get Forgotten Civilization and read it! Dr. Schoch's writing is clear and direct, mercifully free of academic jargon and obviously designed for a wide readership. I'm aware that at least one other reviewer on here has found the writing too technical, and I'm at a loss to understand why. Yes, Dr. Schoch's whole approach is rigorously grounded in scientific research, and he's not afraid to throw hard science into the discussion. But he does it in a very approachable, unintimidating way, and even a non-scientist like me was able to follow the discussion, admittedly with a few re-readings in places.

To sum up, this book will challenge your notions about how human history has unfolded. And that's a good thing, right?

I thought this was an extremely well written book. Dr. Schoch touches on many ideas and cross references and using hard science, ties it all into an overall theory that is both logical and frightening. This is one of those books that leaves you thinking, long after your done reading it.

If you have have any interest in solar flares and the role they've played in our history and will play in our future, you should read this book.

I am not an archaeologist, nor a physicist but the way Schock writes is very accessible, and his summarizing of complicated scientific processes and notions is both entertaining and educational. I am grateful for this book for many reasons. His easily digestible text allowed me to fully appreciate the importance of what's contained herein. Schoch has made an enormous contribution in correcting conventional, and often very wrong history (not to mention willfully erroneous archeology); and by re-dating ancient mysteries, e.g. The Sphinx, and setting them in their rightful time frames; and out of my great respect for this man's works, I did not take much persuading to buy his latest book - and what a book it is! "Forgotten Civilization : The Role of Solar outbursts In Our Past & Future" is a timely purchase, in more ways than one, as my partner is about to lead a Norsk womens' group trip to Easter Island. This amazing book will help her to see through the erroneous - downright wrong - history the western world has imposed on that amazing place since its re-discovery in 1722. Moreover, even though the early chapters are truly fascinating, what follows is dynamite! The chapters on the end of the last ice age, cosmoclimatology and galactic superwaves, and their effects on us all, daily, have opened my eyes to more than I could have dreamed; and the last chapter on amazing new science is a fitting revelation to top the other eye-openers. I have learned more important information, from this 1 book, than I have taken in during, perhaps, the last 10 years (and I read a book every week). It's simple. This is a must-read book. The sun is not quite the softly purring beasty we were brought up to believe; and as for galactic centre ... well, this is the kind of stuff that opened the Eye of Horus! Whether you have found this book through links from Gerald Massey, or from Kenneth Grant, or through Edward Malikowski; from Thor Heyerdahl or from contemporary archaeologists & anthropologists, or other conventional & mainstream sources, well, you really have a treat awaiting you in these pages. My book of the last year. Thank you Robert Schoch.

''Dr. Robert Schoch has not only incorporated a wealth of research, data, and topical science into this enthralling book; but he has also provided an insightful mechanism to help understand civilizations dating back to the last Ice Age. Dr. Schoch has not only pieced together the mystery surrounding the abrupt end of the last Ice Age, through the variety of modern scientific methods available to him, but has shown the significant role that our sun plays in past events and what we must look toward in the coming future. This book contains a thorough riveting analysis of the Scientific methods involved in the subject of Earth Science with a view to revealing historical mysteries of past civilizations. The research and analysis though scientific in nature is well thought out, well presented and easily digestible in a non-taxing manner. Throughout the book from the very start the narrative is compelling, personal and reachs out to the reader, Dr.Schoch effectively delivers the scientific data in a clever yet natural way. 'Forgotten Civilization' has captivated my attention from start to finish, the subject matter is a must read for anyone concerned with ancient civilizations. The evidence, data, and research provided is significant to the future role of mankind.''

E.A.James Swagger Author 'The Newgrange Sirius Mystery'

Readers familiar with Robert Schoch will remember him as the geologist who, over 20 years ago, first recognised that the Sphinx at Giza was eroded not from wind but from water. Because Egypt has not had enough rain to cause such erosion since about 5,000 BCE, Schoch's finding dated the construction of the oldest portions of the Sphinx body to at least 7,000 to 9,000 years ago - much older than the 4,500 years ago Egyptologists maintain.

Dr. Schoch, currently on the faculty of Boston University, has written a number of books, both technical and popular. He describes Forgotten Civilization, his latest offering, as dealing with "the astronomical cause of the demise of antediluvian civilisations, as well as the scientific and archaeological evidence that supports [these] conclusions."

A clue to such evidence was first discovered by both Schoch and his wife, Catherine (Katie) Ulissey, after a trip to Easter Island in late 2009. Not only is that island home to the gigantic stone heads and torsos with which we are familiar, it is the source of the strange and undeciphered glyphs known as rongorongo script. While heretofore thought to be some forgotten language, it was Katie who first suggested to her husband that there was a possible connection between the rongorongo shapes and the plasma forms produced by coronal mass ejections from our Sun.

One evening, while still meditating on the enigmas they had seen on Easter Island, Dr. and Mrs. Schoch rewatched a portion of a video discussing the work done on ancient petroglyphs by plasma physicist Anthony Peratt. "Peratt noticed that many of the petroglyphs found around the world appear to record the shapes that would have been seen in the sky if there had been a major solar outburst - a plasma discharge... in ancient times."

Katie proposed that the rongorongo glyphs looked amazingly similar to the petroglyphs discovered by Peratt. The Schochs asked themselves, "Could the rongorongo be a text, a scientific text if you will, that records in meticulous detail what was happening in the skies of long ago? Were the Easter Islanders in fact the keepers of an ancient, long forgotten, knowledge?"

With that revelation, Dr. Schoch begins his book. He shows us colour plates with photos comparing rongorongo glyphs, Peratt's petroglyphs, and the giant Nasca geoglyphs of South America only recognisable from high in the air to actual figures produced inside plasma artificially created by Peratt. The similarities are uncanny.

Schoch then proceeds to recount his work on the Great Sphinx, but now he asks if it is actually even older than he first guessed - perhaps dating back to around 12,000 to 10,000 BCE. This would be consistent with dating by others of the relative placements of the Giza pyramids to represent the corresponding positions of the stars in the belt of the constellation Orion. It also coincides with the even more recent claim of Bauval and Brophy in their book Black Genesis: The Prehistoric Origins of Ancient Egypt (Bear and Co., 2011).

Schoch adds, "This is not to say that the pyramids themselves are physically this old, but they may mark or memorialise a very old period in time. This independent evidence of extreme antiquity on the Giza Plateau can only bolster my conclusion that the Sphinx is incredibly old."

He goes on to tell us in great detail, and with ample references in the manner of a scientist, about the amazing stone structures with highly refined art and artefacts at recently excavated Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey, dated by archaeologists to 9500 BCE. Schoch quotes Charles Mann in National Geographic: "Discovering that hunter-gatherers had constructed Göbekli Tepe was like finding that someone had built a [Boeing] 747... in a basement with an X-Acto knife...."

Schoch's well-founded conclusion is that mankind's past on this planet is not only much older than what conventional historians have been teaching, but, as Paul LaViolette has demonstrated, we have gone through cycles of destruction and renewal corresponding to periods in and between coronal mass ejections (CME's) and solar proton events (SPE's) of our Sun.

Combined with records of giant solar disturbances indicated in ice packs and below glaciers around the globe, we now "have evidence of high culture and civilisation circa 10,000 BCE to 8000 BCE, but then an apparent decline or hiatus for thousands of years, until the `rise' of civilisation once again in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and elsewhere."

Schoch surmises that many glyphs and symbols around the globe surviving from times long ago represent shapes and forms of plasma outbursts the ancients saw in the sky before massive destruction cycles occurred on the planet. We know of thousands of extensive Neolithic tunnel configurations, and it is only within these that prehistoric mankind could survive such solar radiation-induced catastrophes.

In chapters entitled "Cosmoclimatology," "Galactic Superwaves and Interstellar Dust Clouds," "Ezekiel's Vision," and "Glass Castles [vitrified forts], [and] Fire from the Sky...," Dr. Schoch presents his case that our Sun is overdue for another period of increased activity, perhaps triggered by an outburst from the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy itself.

He points to indicators such as both increased and decreased frequency of sunspots, volcanic and earthquake activity, shifting of the Earth's poles and magnetic fields, and the current position of our solar system relative to the galactic centre as we whirl around it. He asks the question, "Are we [again] entering a cosmic interstellar dust cloud?" Could this be what the 2012 date corresponding to the end of the Mayan Calendar is telling us to watch for?

In the latter chapters of the book, Schoch asks if solar discharges could also have other results on the human species - an increase in consciousness and mental capacity, for instance. And, while cataclysm from solar/galactic forces is not preventable, could foreknowledge prompted by warnings from our ancestors give us time to prepare?

The final chapter demonstrates how some of science's most hallowed conclusions may be entirely wrong according to the latest findings. It emphasises that we must not necessarily consider humanity of the past as less developed than we are today.

In a similar vein to what I've been saying in some of my previous New Dawn book reviews, Dr. Schoch gives us the following advice: "What I do put a lot of stock in is that the ancients were neither stupid nor ignorant. They knew things that we no longer know. They had an understanding and awareness of the cosmos that we have either forgotten or lost. I believe there is something genuine in the concept of ancient wisdom, something that perhaps is just beginning to be rediscovered by a few scientists, philosophers, scholars, and visionaries of the modern world."

This review first appeared in New Dawn magazine, issue #136

-Free review copy courtesy of Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
I was first blown away in the early 90's when I saw a documentary on TV hosted by Charleton Heston about the Sphinx and how two men had a interesting theory about the age of the Sphinx and civilization. Those men were Robert M. Schoch and John Anthony West and they truly inspired me to really think about our past. Now with the recent discoveries of Gobekli Tepe, Gadung Padang and Nan Madol they only strengthen Robert's theories about ancient civilizations. The world is far older than mainstream archaeology tells us. This book describes what ended most of those early civilizations. A coronal mass ejection/solar outburst that caused volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, fires and massive floods worldwide. It also warns us that this will happen again. Great Book! A must have for anyone's library!

Now that we have read this fantastic crucial book, are we going to just put it on the shelf and forget about it? I hope not. Tell as many people about this potential devastation as you can. And more importantly, contact the politcians (all political parties) and ask why our country's government is risking its citizens going back to the 'stone age' because it will cost some tax dollars to prevent a cataclysm. There are many scientists that know the Sun has the potential & probability via solar plasma ejections to end modern civilization. I think the citizens of the USA are worth the investment of approximately 100 billion dollars to reinforce and safeguard the national power grid's equipment. More sensible to do this than to waste over a trillion dollars like the government did on recent wars.
Thank you Prof. Shoch for bringing this to the publics attention.

Schoch offers an interesting new theory about the origins of civilization. His hypothesis is that advanced civilizations existed much earlier than we thought and have disappeared prematurely because they have been destroyed by solar outbursts. This concept is thought provoking, to say the least. But I have to admit that it is only halfway through the book that I started to warmup to the idea. The reason it took me so long to accept his theory is because several of his arguments are not particularly convincing. Although the author is a scholar he does not always present scholarly evidences for his speculations. But he likes to bash mainstream science a lot though. So much so that it becomes annoying over time.

Some, but not all, of his arguments are rather vague or hazy. The author can be scientifically very convincing when he writes about his own field, which is geology. But he frequently offers weak support for other theories that he discusses in the book and his thinking appears to be generally narrowly focused on his personal worldview. I will give one example of this. When Schoch presents "evidences" to show a relation between certain artefacts and his theory of solar outbursts he ignores other possibilities entirely. For instance where many observers would readily see "proof" of extraterrestrial presence in some of those artefacts, Schoch only sees "proof" of solar outbursts manifestations. All that takes nothing away from his basic tenet that solar outbursts may indeed have caused the demise of several early civilizations. But unfortunately throughout the book we are often subjected to feeble arguments about some other weird theories. While many points may be scientifically valid and thought provoking, a few others seem to have been expressed by a lunatic. It lacks academic consistency and that is why I was ultimately disappointed by this book.

So why give it four stars then? Because the solar outburst theory is one of the very few satisfying theories out there that explains the gap between the cave men and the pyramid builders. I would actually give this specific theory five stars on its own merit. But because of the author's uneven intellectual rigour I would want to give his work only three stars. That being said, I still believe this book is worth reading and would recommend it to anyone who wants to take another look at our origins.

April 2015 update: Scientists have recently discovered that a Gamma-ray burst (GRB) could have been at the origin of the Ordovician extinction 450 millions years ago, which wiped out 80% of the species on Earth. GRB are released whenever a massive star explodes after it has collapsed on itself. If the collapsing star is big enough it can become a powerful black hole in an instant and release what could become a deadly burst of gamma rays for the Earth if it's close enough.

I first noticed Dr. Schoch's work on redating the Sphinx in conjunction with the work of John Anthony West-- and have since followed his travels and research with great interest. Dr. Schoch is known for bravely making honest conclusions based on his extensive knowledge and research-- regardless of pressure from people with their own agendas. He is a man admired and highly respected in his field. He has endured and overcome a barage of criticism from old stream Egyptologists who don't want to admit their errors...many of whom have financial/political agendas such as Zahi Hawass and Mark Lehner.
Dr. Schoch is the author and co-author of many books...all of which I have added to my reading agenda. This one is excellent and you will find it hard to put down. I add a link for you to hear Dr. Schoch speak for himself on this book and his work. [...]

Having a lifelong interest in ancient civilizations, especially in ancient Egypt, I had come across an article by Dr. Schoch about the actual age of the Sphinx and was excited to learn more. When I learned about Göbekli Tepe, which he also wrote about and visited, I started looking up other writings by Dr. Schoch.

Once I found this book, I finished it in a matter of days and have already gone back to share parts of it with others.

The thing is, I've always had this thought that ancient buildings, writings, art, and symbols were a warning for something. That all the myths around the globe seem to have similar messages and stories. And that evidence shows up constantly that points to something beyond 'ancient aliens.' This book, Forgotten Civilizations, takes a holistic view from all sciences to really show how past solar outbursts have potentially changed the course of humanity. And it shows a completely different timeline for humanity all backed up with evidence and scientific research.

I was especially impressed with the scientific references, personal insights, and consideration for other ideas Dr. Schoch has in this book. And the mountain of resources make for a smörgåsbord of additional reading someone can follow.

For those of you who have believed there is more to 'our story' of humanity, Forgotten Civilization brings all the pieces together with additional ideas for what could be yet to come.

Anyone with an interest in alternative history and archaeology should already be familiar with Robert Schoch's work and will find this latest book as fascinating as any of his others. Across the grand sweep of history - recorded and speculative - and taking in ancient and lost civilizations, ice ages, cosmology, climate, myth and so much more, Schoch outlines new ideas concerning human origins and history and ultimately our possible fate. Central to all of this, as the book's title suggests, is the role of our sun, which Schoch points out has been absolutely central throughout the entire existence of the Earth. The sun is very far from being the constant, stable source of light and warmth we assume it to be and Schoch asserts that solar activity, whilst allowing life on Earth to exist, has at various times in the past also been responsible for almost all life on Earth being wiped out. I read this voraciously in a day but even I was taken aback by how thought provoking and profound the last quarter of the book is. In chapters that the title doesn't even hint at, Schoch explores ideas around 2012, spirituality and the eternal questions of why are we here, where do we come from, where are we going? The book as a whole is evidence and science based, so even when the author gets into this territory, he's always clear about what is and is not proven, what may or may not be provable and when he's operating on a hunch as opposed to hard data. All science starts with a theory or hypothesis, and this book is brimming with fascinating science, theories and hypotheses, offering a valuable contribution to the quest for truth and meaning in our past, present and future. If we have one :)

excellent, easy to read book, littered with references Schoch included in his book. Seldom do you see this and IMHO it is of the utmost importance to the reader (and the credibility of the writer) to have references.

I found the book nearly impossible to put down once I started it. What I liked most was his research into how solar events might have played a huge part in shaping the climate of Earth. It seems this theory is finally getting some serious main stream attention. And too, I enjoyed the parts about galactic superwaves and how these might precede catastrophic events on Earth. The parts about the power of sound and water I thought were very interesting as well. There are numerous though practically unrecognized works on sound and water and their very unique abilities to heal.

I also got the distinct impression that Dr. Schoch is truly one of the few opened minded academics who will go where facts take him regardless of the inconvenience it might cause him professionally.

I really, really enjoyed the whole book. It was well written, it flowed well, included numerous topics, and is never boring.

I am often surprised how most people are unaware of the Carrington event (solar outburst) that took place in 1859, or the March 1989 solar storm that affected Quebec and northeast US. Yet, if the likes of a Carrington event took place in the "e-world" we live in today - Dr. Schoch argues that it would set us back immensely. We toil away in our everyday lives staying oblivious to how vulnerable we really are. In his book, Dr. Schoch makes a very compelling case for the role that solar outbursts have played in our history. Schoch has connected the dots for us. The book is extremely well researched with overwhelming evidence from across time and spanning the globe, and Dr. Schoch's writing style makes it an easy and comprehensible read for the layman. The book is a must read. However, approach it with an open mind and be prepared to question the history you think you know. In the words of Twain, "It ain't what you know that gets you in trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so".

"Dr. Robert Schoch has produced an extremely well-studied thesis that is backed by his vast knowledge of geology and, more importantly, given it impetus by his courage to go where many other academics fear to tread. Forgotten Civilization is a very well written book that not only reflects an excellent scientific research into the origins of civilization but also is highly entertaining and most enjoyable to read. Get this book and put it in a prominent place on your bookshelf. It deserves this honor."
Robert Bauval, author of The Orion Mystery

Past Ages.
This exciting book by geologist - Robert Schoch is a keypoint in my exploration and fascination with the mysteries of past ages. That civilisation is much older than is generally accepted is a given in my way of thinking for a long time now. But to publicly state this takes great moral fortitude against the entrenched viewpoint of Egyptologists' earlier revelations. Robert Schoch offers a new date for the Sphinx of between 6-10,000 years BC when those experts have set it at 2,500 BC for this monument. To this day they deny his findings and attack his integrity even though he has the science to back up his claims. Well done Robert Schoch.
My jury is still out on his theories for the emissions from the sun and that a huge solar event caused widespread damage in the past. We are to expect a similar event in modern times. But, heh! He is the scientist and he has the facts. I believe we should give his ideas due consideration
Forgotten Civilisations - a very stimulating, thought provoking read.
From writer Fay Anith Cossar.

This is an important book. The author brings the intellectual rigor of a leading scientist to discuss the available evidence for the possible effects of a past solar outburst on a forgotten civilization, and the potential for this to happen again in the future. It is a rare book which succeeds in bringing cutting edge science to try to answer some of the mysteries of humanity's past. Sadly, open-minded scientists such as Robert Schoch are a rare phenomenon in today's materialistic, dogma-ridden universities. One can only hope that the courage and forthrightness of Dr.Schoch will inspire more scientists to 'leave the closet' of traditional academia and enter the alternative world of science and history, where so many questions remain answered.

Robert Schoch's newest book, Forgotten Civilization is a wonderful exploration of the most plausible explanations for how we can find ancient artifacts, culture and whole civilizations that defy explanation. The clues have been buried in the sands of time and required a geologist to uncover them. There is ample evidence of missing pieces of our human history, evidence of sophisticated architecture, structural stone engineering, and remnants of lost civilizations all over the globe, that lack a written historical narrative to accompany these discoveries. Dr. Schoch provides each reader, no matter what tour background, an unexpected journey thru time uncovering important evidence and putting this evidence together in a way that few before him have had the courage to suggest. For those of you who know Dr. Schoch's other work his courage should come as no surprise.

I have followed the work of Dr. Robert Schoch for many years, starting with his 1992 groundbreaking geological findings on the re-dating of the Sphinx, which revolutionized our understanding of Ancient Egypt. Now, in Forgotten Civilization, Dr. Schoch is once again fearlessly following where the science leads him. In this impeccably researched and powerful new book, Dr. Schoch synthesizes much of his earlier work in archaeology, geology, and the history of ancient civilizations, and carries these themes forward, pushing even further into the leading edge of ideas that are now on the forefront of scientific research. Remarkably, he achieves writing this enormously important book while still making it an absolute delight to read. I guarantee that Forgotten Civilization is a book you will not want to put down, and will return to time and time again as a source of inspiration to explore more of our past and to ponder our future.

A Poor Effort by an otherwise distinguished writer.

Forgotten Civilization's author was probably paid by the word. Seldom have I encountered a book so filled with irrelevant information and long quotes from well known and easily accessible sources. Worse, there is nothing new here of substance. Dr. Schoch's ultimate thesis, that a solar plasma outburst has devastated the world before and will again, is not only unsupported by the "evidence" cited, but the urgency the author pretends is much overplayed.

The book starts out with a travel log of the author's expeditions to Easter Island and other locations around the world. He talks about himself and his personal experiences which have no bearing on anything. It just takes up space. He then relates, at length, his story about how he determined the Sphinx is at least 7,000 years old (5,000 BC - Dr. Schoch uses the politically correct BCE), including a long discussion of Edgar Case and his predicted vault under the paw. None of this is relevant or in any way attached to his core thesis.

He then describes his travels to Easter Island, and he will do so again, this first time telling us that the giant moai statues could have been moved telekinetically. When he once again takes us back to Easter Island it is to discuss the rongorongo language (un-deciphered) and how its images could alert us to a possible plasma event that happened in the past, probably about 9,500 BC the end of the last ice age. Remember, this is an undeciphered language.

Long quotes from Ezekiel 1: 5-28, and Noah's story are added to fill out more pages of unconnected meaningless information. He includes page after page of "facts" on magnetism but ties it to nothing. The author then speculates about the problems of the solar system passing through an interstellar cloud some 1,500 years from now - apparently forgetting that the earth passed through a comet's tale not long ago with zero effects. I was anxious to read the chapter on Gobekli Tepe that I had seen in the table on contents prior to buying the book; however, the chapter told me zero. Everything in this chapter, and more, can be found on websites talking about Gobekli Tepe [...]. The rest is pure speculation. There are a lot more non-sequitor stories and "facts" but my review space is limited.

Perhaps the biggest knock against Forgotten Civilizations is the complete lack of evidence for a solar plasma outburst (or CME meaning a coronal mass ejection). His one and only evidentiary exhibit is the "Carrington Event" of September 1 through 7 of 1859. Here it is:

"...then about seventeen and one-half hours later all hell broke loose, and the magnetographs went off the scale. We now understand that this is what happens when a huge coronal mass ejection (CME)-- a giant bubble of ionized gas ejected by the Sun-- hits Earth's magnetosphere. The CME was not merely recorded on the magnetographs (now generally referred to as magnetometers), but it was seen around the world as incredible auroral displays in the night skies over the next several days-- and at unusually low latitudes. More importantly, and tellingly, the telegraph systems of the time were widely affected. " Schoch Ph.D., Robert M. (2012-08-10). Forgotten Civilization: The Role of Solar Outbursts in Our Past and Future (Kindle Locations 3105-3109).

You have just read everything of real substance in the entire book. All the other tales of seeing wonderful or foreboding visions in the twilight sky to the north, the Easter Island language, rock carvings and all the rest - including nitrate deposits in ice cores proving a plasma event - are pure speculation. And no, vitrified "forts" (volcanic glass) on a hilltop are not evidence of a CME. If this volcanic glass was found over a wide area, say 500 square miles, then you might have an argument. Isolated outcroppings of vitrified rock fail to show anything. The constant use of terms like "could show," "might," and " I believe" tell the reader the book is pure opinion. How odd is it that a geologist cannot find and cite geologic information to show a CME occurred and when.

Please Dr. Schoch, do not summarize your past books ad nauseam, do not tell us your travel experience, don't quote at length from sources like the Bible, don't rehash 2012 again, don't tell us for the tenth time about a room under the Sphinx's paw or what might have been inside the now flooded Hawara labyrinth, and please don't go on and on over what will happen if a catastrophe of some kind (A CME on an epic scale) strikes humankind. And stop writing these speculative books to make a buck. Your original research on the Sphinx was unique, eye opening, and based on very solid factual research plus logical conclusions raised from those facts. This book is junk and should damage your reputation even though it will no doubt make you money.

AD2

The Cycles of Time, will the Past Become the Future? Forgotten Civilization; has humanity lost a part of our Past in the Yuga's of the ages gone past? What were the roles of the things in that period, and how did they affect our ancestors? Questions of a Forgotten Civilization Past. Robert Schoch will take you on an in depth journey into a time long forgotten. To an age when the ancients watched the stars more closely and had a better understanding of the cycles within the cycles of time. A time long forgotten but riddled with clues to a much larger picture for a better understanding of the now. A great contribution to history, not to be missed! -Johnny Jewell :)

Dr. Schoch writes from, at once, an empirical and empathetic base. As always, he puts forth real science and then asks the provocative questions to the reader that spark imagination, conversation, and enthusiasm. Whenever I read one of his books, and this is no exception, I find myself telling my friends and family about it before I'm even finished... because the facts and ideas in them are so exciting. Whether it's messages from the earth itself, or from ancient peoples, Dr. Schoch opens the door for all of us to listen and interpret what might be being said, and what it may mean. Forgotten Civilization injects fascinating new twists in the grand plot of the story of humankind.

Robert Schoch's latest book, Forgotten Civilization, is a fascinating look into the ancient past and future possibilities of life on our planet. As with his groundbreaking research on the Sphinx in Egypt, his work is thorough and well- documented. He maintains rigorous academic standards while pushing the bounds of conventional science with courage and integrity. Best of all, his style is so approachable that you can almost imagine you are sitting by the fireplace having a personal conversation.

What do such distant sites as Easter Island in the South Pacific and Gobekli Tepi in Turkey have in common? What does the ending of the last ice age teach us about the earth's future? Dr. Schoch provides convincing evidence that the answer lies in solar plasma outbursts and electromagnetic energy in our solar system. Great book and many references for further reading.

Reading one of Schoch's books is like listening to a good friend. His stories are easy to follow, he provides context along the way, and each time a question arises in my mind, Robert is there with a plausible hypothesis. Forgotten Civilization is particularly intriguing because Robert brings his knowledge of geology and ancient cultures to try explain why one of the oldest megalithic sites in the world, Gobekli Tepe, was purposely buried almost 8000 years ago. It is a mystery that no one else has even attempted to solve. Whether or not you accept every conclusion you will enjoy this scholarly tale and appreciate the insight and viewpoint from which it is told. Excellent work!

Jiddu Krishnamurti said, "You are everything. To understand is to transform what is." To understand is exactly what this book gives to the world! It answered so many questions that have been haunting me for many years. I think I am starting to understand what has happened to mankind over the many thousands of years we have risen and fallen on this fragile but resilient planet. Thank you so much to Dr. Robert Schoch for the gift of a pathway to the beginning of an understanding of our true origins and for the clarity and beauty in the description and explanation.

Dr. Schoch writes a unique narrative of our planet's recent history. If you are interested in the origins of our civilization this book is a must read. Everyday more evidence of human activity way before it was deemed possible is coming to light and the theories in this book give at least some of the pieces of a new story that is our history. .