Did Aliens Build the Pyramids? And Other Racist Theories

Pseudoarchaeology, conspiracy theories that ancient civilizations were founded by aliens or the denizens of Atlantis, are more than just silly—they’re dangerous.

By Stephanie Halmhofer
Oct 14, 2021 6:03 PM
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(Credit: Guenter Albers/Shutterstock)

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One afternoon in June, I found an email in my inbox from Atlantis Rising: The Research Group. The blog and YouTube channel claims to “challenge orthodox thinking” and archaeologically explore questions about human history that are “still largely neglected by academia.” Questions like: “Were aliens involved?”

It might be easy to simply dismiss organizations that push speculative conspiracy theories while presenting themselves as purveyors of supressed knowledge. But what caught my attention in this email was a section advertising a video interview with Frank Joseph.

Since 1987, Joseph has published several books, mainly focused on the mythical continent of Atlantis. From 1993 to 2007, Joseph was also the editor-in-chief of the pseudoarchaeological Ancient American magazine. Perhaps more importantly, Frank Joseph is the pen name for Frank Collin, who was the former coordinator for the American Nazi Party and founder of the National Socialist Party of America. This is who Atlantis Rising was recommending to their audience.

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