ANCIENT SKIES

Magazine Overview

Title: ANCIENT SKIES
Issue: Volume 6, Number 4
Date: September-October, 1979
Publisher: ANCIENT ASTRONAUT SOCIETY
Tagline: "Come Search With Us!"

This issue of Ancient Skies, the official logbook of the Ancient Astronaut Society, explores several intriguing claims related to ancient civilizations, advanced technology, and mysterious discoveries.

Akahim Exists!

The lead article, "AKAHIM EXISTS!" by Erich von Daniken, revisits his controversial claims about a gigantic subterranean tunnel system in Ecuador, first detailed in his 1973 book "The Gold of the Gods." Von Daniken recounts his experience with Juan Moricz, an engineer who allegedly led him into these tunnels. However, the article highlights a subsequent interview in the German publication Spiegel where Moricz denied ever being in a cave with von Daniken, casting doubt on the account and leading to von Daniken being labeled a liar. Von Daniken questions how Moricz could have known about these constructions if not from ancient sources.

The article then connects these subterranean structures to the traditions of the Hopi Indians, as detailed by Josef Blumrich in his forthcoming book. According to Hopi elder White Bear, their Gods used powerful "electric energy" weapons and provided protection via a thick shield and electric energy in underground places. The legend also speaks of sounds being stored in crystals, with these recordings lying in a cave in South America.

Further historical evidence for artificial underground passages is cited from Antonio Vasquez de Espinoza, who described a remarkable cave with tiled doors and a large interior space near the Chichipapa Mines in Oaxaca, Mexico.

The Search for Akahim

The narrative shifts to the search for Akahim, a lost city in northwestern Brazil. Karl Brugger's book "The Chronicle of Akakor" is mentioned, which quotes Tatunca Nara, chief of the Mogulala tribe, who claims their Gods built an underground tunnel system and that Akahim, along with other ancient towns like Akakor, Akanis, Cuzco, and Macchu Picchu, were connected by this network.

Ferdinand Schmid, a former Swissair pilot, independently contacted Tatunca Nara in 1975. Together, they attempted to find Akahim, which Tatunca stated contained technical appliances of the Gods and three large pyramids. Schmid recounts a perilous journey where they sighted the pyramids and the ruins of Akahim. During their expedition, they encountered Ramos, the commander-in-chief of the Mogulala tribe, who recognized Tatunca as their chief and expressed surprise that Schmid was present instead of von Daniken.

Schmid's expedition faced setbacks, including a boat accident that resulted in the loss of his cameras and film. However, in 1978, Schmid and Tatunca, accompanied by archaeologist Roldao Pires Brandao, set out again. This time, Brazilian authorities, wanting to be the first to discover Akahim, mounted their own expedition led by Brandao. The Brazilian news magazine Veja reported on this "race to the pyramids," confirming the existence of Akahim and the pyramids, thus vindicating Tatunca.

The Piri Reis Map Connection

Tatunca Nara recognized Juan Moricz from a Spiegel article, recalling that he had shared his people's history and the story of the underground tunnels with Moricz in Venezuela in 1967. This connection suggests that Moricz's knowledge of the tunnels might stem from this encounter, explaining how he could guide von Daniken.

The issue raises questions about whether the Brazilian authorities will reveal evidence of extraterrestrial civilization found beneath Akahim.

Book Review: Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings

A significant portion of the magazine is dedicated to a review of Charles H. Hapgood's book, "Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings." The review discusses the Piri Reis Map of 1513, found in Constantinople, which Piri Re'is stated was based on twenty older maps. Scholars in the 1930s studied the map, and in 1956, it was examined by M.I. Walters and Captain Arlington H.Mallery of the United States Hydrographic Office.

Capt. Mallery's surprising conclusion was that the southernmost part of the map represented the Antarctic Coast of Queen Maud Land before it was covered by ice. This hypothesis inspired Prof. Hapgood's book, which argues for the existence of advanced civilizations preceding known history, evidenced by ancient maps.

Hapgood suggests that these ancient peoples possessed a civilization comparable to, or even more advanced than, those of Egypt, Babylonia, Greece, and Rome, particularly in astronomy, nautical science, and mapmaking. He posits that the science evident at the dawn of recorded history might be remnants of a much older, advanced civilization.

The review highlights the Mayans' incredible precision in measuring the tropical year as an example of advanced ancient knowledge. Hapgood concludes that this evidence of lost technology requires a reexamination of other historical evidence previously dismissed as myth.

Lt. Col. Harold Z. Ohlmeyer of the U.S. Air Force responded to Hapgood's inquiry about unusual features on the Piri Reis Map, finding the interpretation of the Antarctic coast reasonable and noting its remarkable agreement with seismic profile data from the 1949 Swedish-British-Norwegian Antarctic Expedition. Ohlmeyer questioned how this data could be reconciled with the geographical knowledge of 1513, but von Daniken suggests ancient astronauts mapped the area from the air.

Hapgood is identified as a Professor of History at Keene Teachers College in New Hampshire. The book was published by Chilton Books in 1966.

Conferences and New Books

The issue also announces the Seventh World Conference of the Ancient Astronaut Society in Auckland, New Zealand, in July 1980. It lists several new books, including "Ether Technology" by Rho Sigma, "Mevs: Creator of the Pyramids" by Edgar D. Wilson, "Wiltshire Galaxy" by Mike Saunders, and several German-language books such as Zecharia Sitchin's "The Twelfth Planet" and Josef F. Blumrich's "Kasskara und Die Sieben Welten."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently promotes the ancient astronaut theory, suggesting that advanced extraterrestrial beings visited Earth in the past, influencing human civilization and leaving behind evidence of advanced technology and knowledge. The editorial stance is one of seeking and presenting evidence, however controversial, to support these theories, encouraging readers to question conventional historical narratives and explore the possibility of lost ancient civilizations and technologies.

Themes: Ancient Astronauts, Subterranean Tunnels, Lost Civilizations, Ancient Maps, UFOs.

Tags: ancient astronauts, Erich von Daniken, Juan Moricz, subterranean tunnels, Ecuador, Peru, Akahim, Piri Reis Map, ancient maps, Antarctica, lost civilization, Hopi Indians, UFO, ancient technology, archaeology.