11. El Fuerte de Samaipata was NOT an ancient meeting point between humans and aliens
El Fuerte de Samaipata is a pre-Columbian archeological site located in the Bolivian Andes, known for encompassing the buildings of three separate and distinct cultures: the Chanè, Inca, and Spanish. Originally constructed by the pre-Inca Chané peoples around 300 CE, it was occupied by the Inca Empire in the late 15th century and finally by the Spanish from around 1615. Among archeological curiosities at the site, two parallel lines known as “El Cascabel” or “The Rattle” are carved out of the red sandstone hill at such an angle to enable the precise observation of the joint risings of Venus and Jupiter at sunrise on August 20, 1066.
Due to this feature, in addition to an alleged carving of a UFO, a 1km long tunnel under the mountains, and an unfinished sculpted head, numerous conspiracy theorists have contended El Fuerte to be the site of ancient rendezvouses between humans and extraterrestrial beings. Father of ancient astronauts theory Erich von Däniken claimed in the 1960s “The Rattle” was in fact an alien landing strip and produced detailed photographs of stone carvings supposedly representing knowledge beyond that of ancient Peruvians including telescopes, detailed world maps, and advanced medicine.
However, these theories have largely been debunked, with the stones produced by Däniken likely fakes. An investigation by PBS television network determined the stones were in fact modern forgeries, made by local potters and sold to gullible tourists. Moreover, several ancient civilizations conducted cosmological experiments at least 500 years prior to the habitation of El Fuerte, largely connecting their findings to theology, and so it is entirely plausible they understood the celestial motions and deliberately crafted “The Rattle” accordingly.