anthropology 1.3

Lovecraft reflections on how his (and others who contributed) alien god fantasies ballooned in popularity....

"This pooling of resources tends to build up quite a pseudo convincing background of dark mythology, legendry, and bibliography—though of course, none of us has the least wish to actually mislead readers."

Ancient Aliens Timeline

1920-1930• Began as a fiction (Lovecraft) 1930-1950• That fiction gathered a huge following in America and Europe 1950-1960• Space race (1957 Sputnik 1; 1961 first humans in space) 1960• First publication of non-fiction AA hypothesis (Pauwels & Bergier) 1970• Erich von Daniken publishes Chariots of the Gods

Mythbusters Battery Replication

Created 0.3 volts 1.5 volts necessary to power a 9 watt bulb

apkallu

Seven sages that lived before Gilgamesh's deluge (flood) May have led to tale of Nephilim (giants) in Genesis 6:1-4 • Clearly! Lovecraft was drawing on archaeology for inspiration • Today, Ancient Aliens people flip that and draw on Lovecraft for inspiration to reinterpret the archaeological record! Dagon: Mesopotamian God of fertility and grain

von daniken replica

whent to bagdad to exlperoment the object

Hypothesis 1

• "All over the world there are prehistoric pictorial and three-dimensional representations-drawings on cave walls, pottery, and sculptures as well as early written accounts that "most reasonably" can be interpreted as the drawings, sculptures, or literary descriptions by primitive people of actual extraterrestrial visitors to Earth." Primitive peoples witnessed their arrival in fiery chariots and invented tales of gods to explain it.

"Why are there different races, anyway?" von Daniken 1980:59

• "Was the black race a failure and did the extraterrestrials change the genetic code by gene surgery and then programme a white or a yellow race" (p. 66)? • "Nearly all negroes are musical: they have rhythm in their blood" (p. 68). • "I quite understand that I am playing with dynamite if I ask whether the extraterrestrials 'allotted' specific tasks to the basic races from the very beginning, i.e. programmed them with special abilities" (p. 69). • "Are there races which are obviously endowed with higher intelligence than others" (p. 69)? • "Once this basic question is accepted, we cannot and should not avoid the explosive sequel: is there a chosen race" (p. 69)? • "Nevertheless, whether it fits into the contemporary scene or not, and even if it is unpleasant to sensitive ears, I claim that extraterrestrials did choose a specific race" (p. 70).

hypothesis 2

• 2. The biological evolution of the human species cannot be understood unless we assume the direct- and rather personal-involvement of a scientifically advanced extraterrestrial civilization. • "Why do they look like us?" Rhetorical question often asked by AA supporters • Did aliens "make" us in their image, or we make aliens in ours?

the greys

• 43% of all reported alien encounters describe Grey Aliens • 1901 H. G. Wells: "Selenites have grey skin, 1m tall, big heads, large black eyes" • Betty and Barney Hill abduction in 1961 (Same year as first SETI conference)

Archaeological Context?

• Cherry picking (aka Confirmation Bias) act of pointing at individual cases or data that seem to confirm a particular position, while ignoring a significant portion of related cases or data that may contradict that position • Also Disconfirmation Bias Evidence presented to counter alien's hypothesis is dismisses as a conspiracy among scientists to keep the truth hidden?! • In Archaeology, context of any individual find is imperative Where was it found? What other artifacts is it associated with? What about the billions of other Egyptian finds that show no record (written or material) of electricity? How do we explain that away?

HP Lovecraft

• Cthulhu and his people landed on Earth in ancient times This series was mainly written 1928- 1937 but other writers have picked up the genre • Built megalithic monuments that became modern ruins • Became gods to cult worshipers in primal times • Stories sometimes set with archaeology as the medium of reader engagement

A few years later....

• Erich von Däniken 1969 "Recollections of the Future" 1970 "Chariots of the Gods"

Conclusions: The ancient alien playbook

• Look for impressive cultural feats that are not easily explained and insert aliens If we are wrong let the scientists prove otherwise Cultures without writing, or that didn't describe everything in writing, are key prospects Use archaeological finds but ignore their context • Play on popular ideas among the public Vast amount of SciFi since humans went to space Confirm what they want to hear • Exploit the slow progress of real evidence-based science Public will not fact check all incoming information, and piecing together archaeological works to come up with a synthesis is a life-long endeavor • Add entertainment! People are interested in archaeology, but .... Reading reports and scientific articles is BORING!!!!

lovecrft

• Lovecraft's first adult tale was based on Dagon as an ET that brought humans arts and technologies

Lovecraft catches on in Europe

• Pauwels and Bergier presented it as a non-fiction hypothesis (1960) • Present evidence to support Lovecraft's claims • Von Däniken draws heavily on the 1962 German translation in "Chariots of the Gods"

opposing viewpoints

• Producers asked Ken Feder (the author of the book you will read for this class) to go on the show: "My response was, I'd be happy to be on your show, but you should know that I think that the ancient astronaut hypothesis is execrable bullshit", "I haven't heard back from them, rather remarkably. So, I guess maybe they're not interested in the other point of view."

Debating Inkblots

• Rorschack tests show vague shapes not intended to look like anything. The viewer is supposed to describe what they see, with the idea that their description comes entirely from the sucbonscious of the viewer. • Do the viewers (von Daniken, Tsoulakos) simply want to see aliens? • Think on this, no one credited aliens for these arts before the idea of aliens were planted in their minds in the 1960s

expert witness

• Sabrina Magliocco (Professor of Anthropology and Religion, UC Northridge) • Provided a single commentary that they split up and used in 17 episodes But they did not use her counter arguments! • "This is something that I have told them on camera a million times but they never put it in," she said. "I am completely opposed to the show's theory. As an anthropologist, it's important to understand that our ancestors were as smart as we are today. There are all kinds of symbolic explanations for pictures and representations that don't have to involve aliens."

Burden of Proof

• Science is based on evidence! • The person making an argument not only has to provide supporting evidence, they must also deal with other evidence that refutes their claim!!

hypothesis 3

• Some ancient artifacts and inventions are far too advanced and complex to have resulted from simple, prehistoric human intelligence and ingenuity. These advanced artifacts and great inventions must instead be the direct result of purposeful introduction by extraterrestrial aliens.

stupidity

• Speaking the words of harsomtus, the great God, who dwells in Dendera, who emerges out of the lotus flower as a living Ba, whos completeness is elevated by the Kematju-images of his Ka, whos Seschemu-image is revered by the crew of the day-barge, whos body is carried by the djed-pillar, underneath his Seschemuimage is the Primal and whos majesty is carried by the companions of his Ka.

Von Däniken Theme Park

• Takes worlds greatest cultures and presents them as dummies who couldn't figure it out alone Most of them are non-white cultures... Von Daniken himself silent on Ancient Aliens in Europe... • Builds upon scientific racism regarding the intelligence or level of civilization exhibited by modern inhabitants of those regions

Dendera Light

• Temple was constructed 300s BC under Greco-Roman Rule • Djed pillar (symbol of strength and stability) and lotus flower spawning a snake in protective cocoon • Symbolize fertility linked to the Nile flood stage. • If they had light bulbs and electricity why did they use oil lamps and candles? • Were carvings even made after temple enclosed?

ancient alien hypothesis

• The idea, largely started by Erich von Daniken, is that the earth was visited by ancient aliens in the distant past and are to be credited with some of the most amazing cultural accomplishments of ancient Egypt, Mesoamerica, South America, Neolithic Europe etc.

H.P. Lovecraft

• The shadow out of time (1936) • Archaeological team find ruins in Australia provide proof of existence of ancient aliens