Current Anthropology

Magazine Overview

This issue of *Current Anthropology*, Volume 22, Number 2, published in April 1981 by The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, features two main articles. The cover headline highlights the lead article, "On the Nature and Origin of Flying Saucers and Little Green Men" by Valerii I. Sanarov.

On the Nature and Origin of Flying Saucers and Little Green Men

Valerii I. Sanarov's article delves into the persistent interest in flying saucers and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), exploring their nature and origin. Sanarov notes that the most popular theory posits an extraterrestrial origin, with UFOs being spacecraft from advanced civilizations. Other theories suggest UFOs are entities from other dimensions, Earth's interior, or the Earth's upper atmosphere. A contrasting view, proposed by Dmitriev, considers UFOs as atmospheric phenomena akin to ball lightning, explaining encounters as interactions with "chemiluminescent zones" that can cause adverse effects on humans.

Sanarov emphasizes that while the existence of UFOs as unidentified objects is a fact for scientific research, the concept of "UFOnauts" or "little green men" requires separate examination. He classifies stories of UFOs and UFOnauts as folkloric "memorates" and attempts to find connections through folklore studies.

The article examines historical accounts, starting with the 1897 reports of airships in the United States. One notable incident involved a crashed "Martian" airship in Aurora, Texas, and the alleged extraterrestrial origin of its pilot. Another account from Leroy, Kansas, described a large, cigar-shaped airship with occupants. Sanarov questions the veracity of these early reports, citing a confession from the editor of the Yates Center Farmer's Advocate that the Hamilton airship story was a hoax concocted with friends.

However, Sanarov argues that the widespread reports of airships in the late 19th century (1896-1897) across numerous states cannot be dismissed as mere hoaxes. These sightings often described "cigar"-shaped objects with powerful searchlights and unprecedented speeds. He suggests that these reports reflected an anticipation of the era of airship building, a collective dream of technological advancement.

Sanarov draws parallels between these airship tales and flying saucer reports, noting common elements such as occupants descending via ropes or anchors, and interactions with witnesses. He compares these elements to folkloric motifs, including the "rope trick" performed by Indian fakirs and the ancient "world-tree" tales, where a "little man" climbs a rope into the sky and sometimes disappears or is dismembered. The flying saucer is analogized to an eagle's nest, and "little green men" to the eagle's young or the fakir's boy.

Sanarov's central thesis is that flying saucers and "little green men" do not exist in objective reality but are symbolic images. The eagle's nest, airship, and flying saucer serve the same functional load, representing not literal beings but symbolic expressions influenced by the observer's "set"—social development, situation, and beliefs. He suggests that UFOs might represent archetypes of the human unconscious or serve to stabilize the relationship between human consciousness and the complexities of the world.

• Key incidents discussed include:
• The 1897 Aurora, Texas, airship crash.
• The 1897 Leroy, Kansas, airship sighting.
• A 1914 sighting of a luminous cigar-shaped object near Hamburg.
• A 1914 sighting of a spherical object on Lake Huron, Canada.
• A 1935 sighting of an upside-down bowl-shaped object in Belgium.
• The 1978 disappearance of pilot Fred Valentich over Bass Strait, Australia, after reporting a UFO.

Sanarov concludes that the meaning of these symbols is a task for specialists, potentially related to Jungian archetypes or serving to help humans understand their world.

The Supranational Network of Boards of Directors

Reed D. Riner's article examines the emergence of a "fifth level of sociocultural integration" created by the global network of large corporations and government agencies. This network is characterized by interlocking directorates, where individuals serve on multiple boards, forming a global organizational structure.

Riner traces the antecedents of this system to the collapse of feudalism in Europe, the rise of merchants and bankers, and the increasing importance of money and profit maximization. The capitalist system, he argues, brought new strategies of control that emphasized behavioral outcomes. Institutions adapted by reinforcing capitalist values like wage work, competition, and voluntary associations.

The article highlights the evolution of organizations from simple proprietorships to joint-stock companies, which became dominant by the late 17th century. By 1700, 140 English joint-stock companies controlled significant capital, enabling them to exploit resources and expand enterprises.

Riner defines the "unit of adaptation" in cultural evolution as the largest group that makes and implements decisions regarding energy exploitation. The network of interlocking directorates is presented as the core institution of this fifth-level organization, characterized by persistence beyond individual lives, adaptive structuring, predictable patterns, increasing dependency, internal differentiation, and enhanced control over energy resources.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of *Current Anthropology* engages with broad anthropological and sociological themes. Sanarov's article positions UFO phenomena within the context of folklore, mythology, and psychological interpretation, suggesting that these are not necessarily literal events but symbolic expressions of human thought and societal anxieties. Riner's article focuses on the evolution of global economic and social structures, particularly the rise of multinational corporations and the concept of sociocultural integration. The journal's stance appears to be one of rigorous academic inquiry, analyzing complex social phenomena through historical, folkloric, and structural perspectives.