1973 06 00 SAGA - John Keel - Ancient Astronauts Modern Mysteries

Magazine Overview

This issue of "Ancient Astronauts Modern Mysteries" from June 1973, published by SAGA, delves into unexplained phenomena that challenge conventional scientific explanations, often linking them to ancient astronauts or advanced ancient civilizations.

Glass From The Sky

The article begins by recounting the incident in September 1968 in Cannifton, Ontario, where Wesley Reid found a 12-ounce chunk of glass, laced with pure zinc, that had fallen from the sky. Scientists analyzed it, but it didn't match any known Soviet or U.S. space satellite fragments. The author questions how glass, with its low melting temperature, could survive atmospheric entry. This is contrasted with the frequent occurrence of large ice falls, which are often explained as ice falling from airplane wings, though ice falls predate aviation. The article notes the recent discovery of tons of glass on the Pacific Ocean floor, suggesting it has been there for thousands of years.

Gifts From The Gods

Historically, objects falling from the sky were considered gifts from the 'Sky People.' The article suggests that Wesley Reid's glass find, if discovered 2,000 years ago, might have been revered and placed in a temple. It points out that many ancient temples in the Middle and Far East contain artifacts supposedly from the sky. The author criticizes modern science for resorting to the 'sky fall' theory whenever archaeologists find something inexplicable, such as metal swords and pots in ancient Native American burial grounds. Instead of considering that ancient peoples might have possessed advanced metallurgical skills, scientists propose that they found and worked meteorite fragments. The author questions the likelihood of finding meteorites readily available for such purposes and highlights the Smithsonian and Hayden Planetarium's collections of meteoric iron, noting that only about 5% of objects entering the atmosphere survive as solid iron or pure nickel.

The article further questions the origin of a 4,000-year-old aluminum pot found in China, as aluminum manufacturing is a relatively recent invention. It raises the question of where the constant bombardment of the Earth by iron and metal objects is coming from, especially since U.S. and Soviet astronauts have reported very few meteor sightings during space missions, despite thousands flashing into the atmosphere annually. The author speculates about a giant mountain of iron in the sky.

It is noted that meteorites often crash into very specific areas, such as the Nebraska-Kansas border, where a scientific station was established to recover objects but found only a handful over many years. This leads back to the question of how ancient peoples could have acquired the 'meteoric iron' for their artifacts if such finds are so rare.

The author suggests that scientists may not fully understand these phenomena, offering 'ludicrous explanations' like swamp gas for UFOs or prehistoric animals from melted icebergs for strange carcasses. The melted iceberg explanation is particularly criticized.

Space Visitors?

Dr. Lincoln La Paz, former head of the La Paz Institute in Nebraska, studied meteors that behaved unusually, appearing as glowing masses of greenish gas in the Southwest during the late 1940s, exhibiting unnatural movements like right-angle turns. His work inspired scientists globally, including in the Soviet Union.

In the 1960s, Soviet scientists investigated a remote region in Siberia where one of the strangest modern incidents occurred. On June 30, 1908, a gigantic luminous mass soared over the Tunguska Valley and exploded with a brilliant flash, reportedly seen thousands of miles away in Western Europe. This event, known as the Tunguska 'meteorite,' did not create a typical crater but exploded mid-air with the force of an atomic bomb, flattening trees outwards for miles from the epicenter.

Expeditions in the 1960s interviewed elderly eyewitnesses who reported peculiar, fatal maladies similar to radiation poisoning among those close to the explosion. Investigators found tiny pieces of metal and glass at the site, estimating the blast released energy many times greater than the Hiroshima bomb, possibly comparable to the Krakatoa volcanic explosion.

The author questions the nature of this 'meteorite,' noting that if it had passed over populated cities like Paris or New York, it would have caused complete destruction. The presence of tiny glass globules is also puzzling. The article draws a parallel to the atomic bomb test in New Mexico in 1945, where desert sand fused into glass, similar to tektites. Dr. M. Agrest, a Soviet scientist, speculated in the 1950s that Baalbek might have been a launching site for atomic-powered rockets and that the Tunguska event could have been an atomic-powered spaceship experiencing mechanical trouble.

A worldwide wave of UFO sightings followed the Tunguska explosion, with sightings of huge cylindrical aerial machines over Europe and New Zealand, and later in New England in the fall of 1909. The author suggests these sightings might have been related to searching for traces of the Tunguska event, with some sightings in Sweden geographically aligned with the Tunguska Valley.

Funny Moon Rocks

The article briefly mentions that lunar rocks brought back by U.S. astronauts contained tiny flecks of glass, similar to tektites, which some scientists attributed to ancient volcanic activity on the moon or a 'rain of glass' from lunar fragments hitting Earth.

Towers of Glass

The presence of tektites suggests Earth was subjected to tremendous waves of heat. Further evidence comes from scores of mysterious, mostly round stone towers around the world, particularly in Scotland and France, which have been vitrified (turned into glass). The builders and purpose of these towers are unknown. Archaeologists typically explain such structures, like the stone circles of Great Britain and Scandinavia, as astronomical observatories or calendars, a notion the author finds improbable given the likely subsistence needs of ancient peoples.

Ufologists like Morris K. Jessup suggested flying saucers focused heat rays on the towers, while Dr. M. Agrest theorized they were remnants of an ancient atomic war, possibly initiated by extraterrestrials. The article also references ancient Indian texts describing the use of atomic weapons thousands of years ago and similar legends from scattered tribes and the lost continent of Atlantis.

One far-out theory suggests the vitrified towers were built over magnetic faults to harness energies from anomalies, possibly guided by entities from another world. The author notes that many ancient temples were deliberately built in locations with unusual magnetic properties, and the method by which early builders located these sites remains a mystery.

Conclusion

The article concludes by stating that science is slowly beginning to address these larger mysteries, with more scientists reconsidering strange phenomena. The in-depth study of tektites is recent, and while some scientists offer absurd explanations, the author implies that the real explanation for these events is yet to be fully accepted, possibly being the most absurd of all.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the questioning of conventional scientific explanations for anomalous phenomena, the suggestion of extraterrestrial influence or advanced ancient civilizations, and the presentation of evidence that challenges established historical and scientific narratives. The editorial stance appears to be one of skepticism towards mainstream science and an openness to alternative, often sensational, theories involving ancient astronauts, UFOs, and lost technologies. The author, John A. Keel, advocates for reconsidering these mysteries and suggests that the true explanations may be more extraordinary than currently accepted.