<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

The Ancient Astronauts theory postulates that extraterrestrials visited Earth in the past and left evidence of their presence.

That evidence may consist of a combination of the following:

• Technological devices (for example, a battery that is thousands of years old)
• Influences of superior technology (for example, buildings erected in ancient times that, it is claimed, could not have been built with the technology available to Earthlings at the time)
• Advanced knowledge (for example, astronomical knowledge held by people who could not have obtained that knowledge through personal experience)
• Legends of visitors from space
• Depictions of such visitors or technology (which could include depictions of UFOs in medieval paintings)

A common element of these stories is the visitors being taken as gods, due to their unexplainable (in contemporary terms) powers.

The most famous advocate is Swiss author Erich von Daniken, whose Chariots of the Gods became an international sensation in the 1970s. However, von Daniken was not the first nor the last to publish the idea.

Some people object to the theory on the grounds that it denigrates the abilities of ancient peoples, who may have overcome tremendous obstacles to create things credited to the ancient astronauts. Others simply feel that the evidence is unconvincing.

Contents 1 Nonfiction 1.1 Books 2 Theatrical Releases 3 Fiction 3.1 Movies 3.2 TV Series 3.3 TV Episodes 4 External Links

Nonfiction

Books

The Chinese Roswell 1998 by Hartwig Hausdorf

The Sirius Mystery by Robert K. G. Temple

The Space-Gods Revealed by Ronald Story

Chariots of the Gods (book) by Erich von Daniken

The Gold of the Gods by Erich von Daniken

The Gods and Their Grand Design by Erich von Daniken

Miracles of the Gods by Erich von Daniken

The Gods Unknown by Robert Charroux

Legacy of the Gods by Robert Charroux

God Drives a Flying Saucer by R. L. Dione

Gods and Spacemen in the Ancient Past by W. Raymond Drake

Theatrical Releases

Chariots of the Gods (movie) 1970 (aka Erinnerungen an die Zukunft)

Fiction

Abduction by Robin Cook

Movies

• Stargate (movie)
• 2001: A Space Odyssey

TV Series

Stargate SG-1

TV Episodes

Star Trek Episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?"

External Links

Archaeology, Astronautics and SETI Research Association

To see specific information, such as individual books, please click the Ancient Astronauts category link at the bottom of this article. To see other articles that reference ancient astronauts, please click the What Links Here tool in the toolbox at the bottom of this page.