ANTH question
AAZZDD
Day6lectureslides.pdf
Ancient Aliens
Aliens in the 19th and 20th Centuries
Ancient Aliens Today
Recent (and not so recent) Opinions
The Legitimate Search for Life
• It is likely and statistically probable
• It is even possible that we’ve made contact with other
inhabited worlds
• BUT…there is no evidence (yet)
• Scientists are open-minded, but need convincing
Erich von Däniken
1970
• Former hotel owner
• Spent 1970 in jail for embezzlement and fraud
• 29 books, 32 languages, 63mill copies
Von Däniken’s Claims (these are implicit)
• Prehistoric depictions of aliens (The Inkblot Hypothesis)
• Human evolution can’t be explained without alien cross-breeding
(Amorous Astronauts)
• Some artifacts are too advanced (Our Ancestors the Dummies)
Von Däniken’s Claims (these are implicit)
• Prehistoric depictions of aliens (The Inkblot Hypothesis)
• Human evolution can’t be explained without alien cross-breeding
(Amorous Astronauts)
• Some artifacts are too advanced (Our Ancestors the Dummies)
“The Inkblot Hypothesis”
Hermann Rorschach
(1844-1922)
• You see what you want to see
(Confirmation bias!)
• Context doesn’t matter
“Alien” Imagery
Mesoamerica: Early Classic Incensarios (incense burners)
Palenque, Mexico (AD 500-700)
Pakal’s
Sarcophagus
(AD 615-683)
Pakal’s Sarcophagus
Nazca: South Coast Peru
(AD 100 – 700)
Nazca Geoglyphs
• 6 people can build one in a day
• Platforms constructed at the end of
these for observation/direction
Landing Strips? Signs of Welcome?
Occam’s Razor • von Däniken:
• Aliens came • They needed landing strips • Showed humans how to build them • And…we like some of your critters?
• OR…
• Nazca people created these based on their knowledge of their environment
“Ceque”/Procession Paths:
A South American Tradition
• Lines refer to routes of pilgrimage
• Associated with offerings
Temple of Hathor: Dendera, Egypt
An Egyptian Light Bulb?
Von Däniken’s Claims (these are implicit)
• Prehistoric depictions of aliens (The Inkblot Hypothesis)
• Human evolution can’t be explained without alien cross-breeding
(Amorous Astronauts)
• Some artifacts are too advanced (Our Ancestors the Dummies)
Von Däniken’s Claims (these are implicit)
• Prehistoric depictions of aliens (The Inkblot Hypothesis)
• Human evolution can’t be explained without alien cross-breeding
(Amorous Astronauts)
• Some artifacts are too advanced (Our Ancestors the Dummies)
“Amorous Astronauts”
Von Däniken’s Claims (these are implicit)
• Prehistoric depictions of aliens (The Inkblot Hypothesis)
• Human evolution can’t be explained without alien cross-breeding
(Amorous Astronauts)
• Some artifacts are too advanced (Our Ancestors the Dummies)
Von Däniken’s Claims (these are implicit)
• Prehistoric depictions of aliens (The Inkblot Hypothesis)
• Human evolution can’t be explained without alien cross-breeding
(Amorous Astronauts)
• Some artifacts are too advanced (Our Ancestors the Dummies)
“Our Ancestors the Dummies”
Abri Blanchard, 30,000 years ago
Extraterrestrial Archaeology
Equipment constructs results
Why Promote Weird Things? One insight…
• von Däniken’s theme park!
• 200,000 guests in first 100 days
• Closed in 2006 due to low turnout
• Reopened in 2009, open every summer
• $40 for adults, $22 for kids
Von Dänikens’ “Alien Hot Zones”
AKA who needed the most help
Continent # Examples % Examples
Africa 16 31
Asia 12 23
Europe 2 4
North America 11 22
South America 10 20
Ancient Aliens Conclusions
• Extraterrestrial life is possible, but
there is no evidence for it so far
• Outdated models, observational selection,
hasty generalizations, appeal to ignorance,
etc.
• Economic motivation, racist conclusions
Class Project
1. Watch the very first Ancient Aliens episode
2. Identify 3 pieces of archaeological “evidence” used by
the proponents of Ancient Aliens
3. Assess that “evidence” based on what we’ve learned
a) Address logical fallacies
b) Address rules of hoaxing
c) Address why people believe weird things
