I read Von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods a long time ago.

Question

Have researchers provided explanations for most of the stuff he proposed in the book regarding ancient alien visitations? Some of the ancient drawings and writings he refers to are pretty strange.

Answer 1

I read it a long time ago.  I had seen a program or two that debunked most of his theories.  He is definitely considered on the fringe scientifically.  There are logical explanations for ancient brain surgery, Easter Island sculptures and large geographic formations that look like landing strips from a satellite distance.

Answer 2

Yes, all of his nonsense was refuted by reputable scientists soon after he published his absurd books. One can interpret ancient drawings many ways, but most interpretations are wrong, especially Van Daniken's "kuso". No spacemen have ever visited our planet. Einstein can tell you why, so read his writings, instead of wasting time on that fraud Van Daniken, who was in jail once and should have been more.

Answer 3

That book was every bit as silly and worthless as the current obsession with 2012 and Nibiru.  It profoundly influenced the flakes of that generation.  No one in the scientific community takes it seriously.  It did make Von Daniken a great deal of money, which proves P.T. Barnums dictum that there is a sucker born every minute.  

Answer 4

Yes, several people have dissected his work and commented on it.  He's a quack, like Velikovsky and Sitchin.  He was out for some bucks and became an overnight celebrity. There have been others.  Experts have analyzed his best stuff, and like the other two I mentioned, completely debunked it.  Of course this kind of information doesn't interest documentary makers or publishers, (except for Prometheus Books and a couple of others.)

Answer 5

Von Daniken is a master at the "creative interpretation" of evidence. Many things that are common motives in ancient drawing, depicting common things such as fire, water, rice, houses, are interpreted by Von Daniken to be rockets and spacehelmets.

He is also an expert in pseudoscience, stating things so that they sound logical and scientific, but are actually quite the opposite.

A man named Ronald Story (yes, really) wrote a book that refutes Chariots of the Gods almost page by page. See source.

Answer 6

I read the book and then I read the Bible and everything he stated was in the bible .

Was his interpretaion of it correct? You have to decide for yourself

Answer 7

Von Daniken was caught cheating.