...Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

Interficio

Civis Illustris

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Location:
Virginia, USA
In the classical world, has there been any documentation of ancient astronauts/aliens...

This seems a bit off, but I've been looking this up, based on the theory that aliens created or aided humanity/civilizations, there are some very similar picutres/murals in the americas/east asia that show astronauts in space suits and statues as well. I know that there's been a histroy channel special about it for the Han Chinese, and since Rome, classically, existed around the same time, is there any documentation of such an extragalactic prescence? Please don't think me crazy, this is just very interesting to me.
 
B

Bitmap

Guest

Re: .....Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

I've only recently read about this subject in Cicero's De Extraterrestrium Natura :roll:
 

Interficio

Civis Illustris

  • Civis Illustris

Location:
Virginia, USA
Re: .....Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

HAHA I would have laughed harder if your sarcasm/disregard didn't wound me so.
 

Imber Ranae

Ranunculus Iracundus

  • Civis Illustris

Location:
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Re: .....Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

Couple of things:

  • This theory is wrong.

    Von Däniken isn't a reputable source. He's not even an actual archaeologist.

    A couple of kooks thinking they see astronauts in space suits on ancient murals and statues does not mean these murals and statues were actually supposed to represent astronauts in space suits.

    Stop taking everything you see on the Hitler --oops, I mean History-- Channel at face value.

And no, I don't think you're crazy. Just gullible.
 

Interficio

Civis Illustris

  • Civis Illustris

Location:
Virginia, USA
Re: .....Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

The thing is, I don't tihnk it's gullibility. In fact, I think its ignorant to just dismiss any notion. I don't believe everything I see on the history channel, in fact i rarely watch it. Before I even watched "part" of the special, I had already known about this theory. I'm not one to ever dismiss things right off the bat, and I'm not going to just dismiss this theory at the risk of being called gullible... :/
 

Reziac

Member

Location:
Brendansport, Sagitta IV
Re: .....Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

I enjoyed the Cicero ;)

It's an interesting topic, and while not out of the bounds of possibility (tho I do think there's a lot of nonsense being read into the poor body representations of ancient art), consider this:

Earth's star system is WAAAAAY the hell out on the fringe of the galaxy, well down one of the spiral arms (meaning there's a huge gap full of nothing-much between where we are, and the main body of the galaxy). From Earth, you can almost see the backside of nowhere, if armed with a good telescope.

So what does that mean??

It means Earth is NOT going to be "discovered" by casual or even purposeful exploration (and exploration is itself a manifestation of aggression). The only ETs coming way out here to bumf**k nullspace are going to be either desperate, or desperados. The desperate will be running from the lost side of a war (or worse, to drive them this far, and that doesn't necessarily mean they weren't the aggressors) and on the lookout for resources they're liable to be very short of, and all too willing to simply take. The desperados will be the worst of the worst, running from the most vengeful of lawmen willing to pursue them unto the ends of the universe. Either way, they're not people we want to meet, and whoever might follow them could be even worse.

I've been saying this for years. I was amused to hear Stephen Hawking say the exact same thing in a recent interview.

:robot:
 

Damoetas

Civis Illustris

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Location:
Chicago
Re: .....Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

It is very possible that all the Homeric gods were actually space aliens, as Dan Simmons argues in his monograph Ilium (HarperTorch, 2005).

PS. Wait, I'm confusing that with Roger Zelazny, Lord of Light (Eos, 2004).
 

Beyla

New Member

Re: .....Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

you'll never know for sure... maybe, just maybe, Romans had fantasy to...

but I always found one thing very weird: the ancient civilization was highly sophisticated, and even more compared to the Medieval one.
How could it possibly happen that all that knowledge was lost? To be rediscovered by us many years later.
Does anyone know what happened??
 

Decimvs

Aedilis

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Location:
Civitates Coniunctae
Re: .....Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

Beyla dixit:
...the ancient civilization was highly sophisticated, and even more compared to the Medieval one.
How could it possibly happen that all that knowledge was lost? To be rediscovered by us many years later.
Does anyone know what happened??
He does. :)
 
 

cinefactus

Censor

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  • Patronus

Location:
litore aureo
Re: .....Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

Beyla dixit:
but I always found one thing very weird: the ancient civilization was highly sophisticated, and even more compared to the Medieval one.
How could it possibly happen that all that knowledge was lost? To be rediscovered by us many years later.
Does anyone know what happened??
Tainter essentially argues that it is caused by the proliferation of administrators. Anyone who has worked in a public hospital would be able to confirm this for you...
 

Beyla

New Member

Re: .....Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

...then I had to buy a book, not that I'm to poor to buy one XD, but since I'm only 15 and my parents aren't interested in such things... it would be hard to get it!

Would it happen to all complex societies btw? Any time?
In that case our own is in danger...!!
at least it IS true that things have to change or it WILL fall, no matter how strange that might seem.
 
 

cinefactus

Censor

  • Censor

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Location:
litore aureo
Re: .....Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

You may be able to persuade your library to get it in.

Beyla dixit:
Would it happen to all complex societies btw?
My guess is yes. Most historical civilisations have collapsed. Even China has had its ups and downs.

Beyla dixit:
Any time?
Tainter's argument is that there are initially increasing benefits as societies become more complex. Gradually the additional benefits from increased complexity become smaller until the curve becomes flat, and then begins to decrease. Societies respond to the problem by additionally increasing complexity which becomes a vicious cycle. Eventually there are more benefits to be gained by collapsing than continuing.

So not any time. You don't need to stockpile food and ammunition yet ;)

As to how this level of knowledge could be lost: Our society is built on precision engineering. Even if you were a car mechanic, you couldn't build one from iron ore. I can program a computer, but I couldn't make a chip from a pile of sand, nor could I build a generator to run it without a source of insulated wire. I understand the molecular basis of antibiotic action, but I wouldn't be able to purify penicillin from mould. Unless all the support networks are available, there is little use for such specialised knowledge.
 

Reziac

Member

Location:
Brendansport, Sagitta IV
Re: .....Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

Cinefactus dixit:
Tainter essentially argues that it is caused by the proliferation of administrators. Anyone who has worked in a public hospital would be able to confirm this for you...
A while back I was reading a very much simplified explanation of medieval legal systems, and even tho I'm part Welsh and therefore should have some lawyer in my blood, the complexity made my brain hurt. You think today's union regs are complex, you shoulda seen the regs and contracts for workers back then! including concepts like subletting your work and partial payment/fines according to all sorts of details.
 

scrabulista

Consul

  • Consul

Location:
Tennessee
Re: .....Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

It is very possible that all the Homeric gods were actually space aliens, as Dan Simmons argues in his monograph Ilium (HarperTorch, 2005).

PS. Wait, I'm confusing that with Roger Zelazny, Lord of Light (Eos, 2004).
What about the Star Trek episode featuring Apollo?
 

scrabulista

Consul

  • Consul

Location:
Tennessee
Re: .....Taking things to another galaxy: Ancient Astronauts

Earth's star system is WAAAAAY the hell out on the fringe of the galaxy, well down one of the spiral arms (meaning there's a huge gap full of nothing-much between where we are, and the main body of the galaxy). From Earth, you can almost see the backside of nowhere, if armed with a good telescope.

:robot:

Hmmmm...I was watching H2 and they said that earth was sort of in the middle of the Milky Way. If you're too far out on the edge of the galaxy, there aren't enough heavy elements; if you're too close to the center there's too much radiation.
 

StultaInGermania

New Member

I like the theory, if only for the endless conversations it can start. My current favorite derivative is not that the Olympian Gods are ancient aliens, but that they're time travelers from the future. I feel like that explains their 'humanity' and drive for sex with humans.
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

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Location:
Belgium
My current favorite derivative is not that the Olympian Gods are ancient aliens, but that they're time travelers from the future. I feel like that explains their 'humanity' and drive for sex with humans.
Lol. Makes sense.
 
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