Transforming Ancient Astronaut Theory December 2, 2009
Posted by ancientaliensinmassmedia in Film.Tags: ancient astronaut theory, pyramids, Transformers, Transformers 2
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Devastator using grappling hooks to climb a pyramid. (http://www.transformers2.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/transformers_2_pyramid_2.jpg)
I recently ordered Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen on OnDemand from my cable company. If this movie had come out 25 years ago, when I actually played with transformers I would have loved it. Truthfully, I was more focused on Megan Fox than any of Michael Bay’s over-the-top special effects or the transformers themselves. Shia LaBeouf is back in this sequel and also appeared in last year’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Is he on track to be to ancient astronaut theory movies what Kevin Costner is to baseball movies? Only time will tell.
Revenge of the Fallen has an ancient angle to it. At the first of the movie, it is revealed that transformers have visited Earth as early as 17,000 years ago. Later on archaeologists are said to have found the strange transformer “Cybertronian” hieroglyphs all over the world at various sites. A transformer in the form of a Blackbird bomber has even been on display in the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum suggesting that transformers have been blending in on Earth for quite a while. Apparently, the Decepticons (the bad guys) built a machine long ago to destroy the earth’s sun for an energy source, not below an ancient Egyptian pyramid, but inside of one. There are a lot of scenes of robots destroying ancient pillars in their battle with one another as well as one climbing a pyramid to activate the sun-eating machine inside of it. One of the best parts was when John Tuturro’s character of Simmons, looks at a pyramid and simply says, “I believe aliens built that…”
This is not a great movie and not really a good example of ancient astronaut theory being represented in science fiction. The transformers did not jump start humanity and are not really credited with building the pyramids or any other archaeological sites. There language supposedly is present in these places, but why? I guess I will just have to accept that there is much to be known about this new and exciting sub-field of ancient alien robot theory.
References and Links (All on-line information retrieved December 2, 2009)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformers_2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Jones_and_the_Kingdom_of_the_Crystal_Skull
The King-dumb of the Crystal Skull November 30, 2009
Posted by ancientaliensinmassmedia in Grab Bag! (various forms of media).Tags: Anna Mitchell-Hedges, Bill Homann, Crystal Head Vodka, crystal skulls, F.M. Mitchell-Hedges, Max, Max the Crystal Skull, Mitchell-Hedges Skull, The Skull of Doom
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The Mitchell-Hedges Skull A.K.A "The "Skull of Doom" (http://www.crystalinks.com/crystalskulls.html)
Don’t worry, this post is not entirely about the worst Indiana Jones movie ever made – just the inspiration for the title. I plan to look at the movie along with a Stargate: SG-1 episode entitled “Crystal Skull” in addition to a little background of these so-called mysterious objects. In both Indians Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and the “Crystal Skull” episode of Stargate: SG-1 the skulls are of an ancient alien origin associated with a Mayan context which is unfortunately borrowed from real life. Many other non-fictional theories relate the skulls to a Mesoamerican mystery or supposed lost civilizations like Atlantis. Another common idea is that crystal skulls are not just sculptures, but some kind of supercomputer that we humans are just too ignorant to activate at this time. Others suggest that a special number of crystal skulls exist and have to be reunited in order to perform the special task of enlightening humanity or saving us from the “inevitable doom of 2012.” Some New Age followers believe that these “ancient” skulls have healing powers and messages of hope for humanity. Why are there so many different ideas about crystal skulls? No skull has ever been found in a archaeological setting with scientific conditions in place. These skulls have just turned up through out time with a questionable character’s story. One such character is the late Anna Mitchell-Hedges, the adopted daughter of adventurer F.M. Mitchell-Hedges. This skull is now in the possession of Bill Homann who has appeared in a few New Age slanted documentaries like Mystery of the Crystal Skulls which aired on the SyFy channel in 2008. Below is a clip of it from YouTube.
Another more scientific documentary is the Smithsonian Channel’s Legend of the Crystal Skulls, which concentrated more on the testing the of the skulls and the methods manufacture. Below is a clip of the Smithsonian Channel’s documentary.
Several crystal skulls in existence have been tested with powerful electron scanning microscopes to reveal modern tool marks. Not Mayan, not Aztec but “fraudulent fabrications” according to the Crystal Skulls of Ancient America website and seem to be “crafted within the the last 200 years.” I believe the crystal skulls were originally intended to be art objects that were perverted into “artifacts” by opportunists or perhaps they are the work of European or Mexican artists designed to be instant artifacts for less than reputable antiquities dealers. Volumes of modern mythology have been created and if you own a crystal skull, I imagine you can make quite a living by touring the New Age expo circuit with it. Just look at this poster for JoAnn Park’s famous Max skull below.
Crystal Voyage Flyer (http://enlightenedfilms.com/MAX/images/CrystalVoyageFlyer.jpg)
So crystal skulls have made quite a splash in popular culture and the media thanks in part to the Indiana Jones movie, but I don’t think even George Lucas or Steven Spielberg could have imagined Crystal Head Vodka. Wow! I am a little disappointed that Dan Ackroid is endorsing it, but a job is a job… I guess. Hmmmm… Crystal Skulls would even be a good band name, but not nearly as good as Ancient Astronauts.
References and Links (All on-line information retrieved November 30, 2009)
http://skepdic.com/crystalskull.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Jones_and_the_Kingdom_of_the_Crystal_Skull
http://www.gateworld.net/sg1/s3/321.shtml
http://www.mitchell-hedges.com/
http://scifistorm.org/2008/05/15/crystal-skulls-special-on-the-sci-fi-channel-sunday/
http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/site/smithsonian/show_crystal_skulls.do
Comments From an Electronic Peanut Gallery November 29, 2009
Posted by ancientaliensinmassmedia in Internet.Tags: ancient astronaut theory, Chariots of the Gods, Erich von Däniken
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I always find it interesting to see what people think about the topic of space gods and their supposed invention of past civilizations. My stance is pretty obvious, just look at this blog. I like to think of myself as an open person, but I cannot resist to point out the behaviors and faulty logic of people I fundamentally disagree with. I have an imaginary checklist that I refer to when I encounter various forms of pseudoscience and its devout followers. When I start reading or listening to their comments, I start thinking about what the scientific explanation must be to their momentary “mystery.” I also look at the choice of words and tone of the message. Is it defensive, hostile, fanatical, etc.? Here the checklist comes into play: Is a distrust of scholars present? Is it more of a personal attack on another person, than a true argument? One of the realities of the complex world we live in is that many things that once seemed magical or unknowable are in fact, (no pun intended) very explainable. So many people cherry pick obscure facts and ignore huge volumes of established and tested data. To prove a point, they have opened a Pandora’s box of infinite questions. Remember Occam’s razor.
I found these comments from YouTube back on September 27th. of this year concerning the work of Erich von Däniken. I took screen captures to display their opinions of the theory, Erich von Däniken’s work and more importantly an insight into the reasoning of the opposition. A lot of praise is given to von Däniken, so much so, I had to wonder if at least some of these comments were written by von Däniken, himself. Many of the posters comment how Chariots of the Gods has changed their life in someway. What is most offensive to me is the treatment of the “timid” scientists or aggressive call (and I am paraphrasing in this instance) “to hear bullshit explanations from debunkers.” So, sit back and click away at the links to the screen captures. Maybe the YouTube comments section isn’t very much like the peanut gallery from a kid’s show, but the handling of the topic here is both naive and childish.
http://www.keepandshare.com/userpics/a/n/c/i/entaliensinmassmedia/2009-11/sb/evd4a-29576359.jpg
http://www.keepandshare.com/userpics/a/n/c/i/entaliensinmassmedia/2009-11/sb/evd2012a2-91279633.jpg
http://www.keepandshare.com/userpics/a/n/c/i/entaliensinmassmedia/2009-11/sb/evd2012b2-91977536.jpg
References and Links (All on-line information retrieved September 27 and November 29, 2009)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_von_D%C3%A4niken
http://www.keepandshare.com/userpics/a/n/c/i/entaliensinmassmedia/2009-11/sb/evd4a-29576359.jpg
http://www.keepandshare.com/userpics/a/n/c/i/entaliensinmassmedia/2009-11/sb/evd2012a2-91279633.jpg
http://www.keepandshare.com/userpics/a/n/c/i/entaliensinmassmedia/2009-11/sb/evd2012b2-91977536.jpg
More on (Moron) Cultural Context November 27, 2009
Posted by ancientaliensinmassmedia in General.Tags: cultural context, Erich von Däniken, misinterpreting images, Pakal the Great, William Henry
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Alright, I’ll try to be more diplomatic about this. People that misinterpret hieroglyphs and works of art without consideration for the cultural context of the producing culture are not morons. Having said that, I believe it is fair enough to say that they are misinformed or at least misguided. Researchers like Erich von Däniken and William Henry have been discussed over the course of this blog along with their misinterpretations of depictions of Pakal and Osiris, respectfully. However, what I find to be more disturbing is their insistence that these images are more than what they appear to be – even when confronted with information detailing the cultural context concerning the producing culture. Is it merely a selfish act of arrogance? I imagine that it is quite difficult to peddle your wares when little things like details get in the way. Fantastic claims = fantastic sales, perhaps. In this post, I will look at two paintings and two photographs of historical images and deliberately misinterpret them. If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, this should be fairly easy. Maybe we’ll see that it isn’t too hard to be wrong and more importantly question a phrase that has always haunted me: “perception is reality.” Anyway, enough with all of this philosophy! Here are the images:
??? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sanzio_01.jpg)
In a great temple, a father and son emerge as the leaders of a new society to bring enlightenment to a confused and depressed populous. The listless men on the steps and to the left will be invigorated by the new truth they are about to receive. This must symbolize a change from a fractured government to a more complete one. This is really a depiction of several of the great philosophers in the history of western civilization. What do you see?
??? (http://www.thisnation.com/media/photos/signingdec.jpg)
Next, in this painting a trial is obviously taking place. The accused man is seated while his peers surround him. Look at the charges assembled before him on the table. He will most likely be executed by guillotine, which we know was an approved method of dispatching criminals and infective royalty at the time. The prosecutor wears a red vest, just like the red curtains in this courtroom. Without a doubt, he represents the new government. No, it is a painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. What can you come up with?
??? (http://www.freedomagenda.com/images/2003-04-09_People_of_Iraq_pull_down_and_smash_a_statue_of_former_dictator_Saddam_Hussein_as_Baghdad_is_liberated.jpg)
In this photograph, The men smashing the giant statue with hammers must be upset with their old and unruly god. This must represent a religious shift where the people have found a new truth and must destroy their old ways and old gods. The man on the giant’s chest is most likely a leading priest of the new religion. His shirt is both red and green, symbolizing red for blood (for the people) and green for growth (for the future generations.) Nope, this is a photograph of Iraqis destroying the statue of Saddam Hussein pulled down with the assistance of American troops in April of 2003. The red and green shirt is just that, a red and green shirt. Take a guess, what do you think is happening in this photo?
??? (http://30daysout.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/jimi-hendrix-woodstock.jpg)
Here a priest in his feathery coat with a ceremonial object around his torso motions to the heavens while his congregation looks on. A servant behind him prepares a couple of containers that must serve some religious purpose. Not even close, this is Jimi Hendrix performing at Woodstock in 1969. The “servant” is holding on to drums, not containers.
Okay, so it’s easy to read a lot into images. Being wrong is a natural part of being sometimes. It’s more difficult to do real research to determine meaning, than to let your imagination get the best of you. Knowledge may make for a less magical world, but it certainly allows for a more understandable one.
References and Links (All on-line information retrieved November 27, 2009)
http://www.williamhenry.net/about.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sanzio_01.jpg
http://www.thisnation.com/media/photos/signingdec.jpg
http://30daysout.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/jimi-hendrix-woodstock.jpg
…and you thought Stargate was just a TV show. November 25, 2009
Posted by ancientaliensinmassmedia in Grab Bag! (various forms of media).Tags: ancient astronaut theory, Stargate, stargates, wormholes, William Henry
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It is, but to many this is more than a TV show or a convenient plot device. Some people will tell you that they are indeed, real and have been in use since ancient times with the help of friendly aliens. William Henry is probably the most well known researcher concerning the mythology and use of “real” stargates and wormholes. He is an author, speaker and self-described investigative mythologist, with no notable credentials concerning his area of study. William Henry is actually a pseudoarcheologist with New Age guru leanings. Mr. Henry does like to mention his educational background or lack there of. Instead we are simply told he has been studying mythology for twenty years. Big deal, I’ve been a “student” (fan) of the Dallas Cowboys since I was eight years-old and have done extensive “research” (watched games, read books, viewed documentaries, etc) over the course of twenty-four years. By the logic of William Henry and other pseudoscientists, I am definitely a qualified expert on the important topic of the Dallas Cowboys. I really should produce some DVDs, host lectures or tours and/or get into publishing like William Henry has. About eight minutes into the below clip, William Henry uses a bit of sour grapes rationalization to demonstrate his distrust of or lack of understanding regarding academia. In short, Mr. Henry is relieved that he is not limited by the confines established education and can “connect dots.” At the risk of putting words in his mouth, I think what he is trying to say is “I can do whatever I want with archeological data and mythology and twist the work of scholars into what I need it to be for my DVDs and books.”
In short, he believes that the ancient Babylonians, Sumerians and other civilizations used stargates for wormhole travel with the assistance of the Anunnaki aliens from the Sirius galaxy according to his mythological research. On his website, williamhenry.net, he suggests that depictions of rings or circles in art and architecture must be evidence of a “transformation in our consciousness and our potential for the future.” Stranger still, William Henry believes that stargate imagery will one day come to be as symbolic as the Christian cross.
William Henry with the "stargate" at Thanksgiving Square in Dallas, TX (from http://www.williamhenry.net/blog.html)
Another common belief of his is that domed buildings are a somehow a secret nod to this transformation mentioned above and maybe can even function as a stargate if the right conditions are met. One such domed building is our own nation’s capitol, that is actually not a work of fine architecture, but a spiritual pathway to the unknown. The existence of this mysterious pathway right under our noses is explored in Dan Brown’s latest novel, The Lost Symbol. I think that these are just aesthetic choices, not unlike triangles or other geometric shapes long used in art and architecture. William Henry has also misinterpreted ancient hieroglyphics as evidence of wormholes being used by ancient god-kings. In this photo, from williamhenry.net, “Osiris, the Egyptian god of resurrection, walks (surfs) the Way of the Stars aboard his wormhole-shaped ship of eternity.”
Osiris in his wormhole-shaped boat (from http://www.williamhenry.net/about.html)
I’m sorry it looks like a boat to me and probably to most people for that matter. Why is this a wormhole, because it is U-shaped? Look at this Native American birchbark canoe.
An Algonquin birchbark canoe (from http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.birchbarkcanoe.net/images/mainimage1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.birchbarkcanoe.net/birchbarkcanoes.htm&usg=__DQQo-w7JXlPE7Kxj6gBxlmpOp8s=&h=568&w=876&sz=163&hl=en&start=27&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=a0XnyW82O7PZCM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=146&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dindian%2Bcanoe%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26start%3D21%26um%3D1)
It’s a wormhole! The Algonquins certainly must have used wormholes, too! No, it’s just a common shape for watercraft in general. No stargate, no hidden symbolism, but rather one example of human ingenuity overcoming the physics of traveling over water. In my next post I’ll discuss misinterpreting art and hieroglyphs without consideration to cultural context further. Other people also draw a conspiracy laced connection in addition to the established metaphysical connections to stargates. Here is a clip exploring stargate symbolism laced with paranoid conspiracy theories, New Age nonsense and… Nintendo? Read the viewer comments on the YouTube page for this clip to restore your belief in reason.
References and Links (All on-line information retrieved November 25, 2009)
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=follow-up-what-exactly-is
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sour_Grapes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anunaki
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNiVq9R3qhs&feature=player_embedded
Repairs and Maintenance November 20, 2009
Posted by ancientaliensinmassmedia in General.Tags: ancient astronaut theory, Erich von Däniken, Roswell
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While looking over the blog the other day, I realized that some of the content I have posted is no longer available. One is a YouTube clip from my October 5, 2009 post: “Coast to Coast AM” featuring Erich von Däniken has been removed. I am replacing it with a clip from September 7, 2009 regarding the lost continent of Atlantis. I couldn’t find any other Erich von Däniken clips from Coast to Coast AM on YouTube and thought it might be interesting to hear about one of the many Atlantis theories, similar to what we studied in class. Another item that is difficult to review is a photo gallery concerning my October 29, 2009 post: “Remembering Roswell.” A privacy feature of the photo site I chose to host the images requires people to register to view my gallery. I want to make it as easy as possible to view my images and personally hate having to needlessly register for things like this. I am just linking to the images themselves as opposed to the entire gallery.
All of the above content will be displayed here on this post and at the bottom of the actual posts they are intended for.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-HM_hs_Cw0)
http://www.keepandshare.com/userpics/a/n/c/i/entaliensinmassmedia/2009-10/sm/road_weary_2009_316-22562027.jpg
Riley Martin: Friend of the Biaviians November 18, 2009
Posted by ancientaliensinmassmedia in Radio.Tags: ancient astronaut theory, Biaviians, Elanthra, Howard Stern, Michael, Riley Martin, The Coming of Tan
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Riley Martin (from http://www.rileymartin.com/about_riley_martin.html)
Riley Martin is alien abductee, author, radio personality and bullshit artist controversial figure. Abducted several times over the course of his life, Riley Martin has made quiet a living based on his “experiences.” It was difficult to find out much about Riley Martin’s past legal issues on the internet, but Martin has told a story on-air about being caught with over 600 lbs. of Marijuana in the back of a pick-up truck. Here is how Riley Martin’s alien exploits began from his own website, rileymartin.com:
“Riley L. Martin was born May 9, 1946, in Mississippi to a family of sharecroppers of African American and Native American descent. This story starts one night when Riley was seven years old… he saw a strange light out by the river, he tried to wake up his brothers and not one of them would wake from their sleep. The next night the lights were brighter and little Riley was more excited and this time he tried to wake up everyone in the house including his parents. Then on the third night when the lights appeared again he didn’t attempt to wake his family… he took his trusted dog Brownboy and they went to the river to investigate.
That fateful night; two aliens took little Riley on his first trip to their mothership near Saturn. Riley’s second trip was when he was 18. It was on this trip that they placed a strange looking headset on him… then in a matter of seconds download into his brain… 144,000 different symbols…then while Riley slept they downloaded the history of humanity, alien insights, and a whole lot more. Riley made friends with this little alien he calls Tan. O-Qua Tangin Wann.”
Riley martin went on to write a book, The Coming of Tan in 1987 based on his numerous encounters with a group of friendly aliens named the Biaviians. In 2008, Mr. Martin re-released his book as the Coming of Tan Millennium Edition. After numerous appearances on TV and radio shows such as The Jerry Springer Show, Howard Stern and Coast to Coast AM, Martin decided to broadcast his stories on internet radio and eventually on Howard Stern’s satellite radio channel Howard 101. One of the more interesting things about Riley Martin is that he will sell you one of the 144,000 symbols mentioned above hand-drawn by himself for about $40. This is your ticket to the Biaviian Mothership (located just off of Saturn) that will rescue true believers like Martin when the end of the world comes in 2012. Another yahoo named Michael also makes claims about being aboard the Biaviian spaceship and has the approval of Martin. Subcontracting, already? An even more interesting business has sprung from Martin’s work with his Biaviian symbols in the form of a symbol interpretation by a psychic named Elanthra for about $20. Of course if you’re going to be traveling with the Biaviians with your childish artwork/ticket you have to know your “soul’s expression” which is magically derived from Martin’s artwork. How do the Biaviians get paid? I mean it is their spaceship that will have to bear the brunt of a mass of human travelers and those are their symbols in the first place… Oh, they probably don’t need money, but Riley Martin sure seems to.
Riley Martin is constantly battling for more time, more money or both with Howard Stern and Sirius. After several attempts to negotiate by phone while using a lot of derogatory and racially insensitive language, Riley quits for a time only to come crawling back later. Are these radio stunts or just craziness? I lean toward the craziness explanation. It seems that Riley Martin gets paid about $500 for his weekly one-hour show… with the symbol business I say that’s pretty good. In the on-line store at rileymartin.com, you can buy a “Riley Martin Sacred Cherokee Headband” for $30, a talking boblehead of Martin himself for $40 and my personal favorite a piss jug for $20. It was revealed on the Howard Stern show that Mr. Martin will use a jug to urinate in, rather than utilizing his indoor plumbing while broadcasting his show. This may have something to do with him drinking a 12-pack of Bud Light while doing his show.
Alright, so you’ve been introduced to an interesting individual. What does he have to do with ancient astronaut theory? Mr. Martin says that the Biaviians destroyed the dinosaurs with nuclear weapons to allow our mammalian ancestors to develop and have been visiting the earth and breeding with humanity for thousands of years. Riley Martin makes a lot of other wild claims with, you guessed it: no tangible evidence. All Martin has is his stories and as time has progressed, his persona. This explains about 90% of the crap he sells on-line. Most of it is related to himself and not his message. Other people have picked up on the entertaining Riley Martin besides Howard Stern. Here are links to a Riley Martin Soundboard where you can play clips of some of Riley’s famous phrases and another site that will “translate” a block of text or a website into Martin’s signature speech patterns and alien laced vocabulary. I did it with this blog and it was pretty entertaining. Also, here are a couple of clips from YouTube. Enjoy the weirdness!
References and Links (All on-line information retrieved November 18, 2009)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riley_Martin
http://www.sirius.com/howard101
http://www.rileymartin.com/riley_martin_symbols.html
http://www.artistfirst.com/rileymartin.htm
http://www.rileymartin.tv/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PLST&Store_Code=TORMS
http://pedo.13gb.com/rileymartin/
http://www.rileymartinizer.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xiRbZ0rfQM&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-ECblU_kQM&feature=player_embedded
The Predator’s Pyramids November 8, 2009
Posted by ancientaliensinmassmedia in Film.Tags: Alien, Alien vs. Predator, Aliens, Aliens versus Predator, ancient astronaut theory, AVP, Erich von Däniken, Predator, pyramids
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The Predator's pyramids from the Alien vs. Predator movie (from http://ancientcosmonauts.blogspot.com/2008/02/pyramids.html)
In the 2004 film Alien vs. Predator, the characters from two successful science fiction franchises face-off similarly as in the even worse film, Freddy vs. Jason. The concept of Alien vs. Predator was born out of the comic book series Aliens versus Predator from Dark Horse comics. About eight minutes into the movie, what seems to be Mesoamerican pyramid is found 2,000 ft. below the ice of the Antarctica island of Bouvetøya. This is where the majority of the movie is set. There are a lot of phony looking statues of Predators, artwork and hieroglyphics depicting Predators and Predators fighting Aliens that serve as the backdrop for a pretty weak story. It is revealed later that the pyramid was constructed by the Predators for the purpose of incubating the Alien race in humans to create the ultimate prey (the Aliens) for the Predators to hunt. Apparently, these ancient humans worshiped the Predators as gods who taught them how to construct the pyramids and being chosen for incubation was a great honor. It is also implied that the Predators have used their small personal nuclear bombs in the past to leave no trace of their activities if the Aliens get too close to escaping from the prison-like Predator pyramids.
Many of the ideas of Erich von Däniken are present in the story according to the creators of the comic book. The handling of these borrowed ideas is almost as ridiculous as the actual concepts of ancient astronaut theory. First, the physical evidence depicted in the film does not represent anything even close to anything found at Mesoamerican pyramids in reality. There are no extraterrestrial inspired hieroglyphics, artwork or remains of any Predator or Alien creatures at Mesoamerican sites. The writers of the movie hang a lantern by having a character mention the mini-nuke option to contain an outbreak… and the evidence. That’s why none of the above has or will ever be found. The Antarctic pyramid is thought to be the last and only place that can still serve its original function. There is never an explanation of how Antarctica is related to Central or South America other than the mention that the continent has not always been covered by ice.
This movie is a disappointing vehicle for two classic sci-fi monsters and an even worse treatment of ancient astronaut theory. There is little evidence mentioned to support that the Predators in this case have ever been involved with the ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica. The film itself did more harm than good for the theory, maybe causing some to think that the components of ancient astronaut theory are as silly as the unholy Predalien combination creature that appears at the end of the movie to hint at the 2007 sequel Alien vs. Predator: Requiem.
References and Links (All on-line information retrieved November 8, 2009)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_%28franchise%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predator_%28film_series%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_vs._Predator_%28comics%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouvet_Island
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_von_D%C3%A4niken
What a Tangled Web! November 1, 2009
Posted by ancientaliensinmassmedia in Internet.Tags: ancient astronaut theory, ancientastronauttheory.com, Ask an Amateur Scientist, Brian Thompson, Ellie Crystal, Erich von Däniken, Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, Jason Martell, Michael S. Heiser
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I wanted to do a post with the three best and worst websites and/or blogs on the internet about ancient astronaut theory. The best sites being those of a skeptical or unbiased nature and the worst sites belonging to the most ardent proponents of the theory. As you may have guessed, it was a lot easier to find the pro-theory sites and surprisingly difficult to find a little healthy skepticism in all of this. Even with such words as “criticism for” and “argument against” preceding the term “ancient astronaut theory” in the google searches it took longer than I ever expected! First, let’s take a look at three of the worst sites in my opinion.
- Legendary Times @ http://www.legendarytimes.com This is Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, Erich von Däniken and other like-minded researchers promoting an association, a newsletter and their various books.
- Xfacts @ http://www.xfacts.com Jason Martell’s site detailing his Summarian focused research along along with a special emphasis on ancient technology that must have been influenced by extraterrestrial contact in the past.
- Ancient Astronauts @ http://www.crystalinks.com/ancientastronauts.html Physic Ellie Crystal weighs in on the topic with a lot of misinterpretted images and mythological tales presented as evidence for the theory.
The best skeptical or unbiased sites:
- Ancient Astronaut Theory @ http://ancientastronauttheory.com A vast collection of links to current blogs and websites mentioning ancient astronauts.
- UFO Religions @ http://michaelsheiser.com/UFOReligions/2009/10/intelligent-design-usurped-by-alien-astronaut-theory One of Michael S. Heiser’s blogs dealing with ancient astronaut theory, ufology and religion. He is also the man behind SitchinIsWrong.com.
- Ask an Amateur Scientist: Ancient Astronauts @ http://www.pinkraygun.com/2008/05/22/ask-an-amateur-scientist-ancient-astronauts Blogger Brian Thompson’s post from last year on the major problems of the theory. Recent posts concern other paranormal topics like the Ghost Cat and Indigo Children.
There you have it. Try a google search of your own to see what you come up with. I bet it will be full of sites that are full of… well, you know… Have fun!
References and Links (All on-line information retrieved November 1, 2009)
http://www.legendarytimes.com/
http://www.crystalinks.com/ancientastronauts.html
http://ancientastronauttheory.com/
http://michaelsheiser.com/UFOReligions/2009/10/intelligent-design-usurped-by-alien-astronaut-theory/
http://www.sitchiniswrong.com/
http://www.pinkraygun.com/2008/05/22/ask-an-amateur-scientist-ancient-astronauts/
Remembering Roswell October 29, 2009
Posted by ancientaliensinmassmedia in General.Tags: ancient astronaut theory, Erich von Däniken, Pakal the Great, Roswell
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I need a vacation! I am suffering from mid-semester burnout and would love a change of scenery about now. However, there is much work do be done. In May of this year, I did get to take a two-week road trip with my lovely girlfriend to Washington state. The most northern point of the vacation was just outside of Coeur d’Alene, ID where I had the pleasure of changing a tire on a winding mountain road. The southern most point of the trip was in Roswell, NM. I don’t want to spend a lot of time on the historical aspects of why this sleepy New Mexico town is famous. I believe it was a weather balloon or some wacky cold war military experiment and leave it at that. I wanted to go to Roswell (which was 300 miles out of our way) to see how the city recognizes it’s own extraterrestrial past. Before I go any further, I want to acknowledge that the famous photographs of “the flying saucer’s wreckage” (which seems to be kite sticks and aluminum foil) from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram are apart of our very own library’s photography collection here at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Honestly, there isn’t much to do in Roswell. By all means, do not make a special trip there unless U.F.O.s are your sole reason for living. We went to the International U.F.O. Museum and Research Center which is in an old movie theater on Main Street. The museum is gathering funds to build a new museum that looks a lot like a U.F.O. Hey, a lot of buildings look like spaceships now… The reason I wanted to mention Roswell because in the museum, there is a small section devoted to ancient astronaut theory. One of the more impressive exhibits is a large copy of the sarcophagus lid of the Mayan king of Palenque, K’inich Janaab’ Pakal. This carving as you may remember from class is one of the many misinterpreted artifacts that must be inspired by aliens according to Erich von Däniken. In the correct cultural context, it would seem to be Pakal most likely descending into Xibalba, the Mayan underworld. Out of context, you can say anything about this including the popular “…this is a Maya astronaut with a breathing apparatus, foot pedals, etc. piloting a spacecraft…” I realize that my personal account of the trip is not based on anything from the media. However, several visitors trek through the museum on a daily basis and are exposed to the faulty logic of ancient aliens influencing mankind in the past.
The good news is Roswell realizes that they have no artifacts to perpetuate ancient astronaut theory, but rather focuses on their own mysterious events of 1947 and the corny little green or grey aliens as much as they can. I congratulate the city of Roswell for using the alien angle in the aspect of tourism. It was probably as close as I’ll ever get to something like von Däniken’s Mystery Park. I had a disappointing “Roswell Roast Beef Sandwich” in a coffee shop/internet cafe/Christian lending library called Not of this World across the street from the museum. My girlfriend and I also went to a gift shop/attraction called Area 51 where we were allowed to pose for photos with rubber aliens for the nominal fee of $3.00. We also bought some souvenir mouse pads and other junk before getting back on the road. By the way, the blog will be getting back on the road or back on topic shortly with the next post. Please take a moment to look at a few amusing pictures we took in Roswell.
http://www.keepandshare.com/photo/view.php?u=333143&fv=y&vo=lt
References and Links (All on-line information retrieved October 29, 2009)
http://www.roswellufomuseum.com/
http://www.myssnews.com/images/stories/2009/New_Cowboys_Stadium_09.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%27inich_Janaab%27_Pakal
http://www.christianlendinglibrary.com/
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11159
http://www.keepandshare.com/photo/view.php?u=333143&fv=y&vo=lt
Replacement links for the photo gallery (added November 20, 2009):
http://www.keepandshare.com/userpics/a/n/c/i/entaliensinmassmedia/2009-10/sm/road_weary_2009_316-22562027.jpg
