Earths Unsolved X-files (Part 5)

reply to post by PhoenixOD


No, those infections usually led to mass hallucination and madness, leading to violence and murder. Slightly different

Also, finding artifacts in rocks is nothing new. Chains, nails, jewelry, sculptures, etc. The "mystery" is that rock forms more quickly than evolutionary geologists want you to believe . Things can be petrified within a matter of years, for example - I've seen someone's hat that was dropped in a mine and later excavated in solid rock, petrified.

That still doesn't help us; how old is the hammer, and how did they make it so well, with what technology?

That first story creeps me out, for sure

Not all of the dancing victims died. One came out of it and said that all she could see at the time was the streets filled with blood up to her knees. Mass hysteria?

These "Earths Unsolved X-files" are entertaining stories which may or may not have more or less truth behind them.

But seeking the truth behind these stories is not relevant - as someone once said "if you know a truth and a good story, tell the latter".

I have been both amused and entertained by the post author and would like to thank him for the time of providing these for our enjoyment.

reply to post by 35Foxtrot


That's a good question...but I don't think sedimentary rock such as limestone, etc., can be molten and then, when cooled, return to a 'sedimentary' state...the heating and cooling process would cause molecular changes so that the stone would be igneous, rather than sedimentary, after it cooled.

Also, very few human artifacts would survive immersion in magma, as the temperatures at which stone becomes a liquid (700 °C to 1300 °C) is high enough to either completely melt or completely incinerate most materials we commonly use except for some metals, and gemstones. The iron head of the Texas Hammer would probably have survived immersion relatively intact, though it would have been brought very near to it's melting point and would have undoubtedly suffered some visible effects of that, perhaps some slumping or other distortion of its shape...you do not have to liquefy iron in order to make it soft and malleable, as any blacksmith would tell you.
The wooden handle would most certainly not have survived immersion in magma, however. So for this artifact, and probably any artifact caught in sedimentary rock, it seems to me that we can rule out magma intrusion as an explanation.

I could be wrong though.

Originally posted by intrptr
reply to post by Sublimecraft

As far as the Texas Hammer, I think I found a solution. If the hammer was lost in a cave and the water dripping from the ceiling fell on it and encased it in a "Stalagmite"...

From the link you provided...

What they found was a unique piece of wood protruding from a rock concretion.
When the rock was broken by their son in 1947, it revealed an iron hammer with a wooden handle. it was completely enclosed in limestone.

If a miner lost a hammer in a dark cave 100(?) years ago and then it was covered up by secreting calcium carbonate from the ceiling? I don't know what would collapse the cave or maybe it was hauled out in tailings mining for the same thing. That area would require further exploration. Maybe the spaniards were there burying Montezuma's gold. The hammer head actually looks about the size of a modified railroad spike. Toughest hunk of iron around in them days.

That is a possible explanation of the hammer's encasement in rock, yes...but a mine or cave would have to be discovered to be very near the place where the hammer was found before it could be considered anything other than speculation, right?

Also, it does not address the issue of the actual metallurgy of the hammer's head, which is unlike anything in modern or recent times, and certainly cannot be a remnant of railroad metal, which first of all is steel, not iron, and second, rusts easily when exposed to the elements.
Actually, the peculiarities of the metal of the hammer's head, and it's apparent resistance to corrosion reminds me of another enigmatic, ancient, rust-free iron artifact known as the Iron pillar of Delhi.

I wonder....


PS: Thanks for the link you gave to more details on the Lead Masks case! Much appreciated.

Originally posted by MasonicFantom
PS as a preemptive response, since I never reply to anyone, I shall say: Thankfully, I use this site only as comical relief. Your words mean nothing to me, I am a God.

Translation: "Arguing is hard. So I don't do it. Win!!"

The hammer in the rock is fascinating.

I have also wondered if maybe humans were around before the books say we were.

Unless it was an alien. Or Thor.

reply to post by Tsurugi

That is a possible explanation of the hammer's encasement in rock, yes...but a mine or cave would have to be discovered to be very near the place where the hammer was found before it could be considered anything other than speculation, right?

I was thinking that the limestone encasement was made in a cave, yes. And if the handle broke during use, the head might have went flying in the dark and the owner couldn't find it?

Also, it does not address the issue of the actual metallurgy of the hammer's head, which is unlike anything in modern or recent times, and certainly cannot be a remnant of railroad metal, which first of all is steel, not iron, and second, rusts easily when exposed to the elements.
Actually, the peculiarities of the metal of the hammer's head, and it's apparent resistance to corrosion reminds me of another enigmatic, ancient, rust-free iron artifact known as the Iron pillar of Delhi.

I don't know about the metallurgy. Just that it looked like a railroad spike to me. I have no idea. Neat reference to the iron pillar. I think they are both man made...

PS: Thanks for the link you gave to more details on the Lead Masks case! Much appreciated.

Your welcome. That is weird about lead sunglasses huh? Whatever was on their mind?

a reply to: Sublimecraft
Um...I know these are old but we need more! It's like my favorite series that got canceled. You did such amazing work....I would LOVE to read more!

a reply to: Sublimecraft

This was my very first thread on ATS...

Have we done this all Before and Before and Before...?

Perhaps we have.. in some form or fashion...

a reply to: Sublimecraft

You should of put in the Zigmund Adamski death mystery.

a reply to: whiskeyjack


It wouldn't be hard to encase the hammer in stone.
Encased In Stone