Chariots of the Gods

From The Book of THoTH (Leaves of Wisdom)

Chariots of the Gods is a controversial book written in 1968 by Erich von Däniken. It is centered on the theory that many ancient civilization's technologies and religion were given to them by space travelers who were welcomed as gods. Examples used include an ancient Turkish map allegedly showing the Earth as it is seen from space, and the creation of what appears to be an airfield in Mexico by the Mayans. The two most controversial proposals were that Biblical characters were inspired by the extraterrestrials, and humans acquired their superior intelligence by mating with them.

Most scientists and historians did not take the ideas seriously, claiming that the book's conclusions were based on faulty, pseudoscientific evidence, some of which were later demonstrated to be fradulent and/or fabricated, and often illogical premises. For example, Ronald Story wrote a book rebutting Däniken's ideas in 1976 titled The Space Gods Revealed.

The book was adapted for TV as "In Search of Ancient Astronauts". It also served as inspiration for the feature film Stargate. The Ultimate Edition DVD contains an interview with Erich von Däniken entitled, "Is There a Stargate?".

See also

• Ancient astronaut theory
• Bartopian Theory
• OOPart