On 30 November 2022, the Society for American Archaeology published an open letter to Netflix objecting to its production of the series Ancient Apocalypse, which exhibited the alternative history views of Graham Hancock. In a video published on 11 December 2023, alternative historian and pseudo-archaeologist Dan Richards of the YouTube channel DeDunking claimed the SAA letter was wrong. This video explains why I think the SAA is correct. See additional videos on Dan Richards here.
- Questions for two pseudo-archaeologists
- How pseudo-archaeologists create conspiracy theories
- DeDunking misunderstands archaeology funding
- When to distrust scholarly journals
Media credits
Bond, Sarah E. “Why Archaeologists Are Fuming Over Netflix’s Ancient Apocalypse Series.” Hyperallergic, 4 January 2023. https://hyperallergic.com/791381/why-archaeologists-are-fuming-over-netflixs-ancient-apocalypse-series/.
CBC. “Atlantis and the Apocalypse: The World of Fringe Archaeology.” CBC Radio, 24 February 2023. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/atlantis-and-the-apocalypse-the-world-of-fringe-archaeology-1.6757733.
Freiburger, Brett. “How WHOI Scientists Once Looked for the Lost City of Atlantis.”
Hale, Christopher. “The illusory search for a lost civilisation.” Engelsberg ideas, 4 September 2024. https://engelsbergideas.com/notebook/the-illusory-search-for-a-lost-civilisation/.
McKie, Robin, and Robin McKie Science Editor. “Lost City of Atlantis Rises Again to Fuel a Dangerous Myth.” The Guardian, 27 November 2022, § Science. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/nov/27/atlantis-lost-civilisation-fake-news-netflix-ancient-apocalypse.
No-Understanding5331. “Map of Atlantis.” Reddit Post. R/Mapmaking, 18 July 2025. https://www.reddit.com/r/mapmaking/comments/1m39ewo/map_of_atlantis/.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 3 February 2021. https://www.whoi.edu/news-insights/content/how-a-newly-established-oceanographic-institution-in-woods-hole-searched-for-the-lost-city-of-atlantis/.
Sources
Colavito, Jason. “Graham Hancock Describes the Telekinetic Powers of His Lost Civilization.” JASON COLAVITO, 10 April 2019. http://www.jasoncolavito.com/1/post/2019/04/graham-hancock-describes-the-telekinetic-powers-of-his-lost-civilization.html.
Convention of Colored Citizens of the State of Minnesota. “Proceedings of the Convention of Colored Citizens of the State of Minnesota in Celebration of the Anniversary of Emancipation and the Reception of the Electoral Franchise: On the First of January, 1869 · Colored Conventions Project Digital Records,” 1869. https://omeka.coloredconventions.org/items/show/536.
DeDunking. “Archaeologist Misleads TheThinkingAtheist on UFOs & Racism #archaeology #alien #science.” YouTube, 17 June 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXr8OKnTj9s.
———. Dan Richards The DeDunker Aka SuperSexyD, X (Formerly Twitter), 27 June 2025. https://x.com/DeDunkingPast/status/1938421380175057326.
———. “Lieception: Responding to Flint Dibble’s Excuses #jre #grahamhancock #archaeology.” YouTube, 24 June 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egt1kL_VDuM.
———. “Open Letter to Society for American Archaeology President #archaeology #psychology #alternatehistory.” YouTube, 8 July 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-xUZrAWzno.
———. “Racist? Atlantis Hunting Is Rooted in White Supremacy? #atlantis #supremacy #history.” YouTube, 11 December 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhy6l8kn7wY.
Farber, Zac. “Ignatius Donnelly: Paranoid Progressive in the Gilded Age.” Minnesota Lawyer, 30 May 2018. https://minnlawyer.com/2018/05/30/ignatius-donnelly-paranoid-progressive-in-the-gilded-age/.
Hancock, Graham. America Before: The Key to Earth’s Lost Civilization: AS SEEN ON NETFLIX. Hachette UK, 2019.
———. “Fingerprints of the Gods – The Evidence of Earth’s Lost Civilization.” Three Rivers Press, 1995.
———. Magicians of the Gods. Updated and Expanded edition. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2017.
Orser, Charles E. Race and Practice in Archaeological Interpretation. Archaeology, Culture, and Society. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004.
Sandweiss, Daniel H. “SAA Letter Ancient Apocalypse.” Society for American Archaeology, 30 November 2022. https://documents.saa.org/container/docs/default-source/doc-governmentaffairs/saa-letter-ancient-apocalypse.pdf.
Tyree, J.M. “Ignatius Donnelly, Prince of Cranks.” Believer Magazine, 1 August 2005. https://www.thebeliever.net/ignatius-donnelly-prince-of-cranks/.
