The Lost Tomb of Viracocha: Unlocking the Secrets of the Peruvian Pyramids

I was pointed to this book while looking for "Fingerprints of the Gods", wanting to read up on Inca culture and Machu Picchu before visiting the actual site. Unfortunately, since there's no Amazon.com in the Amazon, I got this instead.

I say "unfortunately" because even though it was recommended to me by a bookstore owner and I began by enjoying it, I very quickly got frustrated with the author. Throughout the book he uses terms like "super-science" to refer to ancient civilisations' knowledge of the sun. What's wrong with plain "science"? This isn't a marvel comic book.

That annoyance pales in comparison to the myriad theories he puts forth without any kind of solid reasoning. For example, he suggests that the Nazca lines in the desert in southern Peru bear a striking resemblance to drawings made on the computer using a mouse to connect points on a line. Therefore, the ancient culture which made the Nazca lines must have possessed computer technology.

I don't know where to begin, but the reasoning is so preposterous and leaves so many questions unanswered that poking holes in it would be like beating up on a child. That is the level of some of the theories and arguments put forth to support those theories on show in this book.

The final chapter of the book turns into a full on diatribe against modern western society's failure to accept the idea of reincarnation. Regardless of your beliefs, whether they be for or against reincarnation, I can't imagine why the author thought a book on South American archeological artefacts and mysteries is the proper place for such a rant. He finishes by picking random scientific theories, drawing vague correlations to religious beliefs, and thereby "proving" his own spiritual beliefs. This is the type of "scientific proof", similar to the above example theory and proof I mentioned, which bears no relation to any kind of real science or scientific process.

Overall, he spends a bit of time discussing genuinely interesting aspects of South American history. He also has some though-provoking theories, but the arguments he presents to backup his thories utterly fail to convince me that he's not grasping at straws.

Not recommended.

An interesting and thought provoking book (6/8 people found this helpful)

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in ancient civilisations. Maurice Cotterell obviously "knows his stuff" and puts forth very
plausable arguements - but of course I don't want to give it all away. Read the book! Minor downside, it does get a bit irratating having to flip pages back and forth to look at illustrations/colour plates, but don't let that put you off. I now want to know about the "Amazing Lid of Palenque"

The Lost Tomb of Viracocha: Unlocking the Secrets of the Peruvian Pyramids

Maurice M. Cotterell

Reader Reviews:

Bits of interesting history surrounded by unconvincing theories (1/2 people found this helpful)

An interesting and thought provoking book (6/8 people found this helpful)

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