Montgomery County, Indiana Site

(Contacts)

There are several arguments for the authenticity of the carvings that are being found at the Montgomery County, Indiana site, which according to an examination by a geologist in the US Geological Survey had never been glaciated. Statistical analyses already have provided some significant probability levels in support of authenticity. The more obvious arguments include:

1.-- Independent observers all have seen the same images on the stones, and without any coaching from previous viewers; and most of the stones were recovered from areas where modern farming was never practiced, thus eliminating the intervention of ploughs to account for the presence of lines on the stones.

2.-- The animals viewed all existed during the Pleistocene, many of which are now extinct. Present day viewers would not imaginably invoke their presence out of thin air. Persons not familiar with cameloids that resemble Guanacos, for example, mistook them for deer.

3.-- The animals viewed are either species used for human food or predators that prey on them. A notable exception is a horse with a human on its back. Most species such as mammoths and rhinos are rare and probably represent the very earliest artistic work done at the site.. There also may have existed taboos against depicting such animals. The American lion occurs frequently, is usually associated with human images and shows a mild demeanor.

4.-- There is much repetition of the same animals appearing on different stones found at different collection locations. Both animals and humans regularly are found on the same stone. Many stones have multiple images of Pleistocene animals and an occasional human. The apparent most recent images are larger and represent present day animals.

5.-- There is an obvious scarcity of animals such as mammoths, mastodons, rhinos and other Pleistocene species. If shapes were randomly created in our minds it could be expected that these and present-day species would be included. Why are there no foxes, raccoons, minks, otters, snakes, armadillos, opossums, etc.?

6.-- Most of the human male images are bearded and appear of European ethnicity. The Climate during the Pleistocene was cold and migrations from Europe would have been possible along the ice sheets that covered much of the Northern Hemisphere (se Climate). There is an occasional likeness with similar authenticated images from Mexico. There are also a few images of humans in the pointed head style of western Mexico (see Examples).

7.-- Both animals and humans are shown in bilateral symmetry. There are obvious unfinished carvings of humans and animals.

8.-- Some of the stones bear directional arrows carved into them that point directly to carved images. Attesting to the possible skill of the carver, the stones when viewed from different angles produce different animal images. In one example a bison, bird, moose and bearded man appear in the area that is indicated by the arrow (see Comparisons).

9.-- There are numerous images created by scraping away the surrounding stone facing in a stylized and consistent manner, not attributable to any natural causes.

10.-- There is a carving of a human forearm and hand showing motion, the details being difficult to attribute to natural causes.

11.-- There are scenes depicting humans in various kinds of activity, some of it apparently reproductive in nature. Such is unexpected and quite improbable to conjure up accidentally.

12 – Finally, there is a noticeable absence of animals and shapes that would be associated only with other continents, such as indigenous giraffes and antelopes in Africa, marsupials in Australia and giant lizards in Indonesia, etc.

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Unidentified Markings Picture List

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