What's this? Someone crossing the sky in some kind of "star capsule?"History is full of intriguing mysteries and gaps in the anthropological record. Human beings hate nothing so much as a blank canvas and over the years many imaginative and science fiction-tinged theories have sprouted offering explanations for history's mysteries. Events such as the sudden and dramatic leap in hominid evolution or the question of how "primitive" man could have built structures like the pyramids of Egypt have long evaded explanation and have often been addressed by a branch of fringe archeology that proposes ideas about ancient aliens visiting earth.
From 2004's Alien vs. Predator.In the 1960's and 1970's, these theories were crystallized in the book Chariots of the Gods by Erich Von Daniken, who proposed an elaborate scenario that involved UFOs visiting Earth during Old Testament times. According to the book, ancient humans mistook these aliens for gods and angels and provided the basis for early human mythology. According to Von Daniken, one needs not look further than the Bible and other early human literature to find anecdotal evidence of this. I have to say, there is something intriguing about this idea. Literature from the ancient Middle East and India are full of descriptions of flying chariots, airships, flaming pillars, suited celestial beings, and all manner of mysterious radiation. We are so used to looking at these stories through the veil of mythology or religion that we often take for granted what the writers were attempting to describe with their limited technological vocabulary.
From 1994's Stargate.These audacious ideas have provided fodder for countless non-fiction books, documentaries, TV series and magazines and have also made their way back into science fiction. Movies like Stargate, Alien vs. Predator, Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls and TV series like Battlestar Galactica and The X-Files, have all dealt with the idea of alien civilizations on the ancient Earth. Even Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey is essentially an Ancient Astronaut story that depicts an alien monolith kick-starting evolution among the ape-creatures at the beginning of the movie and coming back to finish the job in the Space Age.
From 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey.In my book City of the Gods, a UFO parks itself over Mexico City and begins communicating in Nahuatl, the language used by the Aztecs. This "Aztec UFO" causes many of the characters to begin seriously entertaining some of these ancient astronaut ideas. It is particularly difficult for my protagonist, Sandra Ramirez, who is herself a serious and hard-working anthropologist. Like her real-world counterparts, Sandra has an institutional distrust of what she feels are pseudo-scientific fringe theories.
Latin America, home to hundreds of advanced and accomplished native civilizations, has long been a focal point for Ancient Astronaut theories and according to their proponents, the evidence is all over the art, architecture, and even in the very geography of the land. One could hardly set a science fiction story in Latin America without giving a wink and a nod to the rich legacy of these ideas in the region.
A hummingbird figure from the Nazca lines in Peru.The most famous and dramatic "evidence" is located in the desert coast of Peru near the city of Nazca, where a series of geometric figures and stylized animal shapes have been carved into the land. The figures are so large that they can only be seen from the air. What reason would a thousand year-old civilization have for creating designs that could only be seen from the air? For whom did the Nazcans create them? While some sensible answers have been provided by archeologists, they are not terribly satisfying or exciting for lay people. Some the "mystery" of the Nazca lines will likely persist forever as many people will not be satisfied until they see a UFO use the lines as a runway. Again, people love a good story and the Nazca lines certainly suggest one.
Sacsayhuaman, overlooking Cusco, Peru.Some of the classic Ancient Astronaut theories revolve around megalithic structures, those that are made of materials which are seemingly too large and heavy for humans to work with in the absence of machines. The pyramids of Egypt are the most famous example but Latin America is full of these places as well. To stay in Peru for a moment, overlooking the old Inka capital of Cuzco, is Sacsayhuaman, an Inka "fortress" constructed of huge blocks of stone, many of which are the size of small homes. At the other end of the Urabamba valley is the famed Inka citadel, Machu Picchu, which is literally located on a remote mountain peak and again constructed of enormous blocks of granite that were quarried off site. The only way to access Machu Picchu is through a series of winding foot paths, there were no roads or even wheels on which to use them.
Machu Picchu, Peru.In addition to this, Precolombian South America is full of images of "astronauts" and other figures which appear to be wearing bulky suits. From parts of what is now Colombia, there are trinkets which bear an incredible resemblance to modern airplanes. Could they be birds or fish? How likely is it, that even if there had been ancient astronauts that they would be flying around in anything that resembled our modern aircraft?
A trinket from ancient Colombia that undeniably looks like a modern aircraft.In Mexico, in addition to the megalithic city of Teotihuacan, the most famous cultural link to the Ancient Astronaut theory is the lid of the tomb of Pacal, a ruler of the Mayan city of Palenque. The ruins of Palenque still stand impressively in the jungles of Chiapas. Pacal's tomb shows an image of what some claim is a reclining human figure seated in some sort of vehicle which appears to be vertically launching, like a rocket. The figure appears to be operating controls with his hands and feet. Mayan art from the period was highly stylized and ornate and it is difficult to determine what actually this piece represents. Experts in Mayan studies claim that the illustration represents Pacal ascending the World Tree, a major symbol in Mayan cosmology. Again, if there had been extraterrestrial visitors, I doubt they would be using anything like the Apollo-era rockets to which the illustration has been compared.
The lid of Pacal's tomb.So what can we make of all this "proof"? Are human beings a genetically engineered labor force created thousands of years ago by an extraterrestrial race that has long since abandoned us? Were the ancient gods that came down from the sky in blazing chariots in our religions and mythologies actually aliens? The anecdotal evidence is fascinating and compelling but does not actually prove anything.
Human beings are naturally wired to tell and consume stories. Where there are gaps in our history as a species, we are certainly not above spinning elaborate tales to fill them. The ongoing Ancient Astronaut narrative is a collective story in which we are all taking part and certainly one that is a terrific jumping off point for any writer.
Patrick Garone
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Chitzaniza Phonetic spelling..
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