Is there evidence of ancient technology buried beneath the ice of the most southern continent?

Within 20 years, we are expecting to send the first colonizers to the Red Planet. Astronauts will brave the six-month journey to become the first extraterrestrials visitors to Mars--where they are expected to live and die there, never to return to Earth. But why have we always had a strange fascination with this particular planet? The latest NASA research has revealed that not only is there evidence of liquid water on the planet, but that life on Earth was most likely seeded on Mars. Ancient Astronaut theorists even suggest that the development of life on Earth may have similarities to how scientists are currently planning to keep humans alive on the red planet. Could extraterrestrials from Mars have colonized Earth in our remote past? Could our voyage to Mars not only unlock the mysteries of our ancient, extraterrestrial origins--but also be the key to the long-term survival of the human species?

In the 21st century, technology is heading in a radical new direction--the merging of man and machine. Smart drugs, nanorobots, and machine-printed organs are just a few of the cutting-edge innovations catalyzing the evolution of humankind into an entirely new species. Transhumanists envision a future in which we become cyborgs, achieving far superior intelligence, the ability to survive beyond Earth's atmosphere without a spacesuit, and the possibility of immortality. But might similarly superhuman beings have walked the Earth once before? Beings that our ancestors regarded as gods? Ancient Astronaut theorists say yes, and suggest that we are simply following the course they set us on from the very beginning of mankind--to transcend our flesh and become like our extraterrestrial creators.

Millions of people around the world believe we have been visited in the past by extraterrestrial beings. What if it were true? This is the question Ancient Astronaut theorists have posed since Erich von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods was first published in 1968; examining scientific, archaeological, astronomical, and historical evidence to find the answer. In recent years, more new evidence has been revealed than ever before that suggests there was extraterrestrial intervention on Earth in the distant past. Satellite images have exposed geoglyphs resembling Nazca lines in Kazakhstan. Ground penetrating radar has detected remnants of ancient technology in Machu Picchu. And thermal scanning has uncovered hidden chambers behind King Tut's tomb that may hold the remains of extraterrestrial beings. Could we be at the tipping point where the overwhelming evidence outweighs any last shred of doubt?

Scientists theorize that when mankind encounters extraterrestrials, we'll need to speak to them through the universal language of mathematics and binary code. But is it possible that extraterrestrials have already been communicating with our greatest mathematicians and engineers? Might they have somehow aided them in bringing about the space age and computers? Ancient Astronaut theorists say yes. As evidence, they point to the true father of the space program, Nikolai Fyodorov, a "Cosmist" who believed that human civilization had its origins in outer space and that it was our destiny to return to the cosmos. Wernher von Braun was greatly influenced by Fyodorov and he was motivated by a similar, secret belief when he ran the mission that put the first man on the moon. Is it possible that humanity's greatest visionaries have been carrying out an extraterrestrial master plan?

A "Cosmic Egg" -- in which the universe, or some primordial being comes into existence by the hatching of an egg -- is found in the creation myths of many cultures. Why is this concept so pervasive throughout the world? Clues to the origin of the Cosmic Egg may lie in another symbol commonly paired with the egg -- the symbol of intertwined snakes -- which some believe represents ancient knowledge of the DNA double-helix spiral. Did our ancestors have advanced insight into human biological coding? And could the Cosmic Egg represent, not the cosmos or the gods, but our own creation and genetic manipulation? Ancient Astronaut theorists suggest that just like the world's most iconic religious symbols, the Cosmic Egg cannot be summed up as representing a singular thing, but may have a much deeper meaning.

The Aborigines of Australia are the oldest, continuously surviving society on Earth. The stories preserved in their oral tradition are said to date back over 60,000 years, to an era they call the "Dreamtime" and contain fascinating descriptions about how life began and our planet was seeded by extraterrestrials. Linguistic experts have just discovered that many of these indigenous legends can be scientifically verified by examining the geological record. Ancient Astronaut theorists propose that if the Aboriginal's oral traditions are indeed this accurate, then perhaps the tales they tell about sky gods visiting Earth in large, fire-spewing crafts are true as well. Could the ultimate evidence about our extraterrestrial past be found within the sacred stories, sites, and rituals of Australia's Wisdom Keepers?

In 2013, former Canadian Minister of Defense, Paul Hellyer, made a shocking claim--that there is a federation of extraterrestrial beings monitoring and guiding humanity. But why would such an esteemed politician make such a controversial announcement? Ancient Astronaut theorists believe evidence can be found throughout history to prove his claims are true. Stories of emperors, kings and pharaohs consulting a pantheon of nine gods can be found in virtually every culture across the globe. Even channeling sessions conducted by CIA scientists in the 1950s connected with an otherworldly group of entities called "The Nine" -- extraterrestrials here to influence the events on Earth. Could there be an intergalactic council of nine secretly working behind the scenes, dictating the course of humanity?

Ancient Astronaut theorists suggest that evidence of extraterrestrial visitation exists in every corner of the Earth, but some say the most compelling can be found in one of the world's least accessible places--China. China is the cradle to one of mankind's earliest and most influential civilizations. The advents of gunpowder, paper, the compass, and countless other major innovations form the technological base on which our modern societies function. But historically, China has also had a policy of isolationism. From the Great Wall erected thousands of years ago to the "Great Firewall" of today, China has long prevented both people and information from entering or exiting its domain. While China has long been a secretive and isolationist country, new evidence suggest that aliens walked among us in the ancient past, and may have been with us all the way up to today... hiding among us.

Recent archaeological discoveries reveal a very different picture of what life on Earth looked like in the remote past. It was a real-life version of "Lord of the Rings," where humans shared the planet with various different types of intelligent human-like species, such as Neanderthals, Denisovans, and even hobbits. But how is it that these various hominid species developed separately in isolated pockets of the globe? And why does no fossil evidence exist suggesting a slow gradual delineation from a common species? Ancient Astronaut theorists suggest these different intelligent species seem to have come straight out of the incubator, and that Earth itself may have served as an extraterrestrial laboratory. A laboratory where different human prototypes once existed--but only one species was chosen to survive. Is mankind the result of an extraterrestrial experiment?

It was mankind's finest hour, the greatest technological achievement of the 20th Century--the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. But the Apollo program was short-lived, and after Apollo 17 in 1972, we never went back. Could it be that we encountered something--or someone--on the Moon? Did the Apollo astronauts witness more than NASA wants us to know? The Moon is the most visible celestial body in the night sky and is essential to life on Earth. But what if the Moon is not the natural object we believe it to be? Unidentified lunar objects in NASA photography may point to extraterrestrial structures on the moon, and possibly evidence of what lies beneath the surface. Some Ancient Astronaut theorists have even suggested that the Moon is actually an artificial object, placed in its current position by otherworldly beings thousands of years ago.

Russia is a vast country, spanning over 6 million square miles of some of the most rugged terrain on Earth, much of which is uninhabited and largely unexplored. It is also the home of 'cosmism' -- a belief that human civilization originated in the cosmos and is destined to return to space. But many believe the rise of communism led to a wall of secrecy surrounding ancient and modern extraterrestrial contact in Russia. Ancient astronaut theorists suggest that otherworldly visitations predate the establishment of the Russian nation, and point to the ancient settlement at Arkaim as evidence--a centuries-old megalithic site that, like Stonehenge, is oriented along astronomical lines. In addition, tiny metal coils and springs recovered 30 feet beneath the Ural Mountains may indicate the presence of advanced technology on Earth thousands of years ago.

The U.S. military has long denied that the infamous 1947 Roswell crash was anything other than a weather balloon, but FBI files released in 2011 include a memo to J. Edgar Hoover regarding the recovery of not one, but three "flying saucers." Could the U.S. government really have extraterrestrial crafts in their possession? Ancient Astronaut theorists say yes, and claim that Roswell is just the tip of the iceberg. Over a dozen other UFO crashes were reported all across the world around the same time as Roswell, and it is rumored that the wreckage from these incidents was retrieved and hidden away at secret military bases like Area 51 in Nevada, Kapustin Yar in Russia, Pine Gap in Australia, Rudloe Manor in England, and even in the remote hills of China. But if true, what happened to these alien spaceships?

Thousands of people from every part of the world have reported being abducted by aliens, including even a world leader--President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov of the Russian Republic of Kalmykia, who announced in 2007 that he had been taken aboard an extraterrestrial ship. Could the alien abduction phenomenon be true? But if so, why are people being taken? And perhaps more importantly--why are they being returned? Stories of human abduction by otherworldly entities can be found in mythologies dating back thousands of years, and the abductees often return to Earth with new knowledge or instructions for mankind. In modern times, researchers of alleged alien abductions have found extraterrestrial objects implanted just under the skin, strange patterns in genetic mutations, and knowledge of entire alien languages from abductees. Is it possible that extraterrestrials are secretly manipulating mankind through these abduction events?

Of the millions of Hindu gods, none is more important than Shiva--the great destroyer. Ancient Astronaut theorists suggest this powerful being that possessed flying machines, incredible weapons, and had supernatural abilities may, in fact, have been the leader of an extraterrestrial faction that came to Earth wielding advanced technology. And the evidence, they say, comes not just from the incredible stories of the ancient Vedic texts, but is also carved in stone throughout the Hindu world. The megalithic Kailasa Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is carved from a single rock cliff, and it is said that it took just 18 years to chisel out the estimated 400,000 tons of rock excavated in its construction. But how was this accomplished over a thousand years ago when modern engineers say such a feat is not even possible with today's technology?

In the 21st century, mainstream scholars, scientists, and world governments have for the first time openly joined the hunt for intelligent life beyond Earth. But while such an effort has never been made public before, in reality, the search for proof of extraterrestrial life has been underway for decades. Starting around 1947, a series of unexplained sightings and mysterious events forced certain high-level members within the US government to officially become alien hunters. Projects Sign, Grudge, and Bluebook were government programs to research UFO sightings--and by some accounts, literally hundreds of the reported events were unable to be explained. Ancient Astronaut theorists suggest there is evidence that similar endeavors were even made thousands of years ago, sighting ancient astronomical observatories found all over the world, and new evidence that Babylonians were tracking the movements of the planets over 2,000 years ago.

Artificial metallic objects dating back hundreds of thousands of years. New discoveries of metals once thought to be mythological. Mysterious metal spheres defying the laws of physics. Could these out of place artifacts be physical evidence of extraterrestrials visiting planet Earth in the distant past, leaving behind remnants of their technology? Ancient Astronaut Theorists Erich von Daniken and Giorgio A. Tsoukalos travel to Romania to take a closer look at an ancient aluminum wedge that has left historians baffled. And investigative journalist, Linda Moulton Howe, travels to Jacksonville, Florida to uncover the secrets of a strange metallic sphere that fell from the sky and garnered the attention of the U.S. Navy. Might evidence of our extraterrestrial past be found in these mysterious and ancient metal objects?

In the southwest corner of the Wiltshire, England countryside lies the mysterious structure known as Rudloe Manor. On the surface, it appears to be nothing more than a quaint English manor house, but researchers have argued for years that it has been the epicenter of British research into UFOs since World War II. British Ministry of Defence (MOD) insiders claim that an astounding 2.2 million square feet of vast caverns divided into many smaller chambers lie buried underneath Rudloe Manor. Giorgio A. Tsoukalos and Nick Pope explore the possibility that important files related to the history of the UFO phenomenon are being kept under lock and key here. Might recovered extraterrestrial craft be stored and analyzed there as well? Could the evidence of extraterrestrial contact from the Berwyn Mountains incident in 1974 and the Rendlesham forest encounter in 1980 be hidden in this highly protected facility?

Many of the architectural marvels of the ancient world bear striking similarities to one another, even though they were built by civilizations that were separated by thousands of miles and are believed to have had no contact with one another. Separated by more than 7500 miles, the Giza pyramid complex in Giza, Egypt and the Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, Mexico contain pyramids that are aligned with the constellation of Orion's belt. An ancient pyramid temple in Cambodia known as Baksei Chamkrong is an almost identical match for the Temple of the Jaguar in Guatemala. Many structures built using stone slabs that weighed over a hundred tons. But how did primitive people achieve such extraordinary feats? And why do we see such similarities? Could these sites have all been designed by alien architects?

According to legend, an ancient curse was placed upon the tomb of King Tutankhamun, and when that tomb was opened in 1922, a series of terrible events occurred. A curse was also placed on King Tut's father Akhenaten, and during the rehearsal of a play dramatizing the lifting of this curse, similar tragedies followed. Could a curse truly exist, but in the form of alien technology that is protecting an incredible secret about our past? Is there hidden power in the words inscribed on so-called "magic bricks" found in King Tut's tomb, or in those contained in the play to lift Akhenaten's curse that are connected to some extraterrestrial force? Ancient Astronaut theorists suggest that The Pharaohs' Curse was put in place to protect not only the truth about an otherworldly event in our past, but also an extraterrestrial device--a device that some believe still exists today, buried deep beneath the Earth... on Oak Island.

Nearly every year archaeologists and anthropologists make discoveries that require revisions to our history books. But there are numerous artifacts that are outright ignored because they don't fit into the accepted scientific paradigm. Could clues about our extraterrestrial origins be hidden in these discarded pieces of our past? Shocking evidence has recently been revealed that challenges the accepted dating of the Great Pyramid. An ancient hammer found in Texas that dates back 140 million years is ignored by mainstream archaeologists. And unexplainable elongated skulls have been found on nearly every continent of the world that science refuses to test. Could we be on the brink of scientific discoveries that the academic community cannot deny? Evidence that reveals the truth of where we really came from, why we are here and if we are alone in the Universe?

The ancient site of Teotihuacan in central Mexico--which the Aztecs called the "City of the Gods"--is one of the world's greatest mysteries. To this day, no one knows who built the metropolis or what happened to its occupants, but based on evidence that has recently been unearthed, Ancient Astronaut theorists suggest it was once home to a highly advanced, perhaps extraterrestrial, civilization. The many structures that still stand in Teotihuacan appear to be encoded with advanced mathematical and cosmic principles, and the layout precisely mirrors the positions of the planets in our solar system. Modern excavations at the site have unearthed discoveries of liquid mercury, walls lined with mica, and strange golden-spheres containing unknown substances--all of which are out of place in the ancient world. Could these artifacts be the remnants of an alien society? Perhaps even an extraterrestrial spaceport?

The use of mantras and chanting to connect with a higher plane has existed in cultures all over the world dating back thousands of years, but why would people who had no contact with each other all subscribe to this practice? Could there be certain frequencies that connect us with greater--perhaps extraterrestrial--forces? Researchers have found that dozens of megalithic sites stretching across the globe--like the prehistoric Newgrange monument in Ireland, the chiseled labyrinths underneath the island of Malta, and the giant temple complex of Angkor Wat in Cambodia--were all designed to emanate the exact same frequency. The planets in our solar system each give off a distinct sound, and certain places on Earth, like Taos, New Mexico, have been found to produce a hum from an unknown source. Might the best evidence of alien intervention on Earth be found not with our eyes... but with our ears?

In 1984, a roll of 35mm film surfaced from an anonymous source that contained pictures of what is now known as the Eisenhower Briefing Document. This document is purported to be a memo sent from the director of the CIA in 1952 to president-elect Dwight Eisenhower, informing him of the existence of a top-secret group within the US government called "The Majestic Twelve." Composed of top scientists, government officials, and military elite, this group's mission was to investigate reports of unidentified flying objects--and to examine crashed extraterrestrial craft. And more recently, in 2002, a major computer hack into Pentagon and NASA computers appears to reveal hard evidence that not only are the Majestic Twelve documents real, but that the government's interaction with extraterrestrials has led to the creation of a secret space program, that has already established bases on the moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies.

Throughout history, prophets and visionaries have claimed to be able to telepathically access knowledge and information that would ultimately steer the course of human history. But if true, where do these individuals get their visions? According to ancient mythologies, there is a universal repository of knowledge known as the Akashic Record. While most mainstream scholars relegate this to the realm of mythology, recent scientific discoveries have opened the possibility that such a repository could actually exist--and is accessible by the human mind. Giorgio A. Tsoukalos meets with neuroscientist Dr. Dario Nardi to measure the brainwaves of Dr. Deepak Chopra as he enters a state of deep meditation to observe the physical chnges in the brain as he connects or taps into something beyond ourselves. Could our ability to tap into the Akashic Record lead to the next giant leap in human evolution--and connect us to other intelligent beings throughout the cosmos?