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Not of This World
An account of the archaeological findings and literary evidence pointing to the existence of extraterrestrial beings on earth in prehistoric times
245 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
6 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Peter Kolosimo
54 books6 followersPeter Kolosimo (Modena, 1922 – 1984) è stato uno scrittore e giornalista italiano.
Noto divulgatore, è considerato uno dei fondatori, assieme ad Erich von Däniken, dell'archeologia misteriosa (anche nota come fanta-archeologia o pseudoarcheologia), un controverso filone che si propone di studiare le origini delle antiche civiltà utilizzando teorie e metodi spesso non accettati dalla comunità accademica.
Peter Kolosimo, pseudonym of Pier Domenico Colosimo, was an Italian journalist and writer. He is ranked amongst the founders of pseudoarchaeology (in Italian: fantarcheologia), a controversial topic which aims to study the origins of ancient civilizations using theories and methods not accepted by the scientific community. He also popularised ancient astronaut theories of contact between extraterrestrial beings and ancient human civilizations.
Noto divulgatore, è considerato uno dei fondatori, assieme ad Erich von Däniken, dell'archeologia misteriosa (anche nota come fanta-archeologia o pseudoarcheologia), un controverso filone che si propone di studiare le origini delle antiche civiltà utilizzando teorie e metodi spesso non accettati dalla comunità accademica.
Peter Kolosimo, pseudonym of Pier Domenico Colosimo, was an Italian journalist and writer. He is ranked amongst the founders of pseudoarchaeology (in Italian: fantarcheologia), a controversial topic which aims to study the origins of ancient civilizations using theories and methods not accepted by the scientific community. He also popularised ancient astronaut theories of contact between extraterrestrial beings and ancient human civilizations.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 17, 2019
The book in one sentence: A rock-solid dissertation about the historic relationship between civilization and visitors from space, consisting of hundreds of examples drawn from the pages of ancient texts and documents, presented and interpreted so convincingly that you wonder why it isn’t already common knowledge.
Opinion: There’s a certain romanticism in the subject of ufos and visitors from other worlds, and that’s because our imaginations are left to decide what we believe since there is no empirical evidence one way or the other to close the case once and for all. Peter Kolosimo all but achieves this by collecting relevant, eye-opening bits and pieces from ancient texts and archaeological finds from across the entire history of the populated world, and glues them together in a mosaic that fits together so well you could argue it in a court of law and probably win. The evidence he presents in itself is convincing enough, but the book is written in such a voice that you picture a very frustrated, highly intelligent, almost bitter academic who has actually come up with empirical evidence but no one will listen. At the very least, his evidence proves that there are far more errors, unknowns, and illogical theories in science and history that we could have possibly imagined. Far from a conspiracy theorist rant, this book will make you think twice about where human beings came from and how much actual involvement from otherworldly beings there has been throughout the history of the world, dating all the way back to prehistoric times. My romanticism on the subject of spacemen has now been unmercifully shattered with facts and observations so convincing that they have me questioning everything I thought I knew, which is an extremely strange and almost uncomfortable feeling to experience, but it also lends legitimate credibility to the book. The tag line from the television show the X-Files was “the truth is out there.” Peter Kolosimo appears to have found it.
Opinion: There’s a certain romanticism in the subject of ufos and visitors from other worlds, and that’s because our imaginations are left to decide what we believe since there is no empirical evidence one way or the other to close the case once and for all. Peter Kolosimo all but achieves this by collecting relevant, eye-opening bits and pieces from ancient texts and archaeological finds from across the entire history of the populated world, and glues them together in a mosaic that fits together so well you could argue it in a court of law and probably win. The evidence he presents in itself is convincing enough, but the book is written in such a voice that you picture a very frustrated, highly intelligent, almost bitter academic who has actually come up with empirical evidence but no one will listen. At the very least, his evidence proves that there are far more errors, unknowns, and illogical theories in science and history that we could have possibly imagined. Far from a conspiracy theorist rant, this book will make you think twice about where human beings came from and how much actual involvement from otherworldly beings there has been throughout the history of the world, dating all the way back to prehistoric times. My romanticism on the subject of spacemen has now been unmercifully shattered with facts and observations so convincing that they have me questioning everything I thought I knew, which is an extremely strange and almost uncomfortable feeling to experience, but it also lends legitimate credibility to the book. The tag line from the television show the X-Files was “the truth is out there.” Peter Kolosimo appears to have found it.
June 6, 2012
More ancient astronaut nonsense.
August 25, 2023
AN EARLY ITALIAN ‘ANCIENT ASTRONAUT’ BOOK
The cover of this 1971 book states, “Much of what was once regarded as ‘myth’ or ‘superstition’ has been reinterpreted as proof that EXTRATERRESTRIALS did, indeed, visit Earth. They came and left signs of their existence buried deep within the Earth’s soil, beneath the seas, in hidden temples on once-inaccessible mountaintops, in caves millions of years ago. They left mysterious but distinct proof that ‘beings’ from the universe have lived among us.”
Author Peter Kolosimo wrote in the first chapter, “Something … sensational made the scientists start talking and then go dumb was found in a carboniferous vein … it was the imprint of a human foot stamped in the very middle of the Tertiary Period; a graceful footprint, the impression from a well-balanced and agile human being living at a time which traditional archaeologists say, was still extremely far from our monkey-like ancestors.” (Pg. 16)
He states, “We would willingly abstain from questioning George Adamski if he had not left our hopeless world and bequeathed to his creditors something which unluckily was to be exploited for a long time in every way by the victims of space travel absurdities. It is hardly conceivable how such people could have fallen for Adamski’s revelations. Some of his imaginings are so childish that one might call the worst science fiction cartoons and fancies inventive masterpieces by comparison. The effect of our dead friend’s doings turned out to be so crude that it might be enough to make our less sophisticate readers shake their heads.” (Pg. 22-23)
He notes, “It is depressing so see how [Frenchman Robert] Charroux, a writer who is certainly not rigidly scientific but at least appreciated by some for his brilliant deductions, has sunk down to the histrionic level of Adamski. And it is still more melancholy to note that this is the end of many an investigator who, having seriously approached unusual problems, falls for the charms of crude theories, queer associations of ideas and interpretations.” (Pg. 27)
He quotes Russian professor Alexei Kasanev, who said, “anthropoidal creatures of some sort can be seen wearing headgear which might well be space helmets: they are shown on bord a ship which appears to move by rocket propulsion. At Meroe, the ancient Nubian capital, there is a ‘missile’ near the base of a building which seems to have been an astronomical observatory! People say, nonetheless, that the pictures of cosmic ships are too rare (if not non-existent) to support the theory that prehistoric interplanetary ships once landed on Earth. Scholars reply to this by reviewing the stelae and monuments which closely suggest space-ships and point out that these are transformed into winged creatures and serpents of into mythological dragons of the kind we have mentioned; finally suggesting that it would be absurd to imagine interplanetary cruisers all being standardized on the same lines.” (Pg. 55)
He observes, “But does it really deal with a symbol of the remotest antiquity, adapted to express the descent on Earth (by the wings, i.e. flight) of creatures from space? Unfortunately we cannot go beyond conjecture: the witnesses of our presumed continent of Mu spoke a language too confused and too fragmentary, but let us however make at least some attempt to interpret it.” (Pg. 167)
He concludes, “So the basic idea does not change---and its realization is in the endless rooms and passages, in the enigmatic, dark and narrow corridors of all these buildings: but we can see in this urge for immortality and the sky a real imitation of astronauts and their ships” If we answer honestly then we cannot agree fully…” (Pg. 245)
This is another of the earlier ‘ancient astronaut’ books… but not one of the best.
The cover of this 1971 book states, “Much of what was once regarded as ‘myth’ or ‘superstition’ has been reinterpreted as proof that EXTRATERRESTRIALS did, indeed, visit Earth. They came and left signs of their existence buried deep within the Earth’s soil, beneath the seas, in hidden temples on once-inaccessible mountaintops, in caves millions of years ago. They left mysterious but distinct proof that ‘beings’ from the universe have lived among us.”
Author Peter Kolosimo wrote in the first chapter, “Something … sensational made the scientists start talking and then go dumb was found in a carboniferous vein … it was the imprint of a human foot stamped in the very middle of the Tertiary Period; a graceful footprint, the impression from a well-balanced and agile human being living at a time which traditional archaeologists say, was still extremely far from our monkey-like ancestors.” (Pg. 16)
He states, “We would willingly abstain from questioning George Adamski if he had not left our hopeless world and bequeathed to his creditors something which unluckily was to be exploited for a long time in every way by the victims of space travel absurdities. It is hardly conceivable how such people could have fallen for Adamski’s revelations. Some of his imaginings are so childish that one might call the worst science fiction cartoons and fancies inventive masterpieces by comparison. The effect of our dead friend’s doings turned out to be so crude that it might be enough to make our less sophisticate readers shake their heads.” (Pg. 22-23)
He notes, “It is depressing so see how [Frenchman Robert] Charroux, a writer who is certainly not rigidly scientific but at least appreciated by some for his brilliant deductions, has sunk down to the histrionic level of Adamski. And it is still more melancholy to note that this is the end of many an investigator who, having seriously approached unusual problems, falls for the charms of crude theories, queer associations of ideas and interpretations.” (Pg. 27)
He quotes Russian professor Alexei Kasanev, who said, “anthropoidal creatures of some sort can be seen wearing headgear which might well be space helmets: they are shown on bord a ship which appears to move by rocket propulsion. At Meroe, the ancient Nubian capital, there is a ‘missile’ near the base of a building which seems to have been an astronomical observatory! People say, nonetheless, that the pictures of cosmic ships are too rare (if not non-existent) to support the theory that prehistoric interplanetary ships once landed on Earth. Scholars reply to this by reviewing the stelae and monuments which closely suggest space-ships and point out that these are transformed into winged creatures and serpents of into mythological dragons of the kind we have mentioned; finally suggesting that it would be absurd to imagine interplanetary cruisers all being standardized on the same lines.” (Pg. 55)
He observes, “But does it really deal with a symbol of the remotest antiquity, adapted to express the descent on Earth (by the wings, i.e. flight) of creatures from space? Unfortunately we cannot go beyond conjecture: the witnesses of our presumed continent of Mu spoke a language too confused and too fragmentary, but let us however make at least some attempt to interpret it.” (Pg. 167)
He concludes, “So the basic idea does not change---and its realization is in the endless rooms and passages, in the enigmatic, dark and narrow corridors of all these buildings: but we can see in this urge for immortality and the sky a real imitation of astronauts and their ships” If we answer honestly then we cannot agree fully…” (Pg. 245)
This is another of the earlier ‘ancient astronaut’ books… but not one of the best.
January 5, 2024
If your into mysteries and anomalies of the ancient past as I am then it doesn't get much better than this. A film director I worked with in 2012 gave me this little gem many moons ago in paperback format and I couldn't get enough of it, must have read this from cover to cover within a few days, a page turner if there ever was one. Since then I've read it a further 2 times and have found the first edition hardback as I am an avid book collector on certain subjects. There are some truly mind bending mysteries from a forgotten world in this excellent compilation and it's truly a hidden gem in every sense of the word, Peter Kolosimo is and remains one of the best in this field.👌
November 22, 2020
Tanrıların Arabaları adlı kitabın yarattığı etkinin peşinden giden bir başka kitap.
Basım tarihi 1974, ben de muhtemelen 85-86 gibi okumuştum. İçerdiği bilgilerin doğruluğu ve güncelliği konusunda pek bir fikrim yok ama.
Basım tarihi 1974, ben de muhtemelen 85-86 gibi okumuştum. İçerdiği bilgilerin doğruluğu ve güncelliği konusunda pek bir fikrim yok ama.
January 31, 2021
Fucking nutso I loved it
May 12, 2022
Interessante ma difficile. Non sono riuscita a finirlo 😑
May 25, 2024
This is translated from Italian and it’s… not good.
November 30, 2025
Reads like Von Daniken but without the indignation. Does not translate well from Italian to English. Bit of a shame because the subject matter is really interesting.
February 16, 2025
If your into mysteries and anomalies of the ancient past as I am then it doesn't get much better than this. A film director I worked with in 2012 gave me this little gem many moons ago in paperback format and I couldn't get enough of it, must have read this from cover to cover within a few days, a page turner if there ever was one. Since then I've read it a further 2 times and have found the first edition hardback as I am an avid book collector on certain subjects. There are some truly mind bending mysteries from a forgotten world in this excellent compilation and it's truly a hidden gem in every sense of the word, Peter Kolosimo is and remains one of the best in this field.👌
August 18, 2017
incuriosito da le varie riscoperte di kolosimo mi sono buttato su questo "non è terrestre": evitando di prenderlo sul serio è un libro di fantascienza incredibilmente affascinante, scritto molto bene, che si divora in pochi giorni. meritava davvero la lettura!
July 20, 2023
Una serie di ipotesi che vorrebbero portare alla conclusione che la civiltà terrestre non è autoctona...interessante da leggere
March 31, 2017
Forse un po' troppo "elenco della spesa" nella citazione dei vari casi storici. Avrei preferito più interpretazione da parte dell'autore. Ma di sicuro è un libro che fa riflettere molto su diversi argomenti.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews