The Von Daniken Connection The von Daniken Connection is an in-depth look at Ancient Astronaut Theory through the

lens of the life and work of its most influential proponent, Erich von Daniken. Each act will take him to a different place on the globe that has helped inform his understanding of the universe we live in. Act 1: Chariots of the Gods In 1968, Lyndon Johnson was ending his term as President, the country was at war with Vietnam, and the Apollo Program was one year away from putting the first man on the moon. This same year Erich von Daniken published his first book: Chariots of the Gods? forever changing how the world thought about extraterrestrials and polarizing those who believed we are not, in fact, alone in the universe. This act will take von Daniken to India--his greatest influence. Act 2: Who is Erich Von Daniken? Born in Aargau and raised a strict Catholic, Von Daniken's need to question everything started early. While attending Catholic school in Switzerland, he rejected the church's interpretation of the Bible and started searching for answers. As an adult, he began to travel the world, finding more evidence of alien existence in each new land. This act will take Von Daniken to Egypt. Act 3: His Subse uent Success and !nf"uence Chariots of the Gods was just the beginning for Von Daniken. His subsequent books have been translated into many languages and sold millions of copies. After years of travel and research, he developed his fully formed ideas on Ancient Astronaut Theory and permanently changed the discourse surrounding the possibility of extraterrestrials. This act will take Von Daniken to Chichen Itza. Act #: The $ack"ash Despite being so well received by the public, there was an anti-von Daniken backlash amongst scholars and scientists that continues to this day. His many false claims combined with his criminal record made Von Daniken a major target in the academic world. This act will take Von Daniken to Puma Punku. Act %: The &e'ac( Whether you think he is a fraud or a misunderstood prophet of sorts, one thing cannot be denied: he has forced people to question what they know to be true. He is the father of Ancient Astronaut Theory, with influential supporters like Giorgio Tsoukalos, Philip Coppens, and David Childress. He continues to travel the world and conduct research. And just like the aliens he obsesses over, has left his own permanent imprint on the world. This act will take Von Daniken (maybe?) to Jungfrau Park in Switzerland. The park was designed by Von Daniken and is a culmination of his findings.

Secrets of the To)bs All across the globe, archaeologists have uncovered strange ancient tombs, and with each discovery more questions are raised than answered. How did these remote civilizations share such similar beliefs and practices? Were these cultures taught about the hereafter by aliens? Were these tombs actual portals to this other world? Secrets of the Tombs examines these possibilities. Act 1: Ancient *unerar( +itua"s Several ancient cultures believed that boats would transport their souls to the hereafter. From the boat murals in King Tut's tomb to the Stone Ships of ancient Germany, evidence can be found of this journey to the afterlife. The Vikings turned actual boats into caskets. Is it possible that these boats and caskets were symbolic of space vessels? Act 2: Artifacts Within Clues within the ancient tombs prove to be revealing of a greater conspiracy. The Lid of Pakal is believed to have drawings of rockets. "Golden flyers" reminiscent of fighter jets were found at ancient burial grounds in Tolima, Colombia. One tomb in Egypt housed mummies with traces of cocaine, which can only be found in South America. Are these strange artifacts evidence of contact with extraterrestrials and an ancient understanding of the celestial hereafter? Act 3: To)bs A"i'ned ,ith the Stars Unusual ancient tombs encased inside pyramids can be found in both Greece and Sardinia. Similar to the Tombs of Ollamh Fodhla in Ireland, both structures were erected in spots or positions to correlate with outer space. Were these structures all portals to the celestial world? And were all of these cultures given this understanding of the stars and the universe by extraterrestrials? Act #: The To)bs Abo-e The most striking feature of the Takamatsuzuka Tomb of Japan can only be seen from an aerial viewpoint. Only from high above the earth can the shape of this tomb be deciphered: a keyhole. The belief was that the entrance to the tomb should connect directly with the sky above in order for the deceased to cross over. In Tibet, human corpses are left atop a mountain in a ritual known as sky burial. Are these actually ways to bring the deceased closer to a new world? Act %: The To)bs $e"o, From the religious burials of pagans and Jews to the more recent catacombs of Paris, underground burial has been a cross-cultural practice since ancient times. Evidence even suggests that the Neanderthals intentionally buried the dead. But where did this practice come from and why? Even today in most modern cultures, it is standard for the dead to be embalmed and buried six feet under. This practice leaves a corpse puffy and resembling an astronaut. Coincidence?

S()bo"s and +e"ics The official position of modern science is that humanity started from primitive beginnings and slowly and steadily progressed in the fields of culture and science. Most ancient artifacts discovered by archaeologists fit this accepted view of the evolution of our past. But archaeologists have also unearthed numerous mysterious ancient relics, many of which share similar markings and symbols even though they were discovered not in contiguous locations, but across the globe. Many are marked with seemingly otherworldly --and possibly alien--symbols. What is their origin? What was their purpose? Traditional archeologists are stymied by these disturbing anomalies but scholars of the study of ancient alien civilizations believe these relics and the symbols craved upon them are clear evidence that technically advanced extraterrestrial gods or entire civilizations came to our planet intent on influencing and educating earths primitive societies.

Act 1: The Co..er Scro"" In 1946, the biblical manuscripts known as the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by a Bedouin shepherd in a series of caves in a community of Khirbet Qumran, on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea in what was then known as British Mandate Palestine and since 1947 is referred to as the West Bank of the state of Israel. The original findings sparked intense excavations and over the next six years the remains of 870 scrolls were discovered in several caves in the same region. The parchments, many of which were almost fragments, were studied, translated and determined to be the oldest Hebrew texts from the Bible in existence, dating back to 68 AD. Then, in 1952, a team of archaeologists made a startling discovery: a mysterious copper scroll that was heavily corroded and could not be unrolled. The unusual artifact was shipped to Oxford, England for evaluation. When it was determined it could not be unraveled, it was cut into 23 strips. A preliminary translation revealed that the scroll was some kind of mysterious treasure map with 64 distinct locations where allegedly large quantities of gold, silver, jewelry and other precious items had been hidden. Detractors denounced the translation as false and no treasures were ever recovered. Why was a copper scroll, which could not be opened without the use of metal cutting tools unavailable in ancient times found alongside the oldest known writings of the Bible? Who made it and for what purpose? Is this scroll a message from otherworldly beings? Act 2: Stran'e &an'ua'es Described as "the world's most mysterious manuscript," the Voynich manuscript is comprised of 240 vellum pages filled with illustrations of unrecognizable plant species and an indecipherable language-possibly of unearthly origins. Similarly, the Phaistos Disc of Crete is covered with illegible writings. Its purpose and meaning, and even its original geographical place of manufacture remain disputed. Are these ancient texts proof of alien languages? Act 3: S.heres Ancient discs and spheres have been found at all ends of the earth. The Klerksdorp Spheres of South Africa have been collected from 3-billion-year-old pyrophyllite deposits. The Roman dodecahedron and the Neolithic carved stone balls of Scotland showcase an understanding of the global geometry of the universe. How did ancient humans gain this knowledge? Were these relics influenced by Martian intelligence? Act #: E''s Sphere shaped relics found all across the world is one thing, but eggs? From the cosmic egg on Easter

Island to the Mystery Stone of Lake Winnipesaukee, relics have been found that tell of ancient sightings of "flying metal eggs." Are these eggs evidence of ancient alien landings? Act %: S()bo"s There does seem to be one concrete connector between these relics: the symbols. Several celestial symbols--spirals, the sun, the moon--seem to transcend times and cultures--from the circular diagrams of the Voynich manuscript to the Olympic Rings still used today. These ubiquitous symbols that are found all across our planet are a visual reminder of the impact that extraterrestrials have had on our world.

E).erors/ 0in's/ and 1haraohs

Warriors, conquerors, sages, philosophers, lawmakers, unifiers, explorers and foundersancient emperors, kings, and pharaohs were responsible for changing the face of our world forever. Who are these men? What makes them so important? Emperors, Kings and Pharaohs examines the notion that rulers throughout history were "chosen" or influenced by celestial beings. Perhaps it is this influence that connects these great rulers and is what gave them the power to lead the masses.

ACT 1: 2ri'in stories Many ancient cultures believed that their rulers descended from the sky. The Yellow Emperor of China was born of a rainstorm, and both the Incan King Manco Capec and the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaton were worshipped as descendents of the sun god. But perhaps these rulers were not descendents of gods, but rather of extraterrestrial beings. And perhaps these leaders were interrelated across continents through their extraterrestrial lineage. Why are depictions of these leaders so strikingly similar? ACT 2: The ru"e of "a, In ancient Mesopotamia the King was regard as godly and the priests dealt with all of their bureaucratic business. King Ur-Nammu of Ur wrote the first set of written laws. Where and how did Ur-Nammu actually get the idea to write down these laws? What was the relationship between priest and king in the ancient city of Ur. Cormac mac Airt of Ireland was the wisest king in Irish history and wrote the counsels of Cormac. He was incredibly just and fair unlike anything seen in the world before. Is it possible that his justice was not of this world? ACT 3: Architects Ancient emperors, kings, and pharaohs were not just known for their military abilities, but also fore their

commission of puzzling monuments. Ashoka the Great of India built a giant bell shaped stupa at Sachi, which looks strikingly similar to a UFO. Was it the first vimana? Could it be he wanted to return home? Why would ancient Emperors, Kings, and Pharaohs go through so much effort to make these monuments? ACT #: Techno"o'( Attila the Huns sword was seen as a weapon of divine favor, furthering his reputation as a divinely appointed punisher. Could it be that this weapon was a gift from otherworldly sources? King Solomon was known to have flown the world on his magic carpet and map out the world. Is it possible this magic carpet was a rocket ship? How did these ancient emperors, kings and pharaohs had this advanced technology? ACT %: 0in' Gene In the 11th Century Genghis Kahn conquered/pillaged/raped a vast majority of the world from the steppes of Mongolia, leaving descendents across the globe. What factors allowed Genghis Khan to conquer such wide stretches of the Earth? Is it possible that rulers have something hard-wired in their DNA? What makes certain people lead even in modern day society? Might it be that sources not of this Earth planted something in their genetics? Is there a King gene?

The 3ono"ith 3(steries Giant stones weighing hundreds of tons, standing stones with supernatural carvings, natural monoliths made into places of worship. What is the human obsession with large stones? Why did the ancients erect these stones and what did they mean to them? Is it possible that there is an interstellar monolith connection? ACT 1: Stone Gods and !).ortant )en Ancients in the past worshipped giant stones carved in the shape of gods or important men. Recent excavations of the famous Maoi heads of Easter Island reveal that the heads have bodies. Little is known about their purpose. Is it possible that the ancients worshiped these giants? Could it be that ancients carved these stones in the likeness of their gods that were extraterrestrial? The Ozymandias statue in the Ramesseum of Egypt is one of the largest stones ever moved by mankind. Was Ramses II like a god to the Egyptians? Did he have connections to otherworldly sources? ACT 2: 4atura" 3ono"iths Natural monoliths throughout the centuries have been carved to be places of worship and keys to otherworldly places. Aramau Muru an Incan doorway stands carved into the side of a giant stone. How does the door open? What is on the other side? Might it be that this door is a gateway to another world? More information can be found in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka a natural monolith was carved to be a Buddhist temple and military fortress. Why is this monolith so sacred? In Lalibela, Ethiopia ancient churches are precisely carved out of single stones. Why would the ancients go through so much trouble to carve these churches out? Might there be some other extraterrestrial hand in these structures? ACT 3: Ancient S.heres Large perfectly carved balls are found in Costa Rica, Bosnia, China, and Champ Island near the North Pole.

Little is known about how or why they were carved. It is believed the ancient Diquis culture carved these balls in Costa Rica, but what do they mean? Could they be ancient ball bearings or sculptures or might they have an otherworldly purpose? How are they so perfectly shaped? Castlestrange stone in Ireland is not a perfectly carved sphere, but it does contain interesting markings. It was thought to serve a religious purpose. Is it possible the spheres were used in some sort of religious ceremony for the gods? ACT #: 3enirs/ Standin' Stones/ 5 Deer Stones Standing stones and menhirs are found around the world. Many are carved to be anthropomorphic beings such as the Babal through Eastern Europe and central Asia. What is their purpose? Who are these beings? Is it possible that they were symbols of the gods? Deer stones, which are found in Mongolia further illustrate strange symbols and markings and were linked to the supernatural. Is it possible these were relics of the gods? Did Ancient man worship these stones? ACT %: !nter."anetar( 3ono"ith Connection A monolith is found on the face of Mars. Why would there be a monolith on Mars? Is it possibly an ancient calling card from extraterrestrials? Are the monoliths on our planet interlinked as well? Is that we have monoliths all over the world? The Pokotia Monolith at Tiwankau in South America has protoSumerian writing on it. How is this possible? Is it that the ancient world was all linked as one civilization with the help of the sky gods?