Excerpt from Archeological
Coverups
by David Hatcher Childress
Perhaps the most amazing suppression of all is the excavation of an Egyptian
tomb by the Smithsonian itself in Arizona. A lengthy front page story
of the PHOENIX GAZETTE on 5 April 1909 (follows this article), gave a
highly detailed report of the discovery and excavation of a rock-cut vault
by an expedition led by a Professor S.A. Jordan of the Smithsonian. The
Smithsonian, however, claims to have absolutely no knowledge of the discovery
or its discoverers.
The World Explorers Club decided to check on this story by calling the
Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., though we felt there was little chance
of getting any real information. After speaking briefly to an operator,
we were transferred to a Smithsonian staff archaeologist, and a woman's
voice came on the phone and identified herself.
I told her that I
was investigating a story from a 1909 Phoenix newspaper article about
the Smithsonian Institution's having excavated rock-cut vaults in the
Grand Canyon where Egyptian artifacts had been discovered, and whether
the Smithsonian Institution could give me any more information on the
subject.
"Well, the first thing I can tell you, before we go any further,"
she said, "is that no Egyptian artifacts of any kind have ever been
found in North or South America. Therefore, I can tell you that the Smithsonian
Institute has never been involved in any such excavations." She was
quite helpful and polite but, in the end, knew nothing. Neither she nor
anyone else with whom I spoke could find any record of the discovery or
either G.E. Kinkaid and Professor S.A. Jordan. While it cannot be discounted
that the entire story is an elaborate newspaper hoax, the fact that it
was on the front page, named the prestigious Smithsonian Institution,
and gave a highly detailed story that went on for several pages, lends
a great deal to its credibility. It is hard to believe such a story could
have come out of thin air. Is the Smithsonian Institution covering up
an archaeological discovery of immense importance? If this story is true
it would radically change the current view that there was no transoceanic
contact in pre-Columbian times, and that all American Indians, on both
continents, are descended from Ice Age explorers who came across the Bering
Strait. (Any information on G.E. Kinkaid and Professor S.A. Jordan, or
their alleged discoveries, that readers may have would be greatly appreciated...write
to Childress at the World Explorers Club at the above address.)
Is the idea that ancient Egyptians came to the Arizona area in the ancient
past so objectionable and preposterous that it must be covered up? Perhaps
the Smithsonian Institution is more interested in maintaining the status
quo than rocking the boat with astonishing new discoveries that overturn
previously accepted academic teachings.
Historian and linguist Carl Hart, editor of WORLD EXPLORER, then obtained
a hiker's map of the Grand Canyon from a bookstore in Chicago. Poring
over the map, we were amazed to see that much of the area on the north
side of the canyon has Egyptian names. The area around Ninety-four Mile
Creek and Trinity Creek had areas (rock formations, apparently) with names
like Tower of Set, Tower of Ra, Horus Temple, Osiris Temple, and Isis
Temple. In the Haunted Canyon area were such names as the Cheops Pyramid,
the Buddha Cloister, Buddha Temple, Manu Temple and Shiva Temple. Was
there any relationship between these places and the alleged Egyptian discoveries
in the Grand Canyon?
We called a state
archaeologist at the Grand Canyon, and were told that the early explorers
had just liked Egyptian and Hindu names, but that it was true that this
area was off limits to hikers or other visitors, "because of dangerous
caves."
Indeed, this entire
area with the Egyptian and Hindu place names in the Grand Canyon is a
forbidden zone - no one is allowed into this large area. We could only
conclude that this was the area where the vaults were located. Yet today,
this area is curiously off-limits to all hikers and even, in large part,
park personnel.
I believe that the discerning reader will see that if only a small part
of the "Smithsoniangate" evidence is true, then our most hallowed
archaeological institution has been actively involved in suppressing evidence
for advanced American cultures, evidence for ancient voyages of various
cultures to North America, evidence for anomalistic giants and other oddball
artifacts, and evidence that tends to disprove the official dogma that
is now the history of North America.
The Smithsonian's Board of Regents still refuses to open its meetings
to the news media or the public. If Americans were ever allowed inside
the 'nation's attic', as the Smithsonian has been called, what skeletons
might they find?
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from the front page of THE PHOENIX GAZETTE of April 5th, 1909 EXPLORATIONS
IN GRAND CANYON
Mysteries of Immense Rich Cavern being brought to light Jordan is enthused
Remarkable finds indicate ancient people migrated from Orient
The latest news of the progress of the explorations of what is now regarded
by scientists as not only the oldest archeological discovery in the United
States, but one of the most valuable in the world, which was mentioned
some time ago in the Gazette, was brought to the city yesterday by G.E.
Kinkaid, the explorer who found the great underground citadel of the Grand
Canyon during a trip from Green River, Wyoming, down the Colorado, in
a wooden boat, to Yuma, several months ago.
According to the story related to the Gazette by Mr. Kinkaid, the archaeologists
of the Smithsonian Institute, which is financing the expeditions, have
made discoveries which almost conclusively prove that the race which inhabited
this mysterious cavern, hewn in solid rock by human hands, was of oriental
origin, possibly from Egypt, tracing back to Ramses. If their theories
are borne out by the translation of the tablets engraved with hieroglyphics,
the mystery of the prehistoric peoples of North America, their ancient
arts, who they were and whence they came, will be solved. Egypt and the
Nile, and Arizona and the Colorado will be linked by a historical chain
running back to ages, which staggers the wildest fancy of the fictionist.
A Thorough Examination
Under the direction of Prof. S. A. Jordan, the Smithsonian Institute is
now prosecuting the most thorough explorations, which will be continued
until the last link in the chain is forged. Nearly a mile underground,
about 1480 feet below the surface, the long main passage has been delved
into, to find another mammoth chamber from which radiates scores of passageways,
like the spokes of a wheel.
Several hundred rooms have been discovered, reached by passageways running
from the main passage, one of them having been explored for 854 feet and
another 634 feet. The recent finds include articles, which have never
been known as native to this country, and doubtless they had their origin
in the orient. War weapons, copper instruments, sharp-edged and hard as
steel, indicate the high state of civilization reached by these strange
people. So interested have the scientists become that preparations are
being made to equip the camp for extensive studies, and the force will
be increased to thirty or forty persons.
Mr. Kinkaid's Report
Mr. Kinkaid was the first white child born in Idaho and has been an explorer
and hunter all his life, thirty years having been in the service of the
Smithsonian Institute. Even briefly recounted, his history sounds fabulous,
almost grotesque.
"First, I would impress that the cavern is nearly inaccessible. The
entrance is 1,486 feet down the sheer canyon wall. It is located on government
land and no visitor will be allowed there under penalty of trespass. The
scientists wish to work unmolested, without fear of archeological discoveries
being disturbed by curio or relic hunters. A trip there would be fruitless,
and the visitor would be sent on his way. The story of how I found the
cavern has been related, but in a paragraph: I was journeying down the
Colorado river in a boat, alone, looking for mineral. Some forty-two miles
up the river from the El Tovar Crystal canyon, I saw on the east wall,
stains in the sedimentary formation about 2,000 feet above the river bed.
There was no trail to this point, but I finally reached it with great
difficulty.
Above a shelf which hid it from view from the river, was the mouth of
the cave. There are steps leading from this entrance some thirty yards
to what was, at the time the cavern was inhabited, the level of the river.
When I saw the chisel marks on the wall inside the entrance, I became
interested.
Securing my gun, I went in. During that trip I went back several hundred
feet along the main passage till I came to the crypt in which I discovered
the mummies. One of these I stood up and photographed by flashlight. I
gathered a number of relics, which I carried down the Colorado to Yuma,
from whence I shipped them to Washington with details of the discovery.
Following this, the explorations were undertaken.
The Passages
"The main passageway is about 12 feet wide, narrowing to nine feet
toward the farther end. About 57 feet from the entrance, the first side-passages
branch off to the right and left, along which, on both sides, are a number
of rooms about the size of ordinary living rooms of today, though some
are 30 by 40 feet square. These are entered by oval-shaped doors and are
ventilated by round air spaces through the walls into the passages. The
walls are about three feet six inches in thickness.
The passages are chiseled or hewn as straight as could be laid out by
an engineer. The ceilings of many of the rooms converge to a center. The
side-passages near the entrance run at a sharp angle from the main hall,
but toward the rear they gradually reach a right angle in direction.
The Shrine
"Over a hundred feet from the entrance is the cross-hall, several
hundred feet long, in which are found the idol, or image, of the people's
god, sitting cross-legged, with a lotus flower or lily in each hand. The
cast of the face is oriental, and the carving this cavern. The idol almost
resembles Buddha, though the scientists are not certain as to what religious
worship it represents. Taking into consideration everything found thus
far, it is possible that this worship most resembles the ancient people
of Tibet.
Surrounding this idol are smaller images, some very beautiful in form;
others crooked-necked and distorted shapes, symbolical, probably, of good
and evil. There are two large cactus with protruding arms, one on each
side of the dais on which the god squats. All this is carved out of hard
rock resembling marble. In the opposite corner of this cross-hall were
found tools of all descriptions, made of copper. These people undoubtedly
knew the lost art of hardening this metal, which has been sought by chemicals
for centuries without result. On a bench running around the workroom was
some charcoal and other material probably used in the process. There is
also slag and stuff similar to matte, showing that these ancients smelted
ores, but so far no trace of where or how this was done has been discovered,
nor the origin of the ore.
"Among the other finds are vases or urns and cups of copper and gold,
made very artistic in design. The pottery work includes enameled ware
and glazed vessels. Another passageway leads to granaries such as are
found in the oriental temples. They contain seeds of various kinds. One
very large storehouse has not yet been entered, as it is twelve feet high
and can be reached only from above. Two copper hooks extend on the edge,
which indicates that some sort of ladder was attached. These granaries
are rounded, as the materials of which they are constructed, I think,
is like a very hard cement. A gray metal is also found in this cavern,
which puzzles the scientists, for its identity has not been established.
It resembles platinum. Strewn promiscuously over the floor everywhere
are what people call "cats eyes', a yellow stone of no great value.
Each one is engraved with the head of the Malay type.
The Hieroglyphics
"On all the urns, or walls over doorways, and tablets of stone which
were found by the image are the mysterious hieroglyphics, the key to which
the Smithsonian Institute hopes yet to discover. The engraving on the
tables probably has something to do with the religion of the people. Similar
hieroglyphics have been found in southern Arizona. Among the pictorial
writings, only two animals are found. One is of prehistoric type.
The Crypt
"The tomb or crypt in which the mummies were found is one of the
largest of the chambers, the walls slanting back at an angle of about
35 degrees. On these are tiers of mummies, each one occupying a separate
hewn shelf. At the head of each is a small bench, on which is found copper
cups and pieces of broken swords. Some of the mummies are covered with
clay, and all are wrapped in a bark fabric.
The urns or cups on the lower tiers are crude, while as the higher shelves
are reached, the urns are finer in design, showing a later stage of civilization.
It is worthy of note that all the mummies examined so far have proved
to be male, no children or females being buried here. This leads to the
belief that this exterior section was the warriors' barracks.
"Among the discoveries no bones of animals have been found, no skins,
no clothing, no bedding. Many of the rooms are bare but for water vessels.
One room, about 40 by 700 feet, was probably the main dining hall, for
cooking utensils are found here. What these people lived on is a problem,
though it is presumed that they came south in the winter and farmed in
the valleys, going back north in the summer.
Upwards of 50,000 people could have lived in the caverns comfortably.
One theory is that the present Indian tribes found in Arizona are descendants
of the serfs or slaves of the people, which inhabited the cave. Undoubtedly
a good many thousands of years before the Christian era, a people lived
here which reached a high stage of civilization. The chronology of human
history is full of gaps. Professor Jordan is much enthused over the discoveries
and believes that the find will prove of incalculable value in archeological
work.
"One thing I have not spoken of, may be of interest. There is one
chamber of the passageway to which is not ventilated, and when we approached
it a deadly, snaky smell struck us. Our light would not penetrate the
gloom, and until stronger ones are available we will not know what the
chamber contains. Some say snakes, but other boo-hoo this idea and think
it may contain a deadly gas or chemicals used by the ancients. No sounds
are heard, but it smells snaky just the same. The whole underground installation
gives one of shaky nerves the creeps. The gloom is like a weight on one's
shoulders, and our flashlights and candles only make the darkness blacker.
Imagination can revel in conjectures and ungodly daydreams back through
the ages that have elapsed till the mind reels dizzily in space."
An Indian Legend
In connection with this story, it is notable that among the Hopi Indians
the tradition is told that their ancestors once lived in an underworld
in the Grand Canyon till dissension arose between the good and the bad,
the people of one heart and the people of two hearts. Machetto, who was
their chief, counseled them to leave the underworld, but there was no
way out. The chief then caused a tree to grow up and pierce the roof of
the underworld, and then the people of one heart climbed out. They tarried
by Paisisvai (Red River), which is the Colorado, and grew grain and corn.
They sent out a message to the Temple of the Sun, asking the blessing
of peace, good will and rain for people of one heart. That messenger never
returned, but today at the Hopi villages at sundown can be seen the old
men of the tribe out on the housetops gazing toward the sun, looking for
the messenger. When he returns, their lands and ancient dwelling place
will be restored to them. That is the tradition.
Among the engravings of animals in the cave is seen the image of a heart
over the spot where it is located. W.E. Rollins, the artist, learned the
legend during a year spent with the Hopi Indians.
There are two theories of the origin of the Egyptians. One is that they
came from Asia; another that the racial cradle was in the upper Nile region.
Herein, an Egyptologist, believed in the Indian origin of the Egyptians.
The discoveries in the Grand Canyon may throw further light on human evolution
and prehistoric ages.
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