Episode Guide

The Disclosure Event

In December 2020, President Trump signed a COVID-19 relief bill that included a surprising mandate: the Director of National Intelligence and Secretary of Defense had 180 days to deliver a public report on "unidentified aerial phenomena." Ancient Aliens theorists argue this represents a watershed moment in UFO disclosure, pointing to classified military videos leaked to the public and the Pentagon's admission that some aerial phenomena defy explanation with current science and technology. The requirement originated with the Senate Intelligence Committee and was tucked into the massive spending package to ensure passage. Researchers suggest the timing raises questions about why the government only began seriously compiling UAP data in 2019 despite decades of available information, with some theorists speculating whether official acknowledgment of extraterrestrial visitors might be imminent.

Mystery of the Standing Stones

The episode investigates why ancient cultures on nearly every continent erected massive standing stones—over 50,000 of them across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, some weighing more than 300 tons and dating back over 5,000 years. Ancient astronaut theorists, sparked by the 2016 discovery of the "Utah monolith" (a 12-foot metal slab that stood undetected for four years in a remote canyon), propose that these monuments may represent extraterrestrial intervention or evidence of advanced ancient technology. They point to astronomical alignments, reports of electric shocks and altered states experienced near the stones, and claims that the monuments were positioned to "create a release of energy." Giorgio Tsoukalos and others suggest the stones serve as "a calling card" from otherworldly teachers, with the modern fascination triggered by copycat monoliths appearing worldwide in late 2020 potentially awakening "deep-seated memories" encoded in human DNA.

Beneath the Sacred Temples

This episode explores why sacred sites across the world—from Peru's Sacsayhuamán to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem—were built and rebuilt in the same locations over thousands of years. Ancient astronaut theorists, including Giorgio Tsoukalos and Brien Foerster, argue that the most ancient layers at sites like Sacsayhuamán demonstrate construction techniques that seem beyond the capabilities of known Bronze Age cultures. The Inca themselves, according to Spanish chronicles, told conquistadors they merely built atop far older megalithic walls with perfectly fitted stones weighing over 125 tons. Theorists like George Noory suggest these weren't just spiritually significant locations but possible "spots for extraterrestrial communication," with local traditions crediting "the gods" rather than human builders.

The World on Alert

This episode examines the recent global shift toward governmental transparency on UFOs, asking why nations that spent decades denying aerial phenomena are now openly investigating them. Ancient Astronaut theorists point to the 2017 U.S. government acknowledgment of UAP research and the 2021 report identifying 144 incidents with only one explanation, suggesting the evidence has become impossible to dismiss. Chile leads this transparency through its official Committee for the Study of Anomalous Aerial Phenomena, established in 1997, which investigated a 2014 naval helicopter video showing an unidentified object with a plume trailing behind it—footage the military studied for two years without reaching a conclusion. Theorists argue South American countries' openness stems from cultural heritage connected to ancient sites in Peru and Bolivia, hinting at long-standing extraterrestrial contact.

Recovering the Ark of the Covenant

Season 18's fifth episode builds its case around a 2011 video showing a pulsating light descending onto Jerusalem's Temple Mount, which some Ancient Aliens theorists interpret as a technological activation of the Ark of the Covenant buried beneath the Dome of the Rock. The episode presents the Ark—a gold-covered acacia wood chest built to house the Ten Commandments and described in Exodus as roughly four feet long—as potentially far more than a religious container. Theorists cited in the episode argue that biblical descriptions of the Ark bringing down Jericho's walls, smiting enemies, and causing disease suggest it was an advanced technological device rather than a spiritual symbol, with its disappearance around 586 BCE launching centuries of speculation about whether it was hidden, looted, or moved to locations ranging from Ethiopia to beneath the Temple Mount itself.

Star Ancestors

This episode explores the traditions of Native American peoples across North America who tell stories of "Star Ancestors"—powerful beings who descended from the sky in ancient times. Ancient Astronaut theorists point to sites like Cahokia in Illinois, where the massive Monks Mound once anchored a city of 15,000 people around 1050 CE, as evidence of advanced knowledge possibly passed down from celestial visitors. They highlight widespread traditions like the Bird Man figure—found dramatically in a Cahokian ruler's burial surrounded by 20,000 shell beads arranged as a falcon—as potential depictions of these sky beings. Theorists argue that oral histories from diverse tribes consistently reference ancestors or creators who came from the stars, suggesting these aren't mere myths but memories of actual contact with otherworldly visitors.

Alien Air Force

This episode draws a direct line between recently declassified U.S. Navy footage of unidentified aerial phenomena and ancient accounts of mysterious flying objects. The central case comes from July 2019, when nine warships from Carrier Strike Group 9 off San Clemente Island were "swarmed" by unknown objects that the USS Russell captured on night vision—pyramid-shaped craft hovering 700 feet above the ship with no visible wings, exhaust, or control surfaces. Ancient astronaut theorists, noting that the Egyptian Museum houses pyramid-shaped artifacts and that ancient texts describe flying vehicles, suggest these modern Navy encounters may involve the same extraterrestrial visitors who have allegedly appeared throughout human history, from Sumerian accounts of Oannes emerging from the sea in a "winged disc" to 3,000-year-old descriptions of advanced aircraft.

The Shadow People

This episode investigates reports of shadowy, humanoid entities that allegedly induce paralysis and terror in witnesses worldwide, focusing on a cluster of mysterious deaths among Hmong refugees in the United States after 1975. Ancient astronaut theorists, including those interviewed for the show, suggest these "shadow people" could be interdimensional beings or extraterrestrial visitors with hostile intentions. The episode highlights 117 sudden deaths of healthy Hmong men (median age 33) who died in their sleep after immigrating from Laos, a phenomenon medical examiners labeled "sudden unexpected nocturnal death syndrome." The Hmong community attributed these deaths to "cho chua"—pressure demons that sit on victims' chests—which they believe attacked because traditional protective rituals couldn't be performed in their new country. Ancient astronaut theorists draw connections between these accounts and similar shadow entity reports across cultures, proposing these beings may be more than psychological phenomena.

Decoding the Dragon Gods

"Decoding the Dragon Gods" explores whether dragon legends across cultures might represent ancient encounters with extraterrestrial visitors. The episode centers on China's Qingming Festival at the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor in Shaanxi Province, where thousands participate in traditional dragon dances honoring Huangdi, the semi-mythical founder of Chinese civilization nearly 5,000 years ago. Ancient astronaut theorists argue that the Yellow Emperor's ascension to the heavens aboard a dragon—emerging from a magical cauldron and carrying him to dwell in the Pole Star—describes advanced technology rather than mythology. They note that dragon legends appear remarkably consistent across India, Indonesia, Greece, and Asia, depicting winged beings descending from the sky who brought knowledge and established civilizations, suggesting these accounts stem from actual sightings of spacecraft and their occupants.

The Time Benders

"The Time Benders" explores whether extraterrestrials might manipulate time itself, pointing to pilot reports of "missing time," UFOs appearing and disappearing instantaneously, and the ancient story of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. At the grotto of Mount Pion in Turkey, tradition holds that seven Christian warriors were sealed in a cave in 250 AD and awoke 300 years later to find their world transformed, with crosses everywhere and Christianity now dominant. Ancient astronaut theorists like those featured suggest these sleepers may have experienced a genuine time shift rather than divine intervention, and that UFO sightings involving temporal anomalies—such as a pilot's claim of flying 100 miles in just over three minutes—indicate alien civilizations have mastered time travel. The episode proposes that UFOs might not be visitors from distant planets but time travelers from humanity's own future or past.

The Mountain of the Dead

Giorgio Tsoukalos revisits some of Ancient Aliens' most puzzling archaeological sites, with special focus on Egypt's Serapeum of Saqqara—a 790-foot underground complex discovered in 1850 by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette. The site contains 24 enormous granite sarcophagi, each roughly 13 feet long and weighing 70-75 tons, with lids adding another 20-25 tons. Ancient astronaut theorists point to the extreme precision of the stone cutting and the mystery of how these massive boxes were transported deep underground through narrow passages as evidence of advanced, possibly extraterrestrial, assistance. Egyptologist Ramy Romany notes the connection to the Apis bull cult—sacred animals said to have originated when "a ray of light came down from heaven" and struck a cow—which theorists interpret as describing contact with beings from the stars.

The Caretakers

Giorgio Tsoukalos revisits what he considers the most compelling evidence for extraterrestrial contact, with a particular focus on Sardinia's Giants of Mont'e Prama—massive stone statues discovered in 1974 when a farmer found carved stone protruding from the ground. Standing seven and a half to eight feet tall, these figures depict warriors, boxers, and archers, but what captures ancient astronaut theorists' attention are their distinctly non-human features: strange circular "disc eyes" and robotic proportions that, according to Tsoukalos, don't match actual human anatomy. He suggests these statues were kept from public display until around 2000 because they challenge conventional archaeological narratives, arguing instead that they represent something "very unusual" that happened on the island—potentially depicting otherworldly visitors rather than the indigenous Nuragic people.

The Messenger of God

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.

The Nuclear Code

In this retrospective episode, Giorgio Tsoukalos revisits what he considers the most compelling UFO evidence investigated throughout the series, with special focus on mysterious metallic fragments that investigative journalist Linda Moulton Howe has been analyzing since 1996. The materials originated from an anonymous Army sergeant who claimed his grandfather scraped them from a glowing, wedge-shaped craft at White Sands Proving Ground in New Mexico during the 1940s. Laboratory analysis at the University of Michigan revealed alternating micron-thin layers of nearly pure bismuth and magnesium-zinc alloy—a combination that, according to Howe's consultation with exotic metals manufacturers, shouldn't be possible to bond with current technology. The episode positions these fragments, which attracted U.S. Army interest in 2019, alongside recently released Navy UFO footage as evidence of extraterrestrial visitation.

Proof of Aliens

Giorgio Tsoukalos revisits artifacts he believes provide "undeniable proof" of extraterrestrial contact, with the spotlight on Romania's Wedge of Aiud—a mysterious aluminum alloy object unearthed in 1973 alongside woolly mammoth bones 35 feet below the Mures River. Ancient astronaut theorists point to a puzzling detail: the wedge was analyzed multiple times and confirmed to be primarily aluminum, a metal humans didn't refine until the 1800s, yet it was found in sediment layers potentially 40,000 years old. The object bears what appears to be an ancient patina that theorists argue cannot be artificially created, and its shape suggests a manufactured tool—possibly resembling an excavator tooth, though aluminum would be far too soft for such use. Museum curator Ana Gruia candidly admits the institution considers it "a strange piece" with genuine uncertainties about its dating, composition, and purpose.

The Power of the Ancients

In this retrospective episode, Giorgio Tsoukalos revisits what the show presents as its most compelling evidence for extraterrestrial contact, including a 2016 visit to the Allen Telescope Array in Hat Creek, California, where SETI director Seth Shostak demonstrates how 42 radio antennas scan multiple star systems simultaneously for artificial signals. The episode also highlights biological findings that ancient astronaut theorists find significant: organic material detected in meteorites, mysterious titanium spheres allegedly found in Earth's atmosphere containing biological matter, and various unspecified "strange signals from outer space." Tsoukalos and the featured theorists frame these discoveries as building toward "undeniable proof" that humanity has encountered or been influenced by extraterrestrial intelligence.

The Fairy Folk

This episode explores whether Ireland's ancient earthen mounds, some dating back over 5,000 years, might be connected to extraterrestrial visitation through the lens of Irish folklore about the "Shining Ones." Ancient alien theorists point to legends describing powerful beings who descended from the sky and inhabited these structures, suggesting these stories preserve memories of alien contact. The episode focuses particularly on Newgrange in County Meath—a massive 200,000-ton structure with a passageway aligned to the winter solstice and decorated with spiral petroglyphs. Proponents argue the mounds formed a networked system across Ireland and may have served as "doorways" to other dimensions where these beings still exist, with Irish tradition maintaining for millennia that the fairy folk possess advanced knowledge and technology.

The Hollow Earth

This episode explores why ancient cultures from Mesopotamia to Egypt to the Hebrew Bible record their earliest rulers living for hundreds or even thousands of years, and whether these accounts might reference contact with extraterrestrial beings who had achieved biological immortality. Ancient astronaut theorists point to specific artifacts like the Sumerian Kings List (known as WB44, housed at Oxford's Ashmolean Museum and dating to at least 2000 BC), which records eight kings with reigns spanning tens of thousands of years, and the fragmentary Turin Kings List from Egypt, which describes pharaohs living 700 to 900 years. The episode argues these parallel traditions—including the biblical Methuselah's 969 years—all coincide with accounts of "immortal" beings descending from the sky, whether called the Anunnaki, the Watchers, or Egyptian gods of "the first time," suggesting these visitors possessed life-extension technology humans were meant to inherit as we become a spacefaring species ourselves.

Realms of the Underworld

This episode explores ancient texts and legends that describe intelligent beings living beneath Earth's surface, focusing particularly on a passage from the Zohar, a mystical Jewish text compiled in the late 13th century from teachings attributed to second-century rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. According to the episode, the Zohar describes "seven earths"—hidden realms beneath our planet's surface inhabited by both human and non-human intelligences. Ancient Aliens theorists point to similar accounts across cultures, including Buddhist legends of Shambhala, a subterranean city ruled by long-lived kings, and modern reports of reptilian humanoids witnessed in caves. The episode suggests these consistent cross-cultural narratives might indicate that Earth has hosted other intelligent species in underground environments for millennia, potentially explaining encounters attributed to supernatural beings throughout history.

The Reincarnation Code

This episode centers on Dorothy Eady, better known as Omm Sety, a self-taught 20th-century Egyptologist who claimed to be the reincarnation of an ancient priestess and astonished professional archaeologists by accurately locating lost structures and artifacts at Abydos and throughout the Nile Valley. Ancient astronaut theorists argue her seemingly inexplicable knowledge—achieved without formal training—suggests she may have been guided by an otherworldly force connected to Egypt's "star gods," the celestial beings described in origin myths as descending in a pyramid-shaped stone to establish civilization. The episode frames her contributions against Egypt's 2021 Pharaohs' Golden Parade, suggesting a modern resurgence of interest in Egyptian mysteries and a possible preparation for the return of these ancient extraterrestrial visitors.