Erich von Däniken's Chariots of the Gods is a work of monumental importance—the first book to introduce the shocking theory that ancient Earth was visited by aliens. This world-famous bestseller has withstood the test of time, inspiring countless books and films, including the author's own popular sequel, The Eye of the Sphinx. But here is where it all began—von Däniken's startling theories of our earliest encounters with alien worlds, based upon his lifelong studies of ancient ruins, lost cities, potential spaceports, and a myriad of hard scientific facts that point to extraterrestrial intervention in human history. Most incredible of all, however, is von Däniken's theory that we ourselves are the descendents of these galactic pioneers—and the archaeological discoveries that prove it: —An alien astronaut preserved in a pyramid —Thousand-year-old spaceflight navigation charts —Computer astronomy from Incan and Egyptian ruins —A map of the land beneath the ice cap of Antarctica —A giant spaceport preserved in the Andes