Dirt After Dark 6 - Ancient Aliens Are Neither Ancient Nor Alien: Discuss

Were the pyramids the work of extraterrestrials? No, of course they weren't, but why do some people and internet memes seem to think otherwise? Turns out there's a simple answer and a more complex answer, and Anna and Amber get into all of it, starting with a look at Erich von Däniken, author of Chariots of the Gods? and literal criminal.

in an extra-long episode over on Patreon, Anna looks at the violence done through denying that people produced the pyramids (like, any of them) and the Nazca lines, while Amber looks at what real Sumerian sources say about the planet Nabiru and the Annunaki, and gets very, very real about the short walk from the ideas put forth by Zecharia Sitchin to antisemitic conspiracy theories.

tl;dr, what should you read to get a handle on ancient aliens?

Pseudoarchaeology and the Racism Behind Ancient Aliens (Hyperallergic)

Transcript for Ancient Alien Astronauts: Interview With Ken Feder (MonsterTalk, and quick content note: Prof. Feder is rather sweary!)

But if you want to learn even more about what we discuss in this excerpt, check out:

Galactic Panspermia (Astrophysical Journal Letters)

Origin of the Species, From an Alien View (New York Times)

The History of Ancient Astronauts: Playboy's Von Däniken's Interview (Pt. 1) (Jason Colavito)

Wilhelm Utermann (Wikipedia)

Von Däniken’s Chariots: A Primer in the Art of Cooked Science (Skeptical Inquirer)

Why did two German 'hobbyists' deface a cartouche of Khufu inside the Great Pyramid and what does it have to do with Atlantis? (News.com.au)

A starting point for exploring themes of race and racism within Egyptology may be found in Vol. XXIV, Issue 1 (Winter 2017): Race and Racism in Egyptology of Africa Update Newsletter.

The Myth of a 12th Planet: A Brief Analysis of Cylinder Seal VA 243 (SitchinIsWrong.com)

Photo credit: Sumerian Cylinder Seal (VA243) impression, via Michael Heiser’s Sitchin is Wrong. This seal is housed in the Vorderasiatisches Museum, part of the Pergamonmuseum/Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, which you can visit using Google Arts and Culture!