Ancient Astronauts

Ancient Astronauts : is a theory  popularised by the writer Eric Von Daniken, that between 10,000 and 40,000 years ago the earth was visited by extra-terrestrials who bred with early humans to produce Homo sapiens.  In his popular book Chariots of the Gods he suggests that these extra-terrestrials were responsible for building the great Egyptian pyramids and that they also laid down air fields in Peru that are still clearly visible today.  The basis for his theory stems from the countless legends from around the world which tell of flying machines and winged gods.  Instead of being from the imagination of early civilizations Von Daniken suggests that these relics and images come from aliens with much advanced technologies.  He points to the fact that the Egyptians could not have possibly built the Great Pyramid of Cheops without the help of technology.  He also suggests that the famous mysterious lines on Peru's Nazca Plain are indeed early form of alien airfield.  Since writing his books advances in DNA technology have ruled out the possibility of alien genes as it is unlikely that the biology between humans and aliens would be so close.  Even if it was close there is evidence today that human beings can trace their genes back to a small group of pre-humans living in Africa.

Von Daniken is not the only person to subscribe to the theory that early man was visited by much more advanced beings.  Robert Temple wrote a book called the Sirius Mystery about an African tribe called the Dogon who believed in astronauts called the Nommos.  The R�elians are a religious group whose beliefs are based around alien visits.