Ancient Skies - Vol 07 No 4 - 1980-81

Magazine Overview

Title: ANCIENT SKIES
Issue: Volume 7, Number 4
Date: September-October, 1980
Publisher: Ancient Astronaut Society
Country: USA
Price: $2.00
Cover Headline: ANCIENT SKIES "Come Search With Us!"

This issue of Ancient Skies magazine, the official logbook of the Ancient Astronaut Society, explores enigmatic ancient sites and theories connecting them to advanced or extraterrestrial intelligence.

The Ruins of Zimbabwe

This article, by Erich von Daniken, delves into the mystery of the Zimbabwe ruins in Southern Africa. It recounts the discovery by German explorer Adam Renders in 1868 and the subsequent work of geologist Karl Mauch, who linked the site to the biblical land of Ophir. The author notes the numerous, often contradictory, theories surrounding the ruins, from romantic speculations to archaeological investigations.

Archaeologist Paul Sinclair, working for the Zimbabwe Museum, is interviewed about his excavations in neighboring valleys, which uncovered Chinese silks, Arabian pottery, and Bantu ornaments. Sinclair attributes the massive buildings to the local black population, explaining that 'Zimbabwe' means 'esteemed or revered house' in the Shona language. He posits that the ruins were built as a fortress to protect gold stores, with a trade route to the Indian Ocean ports for exporting gold and importing goods from Arabs and Chinese.

However, the author questions the fortress theory, pointing out the lack of defensive features in the elliptical 'Royal Residence' structure. He highlights the absence of tombs, writing, statues, or tools, and the inexplicable presence of a ten-meter high tower with no apparent entrance or purpose. The ruins inside the ellipse, including circles and smaller ellipses, are also unexplained.

A significant portion of the article focuses on a potential connection between the Zimbabwe ruins and the Dogon people of West Africa. The author draws a visual parallel between the great ellipse of Zimbabwe with its conical tower and the Dogon's traditional drawing of the Sirius system, particularly the orbit of Sirius B around Sirius A. He suggests that the Zimbabwe ruins might be a monumental model of this stellar system, built by worshippers of the god Nommo, who the Dogon claim brought them astronomical knowledge.

Other theories explored include the possibility that the Zimbabwe native worshippers built the edifice in memory of Nommo's origin in the stars, or as a signal to their god. The eight Zimbabwe birds found in the Acropolis are compared to the sacred falcons of the Egyptian god Horus, raising questions about potential cultural exchanges between ancient Egypt and the Dogon.

The author concludes that while the fortress and residence theories are unlikely, the religious cult theory remains plausible. He offers his own speculation that the ruins represent a model of the Sirius system, acknowledging that his interpretation is as valid as any other.

Ancient Aztecs "Fly Like Birds"

This section reports on findings by Polish archaeologist Prof. M.J. Tenenbaum, who presented evidence in Madrid suggesting that an Aztec ruler named Netzahualcoyotl could fly. Tenenbaum exhibited a stone engraving of a glider called a "crir" and referenced a 17th-century Franciscan missionary's account of Aztecs flying like birds using appliances with wide, spreading wings made from stork feathers. Tenenbaum's research, based on nine years in Mexico, also uncovered drawings of goggles and fur mufflers worn by ancient airmen.

Who Were the Culture Bearers?

Written by Vaughn M. Greene, this article discusses the growing admission by conventional science that extraterrestrial life might have visited Earth. It highlights the emergence of brilliant, advanced cultures like Sumer and the Olmecs between 11,000 and 5,000 years ago, which appeared and often disappeared mysteriously.

Zecharia Sitchin's book "The Twelfth Planet" is mentioned for its evidence that Sumer was visited, if not created, by extraterrestrials. The article posits that Sumer provided the foundation for subsequent civilizations in Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Europe. In the New World, the Olmecs in southern Mexico are presented as the originators of the northern hemisphere's first civilization, influencing the Toltecs, Aztecs, and Mayas.

The author suggests that while Sumer's sky-gods and ziggurats hint at astronauts, the Olmecs offer more decisive proof. The Olmecs built a large temple complex on an island, featuring a 100-foot high cone-shaped pyramid and intricate paved pits. Their statuary, often defaced with broken heads, depicts people with deformed foreheads, slant eyes, and round faces. The gigantic stone heads, weighing up to 20 tons, are believed to be of a race of giants, possibly exterminated by the Olmecs. These giants are said to have lived along the west coast of America, with evidence including a seven-and-a-half-foot tall mummy found in Yosemite.

Similarities are noted between the Olmecs and the primitive Jomon people of Japan, who also broke off the heads of their statues. The Olmecs also carved concave mirrors with near-optical precision. A remarkable statue found at San Lorenzo, Mexico, depicts a person about seven feet tall with ratchet-like shoulders, possibly representing a robot.

Tafi del Valle

This brief section describes an archaeological site in Tucuman, Argentina, called Tafi del Valle. Archaeologists established "Menhires Park," featuring eighty stone monoliths estimated to be up to 10,000 years old, ranging from two to four meters in height and weighing up to three tons. The purpose and carvers of these stones remain unknown.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the ancient astronaut theory, suggesting that advanced extraterrestrial civilizations may have influenced or directly contributed to the development of early human cultures. The magazine presents archaeological mysteries, such as the Zimbabwe ruins and Olmec civilization, as potential evidence for these theories. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into alternative explanations for ancient achievements, challenging conventional scientific views and encouraging readers to "Come Search With Us!" The publication emphasizes the possibility of lost technologies and forgotten histories, linking disparate ancient sites and cultures through a common thread of potential extraterrestrial contact.