In this retrospective episode, Giorgio Tsoukalos revisits rock art sites examined throughout the series that ancient astronaut theorists believe document extraterrestrial contact. A primary focus is Val Camonica in northern Italy, where William Henry and local researcher Luca Giarelli explore thousands of ancient petroglyphs. Henry interprets humanoid figures with what appear to be helmets as depictions of spacesuited visitors, while the recurring "Camunian Rose" symbol—a mysterious flower-like design appearing 19 times at the site—is presented as a possible representation of spacecraft rather than the celestial or religious symbol mainstream archaeologists propose. The episode connects these carvings to the Greek myth of Phaeton, who allegedly descended from the sky in a "fiery chariot" and founded Turin while teaching metallurgy to locals, suggesting this legend preserves memories of actual technological beings visiting Earth.
Conventional archaeology views the Val Camonica petroglyphs, created over thousands of years by the ancient Camunni people, as expressions of their spiritual beliefs, astronomical observations, and daily life rather than documentation of extraterrestrial encounters. The helmeted figures are typically interpreted as representations of warriors, shamans, or deities wearing ceremonial headgear common across many ancient cultures. For curious viewers, the episode offers an engaging tour of genuinely remarkable prehistoric art at a UNESCO World Heritage site, raising interesting questions about how ancient peoples chose to memorialize their most significant experiences—even if the answers likely lie in human culture and imagination rather than alien visitation.
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