Did aliens build the pyramids?

It’s an innocent enough question, right? A playful jest at the analogs of history? Something to casually consider over dinner with your friends. Sadly, there’s an implicit harm inherent to these narratives of ancient societies because it casts them as incapable of their feats of engineering, science, and technology. Some of these narratives permeate popular culture media, specifically in shows like “Ancient Aliens,” which has widely circulated theories surrounding the extraterrestrial origins of many ancient civilizations. Despite this, there may be an unseen value in these spurious, pseudoscientific TV shows. 

How, precisely, can narratives be harmful? “…[Pseudoscience in archaeology] sustains myths of white supremacy, disparages non-Europeans, and discredits their ancestors’ achievements,” explains Dr. Sarah Kurnick, a specialist in Mesoamerican Archaeology.  

For archaeologists and historians alike, this is a very common, agreed-upon argument, and an undoubtedly important one. Pseudoscience has a long history in a range of sciences as dispersing derogatory and prejudicial rhetoric, often abetting other forms of pseudoscience.

For instance, one of the greatest archeological hoaxes was that of the Piltdown Man, in which English amateur paleoanthropologist Charles Dawson discovered the cranial remains of a Hominid he claimed to be more than “500,000 years old.” It was discovered, decades later, that the remains were instead a crude assemblage of an orangutan jaw and human skull, both of which had been artificially made to look older. Decades of research and theory were misguided by Dawson’s creation, known as the “Wizard of Sussex.” In this instance, proving that “modern humans” originated in Europe and not Africa served a pointed purpose. It was pseudo-archaeology (faux archaeological theory and practice unbacked by evidence or research) such as the Piltdown Man that was used by eugenicists to attempt to find support for their claims that the evolutionary story of humankind began with the “superior Caucasian Race.” So is a silly show with crackpot theories about aliens really as disparaging for the historical record as the Piltdown Man?

Archaeology in the modern day is vastly influenced or perhaps encumbered, by archaeotourism, defined by the Society for American Archaeology as the “visiting of sites of historic and prehistoric significance” through tourist infrastructure. Some of the most notable examples in the world include the Great Pyramids, Teotihuacán, and the Great Wall of China. These have become, in the modern day, sites of mass tourism and commerce. However, as is often the case with sites of mass resources in conjunction with tourism, the benefits are often not felt in the local populations. For instance, in the region surrounding the large Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, “representation and dissemination of Quechua culture”—the local indigenous Peruvian population—has been pulled “away from the community members to external entities” such as tourism companies. Important heritage sites already face danger through deterioration. When commerce from the inevitably destructive practices of archaeotourism don’t directly benefit indigenous people, the negative effects are doubly felt economically but also culturally. Archaeological and anthropological practices have a long, colonial history of exploitation and divestment from non-W.E.I.R.D. (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic) people, something that continues in the modern world, if through more subtle processes of exploitation. 

A considerable portion of modern archaeological work is attempting to rectify these desecrations of archaeological sites and the sovereignty of the states from which they continue to be exploited. Archaeotourism plays a crucial role in this. Responsible tourism practices can have immense benefits for local communities. Archaeotourism also has a very important role in educating the general public. CEO of Crow Canyon Archaeological Research Center Deborah Gangloff describes how public engagement “helps to build greater support for cultural resource preservation and research.” Furthermore, critical engagement with historical sites fosters “a scientifically- and culturally-literate population.” 

When managed well, archaeotourism is a sustainable and beneficial economic, social, and cultural force. There do exist, however, great risks with tourism anywhere. At historical sites, increased visitors and foot traffic are associated with faster deterioration and damage to ancient infrastructure, as mentioned above. This is compounded often by the effects of exploitation, tourism-driven displacement, and commercial gentrification. Battling these issues means using archaeological and historical sites as avenues of critical education for local people and travelers, but also as economic centers for reinvestment in local businesses and communities.

Now, back to ancient aliens. At its peak, the “Ancient Aliens” TV show received more than 390,000 viewers per episode. Marketing itself as an “investigative” documentary-style show, it simultaneously dishes out pseudoscience with limited critical academic support. The “experts” found on the show are either authors, hobbyists, or archaeologists taken out of context. However, between all the riff-raff, bedazzle, and flashing lights of aliens, giant microwaves, and underwater cities are the historical sites on which the fiction is founded.

This show, though perhaps unintentionally, is one of the biggest avenues through which a populace of largely uninformed viewers are exposed to important historical sites. When viewing the show void of any critical inquiry, it is easy to disregard it as pseudoscientific nonsense—the WWE of archaeology documentaries. However, I argue that it serves an important purpose. In popular culture, the practice of archaeology is played out on Hollywood sets of blockbuster adventure films. It is depicted as an action-packed macho activity for daredevils and adventurers looking for gold. Obliquely, the “Ancient Aliens” TV shows facilitate the preservation of historical sites in popular culture. Where an Indiana Jones movie may not even reference a specific site or culture, “Ancient Aliens” exposes a wide audience to a catalog of important sites and ancient civilizations, before delving into ludicrous conspiracy theories. For a viewer who has never heard of Chichén Itzá or Zhoukoudian, this show might spark curiosity and perhaps even encourage them to visit a site of anthropological and architectural wonder.

It is a sensible choice, especially in a “high-brow” and academic environment like Wesleyan, to disregard cheesy or low-brow media, but I argue against that. Of course, “Ancient Aliens” should be taken with a grain of salt (or maybe a handful) in its depictions of important archaeological sites and theories, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a valuable educational asset through virtue of its accessibility. The average member of the public isn’t interested in reading long-winded academic papers on archaeology; mass media, however, can play a vital role in fostering public consciousness and support for the preservation and education of our shared history. The immense viewership of “Ancient Aliens,” amongst other pop culture media, reflects a general public interest in ancient civilizations and what can be learned from them. Taking this garnered support and channeling it through sustainable and non-exploitative forms through archaeotourism reflects an ideal future for the field of archaeology and the people it can benefit. 

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Dawson was known as the “Wizard of Sussex”—it has been corrected to reflect that it was Dawson’s creation that has this appellation.

Jay Watson is a member of the class of 2027 and can be reached at jswatson@wesleyan.edu.