Ancient astronauts

The ancient astronaut theory or paleocontact theory says that human beings are either the descendants of aliens who landed on Earth millennia ago, or that much of our culture was given to us by extraterrestrial visitors in the time of pre-history.

Originally proposed by Matest M. Agrest on a serious academic level, Paleocontact refers to the theory that advanced extraterrestrials have played an influential role in the human origin and development as a civilization. See the works of Charles Fort, Erich von Däniken, Zecharia Sitchin and Richard Hoagland.

While artifacts that would suggest a contact with higher developed civilization have not been found, some authors think that they have been found. For a brief list of such of "anachronisms" see the article Anachronism and time travel.

Evidence often consists of allegations that ancient monuments, such as the pyramids of Egypt or Machu Picchu in Peru, could not have been built without technical abilities beyond those of people at that time. Such allegations are not unique in history. Similar reasoning lay behind the wonder of the "Cyclopean" masonry walling at Mycenaean cities in the eyes of Greeks of the following "Dark Age," who envisaged the giant Cyclopes as builders of the walls. Among the Anglo-Saxons, who were skilled at carpentry but innocent of the arts of masonry, the Roman remains of Britain had been built with the aid of Gog and Magog.

Although not taken seriously by mainstream science for many reasons, this theory has many adherents, and many variations. It has been popularized by best-selling authors such as Erich von Däniken and Zecharia Sitchin. Additionally, the author Douglas Adams used a satirical version of the theory in his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.

Many other authors are using ancient mythologies to support their theories, many of the extraordinary adventures of the gods being interpreted as being modern technologies, as seen from the perspective of a simple-minded earthman. One classical example is the Vimanas, flying machines that can be found in the literature of India.

Also, a frequent theme that can be encountered in many old mythologies: a person that comes from far away as a god or as the archetype of a "civilizing hero" brings knowledge to mankind; see Prometheus for the most well-known Western example.