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MISSION CONTROL: Houston,
you are go for landing. Over.
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ASTRONAUT:
Roger. Understand.
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Go for landing. 3,000 feet.
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NARRATOR:
July 20, 1969.
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Astronauts Neil Armstrong
and Buzz Aldrin
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became the first men
to land on the Moon.
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NEIL ARMSTRONG: That's one
small step for man...
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one giant leap for mankind.
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NARRATOR:
Just like aliens,
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visiting from another world.
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It had been the stuff of
science fiction.
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Now... everything that could be
imagined seemed possible.
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If mankind could travel the
skies and go to other planets,
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why couldn't beings from other
planets visit the Earth?
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Amidst a wave
of modern UFO sightings,
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a new theory emerged--
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that aliens visited
Earth in antiquity
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and were regarded as gods.
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But if that were true,
wouldn't there be proof?
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Perhaps there was.
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All we needed to do was open
our eyes and our imaginations.
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The proof, perhaps,
was all around us.
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NARRATOR:
In May of 2008,
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a startling proclamation
was issued by the Vatican.
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For the first time
in its 2,000-year history,
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the Catholic Church
acknowledged the possibility
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that intelligent life
could exist on other planets,
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and that a belief
in extraterrestrials
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did not contradict
a belief in God.
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Which means, of course,
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that we are now entering
an age in which, uh,
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the universe is beginning to be
conceived in different ways
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from where it was before.
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And if it is a reality for us,
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why could it not have been
a reality
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for other beings in the universe
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who could have visited our Earth
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and perhaps guided culture
in ancient times.
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NARRATOR: But just what
sparked this sudden turnaround
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in religious thought?
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Could the church have been
influenced
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by recent scientific
discoveries?
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In 2002,
the Mars Odyssey spacecraft
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detected
enormous reservoirs of ice
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beneath the Martian surface.
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The presence of ice-- and the
possibility of water--
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suggested that life could be
sustained, or even generated,
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on another planet.
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After decades of orbiting space
shuttles and robotic rovers,
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the idea of sending man back
into space, to Mars and beyond,
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ignited the imagination,
and brought back the notion
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that mankind, and alien beings,
had crossed paths before.
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In 1968, just one year before
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Neil Armstrong's
epic space flight,
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a book was published
that forever changed
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the way many in the scientific,
religious,
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and creative communities
would view their home planet.
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Written by Swiss author
Erich von Däniken,
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Chariots of the Gods?
attempted to prove that
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alien explorers had visited the
Earth thousands of years ago.
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I was educated as a strict
Catholic, in a boarding school.
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And there we had to make
translations
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of part of the Bible,
Greek to Latin, Latin to German.
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For example,
in the first Book of Moses,
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before the Lord descends
on the Holy Mountain,
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Moses was ordered to construct
a gate around the mountain,
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otherwise the Israelites
would be damaged.
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I was shocked.
I said, this is impossible.
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My God,
He would never use, first,
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a gate to protect Himself,
or to protect the Israelites.
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What are they talking about?
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And now the work started.
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I started to read
thousands of pages
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of the beginning of religions
of every mythology,
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its always the same story.
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Of course with different names,
with different heroes.
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Somebody descends from the sky
to the humans.
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Our forefathers could not
understand it.
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They believed that these
are some gods.
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I was shocked.
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I asked the question:
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Were primitive humans influenced
by extraterrestrials?
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Not gods.
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And if it all was like
I suggested, where's the proof?
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So you start trying to find
at least indications.
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That's what I have done now
for at least 45 years.
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We have pictorial evidence,
we have artifacts in archeology
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and you have what has come out
of the old literature.
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Hundreds of indications
which you cannot deny anymore.
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MICHAEL CREMO:
What it means is
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that we need new explanations
for human origins.
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That perhaps we are not alone
in the universe.
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And that human-like beings
came to this planet
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from some other planet elsewhere
in the cosmos.
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I think that's a very good
idea myself.
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DAVID CHILDRESS:
And it really excited people.
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It was a new way
of looking at the past.
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Looking at ancient
civilizations.
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And it put this very modern
space-age spin
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to the whole thing.
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NARRATOR: Chariots of the Gods?
caused a sensation--
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fueled, in no small part,
by the popular response to books
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like Frank Herbert's Dune,
television shows like Star Trek
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and feature films
like 2001: A Space Odyssey.
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Because everybody was talking
of possible space travel,
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of possibility
of extraterrestrials.
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So it was all wonderful,
coming together.
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But it was not planned.
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NARRATOR: After a Swiss
newspaper printed excerpts of it
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on a weekly basis, more than
10,000 copies of the book
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were sold before
ever hitting the market.
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So it was a running best-seller,
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starting in Switzerland first,
then going over to Germany,
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and then the rest of the world.
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They had to print and print
and print and print.
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It was absolutely incredible.
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NARRATOR: In 1970,
a feature-length documentary
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was released to theaters,
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followed by dozens
of best-selling books--
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and growing legions
of fans and supporters.
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Chariots of the Gods?
was tremendously influential.
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It somehow spoke to people
who want to believe.
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When I was a boy,
Chariots of the Gods?
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was one of the books
I first read.
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I mean I ripped it apart.
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I digested it.
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I couldn't get enough of it.
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I just fell in love
with that book.
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'Cause it really opened up
all kinds of new questions.
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And Von Däniken was able
to point out many anomalies
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in history that the mainstream
archeologists
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can't answer very well.
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He had what was
a revolutionary new idea.
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That of gods from outer space
coming to the planet.
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Helping create civilization.
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When I first read
Chariots of the Gods?,
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I couldn't put that book down.
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Because it answered a whole
bunch of questions that I had,
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and it was a great combination
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of archaeology and adventure.
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And it's just a wonderful way
to see the world
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and pursue
these ancient mysteries.
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And it truly was, I think,
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the catalyst for what people
like I do today,
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and that is to talk about
the mysteries
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and the unusual
and the paranormal.
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He paved the way
for a lot of us
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to talk about
these strange stories.
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And that continues to grow.
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And it's going to get bigger
and bigger and bigger.
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People want answers to questions
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that they can't answer
themselves.
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But in spite of the book's
enormous popularity--
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or, perhaps, because of it--
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von Däniken's theories
were scorned by scientists
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and jeered at by theologians.
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I was completely attacked,
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especially by
the scientific newspapers.
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They said, come on,
he's just telling stories.
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He's a liar
or he's a fraud or whatever.
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There is not
a single piece of evidence
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that von Däniken puts forward
that cannot be attributed
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to human ingenuity,
technology and development.
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ILIA DELIO: Don't try
to reduce the Scriptures
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to a science book.
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Or don't try to reduce
the Scriptures
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to an explanation
of our modern world today.
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I don't expect
that the scientific community
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now embraces and kisses me
and say oh, wonderful.
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Great, you did.
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We have to live with critics.
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This is normal.
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Chariots of the Gods?
was full of speculation.
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I had 238 question marks.
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Nobody read the question mark.
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They always said,
"Mr. von Däniken is saying."
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Uh, I did not say.
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I asked the question.
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Would that be a possibility?
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And in Chariots of the Gods?
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I made clear differences between
speculations and facts.
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NARRATOR:
But as controversial
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as many
of von Däniken's theories are,
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believers point
to tangible evidence.
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How, for example,
could a centuries-old map
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chart a land mass that has only
recently been discovered?
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CREMO: It would tend to indicate
that the map was made
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at a time when Antarctica
was ice-free,
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which would be
many millions of years ago.
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NARRATOR: And how could
a primitive civilization
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know how to harness electricity?
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Or even build a computer?
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This was tantamount to finding
a jet airplane
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in the tomb of King Tut.
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NARRATOR: And just who were
these mysterious designs,
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only visible from high
altitudes, intended for?
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The signs are made
for somebody who flies.
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There is no way out of this.
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NARRATOR:
Could von Däniken's theory,
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that ancient gods
were really alien visitors,
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contain any serious
scientific merit?
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The answer involves
a search around the world,
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and even right before our eyes.
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If alien beings
from other planets
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had visited the Earth
thousands of years ago,
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how would our ancient ancestors
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have tried to communicate
with them?
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And wouldn't there be
some physical evidence
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of the time they spent here?
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One answer may lie
in the Nazca Desert of Peru.
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There, atop an arid plateau
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that stretches
for nearly 50 miles,
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countless geometric patterns
and figures
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decorate the landscape.
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The lines look like airstrips.
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They start abruptly,
they end abruptly.
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The longest of it
is 23 kilometer.
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Right away, not one curve.
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Just incredible.
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And ending in one of these
so-called airstrips.
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In the mixture of large lines
and small lines,
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you see gigantic figures
in the ground--
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figures of fishes,
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monkeys,
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spiders,
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apes--
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but of such
over-dimensional size
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that you can see them
only from the air.
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GEORGE NOORY: People built them,
or somebody built them
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00:12:35,505 --> 00:12:38,173
hundreds and hundreds
of years ago--
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perhaps maybe even
thousands of years ago,
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that could be signs of
"Hello up there. Here we are."
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It's something.
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NARRATOR: Various disputed
explanations suggest
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that the lines could have been
used for irrigation ditches,
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00:12:56,901 --> 00:12:59,194
giant astronomical calendars
or pathways,
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00:12:59,195 --> 00:13:02,281
perhaps used
for religious worship.
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00:13:02,365 --> 00:13:06,034
GIORGIO TSOUKALOS:
Looking at Nazca from the air,
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00:13:06,161 --> 00:13:09,163
it looks like an airport.
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00:13:09,205 --> 00:13:10,497
And it really does,
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because you have
all these bands,
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wide bands
that look like airstrips
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that are laid on top
of each other.
248
00:13:19,215 --> 00:13:23,177
But you also have these
gigantic, long straight lines
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that go for miles and miles
over valleys, over mountains.
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00:13:28,725 --> 00:13:30,726
So once again,
you've got this idea of, like,
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okay, people are creating this.
252
00:13:32,770 --> 00:13:34,938
But what is the reason?
253
00:13:35,023 --> 00:13:39,318
Is it to show these gods
in aerial vehicles
254
00:13:39,402 --> 00:13:41,862
a "land here" kind of a thing?
255
00:13:41,988 --> 00:13:44,656
Because we just don't
have a good idea
256
00:13:44,782 --> 00:13:48,619
of why people would do this.
257
00:13:48,745 --> 00:13:52,623
And it really does seem that
they're trying to signal people
258
00:13:52,749 --> 00:13:58,253
who are in the air, in space
or flying around our planet.
259
00:14:00,632 --> 00:14:02,966
NARRATOR:
During World War II,
260
00:14:03,051 --> 00:14:07,095
American troops created air
bases on remote Pacific islands.
261
00:14:08,765 --> 00:14:12,809
To natives who had never
witnessed advanced technology,
262
00:14:12,894 --> 00:14:15,270
the sight of giant metal birds
touching down
263
00:14:15,271 --> 00:14:17,814
looked to them
as if the gods themselves
264
00:14:17,899 --> 00:14:21,860
had turned the Earth
into a planetary pit stop.
265
00:14:21,986 --> 00:14:24,279
CHILDRESS: They would see
these big planes land,
266
00:14:24,364 --> 00:14:28,367
and it was all technology
that just, out of the sky.
267
00:14:28,451 --> 00:14:30,702
They didn't know
how these things worked.
268
00:14:30,828 --> 00:14:32,287
But they could see them land.
269
00:14:32,413 --> 00:14:34,289
And what they liked about it
270
00:14:34,290 --> 00:14:36,250
was they were getting
free stuff.
271
00:14:36,292 --> 00:14:38,043
They were getting cargo.
272
00:14:39,295 --> 00:14:41,296
Suddenly,
when the war was over,
273
00:14:41,297 --> 00:14:44,508
all these airstrips were
abandoned and everyone left.
274
00:14:44,634 --> 00:14:46,301
And the islanders
scratched their heads,
275
00:14:46,386 --> 00:14:49,096
and they all said to themselves,
"Wow, wasn't it great
276
00:14:49,222 --> 00:14:51,306
"when all these planes
came out of the sky
277
00:14:51,391 --> 00:14:54,309
"and gave us free cans
of corned beef and stuff?
278
00:14:54,310 --> 00:14:56,311
We really liked that cargo."
279
00:14:58,690 --> 00:15:01,400
Entire religions
sprung up from this,
280
00:15:01,484 --> 00:15:04,236
where priests actually said,
"Yes, you know,
281
00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:07,447
uh, that was our dead ancestors
sending us cargo."
282
00:15:07,532 --> 00:15:09,324
So what they did then
283
00:15:09,325 --> 00:15:11,410
was they began
going to the old airstrips,
284
00:15:11,494 --> 00:15:14,746
and they would build
mock wooden airplanes
285
00:15:14,872 --> 00:15:18,959
to try and get those planes
to come back from the sky
286
00:15:19,085 --> 00:15:21,837
and deliver the cans
of corned beef to them again.
287
00:15:21,921 --> 00:15:27,301
And so you can see how then an
analogy with modern cargo cults
288
00:15:27,343 --> 00:15:29,886
plays exactly into
the ancient astronaut scenario
289
00:15:29,971 --> 00:15:33,974
where something like this could
have easily happened in the past
290
00:15:34,100 --> 00:15:37,936
and entire religions built
around ancient astronauts.
291
00:15:42,900 --> 00:15:44,943
NARRATOR:
But gigantic geoglyphs
292
00:15:45,069 --> 00:15:48,280
aren't the only mysteries
surrounding Nazca.
293
00:15:49,866 --> 00:15:52,451
294
00:15:52,535 --> 00:15:54,911
hanging out the aircraft
with the camera and shooting
295
00:15:54,996 --> 00:15:56,538
and shooting and shooting.
296
00:15:56,664 --> 00:15:59,374
I have more or less about
4,000 pictures about Nazca.
297
00:15:59,375 --> 00:16:01,877
-That's incredible.
-This is really fascinating.
298
00:16:01,961 --> 00:16:04,004
You see, this is one
of the pictures which prove
299
00:16:04,130 --> 00:16:07,382
that this mountain was made flat
artificially.
300
00:16:07,383 --> 00:16:10,344
Because you compare
with the mountain around there.
301
00:16:10,386 --> 00:16:12,971
There, the mountain's cap
comes up from both sides.
302
00:16:13,097 --> 00:16:15,140
Here it is flat.
This is absolutely incredible.
303
00:16:15,224 --> 00:16:18,560
This is one of the most
craziest pictures I made
304
00:16:18,686 --> 00:16:20,103
about Nazca.
305
00:16:20,188 --> 00:16:23,482
TSOUKALOS:
The crazy thing is, the rubble,
306
00:16:23,566 --> 00:16:28,403
the remains of that summit
or that mountaintop, gone.
307
00:16:28,404 --> 00:16:29,738
It's nowhere.
308
00:16:29,822 --> 00:16:31,615
It's not in the valley
down below.
309
00:16:31,741 --> 00:16:33,533
It's nowhere in the region.
310
00:16:33,618 --> 00:16:35,410
What happened to it?
311
00:16:35,495 --> 00:16:39,915
Because all the mountains
around it have their summits.
312
00:16:39,999 --> 00:16:41,416
It's there.
313
00:16:41,417 --> 00:16:44,419
And then you have
other mountains
314
00:16:44,420 --> 00:16:46,588
that are as flat as a table,
315
00:16:46,714 --> 00:16:51,426
with bands on top
that look like runways.
316
00:16:51,552 --> 00:16:55,430
NARRATOR: Another question:
Why would visiting E.T.s
317
00:16:55,515 --> 00:16:59,726
be drawn to the bone-dry
deserts of Peru?
318
00:16:59,811 --> 00:17:02,604
TSOUKALOS:
Let's just say, hypothetically,
319
00:17:02,730 --> 00:17:07,275
that a spaceship arrives
here on planet Earth,
320
00:17:07,402 --> 00:17:08,944
and you wanted to quickly
find out
321
00:17:09,028 --> 00:17:11,530
what this planet consists of.
322
00:17:11,614 --> 00:17:16,368
Nazca would be the perfect place
to go and visit
323
00:17:16,452 --> 00:17:18,829
for some sampling
and for some experimentation.
324
00:17:18,955 --> 00:17:21,790
Because Nazca, still today,
325
00:17:21,874 --> 00:17:25,293
is one of the most abundant
areas in the world
326
00:17:25,420 --> 00:17:27,879
regarding raw materials.
327
00:17:28,005 --> 00:17:29,464
There, you find everything.
328
00:17:29,465 --> 00:17:32,467
You find gold,
you find, uh, uranium,
329
00:17:32,468 --> 00:17:34,636
what have you.
330
00:17:34,762 --> 00:17:38,473
It's basically the Cliffs Notes
of planet Earth.
331
00:17:38,558 --> 00:17:42,436
You go to Nazca, and you
immediately know everything
332
00:17:42,478 --> 00:17:45,021
about what our planet
consists of,
333
00:17:45,106 --> 00:17:50,694
because all the raw materials
converge there at high volumes.
334
00:17:58,494 --> 00:18:00,579
JAVIER GRILLO-MARXUACH:
Why do we have to believe
335
00:18:00,663 --> 00:18:02,414
that these simply
could not be an expression
336
00:18:02,498 --> 00:18:04,416
of an artistic impulse,
you know?
337
00:18:04,500 --> 00:18:06,501
Is it really that outlandish
to believe that, you know,
338
00:18:06,502 --> 00:18:10,922
that these natives in Peru
might have wanted to create
339
00:18:11,048 --> 00:18:12,924
some large-scale work of art?
340
00:18:13,050 --> 00:18:15,719
And to say that such
a large-scale work of art
341
00:18:15,845 --> 00:18:17,512
could not have been created
342
00:18:17,513 --> 00:18:19,514
merely for the possibility
of having created it,
343
00:18:19,515 --> 00:18:22,517
rather than the Nazca lines
are so inhumanly vast
344
00:18:22,518 --> 00:18:24,686
that they could only
be admired
345
00:18:24,812 --> 00:18:27,022
by people who are capable
of flight.
346
00:18:27,106 --> 00:18:29,107
Well, you know,
you can say the same thing
347
00:18:29,233 --> 00:18:30,609
about the Great Wall of China.
348
00:18:30,693 --> 00:18:33,236
And yet, the Great Wall
of China has a purpose
349
00:18:33,321 --> 00:18:36,698
that is political,
that is martial.
350
00:18:36,824 --> 00:18:39,534
Somebody might have walked
the Nazca lines
351
00:18:39,619 --> 00:18:41,036
as a spiritual labyrinth
352
00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:43,288
in the shape of a spiritual
totemic object,
353
00:18:43,372 --> 00:18:44,873
and were, in their own way,
354
00:18:44,957 --> 00:18:47,918
supposed to get a kind
of epiphany from that.
355
00:18:48,044 --> 00:18:50,253
The fact
that we don't understand
356
00:18:50,338 --> 00:18:51,671
the purpose of a thing
357
00:18:51,756 --> 00:18:54,090
opens it to tremendous
speculation.
358
00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,682
359
00:19:02,767 --> 00:19:06,520
make no sign
seen from the Earth.
360
00:19:06,562 --> 00:19:08,855
You have to fly over it.
361
00:19:08,940 --> 00:19:12,526
The signs are made
for somebody who flies.
362
00:19:12,568 --> 00:19:14,653
There is no way out of this.
363
00:19:14,737 --> 00:19:16,154
I hope archaeology,
sooner or later,
364
00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:18,573
will come to a similar
conclusion.
365
00:19:23,746 --> 00:19:25,580
NARRATOR: But if visitors
from other planets
366
00:19:25,581 --> 00:19:28,083
were thought to be gods,
367
00:19:28,167 --> 00:19:30,585
wouldn't there be
written accounts of them?
368
00:19:30,586 --> 00:19:34,214
Perhaps the answer can be found
right in front of us,
369
00:19:34,340 --> 00:19:37,884
in one of
the most shocking places of all.
370
00:19:44,141 --> 00:19:47,435
NARRATOR: Ironically,
Erich von Däniken's firm belief
371
00:19:47,562 --> 00:19:49,604
that Earth has been visited
in the past
372
00:19:49,689 --> 00:19:52,941
by beings from other planets
is entirely consistent
373
00:19:53,025 --> 00:19:56,444
with his belief in God
and the Bible.
374
00:19:56,571 --> 00:20:01,783
It is merely a question
of interpretation.
375
00:20:01,909 --> 00:20:03,577
376
00:20:03,619 --> 00:20:06,746
I was a very, very
deep believer in God.
377
00:20:06,831 --> 00:20:09,624
By the way,
I am still a believer in God.
378
00:20:09,709 --> 00:20:11,751
I never lost my God.
379
00:20:11,836 --> 00:20:17,549
But, uh, for a young man,
my God had to be almighty.
380
00:20:17,633 --> 00:20:20,635
My God would never need a
vehicle in which to move around,
381
00:20:20,636 --> 00:20:24,180
a vehicle to go from point A
to point B.
382
00:20:24,265 --> 00:20:28,935
NARRATOR: In what Christians
refer to as the Old Testament,
383
00:20:29,020 --> 00:20:31,229
there are, in fact,
several accounts
384
00:20:31,355 --> 00:20:35,734
of God and his angels
visiting the Earth.
385
00:20:35,818 --> 00:20:39,863
Sometimes these visitations are
accompanied by tremendous noise
386
00:20:39,989 --> 00:20:42,991
and clouds of billowing smoke.
387
00:20:46,662 --> 00:20:48,788
In the book of Ezekiel,
for example,
388
00:20:48,873 --> 00:20:52,208
the prophet claims
that he witnessed a visitation
389
00:20:52,293 --> 00:20:55,378
by heavenly beings
coming down from the skies
390
00:20:55,463 --> 00:20:58,673
aboard a fantastic
flying machine.
391
00:20:58,674 --> 00:21:01,676
As far as von Däniken
is concerned,
392
00:21:01,677 --> 00:21:03,678
it's a highly detailed
description
393
00:21:03,679 --> 00:21:06,181
of an alien sighting.
394
00:21:06,265 --> 00:21:08,183
395
00:21:08,267 --> 00:21:11,686
Ezekiel not only describes
what he sees,
396
00:21:11,687 --> 00:21:13,688
he also describes what he hears.
397
00:21:13,689 --> 00:21:19,110
He describes the whole thing as
being the splendidness of God.
398
00:21:19,236 --> 00:21:21,446
NARRATOR:
The prophet also details
399
00:21:21,530 --> 00:21:24,074
several four-faced,
winged creatures
400
00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:26,701
who appeared in the likeness
of men
401
00:21:26,702 --> 00:21:29,621
and who traveled upon
a gleaming, wheeled device.
402
00:21:29,705 --> 00:21:31,831
403
00:21:31,916 --> 00:21:33,708
there was something like
a throne,
404
00:21:33,709 --> 00:21:35,877
and on this throne
was a being sitting,
405
00:21:36,003 --> 00:21:40,715
looking like a human,
in glittering clothes.
406
00:21:40,716 --> 00:21:44,844
And beneath it,
he saw some vehicles.
407
00:21:44,929 --> 00:21:46,721
He saw some wings.
408
00:21:46,722 --> 00:21:48,682
He describes
the noise of the wings.
409
00:21:48,724 --> 00:21:50,016
He describes
the noise of the wings
410
00:21:50,101 --> 00:21:52,352
with the thundering
of a waterfall.
411
00:21:56,148 --> 00:21:58,066
REVEREND BARRY H. DOWNING:
Ezekiel saw this wheel
412
00:21:58,150 --> 00:21:59,734
within a wheel.
413
00:21:59,735 --> 00:22:02,862
This sounds more high-tech
than supernatural,
414
00:22:02,947 --> 00:22:07,826
and we can't suppose that, um,
people 3,000 years ago
415
00:22:07,910 --> 00:22:10,120
would understand the difference
416
00:22:10,246 --> 00:22:12,455
between the supernatural
and high-tech.
417
00:22:12,540 --> 00:22:15,458
NARRATOR:
But what if there is more
418
00:22:15,543 --> 00:22:16,918
to Ezekiel's heavenly visions
419
00:22:17,044 --> 00:22:21,089
than the imaginative
insights of a religious man?
420
00:22:21,173 --> 00:22:25,510
What if there was a scientific
foundation for them?
421
00:22:25,594 --> 00:22:28,763
DR. LUIS NAVIA: Yes, I once had
the opportunity of meeting
422
00:22:28,764 --> 00:22:31,057
and spending time
and traveling with
423
00:22:31,142 --> 00:22:34,561
a gentleman by the name
of Josef Blumrich.
424
00:22:34,687 --> 00:22:37,605
He was a senior chief engineer
of NASA,
425
00:22:37,732 --> 00:22:41,776
personally involved in
the Mariner expedition to Mars.
426
00:22:41,777 --> 00:22:44,988
He was also in charge
of the landing gear
427
00:22:45,114 --> 00:22:47,115
for the Mariner spaceship.
428
00:22:47,199 --> 00:22:51,786
And he told me himself that
the idea of the design used
429
00:22:51,871 --> 00:22:55,749
for the Mariner spaceship
that landed on Mars
430
00:22:55,791 --> 00:22:59,419
came to him from the reading
of the biblical text
431
00:22:59,545 --> 00:23:02,422
in which there is talk about
wheels within wheels.
432
00:23:02,548 --> 00:23:06,426
So here you have another example
of a person of curiosity
433
00:23:06,552 --> 00:23:09,304
who conceives of these ideas.
434
00:23:12,099 --> 00:23:13,808
NARRATOR:
Another biblical figure
435
00:23:13,809 --> 00:23:16,186
who continues to fascinate
von Däniken
436
00:23:16,312 --> 00:23:19,397
is the character of Enoch.
437
00:23:19,523 --> 00:23:21,816
438
00:23:21,817 --> 00:23:23,193
In the Bible,
in the Old Testament,
439
00:23:23,319 --> 00:23:25,779
you find maybe just
one phrase about Enoch.
440
00:23:25,821 --> 00:23:26,988
That's all.
441
00:23:27,114 --> 00:23:29,324
But among the apocryphal texts,
442
00:23:29,408 --> 00:23:33,036
there are volumes and volumes
if you know them.
443
00:23:33,162 --> 00:23:35,747
You find the Book of Enoch.
444
00:23:35,831 --> 00:23:37,832
Enoch is the first person
in antiquity
445
00:23:37,833 --> 00:23:39,834
who writes in the first person.
446
00:23:39,835 --> 00:23:42,837
"I did." "I heard."
"I was there."
447
00:23:42,838 --> 00:23:45,340
NARRATOR:
In one of the ancient texts,
448
00:23:45,424 --> 00:23:47,801
this great-grandfather of Noah
449
00:23:47,843 --> 00:23:51,846
is said to have been taken away
by God for 300 years.
450
00:23:51,847 --> 00:23:55,266
He was taken up to the sky.
451
00:23:55,392 --> 00:23:59,020
Up there, he meets the highest--
the so-called highest.
452
00:23:59,146 --> 00:24:01,147
In religion, they call it God.
453
00:24:01,232 --> 00:24:06,152
He meets the highest, and the
highest says to his servants,
454
00:24:06,237 --> 00:24:09,239
you teach this young man
in our language,
455
00:24:09,365 --> 00:24:11,407
and then you teach him writing.
456
00:24:11,492 --> 00:24:13,159
So he writes books.
457
00:24:13,244 --> 00:24:17,789
Of course, he knows all these
foreigners by name.
458
00:24:17,873 --> 00:24:19,582
He quotes them by name.
459
00:24:19,667 --> 00:24:21,251
He knows their profession.
460
00:24:21,377 --> 00:24:22,877
He knows which of these
extraterrestrials
461
00:24:22,962 --> 00:24:24,796
was the astronomer.
462
00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:26,506
So Enoch is the only
in first person,
463
00:24:26,632 --> 00:24:28,466
thousands of years ago,
464
00:24:28,592 --> 00:24:30,593
who gives some of the names
of the extraterrestrials
465
00:24:30,678 --> 00:24:32,887
and gives
some of their professions.
466
00:24:32,888 --> 00:24:34,430
How is this possible?
467
00:24:34,515 --> 00:24:37,642
We have an eyewitness,
and nobody speaks about it.
468
00:24:37,726 --> 00:24:40,186
So I really was confused.
469
00:24:41,856 --> 00:24:43,731
ROBERT R. CARGILL:
That would be the argument
470
00:24:43,858 --> 00:24:46,276
that the followers
of von Däniken would say:
471
00:24:46,402 --> 00:24:47,902
Why is it so absurd
for aliens to come
472
00:24:47,903 --> 00:24:49,988
when it's completely
acceptable for God
473
00:24:50,072 --> 00:24:52,240
to intervene in human history?
474
00:24:52,324 --> 00:24:56,995
The difference is, von Däniken's
arguing that aliens came
475
00:24:57,079 --> 00:25:01,332
and gave technologies to people
to advance those cultures.
476
00:25:01,458 --> 00:25:03,501
So basically, they gave objects.
477
00:25:03,627 --> 00:25:05,628
They gave, you know, new ideas
and new technologies,
478
00:25:05,713 --> 00:25:08,339
and that those cultures advanced
because of them.
479
00:25:08,465 --> 00:25:11,092
Whereas, at least in the Bible,
480
00:25:11,218 --> 00:25:16,264
it's not like God gave humankind
a magic watch, you know,
481
00:25:16,348 --> 00:25:19,934
or a new missile that they could
use to defeat their enemies.
482
00:25:20,060 --> 00:25:22,937
God gives instruction--
at least the Bible records
483
00:25:22,938 --> 00:25:25,565
that God gives instructions
on how to live
484
00:25:25,691 --> 00:25:27,734
but not how to build new devices
485
00:25:27,860 --> 00:25:32,572
that further or advance
a specific culture.
486
00:25:32,698 --> 00:25:36,784
DELIO: Can we liken Ezekiel's
chariot to a UFO?
487
00:25:36,911 --> 00:25:41,247
The ancients used myth
and metaphor and images
488
00:25:41,332 --> 00:25:45,335
to describe
their experience of God.
489
00:25:45,461 --> 00:25:47,670
I think what we don't want
to fall to
490
00:25:47,755 --> 00:25:50,465
is a type of fundamental
literalism.
491
00:25:50,549 --> 00:25:52,926
The stories
of the Old Testament emerge
492
00:25:52,968 --> 00:25:56,137
out of the people of that time,
out of their own context,
493
00:25:56,263 --> 00:25:59,265
to make sense of their
experience of God.
494
00:25:59,350 --> 00:26:01,935
We can gain insight by reading
the Old Testament
495
00:26:01,977 --> 00:26:04,896
and reading
about Ezekiel's chariot,
496
00:26:04,980 --> 00:26:07,065
but it's not to draw
a strict analogy
497
00:26:07,149 --> 00:26:10,276
between his chariot and a UFO.
498
00:26:14,281 --> 00:26:17,575
TSOUKALOS: When all of these
stories were written down,
499
00:26:17,701 --> 00:26:21,412
writing was
a fairly new invention.
500
00:26:21,538 --> 00:26:23,998
The very first thing
they wrote down
501
00:26:23,999 --> 00:26:27,961
is something that actually
happened to them,
502
00:26:28,003 --> 00:26:31,005
it was so important,
so compelling,
503
00:26:31,006 --> 00:26:35,009
so significant to them that
they had to put it in writing.
504
00:26:35,010 --> 00:26:38,930
Why can't modern society
come to grips
505
00:26:39,014 --> 00:26:44,018
that these stories
might be true after all?
506
00:26:46,146 --> 00:26:49,190
NARRATOR: Von Däniken's
research turned up evidence
507
00:26:49,316 --> 00:26:51,818
of other arguably
extraterrestrial phenomena--
508
00:26:51,944 --> 00:26:55,029
and not only in the Bible.
509
00:26:55,114 --> 00:26:57,031
Almost every religion
has similar stories
510
00:26:57,032 --> 00:27:00,827
about deities with spectacular
powers and abilities
511
00:27:00,953 --> 00:27:05,748
who come to Earth and directly
influence the lives of men.
512
00:27:05,833 --> 00:27:07,041
513
00:27:07,167 --> 00:27:09,002
"Now, come on,
514
00:27:09,044 --> 00:27:11,838
"this is similar, the stories,
in so many old religions.
515
00:27:11,964 --> 00:27:14,841
Are they talking about
extraterrestrials?"
516
00:27:14,967 --> 00:27:18,803
These so-called gods are here,
they give orders,
517
00:27:18,887 --> 00:27:21,347
they force the humans
to do certain things,
518
00:27:21,432 --> 00:27:22,974
and one day they disappear.
519
00:27:23,058 --> 00:27:24,851
But they always disappear
520
00:27:24,977 --> 00:27:29,605
with the promise to return
in a faraway future.
521
00:27:29,690 --> 00:27:34,068
CREMO: If, as I believe,
people in ancient civilizations
522
00:27:34,194 --> 00:27:37,405
were familiar with space travel,
523
00:27:37,489 --> 00:27:40,408
people in ancient civilizations
were in communication
524
00:27:40,492 --> 00:27:43,411
with human-like beings
from other planets,
525
00:27:43,495 --> 00:27:47,790
then I think we should
expect to find evidence for this
526
00:27:47,875 --> 00:27:51,419
in their literatures,
which we do find.
527
00:27:51,503 --> 00:27:54,422
NARRATOR: Throughout the
ancient Sanskrit epics of India,
528
00:27:54,506 --> 00:27:57,592
there are numerous descriptions
of vimanas,
529
00:27:57,676 --> 00:27:59,635
or mythical flying machines.
530
00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:04,432
One of these accounts even dates
back over 5,000 years.
531
00:28:04,516 --> 00:28:06,684
CREMO:
In the Bhagavad Purana,
532
00:28:06,810 --> 00:28:08,436
which is an ancient
Sanskrit history,
533
00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:11,189
there is a description
of a spacecraft
534
00:28:11,273 --> 00:28:16,110
that was piloted
by a king named Shalva.
535
00:28:16,111 --> 00:28:19,113
It's described
that it was made of metal.
536
00:28:19,114 --> 00:28:22,116
It was described that it
sometimes appeared to be
537
00:28:22,117 --> 00:28:24,118
in two places at once.
538
00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:27,038
It was described
as having a motion
539
00:28:27,122 --> 00:28:28,748
similar to that of a butterfly.
540
00:28:28,874 --> 00:28:31,501
And these descriptions
are consistent
541
00:28:31,627 --> 00:28:35,505
with what people who
observe UFOs today report.
542
00:28:35,631 --> 00:28:39,092
NARRATOR:
In other Sanskrit texts,
543
00:28:39,134 --> 00:28:43,137
such as the Mahabharata,
the Rig Veda and the Ramayana,
544
00:28:43,138 --> 00:28:45,640
there can be found
descriptions of vimana
545
00:28:45,724 --> 00:28:47,725
measuring as wide as 100 feet,
546
00:28:47,851 --> 00:28:52,313
and often equipped with the
capabilities of modern aircraft.
547
00:28:54,858 --> 00:28:57,527
One vimana
produced a shaft of light,
548
00:28:57,653 --> 00:29:02,073
which, when focused on a target,
consumed it with its power.
549
00:29:02,157 --> 00:29:04,242
It's like a Buck Rogers
550
00:29:04,326 --> 00:29:07,662
or Flash Gordon movie
from the '30s.
551
00:29:07,746 --> 00:29:11,165
They read like the wildest
science fiction.
552
00:29:11,250 --> 00:29:14,752
People are flying around
in airships called vimanas,
553
00:29:14,878 --> 00:29:18,131
blasting each other
and having aerial fights,
554
00:29:18,173 --> 00:29:21,509
destroying entire cities.
555
00:29:21,593 --> 00:29:23,928
And the crazy thing is
556
00:29:24,012 --> 00:29:27,974
that all of those stories
are totally accepted
557
00:29:28,100 --> 00:29:31,102
in the modern society of India.
558
00:29:33,522 --> 00:29:35,356
CREMO:
I don't think we could say
559
00:29:35,482 --> 00:29:38,568
that these descriptions
are simply imagination,
560
00:29:38,694 --> 00:29:42,196
because even though they were
written thousands of years ago,
561
00:29:42,197 --> 00:29:44,490
they match
what many people today
562
00:29:44,575 --> 00:29:49,287
report in terms of observing
the actions of UFOs.
563
00:29:49,371 --> 00:29:50,705
Were they just
mythological tales
564
00:29:50,789 --> 00:29:52,290
that they were making up,
fantasy?
565
00:29:52,374 --> 00:29:54,959
Or are these physical,
real events,
566
00:29:55,043 --> 00:29:56,586
and they were trying
to describe them
567
00:29:56,712 --> 00:29:58,171
as the best that they could.
568
00:29:58,213 --> 00:30:01,132
That seems
to make more sense to me.
569
00:30:01,216 --> 00:30:02,550
TSOUKALOS:
I got to tell you this,
570
00:30:02,634 --> 00:30:04,510
I would be out of a job
in India,
571
00:30:04,595 --> 00:30:06,220
because, there,
if I were to talk about
572
00:30:06,221 --> 00:30:08,222
ancient aliens and ancient gods,
573
00:30:08,223 --> 00:30:11,934
they would say,
"Okay, so what else is new?"
574
00:30:16,857 --> 00:30:18,357
NARRATOR:
When backing up their claims
575
00:30:18,442 --> 00:30:21,235
of extraterrestrial visitation,
576
00:30:21,236 --> 00:30:26,240
ancient alien theorists
draw upon two kinds of examples:
577
00:30:26,325 --> 00:30:28,367
There's the evidence
you can read,
578
00:30:28,452 --> 00:30:31,787
such as that found
in ancient texts,
579
00:30:31,872 --> 00:30:34,582
and then there's the evidence
you can actually see.
580
00:30:36,585 --> 00:30:39,962
Among the earliest types
of physical specimens?
581
00:30:40,047 --> 00:30:41,631
Numerous cave and rock drawings
582
00:30:41,757 --> 00:30:45,176
and stone sculptures
found all over the globe.
583
00:30:45,260 --> 00:30:48,638
You know, pictures are worth
a thousand words, absolutely.
584
00:30:48,764 --> 00:30:51,265
When you see pictures depicted,
for example,
585
00:30:51,391 --> 00:30:55,853
on a cave in Italy that show
two astronauts with helmets on,
586
00:30:55,979 --> 00:30:57,271
what the heck could it be?
587
00:30:57,397 --> 00:30:59,190
What could it be?
588
00:30:59,274 --> 00:31:02,276
NARRATOR: Each of these
ancient illustrations or statues
589
00:31:02,277 --> 00:31:05,863
depict figures dressed
in strange attire for the times
590
00:31:05,989 --> 00:31:09,242
and sporting unusual headgear.
591
00:31:09,284 --> 00:31:11,285
But could they really be
representations
592
00:31:11,286 --> 00:31:14,872
of alien astronauts--
visitors from other worlds
593
00:31:14,998 --> 00:31:18,417
who touched down upon the Earth
thousands of years ago?
594
00:31:18,502 --> 00:31:21,420
TSOUKALOS:
All over the world
595
00:31:21,505 --> 00:31:23,381
we have statues and sculptures
596
00:31:23,465 --> 00:31:28,594
and paintings and depictions of
these extraterrestrial beings.
597
00:31:28,679 --> 00:31:31,931
Even in the United States
at Sego Canyon, Utah,
598
00:31:32,057 --> 00:31:36,310
we have petroglyphs
of very weird-looking creatures
599
00:31:36,395 --> 00:31:40,314
that have antennae
on their heads, helmets.
600
00:31:40,315 --> 00:31:43,276
And halfway around the world
in Kimberly, Australia,
601
00:31:43,318 --> 00:31:46,445
for example, we have
the exact same depictions
602
00:31:46,530 --> 00:31:51,075
of these helmeted beings
with a halo around their heads.
603
00:31:51,159 --> 00:31:54,161
And the question I have is:
What did our ancestors see
604
00:31:54,288 --> 00:32:00,042
that compelled them to put this
on their cave walls?
605
00:32:00,127 --> 00:32:03,421
On yet another continent,
in Guatemala City,
606
00:32:03,505 --> 00:32:07,300
we have a sculpture
that looks eerily reminiscent
607
00:32:07,342 --> 00:32:09,343
of a modern-day astronaut.
608
00:32:09,344 --> 00:32:11,512
I mean,
that thing is wearing a helmet.
609
00:32:11,638 --> 00:32:13,848
There is some type
of a mouthpiece.
610
00:32:13,932 --> 00:32:17,643
And on his chest
are some type of controls
611
00:32:17,728 --> 00:32:19,520
or a breathing apparatus.
612
00:32:19,646 --> 00:32:23,357
How is this possible
1,500 years ago?
613
00:32:25,152 --> 00:32:29,488
And in Colombia, there were
thousands of tomb artifacts
614
00:32:29,573 --> 00:32:32,450
that look like modern-day
airplanes.
615
00:32:32,534 --> 00:32:36,495
It has fixed wings,
it has a fuselage,
616
00:32:36,580 --> 00:32:39,874
and it has an upright
tail fin,
617
00:32:39,958 --> 00:32:43,878
which is not intrinsic
to nature,
618
00:32:43,962 --> 00:32:48,299
but it is intrinsic
to modern-day aerodynamics.
619
00:32:48,383 --> 00:32:53,179
Did our ancestors see something
similar flying in the air?
620
00:32:53,305 --> 00:32:54,597
Absolutely.
621
00:32:54,723 --> 00:32:57,183
Another compelling artifact
that was found
622
00:32:57,309 --> 00:32:59,352
was at the Istanbul Museum
623
00:32:59,394 --> 00:33:01,937
where you have
this headless spaceman
624
00:33:02,022 --> 00:33:05,566
sitting inside
some type of a space vehicle.
625
00:33:05,692 --> 00:33:09,403
You can see his hands
and you you can see tubing
626
00:33:09,404 --> 00:33:11,614
that go to some sort of devices.
627
00:33:11,740 --> 00:33:13,199
He's wearing a suit.
628
00:33:13,325 --> 00:33:14,742
His legs are crammed in there.
629
00:33:14,826 --> 00:33:18,120
I mean,
even to the untrained eye,
630
00:33:18,205 --> 00:33:20,623
this looks very aerodynamic
631
00:33:20,749 --> 00:33:25,378
and it looks something that,
you know, came from outer space.
632
00:33:25,420 --> 00:33:28,422
NOORY: These people
witnessed something.
633
00:33:28,507 --> 00:33:30,633
They were told something.
634
00:33:30,759 --> 00:33:33,427
And they tried to depict it
the best way they could
635
00:33:33,553 --> 00:33:36,722
with the kind of technology
they had at the time.
636
00:33:36,807 --> 00:33:39,266
And that was simple tools
and simple artwork.
637
00:33:39,393 --> 00:33:42,395
Many of these
ancient civilizations
638
00:33:42,437 --> 00:33:45,940
were widely separated
in space and time.
639
00:33:46,024 --> 00:33:48,567
They weren't in communication
with each other.
640
00:33:48,652 --> 00:33:52,947
But still, they have
the same kinds of accounts.
641
00:33:53,031 --> 00:33:56,784
I think it's because they all
experienced these things.
642
00:33:56,868 --> 00:33:59,245
And they all have the idea
643
00:33:59,371 --> 00:34:02,540
that we're part of a cosmic
hierarchy of beings.
644
00:34:02,624 --> 00:34:07,878
So, I think we can't explain
things away so easily.
645
00:34:09,464 --> 00:34:11,215
NARRATOR:
But for Erich von Däniken
646
00:34:11,299 --> 00:34:14,051
and other proponents of his
ancient astronaut theories,
647
00:34:14,177 --> 00:34:16,470
perhaps the most significant
illustration
648
00:34:16,596 --> 00:34:18,806
can be found in Mexico.
649
00:34:20,475 --> 00:34:23,060
The Mayan archaeological site
of Palenque
650
00:34:23,186 --> 00:34:25,312
had been abandoned for centuries
651
00:34:25,439 --> 00:34:28,482
before it was stumbled upon
by Spanish explorers.
652
00:34:28,608 --> 00:34:32,445
CHILDRESS:
So we get to the top of this,
653
00:34:32,487 --> 00:34:34,447
and suddenly,
654
00:34:34,489 --> 00:34:37,283
here are the great pyramids
of Palenque.
655
00:34:39,035 --> 00:34:42,037
NARRATOR:
Here, deep within a secret tomb,
656
00:34:42,122 --> 00:34:46,500
under one of the age-old temples
lies the seven-ton sarcophagus
657
00:34:46,501 --> 00:34:50,629
of Palenque's 7th-century ruler
Pacal the Great.
658
00:34:50,714 --> 00:34:55,259
CHILDRESS: Lord Pacal apparently
died here at Palenque.
659
00:34:55,343 --> 00:34:59,513
He was apparently
this mysterious Mayan leader.
660
00:34:59,639 --> 00:35:01,140
He was a giant.
661
00:35:01,266 --> 00:35:03,601
Seven- or eight-feet tall,
actually.
662
00:35:03,685 --> 00:35:08,856
And then they built
this pyramid around his tomb.
663
00:35:08,940 --> 00:35:13,235
The Mayans literally worshipped
him as some kind of a god.
664
00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:15,529
NARRATOR:
King Pacal's sarcophagus
665
00:35:15,530 --> 00:35:17,448
is adorned with a carving
666
00:35:17,532 --> 00:35:21,535
that has become a famous example
of classic Mayan art.
667
00:35:21,536 --> 00:35:24,747
Most believe the illustration
shows Pacal
668
00:35:24,873 --> 00:35:27,541
descending into
the Mayan underworld.
669
00:35:27,542 --> 00:35:29,668
But ancient astronaut theorists
670
00:35:29,753 --> 00:35:33,047
interpret the carving
a vastly different way.
671
00:35:33,131 --> 00:35:36,383
On this slab
is an incredible chiseling.
672
00:35:36,510 --> 00:35:40,387
You see a man and he is sitting
in a sort of capsule.
673
00:35:40,514 --> 00:35:42,556
He has some sort of mask
on his nose
674
00:35:42,557 --> 00:35:46,310
and you see his upper hand,
he's manipulating some controls.
675
00:35:46,394 --> 00:35:49,063
From the lower hand,
he's turning something on.
676
00:35:49,147 --> 00:35:51,690
The heel of his left foot
is on a kind of pedal.
677
00:35:51,775 --> 00:35:55,569
And outside of the capsule,
you see a linking flame.
678
00:35:55,570 --> 00:35:57,071
This is incredible.
679
00:35:57,155 --> 00:35:59,281
This is absolutely a proof
for extraterrestrials.
680
00:36:00,575 --> 00:36:04,286
MISSION CONTROL:
Three, two, one, zero.
681
00:36:04,371 --> 00:36:05,746
Liftoff.
682
00:36:05,872 --> 00:36:07,873
JASON MARTELL: If we look
at the similarities
683
00:36:07,958 --> 00:36:10,751
of what our astronauts look like
when they are in a rocket ship
684
00:36:10,877 --> 00:36:13,379
or in the space shuttle
and have gear attached to them,
685
00:36:13,505 --> 00:36:15,506
there are similarities
being shown.
686
00:36:15,590 --> 00:36:18,217
So one just has to ask
the question of, you know,
687
00:36:18,343 --> 00:36:21,303
is this just an artifact
symbolically showing something?
688
00:36:21,388 --> 00:36:22,763
Or are they trying to depict,
689
00:36:22,889 --> 00:36:24,682
with their own limited
understanding of the time,
690
00:36:24,766 --> 00:36:26,600
what was taking place?
691
00:36:26,601 --> 00:36:30,145
CHILDRESS: Was Lord Pacal
just some Mayan king
692
00:36:30,230 --> 00:36:31,814
that everyone liked?
693
00:36:31,940 --> 00:36:36,735
Was he some important visitor
from some far-off land?
694
00:36:36,820 --> 00:36:38,988
Or was he, even possibly,
695
00:36:39,114 --> 00:36:42,825
some extraterrestrial
from another planet?
696
00:36:44,619 --> 00:36:47,621
NARRATOR: Although most
scientists and archaeologists
697
00:36:47,622 --> 00:36:50,124
discredit von Däniken's
interpretation
698
00:36:50,208 --> 00:36:52,251
of the Palenque carvings,
699
00:36:52,377 --> 00:36:55,921
visitors to the site
are often treated to stories
700
00:36:56,006 --> 00:36:58,591
and offered souvenirs
that support his claim.
701
00:36:58,633 --> 00:37:00,759
This is Erich von Däniken's
theory,
702
00:37:00,844 --> 00:37:02,845
the chariots of the gods, no?
703
00:37:02,971 --> 00:37:07,224
You see, Pacal is supposed
to be driving the rocket,
704
00:37:07,350 --> 00:37:08,726
holding the controls,
705
00:37:08,810 --> 00:37:13,188
the pedals, the engine,
706
00:37:13,273 --> 00:37:15,649
and the fire of the rocket.
707
00:37:15,650 --> 00:37:17,359
This will be the cabin, no?
708
00:37:17,444 --> 00:37:19,612
And this is the oxygen.
709
00:37:19,654 --> 00:37:21,822
Mainstream archeologists claim
710
00:37:21,948 --> 00:37:25,034
that it's really
a depiction of Lord Pacal
711
00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:26,952
and his journey
to the underworld.
712
00:37:27,037 --> 00:37:31,749
He's going under the ground
rather than out into space.
713
00:37:31,833 --> 00:37:33,584
Both are interesting theories,
714
00:37:33,668 --> 00:37:36,670
and either
could be right in my mind.
715
00:37:36,671 --> 00:37:39,214
NARRATOR:
In recent years,
716
00:37:39,299 --> 00:37:43,385
Pacal's tomb has been closed
to tourists and casual visitors.
717
00:37:43,470 --> 00:37:45,429
Although the sarcophagus
is off-limits,
718
00:37:45,513 --> 00:37:49,308
ancient astronaut theorists can
still find a wealth of evidence
719
00:37:49,434 --> 00:37:51,685
in the carvings
along the walls of Palenque.
720
00:37:51,686 --> 00:37:53,395
CHILDRESS:
This is very similar
721
00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:57,191
to what's on the lid
of Lord Pacal, of his tomb.
722
00:37:57,275 --> 00:38:00,694
The way he's got his left hand,
right here,
723
00:38:00,695 --> 00:38:03,489
in like an odd position
and his wrist.
724
00:38:03,615 --> 00:38:05,115
Also some kind of rocket exhaust
725
00:38:05,241 --> 00:38:08,702
or something is coming
out of him.
726
00:38:10,413 --> 00:38:13,624
NARRATOR: But Lord Pacal may
not have been the only alien
727
00:38:13,708 --> 00:38:15,834
who once walked
the Palenque ruins.
728
00:38:15,919 --> 00:38:19,213
CHILDRESS: The Mayans had
such an advanced calendar
729
00:38:19,297 --> 00:38:21,006
and mathematical system.
730
00:38:21,091 --> 00:38:23,717
Why were they so obsessed
with the stars?
731
00:38:23,843 --> 00:38:27,638
One of the most advanced
of any ancient cultures.
732
00:38:27,722 --> 00:38:33,727
And yet the Mayans
just vanished around 500 AD.
733
00:38:33,728 --> 00:38:35,104
We don't know where they went.
734
00:38:35,230 --> 00:38:37,856
And one explanation
is that the Mayans
735
00:38:37,941 --> 00:38:40,484
were some kind
of extraterrestrials,
736
00:38:40,568 --> 00:38:43,696
and they literally
left our planet.
737
00:38:43,738 --> 00:38:47,741
NARRATOR: But ancient cave
drawings and stone carvings
738
00:38:47,742 --> 00:38:50,285
aren't the only types
of illustrations
739
00:38:50,370 --> 00:38:52,746
that fascinate
ancient alien theorists.
740
00:38:52,747 --> 00:38:56,709
In 1929,
historians discovered a map
741
00:38:56,751 --> 00:39:00,587
which had been painted
onto a piece of gazelle hide.
742
00:39:00,714 --> 00:39:02,673
They traced the document back
743
00:39:02,757 --> 00:39:06,760
to a 16th-century Turkish
admiral named Piri Reis.
744
00:39:06,761 --> 00:39:11,098
But in stark contrast to other
maps dating back to that time,
745
00:39:11,182 --> 00:39:15,769
the map depicts landmasses that
were still, as yet, unexplored.
746
00:39:15,854 --> 00:39:19,148
CREMO: It shows the coast
of Antarctica
747
00:39:19,274 --> 00:39:25,404
as it exists under
the current ice cover.
748
00:39:25,530 --> 00:39:27,072
Now, that's really
pretty amazing
749
00:39:27,157 --> 00:39:30,492
because it would tend to
indicate that the map was made
750
00:39:30,577 --> 00:39:34,872
at a time when Antarctica
was ice-free,
751
00:39:34,956 --> 00:39:39,543
which would be
many millions of years ago.
752
00:39:39,627 --> 00:39:41,712
NARRATOR:
The map also accurately charts
753
00:39:41,796 --> 00:39:44,006
the coasts of Europe
and North Africa.
754
00:39:44,132 --> 00:39:47,009
But it's the illustration
of northern Antarctica
755
00:39:47,135 --> 00:39:50,345
that truly astonishes
ancient astronaut theorists
756
00:39:50,430 --> 00:39:53,390
because this region
wouldn't even be discovered
757
00:39:53,516 --> 00:39:55,559
for another 300 years.
758
00:39:55,643 --> 00:39:57,227
MARTELL:
We have to remember
759
00:39:57,353 --> 00:40:00,773
that Antarctica is covered
by at least a mile-thick ice.
760
00:40:00,815 --> 00:40:03,776
We didn't have ground-
penetrating radar until 1958.
761
00:40:03,818 --> 00:40:06,445
So for a map to exist in 1531
762
00:40:06,571 --> 00:40:07,905
accurately showing
the topography,
763
00:40:07,989 --> 00:40:10,032
it's pretty interesting.
764
00:40:10,158 --> 00:40:14,787
NARRATOR: When cartographers
superimposed the Piri Reis map
765
00:40:14,829 --> 00:40:16,914
over a modern map of the world,
766
00:40:16,998 --> 00:40:20,459
they were amazed to discover
that the ancient chart
767
00:40:20,585 --> 00:40:24,838
was fantastically accurate
in the most minute of details.
768
00:40:24,923 --> 00:40:27,800
But how could the creators
of a centuries-old map
769
00:40:27,842 --> 00:40:29,593
have known
of mountains or rivers
770
00:40:29,677 --> 00:40:31,845
that had yet to be discovered?
771
00:40:31,846 --> 00:40:34,181
MARTELL: In 1531,
I really don't know of anyone
772
00:40:34,265 --> 00:40:36,433
who was flying
above the surface of the Earth
773
00:40:36,559 --> 00:40:39,186
high enough to map topography,
774
00:40:39,270 --> 00:40:41,647
and how would they see
underneath the ice?
775
00:40:41,773 --> 00:40:44,691
CHILDRESS:
Their maps were so accurate.
776
00:40:44,818 --> 00:40:47,402
I mean,
we know that they didn't go
777
00:40:47,487 --> 00:40:49,404
to Antarctica and explore it.
778
00:40:49,489 --> 00:40:52,241
But yet they were able to draw
these maps of it.
779
00:40:54,869 --> 00:40:57,871
NARRATOR: But if ancient
aliens possessed the technology
780
00:40:57,872 --> 00:40:59,706
to travel the universe,
781
00:40:59,833 --> 00:41:01,875
would the only evidence
of their journey
782
00:41:01,876 --> 00:41:05,879
be in the form of a few carvings
or a mysterious map?
783
00:41:06,005 --> 00:41:10,425
Wouldn't there also be signs
of a highly advanced technology?
784
00:41:10,510 --> 00:41:14,221
Signs that might be too large
to overlook?
785
00:41:14,305 --> 00:41:15,889
NOORY:
You mean to tell me
786
00:41:15,890 --> 00:41:19,893
that people of that time period
did this by hand?
787
00:41:19,894 --> 00:41:21,061
I don't think so.
788
00:41:26,985 --> 00:41:28,819
NARRATOR:
When it comes to searching
789
00:41:28,903 --> 00:41:31,655
for evidence of ancient aliens,
790
00:41:31,739 --> 00:41:36,702
Erich von Däniken literally
leaves no stones unturned.
791
00:41:36,828 --> 00:41:38,328
792
00:41:38,454 --> 00:41:40,455
for more than 40 years,
information,
793
00:41:40,540 --> 00:41:43,000
and there are two sorts
of evidences
794
00:41:43,084 --> 00:41:45,878
to support my hypotheses.
795
00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:48,297
The one sort is literature.
796
00:41:48,423 --> 00:41:51,925
This might be archeological
or mythological literature.
797
00:41:51,926 --> 00:41:54,511
And the other sort
are practical objects.
798
00:41:54,637 --> 00:41:58,265
For example, the pyramids
are linked to the gods,
799
00:41:58,349 --> 00:42:03,937
the gods who once descended
from the sky to us earthlings.
800
00:42:03,938 --> 00:42:07,482
NARRATOR: Without a little
interplanetary help,
801
00:42:07,567 --> 00:42:11,111
how else could early Egyptians
have learned to stack
802
00:42:11,237 --> 00:42:13,906
the nearly two and a half
million limestone
803
00:42:13,948 --> 00:42:17,951
and granite blocks
that create the Great Pyramid?
804
00:42:17,952 --> 00:42:20,704
How could prehistoric man
805
00:42:20,788 --> 00:42:24,958
move the immense boulders
at Stonehenge?
806
00:42:24,959 --> 00:42:28,295
And how could ancient builders
at Cusco
807
00:42:28,379 --> 00:42:30,255
fit stones so closely together
808
00:42:30,340 --> 00:42:34,092
that even a razor blade
can't fit between them?
809
00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:39,681
CHILDRESS:
As you travel around the world
810
00:42:39,766 --> 00:42:44,353
trying to piece together this
puzzle of the ancient world,
811
00:42:44,479 --> 00:42:48,357
there's not that much to really
get a good grasp on.
812
00:42:48,483 --> 00:42:53,946
But what there is
is giant blocks of stone--
813
00:42:53,988 --> 00:42:59,534
huge articulated granite
or basalt blocks in many cases.
814
00:42:59,619 --> 00:43:02,537
Sometimes they weigh 1,000 tons.
815
00:43:05,833 --> 00:43:09,002
These things are the size
of railway cars.
816
00:43:09,087 --> 00:43:11,004
And you find them in Peru
and Bolivia
817
00:43:11,130 --> 00:43:13,006
and Mexico and ancient Egypt.
818
00:43:13,007 --> 00:43:15,926
You have to ask yourself,
819
00:43:16,010 --> 00:43:21,098
why and how could ancient people
have dragged
820
00:43:21,182 --> 00:43:25,018
these railway-car-size
blocks of stone,
821
00:43:25,019 --> 00:43:30,023
stacked them up together
into these giant buildings?
822
00:43:30,108 --> 00:43:34,403
NARRATOR: Perhaps the most
familiar, and most mysterious,
823
00:43:34,529 --> 00:43:37,030
megalithic structure
in all the world
824
00:43:37,115 --> 00:43:40,033
is the Great Pyramid of Giza.
825
00:43:40,034 --> 00:43:43,996
The oldest and largest
of Egypt's three great pyramids,
826
00:43:44,038 --> 00:43:46,039
this miracle of engineering
827
00:43:46,124 --> 00:43:48,125
is believed to have been
constructed
828
00:43:48,209 --> 00:43:53,630
during a 20-year period,
ending around 2560 BC.
829
00:43:53,756 --> 00:43:56,049
But to ancient alien theorists,
830
00:43:56,050 --> 00:44:00,053
those numbers just don't add up.
831
00:44:02,265 --> 00:44:06,351
The Great Pyramid
was not built in only 22 years,
832
00:44:06,436 --> 00:44:10,147
because logistically speaking,
you would have to cut,
833
00:44:10,231 --> 00:44:17,195
transport and put into place
one stone every nine seconds.
834
00:44:19,032 --> 00:44:22,617
And there are modern engineers
who have come forward
835
00:44:22,702 --> 00:44:26,997
and said we couldn't do this
in 22 years either.
836
00:44:27,081 --> 00:44:29,082
NOORY:
There are all kinds of theories
837
00:44:29,083 --> 00:44:32,002
on how the Great Pyramid
of Giza was built.
838
00:44:32,086 --> 00:44:35,088
So many theories, you just sit
back and shake your head.
839
00:44:35,089 --> 00:44:37,799
And that includes
E.T. visitations,
840
00:44:37,884 --> 00:44:42,471
levitating the blocks
with some kind of sound system,
841
00:44:42,597 --> 00:44:44,723
anti-gravity...
842
00:44:46,225 --> 00:44:49,311
...thousands of workers
pulling long ropes
843
00:44:49,437 --> 00:44:52,105
on a ramp that had to be
almost two miles long
844
00:44:52,106 --> 00:44:56,068
to get it up to where it is.
845
00:44:56,110 --> 00:45:00,113
All I know is that they are
so finely aligned
846
00:45:00,114 --> 00:45:03,283
and that the architecture
is so precise
847
00:45:03,409 --> 00:45:07,496
that even modern people today
with great technology
848
00:45:07,622 --> 00:45:11,625
would have a difficult time
being that good.
849
00:45:13,711 --> 00:45:18,090
How, for example, in the inside
of the pyramids and the tombs,
850
00:45:18,132 --> 00:45:20,926
could they build granite
and marble areas
851
00:45:21,052 --> 00:45:24,513
that were just so perfect
and so clean?
852
00:45:26,140 --> 00:45:27,557
You mean to tell me
853
00:45:27,683 --> 00:45:31,561
that people of that time period
did this by hand?
854
00:45:31,687 --> 00:45:33,271
I don't think so.
855
00:45:33,356 --> 00:45:38,151
NARRATOR: The enormous size
and weight of the stones,
856
00:45:38,152 --> 00:45:41,113
multiplied
by the sheer number of them,
857
00:45:41,155 --> 00:45:43,156
makes one thing certain--
858
00:45:43,157 --> 00:45:45,909
the construction
of the Great Pyramid
859
00:45:45,993 --> 00:45:49,162
remains one of the greatest
marvels and mysteries
860
00:45:49,163 --> 00:45:52,374
of architectural engineering.
861
00:45:52,500 --> 00:45:54,334
MARTELL: I don't want
to discount human ingenuity,
862
00:45:54,460 --> 00:45:56,503
because I do believe that
we do have the ability
863
00:45:56,587 --> 00:45:58,922
to do these things,
over a longer period of time.
864
00:45:59,006 --> 00:46:01,716
But the knowledge to build
some of these monuments,
865
00:46:01,801 --> 00:46:03,552
there had to have been
some type of intervention
866
00:46:03,678 --> 00:46:05,512
or some type of knowledge
given to ancient man
867
00:46:05,596 --> 00:46:07,264
to carry out those instructions.
868
00:46:07,348 --> 00:46:09,516
They couldn't have just come up
with it on their own.
869
00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:12,978
870
00:46:13,104 --> 00:46:15,689
saying the Great Pyramid
was constructed
871
00:46:15,773 --> 00:46:18,900
by a foreigner
with the name of Souritt.
872
00:46:18,985 --> 00:46:22,154
And then they say Souritt
is the same
873
00:46:22,196 --> 00:46:26,199
which the Hebrew community
calls Enoch.
874
00:46:26,284 --> 00:46:30,328
Enoch is a prophet
in the Old Testament.
875
00:46:30,413 --> 00:46:34,207
There are books of Enoch
called the apocryphal texts.
876
00:46:34,208 --> 00:46:36,209
You make a connection
with Enoch
877
00:46:36,335 --> 00:46:38,003
to these extraterrestrials.
878
00:46:38,129 --> 00:46:41,381
He clearly says he met
these extraterrestrials.
879
00:46:41,507 --> 00:46:44,926
Now we have writings
in the Book of Enoch,
880
00:46:45,011 --> 00:46:48,221
and he gives the order
to construct a building
881
00:46:48,222 --> 00:46:50,223
which cannot be destroyed
882
00:46:50,224 --> 00:46:52,642
by the thousands of years
of the future.
883
00:46:56,439 --> 00:47:00,650
TSOUKALOS:
And the ancient Egyptian texts
884
00:47:00,776 --> 00:47:06,239
speak that the pyramids
were built by human beings
885
00:47:06,240 --> 00:47:12,037
with the assistance
of the guardians of the sky,
886
00:47:12,163 --> 00:47:14,664
meaning the gods.
887
00:47:14,790 --> 00:47:18,877
And so we have proposed
that the pyramids
888
00:47:19,003 --> 00:47:20,879
were built by human hands
889
00:47:21,005 --> 00:47:26,259
but with the assistance
of extraterrestrial technology.
890
00:47:28,846 --> 00:47:31,097
NARRATOR: As one of the
Seven Wonders of the World,
891
00:47:31,224 --> 00:47:33,475
the Great Pyramid
remains not only
892
00:47:33,601 --> 00:47:38,063
an archaeological mystery,
but a geographical marvel.
893
00:47:38,189 --> 00:47:44,027
In 1877, author and theologian
Joseph Seiss demonstrated
894
00:47:44,111 --> 00:47:46,988
that the Great Pyramid
resides at the intersection
895
00:47:47,073 --> 00:47:49,449
of the longest line of latitude
896
00:47:49,575 --> 00:47:51,785
and the longest line
of longitude--
897
00:47:51,869 --> 00:47:56,790
the exact center of all
the landmass in the world.
898
00:47:56,874 --> 00:48:01,878
Also, each of its four sides
aligns almost precisely
899
00:48:02,004 --> 00:48:04,297
with the four points
of the compass--
900
00:48:04,423 --> 00:48:07,300
though such an instrument
wasn't even designed
901
00:48:07,426 --> 00:48:10,303
until thousands of years later.
902
00:48:12,014 --> 00:48:16,309
But is it just mere coincidence
that pyramid construction--
903
00:48:16,310 --> 00:48:19,437
very similar to that
practiced in ancient Egypt--
904
00:48:19,522 --> 00:48:23,316
was also evolving
halfway around the world?
905
00:48:23,317 --> 00:48:27,320
CHILDRESS: There are pyramids
on remote Pacific islands
906
00:48:27,405 --> 00:48:31,908
and in India and in Mexico.
907
00:48:32,034 --> 00:48:35,662
So this is something
that's all over the world.
908
00:48:35,746 --> 00:48:38,290
Archeologists haven't really
been able to explain
909
00:48:38,332 --> 00:48:42,669
why dissimilar cultures,
separated by huge oceans,
910
00:48:42,753 --> 00:48:45,338
are building
the same structures,
911
00:48:45,464 --> 00:48:47,507
and in many ways, the same way.
912
00:48:49,927 --> 00:48:53,138
NARRATOR: Here in Central
Mexico stands an ancient city
913
00:48:53,264 --> 00:48:56,975
that dates back
more than 2,000 years.
914
00:48:57,101 --> 00:49:03,106
Its name, Teotihuacán, literally
means "City of the gods."
915
00:49:03,190 --> 00:49:07,694
And located at its center
is the Pyramid of the Sun.
916
00:49:07,778 --> 00:49:10,947
Incredibly,
this pyramid's perimeter
917
00:49:11,073 --> 00:49:15,744
is virtually the same as that
of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
918
00:49:15,870 --> 00:49:17,954
A structural coincidence?
919
00:49:18,080 --> 00:49:23,168
Or could it be that both were
inspired by the same designers?
920
00:49:23,294 --> 00:49:25,879
NOORY:
Couple theories for that.
921
00:49:25,963 --> 00:49:29,215
Okay, one, maybe they were all
taught the same thing
922
00:49:29,342 --> 00:49:31,593
by an extraterrestrial race.
923
00:49:31,719 --> 00:49:34,596
Two, there were ancient
travelers
924
00:49:34,722 --> 00:49:37,807
from within this planet who went
from one area to another
925
00:49:37,933 --> 00:49:40,393
over the thousands
of past years.
926
00:49:40,478 --> 00:49:42,395
And then as some skeptics
will say,
927
00:49:42,396 --> 00:49:45,023
"Hey, that's the greatest
archeological way
928
00:49:45,149 --> 00:49:47,025
to make it,
so they just knew it."
929
00:49:47,151 --> 00:49:50,028
I don't think that's the case.
930
00:49:53,532 --> 00:49:56,534
CHILDRESS:
At Teotihuacán, here you have
931
00:49:56,619 --> 00:50:00,163
a giant Pyramid of the Sun
and a giant Pyramid of the Moon.
932
00:50:00,247 --> 00:50:03,958
According to the legends,
these things were built by gods,
933
00:50:04,043 --> 00:50:06,419
who were giants at the end
934
00:50:06,420 --> 00:50:09,172
of one of the destructions
of the world.
935
00:50:11,384 --> 00:50:14,427
Civilizations such as
the Aztecs and the Mayans
936
00:50:14,428 --> 00:50:17,263
and the Hopi Indians
of northern Arizona,
937
00:50:17,390 --> 00:50:18,932
they believe that the world
has been destroyed
938
00:50:19,016 --> 00:50:21,226
four times in the past.
939
00:50:21,352 --> 00:50:24,604
One time by ice,
once by fire, once by water.
940
00:50:27,858 --> 00:50:31,152
Each time,
mankind rebuilds again.
941
00:50:31,237 --> 00:50:34,656
And Teotihuacán
supposedly was built
942
00:50:34,782 --> 00:50:39,202
just at the beginning
of one of these four worlds.
943
00:50:41,455 --> 00:50:43,289
NOORY:
You may ask the question,
944
00:50:43,416 --> 00:50:47,001
why build these huge,
huge structures?
945
00:50:47,086 --> 00:50:48,586
For what purpose?
946
00:50:48,671 --> 00:50:51,089
Well, in Egypt for example,
947
00:50:51,215 --> 00:50:53,466
either the pharaohs
had incredible egos
948
00:50:53,467 --> 00:50:56,428
and they wanted
to outdo themselves, right,
949
00:50:56,470 --> 00:50:59,472
so they built these huge museums
for themselves,
950
00:50:59,557 --> 00:51:03,476
or it's also possible
that these ancients
951
00:51:03,477 --> 00:51:07,772
wanted to leave behind
something for us.
952
00:51:07,857 --> 00:51:11,693
TSOUKALOS: It is written
in ancient Egyptian texts,
953
00:51:11,819 --> 00:51:19,200
the purpose why the pyramid was
built was to store knowledge.
954
00:51:19,285 --> 00:51:22,328
300 books
which allegedly contained
955
00:51:22,455 --> 00:51:25,874
the knowledge of the universe
956
00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:31,337
dictated by the guardians
of the sky.
957
00:51:34,049 --> 00:51:36,468
NARRATOR: Of course,
the pyramids aren't the only
958
00:51:36,510 --> 00:51:38,094
ancient monuments that continue
959
00:51:38,220 --> 00:51:41,514
to baffle scientists
and archaeologists.
960
00:51:41,515 --> 00:51:44,851
There are literally
hundreds of them,
961
00:51:44,935 --> 00:51:50,148
and they can be found
in every corner of our world.
962
00:51:54,069 --> 00:51:57,322
NARRATOR: In a remote area
of the Pacific Ocean
963
00:51:57,448 --> 00:51:59,240
lies one of the most isolated
964
00:51:59,325 --> 00:52:03,536
yet inhabited locations
in the world: Easter Island.
965
00:52:09,543 --> 00:52:13,505
Here, over 800 stone guardians,
called moai,
966
00:52:13,547 --> 00:52:17,759
stand watch
over the island's coastline.
967
00:52:17,885 --> 00:52:20,720
But are they primitive
native carvings,
968
00:52:20,846 --> 00:52:23,097
or eerie portraits
of alien visitors
969
00:52:23,182 --> 00:52:25,975
from thousands of years ago?
970
00:52:27,561 --> 00:52:28,978
Whatever they were for,
971
00:52:29,104 --> 00:52:31,481
they're made to last
for thousands of years.
972
00:52:31,565 --> 00:52:33,733
They're built out of blocks
of stone
973
00:52:33,859 --> 00:52:36,361
that weigh many, many tons.
974
00:52:36,487 --> 00:52:39,322
Not only are people
building structures
975
00:52:39,406 --> 00:52:43,368
out of these huge,
megalithic blocks of stone,
976
00:52:43,494 --> 00:52:45,787
but this was going on
around the world.
977
00:52:45,913 --> 00:52:50,166
And yet, supposedly, it's just
primitive people doing this,
978
00:52:50,292 --> 00:52:52,585
for no really good reason,
it would seem.
979
00:52:52,586 --> 00:52:54,295
MICHAEL DENNIN:
I think one of the things
980
00:52:54,380 --> 00:52:56,130
that comes into
our considerations
981
00:52:56,215 --> 00:52:57,715
of what ancient cultures
could've accomplished
982
00:52:57,800 --> 00:53:01,135
is whether they were able
to write it down or not.
983
00:53:01,220 --> 00:53:02,679
We're very tied to,
if we have evidence
984
00:53:02,763 --> 00:53:04,722
that they wrote down
how they did it,
985
00:53:04,807 --> 00:53:06,558
then we believe
we know how they did it.
986
00:53:06,600 --> 00:53:09,227
So Egypt, we have a lot more
writings and drawings
987
00:53:09,353 --> 00:53:10,770
that show them building
the pyramids,
988
00:53:10,896 --> 00:53:12,689
give us an idea
of the technology.
989
00:53:12,773 --> 00:53:15,191
If you go somewhere
like Easter Island,
990
00:53:15,317 --> 00:53:17,735
we don't have any real written
evidence of what they did.
991
00:53:17,820 --> 00:53:21,614
And sometimes that leads us to
question their innovativeness.
992
00:53:25,452 --> 00:53:29,414
NARRATOR: 3,000 miles away,
in the Republic of Bolivia,
993
00:53:29,540 --> 00:53:33,543
stonework exists
which is amazingly similar
994
00:53:33,627 --> 00:53:35,378
to the statues of Easter Island.
995
00:53:38,382 --> 00:53:40,925
Tiahuanaco is, in fact,
996
00:53:41,010 --> 00:53:45,638
so ancient that it defies
modern dating techniques.
997
00:53:45,639 --> 00:53:49,767
It is estimated to be
over 17,000 years old--
998
00:53:49,852 --> 00:53:52,645
perhaps the oldest city
in the world.
999
00:53:54,982 --> 00:53:58,401
And somehow,
the sculptures at Tiahuanaco
1000
00:53:58,485 --> 00:54:00,653
were constructed
in the same style
1001
00:54:00,654 --> 00:54:03,406
and with the same
enigmatic expressions
1002
00:54:03,490 --> 00:54:07,660
as their distant cousins
on Easter Island.
1003
00:54:07,745 --> 00:54:10,580
A lot of the stuff
with Tiahuanaco,
1004
00:54:10,664 --> 00:54:13,666
you can see
in earlier civilizations.
1005
00:54:13,667 --> 00:54:16,461
All the way back, you know,
before into the...
1006
00:54:16,587 --> 00:54:18,671
into the centuries BC in Peru,
1007
00:54:18,672 --> 00:54:21,174
you see some
of these same patterns,
1008
00:54:21,258 --> 00:54:24,052
some of the same iconography,
imagery.
1009
00:54:24,178 --> 00:54:27,430
And you can see
the ancestry of this.
1010
00:54:31,602 --> 00:54:33,019
NARRATOR:
But while tourists flock
1011
00:54:33,103 --> 00:54:34,896
to the ruins of Tiahuanaco,
1012
00:54:35,022 --> 00:54:38,608
perhaps the most mystifying
of all ancient sites
1013
00:54:38,692 --> 00:54:40,860
lies just
a few hundred yards away.
1014
00:54:40,986 --> 00:54:44,405
Of relatively little interest
to most visitors,
1015
00:54:44,490 --> 00:54:47,408
Puma Punku
is a field of stone ruins
1016
00:54:47,493 --> 00:54:49,661
that both thrills and stimulates
1017
00:54:49,703 --> 00:54:53,122
the imaginations
of ancient alien theorists.
1018
00:55:00,506 --> 00:55:02,799
In my opinion,
1019
00:55:02,883 --> 00:55:06,719
the most significant
piece of evidence that we have
1020
00:55:06,720 --> 00:55:09,722
in this entire
ancient astronaut puzzle,
1021
00:55:09,723 --> 00:55:14,852
is Puma Punku
in the Highland of Bolivia.
1022
00:55:19,358 --> 00:55:22,819
While the pyramids at Giza
1023
00:55:22,903 --> 00:55:26,072
are an incredible feat
of achievement,
1024
00:55:26,156 --> 00:55:28,700
compared to Puma Punku,
1025
00:55:28,742 --> 00:55:31,077
the pyramids are child's play.
1026
00:55:36,458 --> 00:55:42,171
Logic does not exist
at Puma Punku, because there,
1027
00:55:42,297 --> 00:55:44,966
we have megalithic structures
1028
00:55:45,092 --> 00:55:48,761
which just lie about
this entire site
1029
00:55:48,762 --> 00:55:53,516
as if ripped apart by-by
some sort of a great force.
1030
00:55:55,310 --> 00:55:59,397
NARRATOR: The blocks
of Puma Punku were so finely cut
1031
00:55:59,523 --> 00:56:01,774
that they once
perfectly interlocked,
1032
00:56:01,775 --> 00:56:04,777
like the pieces
of an elaborate puzzle.
1033
00:56:04,778 --> 00:56:08,406
But with the nearest quarry
over ten miles away,
1034
00:56:08,532 --> 00:56:10,283
how did these colossal stones,
1035
00:56:10,367 --> 00:56:14,537
some weighing hundreds of tons,
even get here?
1036
00:56:14,621 --> 00:56:17,915
We are talking about a place
4,000 meters over sea level.
1037
00:56:18,000 --> 00:56:20,418
That means
there are no trees up there
1038
00:56:20,544 --> 00:56:22,086
which you could use
for rollers.
1039
00:56:22,171 --> 00:56:25,548
Nothing grows,
except a few grasses and bushes.
1040
00:56:25,632 --> 00:56:28,885
TSOUKALOS: I have stood
in front of many monuments.
1041
00:56:28,969 --> 00:56:32,930
However,
Puma Punku takes the crown.
1042
00:56:33,015 --> 00:56:37,769
Because what we find there
is so inexplicable,
1043
00:56:37,811 --> 00:56:42,815
so in-achievable
that the question remains,
1044
00:56:42,816 --> 00:56:46,319
how was it done,
and for what purposes?
1045
00:56:51,825 --> 00:56:56,954
Mainstream archaeologists say
that Puma Punku was built
1046
00:56:57,039 --> 00:56:59,665
by the Aymara Indians.
1047
00:56:59,792 --> 00:57:01,834
And we would all
have to agree that,
1048
00:57:01,835 --> 00:57:04,587
in order to build something
like Puma Punku,
1049
00:57:04,671 --> 00:57:06,839
you need writing,
you need planning,
1050
00:57:06,924 --> 00:57:12,345
and you need some sort of a idea
where which piece goes
1051
00:57:12,429 --> 00:57:14,680
and how it ultimately
all fits together.
1052
00:57:14,807 --> 00:57:16,557
But there is one thing
1053
00:57:16,642 --> 00:57:19,644
that all the mainstream
archaeologists agree upon--
1054
00:57:19,770 --> 00:57:23,231
that the Aymara
didn't have any writing.
1055
00:57:23,357 --> 00:57:28,486
So how was it possible that they
built all of this without plans?
1056
00:57:28,612 --> 00:57:30,196
CHILDRESS:
What's really amazing,
1057
00:57:30,280 --> 00:57:32,865
and why
the ancient astronaut theorists
1058
00:57:32,866 --> 00:57:36,869
are so drawn to Puma Punku
and Tiahuanaco
1059
00:57:36,870 --> 00:57:39,247
is that the quality
of the stonework
1060
00:57:39,373 --> 00:57:42,166
and the immense size
of these blocks
1061
00:57:42,251 --> 00:57:45,962
is so incredible and perfect
1062
00:57:46,046 --> 00:57:49,215
that there's actually evidence
of machining.
1063
00:57:49,299 --> 00:57:52,009
And that they were using
machine tools
1064
00:57:52,094 --> 00:57:54,470
to cut these blocks.
1065
00:57:58,183 --> 00:58:00,852
One of these platforms
is 800 tons.
1066
00:58:00,894 --> 00:58:04,021
And they are so smoothly
polished.
1067
00:58:04,106 --> 00:58:06,524
You have some stone,
megalithic stones,
1068
00:58:06,650 --> 00:58:09,902
with grooves which
are just few millimeters inside.
1069
00:58:09,903 --> 00:58:14,240
Which definitely cannot be made
with Stone Age chisels.
1070
00:58:14,324 --> 00:58:16,617
It doesn't work
with Stone Age chisels.
1071
00:58:16,702 --> 00:58:18,536
So there is
another technology behind it.
1072
00:58:18,662 --> 00:58:20,830
NARRATOR:
The lines cut into these rocks
1073
00:58:20,914 --> 00:58:24,125
are exactly straight
and precisely the same depth
1074
00:58:24,251 --> 00:58:26,127
from one end to the other.
1075
00:58:30,007 --> 00:58:33,301
It's as if only master builders
1076
00:58:33,427 --> 00:58:36,929
were allowed to work there.
1077
00:58:36,930 --> 00:58:40,433
Because everything
is so precise,
1078
00:58:40,517 --> 00:58:42,727
everything is so perfect,
1079
00:58:42,853 --> 00:58:46,939
you wonder how any of this
was even possible.
1080
00:58:53,030 --> 00:58:55,364
One of the most intriguing
things there
1081
00:58:55,490 --> 00:58:57,658
is that the stones
that were used there
1082
00:58:57,743 --> 00:59:02,288
aren't sandstone,
they're granite and diorite.
1083
00:59:04,875 --> 00:59:10,046
The only stone that's harder
than diorite is diamond.
1084
00:59:10,130 --> 00:59:12,548
So the only way that this
could've been achieved
1085
00:59:12,674 --> 00:59:16,594
is if the tools
were tipped with diamonds.
1086
00:59:16,720 --> 00:59:18,095
1087
00:59:18,180 --> 00:59:19,972
with their computer
and modern measurements,
1088
00:59:19,973 --> 00:59:21,682
they were really shocked.
1089
00:59:21,767 --> 00:59:25,394
In their literature,
they say it is impossible
1090
00:59:25,520 --> 00:59:27,396
to reconstruct Puma Punku.
1091
00:59:27,522 --> 00:59:29,106
It's absolutely impossible.
1092
00:59:29,191 --> 00:59:31,192
NARRATOR: But is it really
difficult to believe
1093
00:59:31,318 --> 00:59:32,944
that ancient peoples
1094
00:59:32,986 --> 00:59:34,987
could have so precisely
carved these stones,
1095
00:59:35,072 --> 00:59:36,989
or could build
such an incredibly
1096
00:59:37,074 --> 00:59:39,200
intricate structure from them?
1097
00:59:40,994 --> 00:59:42,995
If it was ancient astronauts
1098
00:59:42,996 --> 00:59:45,081
teaching them
these building techniques,
1099
00:59:45,165 --> 00:59:46,958
why don't we see just perfect
1100
00:59:47,000 --> 00:59:50,753
almost skyscraper-like
vertical edifices?
1101
00:59:50,837 --> 00:59:53,214
Everything was all pyramid-like?
1102
00:59:53,340 --> 00:59:57,009
Stone-cutting techniques have
been invented and reinvented,
1103
00:59:57,010 --> 01:00:00,388
and independently invented
all over the world.
1104
01:00:00,514 --> 01:00:03,015
If you think of yourself
as a god king,
1105
01:00:03,016 --> 01:00:05,017
and you want to have
a structure built
1106
01:00:05,018 --> 01:00:07,186
that's going to last
thousands of years,
1107
01:00:07,312 --> 01:00:11,023
it's much better to build it
out of perfectly fitting stones
1108
01:00:11,108 --> 01:00:14,777
without mortar that degrades
and decays
1109
01:00:14,861 --> 01:00:16,570
and has to be maintained.
1110
01:00:16,655 --> 01:00:19,824
So we see mortar-less
structures,
1111
01:00:19,950 --> 01:00:23,536
megalithic structures
all over the world.
1112
01:00:26,039 --> 01:00:28,624
CHILDRESS:
You have an anomaly here.
1113
01:00:28,750 --> 01:00:30,042
Where on one hand,
1114
01:00:30,043 --> 01:00:32,795
these people are supposed to be
very primitive--
1115
01:00:32,879 --> 01:00:35,339
they’re just one step
out of the Stone Age--
1116
01:00:35,424 --> 01:00:38,884
yet what they're doing
are things
1117
01:00:39,011 --> 01:00:43,014
that we couldn't even do
today, apparently.
1118
01:00:43,056 --> 01:00:45,016
Or would have extreme
difficulty.
1119
01:00:45,058 --> 01:00:48,477
And that is building with these
giant blocks of stone,
1120
01:00:48,603 --> 01:00:52,398
perfectly fitting them together
with other blocks,
1121
01:00:52,482 --> 01:00:55,067
interlocking them.
1122
01:00:57,696 --> 01:01:00,614
The ancient people
of our time, on this planet,
1123
01:01:00,699 --> 01:01:02,908
truly saw strange things.
1124
01:01:03,035 --> 01:01:06,037
They witnessed bizarre events.
1125
01:01:06,079 --> 01:01:11,000
But those stories, other than
in depictions and some artwork
1126
01:01:11,084 --> 01:01:13,085
and things like that,
they're gone.
1127
01:01:13,086 --> 01:01:15,921
For some reason
they're just gone.
1128
01:01:16,048 --> 01:01:19,508
But left behind are incredible
things that we have
1129
01:01:19,634 --> 01:01:23,679
that make you wonder how in the
heck were these things built?
1130
01:01:23,805 --> 01:01:25,473
Those are great mysteries,
1131
01:01:25,599 --> 01:01:28,100
and I think one of the things
that keeps people
1132
01:01:28,101 --> 01:01:31,062
just continuing to push
for the answers
1133
01:01:31,104 --> 01:01:34,231
are the fact that these things
are so out there
1134
01:01:34,316 --> 01:01:36,233
that they can't figure it out.
1135
01:01:36,318 --> 01:01:38,486
NARRATOR:
But uncovering the mystery
1136
01:01:38,612 --> 01:01:40,654
of just how these
incredible structures
1137
01:01:40,739 --> 01:01:44,200
were built would only solve
one piece of the puzzle.
1138
01:01:44,284 --> 01:01:48,496
Finding out why they were built
and how theywere used,
1139
01:01:48,622 --> 01:01:51,832
poses equally
compelling questions.
1140
01:01:51,917 --> 01:01:56,295
Questions that may not be
answerable here on Earth.
1141
01:02:02,302 --> 01:02:05,513
NARRATOR: Did aliens really
inspire our ancestors
1142
01:02:05,639 --> 01:02:09,100
to build ancient temples
and pyramids?
1143
01:02:09,142 --> 01:02:11,936
And if they came here,
did they leave behind
1144
01:02:12,062 --> 01:02:14,063
any advanced knowledge
of physics,
1145
01:02:14,147 --> 01:02:16,732
astronomy or mathematics?
1146
01:02:16,858 --> 01:02:21,737
If so, is there any evidence
that remains to this day?
1147
01:02:21,863 --> 01:02:24,865
One example might be this one.
1148
01:02:24,950 --> 01:02:26,700
Often described
as the world's first
1149
01:02:26,785 --> 01:02:31,455
mechanical "computer,"
it dates back over 2,000 years.
1150
01:02:31,540 --> 01:02:34,959
CHILDRESS:
The Antikythera Device
1151
01:02:35,085 --> 01:02:38,129
was found in 1900
by sponge divers
1152
01:02:38,171 --> 01:02:40,673
diving off a small island
in the Aegean
1153
01:02:40,757 --> 01:02:43,008
called Antikythera.
1154
01:02:43,135 --> 01:02:44,552
There was a shipwreck there.
1155
01:02:44,678 --> 01:02:49,306
And in it was
a coral-encrusted box.
1156
01:02:49,391 --> 01:02:52,685
And it was made of metal alloys.
1157
01:02:52,769 --> 01:02:56,021
And it then went
to the Athens Museum, where,
1158
01:02:56,148 --> 01:03:01,360
a good 50 years later, they
were able to X-ray this box.
1159
01:03:01,486 --> 01:03:05,614
And they were able
to discern cogged wheels
1160
01:03:05,740 --> 01:03:07,199
that were interconnected,
1161
01:03:07,200 --> 01:03:10,744
and give us
a very good depiction
1162
01:03:10,829 --> 01:03:12,204
of what this thing was.
1163
01:03:12,205 --> 01:03:14,331
And it is a computer.
1164
01:03:14,416 --> 01:03:17,334
It's a really sophisticated
machine.
1165
01:03:21,798 --> 01:03:24,175
MARTELL: It's a very
interesting piece of technology
1166
01:03:24,217 --> 01:03:25,593
because it served two purposes:
1167
01:03:25,719 --> 01:03:28,220
One was that it was
an astronomical device
1168
01:03:28,346 --> 01:03:31,640
where you could, by using it,
chart your position to the stars
1169
01:03:31,766 --> 01:03:33,517
and navigate your way
through the seas.
1170
01:03:33,602 --> 01:03:36,061
It was also
an astrological device,
1171
01:03:36,188 --> 01:03:37,354
so that someone could tell you,
1172
01:03:37,439 --> 01:03:39,315
"Ah, if you were born
on this day
1173
01:03:39,399 --> 01:03:41,233
"and your planet sign is this,
1174
01:03:41,234 --> 01:03:43,194
"then certain things
are going to happen to you
1175
01:03:43,236 --> 01:03:45,362
when the planets
are in this alignment."
1176
01:03:45,447 --> 01:03:47,239
So, it was a very interesting
piece of technology
1177
01:03:47,365 --> 01:03:51,994
that literally
had more complicated gears
1178
01:03:52,078 --> 01:03:54,997
and inner workings
than a modern-day Swiss watch.
1179
01:03:55,081 --> 01:03:58,250
And it's found to be dated,
I think, like, 200 BC.
1180
01:03:58,251 --> 01:04:01,337
So, it's really an anomaly as
to who could've created that
1181
01:04:01,421 --> 01:04:04,256
and what it was being used for.
1182
01:04:07,052 --> 01:04:09,261
When archaeologists
first started
1183
01:04:09,262 --> 01:04:11,347
to examine this thing
in the 1950s,
1184
01:04:11,431 --> 01:04:14,266
they said that they never
could conceive
1185
01:04:14,267 --> 01:04:18,437
of the ancient Greeks having
such complicated machinery.
1186
01:04:18,563 --> 01:04:20,356
And in fact,
they said this was tantamount
1187
01:04:20,440 --> 01:04:24,443
to finding a jet airplane
in the tomb of King Tut.
1188
01:04:34,996 --> 01:04:38,290
NARRATOR: Even older
than the Antikythera mechanism
1189
01:04:38,291 --> 01:04:40,209
are these carvings on a wall
1190
01:04:40,293 --> 01:04:43,837
at the Dendera temple complex
in Egypt.
1191
01:04:43,922 --> 01:04:47,466
To some, the strange designs
look eerily similar
1192
01:04:47,592 --> 01:04:51,220
to objects
very much in use today.
1193
01:04:51,304 --> 01:04:53,097
TSOUKALOS:
In Egypt,
1194
01:04:53,223 --> 01:04:54,306
there is this underground crypt
1195
01:04:54,432 --> 01:04:57,893
at Dendera
that was always secret
1196
01:04:58,019 --> 01:05:02,314
and only the high priests
had access to that crypt.
1197
01:05:02,399 --> 01:05:06,318
It's very hot in there,
very narrow, low ceiling,
1198
01:05:06,319 --> 01:05:09,446
and on the walls,
you have these reliefs
1199
01:05:09,531 --> 01:05:15,160
of what looks like
ancient light bulbs.
1200
01:05:15,287 --> 01:05:18,664
Because we have
to question one thing:
1201
01:05:18,748 --> 01:05:23,961
How did the ancient Egyptians
light the inside of their tombs?
1202
01:05:26,298 --> 01:05:29,842
NARRATOR: According to most
mainstream archeologists,
1203
01:05:29,926 --> 01:05:32,344
torches were used
by the ancient Egyptians
1204
01:05:32,345 --> 01:05:36,265
to light the pitch-black
chambers of tombs and temples.
1205
01:05:36,349 --> 01:05:38,309
Yet nowhere on the ceilings
1206
01:05:38,351 --> 01:05:40,311
is there even
the slightest evidence
1207
01:05:40,353 --> 01:05:42,938
of soot or smoke residue.
1208
01:05:43,064 --> 01:05:46,108
But if torches weren't used,
1209
01:05:46,192 --> 01:05:48,777
how else could
these ancient rooms and hallways
1210
01:05:48,903 --> 01:05:51,155
have been illuminated?
1211
01:05:55,368 --> 01:05:57,578
Another theory
that was proposed
1212
01:05:57,704 --> 01:06:01,874
is that the light was directed
from outside by copper mirrors.
1213
01:06:01,958 --> 01:06:06,086
And then there was light.
1214
01:06:06,171 --> 01:06:08,922
RICK:
Hey,that is a neat trick!
1215
01:06:09,007 --> 01:06:10,883
And they've actually tried
to recreate that theory,
1216
01:06:10,967 --> 01:06:12,343
but unfortunately, they failed
1217
01:06:12,385 --> 01:06:15,763
because only after
a few corners,
1218
01:06:15,889 --> 01:06:17,681
the sunlight dissipated
1219
01:06:17,766 --> 01:06:21,101
because the copper mirrors
were too weak.
1220
01:06:24,773 --> 01:06:30,402
Also, there isn't enough oxygen
inside those tombs
1221
01:06:30,528 --> 01:06:35,407
with which to support or feed
a flame of a torch.
1222
01:06:35,408 --> 01:06:38,410
I was once inside
the King's Chamber
1223
01:06:38,495 --> 01:06:40,996
inside the Pyramid of Giza,
1224
01:06:41,122 --> 01:06:43,165
and somebody turned off
the lights,
1225
01:06:43,249 --> 01:06:45,793
and immediately
we were in pitch darkness.
1226
01:06:45,919 --> 01:06:48,003
And I said, "No problem,
1227
01:06:48,129 --> 01:06:50,214
I'll just take out my lighter
from my satchel."
1228
01:06:50,340 --> 01:06:54,009
And I turned on the lighter,
and it didn't work.
1229
01:06:54,135 --> 01:06:57,429
So how were the insides
of their temples lit?
1230
01:06:57,430 --> 01:07:00,224
I mean,
the only remaining solution
1231
01:07:00,350 --> 01:07:04,019
is by some sort
of an artificial light source.
1232
01:07:04,145 --> 01:07:08,732
And that is,
for example, a light bulb.
1233
01:07:08,817 --> 01:07:12,444
So at the underground crypt
at Dendera,
1234
01:07:12,445 --> 01:07:16,448
we find reliefs
of such light bulbs.
1235
01:07:18,284 --> 01:07:22,037
CHILDRESS: Egyptologists'
explanation of this,
1236
01:07:22,163 --> 01:07:23,872
and they have to have
some explanation--
1237
01:07:23,998 --> 01:07:25,457
there's got to be one.
1238
01:07:25,458 --> 01:07:27,084
It has to be pretty mundane.
1239
01:07:27,210 --> 01:07:28,961
It can't be
that it's an electrical device.
1240
01:07:29,045 --> 01:07:34,258
Their explanation is that
it is a lotus flower.
1241
01:07:34,384 --> 01:07:38,303
And what appears to be a bulb
1242
01:07:38,430 --> 01:07:41,640
around is the aroma
of the lotus flower.
1243
01:07:41,766 --> 01:07:45,477
And so it's just a very odd
depiction of a flower.
1244
01:07:45,603 --> 01:07:47,312
But another explanation,
of course,
1245
01:07:47,439 --> 01:07:50,774
would be they actually
had electrical lights.
1246
01:07:50,859 --> 01:07:53,485
NARRATOR:
But if the ancient Egyptians
1247
01:07:53,486 --> 01:07:56,113
had used some kind
of electric light
1248
01:07:56,239 --> 01:07:58,031
to illuminate
their passageways,
1249
01:07:58,116 --> 01:07:59,908
why does
the visual evidence exist
1250
01:08:00,034 --> 01:08:02,077
only in the temple at Dendera?
1251
01:08:02,203 --> 01:08:06,874
In Egypt, you had different
areas of specialty.
1252
01:08:07,000 --> 01:08:10,794
And Dendera was the area
1253
01:08:10,879 --> 01:08:17,050
where the knowledge of the
light-giving source was kept.
1254
01:08:17,135 --> 01:08:22,306
And this secret knowledge
was kept by the high priests.
1255
01:08:22,432 --> 01:08:25,267
They're the only ones
who were privy
1256
01:08:25,351 --> 01:08:26,685
to this type of information
1257
01:08:26,811 --> 01:08:31,523
because Dendera
was the special place
1258
01:08:31,524 --> 01:08:37,821
where this specific knowledge
was guarded and kept.
1259
01:08:37,906 --> 01:08:39,615
The scientific community
is not saying,
1260
01:08:39,699 --> 01:08:40,908
"Oh, there are
no extraterrestrials"
1261
01:08:41,034 --> 01:08:42,534
or "They never did it."
1262
01:08:42,535 --> 01:08:44,119
They are judging whether or not
1263
01:08:44,245 --> 01:08:45,537
this is
a valid scientific theory.
1264
01:08:45,538 --> 01:08:46,914
And what do I mean by that?
1265
01:08:47,040 --> 01:08:48,874
For something to be
a scientific theory,
1266
01:08:48,958 --> 01:08:50,542
it really needs to be something
1267
01:08:50,543 --> 01:08:52,836
you can test
with a obvious experiment.
1268
01:08:52,921 --> 01:08:55,130
NARRATOR: But how could
the ancient Egyptians
1269
01:08:55,256 --> 01:08:58,300
have used anything resembling
a modern-day light bulb
1270
01:08:58,384 --> 01:09:00,552
without access to electricity?
1271
01:09:00,553 --> 01:09:02,721
After all, electricity wouldn't
1272
01:09:02,847 --> 01:09:05,265
be discovered
for thousands of years.
1273
01:09:05,350 --> 01:09:08,310
That is, of course,
with the exception
1274
01:09:08,394 --> 01:09:11,188
of what scientists
call "The Baghdad Battery."
1275
01:09:11,314 --> 01:09:14,858
MARTELL: The Baghdad Battery
was discovered in ancient Iraq.
1276
01:09:14,943 --> 01:09:16,568
Scholars today say
there's no way
1277
01:09:16,694 --> 01:09:19,571
that ancient man was using
electricity or light bulbs.
1278
01:09:19,572 --> 01:09:20,948
So, they look at this
Baghdad Battery,
1279
01:09:21,074 --> 01:09:23,492
and there's about
a dozen of them
1280
01:09:23,576 --> 01:09:26,119
that have been found in Iraq,
and the only mainstream theory
1281
01:09:26,204 --> 01:09:28,580
is that they were using it
for electroplating jewelry.
1282
01:09:28,581 --> 01:09:32,501
NARRATOR: Two major proponents
of ancient alien theory,
1283
01:09:32,585 --> 01:09:35,879
Jason Martell
and Giorgio Tsoukalos,
1284
01:09:35,964 --> 01:09:38,590
demonstrate
just how the Baghdad Battery
1285
01:09:38,591 --> 01:09:40,592
could generate electricity,
1286
01:09:40,677 --> 01:09:44,012
using a modern mock-up
of the device.
1287
01:09:44,138 --> 01:09:45,764
Basically,
this is made out of a clay pot.
1288
01:09:45,890 --> 01:09:48,767
Clay just found naturally
in that region in southern Iraq.
1289
01:09:48,893 --> 01:09:51,603
And then they would use
a small copper lining
1290
01:09:51,688 --> 01:09:54,690
and something along the lines
of an asphalt stopper
1291
01:09:54,774 --> 01:09:56,567
wrapped around an iron rod.
1292
01:09:56,609 --> 01:09:58,944
And these all applied together
1293
01:09:59,028 --> 01:10:01,029
in the combination
of some weak acidic acid,
1294
01:10:01,155 --> 01:10:03,782
1295
01:10:03,908 --> 01:10:06,451
wine, would be able
to generate a charge
1296
01:10:06,578 --> 01:10:09,621
by combining these elements with
the iron rod and the copper.
1297
01:10:09,747 --> 01:10:11,331
And the combination of that
1298
01:10:11,416 --> 01:10:13,625
creates an abundance
of electricity.
1299
01:10:13,626 --> 01:10:15,627
So what we're gonna do
is basically
1300
01:10:15,628 --> 01:10:18,046
just fill the clay pot
with some orange juice here.
1301
01:10:18,172 --> 01:10:20,048
-I'll try not to spill it
too much. -Okay.
1302
01:10:20,174 --> 01:10:22,634
And then we'll go ahead and put
the copper rod back in there.
1303
01:10:22,719 --> 01:10:24,636
Copper and iron rod.
1304
01:10:24,637 --> 01:10:27,806
We'll give it a moment to kind
of fill that copper area there.
1305
01:10:27,932 --> 01:10:29,850
And then by turning on
the voltmeter,
1306
01:10:29,976 --> 01:10:32,603
and applying this
to each side,
1307
01:10:32,645 --> 01:10:35,647
we should be able
to generate a charge.
1308
01:10:37,191 --> 01:10:39,484
And there it goes
into the positive.
1309
01:10:39,611 --> 01:10:41,653
TSOUKALOS:
Mm-hmm.
1310
01:10:41,654 --> 01:10:43,238
MARTELL:
And if we give it some time
1311
01:10:43,364 --> 01:10:45,490
to get the electrolytes
really buzzing in there,
1312
01:10:45,617 --> 01:10:48,869
you'll see that this volt
will actually continue to rise.
1313
01:10:48,995 --> 01:10:51,622
NARRATOR: But while some
see the Baghdad Battery
1314
01:10:51,664 --> 01:10:54,249
as evidence
that man was sparked on
1315
01:10:54,375 --> 01:10:56,585
by extraterrestrial wisdom,
1316
01:10:56,669 --> 01:10:59,588
others look at it
and simply say "So what?"
1317
01:10:59,672 --> 01:11:01,381
DR. MICHAEL SHERMER:
You could take
1318
01:11:01,466 --> 01:11:03,675
some ancient technology,
like the Baghdad Battery,
1319
01:11:03,676 --> 01:11:06,678
which probably was used for
something like metal plating
1320
01:11:06,679 --> 01:11:08,764
in which
you just mix chemicals,
1321
01:11:08,848 --> 01:11:10,641
and it has certain
chemical reactions to it
1322
01:11:10,683 --> 01:11:12,768
that they're using
for this reason,
1323
01:11:12,852 --> 01:11:15,270
and we can take and put
a voltmeter on it and go,
1324
01:11:15,396 --> 01:11:16,813
"Oh, look, we're able to get
a reading out of it."
1325
01:11:16,898 --> 01:11:18,315
Well, so what?
1326
01:11:18,441 --> 01:11:20,859
Um, that's just
a chemical reaction.
1327
01:11:20,985 --> 01:11:23,654
If they were using it,
say, this battery
1328
01:11:23,696 --> 01:11:27,282
to operate other machines,
where are the other machines?
1329
01:11:27,408 --> 01:11:29,993
If they were sending
the electricity down wires,
1330
01:11:30,078 --> 01:11:31,536
where are all the wires
1331
01:11:31,663 --> 01:11:33,538
that would have been
all over the culture?
1332
01:11:33,665 --> 01:11:36,708
In other words, it's not likely
a one-off invention like that
1333
01:11:36,793 --> 01:11:39,920
is going to survive without
all the other inventions
1334
01:11:40,046 --> 01:11:43,215
that would have been there
at the same time.
1335
01:11:43,299 --> 01:11:44,508
It is a battery.
1336
01:11:44,634 --> 01:11:46,051
Everybody agrees with that.
1337
01:11:46,135 --> 01:11:49,262
But nobody knows why they made
it and how they made it.
1338
01:11:49,347 --> 01:11:51,223
What mind would think of that?
1339
01:11:51,307 --> 01:11:55,477
You know, electrical current
back several thousand years ago?
1340
01:11:55,561 --> 01:11:58,313
It's very strange,
but it's clearly a battery.
1341
01:11:58,439 --> 01:12:01,233
CHILDRESS: The whole idea
that ancient civilizations
1342
01:12:01,317 --> 01:12:03,568
actually had knowledge
of electricity
1343
01:12:03,695 --> 01:12:05,570
and used electricity
1344
01:12:05,697 --> 01:12:08,740
is an accepted
archeological fact today.
1345
01:12:08,741 --> 01:12:11,243
Just like in our own
civilization
1346
01:12:11,327 --> 01:12:13,036
where about 200 years ago,
1347
01:12:13,121 --> 01:12:15,497
Benjamin Franklin
and other scientists
1348
01:12:15,581 --> 01:12:18,750
began experimenting
with simple electrical devices,
1349
01:12:18,751 --> 01:12:23,505
we now have evidence
that over 3,000 years ago,
1350
01:12:23,589 --> 01:12:27,259
people were also experimenting
with electrical devices.
1351
01:12:27,343 --> 01:12:28,927
Where might it have led them?
1352
01:12:29,053 --> 01:12:30,721
What other electrical devices
1353
01:12:30,763 --> 01:12:32,764
would they
have been able to create?
1354
01:12:35,476 --> 01:12:40,105
I believe they probably created
all kinds of electrical devices.
1355
01:12:40,189 --> 01:12:41,773
NARRATOR:
Tombs...
1356
01:12:41,774 --> 01:12:42,941
temples...
1357
01:12:43,067 --> 01:12:44,776
ancient light bulbs...
1358
01:12:44,777 --> 01:12:46,361
even electricity.
1359
01:12:46,487 --> 01:12:48,780
Here on Earth exists evidence
1360
01:12:48,781 --> 01:12:51,616
of architectural
and technological wonders,
1361
01:12:51,743 --> 01:12:55,287
centuries before
we ever believed them possible.
1362
01:12:55,371 --> 01:12:59,291
But if evidence of ancient
astronauts exists here on Earth,
1363
01:12:59,375 --> 01:13:01,877
what about elsewhere?
1364
01:13:01,961 --> 01:13:03,962
Might we find
what we are looking for
1365
01:13:04,088 --> 01:13:07,549
by looking in the sky?
1366
01:13:12,138 --> 01:13:16,433
NARRATOR: Here at the ancient
city of Teotihuacán in Mexico,
1367
01:13:16,559 --> 01:13:19,770
evidence suggests
that ancient cultures possessed
1368
01:13:19,812 --> 01:13:21,772
an incredibly
accurate knowledge
1369
01:13:21,814 --> 01:13:24,816
of our neighboring planets.
1370
01:13:24,817 --> 01:13:27,110
Some scholars
have even interpreted
1371
01:13:27,195 --> 01:13:30,238
the number and orientation
of its pyramids
1372
01:13:30,364 --> 01:13:35,452
to perfectly reflect a model
of our own solar system.
1373
01:13:35,578 --> 01:13:38,955
TSOUKALOS: Along
the Avenue De Los Muertos,
1374
01:13:39,040 --> 01:13:44,002
the "Avenue of the Dead,"
the pyramids there align
1375
01:13:44,128 --> 01:13:47,672
in perfect distance
of each of the orbits
1376
01:13:47,799 --> 01:13:52,677
of our planets
in our solar system.
1377
01:13:56,349 --> 01:13:58,809
NARRATOR:
Perhaps significant is the fact
1378
01:13:58,851 --> 01:14:01,853
that the large
Pyramid of the Sun is positioned
1379
01:14:01,854 --> 01:14:04,272
at the center
of the other structures,
1380
01:14:04,398 --> 01:14:06,858
reflecting the fact
that the Sun
1381
01:14:06,859 --> 01:14:09,236
is at the center
of our solar system
1382
01:14:09,362 --> 01:14:13,198
and that the planets
revolve around it.
1383
01:14:13,282 --> 01:14:15,700
It was a known fact
back then already
1384
01:14:15,827 --> 01:14:19,162
that the Sun was at the center
of our solar system,
1385
01:14:19,247 --> 01:14:25,877
which "Western science" didn't
find out until much, much later.
1386
01:14:28,005 --> 01:14:31,883
NARRATOR: But just how could
Teotihuacán's designers
1387
01:14:31,884 --> 01:14:35,887
have known so early on that
the planets in our solar system
1388
01:14:35,888 --> 01:14:38,640
revolved around the Sun?
1389
01:14:38,724 --> 01:14:41,726
Didn't that take
many more centuries
1390
01:14:41,853 --> 01:14:47,023
of scientific progress
and investigation to figure out?
1391
01:14:47,108 --> 01:14:50,485
Interestingly enough,
debunkers will say,
1392
01:14:50,611 --> 01:14:52,654
"Oh, this is just coincidence
1393
01:14:52,738 --> 01:14:55,907
"that these pyramids are aligned
1394
01:14:55,908 --> 01:14:59,244
with the planets
of our solar system."
1395
01:14:59,328 --> 01:15:03,999
But if we go on the other side
of the planet to Stonehenge,
1396
01:15:04,083 --> 01:15:06,501
we have another ancient site
1397
01:15:06,627 --> 01:15:09,921
which is way older, by the way,
than Teotihuacán.
1398
01:15:09,922 --> 01:15:15,260
Where if you look at Stonehenge
from a bird's-eye view,
1399
01:15:15,344 --> 01:15:19,222
you see that these are
all concentric circles.
1400
01:15:19,307 --> 01:15:23,935
And each of these circles
corresponds exactly
1401
01:15:23,936 --> 01:15:30,734
with the orbit of all of our
planets in our solar system.
1402
01:15:30,860 --> 01:15:35,947
So we have two places on Earth
where we have the same thing.
1403
01:15:38,951 --> 01:15:40,911
NARRATOR:
In recent years,
1404
01:15:40,953 --> 01:15:42,954
Stonehenge
has also been interpreted
1405
01:15:43,080 --> 01:15:44,706
by some archaeologists
1406
01:15:44,790 --> 01:15:47,125
to be a kind of
astronomical calendar,
1407
01:15:47,251 --> 01:15:50,170
one which could be used
to calculate events
1408
01:15:50,296 --> 01:15:51,963
such as solar eclipses.
1409
01:15:52,048 --> 01:15:56,509
But if that were true, whoever
aligned these massive stones
1410
01:15:56,594 --> 01:15:58,345
on the barren English landscape
1411
01:15:58,471 --> 01:16:01,598
would have to have had precise
astronomical knowledge
1412
01:16:01,724 --> 01:16:04,601
of the path of the Sun.
1413
01:16:12,068 --> 01:16:15,111
Built between the seventh
and ninth centuries,
1414
01:16:15,196 --> 01:16:19,282
the stone temples of Tikal
tower more than 200 feet
1415
01:16:19,367 --> 01:16:22,577
above the Guatemalan
rain forest.
1416
01:16:22,703 --> 01:16:26,998
Tikal is home to one
of the largest excavation sites
1417
01:16:26,999 --> 01:16:30,001
in the world, one where
thousands of structures
1418
01:16:30,086 --> 01:16:32,629
still remain buried
beneath the jungle.
1419
01:16:32,755 --> 01:16:34,339
According to most scientists,
1420
01:16:34,423 --> 01:16:37,175
Tikal's pyramids played
an essential part
1421
01:16:37,301 --> 01:16:39,970
in helping the Mayans
devise their calendar.
1422
01:16:42,181 --> 01:16:44,015
By aligning the sightlines
1423
01:16:44,100 --> 01:16:46,351
between the highest points
of the structures,
1424
01:16:46,435 --> 01:16:48,937
ancient astronomers
could pinpoint
1425
01:16:49,021 --> 01:16:50,981
the most important dates
of the year,
1426
01:16:51,023 --> 01:16:54,859
such as an upcoming
equinox or solstice.
1427
01:16:56,862 --> 01:17:00,365
But what also excites
ancient astronaut theorists
1428
01:17:00,449 --> 01:17:04,411
is how perfectly
the layout of Tikal's pyramids
1429
01:17:04,537 --> 01:17:06,121
correlate to the star map
1430
01:17:06,205 --> 01:17:09,374
of the Pleiades-Orion region
of the sky.
1431
01:17:09,458 --> 01:17:11,751
An overhead view
of the structures
1432
01:17:11,836 --> 01:17:16,006
almost exactly mirrors the
alignment of the constellation.
1433
01:17:16,048 --> 01:17:19,342
This same outline
has been spotted
1434
01:17:19,427 --> 01:17:22,178
in an area far from Tikal...
1435
01:17:22,263 --> 01:17:24,639
much, much farther.
1436
01:17:24,765 --> 01:17:28,893
Recently discovered on Mars
is a cluster of landforms
1437
01:17:29,020 --> 01:17:31,855
that offers
a near-perfect replication
1438
01:17:31,981 --> 01:17:34,607
of the pyramid pattern of Tikal.
1439
01:17:34,692 --> 01:17:39,696
Three distinct locations,
one unique pattern.
1440
01:17:39,822 --> 01:17:42,073
Coincidence...
1441
01:17:42,074 --> 01:17:44,075
or design?
1442
01:17:45,786 --> 01:17:49,414
TSOUKALOS: At Tikal,
the legends and the mythologies
1443
01:17:49,498 --> 01:17:57,088
that we have all speak of a time
when the gods intermingled
1444
01:17:57,089 --> 01:18:00,425
and interconnected
with our ancestors.
1445
01:18:00,509 --> 01:18:05,847
So Tikal also was built
as a message
1446
01:18:05,931 --> 01:18:10,852
for future generations to see
that a long, long time ago,
1447
01:18:10,936 --> 01:18:14,105
we were visited
by extraterrestrials.
1448
01:18:14,106 --> 01:18:16,816
Someone who had seen this
had to have actually
1449
01:18:16,901 --> 01:18:18,318
relayed the information to them
1450
01:18:18,444 --> 01:18:20,111
because they couldn't
have just guessed.
1451
01:18:20,112 --> 01:18:22,197
So it really starts
to raise the question
1452
01:18:22,281 --> 01:18:24,407
of saying
this ancient astronaut theory
1453
01:18:24,492 --> 01:18:27,619
really needs to have more light
shed on the topic.
1454
01:18:30,873 --> 01:18:32,957
DR. SARA SEAGER:
It's certainly possible
1455
01:18:33,084 --> 01:18:35,210
that the ancient people
not only measured
1456
01:18:35,294 --> 01:18:38,463
all of these astronomy events,
1457
01:18:38,547 --> 01:18:40,548
but were able to come up with
a mathematical theory
1458
01:18:40,674 --> 01:18:43,551
to put them together,
and then to predict new things.
1459
01:18:43,677 --> 01:18:48,890
We shouldn't think that the
ancient people were dummies.
1460
01:18:48,974 --> 01:18:50,975
Early man,
people in ancient times
1461
01:18:51,102 --> 01:18:54,145
didn't have dashboard-mounted
GPS units.
1462
01:18:55,523 --> 01:18:59,359
They had the path of the Sun
through the sky,
1463
01:18:59,485 --> 01:19:01,903
the path of of the Moon
through the sky.
1464
01:19:01,987 --> 01:19:04,155
They could see
the stars at night.
1465
01:19:04,281 --> 01:19:08,159
These were permanent fixtures
that they could navigate from.
1466
01:19:08,160 --> 01:19:13,164
So it's not surprising at all
that almost every culture
1467
01:19:13,249 --> 01:19:16,334
recorded astronomical
phenomenon.
1468
01:19:16,460 --> 01:19:18,169
SEAGER:
We never look up at the sky
1469
01:19:18,295 --> 01:19:20,004
and enjoy the beauty of it.
1470
01:19:20,131 --> 01:19:23,133
Ancient people would not have
been able to avoid
1471
01:19:23,175 --> 01:19:24,717
looking at the sky.
1472
01:19:24,802 --> 01:19:27,554
With no electricity,
the skies would be so dark
1473
01:19:27,680 --> 01:19:29,347
and the stars
would be so bright.
1474
01:19:29,473 --> 01:19:33,268
Not only that, but they relied
on the sky for directions,
1475
01:19:33,352 --> 01:19:37,772
for seasons in which to plant
and for a variety of things.
1476
01:19:37,898 --> 01:19:42,902
Today, with our GPS units
and navigation systems
1477
01:19:42,987 --> 01:19:47,031
and computers, we don't need
to look at the sky.
1478
01:19:47,158 --> 01:19:50,577
TSOUKALOS: I want to be
very clear about one thing.
1479
01:19:50,703 --> 01:19:55,290
That our ancestors were
as smart as we are today.
1480
01:19:55,374 --> 01:19:58,918
However, I don't believe
that ancient astronauts
1481
01:19:59,003 --> 01:20:01,212
visited the Earth
in the remote past.
1482
01:20:01,213 --> 01:20:02,714
I am convinced of it
1483
01:20:02,798 --> 01:20:06,176
because of all
the countless indications
1484
01:20:06,218 --> 01:20:09,846
and pieces of evidence
that we can find
1485
01:20:09,972 --> 01:20:12,932
from all around the world
in different ancient cultures,
1486
01:20:13,017 --> 01:20:15,602
in different
mythologies and legends.
1487
01:20:15,728 --> 01:20:21,774
I know it happened because
if you look at all the pieces,
1488
01:20:21,859 --> 01:20:26,196
it's the only conclusion
that you can draw.
1489
01:20:26,238 --> 01:20:29,449
NARRATOR: But just why
were ancient peoples
1490
01:20:29,575 --> 01:20:33,369
so focused on the sky and the
stars in the first place?
1491
01:20:33,454 --> 01:20:36,831
Were they waiting
for something to happen?
1492
01:20:36,957 --> 01:20:39,542
Or perhaps for something...
1493
01:20:39,627 --> 01:20:42,629
or someone to return?
1494
01:20:50,179 --> 01:20:53,223
NARRATOR:
Four decades may have passed,
1495
01:20:53,265 --> 01:20:55,892
but the ideas put forth
by Erich von Däniken
1496
01:20:56,018 --> 01:20:59,062
are still captivating
his followers
1497
01:20:59,188 --> 01:21:02,106
and frustrating his skeptics
to this day.
1498
01:21:02,233 --> 01:21:06,110
Like an Old Testament prophet
or an ancient shaman,
1499
01:21:06,237 --> 01:21:07,987
the author is still out there,
1500
01:21:08,072 --> 01:21:10,615
spreading
his firmly held message,
1501
01:21:10,699 --> 01:21:12,283
that we are not alone.
1502
01:21:26,382 --> 01:21:29,217
NARRATOR: But while the proof
of von Däniken's theories
1503
01:21:29,301 --> 01:21:33,388
may be debatable,
their influence on movies,
1504
01:21:33,472 --> 01:21:36,307
TV series,
1505
01:21:36,308 --> 01:21:40,311
and even radio programs
is undeniable.
1506
01:21:40,437 --> 01:21:42,647
GRILLO-MARXUACH: It's a
tremendous lightning rod
1507
01:21:42,731 --> 01:21:45,108
for fiction
and for fictional storytelling.
1508
01:21:45,234 --> 01:21:47,694
The classic Battlestar
Galactica series
1509
01:21:47,820 --> 01:21:49,279
started with a narration
that said,
1510
01:21:49,321 --> 01:21:51,322
"There are those who believe
that life here
1511
01:21:51,323 --> 01:21:53,116
"began out there
with tribes of humans
1512
01:21:53,242 --> 01:21:54,659
"far across the universe
1513
01:21:54,743 --> 01:21:56,119
"that may have been the
forefathers of the Egyptians
1514
01:21:56,245 --> 01:21:57,704
and the Toltecs and the Mayans."
1515
01:21:57,830 --> 01:21:59,330
You know, that's straight out
of von Däniken,
1516
01:21:59,415 --> 01:22:01,165
as in that kind of belief,
you know?
1517
01:22:01,292 --> 01:22:02,834
It puts us in contact
1518
01:22:02,918 --> 01:22:04,669
with an idea
of a mythological intelligence.
1519
01:22:04,753 --> 01:22:06,337
And that is one of the things
1520
01:22:06,338 --> 01:22:08,673
that we as human beings
crave desperately,
1521
01:22:08,757 --> 01:22:10,425
is to know that
we're not alone in the world,
1522
01:22:10,509 --> 01:22:12,343
and that somebody else
out there
1523
01:22:12,344 --> 01:22:14,345
is either looking after us
or coming to fight for us,
1524
01:22:14,430 --> 01:22:18,850
and that will unite us
against a common enemy.
1525
01:22:20,894 --> 01:22:23,271
WOMAN: I was reading,
uh, a lot of books
1526
01:22:23,355 --> 01:22:25,148
from Eric von Däniken.
1527
01:22:25,274 --> 01:22:31,154
And I can imagine that's true,
what he wrote in his books.
1528
01:22:31,280 --> 01:22:35,366
And so, I can imagine this, that
we had, uh, help from aliens.
1529
01:22:35,451 --> 01:22:39,203
But I don't know.
I'm not sure.
1530
01:22:39,330 --> 01:22:41,914
EMILY GAUD: We only know
so much in this world,
1531
01:22:41,999 --> 01:22:43,916
and what we do know
is so limited.
1532
01:22:44,001 --> 01:22:46,753
And every day, we're finding
more that require us to ask
1533
01:22:46,879 --> 01:22:49,339
more questions and bigger
questions and think bigger.
1534
01:22:49,381 --> 01:22:52,759
It's possible that something
from another planet came,
1535
01:22:52,885 --> 01:22:55,511
some other life-form, um,
intelligent life-form
1536
01:22:55,596 --> 01:22:57,305
came and did this.
1537
01:22:59,391 --> 01:23:00,767
GREGORY SANDERS:
I mean, who knows?
1538
01:23:00,893 --> 01:23:02,393
It could be because, uh,
1539
01:23:02,394 --> 01:23:04,771
the origins of many things
are lost in antiquity.
1540
01:23:04,897 --> 01:23:07,940
All we have are remnants
and shreds of evidence
1541
01:23:08,025 --> 01:23:10,360
to suggest
what might have happened.
1542
01:23:10,402 --> 01:23:12,487
LINDSAY CONROY: If someone
told me that it was proven
1543
01:23:12,571 --> 01:23:16,616
that aliens had a part in this,
I wouldn't be that surprised.
1544
01:23:16,742 --> 01:23:18,701
Why not?
1545
01:23:20,412 --> 01:23:22,413
TODD DISOTELL: To be honest,
ancient astronaut theory
1546
01:23:22,414 --> 01:23:27,418
has never cropped up in a
discussion with my colleagues.
1547
01:23:27,419 --> 01:23:30,797
I don't care how many pints
into it we've been,
1548
01:23:30,923 --> 01:23:34,384
we have never discussed
ancient astronaut theory
1549
01:23:34,426 --> 01:23:36,928
in any credible way whatsoever.
1550
01:23:37,012 --> 01:23:38,429
CHILDRESS:
One of the good things
1551
01:23:38,555 --> 01:23:40,723
about ancient astronaut theory
1552
01:23:40,808 --> 01:23:42,433
is that it makes us think.
1553
01:23:42,559 --> 01:23:45,770
It brings out
the "What about this?
1554
01:23:45,854 --> 01:23:47,438
What about that?"
1555
01:23:47,439 --> 01:23:49,399
We need explanations
for all these things.
1556
01:23:49,441 --> 01:23:51,567
And I think
that one of the main reasons
1557
01:23:51,652 --> 01:23:56,447
why mainstream archaeologists
get a real knee-jerk reaction
1558
01:23:56,448 --> 01:23:58,449
to the ancient astronaut theory
1559
01:23:58,534 --> 01:24:00,451
is that
it's very disturbing to them,
1560
01:24:00,452 --> 01:24:03,871
because they don't have
all the answers.
1561
01:24:03,997 --> 01:24:05,665
NOORY:
Now, some of them may believe
1562
01:24:05,791 --> 01:24:07,875
that life could exist
in the universe,
1563
01:24:08,001 --> 01:24:11,212
but their bottom line is:
"Show me the proof.
1564
01:24:11,296 --> 01:24:13,464
"Show it to me for real.
1565
01:24:13,590 --> 01:24:15,091
"I want to see the spaceship.
1566
01:24:15,217 --> 01:24:17,427
"I want to see something
concrete,
1567
01:24:17,469 --> 01:24:19,554
"not just a few pictures
that everybody can
1568
01:24:19,638 --> 01:24:23,224
interpret as being
this or that."
1569
01:24:26,770 --> 01:24:28,438
NARRATOR:
Farfetched.
1570
01:24:28,480 --> 01:24:29,772
Ridiculous.
1571
01:24:29,857 --> 01:24:31,482
Insane.
1572
01:24:31,483 --> 01:24:35,445
Ancient aliens visiting Earth
centuries ago,
1573
01:24:35,487 --> 01:24:39,073
building monuments,
influencing scripture?
1574
01:24:39,199 --> 01:24:43,453
But what if it all turned out
to be true?
1575
01:24:43,495 --> 01:24:47,874
What would happen if just one
piece of evidence turned up--
1576
01:24:48,000 --> 01:24:51,836
one stone, one key--
that proved that von Däniken
1577
01:24:51,920 --> 01:24:54,589
had been right all along?
1578
01:24:54,673 --> 01:24:59,510
And if he is right, what does
that suggest about our future?
1579
01:24:59,511 --> 01:25:02,847
If alien visitors
had come here before...
1580
01:25:02,931 --> 01:25:05,516
would they come again?
1581
01:25:09,313 --> 01:25:11,939
DENNIN: Even I think
the idea of aliens
1582
01:25:12,065 --> 01:25:14,525
and them visiting us is very
exciting and interesting,
1583
01:25:14,526 --> 01:25:16,944
and it would be really cool
if that happened.
1584
01:25:17,070 --> 01:25:19,280
So it gets people excited
about the question.
1585
01:25:19,364 --> 01:25:21,157
Maybe they start
thinking about it.
1586
01:25:21,283 --> 01:25:22,909
And like many things,
they might ultimately
1587
01:25:23,035 --> 01:25:24,660
come to thinking about
the physics or the archaeology
1588
01:25:24,745 --> 01:25:27,455
and get involved
in the scientific process.
1589
01:25:27,539 --> 01:25:28,873
So that can be
a positive side effect
1590
01:25:28,957 --> 01:25:31,876
of these theories
and their popularization.
1591
01:25:31,960 --> 01:25:33,544
TSOUKALOS:
If it turns out
1592
01:25:33,670 --> 01:25:37,173
that the ancient astronaut
theory is wrong,
1593
01:25:37,299 --> 01:25:42,553
I will be the first one
to say, "Okay, no problem."
1594
01:25:42,554 --> 01:25:44,514
But so far,
1595
01:25:44,556 --> 01:25:48,976
certain pieces of evidence
have not been debunked.
1596
01:25:56,777 --> 01:25:59,403
SEAGER: If the ancient alien
astronaut theory
1597
01:25:59,530 --> 01:26:01,697
is somehow proven to be true,
1598
01:26:01,782 --> 01:26:05,535
this would be a huge boon
to my work
1599
01:26:05,577 --> 01:26:07,078
and to the search
for other planets like Earth
1600
01:26:07,162 --> 01:26:08,579
with life on them.
1601
01:26:08,580 --> 01:26:11,499
Because if alien astronauts
have visited Earth
1602
01:26:11,583 --> 01:26:14,544
in the distant past,
it means they're pretty nearby.
1603
01:26:14,586 --> 01:26:16,587
And it means that we don't have
to look very far
1604
01:26:16,588 --> 01:26:20,216
to find planets like Earth
with signs of life on them.
1605
01:26:20,342 --> 01:26:25,012
But evidence has to be treated
with a great deal of caution,
1606
01:26:25,138 --> 01:26:27,557
because it has
different meanings.
1607
01:26:27,599 --> 01:26:33,604
I'm not sure what the reaction
of the population will be.
1608
01:26:33,730 --> 01:26:37,692
DOWNING: It will strengthen
the general concept
1609
01:26:37,776 --> 01:26:39,944
that our history of religions
1610
01:26:40,028 --> 01:26:41,946
in the world
needs to be looked at again
1611
01:26:42,030 --> 01:26:44,615
with more respect
and also with more wonder.
1612
01:26:44,616 --> 01:26:47,618
Meaning, what are we supposed
to make of this now?
1613
01:26:47,703 --> 01:26:49,954
And what are we supposed
to be doing with this now?
1614
01:26:50,038 --> 01:26:53,416
DELIO: If science detects
life on Mars,
1615
01:26:53,542 --> 01:26:56,752
if science detects a UFO,
1616
01:26:56,837 --> 01:26:59,630
then we need to take
what science is saying to us
1617
01:26:59,756 --> 01:27:04,218
and begin to rethink
about ourselves on Earth
1618
01:27:04,344 --> 01:27:06,846
in light of the possibility
of new life.
1619
01:27:06,972 --> 01:27:09,640
Does that change
our understanding of God?
1620
01:27:09,725 --> 01:27:12,268
It should,
if anything, broaden it.
1621
01:27:12,394 --> 01:27:15,730
If we do find alien life,
we should rejoice.
1622
01:27:15,814 --> 01:27:17,648
(chuckles)
1623
01:27:17,774 --> 01:27:19,650
NOORY: And honestly,
the way things are going
1624
01:27:19,651 --> 01:27:21,485
on this planet right now,
1625
01:27:21,612 --> 01:27:23,487
I would welcome a visitation
1626
01:27:23,614 --> 01:27:26,073
every once in a while--
a little help.
1627
01:27:26,199 --> 01:27:30,661
1628
01:27:30,662 --> 01:27:34,165
will be accepted
by the mainstream.
1629
01:27:34,249 --> 01:27:38,461
It's maybe a question
of just five or ten years.
1630
01:27:38,587 --> 01:27:41,631
Sooner or later, we will have
contact with someone out there,
1631
01:27:41,673 --> 01:27:45,092
and then the thinking
changes completely.
1632
01:27:45,218 --> 01:27:47,678
And one day, they will return.
1633
01:27:47,679 --> 01:27:50,056
And if you don't listen
to Erich von Däniken,
1634
01:27:50,182 --> 01:27:54,018
you will have
the shock of the gods.131862
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