June 16, 1998: Structures On Mars - Graham Hancock

Art Bell speaks with bestselling author Graham Hancock about the newly released Mars Global Surveyor photographs of the Face on Mars and the broader mysteries of the red planet. Hancock criticizes the media's rush to declare the controversy settled based on a single ambiguous image, arguing that only a manned landing on Mars will resolve the debate. He draws a parallel to the disputed underwater monument at Yonaguni, Japan, where two qualified geologists reached opposite conclusions after diving to the same structure.

The discussion expands into Hancock's research for his forthcoming book on Mars. He describes the planet's line of dichotomy, a boundary where the northern hemisphere sits three kilometers lower than the devastated, crater-scarred south, as evidence of catastrophic bombardment by comet fragments. He connects this to the work of Victor Clube and others on giant comets, warning that Earth faces similar dangers that governments and scientists have failed to communicate to the public.

Hancock also provides updates on the political landscape surrounding the Giza plateau, describing improved relations with Egyptian antiquities chief Dr. Zahi Hawass following a series of private meetings. He discusses the planned eight-month closure of the Great Pyramid and the possibility of investigations beneath the Sphinx, while noting that Edgar Cayce's readings pointed to 1998 as the year for a discovery of the Hall of Records.