1 00:00:01,917 --> 00:00:04,750 NARRATOR: Powerful leaders who descended from the stars. 2 00:00:06,542 --> 00:00:10,958 God-like kings guided by celestial forces. 3 00:00:12,042 --> 00:00:14,042 And mythical deities that fathered 4 00:00:14,208 --> 00:00:15,958 royal bloodlines. 5 00:00:18,292 --> 00:00:19,958 For nearly two decades, 6 00:00:20,125 --> 00:00:22,875 Ancient Aliens has traveled the globe 7 00:00:23,042 --> 00:00:25,458 exploring towering megalithic structures, 8 00:00:25,625 --> 00:00:27,500 mysterious artifacts 9 00:00:27,708 --> 00:00:29,375 and stories of 10 00:00:29,542 --> 00:00:31,583 otherworldly beings 11 00:00:31,750 --> 00:00:32,833 in a quest for evidence that might 12 00:00:33,042 --> 00:00:35,500 reveal the truth of our 13 00:00:35,625 --> 00:00:37,375 extraterrestrial origins. 14 00:00:37,542 --> 00:00:40,500 There are some who say that some of 15 00:00:40,667 --> 00:00:41,792 today's kings and queens 16 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:43,500 are direct descendants 17 00:00:43,708 --> 00:00:44,833 of the so-called gods. 18 00:00:45,042 --> 00:00:47,542 NARRATOR: Now, we take a look back through 19 00:00:47,708 --> 00:00:49,667 the Ancient Aliens archives 20 00:00:49,875 --> 00:00:52,250 to the show's very origins 21 00:00:52,375 --> 00:00:56,417 to examine the evidence that we are not alone. 22 00:00:56,625 --> 00:00:59,250 We have never been alone. 23 00:00:59,417 --> 00:01:01,333 ♪ ♪ 24 00:01:06,667 --> 00:01:09,208 The ancient astronaut theory proposes 25 00:01:09,417 --> 00:01:13,333 that extraterrestrials came to Earth thousands of years ago, 26 00:01:13,500 --> 00:01:15,833 essentially to jumpstart civilization. 27 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:17,667 And what's so fascinating to me is that 28 00:01:17,833 --> 00:01:20,792 many of these ancient cultures say that their first 29 00:01:20,958 --> 00:01:22,667 rulers were the gods, 30 00:01:22,833 --> 00:01:25,125 or at least, the descendants 31 00:01:25,292 --> 00:01:27,042 of the so-called gods. 32 00:01:27,208 --> 00:01:30,458 Right, and we see this in Egypt and China 33 00:01:30,583 --> 00:01:33,833 and Japan and Scandinavia, and all over the place. 34 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,000 And you have to wonder, are we seeing this same story 35 00:01:36,208 --> 00:01:38,042 over and over again, 36 00:01:38,167 --> 00:01:40,000 in all of these places because 37 00:01:40,125 --> 00:01:43,000 people are witnessing the same alien visitors, 38 00:01:43,208 --> 00:01:45,208 but misinterpreting them as gods. 39 00:01:45,375 --> 00:01:46,958 Right, and this would fit right in 40 00:01:47,125 --> 00:01:49,792 with the idea of E.T.s jumpstarting civilization 41 00:01:49,875 --> 00:01:51,042 because then they would have been 42 00:01:51,250 --> 00:01:53,000 the first rulers until humans were ready 43 00:01:53,125 --> 00:01:54,500 to take the reins. 44 00:01:54,625 --> 00:01:56,625 And we covered this in a 2010 episode 45 00:01:56,708 --> 00:01:58,458 called "Gods and Aliens." 46 00:02:03,125 --> 00:02:04,833 NARRATOR: Truva, Turkey. 47 00:02:05,042 --> 00:02:08,250 For over 150 years, this small city has been 48 00:02:08,375 --> 00:02:10,000 the center of one of the greatest 49 00:02:10,208 --> 00:02:13,167 archaeological finds in modern history, 50 00:02:13,333 --> 00:02:15,000 the possible discovery 51 00:02:15,167 --> 00:02:17,500 of the legendary city of Troy. 52 00:02:17,708 --> 00:02:19,625 (swords clanging) 53 00:02:21,458 --> 00:02:26,667 In 1868, amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann 54 00:02:26,833 --> 00:02:28,958 set out to find what he believed 55 00:02:29,125 --> 00:02:30,917 was the city that served as the basis 56 00:02:31,083 --> 00:02:33,667 for the Trojan War, as described 57 00:02:33,792 --> 00:02:36,667 in one of the greatest pieces of classical literature, 58 00:02:36,875 --> 00:02:39,875 Homer's epic poem, the Iliad. 59 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,417 Written in the 8th century BC, 60 00:02:44,583 --> 00:02:47,833 Homer's Iliad tells the tale of a great war, 61 00:02:48,042 --> 00:02:51,125 born of feuding and jealous gods. 62 00:02:51,292 --> 00:02:53,500 While most scholars believed the story 63 00:02:53,708 --> 00:02:56,292 of the Trojan War was a work of fiction, 64 00:02:56,417 --> 00:03:01,208 Schliemann was determined to prove the myth was a reality. 65 00:03:03,542 --> 00:03:05,167 RICHARD RADER: Heinrich Schliemann's discoveries rocked 66 00:03:05,292 --> 00:03:07,125 the archaeological world. 67 00:03:07,250 --> 00:03:11,000 Armed with his copy of the Iliad, basically, 68 00:03:11,208 --> 00:03:13,458 he just decided he was gonna find Troy. 69 00:03:13,625 --> 00:03:19,042 And so he went and just dug a big hole, 70 00:03:19,208 --> 00:03:23,292 and when he went, he discovered the real Troy. 71 00:03:32,417 --> 00:03:35,917 NARRATOR: But if Homer's story of Troy was true, 72 00:03:36,083 --> 00:03:39,792 what would it say about other Greek stories and myths? 73 00:03:39,917 --> 00:03:42,833 Might those also be true? 74 00:03:44,375 --> 00:03:48,167 Did powerful gods and goddesses actually exist? 75 00:03:49,375 --> 00:03:53,458 And, if so, where did they come from? 76 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:02,458 Hellas, also known as Greece. 77 00:04:02,625 --> 00:04:06,500 Each day, thousands of tourists visit temples and monuments 78 00:04:06,667 --> 00:04:10,000 built to honor the gods of another age. 79 00:04:10,208 --> 00:04:11,875 The Acropolis. 80 00:04:12,875 --> 00:04:14,708 Delphi. 81 00:04:15,875 --> 00:04:17,708 The Parthenon. 82 00:04:18,750 --> 00:04:20,833 The Temple of Apollo. 83 00:04:21,875 --> 00:04:25,375 These ancient sites reflect a powerful reverence 84 00:04:25,542 --> 00:04:28,167 for beings that supposedly ruled the world 85 00:04:28,333 --> 00:04:30,417 thousands of years ago. 86 00:04:34,042 --> 00:04:37,000 DAVID CHILDRESS: When you look at many of the mythologies 87 00:04:37,167 --> 00:04:40,000 around the world, they have these stories 88 00:04:40,167 --> 00:04:43,375 of gods coming down from the sky. 89 00:04:46,583 --> 00:04:50,125 RADER: There's a beautiful description of the way that the gods move, 90 00:04:50,250 --> 00:04:52,708 like, when they kind of come down to the Earth. 91 00:04:52,875 --> 00:04:54,167 You get the sense of them 92 00:04:54,333 --> 00:04:56,333 gliding down, but the way that they move 93 00:04:56,417 --> 00:05:00,042 is kind of beyond time. It just kind of happens. 94 00:05:00,208 --> 00:05:03,833 NARRATOR: If the ancient Greeks invented the stories of gods 95 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,333 as a primitive attempt to explain their universe, 96 00:05:07,542 --> 00:05:11,333 how can we account for similar deities found in widely 97 00:05:11,542 --> 00:05:14,542 different regions and cultures around the globe? 98 00:05:16,083 --> 00:05:17,875 Was it mere coincidence? 99 00:05:18,042 --> 00:05:21,667 Or was there a common origin for these gods, 100 00:05:21,792 --> 00:05:25,542 who supposedly traveled to Earth from the skies? 101 00:05:32,542 --> 00:05:36,375 JASON MARTELL: The earliest civilization we have, 3800 BC, 102 00:05:36,542 --> 00:05:39,000 the Sumerians actually give us visual descriptions 103 00:05:39,208 --> 00:05:41,500 of these beings and speak of this time 104 00:05:41,667 --> 00:05:43,417 that they lived amongst their living gods. 105 00:05:43,583 --> 00:05:45,375 They called their gods the Anunnaki, 106 00:05:45,542 --> 00:05:47,042 and that term simply meant 107 00:05:47,208 --> 00:05:49,042 "those who from heaven come to Earth." 108 00:05:49,208 --> 00:05:51,292 RADER: Mythology is chock-full 109 00:05:51,458 --> 00:05:54,333 of these episodes of gods coming down to Earth. 110 00:05:54,542 --> 00:05:56,750 I mean, because mythology is so interested 111 00:05:56,875 --> 00:05:58,750 in the relationship between gods and humans, 112 00:05:58,875 --> 00:06:01,458 there is necessarily gonna be a lot of communication 113 00:06:01,625 --> 00:06:03,875 and communion between the two of them. 114 00:06:06,375 --> 00:06:08,500 NARRATOR: In his book, Odyssey of the Gods, 115 00:06:08,667 --> 00:06:12,875 Erich von Däniken argues that the world's sacred books 116 00:06:13,083 --> 00:06:14,667 are full of descriptions, 117 00:06:14,875 --> 00:06:18,000 not of gods, but of supernatural beings 118 00:06:18,167 --> 00:06:21,250 interacting with humans. 119 00:06:21,375 --> 00:06:23,250 ERICH VON DÄNIKEN: Some thousands of years ago, 120 00:06:23,417 --> 00:06:25,583 when our forefathers were still primitive, 121 00:06:25,792 --> 00:06:28,917 some extraterrestrials descended to our planet. 122 00:06:29,042 --> 00:06:33,333 And because of misunderstanding, like of technology, 123 00:06:33,458 --> 00:06:36,833 our forefathers thought that these extraterrestrials 124 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:39,625 must be some gods. 125 00:06:44,042 --> 00:06:45,375 NARRATOR: Mount Olympus. 126 00:06:46,542 --> 00:06:48,750 Greece's highest mountain. 127 00:06:50,250 --> 00:06:51,750 According to ancient myths, 128 00:06:51,917 --> 00:06:55,000 this site was the home of the gods. 129 00:06:57,667 --> 00:07:01,333 It was here, on Mount Olympus, that Zeus sat on his throne 130 00:07:01,458 --> 00:07:04,125 and determined the fate of mortal men. 131 00:07:06,500 --> 00:07:08,917 GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS: Whenever we have references to Mount Olympus, 132 00:07:09,042 --> 00:07:13,792 it is described to be this magnificent palace 133 00:07:13,917 --> 00:07:16,875 on top of Mount Olympus, allegedly. 134 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,833 And the temple walls were always gleaming of gold, 135 00:07:21,042 --> 00:07:22,667 or gleaming with silver, 136 00:07:22,833 --> 00:07:27,000 and a lot of little lights that they described as jewels. 137 00:07:29,708 --> 00:07:33,417 Well, if you look at that from modern perspective, 138 00:07:33,583 --> 00:07:37,708 what if that place, Mount Olympus, 139 00:07:37,875 --> 00:07:40,458 wasn't necessarily the top of a mountain, 140 00:07:40,625 --> 00:07:43,292 but it was, in fact, a spaceship? 141 00:07:43,417 --> 00:07:46,500 Because it is described how, sometimes, 142 00:07:46,667 --> 00:07:49,125 there was a big rumbling with Mount Olympus, 143 00:07:49,250 --> 00:07:52,542 and the entire top lifted off. 144 00:07:54,667 --> 00:07:56,083 NARRATOR: But if Mount Olympus 145 00:07:56,250 --> 00:07:58,000 was home to alien visitors, 146 00:07:58,208 --> 00:08:00,833 could Zeus have been their leader? 147 00:08:02,125 --> 00:08:05,000 According to both the Iliad and the Odyssey, 148 00:08:05,125 --> 00:08:08,792 Zeus was often depicted as wielding a lightning bolt. 149 00:08:10,208 --> 00:08:11,458 MICHAEL CREMO: It appears to be 150 00:08:11,625 --> 00:08:15,167 a very powerful weapon because he could 151 00:08:15,375 --> 00:08:17,708 destroy whole cities 152 00:08:17,875 --> 00:08:20,625 with this thunderbolt weapon of his. 153 00:08:20,792 --> 00:08:22,208 NARRATOR: Similarly, 154 00:08:22,375 --> 00:08:25,250 Zeus's brother Poseidon, the god of the sea, 155 00:08:25,375 --> 00:08:27,625 was armed with a trident. 156 00:08:27,833 --> 00:08:31,667 CREMO: He was able to create tsunamis, 157 00:08:31,833 --> 00:08:34,125 tidal waves, with this weapon. 158 00:08:34,250 --> 00:08:38,125 The trident weapon of Poseidon 159 00:08:38,250 --> 00:08:41,167 seems to have been something more 160 00:08:41,292 --> 00:08:43,917 than just a pitchfork. 161 00:08:44,042 --> 00:08:47,500 TSOUKALOS: So is it possible that the lightning bolt 162 00:08:47,667 --> 00:08:50,958 and the trident is some type 163 00:08:51,125 --> 00:08:52,875 of a direct energy device? 164 00:08:56,917 --> 00:08:58,708 NARRATOR: Arguably, one of the most important 165 00:08:58,875 --> 00:09:01,583 of the Greek gods was Apollo... 166 00:09:02,708 --> 00:09:06,458 ...who rode the skies in his chariot of fire. 167 00:09:06,625 --> 00:09:08,458 VON DÄNIKEN: Apollo, first, was the teacher 168 00:09:08,625 --> 00:09:11,333 of the young Greeks living there. 169 00:09:11,500 --> 00:09:13,125 He teach them 170 00:09:13,208 --> 00:09:17,083 how to make buildings on the mountain, on the hillside. 171 00:09:17,208 --> 00:09:18,625 He teach them how to make roads. 172 00:09:18,792 --> 00:09:20,583 He teach them in astronomy. 173 00:09:23,375 --> 00:09:26,667 NARRATOR: Centuries later, when Rome ruled over Europe 174 00:09:26,875 --> 00:09:30,000 and the Mediterranean, from the 1st century BC 175 00:09:30,208 --> 00:09:32,667 until the 7th century AD, 176 00:09:32,792 --> 00:09:36,208 the Romans paid homage to gods similar to the Greeks. 177 00:09:37,458 --> 00:09:40,542 Zeus was now known as Jupiter. 178 00:09:41,875 --> 00:09:44,542 Poseidon was called Neptune. 179 00:09:46,083 --> 00:09:50,375 But Apollo was known to both the Romans and the Greeks. 180 00:09:50,542 --> 00:09:52,000 Coincidence? 181 00:09:52,167 --> 00:09:55,875 Or, as most ancient astronaut theorists believe, 182 00:09:56,042 --> 00:09:58,667 was it the historical account of powerful beings 183 00:09:58,833 --> 00:10:02,208 that came to Earth thousands of years ago? 184 00:10:02,375 --> 00:10:04,375 (horses neighing) 185 00:10:04,583 --> 00:10:05,958 MARTELL: We know that the extraterrestrials, 186 00:10:06,125 --> 00:10:09,167 more than likely, are the source of what they call "gods." 187 00:10:09,375 --> 00:10:10,667 How did they get here? 188 00:10:10,875 --> 00:10:12,625 More than likely in some type of craft. 189 00:10:14,208 --> 00:10:16,792 PHILIP COPPENS: What we map into our myths and our legends 190 00:10:16,958 --> 00:10:20,083 are incredible stories, incredible events. 191 00:10:20,250 --> 00:10:23,500 And any extraterrestrial being, any ancient alien 192 00:10:23,667 --> 00:10:25,333 who has come here on Earth, 193 00:10:25,458 --> 00:10:27,125 will be written down 194 00:10:27,292 --> 00:10:30,333 into this account because it is such an extraordinary event 195 00:10:30,500 --> 00:10:31,667 that it'll be marked forever. 196 00:10:32,708 --> 00:10:35,167 NARRATOR: But if the stories of Greek and Roman gods 197 00:10:35,375 --> 00:10:37,500 are true, and they were, 198 00:10:37,708 --> 00:10:40,833 in fact, extraterrestrials, does this suggest 199 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:44,958 that aliens once held authority over Earth? 200 00:10:45,917 --> 00:10:48,958 Ancient astronaut theorists say yes, 201 00:10:49,083 --> 00:10:52,708 and suggest further evidence of these otherworldly rulers 202 00:10:52,875 --> 00:10:56,458 can be found within the hieroglyphic inscriptions 203 00:10:56,625 --> 00:10:58,292 of the Maya. 204 00:11:04,917 --> 00:11:06,042 You know, the Maya of Central America are one of the most 205 00:11:06,042 --> 00:11:08,417 successful civilizations in history, 206 00:11:08,542 --> 00:11:09,750 lasting over 2,000 years. 207 00:11:09,958 --> 00:11:12,625 And many of the Mayan rulers 208 00:11:12,792 --> 00:11:14,833 claimed a connection to the gods. 209 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:16,667 One of their most intriguing rulers has to be 210 00:11:16,875 --> 00:11:18,958 King Pakal, who's become famous 211 00:11:19,125 --> 00:11:20,667 for this very curious carving 212 00:11:20,833 --> 00:11:22,375 on the lid of his sarcophagus. 213 00:11:22,542 --> 00:11:25,042 It appears to portray him in the cockpit 214 00:11:25,208 --> 00:11:27,417 -of some sort of a craft. -TSOUKALOS: Oh, absolutely. 215 00:11:27,625 --> 00:11:28,875 When I look at that carving, 216 00:11:29,042 --> 00:11:31,625 what I see is a breathing apparatus, 217 00:11:31,750 --> 00:11:33,792 he's manipulating some controls, 218 00:11:33,958 --> 00:11:35,792 his feet are on pedals, 219 00:11:35,958 --> 00:11:38,500 and it seems to be exhaust flames 220 00:11:38,625 --> 00:11:40,292 at the bottom of the carving. 221 00:11:40,458 --> 00:11:44,333 So, to me, this is King Pakal piloting a spaceship. 222 00:11:47,250 --> 00:11:48,792 NARRATOR: Central America. 223 00:11:51,375 --> 00:11:53,458 Here, in western Honduras, 224 00:11:53,625 --> 00:11:58,333 lie the impressive ruins of the ancient Maya city of Copan. 225 00:12:00,208 --> 00:12:04,167 And though Copan's temples, pyramids and monuments 226 00:12:04,333 --> 00:12:08,625 rank among the most important of any Mayan sites, 227 00:12:08,792 --> 00:12:10,708 researchers looking to explain 228 00:12:10,875 --> 00:12:12,833 the incredible achievements of the Maya 229 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,458 have been drawn to a 72-step structure 230 00:12:16,625 --> 00:12:19,958 known as the Hieroglyphic Stairway. 231 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:22,292 PAYSON SHEETS: The Hieroglyphic Stairway 232 00:12:22,417 --> 00:12:27,208 at Copan was constructed in the early 700s AD... 233 00:12:28,917 --> 00:12:31,375 ...with the intent of writing out the history 234 00:12:31,542 --> 00:12:33,167 of Copan at that time. 235 00:12:34,375 --> 00:12:38,833 And so it was designed as a public monument to the glory 236 00:12:38,958 --> 00:12:41,333 and success of all the kings, 237 00:12:41,542 --> 00:12:42,958 from Yax K'uk' Mo' all the way 238 00:12:43,125 --> 00:12:47,958 to the 13th one who commissioned it to be built. 239 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:52,792 NARRATOR: Carved into 1,200 stones in the massive monument, 240 00:12:52,958 --> 00:12:56,000 the ancient Maya symbols known as glyphs 241 00:12:56,125 --> 00:12:59,292 make up what historians believe is one of the oldest 242 00:12:59,458 --> 00:13:02,417 and most sophisticated systems of writing. 243 00:13:04,750 --> 00:13:06,875 But for centuries, the glyphs found 244 00:13:07,083 --> 00:13:10,375 throughout Mesoamerica were undecipherable. 245 00:13:13,875 --> 00:13:16,667 Then, in 1880, 246 00:13:16,875 --> 00:13:20,333 German librarian and anthropologist Ernst Förstemann 247 00:13:20,500 --> 00:13:22,750 cracked the code. 248 00:13:22,917 --> 00:13:23,833 MARK VON STONE: Ernst Förstemann 249 00:13:23,958 --> 00:13:26,125 was a librarian at Dresden, 250 00:13:26,292 --> 00:13:29,292 and in his desk, he kept one of the four Maya books, 251 00:13:29,458 --> 00:13:30,625 the Dresden Codex. 252 00:13:30,792 --> 00:13:34,333 He was a brilliant mathematician, 253 00:13:34,542 --> 00:13:39,000 and extremely logical and had enormous insights. 254 00:13:39,208 --> 00:13:42,708 And at a time when we couldn't read a single Maya hieroglyph, 255 00:13:42,875 --> 00:13:45,458 he was able to figure out the Maya calligraphy. 256 00:13:48,583 --> 00:13:50,500 ALDANA: Maya hieroglyphic writing is very robust, 257 00:13:50,583 --> 00:13:52,500 and that's because it uses, really, two components. 258 00:13:52,708 --> 00:13:55,750 There are logographs. Logographs are really pictures 259 00:13:55,958 --> 00:13:57,375 that represent entire words, 260 00:13:57,542 --> 00:14:00,375 so "Balaam," for example, which is "jaguar," 261 00:14:00,542 --> 00:14:03,083 could be written with just the head of the jaguar. 262 00:14:03,250 --> 00:14:04,667 On the other, we have these things 263 00:14:04,875 --> 00:14:06,417 that we call phonetic complements. 264 00:14:06,583 --> 00:14:10,792 And these are glyphs, they're images that represent sounds. 265 00:14:12,750 --> 00:14:16,250 NARRATOR: According to interpretations of the Hieroglyphic Stairway, 266 00:14:16,458 --> 00:14:19,125 the glyphs chronicle not only the history, 267 00:14:19,292 --> 00:14:22,958 but also the origin of the ancient Maya rulers. 268 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:25,750 ALDANA: The hieroglyphs are really attached 269 00:14:25,875 --> 00:14:28,833 to what was important to royalty at the time, 270 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:31,833 and that was lineage and the genealogies of the kings. 271 00:14:32,042 --> 00:14:35,000 They went out of their way to demonstrate 272 00:14:35,208 --> 00:14:37,667 how they were connected to their ancestors, 273 00:14:37,792 --> 00:14:40,167 and the gods of their ancestors, 274 00:14:40,292 --> 00:14:42,458 to establish their right to rule. 275 00:14:43,417 --> 00:14:46,625 This is a picture I took of the... of a close-up 276 00:14:46,833 --> 00:14:48,833 of a sculpture 277 00:14:48,958 --> 00:14:52,375 of Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil, 278 00:14:52,542 --> 00:14:55,500 the 13th ruler of Copan. 279 00:14:55,667 --> 00:15:00,167 And he's depicted here on the front in all of his finery. 280 00:15:00,333 --> 00:15:03,833 And then the sculptor put a hieroglyphic passage 281 00:15:03,958 --> 00:15:07,667 on the side we don't think commoners could read, 282 00:15:07,833 --> 00:15:10,167 but all the elites could and the king could. 283 00:15:10,333 --> 00:15:12,917 So he or another elite individual 284 00:15:13,083 --> 00:15:16,167 could come here and impress people 285 00:15:16,375 --> 00:15:20,333 by saying this demonstrates the semi-divinity 286 00:15:20,542 --> 00:15:22,667 of our king and his power 287 00:15:22,833 --> 00:15:25,417 to intercede between us and the heavens. 288 00:15:28,542 --> 00:15:32,000 NARRATOR: But just what was the real source of power and authority 289 00:15:32,208 --> 00:15:34,958 behind the Maya priests and kings? 290 00:15:36,208 --> 00:15:39,208 Do the hieroglyphs reveal an otherworldly truth 291 00:15:39,375 --> 00:15:43,042 to their origin, as the Maya themselves maintain? 292 00:15:44,208 --> 00:15:49,125 Ancient astronaut theorists believe the answer is yes. 293 00:15:50,125 --> 00:15:52,083 TSOUKALOS: What we have to think about today is, 294 00:15:52,292 --> 00:15:55,833 where did the origin of the priesthood come from? 295 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,667 And the origin is nothing else but that they, 296 00:15:59,875 --> 00:16:03,167 the initial cabal of priests, 297 00:16:03,333 --> 00:16:07,125 they were all in contact with extraterrestrials, 298 00:16:07,292 --> 00:16:08,958 and that's why they were revered. 299 00:16:10,042 --> 00:16:12,833 Our ancestors thought they were gods 300 00:16:12,958 --> 00:16:14,250 because they didn't understand 301 00:16:14,417 --> 00:16:18,583 the nuts-and-bolts aspects behind those visits. 302 00:16:18,792 --> 00:16:22,083 But, when it all comes down to it, 303 00:16:22,250 --> 00:16:25,583 it was all a huge misunderstanding 304 00:16:25,750 --> 00:16:30,667 and a way to keep the common people in place. 305 00:16:32,583 --> 00:16:36,000 In the beginning, the first ruler were gods. 306 00:16:36,208 --> 00:16:39,542 Real descendants from the sky, extraterrestrials. 307 00:16:43,167 --> 00:16:46,292 But later, the priests and the rulers 308 00:16:46,458 --> 00:16:49,333 took the names of their ancestors' god. 309 00:16:49,500 --> 00:16:52,167 So they made a secret and the kind of conspiracy 310 00:16:52,333 --> 00:16:55,208 around them because the normal people 311 00:16:55,375 --> 00:16:57,958 should give them offerings, should give them gold, 312 00:16:58,125 --> 00:17:01,000 metal, all kinds of gifts, et cetera, 313 00:17:01,125 --> 00:17:02,625 as they did some centuries before 314 00:17:02,792 --> 00:17:05,000 for the real gods. 315 00:17:05,208 --> 00:17:06,875 So it was a kind of conspiracy 316 00:17:07,042 --> 00:17:09,292 among the priests and among the kings. 317 00:17:10,292 --> 00:17:13,333 Mayan hieroglyphs specifically say that the Mayans 318 00:17:13,542 --> 00:17:16,000 were absolutely convinced about the existence 319 00:17:16,208 --> 00:17:18,833 of otherworldly beings, and that they actually believed 320 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:21,167 that these beings manifested themselves 321 00:17:21,375 --> 00:17:24,708 regularly at preordained moments of time. 322 00:17:26,375 --> 00:17:29,792 NARRATOR: Perhaps further evidence of the Mayan belief 323 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,125 in the existence of extraterrestrial beings 324 00:17:33,250 --> 00:17:37,333 may be found in their daily rituals of human sacrifice. 325 00:17:42,875 --> 00:17:45,167 Scholars believe that blood offerings 326 00:17:45,333 --> 00:17:48,000 were seen as an act of devotion to the Maya rulers, 327 00:17:48,167 --> 00:17:52,083 who were assumed to be descendants of the gods. 328 00:17:52,208 --> 00:17:54,792 We know that the Maya practiced blood sacrifice 329 00:17:54,958 --> 00:17:57,333 because they were still doing it when the Spanish came. 330 00:17:58,875 --> 00:18:01,000 We have images on wall paintings, 331 00:18:01,167 --> 00:18:02,792 on vases, 332 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,042 and in sculptures that show people letting their own blood 333 00:18:06,208 --> 00:18:08,833 -and sacrificing other people. -(man screams) 334 00:18:11,125 --> 00:18:13,750 CHILDRESS: The Mayans had a complex pantheon, 335 00:18:13,958 --> 00:18:15,833 which involved gods from the sky, 336 00:18:15,958 --> 00:18:20,208 and the rulers were supposed to be descendants of these gods. 337 00:18:20,375 --> 00:18:21,875 And they believed that these gods demanded 338 00:18:22,042 --> 00:18:23,417 sacrifices of them, 339 00:18:23,625 --> 00:18:27,250 and that their blood, the blood of their kings, 340 00:18:27,417 --> 00:18:30,500 was the ideal sacrifice for the gods. 341 00:18:32,375 --> 00:18:36,292 Later, the Mayans began to take captives, particularly 342 00:18:36,458 --> 00:18:41,333 other royal captives, and execute them using their blood 343 00:18:41,458 --> 00:18:45,375 as the gift to the gods. 344 00:18:47,375 --> 00:18:50,458 TSOUKALOS: Blood sacrifice was something that we humans 345 00:18:50,625 --> 00:18:53,792 did ourselves because we didn't understand 346 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,542 that what we dealt with was nothing else 347 00:18:56,750 --> 00:18:59,167 but flesh and blood space travelers 348 00:18:59,333 --> 00:19:02,667 instead of real or actual gods. 349 00:19:06,417 --> 00:19:09,000 NARRATOR: But why did the Maya believe they were 350 00:19:09,208 --> 00:19:11,792 connected to the gods by blood? 351 00:19:13,458 --> 00:19:16,167 Might there have been evidence within their DNA 352 00:19:16,375 --> 00:19:18,708 that could link the lineage of Maya kings 353 00:19:18,833 --> 00:19:20,667 to otherworldly beings, 354 00:19:20,833 --> 00:19:23,292 as ancient astronaut theorists believe? 355 00:19:24,875 --> 00:19:28,833 And if so, is it possible that otherworldly visitors 356 00:19:29,042 --> 00:19:35,167 may have stayed behind and assumed the role of Maya kings? 357 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,167 NARRATOR: Southern Mexico. 358 00:19:44,333 --> 00:19:46,333 Surrounded by dense forests 359 00:19:46,500 --> 00:19:48,583 in the foothills of the Tumbala Mountains 360 00:19:48,708 --> 00:19:53,250 lie the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Palenque. 361 00:19:54,250 --> 00:19:57,500 Established as early as 1800 BC, 362 00:19:57,708 --> 00:20:01,458 Palenque was one of the key population centers 363 00:20:01,625 --> 00:20:04,667 of the ancient Maya civilization that dominated 364 00:20:04,875 --> 00:20:08,708 present-day Central America for nearly 2,000 years. 365 00:20:12,333 --> 00:20:17,500 CHILDRESS: The site of Palenque is still a vast unexcavated site. 366 00:20:17,667 --> 00:20:19,500 They think that only ten percent 367 00:20:19,667 --> 00:20:24,333 of this city has so far been excavated by archaeologists. 368 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,000 The aqueduct system here at Palenque was very sophisticated, 369 00:20:29,208 --> 00:20:32,333 and the Mayans were actually able to have water pressure 370 00:20:32,542 --> 00:20:36,250 by siphoning water channels off of the main river. 371 00:20:36,458 --> 00:20:39,458 All the Mayan cities had ball courts in them 372 00:20:39,625 --> 00:20:42,250 where they'd play this celestial game 373 00:20:42,417 --> 00:20:43,958 where the players 374 00:20:44,083 --> 00:20:46,417 would knock a rubber ball through 375 00:20:46,542 --> 00:20:50,333 a stone or wooden hoop. 376 00:20:50,458 --> 00:20:53,458 It's thought that this is a representation 377 00:20:53,625 --> 00:20:56,042 of alignments of the sun. 378 00:20:57,083 --> 00:20:59,167 COPPENS: When you start looking at all the various cultures, 379 00:20:59,333 --> 00:21:00,667 whether it is the ancient Babylonians, 380 00:21:00,875 --> 00:21:03,250 the ancient Egyptians or the Mayans, 381 00:21:03,417 --> 00:21:05,958 we now know that the people who were 382 00:21:06,125 --> 00:21:09,875 by far the most advanced was the Mayans. 383 00:21:12,583 --> 00:21:14,125 NARRATOR: According to mainstream historians, 384 00:21:14,250 --> 00:21:18,458 by the 9th century, the great Maya cities were abandoned... 385 00:21:19,583 --> 00:21:21,667 ...and the Maya people had vanished. 386 00:21:24,583 --> 00:21:25,833 But why? 387 00:21:26,042 --> 00:21:29,125 Many blame the disappearance of the Maya on war, 388 00:21:29,292 --> 00:21:31,667 overpopulation and drought. 389 00:21:34,042 --> 00:21:35,875 But might the Maya have left behind 390 00:21:36,083 --> 00:21:38,542 clues to suggest that their origin, 391 00:21:38,708 --> 00:21:43,417 and destiny, had been plotted by otherworldly forces? 392 00:21:46,875 --> 00:21:51,875 1952. Archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier 393 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:55,167 discovers the pyramid tomb of King Pakal, 394 00:21:55,375 --> 00:21:59,000 who ruled over the ancient Mayan city of Palenque 395 00:21:59,167 --> 00:22:01,917 from 615 to 683. 396 00:22:03,542 --> 00:22:08,333 During his nearly 70-year reign, Pakal transformed Palenque, 397 00:22:08,500 --> 00:22:11,500 creating some of the most significant inscriptions 398 00:22:11,625 --> 00:22:15,708 and monuments of the ancient Maya civilization. 399 00:22:18,875 --> 00:22:20,542 ALDANA: The city of Palenque was sacked 400 00:22:20,708 --> 00:22:23,208 by the ruler of Calakmul. 401 00:22:23,375 --> 00:22:25,917 So this was really tragic for the city itself. 402 00:22:26,958 --> 00:22:30,208 And it sets the stage for Janahb Pakal himself, 403 00:22:30,333 --> 00:22:32,333 who becomes king at a very early age, 404 00:22:32,542 --> 00:22:33,833 and then takes this city 405 00:22:33,958 --> 00:22:36,500 that's been destroyed, and now brings it up 406 00:22:36,708 --> 00:22:39,292 to what becomes one of the most important cities 407 00:22:39,500 --> 00:22:41,458 of the late Classic period. 408 00:22:45,083 --> 00:22:46,208 CHILDRESS: This is the famous 409 00:22:46,417 --> 00:22:48,667 Temple of the Inscriptions behind me, 410 00:22:48,792 --> 00:22:52,917 perhaps the most famous pyramid in all of the Mayan world. 411 00:22:53,125 --> 00:22:57,833 It was in 1948 that the French-Mexican archaeologist 412 00:22:58,042 --> 00:23:01,833 Alberto Ruz Lhuillier began his excavations 413 00:23:02,042 --> 00:23:05,292 at the top of the Temple of Inscriptions. 414 00:23:05,458 --> 00:23:07,167 What he found there 415 00:23:07,292 --> 00:23:10,333 was the famous staircase leading down 416 00:23:10,500 --> 00:23:13,208 into the depths of the pyramid. 417 00:23:13,375 --> 00:23:16,833 But the staircase was completely filled in 418 00:23:16,958 --> 00:23:21,792 with rubble of small stones and dirt. 419 00:23:21,958 --> 00:23:25,083 It took him four years 420 00:23:25,208 --> 00:23:28,833 to slowly excavate, step by step, 421 00:23:29,042 --> 00:23:32,750 down the pyramid, until he finally came 422 00:23:32,917 --> 00:23:39,167 to the tomb of Lord Pakal and the giant sarcophagus 423 00:23:39,333 --> 00:23:43,542 and lid that the pyramid were built around. 424 00:23:46,333 --> 00:23:50,708 NARRATOR: Arguably the most remarkable Mayan artifact ever found, 425 00:23:50,875 --> 00:23:53,500 the stone sarcophagus lid of King Pakal 426 00:23:53,708 --> 00:23:56,417 has produced considerable controversy. 427 00:23:57,667 --> 00:24:00,417 Mainstream scholars believe the depiction 428 00:24:00,625 --> 00:24:03,833 is of King Pakal on a journey to the underworld. 429 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,625 But ancient astronaut theorists believe 430 00:24:07,792 --> 00:24:11,875 the king is portrayed seated at the controls of a spacecraft, 431 00:24:12,042 --> 00:24:16,083 and have dubbed him the Palenque astronaut. 432 00:24:18,542 --> 00:24:21,500 CHILDRESS: He appears to be going into space. 433 00:24:21,708 --> 00:24:25,083 He's the original rocket man, 434 00:24:25,250 --> 00:24:30,000 there manipulating his spacecraft, going into space. 435 00:24:32,083 --> 00:24:36,167 We have maintained for a very long time 436 00:24:36,292 --> 00:24:38,875 that the depiction here 437 00:24:39,042 --> 00:24:43,125 is of King Pakal sitting in some type of a spacecraft. 438 00:24:44,375 --> 00:24:46,333 Because he is at an angle 439 00:24:46,542 --> 00:24:48,875 like modern-day astronauts upon liftoff, 440 00:24:49,042 --> 00:24:53,167 he's manipulating some controls right here. 441 00:24:53,375 --> 00:24:55,500 He has some type of breathing apparatus 442 00:24:55,667 --> 00:24:59,208 or some type of a telescope in front of his face. 443 00:24:59,375 --> 00:25:03,500 His feet are on some type of a pedal. 444 00:25:05,375 --> 00:25:07,667 And down here, you have something 445 00:25:07,792 --> 00:25:12,125 that looks like an exhaust with flames. 446 00:25:14,500 --> 00:25:20,333 NARRATOR: In 2011, the strange carving on King Pakal's sarcophagus lid 447 00:25:20,542 --> 00:25:23,167 was translated into a 3D replica 448 00:25:23,333 --> 00:25:25,750 by model maker Paul Francis. 449 00:25:25,917 --> 00:25:27,792 PAUL FRANCIS: When I saw this, I instantly said, 450 00:25:27,958 --> 00:25:30,083 "There's a guy in a space capsule." 451 00:25:30,292 --> 00:25:32,000 You know, it doesn't need to be spelled out for me, 452 00:25:32,208 --> 00:25:34,583 I don't have to find anything. It was already there. 453 00:25:34,750 --> 00:25:37,833 It was carved many, many years ago. 454 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:41,292 TSOUKALOS: I think this is absolutely extraordinary 455 00:25:41,458 --> 00:25:45,292 because this is definitely one of 456 00:25:45,375 --> 00:25:49,375 the most compelling pieces in the ancient astronaut theory, 457 00:25:49,542 --> 00:25:54,333 and to finally see Pakal as a 3D sculpture, 458 00:25:54,458 --> 00:25:56,417 to me, is a dream come true. 459 00:25:56,583 --> 00:26:00,250 For the longest time, we have said that 460 00:26:00,375 --> 00:26:04,833 what is on this Pakal lid is not something symbolic. 461 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:07,625 It was something that the artist saw 462 00:26:07,792 --> 00:26:09,500 or was told about, 463 00:26:09,708 --> 00:26:14,417 and then he or she tried to recreate this on a slab. 464 00:26:14,583 --> 00:26:16,250 I love the craftsmanship. 465 00:26:16,417 --> 00:26:18,000 I love how you, you know, 466 00:26:18,208 --> 00:26:20,875 at the bottom of the Palenque slab you see something like 467 00:26:21,042 --> 00:26:22,958 -the flames-- -It looks, it looks like fire. 468 00:26:23,167 --> 00:26:24,375 Exactly. 469 00:26:24,542 --> 00:26:25,542 I had to do a little interpretive-- 470 00:26:25,708 --> 00:26:27,417 I put engine bells on 471 00:26:27,583 --> 00:26:29,292 -instead of the flame... -Of course. 472 00:26:29,417 --> 00:26:30,500 ...but that's the thruster stage. 473 00:26:31,500 --> 00:26:35,542 I also love the detail that you have underneath his right foot 474 00:26:35,750 --> 00:26:39,792 where his foot is resting on a pedestal, 475 00:26:39,958 --> 00:26:43,667 and that is exactly what we can see on the Palenque slab. 476 00:26:45,958 --> 00:26:49,083 And how his hands are manipulating some controls. 477 00:26:50,042 --> 00:26:52,750 And also this kind of breathing apparatus 478 00:26:52,875 --> 00:26:55,333 that's going on in front of his nose. 479 00:26:55,500 --> 00:26:58,542 FRANCIS: The breathing apparatus is actually a very neat piece. 480 00:26:58,708 --> 00:27:01,500 It's called the "Giver of Life." 481 00:27:01,708 --> 00:27:04,500 The soul transfers through this, 482 00:27:04,625 --> 00:27:05,875 and a giver of life to me 483 00:27:06,042 --> 00:27:07,750 would be... air. 484 00:27:07,917 --> 00:27:10,292 I mean, we breathe air. This is a guy 485 00:27:10,458 --> 00:27:12,792 who needs this mask to survive. 486 00:27:12,958 --> 00:27:15,500 TSOUKALOS: Because, where is he? 487 00:27:15,667 --> 00:27:17,292 FRANCIS: Outer space. 488 00:27:18,542 --> 00:27:21,000 NARRATOR: Could the carving on the sarcophagus lid 489 00:27:21,125 --> 00:27:24,792 of King Pakal really provide confirmation 490 00:27:24,917 --> 00:27:27,667 of the complicity between Maya rulers 491 00:27:27,833 --> 00:27:30,000 and extraterrestrial forces, 492 00:27:30,208 --> 00:27:33,833 as ancient astronaut theorists believe? 493 00:27:34,958 --> 00:27:38,042 Perhaps further evidence of a cosmic connection 494 00:27:38,250 --> 00:27:42,917 can be found half a world away in Egypt. 495 00:27:48,208 --> 00:27:49,625 Any discussion about otherworldly rulers 496 00:27:49,625 --> 00:27:50,958 has to include the ancient Egyptians. 497 00:27:51,125 --> 00:27:52,625 -Right. -Not only did they write 498 00:27:52,750 --> 00:27:55,292 that the first pharaoh was the god king Horus, 499 00:27:55,458 --> 00:27:57,208 but that all subsequent pharaohs 500 00:27:57,333 --> 00:27:59,667 saw themselves as the reincarnation of Horus. 501 00:27:59,875 --> 00:28:01,167 Oh, absolutely, 502 00:28:01,333 --> 00:28:04,042 and in the afterlife, each of these pharaohs 503 00:28:04,208 --> 00:28:06,000 then becomes associated 504 00:28:06,167 --> 00:28:09,208 with Horus's father Osiris. And the ancient 505 00:28:09,375 --> 00:28:12,750 Egyptian texts are even clear in explaining where 506 00:28:12,917 --> 00:28:14,625 these so-called gods came from, 507 00:28:14,792 --> 00:28:17,333 the belt stars of Orion. 508 00:28:17,500 --> 00:28:20,500 Right, and the Egyptians also wrote about a time 509 00:28:20,667 --> 00:28:21,750 when all the gods 510 00:28:21,875 --> 00:28:24,375 lived on Earth among humans. 511 00:28:24,542 --> 00:28:25,708 And if we're to believe the texts, 512 00:28:25,875 --> 00:28:27,375 it would seem that they're talking about 513 00:28:27,542 --> 00:28:29,792 -extraterrestrials. -Right. 514 00:28:33,458 --> 00:28:35,458 NARRATOR: Abu Simbel, Egypt. 515 00:28:36,708 --> 00:28:39,500 Here, on the western bank of Lake Nasser 516 00:28:39,667 --> 00:28:42,708 are two massive rock temples. 517 00:28:42,917 --> 00:28:45,792 Carved out of the mountainside, they were built during 518 00:28:45,958 --> 00:28:51,083 the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BC. 519 00:28:52,667 --> 00:28:56,458 GRAHAM PHILLIPS: Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, 520 00:28:56,667 --> 00:28:58,333 was probably the greatest of the builders 521 00:28:58,542 --> 00:29:00,833 of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs. 522 00:29:01,917 --> 00:29:05,167 He did this, basically, to impress upon everybody 523 00:29:05,375 --> 00:29:07,125 just how great he was. 524 00:29:09,792 --> 00:29:11,500 COLLINS: What he created was a series of 525 00:29:11,667 --> 00:29:14,625 absolutely gigantic 526 00:29:14,750 --> 00:29:18,333 statues of himself, and certain gods, 527 00:29:18,542 --> 00:29:21,250 which formed the entrance into 528 00:29:21,375 --> 00:29:26,750 a rock-cut series of inner temples, shrines and rooms. 529 00:29:29,958 --> 00:29:31,833 ROBERT BAUVAL: Ramses is forever here. 530 00:29:31,958 --> 00:29:35,583 When one comes here, you almost feel him around. 531 00:29:35,708 --> 00:29:37,542 He leaves this great temple here, 532 00:29:37,708 --> 00:29:38,833 so that he could 533 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:40,875 constantly communicate 534 00:29:41,042 --> 00:29:43,500 with his cosmic afterworld 535 00:29:43,708 --> 00:29:45,792 and his earthly domain. 536 00:29:49,125 --> 00:29:51,333 NARRATOR: Within the main temple of Abu Simbel 537 00:29:51,500 --> 00:29:55,250 are statues of Ramses depicted not just as a mortal king 538 00:29:55,417 --> 00:30:00,292 and warrior but as the Egyptian god of the afterlife, Osiris. 539 00:30:01,458 --> 00:30:03,167 According to the Pyramid Texts, 540 00:30:03,250 --> 00:30:05,583 ancient Egyptian religious writings 541 00:30:05,750 --> 00:30:09,125 that date back to the 24th century BC, 542 00:30:09,250 --> 00:30:12,333 Osiris was the offspring of the Earth god Geb 543 00:30:12,500 --> 00:30:14,542 and the sky goddess Nut 544 00:30:14,750 --> 00:30:18,125 and often portrayed as green-skinned. 545 00:30:19,167 --> 00:30:21,833 He was considered to be a wise and beloved ruler 546 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:24,000 who married his sister Isis 547 00:30:24,167 --> 00:30:26,833 and was murdered by his brother Set. 548 00:30:28,750 --> 00:30:31,833 Osiris and Set were in conflict. 549 00:30:32,750 --> 00:30:34,417 The story goes that Set, 550 00:30:34,542 --> 00:30:38,833 being jealous of his more successful brother, kills him... 551 00:30:41,208 --> 00:30:44,250 ...and cuts his body into 14 pieces. 552 00:30:45,667 --> 00:30:48,708 Isis, in despair, collects the bodies 553 00:30:48,917 --> 00:30:52,333 and performs the first magical ritual of resurrection. 554 00:30:53,333 --> 00:30:55,417 JONATHAN YOUNG: Isis, the wife and sister, 555 00:30:55,625 --> 00:30:57,917 finds a way to revive Osiris briefly 556 00:30:58,042 --> 00:30:59,583 and conceive a son. 557 00:30:59,750 --> 00:31:02,125 The son is a god, the god Horus. 558 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:05,667 BAUVAL: Horus grows up 559 00:31:05,792 --> 00:31:07,667 and avenges his father, 560 00:31:07,750 --> 00:31:09,625 defeats Set... 561 00:31:10,750 --> 00:31:13,500 ...and becomes the first Horus king 562 00:31:13,667 --> 00:31:14,583 of the land of Egypt, 563 00:31:14,708 --> 00:31:15,917 the cosmic land of Egypt, 564 00:31:16,125 --> 00:31:18,000 the land of the gods. 565 00:31:20,292 --> 00:31:24,000 NARRATOR: Is it possible that Ramses II was, as he claimed, 566 00:31:24,167 --> 00:31:27,292 an actual physical descendant of Osiris? 567 00:31:28,417 --> 00:31:31,083 And if the legends are to be believed, 568 00:31:31,250 --> 00:31:35,000 does this lineage suggest that Ramses was, in fact, 569 00:31:35,083 --> 00:31:37,500 an extraterrestrial hybrid, 570 00:31:37,708 --> 00:31:40,542 part human, part so-called god? 571 00:31:41,667 --> 00:31:43,208 As pharaoh, 572 00:31:43,375 --> 00:31:47,292 Ramses considered himself the embodiment of Horus... 573 00:31:49,750 --> 00:31:54,167 ...essentially the Sun god on Earth during his lifetime. 574 00:31:54,292 --> 00:31:58,167 And then once he passed on to the afterlife, 575 00:31:58,333 --> 00:32:01,500 he became essentially one with the gods, 576 00:32:01,708 --> 00:32:03,667 forming his rightful place 577 00:32:03,875 --> 00:32:08,000 in the everlasting pantheons of the gods. 578 00:32:09,042 --> 00:32:11,333 The myth of Osiris was extremely important 579 00:32:11,500 --> 00:32:14,292 in the credibility of the rulers of Egypt. 580 00:32:15,708 --> 00:32:19,958 Every pharaoh saw himself as a reincarnation of Horus, 581 00:32:20,083 --> 00:32:22,042 the god of the daylight, the god of life, 582 00:32:22,208 --> 00:32:24,167 and the personification of Osiris, 583 00:32:24,375 --> 00:32:27,208 the god of the unseen and the underworld, the afterlife. 584 00:32:28,875 --> 00:32:30,250 PHILLIPS: And so, consequently, 585 00:32:30,417 --> 00:32:32,583 the reason, in ancient Egypt, 586 00:32:32,708 --> 00:32:36,000 that the pharaoh had the right to tell you exactly what to do 587 00:32:36,208 --> 00:32:38,083 and you had to obey him 588 00:32:38,292 --> 00:32:42,458 was because he was a direct descendant of a god, 589 00:32:42,625 --> 00:32:44,333 in fact, a demigod himself. 590 00:32:46,500 --> 00:32:49,958 NARRATOR: Was Ramses II's otherworldly connection 591 00:32:50,125 --> 00:32:52,750 the reason he became one of the most powerful pharaohs 592 00:32:52,917 --> 00:32:54,458 in ancient Egypt? 593 00:32:55,500 --> 00:32:59,792 And what does this say about Egypt's other legendary rulers? 594 00:32:59,958 --> 00:33:02,625 Could they have been, as their legends claim, 595 00:33:02,792 --> 00:33:06,625 actual descendants of extraterrestrial beings? 596 00:33:08,042 --> 00:33:09,583 According to researchers, 597 00:33:09,750 --> 00:33:14,083 additional evidence can be found in the design and construction 598 00:33:14,292 --> 00:33:16,375 of the Abu Simbel temples. 599 00:33:17,875 --> 00:33:20,000 We're in the Osirian Hall. 600 00:33:20,208 --> 00:33:22,208 Amazing how they carved this out of living rock. 601 00:33:23,458 --> 00:33:25,833 Slowly cutting, slowly fashioning. 602 00:33:26,042 --> 00:33:28,250 And they produced this. It's extraordinary. 603 00:33:30,208 --> 00:33:31,792 NARRATOR: The temple at Abu Simbel 604 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:33,833 was built with astonishing precision. 605 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:35,792 Twice a year, 606 00:33:35,917 --> 00:33:37,458 light from the morning Sun 607 00:33:37,583 --> 00:33:40,708 traveled down the entire expanse of the temple cave 608 00:33:40,875 --> 00:33:42,542 to the very back wall, 609 00:33:42,708 --> 00:33:47,667 illuminating the statue of Ramses seated amongst the gods. 610 00:33:49,292 --> 00:33:51,792 COLLINS: Ramses saw himself as a living god. 611 00:33:51,917 --> 00:33:53,625 And because of this, 612 00:33:53,792 --> 00:33:55,958 he felt that he should have 613 00:33:56,125 --> 00:33:58,583 this absolute control over everything, 614 00:33:58,708 --> 00:34:04,000 that he himself could even get the Sun to shine in this way, 615 00:34:04,167 --> 00:34:08,292 as if the Sun itself was working on behalf of him. 616 00:34:10,625 --> 00:34:14,583 NARRATOR: But how and why did Ramses design and build 617 00:34:14,792 --> 00:34:19,583 such a sophisticated structure more than 3,000 years ago? 618 00:34:20,583 --> 00:34:25,333 Was it designed to channel some cosmic or otherworldly power? 619 00:34:26,417 --> 00:34:28,792 The world of the spirit and the world of matter 620 00:34:28,958 --> 00:34:30,333 seem divided at times. 621 00:34:30,542 --> 00:34:34,167 But a great leader like Ramses II understands 622 00:34:34,375 --> 00:34:36,917 that the mysteries need to be concrete. 623 00:34:37,083 --> 00:34:39,000 There's a need for building. 624 00:34:39,167 --> 00:34:41,583 And in these monuments and palaces 625 00:34:41,708 --> 00:34:43,833 and other structures that Ramses built, 626 00:34:44,042 --> 00:34:46,625 there will be depictions of himself as a god 627 00:34:46,792 --> 00:34:48,417 or in the company of gods, 628 00:34:48,542 --> 00:34:53,250 showing a divine connection to his rule and to the people. 629 00:34:54,292 --> 00:34:58,167 There are stories in which Ramses himself claims 630 00:34:58,333 --> 00:35:00,583 that he was in direct contact... 631 00:35:01,542 --> 00:35:04,000 ...with the guardians of the sky. 632 00:35:04,208 --> 00:35:07,042 Now, who were these guardians of the sky? 633 00:35:07,208 --> 00:35:10,750 Were they just fantasy or did they really exist? 634 00:35:12,708 --> 00:35:15,458 Ramses II and-and all the Egyptian pharaohs, 635 00:35:15,625 --> 00:35:20,625 I mean, they saw themselves as direct descendants of gods. 636 00:35:20,750 --> 00:35:24,417 And their genetic material and their blood 637 00:35:24,542 --> 00:35:28,375 was the same blood that was coming from the gods. 638 00:35:29,750 --> 00:35:32,750 And those gods, apparently, were extraterrestrials. 639 00:35:35,917 --> 00:35:39,458 NARRATOR: Is it possible, as ancient astronaut theorists suggest, 640 00:35:39,625 --> 00:35:42,167 that the legends and stories of Osiris, 641 00:35:42,292 --> 00:35:44,750 along with the architectural wonders 642 00:35:44,917 --> 00:35:46,958 like the temples of Abu Simbel, 643 00:35:47,083 --> 00:35:50,792 provide evidence that the pharaohs of ancient Egypt had, 644 00:35:50,958 --> 00:35:53,792 in fact, otherworldly origins? 645 00:35:55,292 --> 00:35:58,000 And if so, might similar legends 646 00:35:58,167 --> 00:36:00,375 of divine rulers throughout the world 647 00:36:00,542 --> 00:36:03,667 reveal extraterrestrial connections? 648 00:36:04,958 --> 00:36:07,208 Perhaps the answers can be found 649 00:36:07,375 --> 00:36:09,833 by examining the celestial origins 650 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:13,417 of some of Asia's greatest emperors. 651 00:36:22,333 --> 00:36:24,708 NARRATOR: Xinzheng, China. 652 00:36:26,208 --> 00:36:28,208 It was here that Huangdi, 653 00:36:28,333 --> 00:36:32,000 a mythical ancient leader known as the Yellow Emperor, 654 00:36:32,167 --> 00:36:36,625 is believed to have reigned throughout the 27th century BC. 655 00:36:36,792 --> 00:36:40,208 Viewed by many as the father of Chinese culture, 656 00:36:40,417 --> 00:36:42,500 the Yellow Emperor has been credited 657 00:36:42,708 --> 00:36:44,708 with creating traditional Chinese medicine 658 00:36:44,875 --> 00:36:47,125 such as acupuncture 659 00:36:47,333 --> 00:36:50,917 and introducing advancements like wooden houses, 660 00:36:51,125 --> 00:36:52,458 the bow and arrow... 661 00:36:52,625 --> 00:36:53,500 (groans) 662 00:36:53,667 --> 00:36:54,708 ...bronze coins, 663 00:36:54,875 --> 00:36:56,625 and a written language. 664 00:36:57,625 --> 00:36:59,667 JUDY CHUNGWA HO: The Yellow Emperor is, 665 00:36:59,792 --> 00:37:02,375 according to most Chinese, a legendary figure. 666 00:37:02,542 --> 00:37:06,500 He's a cultural hero as well as a ruler. 667 00:37:06,708 --> 00:37:09,375 But at the same time, he's also believed to be 668 00:37:09,542 --> 00:37:12,333 actually the founder of Chinese civilization. 669 00:37:13,333 --> 00:37:15,625 In fact, just about everything that you would think 670 00:37:15,792 --> 00:37:18,750 as the basic elements of civilization 671 00:37:18,875 --> 00:37:22,625 is somehow associated with the Yellow Emperor. 672 00:37:22,750 --> 00:37:24,625 (insects trilling) 673 00:37:26,208 --> 00:37:28,167 NARRATOR: According to some researchers, 674 00:37:28,375 --> 00:37:31,000 the Yellow Emperor, like other ancient rulers, 675 00:37:31,208 --> 00:37:33,667 possessed otherworldly power. 676 00:37:33,875 --> 00:37:36,208 And they believe the proof can be found 677 00:37:36,375 --> 00:37:38,833 by looking at the celestial origins 678 00:37:39,042 --> 00:37:42,833 of this mysterious leader. 679 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:46,375 Like the Egyptians, the ancient Chinese believed 680 00:37:46,542 --> 00:37:48,500 their emperors received their powers 681 00:37:48,708 --> 00:37:50,917 and abilities from the heavens. 682 00:37:51,667 --> 00:37:54,333 The Chinese emperor is actually called "Son of Heaven." 683 00:37:54,500 --> 00:37:57,833 What that means is that the emperor earns 684 00:37:58,042 --> 00:38:03,667 his right to rule people because he receive a certain guidance 685 00:38:03,875 --> 00:38:05,625 from heaven to rule. 686 00:38:05,792 --> 00:38:09,000 Heaven is always sending down these messages, 687 00:38:09,208 --> 00:38:12,333 telling the emperor when is the best time to harvest, 688 00:38:12,500 --> 00:38:14,333 when is the best time to sow seeds, 689 00:38:14,500 --> 00:38:16,583 -when to actually wage a war. -(men yelling) 690 00:38:16,708 --> 00:38:19,167 So, um, it's very important for the emperor then 691 00:38:19,333 --> 00:38:21,417 to read the signs. 692 00:38:24,917 --> 00:38:27,917 TSOUKALOS: According to ancient Chinese legends, 693 00:38:28,083 --> 00:38:31,458 the Yellow Emperor was floating through space. 694 00:38:31,625 --> 00:38:34,333 He saw that the people of Earth 695 00:38:34,458 --> 00:38:37,000 were sad and poor. 696 00:38:37,208 --> 00:38:39,000 But he saw potential. 697 00:38:39,125 --> 00:38:41,667 So in order to help the people... 698 00:38:42,625 --> 00:38:45,000 ...he descended from the sky... 699 00:38:47,417 --> 00:38:50,333 ...and taught those people 700 00:38:50,500 --> 00:38:52,542 different scientific disciplines. 701 00:38:53,542 --> 00:38:56,292 YOUNG: The Yellow Emperor comes down to bring comfort, 702 00:38:56,458 --> 00:38:58,458 order, and leadership to his people. 703 00:38:58,583 --> 00:39:01,500 So there's a direct connection between the divine realms 704 00:39:01,667 --> 00:39:04,042 and the beginnings of our personality, 705 00:39:04,208 --> 00:39:06,417 our identity, our nation. 706 00:39:08,708 --> 00:39:09,958 NARRATOR: According to legend, 707 00:39:10,125 --> 00:39:12,417 after ruling for 100 years, 708 00:39:12,583 --> 00:39:14,458 the Yellow Emperor made preparations 709 00:39:14,667 --> 00:39:17,000 to leave his earthly kingdom. 710 00:39:18,833 --> 00:39:21,833 TSOUKALOS: After Huangdi's work was done on planet Earth, 711 00:39:21,958 --> 00:39:25,250 he returned to the stars. 712 00:39:25,417 --> 00:39:28,750 And he did this by doing something very specific. 713 00:39:30,542 --> 00:39:33,292 He installed a cauldron. 714 00:39:33,458 --> 00:39:35,583 And the moment he installed that thing, 715 00:39:35,708 --> 00:39:37,125 according to the ancient legends, 716 00:39:37,292 --> 00:39:39,583 the heavens opened. 717 00:39:39,708 --> 00:39:41,625 ♪ ♪ 718 00:39:43,583 --> 00:39:46,417 YOUNG: A yellow dragon comes down from the heavens 719 00:39:46,583 --> 00:39:49,917 and he rides the dragon out into the stars 720 00:39:50,083 --> 00:39:52,042 and becomes stars himself. 721 00:39:56,375 --> 00:39:58,667 NARRATOR: Mysterious cauldrons? 722 00:39:59,875 --> 00:40:01,792 Flying dragons? 723 00:40:01,958 --> 00:40:05,333 Could these fantastic notions really have played a part 724 00:40:05,542 --> 00:40:08,500 in the fate of China's Yellow Emperor? 725 00:40:08,708 --> 00:40:13,625 Or is there another, perhaps more plausible explanation? 726 00:40:15,042 --> 00:40:18,000 Are we really just talking about folklore here? 727 00:40:18,208 --> 00:40:22,167 Or did something actually happen in real life? 728 00:40:22,333 --> 00:40:24,667 And of course the answer is... 729 00:40:25,708 --> 00:40:28,500 ...that something was witnessed by our ancestors 730 00:40:28,708 --> 00:40:30,958 that they could best describe 731 00:40:31,125 --> 00:40:36,542 with the vocabulary that was available to them at the time. 732 00:40:38,125 --> 00:40:40,125 MARTELL: When we look at the story of the Yellow Emperor 733 00:40:40,292 --> 00:40:41,875 ascending into heaven, 734 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:43,625 this, to me, sounds like a description 735 00:40:43,792 --> 00:40:45,833 of some type of UFO encounter. 736 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:48,292 It's very possible that the Yellow Emperor 737 00:40:48,500 --> 00:40:50,708 was actually traveling on a UFO. 738 00:40:54,708 --> 00:40:58,000 NARRATOR: Is it possible the Yellow Emperor was, in fact, 739 00:40:58,208 --> 00:41:00,667 an extraterrestrial being, 740 00:41:00,875 --> 00:41:05,167 one that traveled to and from Earth by means of a spacecraft? 741 00:41:05,333 --> 00:41:10,333 If so, might there be similar descriptions of close encounters 742 00:41:10,458 --> 00:41:13,042 found in the historical accounts of other, 743 00:41:13,208 --> 00:41:18,000 perhaps even more mysterious Far Eastern emperors? 744 00:41:18,208 --> 00:41:19,083 (bell clangs) 745 00:41:21,333 --> 00:41:24,750 Japan. 660 BC. 746 00:41:25,750 --> 00:41:28,000 Emperor Jimmu becomes the first ruler 747 00:41:28,167 --> 00:41:31,083 of the island nation's imperial family. 748 00:41:32,375 --> 00:41:36,208 According to legend, the ancient Japanese also believed 749 00:41:36,375 --> 00:41:41,875 Jimmu was the direct descendent of the Sun goddess, Amaterasu. 750 00:41:43,750 --> 00:41:47,750 The Japanese people worshipped a deity named Amaterasu 751 00:41:47,958 --> 00:41:50,375 who was believed to shine like the Sun. 752 00:41:50,542 --> 00:41:52,667 She sent her descendants to Earth 753 00:41:52,875 --> 00:41:55,625 in order to bring order out of chaos. 754 00:41:55,833 --> 00:41:57,625 Japan's first emperor, Jimmu, 755 00:41:57,792 --> 00:42:01,917 directly connected himself as a descendant of Amaterasu, 756 00:42:02,083 --> 00:42:05,667 therefore setting up his lineage in connection to this divinity. 757 00:42:07,958 --> 00:42:11,583 PHILLIPS: He was the man who united 758 00:42:11,750 --> 00:42:14,958 the island of Japan's various warring factions 759 00:42:15,125 --> 00:42:16,625 into-into one country. 760 00:42:16,708 --> 00:42:20,625 And all emperors since Jimmu 761 00:42:20,750 --> 00:42:24,500 have all claimed descent from the Sun goddess. 762 00:42:25,042 --> 00:42:29,000 And the reason why the Japanese flag has this rising sun 763 00:42:29,208 --> 00:42:33,208 is that it represents the descent from the Sun goddess. 764 00:42:36,500 --> 00:42:38,042 NARRATOR: According to legend, 765 00:42:38,208 --> 00:42:42,542 the Sun goddess Amaterasu gave three gifts to Jimmu... 766 00:42:43,542 --> 00:42:45,083 ...a mirror, 767 00:42:45,250 --> 00:42:47,042 a jewel, 768 00:42:47,208 --> 00:42:49,000 and a sword. 769 00:42:49,167 --> 00:42:52,000 Known as the imperial regalia of Japan, 770 00:42:52,167 --> 00:42:54,917 it is believed that, with these divine artifacts, 771 00:42:55,083 --> 00:42:57,958 Jimmu was able to control his empire. 772 00:42:58,083 --> 00:43:01,667 Apart from the emperor and a few elite priests, 773 00:43:01,792 --> 00:43:03,833 no one's ever allowed to see them. 774 00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:06,833 So, where they are, nobody knows. 775 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:11,292 But it is said that in three separate shrines in Japan, 776 00:43:11,458 --> 00:43:13,292 which are also tourist attractions, 777 00:43:13,458 --> 00:43:15,208 somewhere deep inside them, 778 00:43:15,375 --> 00:43:19,000 the priesthood keeps these secret crown jewels 779 00:43:19,208 --> 00:43:21,583 -that no one is ever allowed to see. -(creaking) 780 00:43:24,708 --> 00:43:27,958 NARRATOR: But what unique powers might these three divine gifts 781 00:43:28,083 --> 00:43:29,750 have possessed? 782 00:43:29,875 --> 00:43:32,833 Might they have been not merely symbols of power 783 00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:37,625 but examples of highly advanced extraterrestrial technology? 784 00:43:38,875 --> 00:43:40,625 According to legend, 785 00:43:40,750 --> 00:43:43,208 this mirror was quite extraordinary. 786 00:43:43,375 --> 00:43:47,417 VON DÄNIKEN: They say in this mirror he could see what happened 787 00:43:47,542 --> 00:43:52,667 at every minute around all the islands in the Pacific Oceans. 788 00:43:52,875 --> 00:43:55,667 At every minute. So what is this mirror? 789 00:43:55,875 --> 00:43:57,625 Some technical device? 790 00:43:59,042 --> 00:44:01,875 TSOUKALOS: So what is it that we're looking at here? 791 00:44:02,042 --> 00:44:04,583 Well, if you look at it from a perspective 792 00:44:04,792 --> 00:44:06,750 of misunderstood technology, 793 00:44:06,917 --> 00:44:10,792 then next time you look at your computer monitor 794 00:44:10,958 --> 00:44:12,625 and you're looking at a YouTube clip from, 795 00:44:12,792 --> 00:44:14,667 let's say, the Iguazu Falls, 796 00:44:14,875 --> 00:44:17,042 then you are looking at a magic mirror 797 00:44:17,208 --> 00:44:20,167 that shows you everything in the world. 798 00:44:20,375 --> 00:44:21,833 CHILDRESS: And you kind of have to wonder here 799 00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:24,667 whether these objects had more power 800 00:44:24,833 --> 00:44:27,333 than just an ordinary thing. 801 00:44:28,542 --> 00:44:32,000 And perhaps they were actually highly technical objects 802 00:44:32,167 --> 00:44:35,583 given to him by extraterrestrials, 803 00:44:35,750 --> 00:44:39,083 by the gods, to help him as the first emperor. 804 00:44:40,500 --> 00:44:44,792 NARRATOR: Might Jimmu's mirror really have been a technological device 805 00:44:44,958 --> 00:44:46,750 given to the emperor in an effort 806 00:44:46,875 --> 00:44:48,833 to help him rule his people? 807 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:54,042 Does it suggest the emperor was actually an alien being? 808 00:44:55,708 --> 00:44:58,000 Or was he a human messenger 809 00:44:58,208 --> 00:45:01,083 employed by the gods to impose order 810 00:45:01,292 --> 00:45:04,833 and propagate the notion that otherworldly visitors 811 00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:08,458 were to be regarded by humans as gods? 812 00:45:09,500 --> 00:45:12,875 Perhaps the proof can be found by examining the legends 813 00:45:13,083 --> 00:45:16,042 of other ancient kings and rulers, 814 00:45:16,208 --> 00:45:20,000 rulers who some believe had even more powerful 815 00:45:20,167 --> 00:45:23,708 and deadly extraterrestrial technology. 816 00:45:31,708 --> 00:45:32,750 Of all the places I've traveled, 817 00:45:33,042 --> 00:45:34,750 nowhere have I encountered more people who are open 818 00:45:34,917 --> 00:45:37,875 to the ancient astronaut theory than in India. 819 00:45:38,042 --> 00:45:40,875 And their ancient stories are full of legends 820 00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:44,292 of celestial beings traveling across the sky 821 00:45:44,417 --> 00:45:48,125 and having access to tremendous technology. 822 00:45:48,292 --> 00:45:51,333 And a central figure of those stories is Rama, 823 00:45:51,542 --> 00:45:55,000 a god king who ruled around 7,000 years ago and was 824 00:45:55,167 --> 00:45:57,042 a very early teacher of humankind. 825 00:45:57,208 --> 00:46:00,000 Right. And Rama had this incredible weapon 826 00:46:00,208 --> 00:46:02,458 that caused mass devastation. 827 00:46:02,625 --> 00:46:03,833 And the way it's described, 828 00:46:04,042 --> 00:46:05,708 it sounds like an atomic weapon. 829 00:46:05,917 --> 00:46:07,292 -Mm-hmm. -We talked about this 830 00:46:07,417 --> 00:46:11,875 in a 2013 episode called "Emperors, Kings, and Pharaohs." 831 00:46:12,042 --> 00:46:14,042 ♪ ♪ 832 00:46:15,125 --> 00:46:18,375 NARRATOR: November 13, 2012. 833 00:46:19,333 --> 00:46:21,917 Every fall, Hindus throughout the world 834 00:46:22,083 --> 00:46:25,458 celebrate in a festival of lights called Diwali. 835 00:46:28,375 --> 00:46:31,667 WILCOCK: Diwali is a five-day festival of lights, 836 00:46:31,875 --> 00:46:33,875 which is as important to the Hindus 837 00:46:34,042 --> 00:46:35,958 as Christmas is to Christians. 838 00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:41,083 The Hindus celebrate this festival with great reverence. 839 00:46:41,208 --> 00:46:43,667 NARRATOR: The festival commemorates King Rama, 840 00:46:43,875 --> 00:46:46,333 one of the most popular figures of Hinduism. 841 00:46:47,542 --> 00:46:49,375 But just who was King Rama? 842 00:46:49,542 --> 00:46:54,208 And why is this ancient leader so revered even to this day? 843 00:46:56,667 --> 00:46:58,958 PHILLIPS: Hindus believe that Rama 844 00:46:59,042 --> 00:47:02,500 was a real-- physically-- historical king 845 00:47:02,708 --> 00:47:04,833 who lived 7,000 years ago. 846 00:47:05,958 --> 00:47:09,500 Now, Rama was supposed to bring writing 847 00:47:09,708 --> 00:47:12,250 and enlightenment and philosophy 848 00:47:12,375 --> 00:47:17,833 and all sorts of various other engineering skills to humanity. 849 00:47:19,000 --> 00:47:21,708 WILCOCK: In Hindu mythology, Rama is described 850 00:47:21,875 --> 00:47:24,292 as the embodiment of truth and goodness. 851 00:47:24,458 --> 00:47:27,917 And it is said that he was a reincarnation 852 00:47:28,083 --> 00:47:30,500 of the blue-skinned god Vishnu. 853 00:47:32,167 --> 00:47:33,875 NARRATOR: According to the Hindu texts, 854 00:47:34,042 --> 00:47:37,083 Rama's rise to power began after a battle he waged 855 00:47:37,208 --> 00:47:40,667 with a ten-headed demon king named Ravana, 856 00:47:40,833 --> 00:47:43,000 who had kidnapped his wife. 857 00:47:46,250 --> 00:47:48,500 DEEPAK SHIMKHADA: Rama goes in search of his wife, 858 00:47:48,667 --> 00:47:50,667 who was kidnapped by Ravana. 859 00:47:50,833 --> 00:47:53,708 There's a long battle, uh, between Ravana 860 00:47:53,875 --> 00:47:55,083 and Rama and his army. 861 00:47:55,292 --> 00:47:56,958 ♪ ♪ 862 00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:01,833 NARRATOR: Rama used an incredibly sophisticated device 863 00:48:02,042 --> 00:48:03,333 called the Brahmastra 864 00:48:03,542 --> 00:48:07,292 to kill the demon king and rescue his wife. 865 00:48:14,167 --> 00:48:16,458 Known to cause severe damage, 866 00:48:16,667 --> 00:48:19,542 it was a weapon for which there was no defense. 867 00:48:21,167 --> 00:48:24,667 Brahmastra is the most deadliest weapon 868 00:48:24,875 --> 00:48:27,458 ever conceived, ever produced in Hinduism. 869 00:48:28,500 --> 00:48:30,875 And Brahmastra, obviously, as the name suggests, 870 00:48:31,042 --> 00:48:34,583 it was created by god Brahma himself. 871 00:48:35,583 --> 00:48:38,958 COLLINS: It was a weapon that was so powerful that, 872 00:48:39,167 --> 00:48:40,917 when it was used, 873 00:48:41,083 --> 00:48:45,167 it would absolutely annihilate the enemy completely... 874 00:48:48,042 --> 00:48:52,042 ...and would also make the whole environment 875 00:48:52,208 --> 00:48:56,292 around where the weapon was used completely desolate. 876 00:48:58,125 --> 00:48:59,333 What this sounds like 877 00:48:59,542 --> 00:49:01,417 is something that we would create today. 878 00:49:01,625 --> 00:49:05,458 It actually sounds like the effects of a nuclear bomb. 879 00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:13,167 NARRATOR: Might the Brahmastra, 880 00:49:13,375 --> 00:49:15,833 as described in ancient Indian texts, 881 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:18,208 really have existed? 882 00:49:18,375 --> 00:49:21,333 And if so, where did it come from? 883 00:49:22,708 --> 00:49:25,625 Might it have been something like a nuclear weapon, 884 00:49:25,792 --> 00:49:31,083 one created by the gods and used by Rama thousands of years ago? 885 00:49:32,042 --> 00:49:33,542 In the case of the ancient Indian epics, 886 00:49:33,708 --> 00:49:37,167 what we're being told is that this was technology of the gods, 887 00:49:37,292 --> 00:49:39,458 that this was extraterrestrial technology 888 00:49:39,667 --> 00:49:42,208 which was somehow used or at least could be used 889 00:49:42,375 --> 00:49:44,583 on planet Earth and which could result 890 00:49:44,750 --> 00:49:47,500 in the complete destruction or annihilation 891 00:49:47,708 --> 00:49:49,542 of the human species. 892 00:49:50,542 --> 00:49:54,667 NARRATOR: Did King Rama possess a deadly, perhaps nuclear power? 893 00:49:59,042 --> 00:50:01,917 If so, do the stories of the Brahmastra 894 00:50:02,042 --> 00:50:03,792 help to prove that Rama 895 00:50:03,958 --> 00:50:06,167 and other ancient rulers like him 896 00:50:06,333 --> 00:50:09,417 descended from extraterrestrial beings? 897 00:50:12,958 --> 00:50:15,000 Sanchi, India. 898 00:50:16,042 --> 00:50:18,833 Here, 400 miles south of New Delhi, 899 00:50:18,958 --> 00:50:20,792 lies the Great Stupa, 900 00:50:20,958 --> 00:50:23,667 a dome-shaped Buddhist shrine. 901 00:50:25,500 --> 00:50:28,333 This incredible structure was first commissioned 902 00:50:28,542 --> 00:50:32,083 in the 3rd century BC by Ashoka the Great, 903 00:50:32,250 --> 00:50:37,417 an emperor who ruled over most of India by 263 BC. 904 00:50:39,000 --> 00:50:41,083 SHIMKHADA: Ashoka the Great was intent 905 00:50:41,292 --> 00:50:42,750 in conquering all of India. 906 00:50:42,917 --> 00:50:46,167 So there was one place that he had not been able to conquer. 907 00:50:46,333 --> 00:50:48,708 And he finally mounts this attack. 908 00:50:48,875 --> 00:50:52,833 It is said that many thousands of people were killed, 909 00:50:53,042 --> 00:50:54,458 soldiers, from both sides. 910 00:50:55,500 --> 00:50:57,375 When he went to the battleground, 911 00:50:57,542 --> 00:51:01,167 he became very, very moved by this horrendous scene. 912 00:51:01,333 --> 00:51:05,167 And then he became a changed man and he devoted all of his time 913 00:51:05,375 --> 00:51:08,208 in propagating the peaceful message of the Buddha. 914 00:51:10,375 --> 00:51:13,167 NARRATOR: But according to the 2nd century Sanskrit text 915 00:51:13,333 --> 00:51:15,500 called the Ashokavadana, 916 00:51:15,708 --> 00:51:18,333 there is another, even more profound tale 917 00:51:18,542 --> 00:51:20,833 describing Ashoka's transformation 918 00:51:21,042 --> 00:51:24,458 from brutal tyrant to religious leader, 919 00:51:24,583 --> 00:51:27,250 one that some believe provides evidence 920 00:51:27,417 --> 00:51:29,750 of an otherworldly influence. 921 00:51:32,292 --> 00:51:35,167 WILCOCK: A wandering monk was imprisoned by Ashoka. 922 00:51:36,125 --> 00:51:38,167 He throws this man into a cauldron 923 00:51:38,292 --> 00:51:40,375 and wants to boil him alive. 924 00:51:41,875 --> 00:51:45,375 At this point, the monk levitates up into the air. 925 00:51:46,833 --> 00:51:50,500 The eyewitness reports say that the monk's body 926 00:51:50,708 --> 00:51:52,667 was half fire 927 00:51:52,833 --> 00:51:54,625 and half flowing water. 928 00:51:56,042 --> 00:51:58,667 Ashoka was so amazed by what he saw 929 00:51:58,792 --> 00:52:01,500 that he completely shut down the torture prisons. 930 00:52:02,708 --> 00:52:04,500 After Ashoka's conversion, 931 00:52:04,625 --> 00:52:07,833 he gets so engaged in the Buddhist tradition 932 00:52:08,042 --> 00:52:10,167 that he begins building stupas, 933 00:52:10,375 --> 00:52:12,875 most notably the one at Sanchi. 934 00:52:13,958 --> 00:52:16,000 NARRATOR: Like other stupas throughout Asia, 935 00:52:16,167 --> 00:52:18,708 Ashoka's great monument has become 936 00:52:18,917 --> 00:52:22,500 one of the most important places of Buddhist pilgrimage. 937 00:52:23,875 --> 00:52:27,208 HENRY: Pilgrims would make a visit to the stupa 938 00:52:27,333 --> 00:52:30,167 in order to receive blessings and prayer energy. 939 00:52:30,833 --> 00:52:34,333 Ashoka built stupas and other structures throughout Asia 940 00:52:34,500 --> 00:52:37,042 that were inscribed with his teachings. 941 00:52:37,208 --> 00:52:38,750 And from this, we get the idea that he was trying 942 00:52:38,875 --> 00:52:42,625 to communicate through stone throughout time and generations. 943 00:52:43,667 --> 00:52:47,167 NARRATOR: But just what was Ashoka trying to communicate? 944 00:52:47,375 --> 00:52:50,333 Is it possible, as some researchers believe, 945 00:52:50,542 --> 00:52:54,708 that Ashoka had experienced an extraterrestrial encounter? 946 00:52:58,125 --> 00:53:01,417 And if so, might stupas actually represent 947 00:53:01,583 --> 00:53:04,458 something much more technological 948 00:53:04,583 --> 00:53:08,292 and with origins even more out of this world? 949 00:53:10,500 --> 00:53:12,875 WILCOCK: When you look at the structure of these stupas, 950 00:53:13,042 --> 00:53:16,083 it certainly appears as if there may be 951 00:53:16,250 --> 00:53:19,708 some reference being made in their shape 952 00:53:19,833 --> 00:53:22,708 to actual extraterrestrial piloted vehicles. 953 00:53:22,875 --> 00:53:26,333 This may be related to the Hindu legend of the vimana, 954 00:53:26,500 --> 00:53:29,292 which is allegedly a noiseless, wingless aircraft 955 00:53:29,417 --> 00:53:30,875 that flies through the air. 956 00:53:33,375 --> 00:53:37,250 SHIMKHADA: Vimanas are described in the Hindu epics. 957 00:53:37,375 --> 00:53:40,708 And their mission is to transport gods, primarily, 958 00:53:40,917 --> 00:53:44,375 and the gods are the owners of these vehicles, 959 00:53:44,542 --> 00:53:48,000 because they are worthy of traveling through space 960 00:53:48,208 --> 00:53:49,708 very fast. 961 00:53:52,458 --> 00:53:54,792 COPPENS: These people built, in stone, 962 00:53:54,917 --> 00:53:58,167 objects which they seem to have seen in the sky, 963 00:53:58,333 --> 00:54:00,333 in flight, at some point, no doubt, 964 00:54:00,542 --> 00:54:03,333 landed on the surface of the Earth as well. 965 00:54:03,500 --> 00:54:05,500 When these objects left, 966 00:54:05,708 --> 00:54:07,333 they began to build them in stone 967 00:54:07,542 --> 00:54:09,417 so that they would have reminders 968 00:54:09,542 --> 00:54:12,875 that this was the instruments in which the gods came to them. 969 00:54:14,583 --> 00:54:17,167 NARRATOR: Might the Great Stupa really have been built 970 00:54:17,375 --> 00:54:19,333 to symbolize vimanas, 971 00:54:19,500 --> 00:54:23,833 the flying machines described in ancient Hindu texts? 972 00:54:24,000 --> 00:54:28,708 And if so, might this provide even more compelling proof 973 00:54:28,875 --> 00:54:32,792 that powerful leaders, like Rama and Ashoka the Great, 974 00:54:32,917 --> 00:54:37,250 were in direct contact with extraterrestrial beings? 975 00:54:38,375 --> 00:54:41,500 For proponents of the ancient astronaut theory, 976 00:54:41,708 --> 00:54:46,250 few examples stand out more than that of an odd-looking pharaoh 977 00:54:46,458 --> 00:54:50,917 and his obsession with a disc in the sky. 978 00:54:55,458 --> 00:54:56,667 One of the most interesting stories we have 979 00:54:56,667 --> 00:54:58,708 about a potentially otherworldly ruler 980 00:54:58,708 --> 00:55:01,125 is that of the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten. 981 00:55:01,250 --> 00:55:03,667 And he had this strange appearance, 982 00:55:03,875 --> 00:55:05,167 with an odd-shaped body 983 00:55:05,375 --> 00:55:07,750 -and an elongated head. -Right. 984 00:55:07,958 --> 00:55:11,750 And he had Egypt abandon its entire pantheon of gods 985 00:55:11,917 --> 00:55:14,208 in order to worship the Aten only, 986 00:55:14,375 --> 00:55:17,750 which was this disc-shaped deity up in the sky. 987 00:55:17,917 --> 00:55:20,167 Now, to me, for all intents and purposes, 988 00:55:20,292 --> 00:55:22,333 that sounds like a flying saucer. 989 00:55:22,500 --> 00:55:24,292 And what's even more compelling about Akhenaten 990 00:55:24,500 --> 00:55:26,167 is we know for certain he was real. 991 00:55:26,333 --> 00:55:29,167 This isn't a figure from mythology. 992 00:55:29,333 --> 00:55:31,458 Akhenaten is in the historical record. 993 00:55:35,458 --> 00:55:38,583 NARRATOR: Amarna, Egypt. 1891. 994 00:55:40,542 --> 00:55:43,500 Italian archaeologist Alessandro Barsanti 995 00:55:43,667 --> 00:55:47,083 explores the tomb constructed for the pharaoh Akhenaten... 996 00:55:48,542 --> 00:55:51,125 ...but finds no evidence of his mummy. 997 00:55:56,167 --> 00:55:58,833 TSOUKALOS: What's really interesting is that the Egyptologists 998 00:55:59,042 --> 00:56:05,208 were certain that they would find Akhenaten behind that tomb. 999 00:56:05,417 --> 00:56:07,875 And they didn't. 1000 00:56:12,333 --> 00:56:14,708 NARRATOR: Just what happened to this revolutionary leader 1001 00:56:14,875 --> 00:56:19,125 after his death is as mysterious as the pharaoh himself. 1002 00:56:22,292 --> 00:56:24,875 Was he never actually buried in his tomb? 1003 00:56:25,083 --> 00:56:27,375 Or could he have been removed? 1004 00:56:28,750 --> 00:56:32,333 Akhenaten ruled from 1353 BC 1005 00:56:32,542 --> 00:56:35,625 until his death 17 years later. 1006 00:56:36,958 --> 00:56:39,542 His reign was dominated by controversy, 1007 00:56:39,750 --> 00:56:42,875 when he abandoned the pantheon of old Egyptian gods 1008 00:56:43,042 --> 00:56:45,958 and instead demanded that his subjects worship 1009 00:56:46,083 --> 00:56:47,917 the Sun god Aten. 1010 00:56:50,750 --> 00:56:54,000 The Aten was something that he saw in the sky 1011 00:56:54,167 --> 00:56:55,750 between two mountains... 1012 00:56:56,750 --> 00:57:00,625 ...that inspired him to create the sacred city of Amarna. 1013 00:57:01,667 --> 00:57:04,667 Now, the typical view is the Aten must be the Sun, 1014 00:57:04,833 --> 00:57:07,417 but it is entirely possible 1015 00:57:07,583 --> 00:57:10,708 that what Akhenaten was seeing was, in fact, 1016 00:57:10,917 --> 00:57:13,708 an extraterrestrial flying craft. 1017 00:57:20,333 --> 00:57:23,583 NARRATOR: Did Akhenaten uproot the entire kingdom of Egypt 1018 00:57:23,750 --> 00:57:26,708 because of an extraterrestrial encounter? 1019 00:57:28,042 --> 00:57:32,542 Or could there be an even more profound explanation? 1020 00:57:33,750 --> 00:57:36,667 If you compare images of Akhenaten 1021 00:57:36,875 --> 00:57:39,500 to other depictions of pharaohs, 1022 00:57:39,708 --> 00:57:42,833 you'll notice that Akhenaten looks very different. 1023 00:57:44,292 --> 00:57:47,500 He had this very bizarre elongated skull, 1024 00:57:47,625 --> 00:57:51,875 and he had this weird potbelly and weird arms. 1025 00:57:53,333 --> 00:57:57,125 So, was he really a human? 1026 00:57:58,875 --> 00:58:02,750 Perhaps Akhenaten was not of this earth. 1027 00:58:06,750 --> 00:58:08,625 NARRATOR: While archaeologists have yet to uncover 1028 00:58:08,750 --> 00:58:10,500 the remains of Akhenaten, 1029 00:58:10,708 --> 00:58:13,000 ancient astronaut theorists believe 1030 00:58:13,167 --> 00:58:16,500 that depictions of him having an elongated skull 1031 00:58:16,708 --> 00:58:19,708 could be more than just artistic license, 1032 00:58:19,875 --> 00:58:22,500 because there are other mummies that do, in fact, 1033 00:58:22,625 --> 00:58:25,042 have unusual skulls. 1034 00:58:30,208 --> 00:58:33,583 Some elongated skulls can be explained by the fact 1035 00:58:33,750 --> 00:58:37,125 that numerous ancient cultures practiced head binding, 1036 00:58:37,292 --> 00:58:40,917 a form of body modification where the heads of infants 1037 00:58:41,083 --> 00:58:43,375 were tightly bound to force their skulls 1038 00:58:43,542 --> 00:58:45,667 to become conical in shape. 1039 00:58:46,708 --> 00:58:51,292 But several misshapen skulls appear to defy explanation. 1040 00:58:54,375 --> 00:58:55,750 In Peru and Malta, 1041 00:58:55,917 --> 00:58:58,458 elongated skulls have been discovered 1042 00:58:58,625 --> 00:59:02,000 that are mysteriously missing a sagittal suture, 1043 00:59:02,208 --> 00:59:06,917 the fibrous jagged joint found in all human skulls. 1044 00:59:07,083 --> 00:59:10,500 TSOUKALOS: When you compare some of these elongated skulls, 1045 00:59:10,708 --> 00:59:14,708 some have sutures, like we have as humans, 1046 00:59:14,917 --> 00:59:16,708 and then there are other skulls 1047 00:59:16,917 --> 00:59:19,667 that do not have the same sutures. 1048 00:59:19,875 --> 00:59:22,833 So is it possible that some of 'em are 1049 00:59:23,000 --> 00:59:26,083 of actual extraterrestrial origin? 1050 00:59:27,417 --> 00:59:30,875 It would not surprise me in the least bit. 1051 00:59:31,042 --> 00:59:32,542 In the least bit. 1052 00:59:37,875 --> 00:59:40,958 NARRATOR: Could the elongated skulls found on certain mummies 1053 00:59:41,083 --> 00:59:44,708 actually be of extraterrestrial origin? 1054 00:59:46,333 --> 00:59:50,000 For years, researcher Brien Foerster has been studying 1055 00:59:50,208 --> 00:59:53,708 elongated skulls found in Paracas, Peru. 1056 00:59:53,875 --> 00:59:58,583 And recent DNA tests have yielded startling results. 1057 01:00:00,042 --> 01:00:02,917 Initial results, though ambiguous, 1058 01:00:03,083 --> 01:00:07,083 seem to indicate that partial segments of their DNA 1059 01:00:07,250 --> 01:00:10,000 are not to be found in what is called GenBank, 1060 01:00:10,208 --> 01:00:15,208 which is the record of human DNA that's been decoded so far. 1061 01:00:15,417 --> 01:00:18,333 Astonishingly, the geneticist who's been studying them 1062 01:00:18,542 --> 01:00:21,708 has said that their DNA, 1063 01:00:21,875 --> 01:00:24,375 at least in some aspects, 1064 01:00:24,542 --> 01:00:26,292 are not human. 1065 01:00:31,292 --> 01:00:35,292 NARRATOR: Might the DNA of the mummified Paracas skulls contain the truth 1066 01:00:35,417 --> 01:00:39,625 about ancient man's contact with extraterrestrials? 1067 01:00:41,333 --> 01:00:45,208 Could it be that the mummy of Akhenaten has never been found 1068 01:00:45,375 --> 01:00:49,083 because it was deliberately hidden or destroyed 1069 01:00:49,208 --> 01:00:53,292 to keep us from discovering its alien origin? 1070 01:00:59,042 --> 01:01:00,125 I hope that one day Akhenaten's mummy is discovered 1071 01:01:00,125 --> 01:01:02,083 so we can take a look at that elongated skull 1072 01:01:02,292 --> 01:01:04,167 and compare it to the many other similar skulls 1073 01:01:04,375 --> 01:01:06,750 -that have been discovered around the world. -Yeah. Mm-hmm. 1074 01:01:06,917 --> 01:01:10,125 Right. And some of the most unusual elongated skulls 1075 01:01:10,333 --> 01:01:11,500 have been found in Peru. 1076 01:01:11,625 --> 01:01:13,417 And we don't really know much about 1077 01:01:13,583 --> 01:01:14,708 who these skulls belonged to, 1078 01:01:14,875 --> 01:01:16,125 but they look so strange 1079 01:01:16,292 --> 01:01:18,708 that they might be extraterrestrials. 1080 01:01:18,917 --> 01:01:19,958 TSOUKALOS: Absolutely. 1081 01:01:20,125 --> 01:01:22,208 And my good friend and mentor, 1082 01:01:22,375 --> 01:01:24,042 Erich von Däniken, in 2018, 1083 01:01:24,208 --> 01:01:25,458 traveled to Peru 1084 01:01:25,625 --> 01:01:28,208 to examine some of these elongated skulls 1085 01:01:28,333 --> 01:01:30,000 up close and personal. 1086 01:01:32,708 --> 01:01:34,208 NARRATOR: Paracas, Peru. 1087 01:01:34,375 --> 01:01:36,750 February 2018. 1088 01:01:36,917 --> 01:01:39,958 In his ongoing search for further evidence 1089 01:01:40,125 --> 01:01:43,000 that ancient aliens came to Earth centuries ago, 1090 01:01:43,208 --> 01:01:47,583 Erich von Däniken travels to the Paracas History Museum 1091 01:01:47,708 --> 01:01:50,042 to meet with the museum's assistant director 1092 01:01:50,250 --> 01:01:51,750 Brien Foerster. 1093 01:01:51,917 --> 01:01:55,167 Foerster has promised to give him an up close look 1094 01:01:55,333 --> 01:01:57,500 at a remarkable collection of skulls, 1095 01:01:57,667 --> 01:02:00,250 skulls which von Däniken believes are not 1096 01:02:00,375 --> 01:02:02,792 -of human origin. -FOERSTER: These were all found 1097 01:02:02,958 --> 01:02:04,167 in the same tomb, 1098 01:02:04,333 --> 01:02:06,458 and so they were members of the same family. 1099 01:02:06,625 --> 01:02:08,667 NARRATOR: Over the years, 1100 01:02:08,875 --> 01:02:11,667 hundreds of strangely elongated human-like skulls 1101 01:02:11,875 --> 01:02:14,083 have been found all over the world, 1102 01:02:14,208 --> 01:02:17,500 from Australia-- where the skulls were estimated 1103 01:02:17,708 --> 01:02:20,083 to be at least 10,000 years old-- 1104 01:02:20,250 --> 01:02:23,167 to the Ukraine-- where they were found in catacombs 1105 01:02:23,375 --> 01:02:27,000 that are known to date back at least 5,000 years. 1106 01:02:27,167 --> 01:02:31,000 Because throughout history, various cultures have engaged 1107 01:02:31,167 --> 01:02:34,333 in the ritual practice of artificially elongating 1108 01:02:34,542 --> 01:02:38,000 the skulls of infants by tightly wrapping their heads, 1109 01:02:38,125 --> 01:02:40,833 most members of both the scientific 1110 01:02:41,000 --> 01:02:43,500 and academic communities have dismissed the skulls 1111 01:02:43,625 --> 01:02:45,208 found in Peru as having been created 1112 01:02:45,375 --> 01:02:47,333 by using the same method. 1113 01:02:47,542 --> 01:02:49,500 But Brien Foerster is one 1114 01:02:49,708 --> 01:02:52,250 of a growing handful that does not agree. 1115 01:02:52,417 --> 01:02:54,208 According to his years of research, 1116 01:02:54,375 --> 01:02:58,083 a number of the skulls on display at the Paracas Museum 1117 01:02:58,208 --> 01:03:01,667 exhibit other characteristics that cannot be explained 1118 01:03:01,875 --> 01:03:04,375 by the native practice of head-binding. 1119 01:03:04,542 --> 01:03:07,833 What's controversial about the elongated skulls is 1120 01:03:07,917 --> 01:03:10,833 that, in many cases, the cranial capacity is larger 1121 01:03:11,000 --> 01:03:12,708 than a normal human. 1122 01:03:12,875 --> 01:03:15,542 And therefore, they would not simply be examples 1123 01:03:15,708 --> 01:03:17,750 of cranial deformation, 1124 01:03:17,917 --> 01:03:22,208 but possibly a separate subspecies of humanity, 1125 01:03:22,375 --> 01:03:23,875 or more. 1126 01:03:25,542 --> 01:03:27,333 -Now. Oh, wow, wow, wow. -Yeah. 1127 01:03:27,542 --> 01:03:29,958 At least 20, if not more, I would suggest here. 1128 01:03:30,125 --> 01:03:33,000 Mm-hmm. This is the main display case. 1129 01:03:33,125 --> 01:03:35,042 This is a normal-looking human skull 1130 01:03:35,208 --> 01:03:37,000 from the Inca time period. 1131 01:03:37,125 --> 01:03:40,750 This was a farmer, but then you see the variation in shapes. 1132 01:03:40,917 --> 01:03:42,583 You have ones which are horizontally elongated, 1133 01:03:42,750 --> 01:03:44,875 like that one. 1134 01:03:45,042 --> 01:03:47,833 And then you have the classic vertical elongation. 1135 01:03:48,042 --> 01:03:50,667 And notice the size of the eye sockets. 1136 01:03:50,833 --> 01:03:52,708 The eye sockets are, in some cases, 1137 01:03:52,875 --> 01:03:56,167 50% larger than a normal human being. 1138 01:03:56,375 --> 01:03:58,958 VON DÄNIKEN: Wow. Absolutely incredible. 1139 01:03:59,167 --> 01:04:00,583 You have two possibilities. 1140 01:04:00,750 --> 01:04:04,042 Are we humans made the change? 1141 01:04:04,208 --> 01:04:05,667 Artificially, we pressed the head together, 1142 01:04:05,833 --> 01:04:07,333 -the bones together? -Mm-hmm. 1143 01:04:07,500 --> 01:04:09,875 Or we have it to do again with extraterrestrials. 1144 01:04:10,042 --> 01:04:13,417 Very unlikely that it's simple cranial deformation. 1145 01:04:13,583 --> 01:04:15,333 I think genetically, 1146 01:04:15,500 --> 01:04:18,083 this person may have been born with an elongated skull. 1147 01:04:18,208 --> 01:04:20,292 What can you explain me to this here? 1148 01:04:20,458 --> 01:04:23,333 Well, I want you to go ahead and hold this. 1149 01:04:24,667 --> 01:04:25,958 Mamma mia. 1150 01:04:26,125 --> 01:04:28,167 That's a classic Paracas elongated skull. 1151 01:04:28,375 --> 01:04:30,625 Except there is no fontanelle. I see nada. 1152 01:04:30,750 --> 01:04:32,917 Exactly. The sagittal suture is missing. 1153 01:04:33,042 --> 01:04:35,500 Something is wrong here. 1154 01:04:37,000 --> 01:04:39,833 NARRATOR: Missing the sagittal suture? 1155 01:04:40,042 --> 01:04:44,208 The fibrous tissue joint found on every human skull, 1156 01:04:44,375 --> 01:04:47,125 connecting the two large bones that protect the brain? 1157 01:04:47,292 --> 01:04:49,958 But how could it be missing? 1158 01:04:52,292 --> 01:04:54,458 FOERSTER: And so, medical professionals are absolutely 1159 01:04:54,583 --> 01:04:57,083 dumbfounded when they see it. 1160 01:04:57,208 --> 01:05:02,667 It doesn't fit in with a normal human skull. 1161 01:05:02,792 --> 01:05:04,625 Incredible. 1162 01:05:04,792 --> 01:05:06,417 NARRATOR: Eight years 1163 01:05:06,583 --> 01:05:09,667 after Erich von Däniken wrote Chariots of the Gods, 1164 01:05:09,833 --> 01:05:11,875 author and researcher Zecharia Sitchin 1165 01:05:12,042 --> 01:05:15,042 began publishing his Earth Chronicles book series, 1166 01:05:15,208 --> 01:05:18,833 which also proposed that ancient aliens had a hand 1167 01:05:19,042 --> 01:05:22,042 in the creation and development of humankind. 1168 01:05:22,208 --> 01:05:24,792 In There Were Giants Upon the Earth, 1169 01:05:24,917 --> 01:05:27,875 Sitchin suggested that extraterrestrial DNA 1170 01:05:28,042 --> 01:05:30,917 still exists in humans 1171 01:05:31,083 --> 01:05:33,042 and that the proof might be found 1172 01:05:33,208 --> 01:05:35,167 by closely examining the ancient skull 1173 01:05:35,333 --> 01:05:40,083 of a Sumerian queen who ruled sometime around 2500 BC, 1174 01:05:40,250 --> 01:05:41,917 and which is currently being stored 1175 01:05:42,042 --> 01:05:45,333 at the Natural History Museum in London. 1176 01:05:45,542 --> 01:05:47,292 One of the greatest researchers of our time 1177 01:05:47,500 --> 01:05:50,042 in the ancient astronaut theory, Zecharia Sitchin, 1178 01:05:50,208 --> 01:05:53,333 who passed away in 2010, had one last wish, 1179 01:05:53,500 --> 01:05:55,500 closing out his legacy of research, 1180 01:05:55,708 --> 01:05:59,333 which was to test the remains of Queen Puabi. 1181 01:06:02,250 --> 01:06:04,125 Sitchin spent 50 years of research 1182 01:06:04,292 --> 01:06:07,083 looking into Sumerian cuneiform, 1183 01:06:07,250 --> 01:06:09,167 and putting forth the idea 1184 01:06:09,333 --> 01:06:12,667 that the Anunnaki, these extraterrestrial gods, 1185 01:06:12,792 --> 01:06:15,125 visited ancient Sumer. 1186 01:06:15,250 --> 01:06:17,125 And what's really interesting is 1187 01:06:17,250 --> 01:06:19,458 that she was actually known as "Nin-Puabi," 1188 01:06:19,625 --> 01:06:21,875 with the "nin" actually representing 1189 01:06:22,042 --> 01:06:24,333 the term "goddess" in the Sumerian language. 1190 01:06:24,542 --> 01:06:27,042 So, Zecharia Sitchin felt very strongly 1191 01:06:27,208 --> 01:06:28,458 that if the Natural History Museum 1192 01:06:28,583 --> 01:06:31,167 were to do genetic testing on Queen Puabi, 1193 01:06:31,333 --> 01:06:33,833 that we would find that there are parts of her DNA 1194 01:06:34,042 --> 01:06:36,500 that are extraterrestrial. 1195 01:06:36,667 --> 01:06:39,458 It's said that she had an elongated head, 1196 01:06:39,583 --> 01:06:44,125 as many of the kings and queens and royalty of Sumeria had, 1197 01:06:44,292 --> 01:06:46,292 as did the Anunnaki. 1198 01:06:46,458 --> 01:06:49,042 And some say that she had more teeth 1199 01:06:49,208 --> 01:06:52,250 in her mouth than a normal human. 1200 01:06:53,208 --> 01:06:55,750 If they won't test these remains, 1201 01:06:55,958 --> 01:06:57,625 you have to ask why. 1202 01:06:58,667 --> 01:07:02,625 Is there some secret encoded in that DNA 1203 01:07:02,833 --> 01:07:04,667 that they don't want to hear? 1204 01:07:04,833 --> 01:07:08,583 Might it be that the remains of Queen Puabi could prove 1205 01:07:08,750 --> 01:07:11,958 for once and for all that ancient astronaut theory 1206 01:07:12,125 --> 01:07:14,875 isn't theory after all? 1207 01:07:15,000 --> 01:07:17,083 NARRATOR: Is it possible that proof 1208 01:07:17,208 --> 01:07:20,833 of humanity's extraterrestrial origins actually exists? 1209 01:07:21,042 --> 01:07:24,417 And, if so, could it currently be sitting, 1210 01:07:24,542 --> 01:07:27,833 unexamined, on a shelf in a London museum? 1211 01:07:28,042 --> 01:07:31,292 Ancient astronaut theorists say yes, 1212 01:07:31,458 --> 01:07:35,542 but believe equally compelling evidence can also be found 1213 01:07:35,708 --> 01:07:38,875 by tracing back the genealogical roots 1214 01:07:39,042 --> 01:07:41,042 of modern royalty. 1215 01:07:46,708 --> 01:07:48,167 One thing that's really interesting to me is 1216 01:07:48,333 --> 01:07:49,917 that while we've been talking about all these ancient 1217 01:07:49,917 --> 01:07:51,333 rulers and stories, 1218 01:07:51,542 --> 01:07:54,375 there are some monarchies around the world, even today, 1219 01:07:54,542 --> 01:07:56,792 that claim a connection to the gods. 1220 01:07:56,958 --> 01:07:58,750 And that's why bloodlines 1221 01:07:58,875 --> 01:08:00,500 are considered so important to some royal families. 1222 01:08:00,667 --> 01:08:02,208 TSOUKALOS: Oh, sure. 1223 01:08:02,375 --> 01:08:04,500 And this isn't something that people only thought about 1224 01:08:04,708 --> 01:08:06,000 thousands of years ago. 1225 01:08:06,208 --> 01:08:09,292 There are some who say that some of today's 1226 01:08:09,458 --> 01:08:11,833 kings and queens are direct descendants 1227 01:08:12,042 --> 01:08:13,750 of the so-called gods. 1228 01:08:13,917 --> 01:08:16,333 ♪ ♪ 1229 01:08:18,083 --> 01:08:19,375 NARRATOR: London, England. 1230 01:08:19,542 --> 01:08:21,417 June 2012. 1231 01:08:21,542 --> 01:08:23,958 -(cheering) -Queen Elizabeth II 1232 01:08:24,125 --> 01:08:27,042 celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, 1233 01:08:27,208 --> 01:08:30,333 commemorating 60 years on the British throne. 1234 01:08:32,875 --> 01:08:36,625 The 87-year-old monarch presides over the United Kingdom 1235 01:08:36,750 --> 01:08:38,958 and 15 commonwealth realms, 1236 01:08:39,125 --> 01:08:41,333 with a combined population 1237 01:08:41,542 --> 01:08:44,875 of more than 134 million people. 1238 01:08:45,042 --> 01:08:47,083 Her grandsons, 1239 01:08:47,250 --> 01:08:50,833 Prince William and Prince Harry, are heirs to the throne, 1240 01:08:51,000 --> 01:08:55,250 in the line of succession after their father Prince Charles. 1241 01:08:57,625 --> 01:09:00,458 But from where does the British monarchy claim its authority? 1242 01:09:00,625 --> 01:09:03,667 And what are the origins of its vast wealth 1243 01:09:03,792 --> 01:09:07,333 and symbolic power? 1244 01:09:08,375 --> 01:09:10,000 CHARLES MOSLEY: Queen Elizabeth II has sat 1245 01:09:10,208 --> 01:09:12,083 on the throne since 1952. 1246 01:09:12,208 --> 01:09:15,333 And she has huge prestige, 1247 01:09:15,500 --> 01:09:17,667 because the royal family in this country 1248 01:09:17,792 --> 01:09:19,958 is one of the most successful organizations, 1249 01:09:20,125 --> 01:09:21,833 institutions in the world. 1250 01:09:25,375 --> 01:09:27,208 PHILLIPS: One of the most important things 1251 01:09:27,417 --> 01:09:31,875 for any leader is their bloodline to be continued. 1252 01:09:32,042 --> 01:09:35,875 We want the best for our own children, our own offspring, 1253 01:09:36,042 --> 01:09:38,958 as if it's some form of immortality. 1254 01:09:39,958 --> 01:09:42,458 The succession of power in ancient civilizations 1255 01:09:42,625 --> 01:09:46,958 depended very much on bloodlines. 1256 01:09:53,542 --> 01:09:55,458 NARRATOR: Like other European monarchies, 1257 01:09:55,667 --> 01:09:59,375 the British royal family has fiercely protected the integrity 1258 01:09:59,583 --> 01:10:03,708 of its bloodlines for thousands of years, but why? 1259 01:10:04,708 --> 01:10:07,792 What exactly is so unique or significant 1260 01:10:07,958 --> 01:10:10,208 about royal bloodlines? 1261 01:10:11,458 --> 01:10:13,833 PHILLIPS: Various leaders of ancient cultures went 1262 01:10:14,042 --> 01:10:15,333 to considerable lengths to make sure 1263 01:10:15,542 --> 01:10:17,667 that their own bloodline continued 1264 01:10:17,833 --> 01:10:21,292 as the ruling elite. 1265 01:10:21,458 --> 01:10:25,875 For example, the pharaohs of Egypt married their own sisters 1266 01:10:26,042 --> 01:10:27,583 or mothers. 1267 01:10:27,750 --> 01:10:30,833 The famous Tutankhamen was married to his own sister, 1268 01:10:30,958 --> 01:10:33,083 and previous to that, he was married to his own grandmother 1269 01:10:33,208 --> 01:10:37,500 so that they could keep the blood within the same family. 1270 01:10:41,417 --> 01:10:43,208 MOSLEY: So, if you were of the same blood 1271 01:10:43,375 --> 01:10:44,917 as Cyrus, Ramses, Alexander II, 1272 01:10:45,042 --> 01:10:46,542 Leonidas of Sparta, 1273 01:10:46,708 --> 01:10:49,667 you had some kind of claim to recognition. 1274 01:10:49,833 --> 01:10:51,708 In the ancient world, 1275 01:10:51,875 --> 01:10:54,667 it was seen as extending to the right to rule. 1276 01:10:54,875 --> 01:10:57,917 It gave legitimacy, it gave continuity, 1277 01:10:58,083 --> 01:11:00,667 it gave certainty. 1278 01:11:01,708 --> 01:11:04,708 That is still recognized in some respects now. 1279 01:11:04,875 --> 01:11:06,625 We have had, for instance, 1280 01:11:06,792 --> 01:11:08,708 father and son presidents of the United States. 1281 01:11:08,917 --> 01:11:13,208 We've had a series of members of the same family running India. 1282 01:11:13,375 --> 01:11:16,333 We have even had tyrannies in North Korea, 1283 01:11:16,500 --> 01:11:18,708 father-son inheritance. 1284 01:11:18,875 --> 01:11:22,250 It's extraordinary the extent to which this still exists. 1285 01:11:23,208 --> 01:11:25,667 YOUNG: It is important for people 1286 01:11:25,792 --> 01:11:29,000 to feel their leaders are extraordinary, not common. 1287 01:11:29,208 --> 01:11:31,667 So much is focused on the bloodlines. 1288 01:11:31,833 --> 01:11:33,833 Have they descended from the gods? 1289 01:11:33,958 --> 01:11:38,208 Have they descended from rulers that were unusually exceptional? 1290 01:11:38,375 --> 01:11:40,500 COLLINS: And it was something 1291 01:11:40,625 --> 01:11:42,125 that they would obviously pass on 1292 01:11:42,250 --> 01:11:45,083 into the successive generations, 1293 01:11:45,250 --> 01:11:47,458 so that if you had that blood, 1294 01:11:47,542 --> 01:11:50,667 you also had that power of connection with the gods. 1295 01:11:53,500 --> 01:11:55,333 NARRATOR: According to some researchers, 1296 01:11:55,500 --> 01:11:58,125 the bloodline of Queen Elizabeth II 1297 01:11:58,292 --> 01:12:02,000 can be traced all the way back to that of a mythical deity 1298 01:12:02,208 --> 01:12:04,708 named Woden. 1299 01:12:05,625 --> 01:12:07,583 YOUNG: If we look closely, 1300 01:12:07,750 --> 01:12:10,000 the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, 1301 01:12:10,208 --> 01:12:14,458 could trace lineage to Woden through the Kings of Wessex. 1302 01:12:15,375 --> 01:12:18,125 Woden is supposedly an ancient king. 1303 01:12:18,333 --> 01:12:19,792 He is obviously a variation 1304 01:12:19,958 --> 01:12:22,750 on the Norse god Odin or the German Wotan. 1305 01:12:24,792 --> 01:12:29,333 But he is a mighty, powerful, furious leader, 1306 01:12:29,458 --> 01:12:31,167 a semi-god or a god in his own right. 1307 01:12:31,333 --> 01:12:33,500 He is also a warrior leader, 1308 01:12:33,708 --> 01:12:37,333 so he is a very exciting, ecstatic energy. 1309 01:12:41,958 --> 01:12:43,667 Now, interestingly, 1310 01:12:43,833 --> 01:12:46,792 the legends associated with this god, Woden, 1311 01:12:46,917 --> 01:12:51,917 was that usually around midwinter, 1312 01:12:52,042 --> 01:12:57,500 the god Woden would lead a great hunt across the skies. 1313 01:12:59,500 --> 01:13:02,750 All these horsemen would be seen flying across the skies. 1314 01:13:04,417 --> 01:13:07,000 It's described that when Woden would pass overhead, 1315 01:13:07,208 --> 01:13:08,667 that people would witness seeing 1316 01:13:08,875 --> 01:13:12,208 strong winds and hearing thunderous claps of sound. 1317 01:13:12,375 --> 01:13:15,000 (thunderclaps) 1318 01:13:15,167 --> 01:13:17,000 And Woden, in some legends, 1319 01:13:17,208 --> 01:13:20,417 was said to have been seen riding an eight-legged horse. 1320 01:13:20,542 --> 01:13:23,167 (horse neighing) 1321 01:13:23,292 --> 01:13:25,250 TSOUKALOS: In ancient English legends, 1322 01:13:25,417 --> 01:13:28,208 Woden was known as the god of wind. 1323 01:13:28,375 --> 01:13:30,042 And whenever he appeared, 1324 01:13:30,208 --> 01:13:32,167 he flew across the sky 1325 01:13:32,375 --> 01:13:35,375 in a fiery, eight-legged horse. 1326 01:13:35,542 --> 01:13:38,417 Now what does that mean? 1327 01:13:38,583 --> 01:13:41,625 Whatever it was they encountered, 1328 01:13:41,792 --> 01:13:44,333 that they witnessed up in the sky, 1329 01:13:44,542 --> 01:13:47,833 could best be described as an eight-legged horse, 1330 01:13:48,042 --> 01:13:52,417 because they didn't have the vocabulary for spacecraft. 1331 01:13:56,625 --> 01:13:59,042 NARRATOR: But did, as mainstream scholars suggest, 1332 01:13:59,208 --> 01:14:01,250 Queen Elizabeth's ancestors 1333 01:14:01,375 --> 01:14:04,708 simply claim a blood connection to Woden 1334 01:14:04,875 --> 01:14:08,500 in an effort to strengthen and legitimize their reign? 1335 01:14:08,667 --> 01:14:10,375 Or is it possible 1336 01:14:10,583 --> 01:14:13,042 that the British monarch is an actual 1337 01:14:13,208 --> 01:14:16,708 flesh-and-blood descendant of otherworldly beings? 1338 01:14:18,875 --> 01:14:20,750 YOUNG: Tracing royal lineage back 1339 01:14:20,917 --> 01:14:23,917 to a god implies great wisdom, 1340 01:14:24,125 --> 01:14:28,167 almost celestial power, a connection to the divine, 1341 01:14:28,292 --> 01:14:31,000 truly making the gods on our side. 1342 01:14:36,625 --> 01:14:38,333 CHILDRESS: Kings and queens all over the world, 1343 01:14:38,500 --> 01:14:39,917 particularly in Europe, 1344 01:14:40,083 --> 01:14:42,333 they are from a special bloodline, 1345 01:14:42,500 --> 01:14:44,958 and they make a big deal of that. 1346 01:14:46,083 --> 01:14:48,167 So you have to ask yourself, 1347 01:14:48,333 --> 01:14:51,083 what is it about their blood, 1348 01:14:51,250 --> 01:14:53,167 as opposed to other people's blood, that's so special? 1349 01:14:55,500 --> 01:14:57,667 NARRATOR: Might ancient royalty's 1350 01:14:57,833 --> 01:14:59,917 possible extraterrestrial origins 1351 01:15:00,083 --> 01:15:02,875 explain why monarchs have protected their bloodlines 1352 01:15:03,042 --> 01:15:05,125 for centuries? 1353 01:15:05,292 --> 01:15:10,250 Or might there be another even more biological reason? 1354 01:15:11,625 --> 01:15:14,208 What if the proof could be seen with the naked eye? 1355 01:15:14,375 --> 01:15:16,250 Not in ancient monuments 1356 01:15:16,417 --> 01:15:21,042 or deciphered texts, but in our own DNA? 1357 01:15:30,458 --> 01:15:31,875 NARRATOR: The Mongol Empire 1358 01:15:32,042 --> 01:15:34,667 in the 13th century AD. 1359 01:15:35,792 --> 01:15:37,667 This massive kingdom, 1360 01:15:37,833 --> 01:15:40,083 one that stretched from the Caspian Sea 1361 01:15:40,250 --> 01:15:41,833 to the Sea of Japan, 1362 01:15:42,042 --> 01:15:45,583 was forged by the emperor Genghis Khan. 1363 01:15:46,750 --> 01:15:50,250 Uniting the nomadic tribes of Northeast Asia, 1364 01:15:50,417 --> 01:15:52,500 historians believe that by the time 1365 01:15:52,667 --> 01:15:54,833 of his death in 1227, 1366 01:15:55,000 --> 01:15:59,917 Genghis Khan ruled over as many as 100 million people. 1367 01:16:01,792 --> 01:16:04,542 PHILLIPS: Many people think of the great empires of the world, 1368 01:16:04,708 --> 01:16:06,250 such as the Roman Empire, 1369 01:16:06,417 --> 01:16:07,625 the empire of Alexander the Great, 1370 01:16:07,792 --> 01:16:09,333 or the British Empire. 1371 01:16:09,500 --> 01:16:11,875 The greatest in landmass, area, 1372 01:16:12,042 --> 01:16:16,167 the world has ever seen was the empire of Genghis Khan. 1373 01:16:17,375 --> 01:16:20,833 He and his immediate descendants conquered all of China, 1374 01:16:20,958 --> 01:16:23,000 conquered most of what's now Russia, 1375 01:16:23,208 --> 01:16:24,708 and half of Europe. 1376 01:16:24,833 --> 01:16:27,500 It was an astonishing empire, 1377 01:16:27,667 --> 01:16:29,208 and built by people 1378 01:16:29,375 --> 01:16:33,833 who had had really no proper civilization before that. 1379 01:16:34,000 --> 01:16:35,792 NARRATOR: Although generally believed 1380 01:16:36,000 --> 01:16:38,500 to be a brutal and bloody conqueror, 1381 01:16:38,667 --> 01:16:42,208 Genghis Khan also brought communication, 1382 01:16:42,375 --> 01:16:46,250 technology, justice and prosperity to his people. 1383 01:16:47,917 --> 01:16:50,583 He attributed his success to Tengri, 1384 01:16:50,792 --> 01:16:53,917 the god of the eternal blue sky. 1385 01:16:54,083 --> 01:16:56,708 HENRY: Genghis Khan was known to disappear for days 1386 01:16:56,875 --> 01:16:59,542 and climb the most sacred mountain of Asia 1387 01:16:59,708 --> 01:17:01,958 in order to commune with Tengri, 1388 01:17:02,083 --> 01:17:04,375 who imparted to him not only battle plans, 1389 01:17:04,542 --> 01:17:06,667 but spiritual capability 1390 01:17:06,875 --> 01:17:09,542 that made him the amazing leader that he was. 1391 01:17:09,667 --> 01:17:11,208 (thunderclaps) 1392 01:17:11,375 --> 01:17:14,458 Genghis Khan believed Tengri to be his sky father, 1393 01:17:14,583 --> 01:17:18,958 and claimed that he had a direct genetic connection with Tengri. 1394 01:17:19,167 --> 01:17:22,917 He even referred to himself as a man from the sky. 1395 01:17:23,958 --> 01:17:25,958 MARTELL: Now, if this is actually the case, 1396 01:17:26,083 --> 01:17:28,000 Genghis Khan might have some type 1397 01:17:28,167 --> 01:17:30,000 of extraterrestrial component to him. 1398 01:17:30,125 --> 01:17:31,833 We know that scientifically today, 1399 01:17:31,958 --> 01:17:35,083 one in 200 people can actually be traced back 1400 01:17:35,208 --> 01:17:36,917 to Genghis Khan. 1401 01:17:37,042 --> 01:17:39,208 So if Genghis Khan does have 1402 01:17:39,417 --> 01:17:42,917 any extraterrestrial genetics to him, it's possible 1403 01:17:43,042 --> 01:17:46,167 that over 16 million people now share this same gene. 1404 01:17:49,458 --> 01:17:52,833 NARRATOR: Is it possible that Genghis Khan did, in fact, 1405 01:17:53,042 --> 01:17:57,958 have extraterrestrial ancestry, as he himself claimed? 1406 01:17:58,167 --> 01:18:02,583 And, if so, might evidence of that alien biology appear 1407 01:18:02,750 --> 01:18:06,042 in certain bloodlines, even today? 1408 01:18:07,500 --> 01:18:09,333 (bell tolling) 1409 01:18:09,542 --> 01:18:11,125 London, England. 1410 01:18:11,208 --> 01:18:14,042 January 2013. 1411 01:18:14,167 --> 01:18:17,125 Researchers at the University College London 1412 01:18:17,250 --> 01:18:21,833 announce their discovery of a unique DNA sequence, 1413 01:18:22,000 --> 01:18:24,667 one that suggests that some people may, 1414 01:18:24,875 --> 01:18:27,833 in fact, be born to lead. 1415 01:18:28,875 --> 01:18:32,208 Comparing DNA samples taken from sets of twins, 1416 01:18:32,417 --> 01:18:34,833 both fraternal and identical, 1417 01:18:35,042 --> 01:18:37,875 scientists were able to determine 1418 01:18:38,042 --> 01:18:41,292 that as much as 24% of leadership behavior 1419 01:18:41,417 --> 01:18:44,458 could be attributed to genetics. 1420 01:18:44,625 --> 01:18:46,333 KLEMENS HERTEL: These are classical twin studies. 1421 01:18:46,500 --> 01:18:50,792 The identical twins are genetically identical. 1422 01:18:50,917 --> 01:18:52,333 Non-identical twins 1423 01:18:52,458 --> 01:18:54,125 are basically like siblings. 1424 01:18:55,167 --> 01:18:57,958 The kids were asked whether, in their job, 1425 01:18:58,042 --> 01:18:59,875 they supervised someone, 1426 01:19:00,042 --> 01:19:01,833 or they did not supervise someone. 1427 01:19:02,000 --> 01:19:04,708 This was the question the research team 1428 01:19:04,875 --> 01:19:06,667 associated with leadership quality, 1429 01:19:06,833 --> 01:19:08,208 yes or no. 1430 01:19:08,375 --> 01:19:10,167 Minor changes 1431 01:19:10,375 --> 01:19:14,000 in the genetic composition were then correlated 1432 01:19:14,167 --> 01:19:16,750 with the incidence of having a leadership 1433 01:19:16,917 --> 01:19:18,500 or not having a leadership, 1434 01:19:18,667 --> 01:19:20,542 based on the answer to the question. 1435 01:19:20,708 --> 01:19:22,667 And it was demonstrated 1436 01:19:22,875 --> 01:19:26,292 that one particular genotype associates 1437 01:19:26,458 --> 01:19:29,167 with having a leadership role. 1438 01:19:30,167 --> 01:19:33,875 Before this, it was assumed that leadership was learned. 1439 01:19:34,042 --> 01:19:36,417 But now we know that leadership has a direct 1440 01:19:36,542 --> 01:19:38,083 genetic component to it, 1441 01:19:38,250 --> 01:19:40,750 and it can, in fact, be inherited. 1442 01:19:41,792 --> 01:19:44,000 NARRATOR: But is it really possible 1443 01:19:44,125 --> 01:19:45,917 that the world's legendary leaders 1444 01:19:46,042 --> 01:19:49,000 might have shared a common genetic trait? 1445 01:19:49,125 --> 01:19:51,500 A so-called leadership gene? 1446 01:19:51,625 --> 01:19:53,833 And might this gene have been, 1447 01:19:54,042 --> 01:19:56,375 not a product of genetic evolution, 1448 01:19:56,542 --> 01:20:00,833 but inherited by mankind from some otherworldly source? 1449 01:20:01,000 --> 01:20:03,542 VON DÄNIKEN: A long, long time ago, 1450 01:20:03,708 --> 01:20:06,083 the gods from outer space were on Earth, 1451 01:20:06,250 --> 01:20:08,958 and they definitely made a genetical change 1452 01:20:09,125 --> 01:20:10,500 with some of our humans. 1453 01:20:10,625 --> 01:20:13,750 These humans obviously 1454 01:20:13,958 --> 01:20:18,000 are of a little higher level than the rest of mankind. 1455 01:20:18,083 --> 01:20:19,667 CHILDRESS: Just like today, we want 1456 01:20:19,875 --> 01:20:22,500 to view our leaders as being special, 1457 01:20:22,667 --> 01:20:25,333 smarter than us, more capable, 1458 01:20:25,542 --> 01:20:28,750 and it's the same thing in ancient times, too. 1459 01:20:28,875 --> 01:20:30,167 The rulers were special. 1460 01:20:30,375 --> 01:20:34,625 They somehow had god in their bloods. 1461 01:20:34,792 --> 01:20:36,167 They were descendants of the gods. 1462 01:20:36,375 --> 01:20:38,458 They had special DNA. 1463 01:20:38,625 --> 01:20:39,917 PHILLIPS: One thing is certain, 1464 01:20:40,083 --> 01:20:43,292 and that is, if it wasn't for these ancient peoples 1465 01:20:43,458 --> 01:20:45,167 believing that their kings 1466 01:20:45,375 --> 01:20:48,042 and emperors were divine, there is very little 1467 01:20:48,208 --> 01:20:51,958 to have held these early civilizations together. 1468 01:20:52,125 --> 01:20:54,292 And believing that your leader was somehow a god, 1469 01:20:54,458 --> 01:20:57,958 or descended from a god, kept people together. 1470 01:20:58,125 --> 01:21:02,500 And so, it's a part of survival of the human race. 1471 01:21:04,625 --> 01:21:07,833 TSOUKALOS: Many of our greatest rulers were guided 1472 01:21:07,958 --> 01:21:09,917 or influenced directly, 1473 01:21:10,042 --> 01:21:13,542 according to what they say, by celestial beings. 1474 01:21:14,625 --> 01:21:16,833 Perhaps it is this influence 1475 01:21:16,958 --> 01:21:19,958 that gave some of these rulers the capacity 1476 01:21:20,167 --> 01:21:23,000 to change human history. 1477 01:21:26,375 --> 01:21:29,042 NARRATOR: Were there really extraterrestrial influences 1478 01:21:29,208 --> 01:21:31,833 steering the emperors, kings and pharaohs 1479 01:21:32,042 --> 01:21:33,500 of the ancient world? 1480 01:21:33,667 --> 01:21:35,958 And, if so, 1481 01:21:36,125 --> 01:21:39,292 does this mean that the blood of the so-called gods 1482 01:21:39,458 --> 01:21:41,458 doesn't only flow throughout the veins 1483 01:21:41,625 --> 01:21:43,167 of today's monarchs, 1484 01:21:43,292 --> 01:21:46,083 but in the DNA of millions of people 1485 01:21:46,208 --> 01:21:48,417 living throughout the world? 1486 01:21:50,125 --> 01:21:53,917 The implications are both astonishing and profound. 1487 01:21:55,208 --> 01:21:57,875 Because it may not be that we need to wait 1488 01:21:58,042 --> 01:22:01,208 for Earth's alien ancestors to return. 1489 01:22:01,375 --> 01:22:05,667 It may be... they are already here. 1490 01:22:08,125 --> 01:22:09,667 I mean, when you think about it, 1491 01:22:09,833 --> 01:22:11,833 what we're talking about here is humans 1492 01:22:12,000 --> 01:22:15,250 being coregents or co-rulers with the gods, 1493 01:22:15,417 --> 01:22:18,292 -with extraterrestrials. -CHILDRESS: Yeah, and so, 1494 01:22:18,375 --> 01:22:22,167 the gods are, you know, training these new god-kings, 1495 01:22:22,292 --> 01:22:25,333 who are perhaps, you know, semi-extraterrestrial, 1496 01:22:25,542 --> 01:22:28,375 -to learn how to rule. -TSOUKALOS: Right. 1497 01:22:28,583 --> 01:22:31,125 And they aided us in the evolutionary process. 1498 01:22:31,292 --> 01:22:32,833 And so, you know, I don't think that, 1499 01:22:32,958 --> 01:22:34,917 if you have someone 1500 01:22:35,042 --> 01:22:37,583 that you are the father or the parents of, 1501 01:22:37,708 --> 01:22:40,083 that you lose interest. 1502 01:22:40,292 --> 01:22:41,792 I think it's something where 1503 01:22:41,958 --> 01:22:43,375 we're "stuck with them" for a long time. 1504 01:22:43,542 --> 01:22:44,833 HENRY: Right. 1505 01:22:45,042 --> 01:22:47,167 We were, in part, trained by these gods 1506 01:22:47,292 --> 01:22:49,583 in order to participate 1507 01:22:49,708 --> 01:22:51,500 in a galactic government. 1508 01:22:52,875 --> 01:22:55,375 CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY A E NETWORKS