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Immediately after the First International Scientific to argue that this claim had been made by Osmanagic Conference, Bosnian Valley of the Pyramids (ICBP), held himself. Some observers even argued that the pyramids are on 25-30 August 2008, Professor Harding approached __ extraterrestrial in origin. Such statements seem to have some of those who made the official conclusion/ shocked Professor Harding the most, and he holds recommendation (which is that the site requires and | Osmanagic responsible for them all. warrants continued excavation), stating that the Further insights into the controversy came from archaeological establishment has "condemned" the Bosnian American historian Merima Bojic. In a blog of 23 April pyramids as "a fraud". Harding has never put any hard —2008, titled "Aliens to Science", she wrote: scientific facts on any table to support such a serious "Now, American journalists such as Colin Woodard and allegation. In the program for the European Association of | John Bohannon have also joined this opposition and Archaeologists September 2008 Malta conference, he published false articles about Mr Osmanagic. Woodard summed up the discovery as the referred to Visoko as a "Bosnian pyramid fiasco", which nationalistic enclave of the "has drawn attention to the way in ‘ . Bosnian Muslims and seemingly which the creation of fictitious Of direct relevance is the fact tried to connect Mr Osmanagic to pasts can be used for political and that Vinca artefacts have been such a nationalistic movement as nationalist ends". Still, if Harding f in th f eq well... Woodard himself also is so convinced that the pyramids ound in the town of Viso 0, and attempted to intimidate Dr are fraudulent, then why waste | jt jg therefore a strong possibility Swelim and had the audacity to time pursuing the story let alone email the definition of 'pyramid'. approaching some of the that Old Europe may also have Bohannon, who writes for the been a pyramid-building culture. attendees? For this article, we contacted prominent Science magazine, was also an author of false Professor Harding for comments articles that were so bizarre they but he did not reply. In previous do not even merit mention. How, interviews, however, he made it clear that he had an _ it may occur to one, does Bohannon come to write for such "opinion" about these pyramids before going to Visoko. a well-respected and prominent magazine devoted to It is also clear that Harding, as the president of the scientific fact while all information he gathers comes European Association of Archaeologists, sees himself as _ directly from the gossip journalist [Vuc] Bacanovic? Not the leader of a scientific crusade against so-called "pseudo- _ surprisingly, Woodard does the same." archaeology"—the Bosnian pyramids project being one of Vuc Bacanovic, in the gossip magazine Dani, called Dr the few crusades he is able to wage, with Osmanagic as the = Swelim "senile" and "a fool"—terms which are seldom sinner who goes against God's commands. used in scientific debates. So why all of this controversy? As with any discovery, In short, one group of people has decided to quickly rule and especially the resultant publicity, exaggerated claims out the possibility that these structures are man-made. are made—or fabricated—by the media. Indeed, in this These people now go to extremes in trying to preserve their case, early media reports claimed that the structures are names, reputations and beliefs. They pretend this is not 12,000 years old, whereupon the sceptics immediately tried happening and they hope it will go away. Alas for them, Vor —= but fortunately for everyone else, that is unlikely to be the case. A forgotten civilisation Visoko is within the catchment area of what Lithuanian—American archaeologist Dr Marija Gimbutas (1921-94) labelled "Old Europe", a civilisation also known as the Vinca culture. This culture is dated to roughly 6000-3000 BCE, and many believe that it inspired other cultures, including the Sumerian Ubaid period. Examples of Vinca statues have been found as far west as southern France. As recently as November 2007, archaeologists excavating a settlement ieee in southern Serbia, believed to be at Postcard of Visoko, circa 1954, featuring the Visocica Pyramid. least 7,000 years old, announced that 56 ¢ NEXUS Of direct relevance is the fact that Vinca artefacts have been Postcard of Visoko, circa 1954, featuring the Visocica Pyramid. www.nexusmagazine.com DECEMBER 2008 — JANUARY 2009