Occam's Trowel, Sifting archaeological fringe to get to archaeological fact.
Today we talk with Douglas Hunter about his new book Beardmore: The Viking Hoax that Rewrote History. We talk about what the interesting history of the Beardmore relics, how they affected Canadian history, and what lessons we can learn from the hubris of our past. Show notes: Douglass Hunter Website Beardmore: The Viking Hoax that Rewrote History The... Continue Reading →
So what have we learned so far about the Viking presence in America? Well, we've looked at all the past usual suspects: The Newport Tower. - Where we discuss where the tower came from and why it looks so much like a Norse tower. The reality of this structure seems to be that it's really a... Continue Reading →
This week we have another puzzler, unlike the Wisconsin Viking Horse Skull, we know these artifacts are real. The question becomes, how did they get here? In 1930 or 1931, a gold prospector named James Edward Dodd was prospecting just south of the Blackwater River (Elliott 1941a:254.) Dodd says while prospecting he blew up an old... Continue Reading →
So here is an interesting puzzle for us to consider. Not because there is any evidence that the artifact was left by Vikings, but because of the controversy over if the artifact is the real fake one or not. A little background is required here: Back in 1935 and 1936, Ralph Linton and W.C. McKern,... Continue Reading →
Even though I’m only going to focus on one of the American Runestones (of which there are several), to date, none are thought to be authentic by anyone who is knowledgeable of such things. This doesn't stop the conspiratorially minded however. Probably the most popular of the American Runestones is the Kensington Runestone. Named for... Continue Reading →
Vinland Map. The Vinland map is an interesting artifact, one that captured my attention as a child. Frankly, I think the evidence points to the map being a fake, but there are a some who still fight for it to be real. The Vinland map first surface in 1957 glued inside the of the cover of a bound volume of Hystoria Tartarorum (Feder 2006:119,... Continue Reading →
In our first installment of this series we looked over the actual factual, evidence of both Christopher Columbus and Leif Eiriksson discovering the Americas. Arguably, you could say Columbus discovered South America, and Leif the North. I would say, simply touching a rock on one park of a massive continent complex doesn't equal discovering both bits of America, but that's my opinion on the matter. Apparently some folks agree... Continue Reading →
Archaeological Fantasies 