Ancient Skies - Vol 10 No 2 - 1983-84

Magazine Overview

Title: ANCIENT SKIES
Issue: VOLUME 10, NUMBER 2
Date: MAY-JUNE, 1983
Publisher: ANCIENT ASTRONAUT SOCIETY

This issue of Ancient Skies magazine focuses on two primary topics: the enigmatic lost city of Buritaca 200 in Colombia and the mysterious events of the Miracle of Fatima in Portugal.

Buritaca 200 - Lost City in the Jungle

BY ERICH VON DANIKEN

The article begins with Erich von Daniken's personal account of arriving at Buritaca 200 via helicopter in the dense Colombian jungle. He describes the challenging weather conditions, the remote location, and the pilot's apprehension due to the presence of marijuana growers. The jungle itself is depicted as a formidable environment, capable of consuming everything.

Von Daniken recounts the historical context of the region, mentioning Spanish chroniclers like Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo y Valdes, Juan de Castellanos, and Fray Pedro Simon, who wrote about enigmatic cities in the jungle, referred to as "Betoma", "Taironaca", and "Pocigueica". These accounts were largely disbelieved until treasure hunter Florentino Sepulveda, in 1940, was told by an old Indian from the Kogi tribe about the temple cities of his ancestors, the Tairona Indians.

Sepulveda's son, Julio Cesar Sepulveda, later stumbled upon a terrace of the lost city in 1975. Tragically, Julio Cesar was shot and killed after sharing his discovery with others, a fate attributed to jealousy or greed.

Upon landing at Buritaca 200, von Daniken describes the site as resembling a prepared helicopter landing pad. He notes the immediate departure of the pilot, who promised to return in five hours.

The City and Its Builders

Von Daniken interviews Professor Dr. Alvaro Soto, the chief excavator of the lost city, who holds a PhD in archaeology from a California university and is the Dean of the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University "de los Andes" in Bogota.

Dr. Soto explains that "Buritaca 200" refers to the city's location on the Rio Buritaca and that "200" signifies it as the 200th community found in the area. He reveals that the jungle once sheltered numerous communities and urban cultures, with evidence of over 1,250 miles of roads and paths paved with stone slabs. Excavations have been ongoing since 1976, and Buritaca 200 is described as ten times larger than the Inca fortifications of Machu Picchu.

The builders are identified as belonging to the "Tairona" culture, a term applied to all archaeological sites in the northern and western Sierra Nevada. These people were part of the Chibcha Indian family. Carbon 14 dating suggests Buritaca 200 was constructed between 600 and 700 AD.

The city is situated in narrow canyons, cut in two by the Rio Buritaca, and features multi-storey terraces. The main entrance is at 2,950 feet above sea level, with a steep staircase leading to higher graded terraces. These terraces, measuring between 540 sq.ft. and 9,500 sq.ft., were built with complex topographical considerations, with supporting walls ranging from 20 to 312 feet in height.

Engineering and Ecology

Excavations have uncovered an intricate drainage system within the walls and terraces, designed to keep the constructions dry despite heavy rainfall. Unlike some other pre-Columbian cities, the Tairona did not use mortar, employing a superior technique for piling stone slabs that provided protection against earthquakes and water damage.

Archaeological findings at Buritaca 200 include devices for daily use (stone mills), ceramic pots, vases, plates, ceremonial objects (clay flutes), and cultic objects (rings for priests, figurines, sepulchral gifts). Despite these findings, the exact purpose of Buritaca 200 remains a mystery, with possibilities ranging from a monumental sanctuary to a city for priests or even a military fortress.

The constructors are praised as engineers with foresight and diverse skills, suggesting the city was planned in detail and that its builders possessed a sound knowledge of astronomy, with some terraces oriented in relation to stars. The Tairona Indians were capable of determining precise solstices.

Three hundred thousand Indians lived in these communities, maintaining an ideal ecological system. They cultivated corn, beans, manioc, potatoes, and fruits without damaging the environment. This contrasts sharply with the environmental destruction caused by modern population growth, leading to deforestation, soil erosion, and barren land.

Dr. Soto highlights the Tairona's advanced social system and ecological knowledge as a lesson for modern society, emphasizing that they found an alternative to the destructive practices of clearing the jungle.

Exploration and Reflection

Von Daniken describes walking alone on the top platform, encountering soldiers from the excavation team who were not very talkative. He then meets two girls from the team who guide him through the ruins. He is struck by the layered structure of the terraces, describing it as a "grotesque 'layer cake'" and a "bizarre landscape of circles, rounded walls, ellipses, small turrets, stairs, paths and doorways."

He compares Buritaca 200 to Semiramis' hanging gardens, calling it the "eighth wonder of the world." He imagines the city in its past glory, with priests, thousands of people, and smoke rising from the platforms.

Professor Soto and archaeologist Professor Gerardo Reichel-Domatoff believe that the Kogi Indians are direct descendants of the Taironas. The Kogi, who live in the valleys and on the coast of the Sierra Nevada, maintain their traditional way of life, building villages on paved round platforms and adhering to a cosmic order based on seven reference points and nine worlds.

Kogi Beliefs and the Future

The Kogi see themselves as "older brothers" to all mankind and believe in a nearing world-wide catastrophe. They have ceased spinning wool and weaving cloth, feeling that technological toys developed by their "younger brothers" will ultimately destroy them. The Kogi are convinced they will preserve mankind after a future world disaster.

Buritaca 200 is expected to remain a reserved site for scholars for at least fifteen years, not becoming a tourist attraction. Dr. Soto urges visitors to learn from this past culture's achievements and draw conclusions for present difficult times.

The Miracle of Fatima

This section details the events that occurred near Fatima, Portugal, between May and October 1917, witnessed by three shepherd children: Lucia Santos, Francisco Marto, and Jacinta Marto.

Eyewitness Accounts and Interpretations

The children described seeing a beautiful Lady dressed in white, surrounded by a dazzling light, who descended from the sky in a luminous globe. The Lady spoke only to Lucia.

At the final apparition on October 13, 1917, seventy thousand people gathered. A shrine was later built in honor of "Our Lady of Fatima."

Father John DeMarchi, an authority on the apparitions, is cited for his book "The Immaculate Heart." The article presents several passages from this book, highlighting interpretations that suggest a possible spacecraft involvement:

1. Jacinta Marto's description: She described the Lady's departure as the doors of Heaven shutting "so quickly that I thought her feet would get caught." Later, she said the Lady "passed over those trees and afterwards she went into Heaven so fast I thought her feet would get caught."
2. Lucia Santos's account: After the Second Apparition, Lucia said, "There, now we can't see her any more. She has gone back into Heaven, the doors are shut."
3. The Fourth Apparition: Eyewitness Maria da Capelinha described a loud clap of thunder, followed by a flash of lightning and a cloud that rose into the air. The faces and clothes of those present reflected "all the colors of the rainbow."
4. Monsignor John Quaresma's observation: He witnessed a "luminous globe, which moved from the east to the west, gliding slowly and majestically through space," accompanied by a "sudden freshening of the atmosphere."

These accounts are presented as raising questions about what truly happened at Fatima, suggesting the possibility of a spacecraft creating a sonic boom (thunder) and streaking away as a flash of light (lightning).

Coming Events

Announcements for the 10th Anniversary World Conference (August 6-7, 1983) and a Member Expedition to South America and Easter Island (September 2-25, 1983) are included.

Publisher Information

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

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue strongly aligns with the Ancient Astronaut Theory, presenting archaeological findings and historical accounts through the lens of extraterrestrial influence or advanced ancient civilizations with knowledge beyond their time. The magazine emphasizes the mysterious and unexplained aspects of ancient cultures, such as the engineering marvels of Buritaca 200 and the potential technological implications of the Fatima apparitions. The editorial stance appears to be one of questioning conventional explanations and exploring alternative theories, particularly those involving ancient astronauts or lost advanced civilizations. There is a clear admiration for the ingenuity and ecological wisdom of ancient peoples, contrasting it with modern environmental degradation.