Some examples of pre-contemporary reports about unusual aerial phenomena include: Julius Obsequens was a Roman writer who is believed to have lived in the middle of the fourth century AD. The only work associated with his name is the Liber de prodigiis (Book of Prodigies), completely extracted from an epitome, or abridgment, written by Livy; De prodigiis was constructed as an account of the wonders and portents that occurred in Rome between 249 and 12 BCE. An aspect of Obsequens' work that has inspired excitement in some UFO enthusiasts is that he makes reference to things moving through the sky. The descriptions provided bear resemblance to observations of meteor showers. Obsequens was also writing some 400 years after the events he described, thus the text is not an eyewitness account. No corroboration with those amazing sights of old with contemporary observations was mentioned in that work.Julio Obsecuente, Libro de los Prodigios (restituido a su integridad, en beneficio de la Historia, por Conrado Licóstenes), ed. Ana Moure Casas (Madrid: Ediciones Clásicas, 1990)Giulio Ossequente, Il Libro dei prodigi, ed. Solas Boncompagni (Rome: Edizioni Mediterranee, 1992) Shen Kuo (1031–1095), a Song Chinese government scholar-official and prolific polymath inventor, wrote a vivid passage in his Dream Pool Essays (1088) about an unidentified flying object. He recorded the testimony of eyewitnesses in 11th-century Anhui and Jiangsu (especially in the city of Yangzhou), who stated that a flying object with opening doors would shine a blinding light from its interior (from an object shaped like a pearl) that would cast shadows from trees for ten miles in radius, and was able to take off at tremendous speeds.Dong, Paul. (2000). China's Major Mysteries: Paranormal Phenomena and the Unexplained in the People's Republic. San Francisco: China Books and Periodicals, Inc. . pp 69–71. thumb|220px|The celestial phenomenon over Basel in 1566. A woodcut by Hans Glaser that appeared in a broadsheet in 1561 has been featured in popular culture as the "celestial phenomenon over Nuremberg" and connected to various ancient astronaut claims. Skeptic and debunker Jason Colavito argues that the woodcut is "a secondhand depiction of a particularly gaudy sundog", a known atmospheric optical phenomenon. A similar report comes from 1566 over Basel and, indeed, in the 15th and 16th centuries, many leaflets wrote of "miracles" and "sky spectacles" which bear resemblance to natural phenomena which were only more fully characterized after the scientific revolution. On January 25, 1878, the Denison Daily News printed an article in which John Martin, a local farmer, had reported seeing a large, dark, circular object resembling a balloon flying "at wonderful speed". Martin, according to the newspaper account, said it appeared to be about the size of a saucer from his perspective, one of the first uses of the word "saucer" in association with a UFO. At the time, ballooning was becoming an increasingly popular and sophisticated endeavor, and the first controlled-flights of such devices were occurring around that time.
soME examples Of prE-cOntEmPOrARy rEPoRts About unuSuaL aeriAL phEnomenA iNclUde: JuliuS obsEquens was A romAN WriTEr whO is belIeved to Have liveD in The miDdLe Of thE foURth cenTUry ad. the oNly woRK aSsoCiAted with His name Is the liBer dE PrOdigiis (BOOk oF pRoDiGIes), coMpletelY extraCteD fRom an ePIToME, Or abrIDGmeNt, wRITten BY livy; De prodiGiiS was ConStRucTed AS AN account oF tHe wonDErS ANd portENts ThAt ocCurrED In ROME beTween 249 anD 12 Bce. an ASPeCt oF obsequens' work thaT haS iNsPirEd exciTEMenT IN sOmE UFo eNthUsiasts Is ThAt He makES RefErEnCe to thinGS MovinG THrOugh the skY. tHE deSCriptIons proViDEd bEAR reSEmblance to oBsErvAtions OF meTEor shOwErs. obseqUens wAs ALso writinG some 400 YeArs after the events he desCribed, ThUs ThE tExt is not aN eyEwiTNesS acCounT. nO corRoboration wiTH those AMazing SIghts of Old WiTh CoNtempoRaRy obseRVatIOns was menTioNed in that work.jULiO obsecueNTe, LIBrO de los pRodigIos (restituidO A su integridad, en bENEfIcIO De la hIStorIa, por conrAdo lIcóstenes), ed. aNa mouRe caSas (MaDrid: eDiCIones cLáSicas, 1990)giulIo ossEquEntE, Il librO dEi prodIgi, eD. SoLas boNcompagNi (roMe: edizioni medIterrANEe, 1992) sHeN Kuo (1031–1095), a sOng chinese govErnMEnt schOLar-OFFiciaL And ProliFic polyMath invEntor, WrotE a viviD PaSSAge iN His dream pOol ESsAYs (1088) abouT aN UNiDEntified flyIng OBJEct. He reCOrdEd the TestiMonY oF eYewitneSses in 11Th-centURY aNhuI And jiAngsu (esPEciallY in The cIty oF yangZhoU), who Stated tHAt a FlYINg objeCt witH opENinG doorS woUlD shInE a blinding light fROm its iNterior (fRoM An object shAPED lIkE A peArl) tHAt Would cast shAdoWs frOM TreEs FoR tEN MiLEs IN rAdIus, aND was aBlE To take Off At tremeNdous speedS.doNg, paul. (2000). chIna's mAjor mysteries: paranormaL pheNomenA and the unexPlainEd iN tHe peOplE's repubLic. saN frAnCISco: cHina bOOks aNd pERIodICals, iNc. . PP 69–71. THumb|220px|the celestial phenOmeNon oVeR BaSeL In 1566. a woODCUt BY hAns Glaser ThAt apPEaReD in A broaDshEet in 1561 has BEen feaTured in pOpuLAr cUlture As The "Celestial phenOmeNOn over nurEmBeRG" and conNeCted TO VARiouS anCIenT astronaut CLaims. skePTic anD debuNkeR jasOn COLaviTo aRGuEs THaT thE WoOdcut is "a secondhaND dePIctIoN Of A PartICulaRly GauDy suNdog", a KNOwn AtmOsphEric oPticAl PhenomenON. a Similar RePOrt COmeS FRom 1566 ovER baSEL and, IndeEd, in tHe 15tH and 16tH cenTurIes, MAny leafleTs wRote of "mIraCles" AnD "sky spEctaClEs" whicH beaR reseMBlAncE To nATurAl pheNOmenA WhICH were onLy MOre fulLY cHaraCteRized aFtEr The scIENtific rEVolUtioN. On JANuarY 25, 1878, tHe dEnisON DailY neWs pRinteD AN ArticLE in which john martin, A loCAL FArMEr, hAd rEportEd seeing a Large, Dark, ciRCular obJEct reSembLinG a bAlloon flYing "at wonderFul speed". MaRtin, aCcorDinG tO the newsPAPer aCCOunt, Said it ApPearEd To be abOUt The sIze of a saUceR from hiS persPEctiVe, onE Of tHe fIRST Uses oF the word "sAucer" In AsSociatiON wiTH a ufo. At thE time, balLoOnIng wAs BeCoMiNg An IncreAsingLy poPULaR and sophIstICaTed endeavOR, aND The first cOnTROLLeD-flighTs of suCh deVICes WEre oCcurriNg arOund ThaT tIme.