We talk with Dr. Martin Sweatman about his book, Prehistory Decoded, and his work on the symbols on the pillars of Gobekli Tepe. Dr. Sweatman applies his understanding of statistical analysis and the scientific method toward testing new ideas about Gobekli Tepe's symbols possibly being related to zodiacal imagery and the Precession of the Equinoxes. From there, he is able to take another look at ancient symbols across a wide range of time, from as far back as ~40,000BP and as recent as late neolithic to the early bronze age, showing that there may be a commonality across an enormous expanse of time, and that humans have been using a "language of the stars" that possibly stems from an exceedingly ancient common source. He also has a section in his book detailing the work of the Comet Research Group and the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis, and how recent developments in the science of astronomy show that earth encounters cometary debris far more often than had previously been thought. All in all it is a fascinating discussion! Follow Dr. Sweatman and his continued research on his blog and on Twitter @martinsweatman1

To see some of the images referenced in this episode, check the episode page at the Brothers of the Serpent website.