One of the most fascinating explorations of the UFO and ancient astronaut debate ever aired on American television. In this 1978 NOVA PBS documentary, The Case of Ancient Astronauts, renowned astronomer Carl Sagan examines, with his signature clarity and scientific rigor, the provocative claims that extraterrestrials influenced the development of early human civilizations.
The film was produced at the height of public fascination with Erich von Däniken’s best‑selling books such as Chariots of the Gods?, which popularized the idea that mysterious archaeological wonders—like the pyramids of Egypt, the Nazca Lines of Peru, or the carvings of Palenque—were not solely the creations of human ingenuity, but the remnants of contact with advanced alien visitors.
Through compelling narration, rare footage, and interviews, the documentary looks closely at these claims and separates speculation from science. NOVA, with Sagan’s guidance, provides viewers with both the allure of von Däniken’s theories and the careful, evidence‑based counterarguments from historians, archaeologists, and scientists.
What makes this documentary especially timeless is Carl Sagan’s thoughtful approach. While skeptical of the “ancient astronaut” hypothesis, he was never dismissive of curiosity. Instead, he recognized the importance of wonder and imagination in driving science forward—reminding audiences that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. His message echoes even today: the universe is full of mystery, but we must balance open‑mindedness with critical thinking.
Why this documentary still matters:
It captures a cultural moment in the late 1970s when UFOs, ancient mysteries, and space exploration intersected in the public imagination.
It showcases Carl Sagan’s unmatched skill as a science communicator, making complex issues accessible without losing nuance.
It highlights humanity’s longing for connection to the cosmos—whether through myth, speculation, or the search for real extraterrestrial intelligence.
It remains a valuable resource for anyone interested in the origins of Ancient Aliens theories versus the skeptical scientific response.
Whether you’re a lifelong UFO enthusiast, a history lover, or a fan of Carl Sagan, The Case of Ancient Astronauts invites you to re‑examine a classic debate with fresh eyes. It’s not just about proving or disproving aliens—it’s about understanding how we humans interpret mysteries, search for meaning, and define our place in the universe.
Watch, wonder, and decide for yourself.
#UFO #UFOdocumentary #AncientAliens #AncientAstronauts #CarlSagan #NovaPBS #ChariotsoftheGods #ErichVonDaniken #SciFi #Skepticism #CriticalThinking #Cosmos #SpaceExploration #UFOHistory #1970sDocumentary #PBS #ScienceVsMyth #Extraterrestrials #SETI
The film was produced at the height of public fascination with Erich von Däniken’s best‑selling books such as Chariots of the Gods?, which popularized the idea that mysterious archaeological wonders—like the pyramids of Egypt, the Nazca Lines of Peru, or the carvings of Palenque—were not solely the creations of human ingenuity, but the remnants of contact with advanced alien visitors.
Through compelling narration, rare footage, and interviews, the documentary looks closely at these claims and separates speculation from science. NOVA, with Sagan’s guidance, provides viewers with both the allure of von Däniken’s theories and the careful, evidence‑based counterarguments from historians, archaeologists, and scientists.
What makes this documentary especially timeless is Carl Sagan’s thoughtful approach. While skeptical of the “ancient astronaut” hypothesis, he was never dismissive of curiosity. Instead, he recognized the importance of wonder and imagination in driving science forward—reminding audiences that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. His message echoes even today: the universe is full of mystery, but we must balance open‑mindedness with critical thinking.
Why this documentary still matters:
It captures a cultural moment in the late 1970s when UFOs, ancient mysteries, and space exploration intersected in the public imagination.
It showcases Carl Sagan’s unmatched skill as a science communicator, making complex issues accessible without losing nuance.
It highlights humanity’s longing for connection to the cosmos—whether through myth, speculation, or the search for real extraterrestrial intelligence.
It remains a valuable resource for anyone interested in the origins of Ancient Aliens theories versus the skeptical scientific response.
Whether you’re a lifelong UFO enthusiast, a history lover, or a fan of Carl Sagan, The Case of Ancient Astronauts invites you to re‑examine a classic debate with fresh eyes. It’s not just about proving or disproving aliens—it’s about understanding how we humans interpret mysteries, search for meaning, and define our place in the universe.
Watch, wonder, and decide for yourself.
#UFO #UFOdocumentary #AncientAliens #AncientAstronauts #CarlSagan #NovaPBS #ChariotsoftheGods #ErichVonDaniken #SciFi #Skepticism #CriticalThinking #Cosmos #SpaceExploration #UFOHistory #1970sDocumentary #PBS #ScienceVsMyth #Extraterrestrials #SETI
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FunTranscript
00:00Major funding for NOVA is provided by this station and by other public television stations.
00:06Additional funding is provided by grants from Exxon Corporation and the National Science Foundation.
00:30In November 1973, Pioneer 10 took off on a journey to the stars.
01:00It carries with it a message from the people of Earth.
01:11On board is a plaque that tells who we are and where we live, our calling card to the stars.
01:20Pioneer will eventually leave our solar system.
01:23No one knows if its message will ever be received.
01:25There may be many civilizations among the stars
01:31and making contact with them is one of man's most exciting adventures.
01:37But has that contact already been made?
01:45Is it possible that astronauts from other worlds have already visited us
01:49and left behind their calling cards here on Earth?
02:04One startling hypothesis about man's past
02:07begins with an alien spacecraft approaching Earth.
02:13Man was still primitive and uncivilized.
02:19In terror and wonder, he watched the descent of the fiery gods from heaven.
02:29The spacecraft landed and the astronauts visited Earth.
02:33They performed great deeds, then departed.
02:36And to this day, the tale of their coming is related in ancient legends told throughout the world.
02:51Nine years ago, this remarkable thesis created a sensational worldwide bestseller.
02:56It drew a completely new picture of man's prehistory.
03:00The book was Chariots of the Gods, written by the Swiss author, Eric von Däniken.
03:06I tried to prove that this planet has been visited by being from outer space several times in antiquity.
03:14Second, I say that one of these first visits was the reason why Homo sapiens has become intelligent.
03:24So, they made with our forefathers a kind of artificial mutation.
03:29And finally, these wizards from outer space have gone into old religions, into mythology,
03:39and even, at some cases, into archaeological artifacts.
03:47Does this Mayan carving from Mexico show a space traveler crouched in his rocket?
03:51Could these strange lines on the Peruvian desert be the landing strips of space vehicles?
04:00How can one explain these carvings which show beings gazing through modern telescopes at the stars?
04:08And the massive structures of the ancient world?
04:11Did astronauts help build the pyramids?
04:15And the statues of Easter Island?
04:16And who gave this African tribe detailed knowledge of invisible stars discovered only last century?
04:25Astronauts from other worlds?
04:29These are the questions von Däniken answers in startling fashion.
04:33And if he's right, we can tear up the history books.
04:35He has sold over 40 million copies of his books worldwide.
04:48And his popularity shows no sign of diminishing.
04:51His appeal may lie partly in his continual, almost contemptuous, challenging of orthodox views.
04:57And although his theories may be scorned by traditional scientists,
05:01they have certainly struck home with the public.
05:05Most of the year, he spends traveling.
05:12Everywhere, he seeks new evidence for the visits of ancient astronauts.
05:17People are intrigued by his findings.
05:20Many suspect that perhaps the conventional view of our past is wrong,
05:24because von Däniken produces evidence to prove it.
05:26Why are his ideas so popular?
05:40One person who studied the von Däniken phenomenon,
05:43himself an expert on extraterrestrial intelligence, is Carl Sagan.
05:46And we are thinking beings.
05:49We are interested and excited in understanding how the world is put together.
05:54We seek out the extraordinary.
05:58And if you think of these claims, if only they were true, they would be amazingly interesting.
06:06That we have been visited by beings from elsewhere who not only have created our civilization for us,
06:12but mated with human beings.
06:15That's, in my view, much more likely to successfully mate with a petunia than an extraterrestrial.
06:21But, certainly, there is a degree of fascination if such accounts were true.
06:38Von Däniken himself is unmoved by such skepticism.
06:41I accept and admit that this theory will not convince conservative scientists.
06:57But this has always been like this.
07:00There is not one simple theory, which today is the truth, which has convinced in those days the scientists.
07:08Take, for example, when the first cave paintings were discovered in Spain, in the Altamira caves,
07:16or other places, the whole archaeological world were against it.
07:20They all said, it must be a fake. It's wrong.
07:23Well, it's not.
07:24It takes usually a generation or at least 10 or 20 years until a new theory will be accepted.
07:35Von Däniken's theory is remarkable,
07:37yet by no means impossible.
07:39So how good is his evidence?
07:43The most impressive monuments of the ancient world are the pyramids at Giza.
07:48They've long been a source of mystery.
07:52Von Däniken suggests the great pyramid at Giza contains hidden formulas for finding the height of the sun
07:58and the secrets of the sun and the secrets of the sun and the secrets of immortality.
08:06He writes,
08:07The great pyramid is and remains visible testimony of a technique that has never been understood.
08:14Today, in the 20th century, no architect could build a copy of the pyramid of Kiosk,
08:20even if the technical resources of every continent were at his disposal.
08:24We know next to nothing of the how, why and when of the building of the pyramid.
08:34An artificial mountain, 490 feet high, weighing 31 million tons, stands there as evidence of a remarkable achievement.
08:422,600,000 gigantic blocks were cut out of the quarries,
08:56dressed and transported and fitted together to the nearest thousandth of an inch.
09:00The pyramid, like so many other wonderful things, shot out of the ground, so to speak.
09:18Of course, it helps the astronaut theory if things appear suddenly.
09:22In fact, the great pyramid is the culmination of a long tradition.
09:27200 years before it, on the edge of the desert west of the Nile,
09:30the first tombs of the pharaohs were being built.
09:34They were underground chambers called mastabas, built of sun-dried mud bricks.
09:40From these simple tombs developed the true pyramids.
09:44The first was at Saqqara, the stepped pyramid of King Djoser.
09:49Djoser's pyramid began as an ordinary mastaba, with tomb chambers and passages underneath.
09:55A small stepped pyramid was later built on top, and then a second larger pyramid was added.
10:01Leaving the structure that we see today.
10:04This was to be the model for all later pyramids.
10:10The design of Djoser's pyramid owes its strength to the buttress walls that lean inwards to the center.
10:16But the next pyramid built was not so successful.
10:23At Medum, a second large pyramid rose from the desert.
10:26What we see today is a ruin.
10:31Only the central core still stands.
10:38The Medum structure was once covered by a stepped pyramid.
10:42And this, in turn, was filled in to give the true pyramid shape.
10:45One theory is that these outer casings collapsed suddenly.
10:50Leaving the massive pile of rubble still seen surrounding the central core.
10:54From this disaster, the Egyptian architects learned valuable lessons in building techniques.
11:05The upper half of the next pyramid was less steep, giving it a bent shape.
11:09And the subsequent pyramid was built entirely at this shallower angle.
11:22So by the time the Giza group was built, the Egyptians had learned from 200 years of experience and human error.
11:28Yet, according to von Däniken, there are still some things that require a highly advanced technology.
11:36One problem is how the pyramid sides were so accurately aligned to the points of the compass.
11:43They deviate only a fraction from the east-west and north-south axes.
11:52But you don't need ancient astronauts to explain this accuracy.
11:58The fact that stars rise in the east and set in the west was well known to the Egyptian priests.
12:06Choosing a bright star, they could have marked its position as it rose, perhaps using an artificial horizon.
12:15They would then follow its path across the heavens until it set in the west.
12:20This position would also be marked.
12:22By bisecting the angle, true north is discovered.
12:30And one edge of the pyramid could be set against such a line.
12:37Nor is it technically difficult to get a straight edge.
12:39A number of men with poles can do it using only line of sight.
12:51With men and poles spanning the entire length, the edge of the pyramid could be accurately plotted.
12:56The mathematics of the ancient Egyptian surveyors was certainly good enough to measure accurately.
13:03But did they have extraterrestrial knowledge?
13:08Von Däniken claims the pyramid's height, multiplied by a billion, gives the distance to the sun.
13:15This simply isn't so.
13:17The pyramid is 480.93 feet high.
13:21Multiply by a billion, and you get just over 91 million miles.
13:24The sun's average distance is 93 million miles.
13:29Not the accuracy you would expect from a space-traveling civilization.
13:35You say that there is a clear explanation how the Great Pyramid was constructed.
13:40And I know this explanation from archaeologists, and I still doubt it.
13:44By the way, I have not said in my book that the pyramid was constructed by extraterrestrials.
13:48Extraterrestrials, I have speculated that extraterrestrials have left knowledge and tools to our forefathers,
13:56so that it was easier for them to do it.
13:59But we know what sort of tools they used.
14:02These simple copper chisels, now on display in the Cairo Museum.
14:07Hardly the advanced technology of spacemen.
14:09Here, too, is the rope that von Däniken says was non-existent.
14:15Quantities have been found buried near the pyramid.
14:19There are examples of the non-existent wooden mallets.
14:22And the non-existent rollers.
14:26We know what the tools are for, and where they were used.
14:29These are the ancient stone quarries at Tura, 15 miles across the Nile from the pyramids.
14:42They provided many of the blocks for the Great Pyramid of Cheops.
14:48Marks of the chisels can still be seen on the rock face.
14:54The quarrymen would carve a slot into the face, and then split out the blocks from behind.
14:59In some places, you can still find uncompleted blocks the size of those at Cheops.
15:09Despite this, von Däniken still believes that the building of Cheops
15:12presented insuperable problems to mere mortals.
15:17Archaeology accepts that the Great Pyramid is constructed of about 2.5 millions of stone blocks.
15:24And they say it was constructed within 20 years.
15:26If you divide 2.5 millions of stone blocks within 20 years,
15:31it would make that every year they had to cut, to polish, to put on place, to transport
15:36120,000 stone blocks.
15:39If you take an year with 300 working days, which is a good year, because they had some festivities too,
15:45and you take a working day of 12 hours,
15:48then they had, in fact, to make this whole thing every two minutes, one block.
15:57Repeat it today with our technology.
16:00How?
16:00Yet, even using very simple tools and methods,
16:15one or two men can easily break out a stone the size of those used in the pyramids.
16:19It takes about 15 minutes.
16:30The soft limestone splits easily, and usually along straight lines.
16:36The ancient Egyptians would have used wooden wedges, but the principle is the same.
16:40In ancient Egypt, 10 men could easily have broken out about a dozen such stones in a week,
16:51and been able to maneuver them from the quarry without any great difficulty.
16:54With 100,000 men, that would produce 120,000 stones in a season's quarry,
17:08the figure needed to keep the pyramid building on schedule.
17:16Speculation is one thing, but facts are another.
17:19And in Egypt, von Däniken gets most of his facts wrong.
17:24Buried deep in the remote Mexican jungle
17:34lie the ruined temples and palaces of a vanished civilization,
17:38that of the Maya.
17:42Here at Palenque in the 7th century A.D.,
17:45the Indians of the sophisticated Mayan culture built a great ceremonial center.
17:49This is the temple of inscriptions.
17:56Beneath it lies one of von Däniken's major pieces of evidence.
18:00It is a huge sarcophagus lid in an underground burial chamber.
18:08Elaborately carved, it depicts what?
18:11Von Däniken interprets it in this way.
18:13There sits a human being, with the upper part of his body bent forward like a racing motorcyclist.
18:20Today, any child would identify his vehicle as a rocket.
18:25It is pointed at the front,
18:26then changes to strangely grooved indentations like inlet ports,
18:31widens out, and terminates at the tail in a darting flame.
18:34The crouching being himself is manipulating a number of undefinable controls
18:40and has the heel of his left foot on a kind of pedal.
18:45His clothing is appropriate.
18:48Short trousers with a broad belt,
18:50a jacket with a modern Japanese opening at the neck,
18:52and closely fitting bands at arms and legs.
18:55With our knowledge of similar pictures,
18:57we should be surprised if the complicated headgear were missing.
19:00And there it is, with the usual indentations and tubes,
19:04and something like antennae on top.
19:07Our space traveller,
19:09he is clearly depicted as one,
19:11is not only bent forward tensely,
19:13he is also looking intently at an apparatus
19:15hanging in front of his face.
19:20Could this startling interpretation,
19:22that the slab depicts an astronaut,
19:24be a valid one?
19:27Ian Graham of Harvard University
19:29is an expert on Mayan symbols.
19:31His interpretation of the carving on the slab
19:33is quite different from von Däniken's.
19:39The sighting of the tomb is unusual.
19:42No other Mayan temple has a staircase like this one
19:45leading into the heart of the building.
19:47It took four years to excavate this stairway.
19:50At the bottom,
19:55a stone slab concealed the doorway
19:56to an impressive tomb.
19:59Inside was the Palenque sarcophagus.
20:02Nothing as elaborate as this
20:03had ever before been found.
20:07The tomb slab was raised.
20:09Below it was a sealed coffin.
20:12When this was opened,
20:13it revealed the skeleton of a man
20:15richly adorned with jade ornaments.
20:17Hieroglyphics on the tomb
20:21identified him as Pakal,
20:23a 7th century ruler.
20:27This is his funeral monument.
20:29Ian Graham.
20:30Well, I certainly don't see
20:33any need to regard him as a spaceman.
20:35I don't see any oxygen tubes.
20:37I see a very characteristically drawn
20:41Maya face
20:43with the sloping forehead
20:46which is rather common among the Maya,
20:48although sometimes exaggerated
20:50by deformation
20:53during early childhood.
20:54and this is crowned by
20:58an elaborate hairdo
21:00and elements of headdress.
21:04Here,
21:05an earring suspended from a pierced ear.
21:08A nose plug
21:10which has the elements of death
21:11because it takes the form
21:12of a fleshless bone.
21:15Here on his chest,
21:16he has a jeweled
21:18pectoral ornament
21:19suspended by a chain,
21:21the end of it,
21:22which
21:22flares out
21:24or rather
21:24a beaded
21:25cord.
21:29On his wrists,
21:31there is a
21:32very typical
21:33bracelet
21:34round his waist,
21:37a beaded
21:38belt
21:38with a deaf head
21:39in front
21:40and a
21:41beaded skirt
21:43which is not at all unusual
21:44and
21:46anklets
21:47likewise.
21:49And the hand
21:50on the rocket's controls?
21:52As a matter of fact,
21:53it's fairly plain
21:54that this hand
21:54isn't holding on to anything.
21:56The Maya
21:57like to show
21:58hands
21:59in
21:59rather delicate gestures,
22:02many of which
22:03may have had meanings
22:04which so far
22:05are escapers.
22:08I think
22:08this is just
22:09a delicate
22:11position of the hand.
22:14Such gestures
22:15are common
22:16in Mayan art.
22:17There are similar
22:18examples
22:18on the side
22:19of the slab.
22:22But what about
22:23the rocket flames
22:24at the base?
22:25These
22:26famous
22:27flames
22:27from the rocket
22:28have
22:29quite a different
22:30explanation
22:31because we see
22:32for instance
22:33this element
22:35down here
22:36that's consisting
22:37of two serpent heads
22:39uniting in the bottom.
22:41Here's the design.
22:43Two serpents
22:44joined at the middle
22:45whose beards
22:46form von Daniken's
22:47rocket flames.
22:49According to
22:49Ian Graham,
22:50the Maya
22:51stylized the serpent
22:52from a simple design.
22:55Eventually,
22:56the serpent's jaw
22:57became a rigid shape
22:58with a stylized beard
22:59below the lower jaw.
23:05The jaw
23:06is open.
23:07It forms the shape
23:08used in the design
23:09around the base
23:09of the slab
23:10when paired
23:11with its mirror image.
23:12By removing
23:13the elements,
23:14the Mayan design
23:15on the royal slab
23:16becomes clear.
23:17There is the Mayan
23:18symbol of kingship,
23:19a double-headed serpent.
23:22Below it
23:23lies the dead ruler
23:23himself.
23:26And finally,
23:27the two serpents
23:28that form the vase.
23:31This leaves,
23:32on top,
23:33a bird symbolizing heaven.
23:35A cross-shaped device,
23:36the Mayan saber tree,
23:38supporting heaven.
23:39And below,
23:40a grotesque earth monster,
23:41symbol of the underworld.
23:42The important point
23:46is that these symbols
23:47are found
23:48in other examples
23:48of Mayan art
23:49and are common
23:50throughout the Maya world.
23:54They have been studied
23:55for 50 years
23:56and they tell
23:57a consistent story.
24:00I am absolutely
24:01familiar myself
24:03with the archaeological
24:04explanation,
24:05but I do not agree.
24:07I know for sure
24:08we have,
24:09in the case
24:09of the Palenque's lab,
24:10a lot of designs,
24:13carvings,
24:14or what archaeologists
24:15call glyphics,
24:17which we know
24:18from other Maya places.
24:20But the question
24:21I have is,
24:23have they been
24:24interpreted
24:25from the very beginning
24:26correctly?
24:28You know,
24:29archaeology,
24:31in my opinion,
24:32is one of the
24:32very conservative
24:34sciences.
24:36And I do not doubt,
24:38not at all,
24:39the integrity
24:40or the honesty
24:41of any archaeologist,
24:44but I ask myself,
24:46do they interpret
24:48their findings
24:50correct?
24:51To me,
24:52the Palenque stone
24:53still today
24:54looks like
24:56a modern man
24:57sitting in some kind
24:59of technical apparatus.
25:02We have never found
25:03in the whole
25:04Maya literature
25:04a man sitting
25:06in the same position.
25:07that's for the first
25:08and the only time.
25:10So I hope
25:11we should wait
25:11until we find
25:12another guy like this.
25:13I see no need
25:14at all
25:15to invoke
25:16any really extreme
25:17and extravagant
25:19interpretation
25:19involving astronauts
25:21when the so much
25:23simpler and more
25:23consistent explanation
25:25presents itself
25:26of a mere
25:27mortuary slab
25:28showing
25:30the deceased
25:32in his passage
25:34towards heaven,
25:36the Maya heaven.
25:38Another startlingly
25:40modern interpretation
25:41is given to the
25:42mysterious lines
25:42on the Nazca desert
25:43in Peru.
25:45Von Däniken writes,
25:46You can make out
25:48gigantic lines
25:49laid out
25:50geometrically,
25:51some of which
25:52run parallel
25:52to each other
25:53while others
25:53intersect.
25:55The archaeologists
25:55call them
25:56Inca roads,
25:57a preposterous idea.
25:59Seen from the air,
26:00the clear-cut impression
26:01they made on me
26:02was that of an airfield.
26:05In fact,
26:05no modern archaeologist
26:06claims the lines
26:07are roads.
26:09The only real road
26:10on the desert
26:10is the Pan-American highway.
26:11And as the lines
26:13often run for miles,
26:15cross hills,
26:16and go over
26:16the edges of cliffs,
26:17it is a strange
26:18pattern for a spaceport.
26:20You effortlessly
26:22cross hundreds
26:22of light-years
26:23of interstellar space,
26:25the space vehicle
26:26sets down
26:27on the ground,
26:28the Great Bay
26:30opens,
26:31and out
26:31we'll,
26:32what?
26:33B-24
26:34Liberators,
26:35Spitfires?
26:37Most remarkable
26:38that they need
26:38airfields.
26:40And that is
26:41a kind
26:42of temporal
26:42chauvinism
26:43which the whole
26:44subject is
26:46immersed in,
26:47unfortunately.
26:48I never said
26:49that the extraterrestrial
26:51needed runways
26:53with concrete
26:54or something like this.
26:55My idea,
26:57which I developed
26:57in my second book
26:58and also in the book
27:00In Search of Ancient Gods,
27:01the picture book,
27:02was that
27:03some vehicle
27:04was coming down,
27:05not an interstellar
27:07spaceship,
27:07simply a
27:08small vehicle,
27:09and landing
27:11with an effect
27:12maybe even
27:12of the
27:13air cushion
27:14system.
27:16So they don't
27:16need landing
27:17tracks,
27:18but simply
27:19by the landing
27:19itself,
27:21some sand
27:22and stones
27:22are blown away
27:23and you have
27:24a simple track
27:25on the ground.
27:26And after maybe
27:27a few hours
27:28or a few days,
27:29they start again,
27:30maybe in another
27:30direction,
27:31you have a second
27:32track,
27:33a take-off
27:33track.
27:34I assumed
27:35that only
27:36later,
27:37when the
27:37extraterrestrials
27:39had departed,
27:41the natives
27:42came to the
27:43ground and
27:44saw these
27:44two lines,
27:45landing track
27:46and take-off
27:47track,
27:48and they
27:48would whisper,
27:49the fiery
27:49gods rode
27:51on these
27:51lines.
27:52And only
27:53now,
27:54they start
27:54to protect
27:55the lines,
27:56to construct
27:56the lines,
27:57and maybe
27:57in the later
27:58generations,
27:59to make new
27:59lines to the
28:00east,
28:00west,
28:01north,
28:01south,
28:02some
28:02direction
28:03to stars,
28:04because they
28:05feel,
28:06or they
28:06saw,
28:06that the
28:07gods
28:07have
28:07come
28:07from
28:08the
28:08stars.
28:09So the
28:09interpretation
28:10of mine
28:11is not
28:11lines with
28:13concrete,
28:15as on a
28:15two-day
28:15airfield,
28:16but it
28:17was a
28:17landing,
28:18yes,
28:18I still
28:19suggest this.
28:21But there
28:22is another
28:22explanation of
28:23the lines.
28:24It comes
28:25from someone
28:25who has
28:25spent a
28:26lifetime
28:26studying
28:27them.
28:30The
28:30German
28:31scientist
28:31Maria
28:32Reica.
28:35For
28:36over
28:3635 years
28:37working
28:37virtually
28:38alone
28:38and
28:38unaided,
28:39Maria
28:40Reica
28:40has
28:40walked
28:41almost
28:41every
28:41foot
28:41of
28:42the
28:42Nazca
28:42desert,
28:43measuring
28:43and
28:44calibrating
28:44the
28:44shapes
28:45in the
28:45sand.
28:58The
28:59Nazca
28:59desert
29:00is
29:00covered
29:00with
29:00small
29:01rocks
29:01rocks
29:01that
29:01have
29:01oxidized
29:02to a
29:02purplish
29:03brown
29:03color.
29:05The
29:05sand
29:05underneath
29:06is
29:06yellow.
29:07And it's
29:08this
29:08contrast
29:08in color
29:09that was
29:09used by
29:10the Nazca
29:10people
29:11a thousand
29:11years ago
29:12to make
29:12the lines.
29:13they pushed
29:15the
29:16dark stones
29:17from the
29:17stones
29:18to the
29:19borders
29:19where you
29:20can see
29:20an accumulation
29:21of
29:21larger
29:22stones
29:22and
29:23left
29:24a
29:24surface
29:25which
29:25in former
29:25times
29:26was much
29:27lighter
29:28than now.
29:29the wind
29:30the wind
29:30the wind
29:30has
29:30carried
29:31from the
29:31surrounding
29:32surface
29:33very small
29:34dark
29:34pebbles
29:35over the
29:35lines
29:36and if we
29:38sweep away
29:39these dark
29:40pebbles
29:40then we
29:41restore a
29:42line to
29:43its original
29:44very white
29:45light color.
29:46you can
29:49see the
29:49lines are
29:50absolutely
29:50straight
29:51and people
29:51have wondered
29:52very often
29:53how the
29:54ancient people
29:55could do
29:56these
29:56straight lines
29:57without any
29:58engineering
29:59instruments.
30:00I had an
30:01interesting
30:01experience
30:02which gave
30:03me the
30:03clue to
30:04this.
30:05I had
30:05a helper
30:07who had
30:08been a
30:09farrow
30:10tracer
30:10which means
30:11a man
30:12who prepares
30:12the fields
30:13for future
30:14irrigation
30:14and traces
30:16absolutely
30:17straight
30:18very very
30:18long
30:19furrows.
30:21This
30:21fellow had
30:22such good
30:22eyesight
30:23that he
30:23could put
30:24a snake
30:24at a
30:25very very
30:25large
30:26distance
30:26and
30:27scrape
30:28along with
30:29his foot
30:29an absolutely
30:30straight
30:31furrow.
30:32He could
30:32see everything
30:33that I
30:34saw through
30:35the telescope
30:35of the
30:36theodolite
30:37he could
30:37see with
30:38the naked
30:39eyes.
30:42Maria
30:42Reicher
30:43has shown
30:43that many
30:44of these
30:44long straight
30:45lines are
30:45connected
30:46with a
30:46calendar.
30:50Some of
30:51them for
30:51example
30:51point to
30:52the place
30:52where the
30:53sun sets
30:53at the
30:53summer or
30:54winter solstice
30:55the time
30:56when the
30:56seasons
30:56change.
30:59Since the
31:00lines were
31:00drawn the
31:01earth's
31:01axis has
31:02shifted.
31:03In this
31:03photograph
31:03taken at
31:04the winter
31:04solstice
31:05the sun
31:06has moved
31:06from its
31:07original
31:07position on
31:08the horizon.
31:10Because of
31:11the multitude
31:11of lines
31:12the Nazca
31:12plane has
31:13been interpreted
31:13as a
31:14gigantic
31:14astronomical
31:15calendar.
31:20One clue
31:21comes from
31:22the animal
31:22figures drawn
31:23on the
31:23plane.
31:25These figures
31:25may be connected
31:26with the
31:26seasons.
31:29Many of them
31:30like this
31:30giant bird
31:31are also found
31:32in the pottery
31:32of the Nazca
31:33people.
31:37There's a huge
31:38fish stranded
31:39in the desert.
31:49A giant
31:50spider some
31:51300 feet
31:52across.
32:02And a monkey
32:03which according
32:04to Maria
32:04Rijka is the
32:05symbol for the
32:06coming of rain.
32:06Why this
32:08symbol for
32:09the coming
32:09of rain?
32:10The answer
32:11is in the
32:11stars.
32:13In the
32:13southern hemisphere
32:14the constellations
32:15of Leo,
32:16the hunting
32:16dogs and
32:16the Big
32:17Dipper
32:17resemble a
32:18monkey
32:18with its
32:19tail to
32:19the left
32:20and head
32:20to the
32:20right.
32:23The Nazca
32:23people drew
32:24this monkey
32:25on the ground.
32:25The monkey
32:31is connected
32:32by a thin
32:32line to
32:33a broad
32:33Nazca
32:34line that
32:34points directly
32:35to the
32:35rising of
32:36the Big
32:36Dipper on
32:37December
32:3721st,
32:38the time
32:39when the
32:40rains began.
32:44The most
32:45important
32:46problem of
32:47the people
32:47who live
32:48in this
32:48region and
32:50still now
32:51is the
32:51arrival of
32:52the water
32:53in the
32:54rivers.
32:55They have
32:56been dry
32:56all through
32:57the year
32:57and agriculture
32:58begins with
32:59the arrival
33:00of the
33:00water.
33:02They had
33:03to prepare
33:04their fields
33:04for this
33:05and had
33:06to know
33:06when the
33:07water was
33:07to be
33:08expected.
33:10To make
33:11it bring
33:11more water
33:12they would
33:13put its
33:14image on
33:15such a
33:15large size
33:16on the
33:16ground
33:17that this
33:18divinity
33:19could see
33:19its own
33:20picture from
33:21above and
33:22would be
33:23favorably
33:24inclined to
33:25send more
33:25water.
33:29A curious
33:30piece of
33:30evidence
33:31appears in
33:31von
33:31Daniken's
33:32book.
33:33A photograph
33:34of the
33:35Nazca plane
33:35with the
33:36legend,
33:37this is
33:37very
33:37reminiscent
33:38of the
33:38aircraft
33:39parking
33:39bays
33:39on a
33:40modern
33:40airport.
33:41Close
33:42up,
33:42this area
33:43may look
33:43like parking
33:44bays,
33:44but that's
33:45not what
33:45it is.
33:47The photograph
33:47is deceptive.
33:48the whole
33:53area is
33:53only some
33:5420 feet
33:54across.
33:57In fact,
33:58it is part
33:58of a
33:59giant
33:59bird,
34:00visible
34:00only from
34:01the air.
34:01The
34:08parking
34:09bays turn
34:09out to
34:10be part
34:10of a
34:10left
34:11leg of
34:11a
34:11huge
34:11condor.
34:12That's
34:16absolutely
34:17true.
34:17You are
34:17right here.
34:19This
34:19photograph,
34:20which is
34:21in the
34:21original
34:22version of
34:23Chariots
34:24of the
34:24Gods,
34:25is not
34:25my
34:25photograph.
34:27And even
34:27the legend,
34:28you know,
34:29the writing
34:29under the
34:30photograph,
34:30was not
34:30made by
34:31me.
34:32It was
34:32too late,
34:33later to
34:33correct it.
34:34Anyhow,
34:35I fully
34:35admit that
34:36this
34:36explanation
34:37of being
34:38a parking
34:38place
34:39seemed
34:39ridiculous.
34:41Ridiculous
34:42it may
34:42be,
34:43but after
34:43ten years
34:44and numerous
34:44printings,
34:45it remains
34:45uncorrected
34:46in von
34:46Däniken's
34:47book.
34:48Many
34:48readers are
34:48being
34:49misled.
34:50So,
34:51does one
34:51accept von
34:52Däniken's
34:52interpretations
34:53or those
34:54of someone
34:55like Maria
34:55Reiche,
34:56who has
34:56studied the
34:57lines for
34:57years?
35:06Most of
35:07the stories
35:07of ancient
35:08astronauts are
35:09associated with
35:09remote cultures.
35:12von Däniken
35:17has many
35:17questions about
35:18the statues
35:19of Easter
35:19Island.
35:21Who cut
35:22the statues
35:23out of the
35:23rock?
35:24Who carved
35:25them?
35:27How were
35:28they dressed,
35:29polished,
35:30and erected?
35:31How were
35:32they moved
35:32across country
35:33for miles
35:34without
35:35roads?
35:36And how
35:37do they
35:37manage it?
35:37the
35:40implication
35:41is that
35:41ancient
35:42astronauts
35:42were
35:42involved.
35:44In
35:451955,
35:46an expedition
35:46led by
35:47the
35:47Norwegian
35:47explorer
35:48Tor
35:48Heyerdahl
35:49landed at
35:50Easter
35:50Island.
35:52Heyerdahl
35:53asked the
35:53natives how
35:54the statues
35:54had been
35:54erected,
35:55and published
35:56his results
35:57in a book
35:57Aku Aku,
35:58which came
35:59out ten
35:59years before
36:00Chariots of
36:00the Gods.
36:02Are the
36:02statues still
36:03an unsolved
36:04mystery?
36:04No, it
36:05is not a
36:06mystery any
36:07longer today.
36:08We, actually,
36:09we know who
36:10made them,
36:11when they
36:12made them,
36:13why they
36:13made them,
36:14how they
36:15made them,
36:15and even
36:16when they
36:16stopped making
36:18them.
36:19As a matter
36:19of fact,
36:20they were
36:20made by the
36:22ancestors of
36:23the people
36:23living on the
36:24island today.
36:26And through
36:27tradition, they
36:28remember how
36:29their ancestors
36:30did it, and
36:31they did it in
36:32front of our
36:33eyes, erected
36:34and carved a
36:35statue.
36:36It looked like
36:37a very slow
36:38procedure in
36:39the beginning,
36:40but they
36:41poured on
36:41water as
36:42they worked,
36:44and when they
36:44first got
36:45inside the
36:46hard outer
36:47shelf of
36:47the rock,
36:48the work
36:49went much
36:49quicker.
36:52They used
36:53no advanced
36:53technology,
36:55only crude
36:55stone picks,
36:56thousands of
36:57which were
36:57found in the
36:58old quarries.
36:59Does this
37:00look to you
37:00like a very
37:01sophisticated tool
37:03or the
37:04tool from
37:04a spacecraft?
37:07This is a
37:08typical
37:08paleolithic
37:10tool, a
37:11stone-aged
37:12tool.
37:12It's not
37:13even polished
37:14as some
37:16of the other
37:17tools they
37:17used.
37:17This is what
37:18they used for
37:19carving the
37:20statues.
37:23After only a
37:24few days, the
37:25outline of a
37:25statue had
37:26already appeared.
37:27We went
37:31on only for
37:32three days to
37:33make an
37:33estimate, and
37:34it was easy
37:35for the
37:36archaeologists to
37:37figure out that
37:38even the
37:39largest statues
37:40could be
37:41completed within
37:42a year.
37:45Von Daniken
37:45claims the
37:46island was too
37:46barren to
37:47provide rope or
37:48wood for
37:48levers.
37:51But Heyerdahl
37:52found plenty of
37:53evidence for
37:54both, and he
37:55actually filmed
37:56men making
37:56rope from the
37:57local tough
37:57reeds.
38:00He also
38:01persuaded the
38:01islanders to
38:02show him how
38:02their ancestors
38:03had moved the
38:04statues.
38:07Since we, with
38:08less than 200
38:09men, could
38:10transport an
38:10average statue,
38:12even if they
38:13didn't concentrate
38:14on one statue
38:15at a time, they
38:16could easily
38:17transport two
38:18or three or
38:19four statues
38:20with a couple
38:21of thousand
38:21men.
38:23The island
38:23could with no
38:24difficulty but
38:25whatsoever feed
38:2810,000, 20,000
38:31people.
38:33Scientists have
38:33been estimating
38:35really what the
38:36agriculture could
38:37feed there, and
38:38with no problem,
38:3920,000 people.
38:42The island's
38:43forests have been
38:44destroyed by fire
38:45and agriculture, but
38:46at the time the
38:47statues were carved,
38:48there was plenty of
38:49wood for levers.
38:52Under the direction
38:53of the mayor, the
38:54islanders used them
38:55to raise a statue
38:55as their ancestors
38:56had done.
38:58They levered up
38:59each side and
39:00placed rocks
39:01underneath.
39:02Very soon, the
39:03statue rested on a
39:04platform of
39:04boulders.
39:08More rocks were
39:09placed underneath
39:10to support the
39:11statue as the
39:12levers gradually
39:13inched it upright.
39:13It took 12 men,
39:26three levers, and
39:2718 days to erect
39:28the statue.
39:30What was needed
39:31was not space
39:32technology, but
39:33human effort and
39:33ingenuity and
39:34lots of time.
39:35this is a matter
39:38of not hundreds
39:40of years, but
39:41more than a
39:42thousand years
39:43that these statues
39:44were carved.
39:46So, by carving
39:47a few at the
39:49time, there is
39:50no problem at
39:51all to explain
39:52why close to
39:53a thousand
39:54statues came
39:55about.
39:58On Easter
39:59Island as
39:59elsewhere, von
40:00Daniken
40:01underestimates the
40:02ability of people
40:03who, to his
40:03eyes, are
40:04primitive and
40:05unsophisticated.
40:07Well, I think
40:08that the people
40:08we met there,
40:10they proved
40:10they were
40:10intelligent enough
40:12to do it
40:12because they
40:13did it, and
40:14I think it is
40:15a pity that
40:15we underestimate
40:16other people
40:17because they
40:18don't have the
40:19technical standing
40:21knowledge we
40:22have today.
40:23The Easter
40:24Island statues
40:25were made by
40:26men.
40:27To invoke the
40:27aid of space
40:28gods involves
40:29deliberately
40:29ignoring the
40:30evidence.
40:33From gold
40:34of the gods
40:35comes another
40:36impressive-sounding
40:37claim.
40:38Von Daniken
40:38writes,
40:39To me, this
40:40is the most
40:40incredible,
40:41fantastic story
40:42of the century.
40:43It could easily
40:44have come straight
40:44from the realm
40:45of science fiction
40:46if I had not
40:47seen and photographed
40:48the incredible
40:48truth in person.
40:50He describes
40:51visiting man-made
40:52tunnels in Ecuador
40:53filled with gold
40:54and plastic artifacts
40:55from an unknown
40:56civilization.
40:57He says he
40:57visited the caves
40:58with explorer
40:59Juan Moritz,
41:00who he'd headed
41:01an expedition,
41:01but denies that
41:03von Daniken
41:03entered the caves
41:04or saw such
41:05treasures.
41:06Did he visit
41:06the cave shown
41:07in the book?
41:08The cave which
41:09we see in here,
41:11the photograph in
41:12my book,
41:12is a place where
41:13I have never been.
41:15I was not here.
41:16I said in the
41:19end of this book
41:20that this photograph
41:21was made by
41:22Juan Moritz,
41:23and this is a
41:23photograph which
41:24was made at the
41:25expedition of Juan
41:26Moritz in 1969.
41:29I was never here.
41:30I was on a side
41:31entrance on a
41:32complete different
41:33place.
41:34But that's not
41:35what the book
41:35says.
41:36Von Daniken
41:37clearly describes
41:38descending by
41:39ropes and
41:39switching on his
41:40light to visit
41:41the underworld of
41:42a strange
41:42unknown race,
41:44illustrated by
41:45this very
41:45photograph.
41:47Did that
41:48actually happen?
41:49No, that
41:49did not happen.
41:51But I think
41:52when somebody
41:53writes books
41:54in my style
41:55and in my sense
41:56who are not
41:57scientific books,
41:58we call in
41:59Germany
42:00Sachbücher,
42:01it's a kind
42:03of popular
42:03books, but
42:04it's not
42:05science fiction,
42:06because all the
42:06facts do exist,
42:08but with other
42:08interpretations,
42:09then an author
42:10is allowed to
42:12use effects.
42:14So some little
42:15things like this
42:16are really not
42:17important because
42:18they do not
42:18touch the facts.
42:20They are simply
42:21stimulating the
42:22reader, and one
42:23is allowed to do
42:24this.
42:26Yet these books
42:27are claimed to
42:27be factual.
42:29So how is
42:30the reader to
42:31know whether
42:31the author is
42:32using dramatic
42:33effects, or
42:35whether he is
42:35simply telling
42:36lies?
42:42In Ica, Peru,
42:44von Daniken has
42:45discovered a
42:45museum containing
42:46a mysterious
42:47collection of
42:48engraved
42:48stones.
42:51The museum is
42:53owned by a
42:53local surgeon,
42:54Dr. Cabrera,
42:56who claims his
42:56collection is
42:57thousands of
42:58years old.
43:00It contains
43:01some very
43:02strange things
43:02indeed.
43:05Engravings on
43:05the stone show
43:06men gazing
43:07through telescopes
43:08at the stars,
43:09detailed maps of
43:10the world, and
43:11medical operations.
43:14Here, two
43:14surgeons bend over
43:15a heart transplant
43:16patient as they
43:17stitch up their
43:18incision.
43:20This is evidence,
43:21says von Daniken,
43:22of visits from
43:23outer space.
43:26While examining
43:28the Cabrera stones,
43:29von Daniken
43:29heard that
43:30similar ones
43:31were being made
43:32by local
43:32villagers a few
43:33miles away.
43:35He went to
43:36look.
43:37Out in the
43:38desert is a
43:39small village.
43:41There, a local
43:42artist called
43:43Basilio makes a
43:44living out of
43:45carving stones for
43:46sale to tourists.
43:54His stones did
43:55indeed resemble
43:56those in
43:57Dr. Cabrera's
43:57museum.
43:58von Daniken
44:03inspected them
44:03closely.
44:05Weren't they,
44:06in fact, the
44:07same?
44:08No, they're not
44:08the same.
44:09Oh, not at all.
44:10I have a lot of
44:11photographs here,
44:12and naturally I
44:13had the stones to
44:14compare them.
44:15And what
44:16Basilio makes is
44:17absolutely different.
44:19We went to
44:20check.
44:21Basilio offered
44:22to carve a
44:22heart transplant.
44:24He first drew
44:24the design, then
44:26began carving the
44:27soft rock with
44:27a knife.
44:28The face
44:31appeared within
44:32a few minutes.
44:39Then the
44:40internal organs
44:41of the heart
44:41transplant patient.
44:48And the
44:49typical crosshatching
44:50found on all
44:50the Ica stones.
44:56After an hour,
44:57the design was
44:58finished.
45:00To get the
45:01antique look,
45:02Basilio uses the
45:03services of the
45:03local donkey.
45:05He bakes the
45:06stones in donkey
45:07dung for an hour,
45:08and then covers
45:09them with shoe
45:09polish.
45:16The final result,
45:18a transplant very
45:19like those in the
45:19museum.
45:20basilio examined von
45:24van denneken's book
45:25in which the Ica
45:26stones appear.
45:31Had he carved the
45:33stones shown in the
45:33photographs?
45:34He says that he has done
45:39these stones, and it
45:42confirms this one with
45:45the face of this stone.
45:49Basilio said that these
45:51stones shown in von
45:52denneken's book were
45:53among the first he made
45:54for Dr.
45:55Cabrera's museum, some
45:56ten years ago.
46:01Was von denneken aware
46:03that Basilio claimed to
46:04have carved these stones?
46:06That's what he told me
46:08too.
46:08He told me he had done
46:10all the stones which
46:11Cabrera has, all of
46:12them.
46:13And naturally, I asked
46:14Cabrera if this is true,
46:16and he said,
46:16definitely no, the man
46:18is a liar.
46:18But Basilio had a local
46:22paper with a photograph
46:23of Dr.
46:23Cabrera's museum.
46:26On it was a note
46:27thanking Basilio
46:28personally for his
46:29cooperation in providing
46:30stones for the museum.
46:32It was signed by Dr.
46:33Cabrera.
46:35Dr.
46:36Cabrera lent us one of
46:37the stones he claimed was
46:38thousands of years old.
46:40We had it examined at the
46:41Institute of Geological
46:42Sciences in London.
46:44They looked first at the
46:45shape of the grooves.
46:46Under a microscope, the
46:49edges of the grooves were
46:50distinct and uneroded.
46:54Their conclusion?
46:55The sharp and relatively
46:57clean-cut edges of the
46:58grooves are notable, a
46:59feature which could not be
47:00preserved for long under
47:02normal weathering
47:02conditions.
47:05They then examined the
47:06brown layer on top of the
47:07stone where it had
47:08oxidized.
47:10If the carving were
47:11ancient, this oxidation
47:13should in time have
47:14covered the grooves.
47:15But it did not.
47:20The Ica stones are
47:22modern.
47:23Von Daniken has been
47:24taken in by Cabrera's
47:25story.
47:27The evidence presented so
47:29forcefully turns out to be
47:30worthless.
47:36In his books, he presents a
47:37challenge to orthodoxy, to
47:39everything taught in schools
47:40and universities.
47:41But it is a false
47:43challenge.
47:48Von Daniken is part of a
47:50growing movement of
47:50irrationalism that more
47:52often than not attacks
47:53established knowledge with a
47:54great deal of energy, but
47:55little solid evidence.
47:56He represents a move away from
48:03scientific standards.
48:08His popular lectures have all
48:10the feel of a religious
48:11revival meeting.
48:13Why does his claim that
48:14ancient astronauts have
48:15visited Earth have such an
48:17impact?
48:18Carl Sagan.
48:18The idea that we are being
48:20visited, or were once
48:23visited, by powerful,
48:26benign beings who live in
48:28the sky is, after all, a
48:30religious idea.
48:31The terminology is just
48:32slightly different.
48:34We don't talk about angels.
48:36We talk about
48:37extraterrestrials.
48:37but the emotional
48:39significance is identical.
48:42So at a time when, for
48:44whatever reason, religions
48:46have gradually declined in
48:50the degree to which the
48:51average person believes in
48:53them, but the same emotional
48:54needs are there, at a time
48:56when our society is in
49:00occasionally rather dire
49:02straits, it would be very
49:04nice to believe that there are
49:05powerful beings that look after
49:07us that are up there in the
49:08sky and may dip in and make
49:11things right.
49:13And, goodness, I would be
49:15delighted if that happened.
49:16But, you see, it's a
49:19dangerous doctrine if it's
49:20false, because it might, for
49:23example, lead us to do less
49:25than our own best effort to
49:27put things right.
49:32There is, however, one story
49:34of ancient astronauts where it
49:35is difficult to provide a
49:37rational explanation, so it's a
49:39test of how you regard such
49:40claims.
49:45The story concerns the star
49:47Sirius and its small
49:48companion star, Sirius B.
49:54In 1976, Irving Lindenblad of
49:56the Washington Naval Observatory
49:58took the first clear photographs
50:00of Sirius B, a star totally
50:02invisible to the naked eye and
50:04discovered only late in the last
50:06century.
50:07By the 1920s, Sirius B was
50:10recognized as a new type of star,
50:12a collapsed sun called a white
50:14dwarf.
50:15It was the first such star ever
50:16discovered.
50:18In this photo, the bright central
50:20star is Sirius, with refraction
50:22images on each side.
50:24On the bottom right is Sirius B.
50:27What is astonishing is that this
50:31recently discovered star has
50:32apparently been known about for
50:33centuries in Africa.
50:41For the Dogon tribe in Mali, the
50:44invisible Sirius B is the most
50:45important star in the heavens.
50:48Every 60 years in the SIGWI
50:49ceremony, they celebrate its existence
50:51and its orbit through the heavens.
50:53Dogon traditions, which go back for
50:57centuries, involve many complex
50:59drawings in the sand, and one such
51:01drawing is of Sirius and its
51:03companion.
51:05This is how they depict the main star,
51:07Sirius.
51:08Close to it is the invisible Sirius B.
51:13Sirius B, say the Dogon, orbits the
51:15main star every 50 years.
51:17They draw a second position for B.
51:19There is a remarkable resemblance
51:22between the Dogon drawing and the
51:24real picture of the Sirius system,
51:26in which Sirius B does indeed go
51:28around Sirius every 50 years.
51:32This remarkable accuracy was the
51:34starting point for a recent book,
51:36The Sirius Mystery.
51:41Von Däniken called it a masterpiece.
51:44Its author is Robert Temple.
51:45An American living in England and a
51:49member of the Royal Astronomical
51:50Society, Temple has for eight years
51:52been obsessed with the Dogon's
51:53knowledge.
51:57He became convinced that this
51:58knowledge could have come only from
52:00beings from Sirius itself.
52:01Why was he so impressed with the
52:06Dogon's knowledge of Sirius B?
52:09The fact that they know it's there
52:11is extraordinary enough, but the
52:13fact that they know its exact orbital
52:14period is just totally incredible.
52:17But it doesn't stop there.
52:18They seem to realize that the star is
52:20super dense, as we know it is,
52:23because it's a white dwarf.
52:25And super dense matter really only makes
52:29sense if you have a theory of nuclear
52:30physics. Well, now the Dogon don't have
52:32a theory of nuclear physics.
52:33So clearly information came from
52:35somewhere which was more advanced than
52:39their particular culture is
52:41technologically.
52:43Where did this information come from?
52:46How on earth did they get it?
52:48It's a mystery.
52:49That's why the book is called The
52:50Sirius Mystery.
52:53The logical explanation is that the
52:55Dogon's knowledge comes not from ancient
52:57astronauts, but from visiting 20th century
53:00Westerners, he knew about Sirius B.
53:03But the Dogon tradition involves not one,
53:06but two invisible stars around Sirius.
53:11On this mask, the three circles symbolize
53:15Sirius and two accompanying stars.
53:18In numerous Dogon masks, the head
53:21represents Sirius, the horns two invisible
53:24companion stars.
53:28These designs date from the 13th or 14th
53:30century and are based on a tradition at
53:33least 3,000 years old.
53:42So the origin of the Dogon's knowledge, if it's
53:45being interpreted correctly, is certainly
53:47mysterious.
53:48But the myths and images of the Dogon's
53:51Sirius ceremony are subtle and complex.
53:54There are problems if you take them too
53:55literally.
53:57For instance, their drawing of Sirius D's
54:00orbit is also described by them as an egg.
54:03The stars are inside this orbit, not on it as
54:06you'd expect.
54:08They place a third star in the middle with
54:10a planet.
54:11But there are also many other symbols
54:13representing mythical beings and general
54:15concepts.
54:17In Temple's book, these last symbols are
54:20omitted, and the diagram turned around so
54:22it more closely resembles the true
54:24astronomical picture.
54:27So only the parts that fit the theory have
54:29been selected.
54:31One thing the Dogon do tell us is that
54:33there is a third star in the Sirius system.
54:37No such star has yet been found.
54:39If it is, the Dogon will have been proved
54:41right.
54:42Dr. Lindenblad has been looking for this
54:46star.
54:48In the 20s, irregularities in the orbit of
54:51Sirius B caused astronomers to think these
54:53might indeed be caused by a third star.
54:57Now, new measurements have been made.
55:00They thought they had found a perturbation
55:03that would indicate a third star.
55:06Well, we were able to show by our work that
55:08that perturbation did not exist, and that
55:11apparently there is no third star
55:14close in, at least, to Sirius B or Sirius A.
55:20Since that search, other telescopes have
55:22tuned into Sirius.
55:23They, too, have found nothing.
55:25But Robert Temple is still confident.
55:28The fact that a lot of people have been
55:29trying for some time now to find such a
55:32mundane answer to it, including myself,
55:35and have not succeeded, indicates that the
55:37probabilities get higher and higher, that my
55:40extraordinary answer, that the Earth may
55:44actually have been visited by intelligent
55:46extraterrestrials, may really be the true
55:48answer.
55:49I personally believe that it is the true
55:51answer.
55:51There is no easy answer.
55:58But does lack of rational answers mean that
56:01one should claim, as von Däniken does with
56:03finality, that space visitors are the
56:05explanation?
56:06Or is it more accurate to say that in this
56:09case we don't yet know?
56:11Given the track record of the ancient astronaut
56:13theory, which position is more plausible?
56:16Von Däniken's thesis rests on inaccuracies,
56:19on unrelated facts, and false similarities.
56:23It denies man's ingenuity and abilities, and it
56:27uses phony evidence in an attempt to prove its
56:30case.
56:34Von Däniken's theories may be intriguing, even
56:37attractive.
56:38But there's not a single solid piece of evidence
56:41behind them.
56:43The achievements of the past tell us nothing about
56:45spacemen, but a great deal about the abilities and
56:49intelligence of our ancestors.
56:56And if we ever are to find other intelligent life
56:58among the stars, it'll be because we continue to
57:02apply that inventiveness and that questioning spirit,
57:06which the ancient astronaut theory seeks so strongly
57:08to deny.
57:39For a transcript, send $2 to this address.
58:09For a transcript, send $2 to this address.
58:39For a transcript, send $2.
58:30
55:30
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