About Ancient astronauts
Ancient astronauts is a set of pseudoscientific beliefs holding that intelligent extraterrestrials visited Earth in prehistoric or ancient times to shape human cultures, technologies, and religions. This idea was made famous by Erich von Däniken's 1968 book Chariots of the Gods? and continues to appear in books, fiction, and television.
- Also known as
- ancient astronaut, ancient aliens, paleocontact
The full story, section by section
The story of Ancient astronauts in 3 parts. Tap any part to read it in full.
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OverviewOther names include ancient ufonauts, alien gods and "biblical SETI." Believers often hold that humans descend from, or were created by, extraterrestrials.Read this part →
Nasca (Peru), Astronaut, August 2007 · Photo: Raymond Ostertag, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons -
HistoryThe idea first appeared in science fiction, including The Germ Growers (1892), Edison's Conquest of Mars (1898) and the works of H.Read this part →
Erich von Däniken · Photo: Michal Maňas, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons -
Popular cultureWriter Jason Colavito argued in Skeptic in 2004 that von Däniken drew on The Morning of the Magicians.Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
Key people
The people at the centre of the story — witnesses, investigators, officials and sceptics:
- Erich von DänikenErich von Däniken was a Swiss author who achieved worldwide fame with his 1968 bestselling book, Chariots of the Gods?, which argued that extraterrestrials visited prehistoric Earth and shaped human …
- Carl SaganCarl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, and science communicator who lived from 1934 to 1996. He played a major role in space missions, discovered Venus's high surface temp…
- Zecharia SitchinZecharia Sitchin was an author who wrote books arguing that ancient Sumerian civilization was founded by extraterrestrials called the Anunnaki from a planet named Nibiru. Although his books sold mill…
- Morris K. JessupMorris Ketchum Jessup was an American writer on UFOs whose 1955 book, The Case for the UFO, helped launch the legend of the Philadelphia Experiment after it was anonymously returned with strange hand…
- Joe NickellJoe Nickell was an American skeptic and professional investigator who examined paranormal claims, UFOs, ghosts, and religious relics. He worked as a senior research fellow for the Committee for Skept…
- Steven GreerSteven Macon Greer is an American ufologist and retired emergency-room physician who founded the Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence in 1990 and the Disclosure Project in 1993. He i…
- Nick PopeNick Pope was an English civil servant, author, and prominent UFO commentator who worked for the UK Ministry of Defence from 1985 to 2006. He served on the ministry's "UFO desk" from 1991 to 1994, wh…
Programs, organizations & documents
The official programs, groups and papers involved:
🏢 Organization · 6 min readRaëlismRaëlism is an international UFO religion founded in France in the 1970s by Claude Vorilhon, who teaches that extraterrestrial beings called the Elohim created humankind through advanced science. The movement gained worldwide attention in December 2002 when a …
🏢 Organization · 9 min readAetherius SocietyThe Aetherius Society is a new religious movement founded in London in the mid-1950s by George King. It combines elements of Theosophy, yoga, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and UFO beliefs. The society's members work with extraterrestrial beings called Cos…
🏢 Organization · 9 min readHeaven's GateHeaven's Gate was an American UFO religion founded in 1974 and led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles. The group taught that followers could become immortal extraterrestrial beings by abandoning human nature and passing to a higher world. The organizat…Books, films & documentaries
Where to read and watch more:
Related topics & places
Ideas, terms and places that come up in the story:
📖 Term · 5 min readCryptoterrestrial UFO hypothesisThe cryptoterrestrial UFO hypothesis proposes that unidentified flying objects are evidence of a hidden, technologically advanced civilization native to Earth rather than visitors from space. The term was coined in the 2000s by American writer Mac Tonnies, wh…
📖 Term · 4 min readReptiliansReptilians are reptile-like humanoids that feature in fantasy, science fiction, ufology, and conspiracy theories. The idea that shape-shifting reptilian aliens secretly control the Earth was popularized by British conspiracy theorist David Icke. The concept t…🛸 UFO sightings about Ancient aliens
Sightings that mention Ancient astronauts
More in the encyclopedia
Other articles that link to or mention Ancient astronauts:
- Drake equationThe Drake equation is a probabilistic argument written by radio astronomer Frank Drake in 1961 to estimate the number of active, communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way. Because…
- TransmediumTransmedium describes objects that reportedly move between different environments like space, air, and water without difficulty. United States law includes transmedium devices as a category of uniden…
- Alien implantsIn ufology, alien implants are physical objects that people who believe they were abducted by aliens claim were surgically placed in their bodies for mind control or biotelemetry. Mainstream scientis…
- Extraterrestrial hypothesisThe extraterrestrial hypothesis proposes that certain UFOs are physical spacecraft or probes carrying intelligent beings from other planets. Although it is the most popular explanation among the publ…
- Unidentified flying objectAn unidentified flying object, or UFO, is an unexplained phenomenon or object seen in the sky, with the modern craze originating in the United States in June 1947. While popular culture often equates…
- Nordic aliensNordic aliens are described in UFO literature as tall, human-like extraterrestrials with blond hair, blue eyes, and fair skin who are said to originate from the Pleiades star cluster. These benevolen…
- FastwalkerFastwalker is a military term created by NORAD for unidentified objects that enter or leave the atmosphere at high speeds. Because NORAD classifies its material on the subject, the terms have become …
- Five observablesThe article is about the five observables, which are five extraordinary flight characteristics associated with military sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena as compiled by former Pentagon offic…
- Inertial mass reductionInertial mass reduction is a hypothetical technology proposed in a 2018 U.S. Navy patent by aerospace engineer Salvatore Pais to allow a vehicle to travel through air, water, and space at extreme spe…
- Unidentified anomalous phenomenaUnidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) is the U.S. government's current term for unidentified objects or events in the air, space, or underwater.
- Men in BlackMen in black are figures of UFO folklore and conspiracy theory described as tall, pale, and expressionless men in dark suits and sunglasses who question or threaten UFO witnesses to keep them silent.…
- Linda Moulton HoweLinda Moulton Howe is an American documentary maker and investigative journalist who became a prominent figure in ufology by reporting on UFOs, crop circles, and animal mutilations. Her 1980 televisi…
- O'Hare Airport UFO sightingOn November 7, 2006, about a dozen United Airlines employees and other witnesses reported seeing a silent, dark grey, disc-shaped object hovering near Gate C17 at Chicago O'Hare International Airport…
- John LearJohn Lear was an American aviator and UFO conspiracy theorist born in 1942 who set flying records and later promoted claims about government cover-ups of extraterrestrial life. He became a prominent …
- Kecksburg incidentThe Kecksburg incident occurred on December 9, 1965, when a brilliant fireball streaked across the sky and residents in Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, reported that an object had crashed in the nearby wood…
- John Lear's ParaNet statement (1987)In December 1987, aviator John Lear posted a statement on an early bulletin board system claiming that the U.S. government had secret dealings with extraterrestrials.
- 1561 celestial phenomenon over NurembergThe 1561 celestial phenomenon over Nuremberg was an atmospheric display that occurred at dawn on April 14, 1561, in Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire. According to an illustrated broadsheet by Hans Glaser…
- Brown Mountain lightsThe Brown Mountain lights are reported ghost lights near Brown Mountain in western North Carolina that first gained public attention around 1910. Government investigations in 1913 and 1922 concluded …
Questions & answers
What is Ancient astronauts?
Ancient astronauts is a set of pseudoscientific beliefs holding that intelligent extraterrestrials visited Earth in prehistoric or ancient times to shape human cultures, technologies, and religions. This idea was made famous by Erich von Däniken's 1968 book Chariots of the Gods? and continues to appear in books, fiction, and television. Read: Ancient astronauts →
What else is Ancient astronauts called?
Ancient astronauts is also known as ancient astronaut, ancient aliens, paleocontact.
Who is Erich von Däniken?
Erich von Däniken was a Swiss author who achieved worldwide fame with his 1968 bestselling book, Chariots of the Gods?, which argued that extraterrestrials visited prehistoric Earth and shaped human cultures. Academics and scientists universally reject his claims as pseudoscience, pseudoarchaeology, and pseudohistory, pointing to numerous factual errors, fabrications, and plagiarism in his work. Read: Erich von Däniken →
Who is Carl Sagan?
Carl Sagan: Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, and science communicator who lived from 1934 to 1996. He played a major role in space missions, discovered Venus's high surface temperature, co-created interstellar messages, and co-wrote and presented the popular television series Cosmos. He also worked extensively to study UFO reports scientifically while remaining a prominent skeptic of the extraterrestrial hypothesis. Read: Carl Sagan →
Who is Zecharia Sitchin?
Zecharia Sitchin was an author who wrote books arguing that ancient Sumerian civilization was founded by extraterrestrials called the Anunnaki from a planet named Nibiru. Although his books sold millions of copies, historians, astronomers, and other academics widely rejected his work as pseudoscience and pseudohistory. Read: Zecharia Sitchin →
What is Raëlism?
Raëlism is an international UFO religion founded in France in the 1970s by Claude Vorilhon, who teaches that extraterrestrial beings called the Elohim created humankind through advanced science. The movement gained worldwide attention in December 2002 when a linked company, Clonaid, claimed the birth of the first human clone, though no evidence was ever produced to support the claim. Read: Raëlism →
What is Aetherius Society?
Aetherius Society: The Aetherius Society is a new religious movement founded in London in the mid-1950s by George King. It combines elements of Theosophy, yoga, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and UFO beliefs. The society's members work with extraterrestrial beings called Cosmic Masters to help humanity solve its problems and enter a New Age. Read: Aetherius Society →
What is The X-Files?
The X-Files is an American science-fiction drama series created by Chris Carter that originally ran on Fox from September 1993 to May 2002. FBI agents Fox Mulder, a believer, and Dana Scully, a skeptic, investigate unsolved paranormal cases and uncover a government plot involving extraterrestrial life. The highly rated and critically acclaimed series became a major 1990s pop-culture touchstone that helped bring conspiracy theories to a mainstream audience. Read: The X-Files →
What is Cryptoterrestrial UFO hypothesis?
Cryptoterrestrial UFO hypothesis: The cryptoterrestrial UFO hypothesis proposes that unidentified flying objects are evidence of a hidden, technologically advanced civilization native to Earth rather than visitors from space. The term was coined in the 2000s by American writer Mac Tonnies, whose book on the subject was published in 2010. The concept has roots in earlier fiction, occultism, and the 1940s Shaver mystery, and it suggests that these earthly beings have coexisted with humanity while presenting themselves as extraterrestrials. Read: Cryptoterrestrial UFO hypothesis →
What is Reptilians?
Reptilians are reptile-like humanoids that feature in fantasy, science fiction, ufology, and conspiracy theories. The idea that shape-shifting reptilian aliens secretly control the Earth was popularized by British conspiracy theorist David Icke. The concept traces its origins to pulp fiction and occult writings from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Read: Reptilians →