No, aliens did not build the Great Pyramids of Giza… Or did they?
(Above: Ancient aliens assist with local Egyptians in the construction of the Pyramids)
Everybody, at this point, has heard the theory that the Pyramids were built by aliens, but is there even a single shred of truth in these stories? Short answer? Not really. But there’s no fun in that. There are some jaw-dropping facts about the Pyramids that led the way for everyone’s favorite conspiracy theory.
Speed of Light
Some claim that an advanced species of aliens have the technology to travel back and forth from the future because they have been able to develop the ability to travel at the speed of light. The reason for this belief stems from the fact that the speed of light is 299,792,458 metres per second and the geographic coordinates for the Great Pyramid are 29.9792458°N. Interesting.
Astronomical Building Precision
Some claim that the three Pyramids of Giza were exactly aligned with the position of the three stars in the belt of Orion, as they were positioned when they were built. Another astonishing fact is that the diagonal axis point directly to the Magnetic North pole of Earth. Also, on the summer solstice, the sun supposedly sets exactly in between the Pyramids and the Sphinx. People claim none of this should have been possible for the Egyptians to do. Curious.
Now these facts are eerie but they are not enough to make your average Joe believe that aliens built the Pyramids. Let’s take a look at how the scary world of the internet has become infested with these rumors of alien pharaohs and time-traveling beings.
How?
Books and publications have played some of the biggest roles in perpetuating these notions. Going back to the 19th century, after the publication of H.G. Wells’ “War of Worlds”, people were enthralled by the idea of extraterrestrial contact with our predecessors. Following Wells’ success, Garret P. Serviss followed up with the successful book, “Edison’s Conquest of Mars”. He spins a story of how the “giants of Mars” helped move the stones for the Egyptians. This is the first known assertion that the Egyptians did not build the Pyramids alone.
But, how did these science fiction stories turn into believable narratives that have thousands of people convinced of alien life? One man who had a strong hand in this was Erich von Danikens. In 1968, Von Daniken’s publication of, Chariots of the Gods? Unsolved Mysteries of the Past. sold more than 65 million copies and framed the notion of extraterrestrial assistance to the Egyptians in such a way that he gained a large, almost cult like, following. Von Danikens gained great renown for his theories as he wrote the book in a matter-of-factly manner. As the tabloids and press around the United States found his book. After it was translated into English, the media began pushing it onto the average American to capitalize on the extraterrestrial hype. Within a few years, NBC aired an adaptation of the book entitled In Search of Ancient Astronauts.
Why?
One of the reasons that Americans were so prone to accept this wild new idea was because of recent distrust in the United States government. One could argue that after Watergate in 1972, people’s general mistrust of the American government was on a rise. People were more susceptible to believe that the government was lying to them.
While the debate on how the Pyramids were built has raged for centuries, recently, one show in particular has thrust this debate straight into the limelight. “Ancient Aliens: Secret of the Pyramids”, produced by the History Channel, made some bold claims that made their way into pop culture.
How did this theory catch on so easily? One belief, credited to Sarah Bond, on how this theory spread so quickly in the United States is that there is a systematic racism that perpetuates our country. She proposes that a white supremacy mindset is a driver for the belief that Egyptians could not have built the Pyramids alone. People then take the facts that are presented about the Pyramids and see it through a racist mindset and this leads to some of the far fetched ideas.
(Giorgio Tsoukalos, Host of “Ancient Aliens” in his famous viral meme)
Concluding Thoughts
Do I believe we are alone in the universe? No. Do I believe that a race of highly intelligent and advanced aliens visited the earth thousands of years ago just to help us build some Pyramids? No. However, these magnificent structures can make even the most staunch scientist question some of his most tightly held beliefs.
My name is Will Andersen and I have been fascinated by aliens my whole life. Since I was a young boy I used to look to the skies and picture aliens coming down to earth just for me. This topic is very interesting to study for me.
