Psychic archaeology is a group of methods that are not based on real science. These methods try to use strange or unexplained abilities to solve problems in archaeology. Mainstream archaeology does not include psychic archaeology. It is not taught in schools or universities. It is hard to test because there are many archaeological sites, and correct predictions might have been lucky guesses.
People who practice psychic archaeology use different ways to try to find hidden information, such as dowsing and channeling. Some work at archaeological sites, while others, like Edgar Cayce (who claimed to read ancient Akashic records), only use distant observation. Frederick Bligh Bond’s research at Glastonbury Abbey was one of the first known examples of psychic archaeology. This case is still often discussed in talks about psychic archaeology.
Description
Psychic archaeology is a method that uses extrasensory perception to find places for archaeological digs or to describe the context of artifacts. This approach is appealing for different reasons, depending on the specific techniques used. For example, methods like dowsing are less expensive in terms of time and equipment compared to traditional noninvasive techniques such as Ground Penetrating Radar or magnetometery surveys. Techniques for locating sites and test pits, such as automatic writing and scrying, are simple to perform. Psychic archaeologists claim that their methods allow them to directly access aspects of the past that are not physical. While traditional archaeologists make conclusions about past lives based on material remains, some psychic archaeologists say they experience visions of non-material elements of the lives they study.
Psychic archaeology, along with pseudoarchaeology in general, is also appealing to the public. This is partly because the field has a "spooky" or mysterious quality. Since archaeology involves learning about the past through the material remains of people who lived long ago, it naturally has a sense of mystery and the supernatural. The magical claims made by psychic archaeologists are also said to attract public interest. This public interest helps support and encourage psychic archaeologists in their work.
Methods
There are several common methods used by psychic archaeologists, including:
Dowsing in psychic archaeology can take many forms. One well-known method, studied by psychic archaeologist Karen Hunt in her 1981 master's thesis at Indiana University, involves using two L-shaped metal coat hangers bent about 17.8 cm from the end as tools to detect electromagnetic photo-fields (EMPF). Hunt compared these tools to devices that measure magnetic fields. When crossed dowsing rods moved, it was believed they indicated the presence of EMPF, which are three-dimensional patterns created by objects left in place for at least six months. Other dowsing methods used in psychic archaeology involve less scientific explanation. Some dowsers work with archaeologists and explain their methods in different ways. A technique called map dowsing combines dowsing and channeling. In this method, a psychic or medium uses a pendulum over a map to identify possible locations for digging.
An example of psychometry in psychic archaeology happened on October 22, 1941, at 5:45 p.m. Professor Stanisław Poniatowski of the University of Warsaw gave Polish psychic Stefan Ossowiecki a projectile point from the Magdalenian culture. After holding the artifact, Ossowiecki described it as a spear point from France or Belgium, made by people who lived in round houses, had brown skin, black hair, and short stature. He also described a funeral pyre, burial, and two domesticated dogs. Jeffrey Goodman, a psychic archaeologist, supported Ossowiecki's description by noting that Magdalenian Venus figurines show people with large hips, bone needles from the same culture may have been used to sew skin clothing, and the bearded man on the funeral pyre may have been similar to figures in Magdalenian cave art.
Ley lines are a belief in pseudoarchaeology in the United Kingdom. For example, theosophist Katharine Maltwood claimed that Glastonbury, England, near Stonehenge, was the center of a "zodiac" of landforms. She said the River Cary’s curves formed the outline of a lion. These claims were later dismissed because they relied on both ancient and modern landmarks, which could not have been created by "ancient wisdom."
Alfred Watkins also drew lines between ancient sites, calling them "ancient trackways." These "alignments" were reportedly noticed by John Dee and others as early as the late 18th century.
However, professional archaeologists do not accept ley lines as scientific evidence. For example, O. G. S. Crawford, editor of the journal Antiquity, refused to promote The Old Straight Track, a book about ley lines, even though it could have earned money.
Dream interpretation has been used by pseudoarchaeologists like Jeffrey Goodman. Goodman claimed to discover an archaeological site in Flagstaff, Arizona, using dreams and psychic readings. In his 1977 book Psychic Archaeology: Time Machine to the Past, he stated that he found "important 'archaeological remains' deeply buried and dating to much earlier times than accepted by traditional archaeologists." His book faced criticism for dishonesty. His later book, Earthquake Generation, received even harsher criticism.
Extrasensory perception (ESP) has also been used by psychic archaeologists, including Jeffrey Goodman. Goodman claimed that "ESP is replacing the spade as archaeology's primary tool." This ability is sometimes used to interpret artifacts.
Sites
Augustus Le Plongeon was an unusual explorer who focused on Maya sites in the northern Yucatan Peninsula. He was one of the first people to practice what is called "psychic archaeology." In 1877, Juan Péon Contreras, who was the director of the Museo Yucateco in Mérida, said that Le Plongeon's discoveries at Chichén Itzá came from using "complex archaeological reasoning and meditation." R. Tripp Evans later called this approach "psychic archaeology." He noted that Le Plongeon's wife, Alice Dixon Le Plongeon, was deeply interested in mesmerism, séances, and the occult. Helena Blavatsky, who helped start the Theosophical Society, believed the work of the Le Plongeons supported the idea of "metaphysical archaeology." However, professional archaeologists considered Le Plongeon to be clearly unreasonable.
Glastonbury Abbey was a Catholic religious site in Glastonbury, UK, until 1539, when King Henry VIII ordered its destruction. Frederick Bligh Bond claimed the abbey was founded in 166 CE, but this date is not widely accepted. Most historians believe the abbey was established in the 7th century, when King Ine of Wessex built a minster there, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. In 1907, Bond asked his friend Captain John Bartlett (who used the name John Alleyne in a book) to communicate with spirits through automatic writing to learn about the abbey's history. Bartlett's messages included two sketches of the abbey's layout, signed by "Gulielmus Monachus." The sketches showed a chapel to the east of the abbey that Bond did not know about. Bartlett later wrote that the chapel was built by Abbot Beere, completed by Abbot Whiting, and named after King Edgar.
In 1909, Bond began excavating Glastonbury. He found the Edgar Chapel in the location shown in Bartlett's sketches. Bond did not reveal he used psychic methods until 1917, after he had already shared his findings. Church of England officials were upset and dismissed him. Mainstream archaeologists, however, pointed out that Bond was an expert in medieval church architecture, much of the site had already been explored, and the chapel's location could be guessed from existing data. Archaeologist Stephen Williams explained that medieval cathedrals follow predictable patterns, and similar structures, like Salisbury Cathedral, had chapels in similar places.
In 1981, Karen A. B. Hunt M.A. conducted a psychic archaeological survey at Point Cook, Australia (37°55′33.6″S 144°47′30.7″E). She used dowsing rods to detect Electromagnetic Photo-Fields (EMPF) and mapped 129 buildings or cultural features, including a house, outbuildings, a windmill, and a tank stand. While the windmill and tank stand matched known facts, skeptic Mark Plummer questioned Hunt's findings. He and other architects noted that the architectural style resembled 1870–1900 American buildings rather than Australian Colonial architecture. In 1985, Hunt refused to participate in a proposed scientific test of EMPF.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is another area of interest to psychic archaeologists. Although there is no evidence to support it, some amateur archaeologists believed Vikings once lived there. To test this idea, Hans Holzer brought psychic Sybil Leek to Follins Pond. Leek's visions at the site matched the beliefs of the amateur archaeologists.
Validity
Supporters of psychic archaeology believe it may help answer questions about the past that cannot be answered using regular archaeological methods. They also think it might help find important places where archaeologists might not look otherwise. However, critics often doubt the existence of psychic abilities. They say that when psychic archaeology seems to work, it is usually because of mistakes, such as guessing correctly by chance, focusing only on information that supports their ideas, or even trickery. Critics compare psychic archaeologists to psychic detectives, who also claim to use special powers to find clues.
For a hypothesis to be considered scientific, it must be possible to test it using the scientific method. If a hypothesis cannot be tested to see if it is true, it is not considered science.
Testing psychic archaeology is difficult because there are many archaeological sites already known. People can guess where a site might be by using basic knowledge and common sense. The same is true for finding objects within a site that has already been identified. Some areas, like the Alexandria harbor, have so many objects that digging randomly might still find something. Predictions about how ancient people lived are hard to check because there are not enough written records to confirm them.