Daniken was real popular back then. His crap plus Berlitz's Bermuda Triangle influenced a lot of popular entertainment and fiction back then. Ultimately, we got the original Battlestar Galactica out of that particular meme, so it wasn't a total loss.
Re-reading Chariots of the Gods is giggle-provoking these days, because of what I know now--but if Daniken hadn't published all that bullshit, would archaeologists have come out of their specialty fields to tell us all those interesting things they'd known for years but hadn't gotten into popular science literature?
("We've got actual records of the daily rations for the guys working on the pyramids, and their graffiti on the stone blocks, you know."
No, we the public didn't know that! All we knew about building pyramids came from watching old Hollywood costume epics.
"Yes, early batteries existed and were used for electro-plating jewelry."
This was mentioned in which of my history books? The ones that emphasized that ancient Egypt and Sumer barely managed mud brick, stone cutting and this new-fangled 'writing' concept?
"That little glider was a child's toy, made in imitation of birds, not alien aircraft."
Okay, even I figured that out, seeing it was in the shape of a hawk.)
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2010-03-31 01:00 pm (UTC)Re-reading Chariots of the Gods is giggle-provoking these days, because of what I know now--but if Daniken hadn't published all that bullshit, would archaeologists have come out of their specialty fields to tell us all those interesting things they'd known for years but hadn't gotten into popular science literature?
("We've got actual records of the daily rations for the guys working on the pyramids, and their graffiti on the stone blocks, you know."
No, we the public didn't know that! All we knew about building pyramids came from watching old Hollywood costume epics.
"Yes, early batteries existed and were used for electro-plating jewelry."
This was mentioned in which of my history books? The ones that emphasized that ancient Egypt and Sumer barely managed mud brick, stone cutting and this new-fangled 'writing' concept?
"That little glider was a child's toy, made in imitation of birds, not alien aircraft."
Okay, even I figured that out, seeing it was in the shape of a hawk.)