The Ancient Alien Question: A New Inquiry Into the Existence, Evidence, and Influence of Ancient Visitors

296 Pages·2011·3.13 MB·English

by  Philip Coppens

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.
THE ANCIENT ALIEN QUESTION
EDITED AND TYPESET BY KARA KUMPEL
Cover design by Howard Grossman/12E Design
Printed in the U.S.A.
Images on pages 86, 89, 91, 102, 104, 107, 131, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 157, 158, 159, 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.
Special appreciation to the photographic skill of Rivelino, and the
fantastic photo shoots in the streets and along the canals of Amsterdam.
I would like to thank my thousands of Facebook friends and followers,
who allow me to have a great virtual banter on a daily basis!
Each and every member of the Coppens, Sonck, Harkey, and Smith
family, though I need to specifically mention my parents; my brother, Tom,
and his wife, Kathleen, and my nephews, Daan and Arne; Papa and Mama;
as well as Patrick, Conor, and Shane.
Finally, I thank Kathleen. It is best summed up by Giorgio, who in
December 2009, when he saw me again after many years, heard me speak
about you and to you on the phone and concluded that there was absolutely
no doubt that I was totally in love. You changed my life, made me into a
new man, and were a constant source of inspiration throughout the writing
of this book, and will remain so. As fate would have it, the final paragraph
of this manuscript was written on our anniversary. Semper.
Philip Coppens
May 29, 2011