In Search of Aliens: Mystery of Puma Punku Revealed (S1, E7) | Full Episode

I'm in Tiwanaku, Bolivia, where the Incas say mankind was created. Not far from here, are the mysterious ruins of Puma Punku, which feature magnificent megalithic blocks. Today, most archeologists believe that Puma Punku was part of an ancient temple complex.

But they are baffled by the uniformally shaped and sharp-edged stone blocks found all over the site. They're also puzzled by an even bigger mystery. What type of structure these blocks actually form?

Could it be that the ruins of Puma Punku who offer evidence of advanced, extraterrestrial technology being used in the ancient past? For an ancient astronaut theorist, there are a few sites on Earth more intriguing than this one. And that's why I'm here investigating the incredible mystery of Puma Punku.

My name is Giorgio Tsoukalos. I explore the world that exists between reality and speculation, the known and the unknown. What we've been taught by mainstream scholars is not the whole picture.

But I'm convinced that every day, we are one step closer to the truth. [music playing] High in the Andes mountains in the Altiplano Desert is Tiwanaku, one of the most rugged and desolate places on Earth. This region of Bolivia has seen its fair share of warfare, invasion, and turmoil over the years.

But I'm here to see if it also experienced contact with extraterrestrials. In 1549, while searching for the capital of the Inca empire, Pedro Sierra de Leone and his Spanish conquistadors discovered the ruins of what looked like a massive temple complex at what is now called Tiwanaku. Mainstream archeologists suggest that these ruins were once the center of the Tiwanaku civilization, with approximately 40,000 inhabitants.

But little is known about the people who lived here or the structures they left behind. Of special interest are the walls of this large square-shaped courtyard, which features numerous carved stone faces that suggest those of extraterrestrial visitors. But located just a half a mile away from the temple of Tiwanaku lie the ruins of what is thought to be yet another temple complex, the mysterious site known as Puma Punku, the Gateway of the Puma.

The name was given by the local Aymara people, who found artifacts at the site depicting imagery of warriors wearing masks made of Puma skulls. But the Aymara have only inhabited the area for around 800 years. And Puma Punku is believed to have been built thousands of years ago.

But what was it-- a temple, a meeting place, some elaborate monument? All of these possibilities have been suggested. But to this day, no one knows just what this place was, who built it, or exactly how old it really is.

But what's even more intriguing is that the blocks here don't even look like those found at Tiwanaku. It is one of the places where logic no longer makes sense, because the blocks that we have here are unique on this entire planet. This is the only place.

So check it out. Here are the awesome, awesome H blocks. They're made from solid blocks of precisely shaped andesite.

Whenever I see them, it's this-- just this-- just this feeling that you get at Puma Punku. I'm at a loss for words, because this here is something that can't be found anywhere else in the world. Mainstream archeologists believe that these H blocks were created by hand with primitive stone and metal tools, tools I should mention, that they have never found examples of.

What's so very interesting is that they seem as if they are part of a larger picture-- that if you put them together, they form a solid wall, which is very incredible. If another block was placed on top, or this was placed on top of another rock, these are features that make these two blocks fit together seamlessly. Because the one thing that we have to remind ourselves with this particular construction style, no mortar, no binding agent was ever used.

These pieces are so perfect that they fit together interlockingly in such a way that you don't need anything with which to bind together the two or three or hundreds of pieces. Other examples of this type of precise interlocking stone work can be found in Cusco, at [inaudible],, and even Machu Picchu. But nothing with the sophistication of this place right here.

I mean, it's incredibly enigmatic. Everywhere I turn I see more and more incredible blocks that can't be explained by mainstream scientists. This is pretty amazing.

I mean, check this out. If you look at this groove right here-- I mean, forget chicken bones. You simply cannot do this with primitive tools.

And you've got these holes drilled and equidistant as if it's some type of a female piece to a male piece. So what was it that actually fit into this? Because one thing to me is crystal clear-- that this here, or any of these pieces-- they have nothing to do with any type of embellishments.

I mean, this here-- these look like technical components, part of a larger, almost industrial construction. I've got a little paper clip-- ordinary paper clip that I've just unfurled to see how deep they go. And they actually go equidistant all the way down.

I mean, that is something that cannot be achieved with-- with chicken bones. As far as I'm concerned, these stone blocks had to have been cut with some type of advanced technology. But what?

Back in 2012, I met up with machinist and toolmaker Chris Dunn at his workshop in Danville, Illinois to put a Puma Punku stone sample through the ultimate test. We got a sample of the laser cut. This is the diamond wheel cut.

And the top surface is the original cut surface from Puma Punku. So now, we can compare the difference between all three cuts. GIORGIO A.

TSOUKALOS: Looking at an actual piece of precision-cut stone from Puma Punku under a microscope, Chris compared the two modern cutting techniques with the part of the stone cut thousands of years ago. Even taking into account centuries of time and weather, Chris's comparison revealed incredible differences. You've got petrification on the laser cut side.

And then, of course, you've got circular tool marks on the side cut with the diamond saw. And then, whatever tool they used to cut the ancient surface must have been a different method. Now, do you think it's possible that some type of a diamond precision tool was used on the old surface, but because it was such a long time ago that over time, the surface became a bit more rough?

And we're talking 10,000 or even 15,000 years ago. CHRISTOPHER DUNN: That is a reasonable speculation. I think we have to start examining a little more sophisticated tools that no longer exist.

GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS: The cuts from the diamond saw were the best comparison to those found on the stone blocks at Puma Punku. So we're talking about the sharpest, most sophisticated cutting tool we have today.

So how could a so-called primitive society have achieved such sophisticated stone carving techniques? Check out this block right here. There's something really cool about this one.

First, I wanted to show you true North on my compass, which as you can see, this is true North. Now, watch what happens. All of a sudden, true North is over there.

It's in the complete opposite direction. And here, even more so down there. This is wild.

So what is going on here? Clearly, this rock has been somehow magnetized. So was it exposed to some electromagnetic waves?

Or is it like this because at some point, these blocks underwent, or came in contact with something strange? I mean, this whole place is bizarre. Below the plateau where the H blocks are located, are the steps and walls marking the edges of the Puma Punku mound.

Now, I can truly see the scale of this site. If you look down all the way, you can see, it's perfectly level. It's perfectly level.

This is a newly excavated area that I haven't seen before. And again, it shows tremendous precision. Check out this, for example, right here.

What's really interesting is that you can't even put a piece of paper in between the fittings. And no mortar was used. So I mean, this is really incredible stuff.

And this is very, very, very old. But at the same time, it is just utter perfection. GIORGIO A.

TSOUKALOS: Located at Tiwanaku, just a half a mile from the H blocks at Puma Punku is a giant stone structure called the Gate of the Sun. Here, you can find depictions of the god Viracocha and his winged children. Look at those incredible carvings.

It's one giant piece, a monolith made of andesite. It's incredibly difficult to carve this with any type of tool, because it has to be harder than the current andesite. In the 1960s, at this same location, a wall was excavated to reveal a fascinating array of stone heads.

But who do these strange heads represent? There is one structure here that may provide a clue. This is a place where the Bennett Monolith was discovered.

And it's a representation of Pachamama, 21 feet tall, the largest monolith ever uncovered here. Pachamama essentially means the cosmic mother, because "pacha" means cosmos, and "mama," well, I don't have to explain that. And so the idea is that this is a place of creation.

And I find that interesting, because if you look at the different heads that are built into the wall, some look very different than others. So the question arises, are these heads representing different races of humans? Or are they depictions of the so-called gods, alien visitors who came down from the sky?

It's fascinating to look around and see these ancient monuments at Tiwanaku and Puma Punku. But I still wonder just how old these ruins really are. Before I began my investigation, I made a trip to Switzerland to talk with my good friend and mentor, Erich Von Daniken, who gave me some great insights into the history behind these incredible and mysterious sites.

So, Erich, tell me about Puma Punku, because what I find interesting is according to some translations, somebody suggested there is a calendar there. And this calendar goes back some 20,000 or so years. ERICH VON DANIKEN: Now, this calendar, Giorgio, you're referring to is clearly proven-- there are scientific books written by Dr Edmund Kiss-- that's 50, 60 years ago-- by Dr Professor Bellamy-- I knew him personally-- brilliant explorers.

And they absolutely deciphered this calendar of Tiwanaku. And it dates back at least 24,000 years in the past. But our modern archaeology does not accept these dates, because it contradicts our evolution.

GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS: In 1928, German Explorer, Edmund Kiss, drew elaborately detailed recreations of what he believed once stood at both Tiwanaku and Puma Punku. He became one of the first to suggest that the ancient structures were far older than the traditionally accepted date of 200 AD.

Another German researcher, Professor Hans Schindler Bellamy, dated Puma Punku to before 10,000 BC and theorized that it was destroyed by a flood. The Spanish conquerors when they arrived, they were up there with their soldiers. And they took the Inca, the ruler of them, and they showed them these ruins of Puma Punku.

And they asked them, how did you made this? Because we, from Spain, we were not able to move such gigantic blocks. And then the Inca ruler said, it was not us who made it.

It was the gods who made it in one simple night. GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS: Mainstream archeologists, who dismissed the local stories of gods constructing Puma Punku have long argued that ancient people could have moved these megalithic stones through sheer manpower alone.

During an experiment conducted in 1966, members of the Bolivian army attempted to drag a 2 ton megalithic block and raise it using only a rope. They barely managed to shift it by a few inches. But assuming that the ancient people here really were able to somehow raise these giant blocks using nothing more than rope and manpower, how did they get them here in the first place?

Mainstream archeologists say the massive stones were hewn at quarries over 60 miles away. And then, they were told to Puma Punku on logs. But there is one major problem with this theory.

We're at an altitude of over 12,000 feet, which means there are no trees, because trees only grow to a certain altitude. And if somebody proposes that this whole place was deforested, and they just cut down the trees in order to move around these blocks, then they don't know what they're talking about. So the idea of wooden rollers falls by the wayside.

While I'm in Bolivia, I want to find out what the local people know and believe about both Puma Punku and Tiwanaku. Right next to the ruins is the town of Tiwanaku, home to the native Aymara people. The Aymara have inhabited Bolivia, as well as Peru and Chile for at least 800 years, descending from other cultures in the area that go back as far as 5,000 years.

They continue to speak the native language of their ancestors and have kept alive the oral traditions of their people for centuries. With the help of my translator and guide, Juan Carlos, I've arranged to meet Rene Quispe, an Aymara elder and local historian. So what can he tell me about the legends-- how for example, Tiwanaku was built?

[non-english speech] GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS: The sun god Viracocha is the Andean creator and destroyer of worlds. According to ancient legends, Viracocha was born on the Isle of the Sun on nearby lake Titicaca.

Eventually, Viracocha disappeared over the water as if it were land without sinking, never to return. Yes. I'm shocked to hear this Aymara elder mention the term "Watcher," because the Watchers are a key component of the ancient astronaut theory.

So to hear this term associated with the ancient stories of Bolivia is pretty awesome. According to the "Book of Enoch," an ancient Hebrew text found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Watchers were a group of 200 angels sent to Earth to watch over the early humans. But when they mated with human women and created a race of giant hybrids known as the Nephilim, they angered God and were banished from returning to heaven.

Now, what's really interesting is that the Inca tell of Viracocha creating a race of giants. So hearing Aymara elder and historian say that Viracocha was also considered a Watcher is incredibly fascinating. Was there a particular reason why it was built?

[non-english speech] Giants jumped out of the lake? And they were shaving off the-- OK, yeah, yeah, yeah. The question I would like to ask is if we look at the Gate of the Sun, with Viracocha in the center and all those winged beings-- what is the significance of it?

They were Viracocha's court. According to the [inaudible],, a document from 1570, Viracocha said, "If my subjects were ever to see me, they would run away. " Now, when I hear that, I'm tempted to ask, did Viracocha need a mask because he didn't look anything like his subjects?

Could he have been a real flesh and blood extraterrestrial? How does he react when people say, for example, that this place here could have been built more than 10,000 years ago? [non-english speech] I agree that this place existed before the flood.

It's really interesting to hear this Aymara elder mention Posnansky when talking about the date of Tiwanaku. Arthur Posnansky spent over 40 years in Bolivia researching and writing about pre-Inca archaeological sites. Posnansky proposed that Tiwanaku who was around 17,000 years old.

And he developed his theory after examining the connections between the ancient temple complex and sophisticated astronomical alignments. According to his theory, the structure at Tiwanaku, called Kalasasaya was built so that the sun would rise directly over the cornerstones on the summer and winter solstices. And based on the changing tilt of the Earth, you'd have to go back at least 17,000 years for that to happen.

Today, many people say that Posnansky's theories are miscalculations and that it was just fantasy. [non-english speech] Right. What a great honor to meet Aymara elder, Rene Quispe, and to ask him about the Aymara traditions.

The three things that stuck out were one, the Giants. That's amazing stuff that they came out of Lake Titicaca and that they used stones with which to whittle down the giant blocks. And then the second one was the stories about the Watchers.

That is interesting to me, because the stories of the Watchers exist worldwide. And then the third one was that he completely agrees with the theories of Arthur Posnansky. After coming here and seeing this place firsthand once again, I'm more and more convinced that Posnansky was correct, and that the local stories about Tiwanaku being built by some kind of extraterrestrial beings might be more than just mythology, much, much more.

GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS: I'm in Peru meeting with author and ancient astronaut theorist, David Childress, a prolific author on the topic of ancient technology. He has spent most of his life traveling the world and challenging established assumptions about mankind's history.

He's just the person I need to help me sift through the evidence and connect all the dots. I really do think that Puma Punku is one of the few places in the world where common sense no longer applies. Something really weird happened at some point at Puma Punku.

I mean, when was the last time you were there? I was there just about six months ago or so. GIORGIO A.

TSOUKALOS: David has studied Puma Punku for decades. And he believes that it is the key to showing the connection between ancient civilizations and ancient space travelers. One of the things that I enjoy you talking about is that when we look at these stones that obviously have been cut in a very precise fashion, that in your opinion, it had to have been done in an easy fashion with easy means.

What do you mean by that? One of the things is when you see the articulation of the stones at-- at Puma Punku-- and the H blocks are such a good example-- the stone masons were getting very fancy. And they're doing things that are way beyond what they need to do.

But it would seem as if, with the power tools that I think they must have had, there was nothing they couldn't do. They could be as fancy as they wanted, because it was easy for them. Exactly like this.

It's unnecessary elaboration and decoration. You're thinking, oh, this-- this must be so much labor and moving the stones and cutting the stones. Yet, it had to be easy for them.

And moving the stones too, must have been easy for them. It's not something that's so incredibly difficult, as we would imagine that primitive architects and engineers would be doing. GIORGIO A.

TSOUKALOS: It has been suggested that some sort of anti-gravity technology may have been used at Puma Punku to lift and place the massive stone blocks. But if that were true, it would certainly suggest that some sort of highly advanced technology was in play here. You have also the areas with key stone cuts and the cord clamps of molten metal that-- that went into those cuts.

Yeah, just like these. Yeah, right. And that's such an unusual way of fitting stones.

And that is something that you see at the Sun Temple, Coriconcha in Cusco, you'll find also these keystone cuts. And at Ollantaytambo on the way to Machu Picchu-- Right here, that's Ollantaytambo right there. DAVID CHILDRESS: Right, right-- that's an indication that the same builders of Puma Punku and Tiwanaku are also the builders of the Sun Temple in Cusco and at Ollantaytambo and Sacsayhuamán, even Machu Picchu.

But then, you can go around the world and find this unusual keystone cuts in Egypt, in Greece. This is [inaudible] temple. DAVID CHILDRESS: OK, there at Giza and the Sphinx Temple.

You're also going to find these at Borobudur, in Java, at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and at the megalithic side of My Son in Vietnam. GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS: These mysterious keystone cuts exist at a surprising number of ancient sites all over the world.

It's a building technique that involves pouring metal into cut rock on both sides of a joint. It has been suggested that the clamps that went inside them were made of copper, bronze, silver, or a mixture of silver and gold. Curiously, in nearly every case where keystone cuts have been found, the clamps have been removed, or possibly the structures are so old that the metal has eroded completely.

But some still contain remnants of metal, which leaves no doubt that the architects had at least rudimentary knowledge of metallurgy. You know, stuff like that is sensational, because it would imply one of two things. Either, as you say, they were the same builders, or that they were the same teachers.

Because clearly, it is not a similar construction style. It's identical. It's not something that could really have been developed independently.

And-- and so the mainstream archaeologists are basically just ignoring this, because if they were to discuss this, it would completely wreck their whole theories that these people are-- are isolated from each other. I mean, they had to be made by the same kind of engineers and-- and architects. GIORGIO A.

TSOUKALOS: I'm in Peru with fellow ancient astronaut theorist David Childress. We've been discussing the precision cut stone blocks found all over Puma Punku. Many of the blocks contain keystone cuts, which are also found at other megalithic sites.

But these aren't the only striking similarities that exist between Puma Punku and other ancient sites found throughout the world. There's so many similarities, including the monolithic doors that you have at Puma Punku and Tiwanaku, where these-- these doors are just cut out of one solid piece of granite. And you find that too at Persepolis in Iran, for instance.

And then on top of all that, you've got the Fuente Magna Bowl, that's now in the precious metals museum in La Paz. GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS: Thought to be over 5,000 years old, the Fuente Magna Bowl was discovered near Lake Titicaca by a local farmer in the 1950s.

It features hundreds of triangular carvings that are strangely similar to the cuneiform text used by the ancient Sumerians. But what is a bowl featuring Sumerian text doing more than 8,000 miles from Sumeria, or as we know it today, Iraq? Could it be further evidence that what ancient astronaut theorists have been saying for decades might be true?

Could early humans at one time, really have been influenced by visitors from another planet? That bowl has two forms of Sumerian writing on it, Sumerian hieroglyphs and Sumerian cuneiform. It's been authenticated by Bolivian archaeologists.

And all that mainstream archaeologists can do at this point is ignore it. That' it's not something they could ever address, because it would completely blow all of their theories out of the water. What makes a Bolivian archaeologist less mainstream than all the other mainstream archeologists?

In my opinion, nothing. So why aren't they confirmed by the rest of archaeology? It would change history.

The Fuente Magna Bowl is basically proof that the Sumerian Anunnaki, coming to South America, I believe that Tiwanaku and Puma Punku were-- were mining centers. GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS: The idea of Sumerian writings being discovered near Lake Titicaca would relate to the theories of author Zecharia Sitchin and his proposal that the Sumerians were interacting with a highly advanced extraterrestrial race known as the Anunnaki.

History has to be rewritten. Eventually, they'll have to address these things. I look forward to whatever results you come up with.

I'll definitely keep you posted on my-- my findings. After speaking with David Childress, I'm more convinced than ever that Puma Punku was constructed with the assistance of extraterrestrials. But my questions of what these blocks actually formed and how the structure was destroyed still remain unanswered.

To get a better picture of just what this incredible site might have looked like when it was first built, I returned home to meet with Casey Hemmatyar, a forensic structural engineer based in Los Angeles. With more than 30 years of experience investigating all types of structures and building materials, I knew that Casey would be the perfect person to analyze what Puma Punku was built to be and what violent forces might have led to its destruction. Mr Hemmatyar?

CASEY K. HEMMATYAR: Yes. Hello, I'm Giorgio.

CASEY K. HEMMATYAR: How are you? Great pleasure to meet you.

So in your opinion, how do you think something like this was cut? The first thing is that how these people-- several thousand years ago-- had this ability and this precision and the knowledge to create such a structure. Is it impossible to use a copper tool in order to create this?

Probably, yes. Because we need a material that has a much higher hardness in order to achieve these goals. In modern days, we do these type of structures.

We call them tilt up. Let's say this wall is three story, OK? So what we do, we come right next to that particular site.

We place wood forms all around it. Once we place the reinforcing, then we pour concrete into this and we flatten the surface. And we let it stay there to cure for several days.

Then, we have a special crane that come and then we lift them, we bring them-- now, we're doing this at the same time on four sides. So what you're telling me is the way it works is that the whole thing is raised by a crane like this. CASEY K.

HEMMATYAR: Yes. So in reference to Puma Punku with all of this-- I mean, here we have blocks that some have estimated to be around 100 metric tons. And we're also at an altitude of almost 13,000 feet.

So the air is rarefied. You know, it's kind of a dicey place up there if you're not in physical shape. So how would you move a 100 ton block without a crane?

Oh, I don't know. GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS: Even to an expert, like Casey Hemmatyar, the methods used to carve the stones at Puma Punku and then lift them into place remain a mystery.

But now, I'm even more eager to find out, not only how Puma Punku was built, but why? I'm in Southern California in the offices of forensic structural engineer, Casey Hemmatyar. Using CGI technology, Casey has spent the last three weeks constructing a three-dimensional model of Puma Punku.

And now, he's about to show me, not only what he believes it might have looked like, but how it was ultimately destroyed. CASEY K. HEMMATYAR: Here we've got some visualization of what a potential combination of putting this together to create the platform.

GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS (VOICEOVER): Man, I'm blown away by what Casey is showing me, a three-dimensional model of what Puma Punku might have looked like more than 10,000 years ago. It's unlike any other model I've ever seen.

It even has a large platform area that I can imagine being used as some kind of a launching pad. Was Puma Punku some type of spaceport for ancient astronauts, or the headquarters for a team of alien engineers and scientists sent to explore the earth? This is cool looking.

Really awesome. But now, I'm more puzzled than ever. How could such a large and magnificent structure have been so completely destroyed?

As a forensic structural engineer, do you think that an explosion might have been a reason for the destruction of Puma Punku? The size of these stones, the weight of them, the mass, and the way I look at the pictures of the remains of these, it's my opinion that it-- it would be very remote that that would have been the cause. OK, so then, what does that leave us with?

The concept of flood would make more sense to me. GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS: Casey's computer animation of Puma Punku is consistent with various theories, which suggest that the enormous stone blocks were somehow lifted up and then dropped down.

It's also consistent with what I've been hearing from everyone I've spoken with so far-- that Puma Punku was built some time before the Great Flood. CASEY K. HEMMATYAR: The soil becomes almost liquid.

Getting saturated by water, it loses its stability and therefore, it's not capable of providing support to the structure above anymore. And with the movement of water itself-- that can cause movement of those objects. GIORGIO A.

TSOUKALOS: The idea that Puma Punku was destroyed by a flood makes perfect sense, because seashells and fossils of fish have been found here, even though the nearest body of water is more than 10 miles away. The cataclysm, or the flood is strong enough to jumble up the original place of these blocks right away. Every legend, every mythology, has a core of truth.

And that is my quest. Casey, thank you very much for your time. There is now very little doubt in my mind that Puma Punku was built with some sort of extraterrestrial technology.

And that its destruction was probably caused by a Great Flood, perhaps the same flood that is described in the Old Testament. This has been an amazing journey. And while I'm even more convinced that mankind had alien ancestors, I need to find more evidence.

And so this is why I'm off once again in search of aliens. [music playing] And no mortar was used. So I mean, this is really incredible stuff.

And this is very, very, very old. But at the same time, it is just utter perfection. The Spanish conquerors were not able to move such gigantic blocks.

And then the Inca ruler said, it was not us who made Puma Punku. It was the gods. don't know what they're talking about.

So the idea of wooden rollers falls by the wayside. about Tiwanaku being built by some kind of extraterrestrial beings might be more than just mythology, much, much more. I really do think that something really weird happened at Puma Punku.

When you see the articulation of the stones, they're doing things that are way beyond. There was nothing they couldn't do. are isolated from each other.

I mean, they had to be made by the same kind of engineers and-- and architects. GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS: Here we have blocks that some have estimated to be 100 metric tons.

How would you move a 100 ton block with a crane? I don't know.