Ancient astronauts
The term pre- astronautics (also called Paleo-SETI ) is defined as a pseudo-science, which explores the theory that extraterrestrial intelligences in the early days of mankind visited Earth and influenced human civilization or they have even created first. This often present in almost all cultures traditions of encounters with gods and other fabulous beings be interpreted as visits of extraterrestrial beings.
From their followers it is considered as a new, serious science, practical as a field of study of archeology and as a branch of astronautics. From academic point of view the topic between new religious movements (such as eg Ufoglaube or Raelism ) on the one hand, and modern science on the other side to settle. Some platforms that were dedicated to the critical issues machining, had to be closed due to heavy discussions between supporters and opponents, or the lack of reliable evidence.
History of pre- astronautics
The idea of aliens had visited Earth long ago, can already be in science fiction literature in 1900 demonstrate. Charles Fort speculated in 1919 in the book The Book of the Damned, a collection of unexplained phenomena, whether humanity the " estate" of aliens was. In the 1920s, the Soviet space pioneer Konstantin Tsiolkovsky ( 1857-1935 ) and Nikolai A. Rynin ( 1887-1942 ) sat apart with the idea of interplanetary contacts in the past.
In the 1950s and 60s employed as a result of the attention attracted UFOs in the worldwide public, including the Soviet ethnologist MATEST M. Agrest, the Italian journalist Peter Kolosimo, forts pupils W. Raymond Drake, the Franco-Polish occultist Jacques Bergier and his co-author Louis Pauwels and science fiction author Robert Charroux with the theory.
1960 speculated the American astrophysicist Thomas Gold in an article entitled "Cosmic Garbage " (Eng. Cosmic waste ) on the possibility of extraterrestrial space travelers had visited the earth long ago. The creatures have left their garbage and thus inadvertently brought life to the earth. In 1963, the American astronomer Carl Sagan on the question of whether there might have been in the past, contact between humans and extraterrestrial visitors and the fact for many reasons has been falsified. Sagan suspected alien species could have often visited the earth and left behind artifacts on the planet or in the solar system.
Large became famous for the hypothesis about astronauts Gods by Erich von Daniken, whose first work was filmed Memories of the Future (1968 ) instant bestseller and a year later. In subsequent years, the term was coined "pre - astronautics ." 1973 was founded in the United States by the Attorney Gene Philip the Ancient Astronaut Society (AAS ), which publishes the journal Ancient Skies. Documentaries and television series as well as many books dealing with the subject. Von Däniken traveled the world and lectured widely. It formed a canon of archaeological sites and artifacts as well as traditional texts that are still recognized as the most promising evidence for the theory. With The Twelfth Planet (1976 ) to Zecharia Sitchin has established itself as another popular author in the field of pre- astronautics.
In the late 1980s studied authors of the pre- astronautics after a meaningful name for their field of research - the term "pre - astronautics " was felt to be inadequate, as well as occasional other names such as " astro - archeology " (actually another name for Archaeoastronomy ). Vladimir Avinsky suggested " Paleo-SETI " before, based on the acronym SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, "Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence "), which was coined by NASA. In subsequent years, this new name in German-speaking especially of John Fiebag was popularized.
End of the 1990s the Ancient Astronaut Society was renamed while retaining the abbreviation AAS in Archeology, Astronautics and SETI Research Association. The German counterpart is called Research Society for Archaeology, Astronautics and SETI.
Subject matter and approach of the pre- astronautics
The central theme and the subject matter of the pre- astronautics is the assumption that alien astronauts visited Earth in prehistoric or historic times and this influence would have taken on the genesis of man ( tribal history of man ) or its cultural and technological development ( human history ). Principal basis are reinterpretations of religious and mythological texts that are understood as reports of actual events of the past and to describe encounters with extraterrestrial beings.
Examples of such interpretations are the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, which describes the battle between the gods families of the Kauravas and the Pandavas, the thematically similar in part supported Norse Edda, or the Book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament, which is based on the encounter of the eponymous prophet with the supposed biblical God whose chariot depicts. The descriptions of mythical objects or places like the Ark of the Covenant, the throne of Asgard car or the Valhalla of Norse sagas circuit are thereby interpreted as not understood transfiguration of sophisticated weaponry, military and aerospace engineering. Myths with each other resembling contents are similar interpreted, such as the seemingly universal story of an all-devouring great flood and the subsequent salvation of humanity and the ecosystem, which in both the biblical Flood, the Sumerian- Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, in ancient Indian, Chinese or Australian creation myths place. The pre- astronautics assumes that these traditions is due to a real intervention of higher developed beings, the expressions to be a for -human ( unconscious in the Freudian sense) trauma in the myths.
Also important for the argument of the pre- astronautics is a new interpretation of archaeological remains and architectural buildings, which are often in contradiction to the established archeology, understood as an anachronism: it is assumed that their occurrence is not derived from previous appearances could or technical climb over possibilities of that culture carrier. Such findings are similar interprets the mythical traditions as an expression not understood technology. These resources include statues, rock carvings or reliefs of human or human-like figures, whose round and sometimes faceless or only certain parts of the face are interpreted facing heads as helmets ( of astronauts ) (eg, the Dogu statues from Japan, the petroglyphs of Val Camonica in Italy). Even small bird or fish-like objects from the pre-Columbian South America, and Ancient Egypt are interpreted as models of aircraft. The geoglyphs of Nazca in Peru, in addition to oversized animal figures also include up to 20 km long straight lines and triangles, are considered among others as runways.
The pre- astronautics is not necessarily assume that these forms have to be a direct result of direct contact with highly technical nature. Rather, such objects are understood as the expression of a prehistoric Cargo cult, in which people witnesses of activities of these beings had become on the earth, and by imitating this inexplicable for them and equipment the supposed gods tried to call again.
Some approaches to interpretation of the pre- astronautics they combine with other international scientific theories. These include considerations about the existence of highly engineered, but of lost civilizations like Atlantis or Mu in human prehistory, the resident would have scattered survived into the historic early days. A number of representatives is assumed that these cultures have been created or destroyed by the action of intelligent alien or time traveler beings from the future. The result of such contacts was the emergence or development of human culture or the interpretation of these beings as gods in the respective mythological pantheon.
Depending on the representatives of the pre- astronautics, the same phenomena can be evaluated differently. One example is the pyramids in ancient Egypt, Mesoamerica and South East Asia. Depending on the approach the idea of the pyramid construction, either directly at different times in different regions is mediated by extraterrestrial beings or by survivors of previous technical high civilizations (such as Atlantis ), or it is from one exchange to a single culture (such as the Old Egypt ) is assumed, where this idea was further supported by cultural contacts.
Criticism of the established natural sciences and the humanities
On the part of the established natural sciences and the humanities, the pre- astronautics was criticized in some quarters. The proponents of this view, it is assumed here, historical texts or religious / mythical traditions as excerpts to read, only to interpret translations or to have the cultural context into account.
A major criticism is that the spiritual and cultural creativity of people from earlier eras will greatly underestimated. The intervention of high-tech alien or unknown ancient civilizations in the known cultural development is reminiscent striking at religious creation myths, the theories of today's creationist or "intelligent design", according to which a rise of man from his own biological and cultural force has not been possible, but only with was successfully carried out the intervention of a higher power. The pre- astronautics offers no solutions to the development of intelligence and culture in general, because the problem is "only" moved away back in time or space from the earth. There then arises the question of how the aliens or early technical civilizations to their intelligence and culture came at all. The objection of the pre- astronautics, these were influenced by other beings, shifted in this case the problem also only further in time past and geographical distance. Thus we come in time and space to the limits of the - possible - life in the entire universe. If then the theory first source culture have arisen evolutionarily from itself, so this is attributed to something that is rejected strictly for the emergence of humans and human culture. Should these otherwise be caused by an whatsoever divine act of creation, the pre- astronautics would actually just a variant of creationism.
In addition to this philosophical problem, the pre- astronautics but should also generally avoid the reduction of scientific thought. With a presence of several possible explanations in the concerns of the economy principle would have the philosophy of science ( Occam's razor ) the theory with the simplest assumption be the best fit. Exactly neglects the pre- astronautics but in the scientific sense. Although they may justify the existence of certain phenomena in the human past, but the assumed influence by aliens or an early high-tech civilization in turn does not explain the origin of this ( to be explained ) phenomena nor the effects of ( explanatory ) polluter itself and only creates a new problem (the causative agent ), which reinterpreted (ie declared ) must be. Thus, an unknown variable is reduced with the help of this explanation though, even lesser known size is determined by the declaration itself but simultaneously produced, which in turn is waiting for a new declaration.
Another point of criticism is also the structure of the pre- astronautics as cross - or pseudo-scientific branch. The existence of faculties, seminars, and (mostly popular science ) lectures, ( also predominantly popular scientific ) publications or the procurement of funding and research prices to give her the appearance of a legitimate science. But apart from that it rarely overlaps with the established sciences. The approach of the established sciences, such as the recognition of a scientific result by publication in a widespread or generally accessible scientific journal or monograph under the premise of any time existing repeatability of Eruierung or comprehensibility of the result is largely avoided, as well as the discussion of different views with scientifically also comprehensible arguments with which the views can be either verified or falsified. The problem in this context is the attraction of singular objects, which sometimes get only through further scientific or humanistic work a deeper background or context, or objects of dubious origin, which may be difficult to serve as proof or evidence. Unscientific but here is the use of artifact groups that are to be considered for all findings as forgeries (see discussion of the Crystal Skull ).
Apart from these general debate and fundamental assessment, the pre- astronautics is also content a critical eye or rejected. Of particular note is the above mentioned außerkontextuelle viewing of text, single objects or cultural complexes. In addition to the tearing out of the substantive context of particular cultural epoch and / or region but is also significant that many occurring, partly functionally similar cultural phenomena historic or prehistoric possess no simultaneity, but on the contrary have different age data. But above all, this non-existent Isochrony such phenomena is a major weakness of the pre- astronautics. One example is again the world's most widespread idea of the pyramid construction, called their relationship is with religious traditions in all regions beyond doubt. According to the representative of the pre- astronautics, this, as already described, have several possible causes. On the one hand it would be possible that this idea through multiple, temporally distinct influences from extraterrestrial beings or technical representatives earlier civilizations arose ( Ancient Egypt from the 25th century BC, Mesoamerica from about the 15th century BC). Consequently, the initiators had visited the earth several times, or the survivors would need to have lived undetected (even for today's science ) in the various regions to the idea of initiation. Had this idea been, however, only once conveyed to the Egyptians, and had this brought about hypothetically possible, but so far not backed cultural contacts in Mesoamerica (eg how frequently discussed at the time of Ramses II about the 13th century BC it) it would have happened at a time, as in Egypt long ago no more pyramids were built. Here must be asked why anyone should have passed on an idea that he himself is no longer used. It is therefore more likely to assume that it is analogous cultural developments (in the sense of biological convergence ), apart from the fact that Egyptian and Mesoamerican pyramids only - only later by external cultural groups influenced and reduced to the form of buildings - Name have in common and otherwise have different functions (again, the exception proves the rule), although latter are architecturally and functionally rather the Mesopotamian ziggurats closer. This example is to show that many cultural phenomena have only outwardly apparent similarities, on closer examination, however, differ greatly, which reaches here the interpretation ability of the pre- astronautics their limits.
The same can also be said to pre- astronautical theory contraptions with broader issues in addition to these extrakontextuellen considerations of individual objects or cultural phenomena. Here is an example of the Incarnation and the general cultural development is mentioned. There has already been mentioned at the beginning that either the entire original incarnation and / or at a later conducted Intelligenzinitialisierung the pre- astronautics in competition to creationism or " intelligent design" is by the action of higher powers and as its less conservative, engineering credulous and thus more progressive variant appears, the real problem or phenomenon but not explained. The question of the "missing link" between today's modern man and his ape-like ancestors by the representatives of the pre- astronautics is a result of non-acceptance or non- understanding of the biological theory of evolution although the existing ( here simplified and comprehensive qualities of bearing ) Genealogy of ( gracile ) Australopithecus Homo habilis Homo erectus Neanderthals ( as a European - west Asian people variant) / early anatomically modern humans can be understood as such links ( and in the evolutionary sense, must ), with lore related ( fossilization ) theoretically not all have to be present. The temporal distance of several million years of human origin and the parallel cultural adaptation and development is of importance. That humanity spent the majority of their existence in " Stone Age " conditions and brought forth seemingly no innovation or held the bulk of technical and cultural inventions only in the last 10,000 years, conversely, is a part itself a product of the lack of understanding of the procedure of the prehistoric sciences, which largely not (in terms of representation in writing not of traditional historical events ) sees itself as a dynamic historical sequence, but the description of a presently eruierbaren actual state at a certain place at a certain time in the ( prehistoric ) past returns. Here, more or less large gaps are also present due to lore -related restrictions and provides the respective current state of knowledge only a "minimal state" the former reality dar. the other hand is also reflected here again ignorance or knowledge objection in matters of biological evolutionary and population - as well as social and cultural development, co-existence and interaction dynamics resist.
Well-known examples in the pros and cons
Worldwide, there are numerous archaeological objects and architectural buildings historic or prehistoric age that originated due to the direct or indirect exposure to extraterrestrial beings, according to representatives of the pre- astronautics and are therefore used as proof or evidence for the theory. In this case, this view is offered as an antithesis to the sometimes differing or even contradictory interpretation of variants of the established natural sciences and the humanities.
The aluminum wedge of Aiud
This is also referred to as an object of Aiud object is a wedge-shaped body, which was discovered in 1973, during construction work near the Romanian city of Aiud. It weighs 2.3 kg, is a high proportion of aluminum and has an oxide layer ( patina ) on. This aluminum wedge is now in the Historical Museum of the city of Cluj - Napoca. There are several ( conflicting ) analysis results to its chemical composition, but which come from a single sampling in 1975. The original Beifund of Mastodontenknochen is now lost. Also the aluminum wedge was for 15 years as lost until the author Lars A. Fischinger 2010 auffand again this site in Romania. This Fischinger could also demonstrate that the circulating of 1988 to 2010 chemical composition of the find was invented. Also that in 1995 on behalf of Peter Leb a third analysis in Lausanne, Switzerland was performed, which confirmed the previous results.
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The Ica stones
The stones of Ica is several thousand stones on which mythical beings, but also dinosaurs and high-tech devices can be seen. The figures and scenes are engraved and are located below a surface oxide layer. The first stones were allegedly found by Indians in 1961 after heavy rains in the river bed of the Rio Ica. The surgeon Javier Cabrera got his own testimony, according to many of the stones from these Indians paid, and today he owns one of the most extensive collections.
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The bulbs of Dendera
The "light bulb " of Dendera are a relief group in a side room and in a basement room of the Hathor temple of Dendera (Egypt). Shown are anthropomorphic deities behind sloping upward elongated, sometimes flask-shaped to bulbous objects that arise from a lotus blossom, inside have a snake and are supported at the end of a pier. Framed these images are of numerous hieroglyphs. The temple originally comes from the 6th Dynasty ( 24th to 23 century BC), but was subsequently several times around and rebuilt. The reliefs themselves come from the Ptolemaic period ( 4th to 1st century BC).
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Core drilling of Abusir
In approximately 15 kilometers from the Pyramids of Giza remote Abusir are several large blocks of stone from the (very hard ) rock diorite. These stones are circular holes ( core drilling ), partly also exist the corresponding cores yet.
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Core drill, which was carried out by means of animal bones, are known and much older than the Egyptian mentioned here even with stone axes, hammers and beilen of tough river rocks since the Neolithic in Central Europe.
The Antikythera Mechanism
At Easter 1900, the subject was of divers from an ancient Greek shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera recovered, which is very compact and consists of numerous gears - the Antikythera mechanism. The ship has been dated to the time of 70 BC. The object was made of bronze and was originally thought to be surrounded by a wooden casing. Archeology is the oldest surviving gear apparatus.
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After Derek de Solla Price, Washington, who had examined the mechanism already in the 1950s, does not mean the high mechanical and mathematical complexity of the device but that the mechanism can not come from the time, but that most modern historians, the scientific performance of antiquity too little of.
The Colombian gold aviator
The Colombian gold aviators are several gold jewelry pieces in Tolima and Quimbaya style that were found in Colombian shaft graves, dating to the period around 100 to 1000 AD. The objects are only a few inches tall, have a torpedo-shaped fuselage, delta-shaped wings and a vertical tail fin. Most of the objects of this type are stored in the " Museo del Oro " ( Gold Museum ) of the " State Bank " in Bogotá ( Colombia) and the Overseas Museum Bremen, but also found in other museums such specimens (about the Ethnological Museum in Berlin- Dahlem ).
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A similar geartetes example, the wooden birds from Saqqara, Egypt, dating from the 2nd century BC
The grave slab of Palenque
The grave slab of Palenque is a sarcophagus lid from the grave chamber of the king Pakal under the Temple of the Inscriptions in Palenque, Mexico, which was discovered in 1952 and dates from the 7th century. On the lid of a man is shown in a sitting position, are positioned around the numerous objects. The bridge of the nose of the person does not under the front Stirnwülste, but draws on these in a straight line across.
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The Paluxy River footprints
In the Paluxy River footprints are footprints of dinosaurs, the geological formation in which they are embedded, has an age of about 113 million years. This formation was first described in the late 19th century. Besides the familiar toe prints large dinosaurs also humanlike footprints of sole -goers come before.
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Reception in popular culture
On one hand, practiced early science-fiction literature from a strong influence on the development of pre- astronautics, on the other hand, this also acts back on the modern film and literary culture. Motives are, among others ( for example, the Cthulhu Cycle of HP Lovecraft, the Perry Rhodan series or novel but the novel phainomenon HD Small ) into short stories and novels. They are also often in science fiction films ( for example, 2001 -. A Space Odyssey, Star Gate, Mission to Mars, Alien vs. Predator, Transformers, Prometheus ) and television series (such as Star Trek, Stargate and Battlestar Galactica ) to find.