According to Ancient Alien theorists, extra-terrestrials landed on Earth thousands of years ago, sharing their scientific expertise with early civilisations and forever changing the course of human history. But how did this concept develop, and is there any evidence to support it? The “Ancient Astronaut” theory grew out of the centuries-old idea that humans and extra-terrestrials have crossed paths before, and was again thrust into the spotlight in the 1960s, driven by a wave of UFO sightings, popular films and the acceleration of the space program.

In this ground-breaking series, HISTORY™ takes the exploration of the Ancient Astronaut theory to a new level. Are the Nazca Lines – giant linear carvings etched into a high desert plateau in Peru and visible from space – a landing map for alien spacecraft? Are the Moai, the enormous stone figures of Easter Island, actually the work of extra-terrestrial visitors? And what impact could the arrival of aliens on Earth have had on the course of history’s most telling moments?

Also included is this collection is the original Ancient Aliens pilot episode, Chariots, Gods and Beyond, which continues the evolution of concepts explored in Erich von Däniken’s bes­tselling book Chariots Of The Gods, which when published in 1968 gave singular gravitas to the Ancient Astronaut theory.