The Allure of Aliens
It is fascinating to look back at the ancient world and imagine.
There's a reason the Seven Wonders of the World were called such, after all--they were the heights of creation, the pinnacle of human ingenuity in a time before the scientific and industrial revolutions. When staring up at the colossal image of the Great Pyramid of Giza, it's easy to wonder: how did humans achieve such a feat? How could ancient humans build something so grand, so massive?
Some people are drawn to the conclusion that they didn't, or at least not without help.
There is a subsect of fringe belief known as “ancient astronauts” theories. The proponents of these beliefs have somewhat varied nuances between themselves, but overall they share one key idea: long ago, aliens visited the Earth and interacted with ancient humans. Some believe that they directly built the megalithic structures that are so emblematic of the ancient world. Others believe that they merely provided ancient humanity with the technology to realize and create these masterpieces–technology which has since been lost to time. Still others believe that these extraterrestrial visitors had offspring with a previous variant of humans, and that what we know now as humanity actually consists of half-alien, half-human hybrids. Despite these differences, the throughline is clear: our ancestors would have gotten nowhere without this outside, almost god-like assistance.
The Pyramids of Geezah
Wilhelm Hammerschmidt. The Pyramids of Geezah. ca 1860. The Getty, Los Angeles. Public domain. Albumen silver print.
Take the Great Pyramid of Giza, pictured at the left and below. Likely the most well-known ancient astronauts theory is that aliens built the pyramids–it’s been referenced in pop culture for decades. It is very reasonable for a person in the modern world, who has never known life without all of the amenities and technology we enjoy, to be confused as to how an ancient civilization could achieve such a feat. Look at the photograph of the three pyramids in the distance, behind Cairo. Even through the grain, one can make out the forms of modern(ish) buildings which are dwarfed by even the smallest of the pyramids. People have traveled across the world to see, draw, and photograph them, a practice which is continued in spades today. They are massive structures, feats of human ingenuity and engineering. Thus, how is it possible that such large bricks could be stacked upon one another so high by mere manpower? How could these massive stones be carved and transported across miles of desert without heavy machinery?
The idea of ancient aliens provides a tantalizingly simple explanation: they couldn’t. It was impossible, or so they say. Alien technology absolutely had to be involved to carve, transport, and place each and every block, because human labor alone couldn’t possibly accomplish such a thing. Advanced alien technology opens up so many more possibilities, like flying ships, powered vehicles to navigate the sand, and power tools to carve the stone.
It’s hard to deny that this idea is fun. It seems like something out of a History Channel docuseries, and that’s because it is–imagine it:
Pyramid Photograph
Wilhelm Hammerschmidt. Pyramid Photograph. ca 1860. The Getty, Los Angeles. Public domain. Albumen silver print.
Second Pyramid
Wilhelm Hammerschmidt. Second Pyramid. ca 1860. The Getty, Los Angeles. Public domain. Albumen silver print.
Ancient lasers etch designs and language into stone with pinpoint precision. A tractor beam lifts a monolithic chunk of sandstone out of the ground and places it at the top of a pyramid. An ancient city glows with electric lighting, illuminating a tsunami of biblical proportions as the wave races to wipe out all evidence of their livelihoods and technological prowess. All the while, mysterious strangers from the distant cosmos watch and direct, the proceedings taking place exactly as they planned… before they disappear from the Earth, never to be seen or heard from again and leaving only traces of their existence behind.Isn’t it exciting? Doesn’t it make your heart race to think of the technology these ancient peoples were hiding under our noses? Doesn’t it make you wonder why these advanced extraterrestrials came to meet us, to share their knowledge, and why they haven’t come back?
This is why these fringe beliefs are appealing. They are exciting. They bring the fantastical into history, which is not uncommonly regarded as boring. They make you feel like you’re in the know, like you are better and smarter than the layman who still believes the establishment. However, they are not true, and there is definite harm which comes from treating them like they are.
For additional information on the logistics of carving designs into dark tomb walls, click here.