David Hatcher Childress, born in 1957, is an American author and the proprietor of Adventures Unlimited Press, a publishing house he established in 1984. His company focuses on subjects such as ancient mysteries, unexplained phenomena, pseudohistory, and historical revisionism. Childress's personal writings delve into pseudoarchaeological and pseudoscientific areas, including UFOs, secret societies, suppressed technology, cryptozoology, and conspiracy theories. He has no academic degrees and describes himself as a "rogue archaeologist".

Childress's career began after he left the University of Montana in 1976 to travel extensively in Asia and Africa. He later moved to Stelle, Illinois, a community founded by Richard Kieninger, a New Age writer. Childress documented his global explorations from the 1970s through the 1990s in his "Lost Cities and Ancient Mysteries" book series. In addition to his writing, he founded the World Explorers Club in 1992, which organizes tours and publishes a magazine. His publishing house has released a significant number of books, many of which explore fringe scientific theories and alternative historical narratives.

David Hatcher Childress's career is marked by extensive travel and a commitment to exploring and disseminating information on subjects often considered outside mainstream academic inquiry. After departing from his university studies in archaeology, Childress embarked on journeys across Asia and Africa, which laid the groundwork for his subsequent literary and publishing endeavors. His move to Stelle, Illinois, a community associated with New Age thought, further influenced his trajectory. The establishment of Adventures Unlimited Press in 1984 provided a platform for his own writings and those of other authors who explore topics such as lost civilizations, anomalous phenomena, and unconventional technological theories. This venture has resulted in the publication of a substantial catalog of books, many of which have been translated internationally, reflecting a global interest in these subjects.

Childress's work is primarily characterized by its engagement with pseudoarchaeological and pseudoscientific claims. He frequently writes about topics such as ancient mysteries, the possibility of lost continents like Mu, and the construction of megalithic sites. Critics, such as geography professor Patrick D. Nunn, point out that the ambiguity surrounding certain historical or geological theories, like the disappearance of Mu, allows proponents like Childress to present speculative ideas that may seem convincing to those unfamiliar with established scientific data. Historical archaeologist Charles E. Orser has specifically criticized Childress's interpretations of sites like Tiahuanaco, arguing that Childress presents unsubstantiated theories, such as the existence of an "Atlantean League" with specific physical characteristics, that deviate significantly from historical and archaeological evidence and introduce racialized elements not supported by primary sources.

“rogue archaeologist”