For I have seen Cydonia...

A while back, I wrote a post about the supposed "Face on Mars."  

My introduction to said anomaly was in the pages of Omni magazine back in 1985 or 86.  Yes, I've just horribly dated myself.  Regardless, my reading on the subject of the face brought into contact with a number of other Martian concepts that I heretofore had only heard grumblings about.  Apparently, there is an entire movement of researchers engaged in what could euphemistically be called "Alternative Archeology."  In short, the study of ancient artifacts on Mars.

The "Face" stands in an area of Mars called "Cydonia," a poetic synonym for Crete in classical studies.  Not only is there a sphinx-like face in Cydonia, there are pyramids to go along with it or at the very least, there are mountains or hills near the "Face" that have smooth, diagonal edges and cast triangular shadows in a regular formation as opposed to a natural one.  That doesn't necessarily mean anything in and of itself.  There a multifold examples of natural formations on Earth that mimic this kind of shape and the Face's as well for that matter.  But when these things are collocated in the same region, it's enough to make a few people go "hmmm." 

What is more, Cydonia is not a casual clustering of a geological formations or even a precious handful of alien artifacts from antiquity in the eyes of a few.  No, Cydonia is the remains of what was once a thriving city on Mars.  There are researchers who point to grid-like formations in the soil, similar to those of city streets and blocks.  A few have even plotted out what the ancient metropolis may once have looked like, complete with a city plaza, a terrace, and even a fortress (I'm just imagining somebody play Mars SimCity.)  All that plus those good old stand bys, the canals.  

So if these are artificial structures, who built them?  Currently, there are four schools of thought on the matter:

1) Mars at one time had an indigenous population of intelligent lifeforms.  This civilization died out somehow, perhaps an environmental disaster on a planetary scale.

2) Another space-faring alien race visited Mars and built the monuments for whatever reason.  Perhaps it holds religious significance for them?  After all, religion is all over Earth, there's nothing to say it can't be elsewhere.  Perhaps these aliens even came to Earth and built the Egyptian pyramids a la von Daniken.

3) A hitherto unknown terrestrial species traveled to Mars and built the monuments.  This one is pretty wild, but it would help explain the similarities between ancient structures on both Mars and Earth (sphinx, pyramids, et. al.)

4) The "Null Hypothesis."  In other words, there are no artifacts, only tricky, odd, but naturally occurring formations.

Note the theories that connect Cydonia with regions on Earth, such as Luxor in Egypt.  I have written previous posts about the human fascination with Mars, something that extends from science fiction through to our own inner yearnings it would seem.  I can understand the enthrallment.  Evidence of a previous civilization on Mars would be alter the perspective of many on Earth.  So much so, that researchers such as the late, great Mac Tonnies even accused NASA of distorting the facts (not to the same degree as Richard Hoagland has accused them, but more about that tomorrow) and pictures to keep this matter from the general public. 

Like many Fortean subjects, the Cydonia issue is one I love to read about but I'm just not ready to place much faith in.  I want to be able to.  I want to so badly that there is this ache in my soul for it.  And while there is something in my gut that draws me to Cydonia and tells me there's more to this than just rocks and erosion, the evidence just isn't there...yet.  Suppose the only way to know for certain is to travel to Mars.

So let's get hell-a-flippin'-goin'.


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