Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings by Charles H. Hapgood

*"Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings: Evidence of Advanced Civilization in the Ice Age"* by Charles H. Hapgood, published in 1966, is a book that explores the idea of ancient advanced civilizations that existed long before the traditionally recognized timelines of human history. Hapgood, a historian and professor, investigates the possibility that ancient cultures possessed sophisticated knowledge of geography and cartography, which is evidenced by maps from antiquity that he argues are remarkably accurate.

In the book, Hapgood focuses on several ancient maps that depict regions of the world that were not known to be accessible or explored at the time they were created. The most notable of these is the Piri Reis map, a 16th-century Turkish map that Hapgood suggests shows a detailed depiction of parts of the world that were covered by ice during the 16th century but not during the time when the map was drawn. This, he argues, implies that the map must have been based on earlier sources from a civilization that had extensive geographic knowledge.

Hapgood’s theories revolve around the notion that these maps could only have been created by an advanced civilization that existed during the Ice Age and that this civilization possessed knowledge and technology that was lost over time. He posits that such a civilization might have been destroyed or significantly diminished by a global cataclysm, such as a massive climate change event, which he refers to as the “cataclysmic theory.”

The book has been both influential and controversial. While it has captivated those interested in alternative history and lost civilizations, it has also been criticized by mainstream historians and cartographers. Critics argue that Hapgood’s interpretations of the maps and the historical evidence are speculative and lack solid supporting evidence. Nonetheless, *Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings* continues to be a significant work for those interested in the possibility of lost ancient knowledge and advanced prehistoric civilizations.