Ancient Skies - Vol 05 No 5 - 1978

Magazine Overview

Title: ANCIENT SKIES
Issue: Volume 5, Number 5
Date: November-December, 1978
Publisher: Ancient Astronaut Society
Tagline: Come Search With Us!

This issue of Ancient Skies delves into enigmatic archaeological sites and explores the intersection of ancient mysteries with modern scientific and religious thought.

Report to Members - El Fuerte*

Gene M. Phillips, Founder of the Society, reports on the exploration of El Fuerte, a remote mountaintop site in central Bolivia, South America. Phillips describes El Fuerte as a potential ancient "Cape Kennedy," featuring a ramp for launching space vehicles, a stadium for witnesses, a directional compass, and other carved stone objects. He dismisses the explanation of the site being an abandoned brewery as a "ridiculous joke."

The journey to El Fuerte involved a bus ride to the base of the mountain, followed by a two-and-a-half-mile hike up nearly 2,000 feet. The site is accessible only by motorcycle due to an unpaved road. Upon arrival, the team encountered a barbed wire fence with a "dilapidated sign" warning against entry, which they ignored. The site itself is described as being on the "very top of a mountain."

• Key features at El Fuerte include:
• A perfectly round medallion, fifteen feet in diameter, carved with the figure of a Jaguar, though defaced by graffiti.
• A crude rock wall, approximately two feet high, of recent vintage.
• Parallel "tracks" carved into the soft stone, each about one foot wide, four inches deep, and extending for about 100 feet, perfectly straight and three feet apart.
• A raised portion of stone between the tracks, featuring a series of one-foot squares in line, connected at opposite corners, forming a diamond pattern. This area is designed to channel water.
• A similar connected-square pattern on the outer edge of each track, with an impression suggesting it was made by a "heavy, rubber-tired vehicle."
• A circular area at the top with alternating triangular and curved "seats," possibly a large compass with indicated cardinal points, or a place for tribal councils.
• A large, elongated animal carving resembling a Jaguar.
• A series of square and rectangular "boxes" cut into the stone, with outlets for water drainage.
• An area resembling the imprint of a large iron chain.
• Niches on the north and south sides, resembling doorways or sentry posts.
• A steep, sloping southeast face carved into a stadium-like structure with rows of rounded "seats" overlooking a bowl-like area.

Phillips emphasizes that these are not natural formations and are of ancient origin. He concludes that the site raises more questions about its purpose than about who created it.

*This report is the first in a series on the Member Expedition to Bolivia and Peru in June and July, 1977.

The Medallion of El Fuerte

By Dolly Bonaccorsi di Reburdone

Dolly Bonaccorsi di Reburdone recounts her experience visiting El Fuerte, noting the impassable road due to a landslide and the subsequent climb. She was struck by the familiar appearance of the carved stone features, particularly a circular shape at the foot of the hill. This circular carving reminded her of similar carvings found on the seashore near Taormina, Italy.

She describes the El Fuerte site, including the parallel lines carved into the stone and the diamond pattern. She also notes the impression of a "heavy, rubber-tired vehicle" on the outer edge of the tracks. She speculates on the function of the circular area with "seats" and the carved animal, possibly a Jaguar.

Bonaccorsi di Reburdone discusses the stone circles at Taormina, Italy, which are 6 to 10 inches deep and cut at different levels. She notes that these circles, called "il tempietto" by local fishermen, are difficult to date and have no contemporary material for comparison. She rules out natural causes, bases of columns, or fireplaces for their origin, suggesting they might be traces of an unknown civilization.

She highlights El Fuerte as a valuable site for studying ancient carvings due to its isolated location and lack of interference from later peoples' constructions.

*Mrs. Bonaccorsi di Reburdone is identified as a writer and scuba diver interested in underwater archaeology.

Strange, Strange World to Exhibit in Chicago

The City of Montreal, Canada, will present its "Strange, Strange World" exhibit in Chicago for six weeks, starting January 18, 1979. The exhibit will be held at the Talman Federal Savings and Loan and will feature models of Josef Blumrich's Spaceship of Exechiel, the Tiahuanaco Gate of the Sun, Japanese Dogus, and over twenty other displays related to the ancient astronaut field. These items were previously shown at the Society's Fifth World Conference in Chicago.

The exhibit is free to the public and has specific viewing hours: Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9 AM to 8 PM; Tuesdays from 9 AM to 5 PM; and Saturdays from 9 AM to 12 noon.

Ancient Skies Publication Information

Ancient Skies is published bi-monthly by the Ancient Astronaut Society, 1921 St. Johns Ave., Highland Park, Illinois 60035 USA. The Society, founded in 1973, is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit corporation for scientific, literary, and educational purposes.

Some Reflections on Rev. Jack A. Jennings' Great Challenge

This section features two letters responding to an article by Rev. Jack A. Jennings.

Letter I by Dezso Nyirfas (Hungary):
Nyirfas expresses his impression of Rev. Jennings' ideas, finding them to be a way to reconcile "dogmas" with the questions raised by the ancient astronaut theory. As a Catholic, he notes contradictions but was surprised by the interest of his church friends. He believes God is greater than humans imagine and that creation occurred through cosmic means. He suggests that evolution does not preclude a higher level of attainment for humanity. Nyirfas stresses the importance of love, mercy, and hope, believing that mankind can work together despite differences. He cites achievements like Hillary's Everest climb, Gagarin's flight, and Armstrong's Moon landing as sources of hope for humanity's future evolutionary steps.

Letter II by O. L. Hope (USA):
Hope summarizes his views, stating that the Bible is an ancient history of the Jewish people, but that creation and past events are also found in myths and legends worldwide. He mentions the Hopi as an example of a "chosen people" guided by celestial phenomena. Hope believes the Bible was not the Word of God, but rather that God is a God of science whose universe operates with perfect order. He posits that God permeates the universe and that humanity may eventually visualize God by mapping the universe. He describes Earth as a perfect, self-contained recycling machine fueled by the Sun, where life evolves. Hope argues that God's handiwork should be viewed through physical facts and laws of science, not spirituality. He states that God neither interferes nor shows mercy or vengeance, and that humanity has free will. He concludes that if humans are proven to be visitors from space, it should not challenge religious teachings, and that "the devil" exists only in the minds of men.

Sixth World Conference - Munich, Germany

The Sixth World Conference of the Ancient Astronaut Society will be held in Munich, Germany, from June 14-16, 1979, at the Hotel Sheraton. Additional speakers announced include Zecharia Sitchin, Andrew Tomas, Dr. Stuart Greenwood, and Dr. Dileep Kanjilal. The conference will feature simultaneous translation services and wireless earphones. Erich von Daniken is handling the arrangements and emphasizes the event as a "congress of encounter" for deepening mutual relationships and exchanging ideas. Special reduced rates are available at the hotel for Society members. A group flight from Chicago is being arranged, and inquiries for information should be directed to the Society headquarters or their Swiss address.

Seventh World Conference to be Held in New Zealand

Arrangements are underway for the Seventh World Conference of the Ancient Astronaut Society, scheduled for 1980 in New Zealand. Group flights will be arranged from Europe, Chicago, and possibly Los Angeles. Post-conference trips to Australia, the South Pacific Islands (including Tahiti), and potentially Easter Island are being planned. Interested individuals are encouraged to send their names to the Society headquarters.

Maine Historical Society Honors Ancient Astronauts

The Maine Historical Society awarded its Gold Medal to Josef Blumrich, Erich von Daniken, and Gene M. Phillips at the Fifth World Conference in Chicago. The presentations were made by Audree Epstein (President) and Steve Mennig (Vice President), with faculty sponsor Mr. Paul Carlson also present.

Society Mourns Jacques Bergier

The Ancient Astronaut Society mourns the passing of Jacques Bergier, who died in Paris on November 21, 1978. Bergier was a pioneer in the ancient astronaut field, co-author of "The Morning of the Magicians." He was also a Fellow of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences and a consultant to the French Atomic Energy Commission. Bergier was a principal speaker at the Society's Second World Conference in Zurich in 1975, and he co-edited a book compiling the presentations from that conference, titled "Le Livre des Anciens Astronautes."

Astronomy or Imagination?

By Charlotte Miller

This article examines an artifact of antiquity or hoax, featuring design patterns that offer insights into astronomy. The object, found in South America and given to a church in Ecuador, is pictured in Erich von Daniken's book, "The Gold of the Gods."

The central design consists of concentric circles of raised dots with numerical values (7, 13, 18, 24) and "spokes" with a wave pattern. Miller determined that using a constant (K of 0.1935483) and the value of 93 x 18 (representing Earth as the third planet), graph coordinates for inner planets could be plotted. The resulting line graph suggests that the dot values correspond to the inner planets' orbital distances. An additional coordinate seems to represent a distance of 279 x 106, possibly indicating a planet once between Mars and Jupiter that shattered into asteroids.

Miller believes the object was used for astronomical computation and that its system could be used to compute distances for planets in other solar systems. She invites members interested in this subject to contact her.

*Ms. Miller is a hospital technologist and a member of Mensa.

New Books

• The following books are listed for sale:
• "SPACESHIPS IN PREHISTORY" by Peter Kolosimo
• "ASTRONAUTS OF ANCIENT JAPAN" by Vaughn M. Greene
• "ERICH VON DANIKEN: DISCIPLE OF THE GODS" by Peter Krassa
• "FIRST THERE CAME EVE" by Chase C. Coffey
• "PSYCHIC ARCHAEOLOGY, TIME MACHINE TO THE PAST" by Jeffrey Goodman
• "WE ARE THE EARTHQUAKE GENERATION" by Jeffrey Goodman

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the exploration of ancient technological sites (El Fuerte, stone circles), the interpretation of ancient astronaut theories in relation to religion and science, and the promotion of upcoming conferences and related literature. The Ancient Astronaut Society appears to maintain a stance of open inquiry into these subjects, encouraging members to seek evidence and consider alternative explanations for historical phenomena, while also engaging with scientific and philosophical perspectives.