Ancient Aliens Mars Theory: Bizarre Claims Suggest Metropolis Existed Next to Long-Lost Ocean

Recent outlandish claims from a prominent UFO researcher suggest that a sprawling extraterrestrial metropolis once stood on the shores of a long-lost ocean on the red planet.

The Ancient Aliens Mars theory, promoted by television personality Jason Martell, focuses on the Cydonia region, where advocates argue strange hills are actually the crumbling remnants of a coastal settlement.

According to enthusiasts referencing NASA orbital imagery, a distinct topographical boundary separates elevated highlands from a smooth basin that allegedly held vast volumes of water millions of years ago.

Proponents claimed that landmarks such as the famous 'Face on Mars' and the D&M Pyramid mirror the strategic planning of historic Earth waterfront hubs like Venice and ancient Memphis.

Critics noted that the grand narrative relies entirely on subjective interpretations of historical, low-resolution photography rather than empirical sediment analysis.

Mainstream geologists firmly maintained that standard natural processes, including sweeping lava flows and millions of years of severe wind erosion, shaped the controversial Martian terrain without any intelligent intervention.

The renewed fringe discourse underscores a deep divide between alternative space speculation and rigorous planetary science.

Investigating the Ancient Aliens Mars Theory

The Cydonia region has been a focal point for extraterrestrial speculation since 1976, when the Viking 1 spacecraft captured an image of a mesa resembling a giant human face.

Several of the area's most discussed landforms, including the infamous 'Face on Mars', the D&M Pyramid and a structure known as the city complex, appear to align precisely along this proposed topographical boundary.

Martell, a regular guest on the History Channel television programme Ancient Aliens, argues that the specific arrangement of these Martian landforms mirrors the layout of waterfront cities built throughout human history.

He claims the giant face might have been intentionally constructed as a monumental viewing platform, designed to overlook both the water and the sprawling alien settlement.

In a recent blog post detailing the hypothesis, the researcher compared this speculative setup to famous Earth cities built along major coastlines. He cited bustling urban centres such as Venice, Alexandria, Amsterdam, Singapore, Dubai and Manhattan as modern examples of how civilisations naturally gravitate towards water.

He also pointed to ancient settlements like Memphis on the Nile and Ur beside the Euphrates, framing them as classic examples of an ingrained instinct to settle near vital planetary resources.

He argues that just as human civilisations built along coastlines for essential access to food, trade and transport, an ancient Martian race may have established a permanent settlement along the edge of a Martian sea.

The argument relies heavily on interpretations of grainy photographs, looking for geometric patterns that suggest intelligent design rather than natural rock erosion.

Experts Dismiss the Theory as Pareidolia

Mainstream scientists firmly insist the claims are nothing more than visual tricks and wishful thinking. They maintain that the entire argument rests on subjective interpretations of older imagery rather than any physical evidence, sediment analysis or detailed geological study.

Experts point out that the supposed shoreline was simply traced onto a satellite image by hand, lacking the corroborating topographical data needed to prove a body of water ever existed at that elevation.

Meanwhile, geologists explain that the flat, smooth basin is far more likely to have been formed by standard geological processes. Sweeping lava flows, ancient dust movement or millions of years of severe wind erosion provide a much more scientifically sound explanation for the terrain than a long-lost ocean.

Furthermore, geologists question the likelihood of an advanced civilisation constructing permanent monuments from easily eroded sedimentary rock.

Scientists also state that seeing complex buildings or human faces in distant rock formations is entirely down to pareidolia. This is a common psychological phenomenon where the human brain tricks itself into seeing familiar, recognisable shapes in random patterns of light and shadow.

Even the most vocal proponents of the hypothesis admit they lack the formal scientific background to verify their claims.

They acknowledge that professional geological specialists would need to examine the surface of the planet directly to prove water was ever present at the site, leaving the claims unproven by the broader scientific community.

Public fascination with Martian anomalies shows no sign of diminishing despite relentless pushback from academia. As long as grainy archives exist, alternative historians will continue challenging standard paradigms.