The Ancient Alien Question

The Ancient Alien Question

Philip Coppens

New Page Books (2011)

Rating: ★★★★☆

"…an important and outstanding contribution."
--Erich von Daniken, best-selling author of Twilight of the Gods

"
The Ancient Alien Question
provides a captivating adventure around the world and sheds an interesting perspective on the Ancient Astronaut Theory. It raises questions that culminate in well-thought-out, and sometimes downright startling, conclusions. A must-read for anyone who wants to expand their knowledge horizon in this kick-ass field."
--Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, author, Gods or Ancient Aliens? producer, Ancient Aliens: The Series

"In
The Ancient Alien Question
Coppens breaks the intellectual sound barrier and offers his readers a well-researched and well-written book that challenges this last taboo of the human adventure. Definitely a not-to-be-missed book!"
--Robert Bauval, author of The Orion Mystery

"Philip Coppens covers all the bases on this controversial topic. His research is thorough and he addresses each topic with a balanced overview that cuts through the jungle of confusion with a very sharp machete of reason."
--David Hatcher Childress, author of Technology of the Gods

Have we been visited by extraterrestrial beings?

Did these "ancient aliens" contribute to the birth of human civilization?

Do our ancient monuments contain evidence of their presence?

The Ancient Alien Question
reveals an array of astonishing truths, including:

• A radically different understanding of the pyramids and how they were constructed
  

• The origins of crystal skulls and how they were found
  

• The extraordinary stories behind monuments such as the Nazca lines and Puma Punku, and who built them
  

• How extraterrestrials came to our planet and the evidence that supports this
  

Analyzing the historical and archaeological evidence, Philip Coppens demonstrates that there is substantial proof that our ancestors were far more technologically advanced than currently accepted, and that certain cultures interacted with non-human intelligences. Our ancestors were clearly not alone.

Forty years after Erich von Däniken posed these questions in
Chariots of the Gods
, Coppens provides clear and concise answers to the great historical enigmas in a most accessible and readable format.

Your view of human history will never be the same again!

Review

"An important and outstanding contribution." ---Erich von Däniken, author of Chariots of the Gods

About the Author

Philip Coppens is an internationally renowned investigative journalist, author, and regular contributor to magazines such as Atlantis Rising and NEXUS Magazine. He is labeled a skeptic by the believers, and a believer by the skeptics--a unique position which makes him a well-recognized voice of reason. He is the author of six books, including The New Pyramid Age, and is one of the leading contributors to The History Channel's popular series,
Ancient Aliens
. He lives in Edinburgh and Los Angeles, California.

Erich von Daniken is arguably the most widely read and most-copied nonfiction author in the world. He published his first (and most well-known) book, Chariots of the Gods, in 1968. It was a worldwide best-seller and has been followed by 31 more books including the recent hit History Is Wrong (New Page Books). His works have been translated into 28 different languages and have sold a total of 63 million copies. Several of his books have also been turned into films, and Erich's ideas have been the inspiration for a wide range of TV series, including the History Channel's smash hit special, "Ancient Aliens." He is an ever-present figure on the international lecture circuit. He lives in Switzerland.

THE
ANCIENT
ALIEN
QUESTION

THE
ANCIENT
ALIEN
QUESTION

A New Inquiry Into the Existence, Evidence, and Influence of Ancient Visitors

PHILIP COPPENS

Copyright © 2012 by Philip Coppens

All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher, The Career Press.

T
HE
A
NCIENT
A
LIEN
Q
UESTION
EDITED AND TYPESET BY KARA KUMPEL
Cover design by Howard Grossman/12E Design
Printed in the U.S.A.

Images on
pages 86
,
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,
91
,
102
,
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,
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,
131
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,
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,
154
,
155
,
157
,
158
,
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,
162
,
186
,
263
,
280
, and
281
are © Philip Coppens.

Image on
page 145
is © Erich von Däniken, used with permission.

Images on
pages 167
and
169
are © The Estate of Stan Hall, used with permission. [website]

Image on
page 180
is © Marsyas, made available as part of the Creative Commons License on Wikimedia.

Image on
page 183
is © Madman2001, made available as part of the Creative Commons License on Wikimedia. Image on
page 191
is © Wikipedia.

Image on
page 205
is © Jon Rolls, used with permission.

Images on
pages 208
and
209
are © Hartwig Hausdorf, used with permission.

Images on
pages 232
and
238
are © NASA.

Image on
page 245
is © Christina Rutz, made available as part of the Creative Commons License on Wikimedia. Image on
page 278
is from 1875 and © The Hearst Museum.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Coppens, Filip.

The ancient alien question : a new inquiry into the existence, evidence, and influence of ancient visitors / by Philip Coppens.

    p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index.

ISBN 978-1-60163-198-5 -- ISBN 978-1-60163-628-7 (ebook)

  1. Human-alien encounters. 2. Civilization, Ancient--Extraterrestrial influences.

3. Unidentified flying objects--Religious aspects. 4. Life on other planets. 5. Extraterrestrial beings. I. Title.

BF2050.C67 2012
    001.942--dc23

2011027037

Acknowledgments

I have been posing the Ancient Alien Question for almost
two decades now, and hundreds of people have joined me on my quest for an answer. I would particularly like to thank Erich von Däniken, Uli Dopatka, and Gene M. Phillips for inviting me, as a young man in my 20s, to air my side of the debate at a number of Ancient Astronaut Society World Conferences in the 1990s. Special thanks, of course, are due to Erich, as he is not only the pioneer in this subject, but also the man who kindly wrote the foreword for this book, which is truly a great honor and privilege. I thank Giorgio Tsoukalos for a friendship that began then, which has grown since, and especially for his unending devotion to the cause, however hard the going sometimes became.

My drive to answer the Ancient Alien Question was reignited by the wonderful team at Prometheus Pictures, the producers of
Ancient Aliens
. Your professionalism is equal to none and every minute of filming was a joy (yes, David Silver, that includes the eight-hour wait for a replacement camera in Rennes-le-Château). However, I need to single out Kevin Burns for his commitment and vision, as well as Evan Goldstein, with whom my part of the story began.

This book would not have come about without the vision of Michael Pye at New Page Books. You and the team at New Page are the engine that made this book come true.

In my circle of friends, I would like to specifically thank: Paige Tucker; Jason Gossman; Sarah Symons; Mary Parent; Patrick Ruffino; Patrick Bernauw; Marc Borms; Chris Norman; Cris Winter; Gerard Lohan; Eileen, Cathy, and Janeth Hall; Debbie Nicastro; Herman Hegge; Dawn Molkenbur; Tobi and Gerda Dobler; Marianne Wilson; Theresa Byrne; Cynthia James and Carl Studna; Gail Heron Sterling; Geoff Potts; JoAnn Parks and MAX; Peter van Deursen and Anneke Koremans; Isobel Denham; Kelly Cole; Philippe Canal. Apart from being the best friends anyone could desire, you make life beautiful. By default, I will have forgotten some, and I sincerely apologize for that!

I thank the research and devotion of the following authors and often friends: Robert Bauval; Graham Hancock; Greg Taylor; Wim Zitman and Hendrine; Sam Osmanagic and Sabina; John Major Jenkins; Geoff Stray; Hartwig Hausdorf; Robert and Olivia Temple; Mark Pilkington; Howard Crowhurst; Hugh Newman; Andy Collins; David Hatcher Childress and Jennifer; Jeremy Narby; Antoine Gigal; Ralph Ellis; Jack Sarfatti; Uri Geller; Joseph Davidovits; John Ritchie; Duncan Lunan.