Let’s address these points one by one:
1) There is no evidence these stones were buried. The stone material is very soft and would have suffered random abrasions (assuming she is talking about the trail stones).
Assuming that Dr. Adams is talking about the two trail stones (because the H/P stone is pretty banged up and has plenty of abrasions, gouges, and scratches), the good doctor absolutely whiffed on this one. If she had done a tiny teensy bit of homework, she would have come across Travis Tumlinson’s account that he had found the trail stones buried
face to face. This would account for the fact that the flat and critical sides of the trail maps remained relatively unscathed while the reverse side of these trail stones are pretty eroded and have suffered more than just a few random abrasions, especially the back of the lower map (see below). I am using Marlow’s image because the contrast in his picture is much better.
2) The stones were mechanically sanded and drilled because of the existence of "start dimples."
Dr. Adams also believes that the presence of “start dimples” on the Stone Maps is proof of the presence of a drill. It is not clear if she also suggests that an electric drill was at work, or if these are author Anne Montgomery’s words. Anyway these observations are erroneously used to interpret these Stone Maps as fakes.
Here, the doctor whiffs again. She may be very knowledgeable about geological matters, but if she bothered to learn a little bit about stone carvings, she might realize that start dimples are
indispensable for stone carvings and are used all the time in sculptures. done mostly with drills, but also with punch and point chisels. See below, two pictures containing non-electric drills, the cord and strap drill, similar ones of which date to the Roman era, and much earlier. These types of tools were widespread.
Poor grounds on which to dismiss the Stone Maps as a hoax.
3) The stone materials (appearing to be Coconino Sandstone, and iron-rich sandstone) is nowhere to be found in the Superstitions. ("Most likely found on the Mogollon Rim or in northern Arizona").
Here we come to Clay’s favorite doctor, Dr. Elizabeth “Beth” Miksa and her remarks explaining that the “Peralta Stones originated far from where they were supposedly found.” How on earth does this mean that these Stone Maps are a hoax? First we start with the notion that they are “Peralta Stones.” Where does that idea come from? There is
nothing on any of the stones that indicate any sort of relationship with the Peraltas, Jacob Waltz, or anyone else. There are a few words such as “Miguel,” “Pedro,” and “Sonora, Mex” but that’s still not conclusive by any stretch of the imagination. But the real issue is that there’s
nothing on these Stone Maps that indicate that they are from the Superstitions, or that they even relate to anything in the Superstitions. The only thing remotely relevant is Travis Tumlinson’s uncorroborated claims that he found these stones in the Superstitions.
Again, poor grounds on which to dismiss these Stone Maps as a hoax.
4) Poorly spelled Spanish.
Not much I can say at this point other than to say that these misspellings are intentional. I have several other documents and maps that contain the same kind of “misspellings.” One example is posted below on a treasure map given to me by someone on the condition that I never reveal the entire map as it is a project he is currently working on (no, not in the Superstitions, not even in Arizona).
However, to dismiss something as a hoax simply based on poor spelling is neither sound reasoning or science. It is pretty dumb to consider literacy a requirement for mining, burying treasure, or similar activities. During the time period concerned, very few people were literate.
5) Blocky, poor writing. Lettering is wrong for the Spanish language documents of the supposed time period.
Archaeologist Homer Theil does his share of whiffing. Really? The lettering is wrong? See below, an example of very similar script as found on the Stone Maps (provided by Azmula, a poster from another site) clearly in Spanish. This came from a church graveyard in Arizpe, Mexico, and while I wish he had photographed a gravestone earlier than 1939, there are many other gravestones with similar script that date much earlier.
Arizpe is also home to- wait for it- iron-rich sandstone cliffs!
Even Clay Diggins caught that, but saying that made them the work of a non Spanish writer? That's like saying the Spanish writers don't make misteaks.
