This episode explores whether the bewildering variety of non-human entities described in global mythology—from bird-headed gods to blue-skinned deities to multi-limbed beings—might represent different extraterrestrial species that visited Earth throughout history. Ancient Astronaut theorists suggest that the Paracas skulls of Peru, first excavated by archaeologist Julio Tello in 1927, offer physical evidence of such visitors. Researcher Brien Foerster highlights that roughly five percent of these elongated skulls exhibit anomalies beyond mere shape: some are 60% heavier than typical human skulls, possess brain capacities 2.5 times larger than normal, lack the sagittal suture found in all human skulls, and—according to preliminary DNA testing on skull number 44—contain genetic sequences that "didn't match anything known to be human." Theorists argue these remains represent a separate bloodline or hybridization event connecting humanity to otherworldly ancestors.
Mainstream archaeologists attribute the Paracas skull elongation to intentional head binding, a well-documented practice in numerous ancient cultures worldwide where infant skulls were wrapped and reshaped while still soft. The other skeletal variations, conventional analysis suggests, fall within the range of human diversity or represent measurement ambiguities. The DNA results remain contested and have not been published in peer-reviewed journals. Still, the episode compels even skeptics to engage: the Paracas skulls are undeniably unusual, the head-binding explanation raises the question of why this practice was so geographically widespread, and the intersection of tangible archaeological specimens with cutting-edge genetic testing makes for genuinely thought-provoking television.
Flatwoods, West Virginia (Flatwoods Monster crash site)
United States · Modern
Ancient astronaut theorists present the September 1952 Flatwoods incident as a real encounter with a ten-to-twelve-foot birdlike extraterrestrial creature with glowing red eyes, connected to a ball of light seen landing in the woods, suggesting ongoing visitation by non-human entities. No mainstream scientific explanation for the creature has been confirmed; skeptics have attributed the sighting to a barn owl perched in a tree combined with a meteor or aircraft.
Fort McDowell, Arizona (International UFO Congress)
United States · Modern
The episode uses eyewitness testimony gathered at the International UFO Congress to argue that modern abductee accounts of varied extraterrestrial forms — winged humanoids, insectoids, reptilians — corroborate ancient depictions of non-human gods, suggesting ongoing multi-species alien contact. No mainstream scientific body accepts these personal testimonies as evidence of extraterrestrial visitation.
Gorham's Cave, Gibraltar
United Kingdom · Cro-Magnon / Upper Paleolithic
The episode presents Gorham's Cave as evidence that Neanderthals possessed symbolic intelligence comparable to modern humans, which theorists use to support the idea that multiple intelligent species coexisted on Earth, potentially including extraterrestrial ones. Mainstream anthropologists interpret the cross-hatched engravings dated to over 39,000 years ago as the earliest known Neanderthal cave art, demonstrating capacity for symbolic representation.
Paracas
Peru · Paracas
In 1928, archaeologist Julio Tello discovered the Paracas skulls of Peru--elongated heads with cranial volumes at least 25% larger than the largest known human skulls. Some believe these remains are of extraterrestrial origin.
Paracas Archaeological Complex
Peru · Paracas
Ancient Astronaut theorists claim the Paracas skulls discovered here in 1928 show elongated heads with cranial volumes 25% larger than human skulls, suggesting extraterrestrial origin. They propose these remains are evidence of alien visitation and genetic manipulation of early human populations.