Chapter 6 Ancient Aliens
In: Handbook of UFO ReligionsSearch for other papers by Olav Hammer in
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Abstract
The idea that space aliens visited the Earth in the distant past and imparted civilization to its inhabitants, popularized in particular by the best-selling author Erich von Däniken, has multiple historical roots: in Theosophy, in the work of Charles Fort, and in the writings of various ufologists. The theme of ancient aliens has been used by a very diverse cohort of authors who, for instance, view the alleged role of aliens in prehistory from an occultist perspective, argue that the Bible can best be understood as a record of alien interventions, or suggest that “common sense” reinterpretations of archaeological findings will reveal that they are evidence of extraterrestrial visits in the distant past.