Many ‘myths’ are authentic memories of human pasts, told by people who passed down precise accounts of their history.
Articles on Geomythology
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This article was based on research that has been retracted. See editor’s note.
People tell tales to explain what they see – centuries later, scientists try to map handed-down myths onto real geological events.
Geomythology can be a powerful way to inspire more people on the continent to become interested in Africa’s palaeoscience.
Tales of giants can be found around the world - in Wales, in Australia, and the Pacific Islands. They helped people explain the sometimes cataclysmic changes to the environment they saw around them.
Old stories from around the world tell of drowned islands, volcanic eruptions and upheavals to the land around them. Increasingly we are realising these tales preserve actual memory, often from thousands of years ago.
New research suggests a mythical flood in China really happened about 4,000 years ago. It’s the latest case of scientists matching ancient tales to actual local natural disasters.
Top contributors
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Professor of Geography, School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast
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Professor of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington
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Professor of English, Marshall University
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Research Professor and Director of the Southeastern Paleoamerican Survey (SEPAS) at the South Carolina Institute for Archaeology and Anthropology, University of South Carolina
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Research Associate, African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University