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Ancient astronaut theory is a term used to describe the theories of ancient Extraterrestrial contact being involved in some way with the origin or development of human culture. Most notably popularized by authors such as Erich Von Däniken and Zecharia Sitchin , this theory is an expansion or elaboration of the more basic Paleocontact Theory . These theories often claim that human beings are either the descendants or creations of aliens who landed on Earth millennia ago — ideas that are commonly dismissed by the scientific community. Another element of this view is the suggestion that much of human wisdom or religion was given to man by extraterrestrial visitors in ancient times. This possibility has been considered by some scientists, including Carl Sagan and I.S. Shklovskii , but the lack of hard evidence and the nature of the concept makes it unpopular among the scientific community. ADHERENTS Ancient astronaut theories have been advanced by authors such as (1959), Erich Von Däniken (1968), Dr. S. Lunskaya (1970) Robert K. G. Temple (1976), Zecharia Sitchin (1978) and Richard Hoagland . Däniken Erich von Däniken was foremost in popularizing ancient astronaut theories in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the 1968 publication of his best-selling '' Chariots Of The Gods '' and its sequels. The evidence that von Däniken put forward to support his vision of paleo-contact can be categorised as follows:
Since the publication of von Däniken's books, no substantial evidence has been found to verify his claims, while many of them have been disproven.''Erich von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods: Science or Charlatanism?'', Robert Sheaffer. First published in the "NICAP UFO Investigator", October/November, 1974. http://www.debunker.com/texts/vondanik.htmlMost historians regard his claims — as well of those of other ancient astronaut believers — as Pseudoscience or Pseudoarchaeology . Sitchin Zecharia Sitchin 's continuing body of work ''The Earth Chronicles'', beginning with the first installment ''The 12th Planet'', revolves around Sitchin's interpretation of ancient Sumeria n and Middle East ern texts and mysterious megalithic sites and anomalous artifacts from around the world. He theorizes the gods of old were actually astronauts from the planet Nibiru , which the Sumerians believed to be a remote "12th" planet (counting the Sun and Moon as planets) associated with the god Marduk . According to Sitchin, Nibiru continues to orbit our sun on a 3,600-year elongated orbit. According to Sitchin, the Sumerians relate how 50 "" (model man) or Adam of later mythology. EVIDENCE Many authors use ancient mythologies to support their theories, most notably the basic tenet of nearly all ancient creation myths of a god or gods having come from the "heavens" to earth and creating man, with the extraordinary adventures of these various gods interpreted as being modern technologies as seen from the perspective of a simple-minded earthman. For example, flying machines often show up in ancient texts. One classical example is the of Peru; countless enormous ground drawings which can only be seen from high in the air.http://www.peru-explorer.com/nasca.htm and http://www.crystalinks.com/nazca.html EARLIER IDEAS Earlier sources — while generally not referencing ancient astronauts ''per se'' — suggest the creation of some monuments was beyond human means, such as Saxo Grammaticus ' suggestion that Giants had created Denmark 's massive Dolmen s, or in tales that Merlin had assembled Stonehenge via magic. Evidence for ancient astronauts often consists of allegations that ancient monuments, such as the pyramids of Egypt, or walling at Mycenaean cities in the eyes of Greeks of the following " Dark Age ," who believed that the giant Cyclopes had built the walls. Typical candidates for the lost civilizations that taught or provided these skills are the Lost Continents of Atlantis , Lemuria and Mu . Another frequent theme that can be encountered in many mythologies is a person who comes from far away as a god, or as the Archetype of a "civilizing hero" who brings knowledge to mankind. Prometheus is the best-known Western example. In Native American lore there are numerous examples, including Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs and Viracocha of the Incas . In Theosophical writings of the 19th and early 20th centuries, many precursors to the ancient astronaut theories can be found. Theosophy influenced authors such as H. P. Lovecraft and Charles Fort , and even later authors such as Erich von Däniken. ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS IN FICTION The ancient astronaut theory has been addressed frequently in ''. So too did Walter Ernsting (''The Day the Gods Died''). Douglas Adams used a satirical version of the theory in his '' Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy '' series. Even the Tintin adventure '' Flight 714 '' references ancient astronaut theories. The TV show '' The X-Files '' has borrowed the theory, and both the original '' Battlestar Galactica '' and the 2003 Remake explored the idea that Earth was colonized by man millennia ago. The movie '' Stargate '' and its spin-off television series '' Stargate SG-1 '' and '' Stargate Atlantis '' feature aliens posing as gods and influencing early earth cultures. The ''Stargate: Ultimate Edition: Director’s Cut'' DVD includes a featurette interview with Erich von Däniken entitled ''"Is there a Stargate?"''. NOTES REFERENCES
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