Sat Oct 09, 2010 12:31 am
Something has turned up and I wanted to propose it to the forum. Many strange artifacts interpreted as evidence of pre-Columbian voyages to the New World are based on textual and/or symbolic evidence. As an archaeologist, context is everything, and in my experience many of these artifacts with texts have poorly recorded proveniences, or none at all. Many are now missing, documented either by line drawings or if lucky, photographs. That’s why I have always been attracted to the 32-piece assemblage of lead artifacts, known as the Tucson Artifacts, or as the Roman-Jewish Relics, discovered in 1924. I regard it to be one of the most underrated mysteries of the Americas. Their context and recovery were well documented by professional geologists and archaeologists, with many photos taken; they are presently stored at the Arizona Historical Society in Tucson. Their history is discussed in Don Burgess’s, “Roman Jews in Tucson? The Story of an Archaeological Hoax,” (Journal of the Southwest, Spring 2009, 51:1); it is the entire issue, and you can purchase it ala carte. His conclusion was that it is probably a hoax that was carried out during the course of the excavation.
I have reason to believe that this was not a hoax. I do not think the assemblage was meant to be accidently found. I think it was a cache from Sherod Hunter’s regiment stationed in Tucson in 1862. I think it was regalia from a Civil War field lodge used for Masonic ceremonies, and which may have included individuals affiliated to the Knights of the Golden Circle, connected to General Albert Pike. There were a number of Christian crosses, two with coiled snakes, six compound crosses riveted together and containing 8th Century Latin text, spears on broken shafts, short swords, Jewish ceremonial items; symbols include a dinosaur with his tongue sticking out, square and compass designs. The coiled snake on a cross is a theme associated with the Masonic 25th Degree, The Knight of the Brazen Serpent.
An artifact found under a 50-year old Mesquite tree provides a maximum date of ca. 1874. Also, the artifacts were scattered over a 2500-foot area on an eroding terrace, and then covered up all together, buried between three to six feet below the modern surface. There was absolutely no evidence of pits dug to plant the pieces under the surface; this is verified in the photographs and by multiple professional accounts during the discoveries, including comments by Dr. Neil Judd who personally excavated two of the pieces; Judd was a nephew of UAz’s Dr. Byron Cummings, and a Smithsonian archaeologist working at Chaco Canyon. To do all that earthmoving, an army begins to make sense.
I am wondering if the Knights of the Golden Circle might be somehow involved. It all depends on the merit of stories surrounding hidden Confederate caches of gold and treasures, and also stories about symbols and signs coded for directions or secret notes, etc. Confederate General Albert Pike was renowned for his use of symbols and languages, including Latin, Greek and Hebrew. These artifacts were made of lead, so their intrinsic value might be low. On the other hand, the text and/or symbols might contain coded geographic information (?).
Sample links:
Treasure Trove Dreams
http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2 ... signs.html
http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2 ... rst-2.html
If this kind of symbolic hanky panky was going on by the Confederates, could some of the anomalous artifacts or rocks with foreign languages on them – like the Hebrew at Las Lunas, NM and Big Bend? -- could some of these turn out to be affiliated to Confederate activity? Are some of these alleged evidences for pre-Columbian diffusion actually evidence of Confederate Masonic activity tied to groups like the Knights of the Golden Circle? Were some of these anomalous artifacts found along known Confederate routes?
Problem is, I don't know if these tales of KGC caches are true, and I haven’t dealt with Civil War issues at all; I do have a background in symbols.
Is it a connection worth pursuing?
Chris Hardaker
Earth Measure
hardaker
Specific information regarding the tree can be found In Bent, pages 87-89.
Tom Dunkle
What do you feel is the first thing that needs to be considered? Done a lot of research into the Tucson artifacts?
yes ,I know ,thats why i have a litter of kittens,
If you belive in the artifacts,then you have to believe in calalus,and also terra incognita,they make referance to serpents,monsters,and lions. america's nazca lines,what experts thought for years to be small horse's ,turned out to be lions.
that is a fact,and if you choose not to believe,thats your right,please give me your expert opinion,thats all i asked for,thank you.np
