quote: In the stillness of Cockaponset State Forest, southern Connecticut, near the town of Guilford, masterfully carved from solid rock, stands North America’s oldest Christian church. Recent epigraphic evidence found here suggests that it is 1500 years old, and linked to a voyage of Christian Byzantine monks who fled from North Africa during the 5th Century, in the wake of the Vandal invasions. Greek and North African inscriptions, Greek cupule patterns in the form of Chrismons (monograms of Christ), baptismal fonts, a cathedra or throne, candelabras and an altar have been found at the site.
I found this through some history links I follow. Way cool.
[ July 15, 2009, 12:11 PM: Message edited by: sarcasticmuppet ]
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Is this real? That's completely wild.
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
I think it might be. I'm gonna send it over to an archaeologist friend of mine to see if maybe it's been in any literature she's seen. Google is failing me on any better source.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
First, the fact that it doesn't appear anywhere else is highly suspicious to me.
Secondly, the grainy, black and white photos look suspiciously like normal geological formations. The quality of the site description seems to date from the fifties.
Thirdly, the inscriptions-- the things that would make it obviously not merely a peculiar geological site-- are curiously not photographed, only drawn.
Fourthly, none of this article is footnoted. This is clearly not an academic or intellectual article that has undergone any kind of peer review. Any claim as outrageous as this would demand extensive footnoting and peer-review.
Fifthly, the Ancient American magazine "welcomes the opinions of both experts and non-professionals" and it goes on to say:
quote:The purpose of Ancient American magazine is to describe the prehistory of the American Continent, regardless of presently fashionable beliefs--- to provide a public forum for certified experts and nonprofessionals alike to freely express their views without fear nor favor...
Each issue presents such otherwise neglected and even suppressed factual evidence demonstrating the lasting impact made on the Americas by Scandinavian Norsemen, Pharaonic Egyptians, Bronze Age Mediterraneans, Semitic Phoenicians, West Africans, Dynastic Chinese, seafaring Polynesians, and many other culture- bearers.
Lawl. Definately not peer-reviewed or academic. "Ancient American" is not a reliable source for true archaeology. It's the World Weekly News for Archaeology.
Sixthly, John Gallager has a BA in History, which is what I have. Not archaeology. Not History of Early Christianity. Not Epigraphy. History. He's taken eight classes on Historical subjects, and if he wrote essays like this for his classes I hope he failed them.
I don't think you have to be an archaeologist not to find several fatal problems with Mr. Gallager's claims. I'm afraid I will say with 99% certainty that this is Mr. Gallager's attempt at a hoax.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
More detailed debunking:
quote:The artifacts are illuminated by Libyan Arabic texts found at Figuig (Hadj-Mimoum), a remote oasis in eastern Morocco, in 1926. They tell of a voyage undertaken by North African Christian monks sailing “toward the setting sun,” to “Asq-Shamal,” the “Northern Land,” suggestive of North America. A diffusionist scholar, Frederick J. Pohl, who studied the Figuig inscriptions during the 1960s, placed the monks arrival...
If they left Morocco and never came back, in the words of Captain Jack Sparrow, who has as much authority as the unfootnoted translator (Frederick J. Pohl, a "prolific playwright") of this "remote oasis" text, where do the stories come from?
Even if this is a real text-- which, as it's not named, mentioned, footnoted or provided in any form other than short quotes is likely not. Even if it's translated correctly. Even if the text describes a real group of Moroccan monks. A "Northern Land" could equally and much more plausably mean Ireland, England or Scotland. What's particularly North about Connecticut? It's not significantly North of Morocco at all.
quote:I sought out the opinions of other experts in pre-Columbian matters. Their insight combined with diligent, independent research to reveal the Guilford location as an Early Christian Church and Baptismal site of Byzantine Greek North African origin.
Other, unnamed experts whose work is not referenced or footnoted.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
Both the "American Institute of Archaeological Research" or John Gallager's claimed other articles are strangely elusive when searched as well.
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
Thanks Teshi. I'm glad to be better informed now.
I still hold out that Vikings came to America, at least a little bit... Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Vikings, yes. 5th Century Byzantine monks, probably not. Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
What if the Vikings gave them a lift?
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Because they were on their way?
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
and had a time machine?
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
and were feeling a little lonely.
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
Time-traveling Byzantines!
Posted by Darth_Mauve (Member # 4709) on :
Time Bandits! anyone?
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
quote:Because they were on their way?
That, and I'm sure the monks chipped in too, y'know, for gas and sodas and stuff.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
But one of the monks wanted to play the initials game, so the Vikings had second thoughts and almost dumped them overboard.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
You know, I once found a legitimate 10-year-old unopened box of Boston Baked Beans, and there wasn't nearly this much uproar.
It says a lot about humanity that it takes this much to dazzle us anymore.
Posted by hobsen (Member # 11808) on :
A look at a Web site describing the park shows no mention of this feature. But it does mention rock climbers enjoy some of the rocky outcrops in it. That suggests it was some natural formation, with a superficial resemblance to a building, which could be passed off as such for an article in some shoddy publication describing wonders of North America. Consider the continuing stories about finding the remains of Noah's Ark, in half a dozen different locations. This was the older and low tech version of something of the sort, in all probability.
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