At legendary sites in Central and South America , Europe and Asia Minor, »World of Mysteries« will show examples of unexplained phenomenon supporting von Däniken's theses and theories with impressive facts.
The voyage begins in Chile’s Atacama desert, home of the Cerro Aranal Observatory, one of
the most powerful telescopes in the world, where von Däniken will give the introduction
to the film.
The high plains of Nazca, Peru are next. The seemingly endless lines comprising gigantic
drawings carved into the barren ground, visible only from high altitude, were accidentally
discovered in 1939 by an airline pilot exploring new flight corridors. Despite continuous
research, there is no satisfactory explanation to this day for their existence. Among many
of the far-fetched ideas, the theory still prevails that Nazca is in fact a giant observatory.
But what was it really?
ChichÉn ItzÁ on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula follows next. The main pyramid of this ancient
Mayan city is dedicated to the serpent-headed deity Kukulcan. According to legend, it was
Kukulcan who divulged the secrets of astronomy and mathematics to the Mayans. The
pyramid has 91 steps on each of its four sides. Adding the number of steps, including
the topmost ledge, one arrives at 365 – the number of days in a calendar year. Yet there
are many other facts demonstrating the Mayan’s uncanny abilities and highly developed
scientific skills. For example, the pyramid is laid out so that one of the corners points
exactly to the position the sun takes up on December 21st, the day of the winter
solstice. And each year during the summer solstice on March 21st, the rising sun
casts a shadow in the shape of a serpent, slowly winding up the side of the
pyramid – a spectacle attracting thousands of awe-struck spectators.
