Episode 1928: Jimmy Corsetti & Ben van Kerkwyk

The Pseudoarchaeology Double Feature

Joe Rogan hosts two prominent pseudoarchaeology content creators who spread misinformation about ancient civilizations, promote conspiracy theories about archaeologists “lying” to the public, and push scientifically debunked theories about Atlantis and ancient technology.

Key Claims and Fact-Checks

Claim: The Richat Structure is Atlantis

Reality: The Richat Structure (Eye of the Sahara) in Mauritania is a natural geological formation. According to geologists, it’s “a highly symmetrical and deeply eroded geologic dome” formed through natural erosion processes. The structure is:

• Too wide (35km vs Plato’s description)
• Too elevated (400 meters above sea level)
• Too far from the sea (500km inland)
• In a region that hasn’t been submerged for over 99 million years

Source: Geological Society of America, 2005

Claim: Ancient Egyptians Had Advanced Technology

Reality: Archaeological evidence demonstrates the pyramids were built using:

• Copper chisels, drills, and saws (adequate for cutting limestone)
• Wooden sleds and ramps (evidence found at pyramid sites)
• Skilled Egyptian workers (not slaves or aliens)
• Arsenical copper alloys typical of Early Bronze Age technology

Source: Smithsonian Institution, National Science Foundation

Claim: Archaeologists Are Hiding the Truth

Reality: This conspiracy theory ignores the competitive nature of academic archaeology where major discoveries would bring fame and funding. The archaeological consensus is based on physical evidence, not conspiracy. As noted by archaeologist Sarah Kurnick, pseudoarchaeological arguments are “invariably heavily biased against Black people, Indigenous peoples, and other people of color,” doubting their ability to create their own monuments.

Source: SAPIENS Anthropology Magazine

The Guests’ Lack of Credentials

Jimmy Corsetti: Has a degree in communications and worked as a theft/fraud investigator. No archaeological training or expertise. His YouTube channel “Bright Insight” has been criticized by academics for lacking “rigorous scientific evidence.”

Ben van Kerkwyk: Spent 20 years in IT as a networking architect. No formal archaeological or historical training. Admits to being influenced by Graham Hancock, whose work is widely considered pseudoarchaeology by experts.

Real-World Harm

Erosion of Scientific Literacy

In 2018, 41% of Americans believed aliens visited Earth in the ancient past, and 57% believed in Atlantis—both increases from 2016. This episode contributes to scientific illiteracy by presenting speculation as fact.

Cultural Appropriation and Racism

Pseudoarchaeology often implies that indigenous peoples couldn’t have built their own monuments without help from Atlanteans or aliens. This erases the achievements of ancient civilizations and perpetuates harmful stereotypes.

Undermining Expert Knowledge

By claiming archaeologists are “lying,” the episode contributes to broader anti-expert sentiment that has real consequences for public trust in science, similar to anti-vaccine movements.

Expert Rebuttals

Archaeologist Steven Novella published detailed debunking of Corsetti’s Atlantis claims, noting that despite investigating the 35km-wide Richat Structure, proponents “could not produce a single piece of physical evidence” linking it to Atlantis.

Geologists selected the Richat Structure as one of the first 100 geological heritage sites for its scientific value—as a geological formation, not as evidence for lost civilizations.

The Bottom Line

This episode exemplifies how Rogan’s platform amplifies pseudoscience by presenting fringe theories without proper skepticism or expert counterpoints. While ancient history contains genuine mysteries, replacing evidence-based archaeology with YouTube speculation does a disservice to both science and the remarkable achievements of our ancestors who built these monuments with ingenuity, not alien technology.