An out-of-place artifact (OOPArt or oopart) is an
artifact of historical, archaeological, or paleontological interest to someone that is claimed to have been found in an unusual context, which someone (usually the finder or owner) claims to challenge conventional
historical chronology by its presence in that context. Some people might think that those artifacts are too advanced for the technology known to have existed at the time, or that
human presence existed at a time before humans are
known to have existed. Other people might hypothesize about a contact between different cultures that is hard to account for with conventional historical understanding.
Critics argue that most purported OOPArts which are not hoaxes are the result of mistaken interpretation and wishful thinking, such as a mistaken belief that a particular culture could not have created an artifact or technology due to a lack of knowledge or materials. In some cases, the uncertainty results from inaccurate descriptions. For example, the cuboid
Wolfsegg Iron is not really a perfect cube, nor are the
Klerksdorp spheres actual perfect spheres. The
Iron pillar of Delhi was said to be "rust proof", but it has some rust near its base; its relative resistance to corrosion is due to slag inclusions left over from the manufacturing conditions and environmental factors.[3]
Supporters regard OOPArts as evidence that mainstream science is overlooking huge areas of knowledge, either willfully or through ignorance.[2] Many writers or researchers who question conventional views of human history have used purported OOPArts in attempts to bolster their arguments.[2]Creation science often relies on allegedly anomalous finds in the archaeological record to challenge scientific chronologies and models of human evolution.[4] Claimed OOPArts have been used to support religious descriptions of
prehistory,
ancient astronaut theories, and the notion of vanished civilizations that possessed knowledge or technology more advanced than that known in modern times.[2]
Unusual artifacts
Antikythera mechanism: A form of
mechanical computer created between 150 and 100 BCE based on theories of astronomy and mathematics believed to have been developed by the ancient Greeks. Its design and workmanship reflect a previously unknown, but not implausible, degree of sophistication and
engineering.[5][6]
Maine penny: An 11th-century
Norwegian coin found in a
Native American shell
midden at the
Goddard Site in
Brooklin, Maine,
United States, which some authors have argued is evidence of
direct contact between Vikings and Native Americans in Maine. The coin need not imply actual exploration of Maine by the Vikings, however; mainstream belief is that it was brought to Maine from
Labrador or
Newfoundland (where Vikings are known to have established colonies as early as the late 10th century) via an extensive northern trade network operated by indigenous peoples.[7] If Vikings did indeed visit Maine, a much greater number and variety of Viking artifacts might be expected in the archaeological record there.[8] Of the nearly 20,000 objects found over a 15-year period at the Goddard Site, the coin was the sole non-native artifact.[citation needed]
The
Tamil Bell is a broken bronze bell with an inscription of old
Tamil. The bell is a mystery due to its discovery in
New Zealand by a missionary. Although nobody knows for certain how the bell came to New Zealand, one possible theory is that it was dropped off by Portuguese sailors who had acquired it from Tamil traders. Prior to being discovered by the missionary, local Maori had used it as a cooking pot. Given that it was supposedly discovered generations earlier, the artifact's exact origins could not be identified. The bell is now located at the
National Museum of New Zealand.[9]
Coins from
Marchinbar Island: Five coins from the
Kilwa Sultanate on the
Swahili coast discovered on Marchinbar Island in the
Northern Territory of
Australia in 1945 alongside four coins from 18th century
Netherlands. The inscriptions on the coins identify a ruling Sultan of Kilwa, but it is unclear whether the ruler was from the 10th century or the 14th century. A similar coin, also thought to be from the Medieval Kilwa sultanate, was found in Australia in 2018 on
Elcho Island.[10]
Fuente Magna, a large stone vessel that was discovered in
Bolivia in 1950, with many
cuneiform engravings on its inside, similar to
Sumerian writings.
The
Shroud of Turin contains an image that resembles a sepia
photographic negative, established by
radiocarbon dating to have been produced between the years 1260 and 1390.[12] The technology of photographic negatives was introduced in 1839 by
Henry Fox Talbot and the fact that the image on the shroud is much clearer when it is converted to a positive image wasn't discovered until
Secondo Pia photographed it in 1898. The actual method that resulted in this image has not yet been conclusively identified; no traces of pigments or dyes have been found, and hypotheses about a medieval proto-photographic process, a rubbing technique, natural chemical processes or some kind of radiation have not convinced many researchers.[13] Mention of the shroud first appeared in historical records in 1357. All hypotheses put forward to challenge the radiocarbon dating have been scientifically refuted,[14] including the medieval repair hypothesis,[15][16][17] the bio-contamination hypothesis[18] and the carbon monoxide hypothesis.[19] It has traditionally been believed that the cloth is the
burial shroud in which
Jesus of Nazareth was wrapped after crucifixion.
Questionable interpretations
Baghdad Battery: A ceramic vase, a copper tube, and an iron rod made in
Parthian or
Sassanid Persia, discovered in 1936. Fringe theorists have hypothesized that it may have been used as a
galvanic cell for
electroplating, though no electroplated artifacts from this era have been found.[20][21] The "battery" strongly resembles another type of object with a known purpose – storage vessels for sacred
scrolls from nearby
Seleucia on the Tigris.[22]
Dorchester Pot: A metal pot claimed to have been blasted out of solid rock in 1852. Mainstream commentators identify it as a Victorian-era candlestick or pipe holder.[23][24]
Kingoodie artifact: An object resembling a corroded nail, said to have been encased in solid rock. It was handled a number of times before being reported and there are no photographs of it.[25][26]
Lake Winnipesaukee mystery stone: Originally thought to be a record of a treaty between tribes, subsequent analysis has called its authenticity into question.[27][28]
Sivatherium of
Kish: An ornamental
war chariot figurine discovered in the
Sumerian ruins of Kish, in what is now central
Iraq, in 1928. The figurine, dated to the Early Dynastic I period (2800–2750 BCE), depicts a quadrupedal mammal with branched horns, a
nose ring, and a rope tied to the ring. Because of the shape of the horns,
Edwin Colbert identified it in 1936 as a depiction of a late-surviving, possibly domesticated Sivatherium, a vaguely
moose-like relative of the
giraffe that lived in
North Africa and
India during the
Pleistocene but was believed to have become extinct early in the
Holocene extinction event.[29]Henry Field and
Berthold Laufer instead argued that it represented a captive
Persian fallow deer and that the
antlers had broken over the years. The missing antlers were indeed found in the
Field Museum's storeroom in 1977.[30] After restoration in 1985, it was conclusively identified as a depiction of a
Caspian red deer (Cervus elaphus maral).[31]
Tecaxic-Calixtlahuaca head: A
terracotta offering head seemingly of
Roman appearance found beneath three intact floors of a burial site in
Mexico and dated between 1476 and 1510. There are disputed claims that its dating is older. Ancient Roman or Norse provenance has not been excluded.[32][33]
Sabu disk: a disk of notable precision apparently from ancient times in
Saqqara. Its purpose is unknown.[38]
Iron Man (Eiserner Mann): An old iron pillar, said to be a unique oddity in
Germany, but consistent with medieval methods of ironworking.[39]
Iron pillar of Delhi: A "rust-proof" iron pillar which supposedly demonstrates more advanced metallurgy than was available in India before 1000 CE.[40]
London Hammer: Also known as the "London Artifact", a hammer made of iron and wood that was found in
London, Texas, in 1936. Part of the hammer is encased in "400-million-year-old" ("
Ordovician era") rock. In 1985, anthropologist John R. Cole[41] hypothesized that the stone surrounding the hammer is a historic carbonate soil concretion.
Meister Print: A supposed human footprint from the
Cambrian period, long before humans existed, which has been debunked as the result of a natural geologic process known as
spall formation.[42]
Quimbaya airplanes: Golden objects found in
Colombia and made by the
Quimbaya civilization, which have been alleged to represent modern airplanes. In the
Gold Museum, Bogotá, they are described as figures of birds and insects. Some of the artifacts have also been debunked as forgeries.[46]
Saqqara Bird: Supposedly depicts a glider, but made in Ancient Egypt.[47]
Shakōkidogū: Small humanoid and animal
figurines made during the late
Jōmon period (14,000–400 BCE) of prehistoric Japan, said to resemble extraterrestrial astronauts.[48]
Yonaguni Monument: An unusual underwater rock formation near the southern Ryukyu Islands. Was considered a man-made
monolith because of the even cracks.[61][62]
Ararat anomaly: The Ararat anomaly is a structure appearing on photographs of the snowfields near the summit of
Mount Ararat,
Turkey, initially believed by some Christian believers to be the remains of
Noah's Ark. Located on the northwest corner of the Western Plateau of Mount Ararat, approximately 15,500 ft high, it was first filmed during a U.S. Air Force aerial reconnaissance mission in 1949. The
Defense Intelligence Agency later indicated that the anomaly represents linear facades in the glacial ice, rather than an ancient structure.[63][64]
Erroneously dated objects
Aiud object: An aluminum wedge found in 1974 in the
Mureș River in central
Romania, near the town of
Aiud; it has been claimed by Romanian
Ufologists to be of ancient and/or
extraterrestrial origin,[65] yet it is more likely a fragment of modern machinery lost during excavation work.[66]
Nampa figurine: Was a clay fired doll found in
Nampa, Idaho during a well drilling. Early dating attempts believed the artifact to be 2 million years old due to the rock layer it was found in.[69] Later assessments found that the artifact was either only a few thousand years old[70] or a 19th-century Native American doll. Many have criticized the object as a likely hoax.[71]
Wolfsegg Iron: Thought to be from the
Tertiary epoch; actually from an early mining operation. Inaccurately described as a perfect cube.[72]
Babylonokia: A clay tablet shaped like a
mobile phone and created as an artwork in 2012.
Fringe scientists and
alternative archaeology proponents subsequently misrepresented a photograph of the artwork as showing an 800-year-old archaeological find. The story was popularised in a video on the YouTube channel Paranormal Crucible and led to the object being reported by some press sources as a mystery.[73]
Calaveras Skull: A human skull found by miners in
Calaveras County, California, which was purported to prove that humans, mastodons, and elephants had coexisted in prehistoric California. It was later revealed to be a hoax.[75]
Cardiff Giant: A 19th-century hoax of a ten-foot-tall supposedly petrified man exhibited as a giant from biblical times. Quickly debunked by experts, and by the confession of the forger,[76] it was nonetheless a popular marvel of the day.[77]
Crystal skulls: Supposedly demonstrate more advanced stone-cutting skill than was previously known from pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Appear to have been made in the 19th century.[78]
Ica stones: Depict
Inca dinosaur-hunters,
surgery, and other modern or fanciful topics. Collected by Javier Cabrera Darquea, who claimed them to be prehistoric. Later revealed to be a forgery created by a local farmer.[80]
Kensington Runestone: A
runestone purportedly unearthed in 1898 in
Kensington, Minnesota entangled in the roots of a tree. Runologists have dismissed the inscription's authenticity on linguistic evidence, while geologists disagree as to whether the stone shows weathering that would indicate a medieval date.[82]
Los Lunas Decalogue Stone: Supposedly made by pre-Columbian Israelite visitors to the Americas. Generally believed to be a modern-day hoax.[83]
Piltdown Man: Supposedly skull parts from a "missing link" hominid, but exposed as an elaborate hoax 41 years after its "discovery".[86]
Tucson artifacts: Thirty-one lead objects that Charles E. Manier and his family found in 1924 near Picture Rocks, Arizona, which were initially thought by some to be created by early
Mediterranean civilizations that had crossed the Atlantic in the first century, but were later determined to be a hoax.[87]
^R. Balasubramaniam (2001). "New Insights on the Corrosion Resistant Delhi Iron Pillar". In Rao, Ramachandra Patcha; Goswami, Nani Gopal (eds.).
Metallurgy in India: a retrospective(PDF). India International Publisher. pp. 104–133.
^"
The Antikythera Mechanism Research ProjectArchived 2008-04-28 at the
Wayback Machine", The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project. Retrieved 2007-07-01 Quote: "The Antikythera Mechanism is now understood to be dedicated to astronomical phenomena and operates as a complex mechanical "computer" which tracks the cycles of the Solar System."
^Paphitis, Nicholas (December 1, 2006).
"Experts: Fragments an Ancient Computer". The Washington Post. Athens, Greece. Imagine tossing a top-notch laptop into the sea, leaving scientists from a foreign culture to scratch their heads over its corroded remains centuries later. A Roman shipmaster inadvertently did something just like it 2,000 years ago off southern Greece, experts said late Thursday.
^"Vinland Archeology". Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History. Archived from
the original on 2003-12-09. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
^Sir David, B (1854) Queries and Statements concerning a Nail found imbedded in a Block of Sandstone obtained from Kingoodie (Mylnfield) Quarry, North Britain. Report of the Fourteenth Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science vol. 51, John Murray London.
^Müller-Karpe, Michael (1985). "Antlers of the Stag Rein Ring from Kish". Journal of Near Eastern Studies. 44: 57–58.
doi:
10.1086/373105.
S2CID161093625.
^Hristov, RH, and S. Genoves (2001)
Tecaxic-Calixtlahuaca. Dept. of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
^Schaaf, P and GA Wagner (1991) Comments on 'Mesoamerican Evidence of Pre-Columbian Transoceanic Contacts,' by Hristov and Genovés. Ancient Mesoamerica. 10:207–213.
^Cole, J.R. (Winter 1985).
"If I Had a Hammer". Creation Evolution Journal. 5 (15).
National Center for Science Education Inc.: 46–47. One of his principal pieces of evidence for human contemporaneity with supposedly ancient geological strata is an iron hammer with a wooden handle found near London, Texas by others in the 1930s in an "Ordovician" stone concretion..."(Baugh, 1983b).
^Turner, Derek D.; Turner, Michelle I. (2021). ""I'm not saying it was aliens": an archaeological and philosophical analysis of a conspiracy theory". In Killin, Anton; Allen-Hermanson, Sean (eds.). Explorations in Archaeology and Philosophy. Springer. pp. 7–24.
ISBN978-3-030-61051-7.
^McIntosh, Gregory C. (2000). The Piri Reis Map of 1513. University of Georgia Press. p. 230.
^Stillman, B (1820) Curious Geological Facts: The American Journal of Science. v. 2, no. 1, pp. 144–146. (November 1820).
Internet Archive copy archived on May 27, 2011.
^"Noah's Ark Found in Turkey?". 2010-04-29. Archived from the original on 2010-04-29. Retrieved 2023-12-05.{{
cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
link)
^Isaak, M. (2007). The Counter-Creationism Handbook. University of California Press. p. 362.
ISBN978-0520249264.
^Taylor, R. E.; Payen, Louis A.; Slota, Peter J. Jr (April 1992). "The Age of the Calaveras Skull: Dating the "Piltdown Man" of the New World". American Antiquity. 57 (2): 269–275.
doi:
10.2307/280732.
JSTOR280732.
S2CID162187935.
^Rose, Mark (November–December 2005).
"When Giants Roamed the Earth". Archeology. 58 (6). Archaeological Institute of America. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
An out-of-place artifact (OOPArt or oopart) is an
artifact of historical, archaeological, or paleontological interest to someone that is claimed to have been found in an unusual context, which someone (usually the finder or owner) claims to challenge conventional
historical chronology by its presence in that context. Some people might think that those artifacts are too advanced for the technology known to have existed at the time, or that
human presence existed at a time before humans are
known to have existed. Other people might hypothesize about a contact between different cultures that is hard to account for with conventional historical understanding.
Critics argue that most purported OOPArts which are not hoaxes are the result of mistaken interpretation and wishful thinking, such as a mistaken belief that a particular culture could not have created an artifact or technology due to a lack of knowledge or materials. In some cases, the uncertainty results from inaccurate descriptions. For example, the cuboid
Wolfsegg Iron is not really a perfect cube, nor are the
Klerksdorp spheres actual perfect spheres. The
Iron pillar of Delhi was said to be "rust proof", but it has some rust near its base; its relative resistance to corrosion is due to slag inclusions left over from the manufacturing conditions and environmental factors.[3]
Supporters regard OOPArts as evidence that mainstream science is overlooking huge areas of knowledge, either willfully or through ignorance.[2] Many writers or researchers who question conventional views of human history have used purported OOPArts in attempts to bolster their arguments.[2]Creation science often relies on allegedly anomalous finds in the archaeological record to challenge scientific chronologies and models of human evolution.[4] Claimed OOPArts have been used to support religious descriptions of
prehistory,
ancient astronaut theories, and the notion of vanished civilizations that possessed knowledge or technology more advanced than that known in modern times.[2]
Unusual artifacts
Antikythera mechanism: A form of
mechanical computer created between 150 and 100 BCE based on theories of astronomy and mathematics believed to have been developed by the ancient Greeks. Its design and workmanship reflect a previously unknown, but not implausible, degree of sophistication and
engineering.[5][6]
Maine penny: An 11th-century
Norwegian coin found in a
Native American shell
midden at the
Goddard Site in
Brooklin, Maine,
United States, which some authors have argued is evidence of
direct contact between Vikings and Native Americans in Maine. The coin need not imply actual exploration of Maine by the Vikings, however; mainstream belief is that it was brought to Maine from
Labrador or
Newfoundland (where Vikings are known to have established colonies as early as the late 10th century) via an extensive northern trade network operated by indigenous peoples.[7] If Vikings did indeed visit Maine, a much greater number and variety of Viking artifacts might be expected in the archaeological record there.[8] Of the nearly 20,000 objects found over a 15-year period at the Goddard Site, the coin was the sole non-native artifact.[citation needed]
The
Tamil Bell is a broken bronze bell with an inscription of old
Tamil. The bell is a mystery due to its discovery in
New Zealand by a missionary. Although nobody knows for certain how the bell came to New Zealand, one possible theory is that it was dropped off by Portuguese sailors who had acquired it from Tamil traders. Prior to being discovered by the missionary, local Maori had used it as a cooking pot. Given that it was supposedly discovered generations earlier, the artifact's exact origins could not be identified. The bell is now located at the
National Museum of New Zealand.[9]
Coins from
Marchinbar Island: Five coins from the
Kilwa Sultanate on the
Swahili coast discovered on Marchinbar Island in the
Northern Territory of
Australia in 1945 alongside four coins from 18th century
Netherlands. The inscriptions on the coins identify a ruling Sultan of Kilwa, but it is unclear whether the ruler was from the 10th century or the 14th century. A similar coin, also thought to be from the Medieval Kilwa sultanate, was found in Australia in 2018 on
Elcho Island.[10]
Fuente Magna, a large stone vessel that was discovered in
Bolivia in 1950, with many
cuneiform engravings on its inside, similar to
Sumerian writings.
The
Shroud of Turin contains an image that resembles a sepia
photographic negative, established by
radiocarbon dating to have been produced between the years 1260 and 1390.[12] The technology of photographic negatives was introduced in 1839 by
Henry Fox Talbot and the fact that the image on the shroud is much clearer when it is converted to a positive image wasn't discovered until
Secondo Pia photographed it in 1898. The actual method that resulted in this image has not yet been conclusively identified; no traces of pigments or dyes have been found, and hypotheses about a medieval proto-photographic process, a rubbing technique, natural chemical processes or some kind of radiation have not convinced many researchers.[13] Mention of the shroud first appeared in historical records in 1357. All hypotheses put forward to challenge the radiocarbon dating have been scientifically refuted,[14] including the medieval repair hypothesis,[15][16][17] the bio-contamination hypothesis[18] and the carbon monoxide hypothesis.[19] It has traditionally been believed that the cloth is the
burial shroud in which
Jesus of Nazareth was wrapped after crucifixion.
Questionable interpretations
Baghdad Battery: A ceramic vase, a copper tube, and an iron rod made in
Parthian or
Sassanid Persia, discovered in 1936. Fringe theorists have hypothesized that it may have been used as a
galvanic cell for
electroplating, though no electroplated artifacts from this era have been found.[20][21] The "battery" strongly resembles another type of object with a known purpose – storage vessels for sacred
scrolls from nearby
Seleucia on the Tigris.[22]
Dorchester Pot: A metal pot claimed to have been blasted out of solid rock in 1852. Mainstream commentators identify it as a Victorian-era candlestick or pipe holder.[23][24]
Kingoodie artifact: An object resembling a corroded nail, said to have been encased in solid rock. It was handled a number of times before being reported and there are no photographs of it.[25][26]
Lake Winnipesaukee mystery stone: Originally thought to be a record of a treaty between tribes, subsequent analysis has called its authenticity into question.[27][28]
Sivatherium of
Kish: An ornamental
war chariot figurine discovered in the
Sumerian ruins of Kish, in what is now central
Iraq, in 1928. The figurine, dated to the Early Dynastic I period (2800–2750 BCE), depicts a quadrupedal mammal with branched horns, a
nose ring, and a rope tied to the ring. Because of the shape of the horns,
Edwin Colbert identified it in 1936 as a depiction of a late-surviving, possibly domesticated Sivatherium, a vaguely
moose-like relative of the
giraffe that lived in
North Africa and
India during the
Pleistocene but was believed to have become extinct early in the
Holocene extinction event.[29]Henry Field and
Berthold Laufer instead argued that it represented a captive
Persian fallow deer and that the
antlers had broken over the years. The missing antlers were indeed found in the
Field Museum's storeroom in 1977.[30] After restoration in 1985, it was conclusively identified as a depiction of a
Caspian red deer (Cervus elaphus maral).[31]
Tecaxic-Calixtlahuaca head: A
terracotta offering head seemingly of
Roman appearance found beneath three intact floors of a burial site in
Mexico and dated between 1476 and 1510. There are disputed claims that its dating is older. Ancient Roman or Norse provenance has not been excluded.[32][33]
Sabu disk: a disk of notable precision apparently from ancient times in
Saqqara. Its purpose is unknown.[38]
Iron Man (Eiserner Mann): An old iron pillar, said to be a unique oddity in
Germany, but consistent with medieval methods of ironworking.[39]
Iron pillar of Delhi: A "rust-proof" iron pillar which supposedly demonstrates more advanced metallurgy than was available in India before 1000 CE.[40]
London Hammer: Also known as the "London Artifact", a hammer made of iron and wood that was found in
London, Texas, in 1936. Part of the hammer is encased in "400-million-year-old" ("
Ordovician era") rock. In 1985, anthropologist John R. Cole[41] hypothesized that the stone surrounding the hammer is a historic carbonate soil concretion.
Meister Print: A supposed human footprint from the
Cambrian period, long before humans existed, which has been debunked as the result of a natural geologic process known as
spall formation.[42]
Quimbaya airplanes: Golden objects found in
Colombia and made by the
Quimbaya civilization, which have been alleged to represent modern airplanes. In the
Gold Museum, Bogotá, they are described as figures of birds and insects. Some of the artifacts have also been debunked as forgeries.[46]
Saqqara Bird: Supposedly depicts a glider, but made in Ancient Egypt.[47]
Shakōkidogū: Small humanoid and animal
figurines made during the late
Jōmon period (14,000–400 BCE) of prehistoric Japan, said to resemble extraterrestrial astronauts.[48]
Yonaguni Monument: An unusual underwater rock formation near the southern Ryukyu Islands. Was considered a man-made
monolith because of the even cracks.[61][62]
Ararat anomaly: The Ararat anomaly is a structure appearing on photographs of the snowfields near the summit of
Mount Ararat,
Turkey, initially believed by some Christian believers to be the remains of
Noah's Ark. Located on the northwest corner of the Western Plateau of Mount Ararat, approximately 15,500 ft high, it was first filmed during a U.S. Air Force aerial reconnaissance mission in 1949. The
Defense Intelligence Agency later indicated that the anomaly represents linear facades in the glacial ice, rather than an ancient structure.[63][64]
Erroneously dated objects
Aiud object: An aluminum wedge found in 1974 in the
Mureș River in central
Romania, near the town of
Aiud; it has been claimed by Romanian
Ufologists to be of ancient and/or
extraterrestrial origin,[65] yet it is more likely a fragment of modern machinery lost during excavation work.[66]
Nampa figurine: Was a clay fired doll found in
Nampa, Idaho during a well drilling. Early dating attempts believed the artifact to be 2 million years old due to the rock layer it was found in.[69] Later assessments found that the artifact was either only a few thousand years old[70] or a 19th-century Native American doll. Many have criticized the object as a likely hoax.[71]
Wolfsegg Iron: Thought to be from the
Tertiary epoch; actually from an early mining operation. Inaccurately described as a perfect cube.[72]
Babylonokia: A clay tablet shaped like a
mobile phone and created as an artwork in 2012.
Fringe scientists and
alternative archaeology proponents subsequently misrepresented a photograph of the artwork as showing an 800-year-old archaeological find. The story was popularised in a video on the YouTube channel Paranormal Crucible and led to the object being reported by some press sources as a mystery.[73]
Calaveras Skull: A human skull found by miners in
Calaveras County, California, which was purported to prove that humans, mastodons, and elephants had coexisted in prehistoric California. It was later revealed to be a hoax.[75]
Cardiff Giant: A 19th-century hoax of a ten-foot-tall supposedly petrified man exhibited as a giant from biblical times. Quickly debunked by experts, and by the confession of the forger,[76] it was nonetheless a popular marvel of the day.[77]
Crystal skulls: Supposedly demonstrate more advanced stone-cutting skill than was previously known from pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Appear to have been made in the 19th century.[78]
Ica stones: Depict
Inca dinosaur-hunters,
surgery, and other modern or fanciful topics. Collected by Javier Cabrera Darquea, who claimed them to be prehistoric. Later revealed to be a forgery created by a local farmer.[80]
Kensington Runestone: A
runestone purportedly unearthed in 1898 in
Kensington, Minnesota entangled in the roots of a tree. Runologists have dismissed the inscription's authenticity on linguistic evidence, while geologists disagree as to whether the stone shows weathering that would indicate a medieval date.[82]
Los Lunas Decalogue Stone: Supposedly made by pre-Columbian Israelite visitors to the Americas. Generally believed to be a modern-day hoax.[83]
Piltdown Man: Supposedly skull parts from a "missing link" hominid, but exposed as an elaborate hoax 41 years after its "discovery".[86]
Tucson artifacts: Thirty-one lead objects that Charles E. Manier and his family found in 1924 near Picture Rocks, Arizona, which were initially thought by some to be created by early
Mediterranean civilizations that had crossed the Atlantic in the first century, but were later determined to be a hoax.[87]
^R. Balasubramaniam (2001). "New Insights on the Corrosion Resistant Delhi Iron Pillar". In Rao, Ramachandra Patcha; Goswami, Nani Gopal (eds.).
Metallurgy in India: a retrospective(PDF). India International Publisher. pp. 104–133.
^"
The Antikythera Mechanism Research ProjectArchived 2008-04-28 at the
Wayback Machine", The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project. Retrieved 2007-07-01 Quote: "The Antikythera Mechanism is now understood to be dedicated to astronomical phenomena and operates as a complex mechanical "computer" which tracks the cycles of the Solar System."
^Paphitis, Nicholas (December 1, 2006).
"Experts: Fragments an Ancient Computer". The Washington Post. Athens, Greece. Imagine tossing a top-notch laptop into the sea, leaving scientists from a foreign culture to scratch their heads over its corroded remains centuries later. A Roman shipmaster inadvertently did something just like it 2,000 years ago off southern Greece, experts said late Thursday.
^"Vinland Archeology". Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History. Archived from
the original on 2003-12-09. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
^Sir David, B (1854) Queries and Statements concerning a Nail found imbedded in a Block of Sandstone obtained from Kingoodie (Mylnfield) Quarry, North Britain. Report of the Fourteenth Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science vol. 51, John Murray London.
^Müller-Karpe, Michael (1985). "Antlers of the Stag Rein Ring from Kish". Journal of Near Eastern Studies. 44: 57–58.
doi:
10.1086/373105.
S2CID161093625.
^Hristov, RH, and S. Genoves (2001)
Tecaxic-Calixtlahuaca. Dept. of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
^Schaaf, P and GA Wagner (1991) Comments on 'Mesoamerican Evidence of Pre-Columbian Transoceanic Contacts,' by Hristov and Genovés. Ancient Mesoamerica. 10:207–213.
^Cole, J.R. (Winter 1985).
"If I Had a Hammer". Creation Evolution Journal. 5 (15).
National Center for Science Education Inc.: 46–47. One of his principal pieces of evidence for human contemporaneity with supposedly ancient geological strata is an iron hammer with a wooden handle found near London, Texas by others in the 1930s in an "Ordovician" stone concretion..."(Baugh, 1983b).
^Turner, Derek D.; Turner, Michelle I. (2021). ""I'm not saying it was aliens": an archaeological and philosophical analysis of a conspiracy theory". In Killin, Anton; Allen-Hermanson, Sean (eds.). Explorations in Archaeology and Philosophy. Springer. pp. 7–24.
ISBN978-3-030-61051-7.
^McIntosh, Gregory C. (2000). The Piri Reis Map of 1513. University of Georgia Press. p. 230.
^Stillman, B (1820) Curious Geological Facts: The American Journal of Science. v. 2, no. 1, pp. 144–146. (November 1820).
Internet Archive copy archived on May 27, 2011.
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