Chariots of the Gods? - Unsolved Mysteries of the Past

Written in 1968 by Erich von Däniken. This author presents a hypothesis that many ancient civilizations' technologies and religion were given to them by space travelers who were welcomed as gods. The book shows photographs and gives detailed information that sheds serious light on his theory. Von Däniken claims ancient art throughout the world can be interpreted to illustrate astronauts, air and space vehicles, non-human but intelligent creatures, and artifacts of high technology. Von Däniken also points out details that are similar in art of unrelated cultures around the world.
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According to von Däniken, the oral and literal traditions of most religions contain references to visitors from 'stars' and vehicles traveling through air and space. One such is Ezekiel's revelation in Old Testament, which he interprets as a detailed description of a landing spacecraft. As a real-life example, von Däniken uses the "cargo cults" that formed during and after World War II, when once-isolated tribes in the South Pacific mistook the advanced American and Japanese soldiers for gods.
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Artifacts have been found which represent higher technological knowledge than is presumed to have existed at times when they were manufactured. Von Däniken maintains that these artifacts were produced either by extra-terrestrial visitors or by humans who learned the necessary knowledge from them. Such artifacts include the Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge, the head statues of Easter Island and the Antikythera mechanism.
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Further examples include a medieval Turkish map known as the Piri Reis Map.
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Von Däniken wrote several other follow up books that attempt to support his theory, but his first is the most extraordinary.