Friday, March 23, 2012

Book claims Europeans here first

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 - By 3 News online staff
A new book out this weekend claims that explorers from Europe and the Middle East found New Zealand not only before the Maori, but before the birth of Jesus Christ. Maxwell C Hill, Gary Cook and Noel Hilliam's To the End of the Earth contains evidence explorers from Egypt and Greece were here first.It also contains the sensational claim that Maori god Maui was actually an Egyptian naval navigator.
According to Fairfax NZ, the authors claim to have found skeletons, buildings, a carving of an ancient Greek ship in Taupo and a stone pillar with an accurate map of New Zealand showing Lake Taupo in its pre-eruption shape (somewhere between 180CE and 240CE).
They also cite a huge stone calendar cut into a boulder, marked with figures and rebuses (pictures representing words). The book's already come under fire however – AUT professor Paul Moon said none of the authors have relevant qualifications in history, archaeology or anthropology, and the maps don't show anything specific.
"This is no evidence at all that people came to New Zealand at this time," he told Fairfax NZ."On the contrary, Ptolemy's map shows a complete lack of geographical knowledge about the South Pacific," Moon said.
3 News
 Footnote:
I have not been able to trace publisher details but I did read that the book will be launched at the Dargaville Town Hall on Saturday 2.00pm on March 24th and that copies will be available for launch day prices of $55.00, CD $30.00 and signed collectors hard copy $99.00.

4 comments:

Scott said...

I'm a bit disappointed to see this book by a trio of racist cranks being advertised here.

A bit of background on the bizarre Noel Hilliam:
http://readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2010/11/dargavilles-media-should-honour-towns.html

David Howard said...

File under 'Historical Fiction'

rex said...

To judge a book without reading it and reviewing the evidence it presents shows a closed mind. There is much more evidence out there that has been locked up because it dose not fit that the Maori were here first . Release that evidence and lets not label people cranks and racist because their explanation of how these things happen to be in New Zealand is different from theirs
Rex

Anonymous said...

The book appears to be published by self-publishing outfit, CopyPress. Although they have a bookstore online, you can't actually find a price or order the book. Unsure why.

I much worthier (and fun to boot) read can be found in Greg Scowen's historical fiction/thriller The Spanish Helmet. He presents many theories on NZ history and it is clearly well-researched but at the same time not trying to be taken too seriously.

You can find it on Amazon as a paperback or eBook. It has good reviews.