Posted on 09/05/2007 10:26:08 AM PDT by blam
Underwater Archaeologists Find Possible Mastodon Carving On Lake Michigan Rock
September 4, 2007 11:51 p.m. EST
Nidhi Sharma - AHN News Writer
Traverse City, MI (AHN) - Underwater archaeologists in Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay are speculating a boulder they found in a June ship wreck to be engraved with a prehistoric carvings.
Mark Holley, a scientist with the Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve Council, believes that the granite rock, which was found hidden at a depth of about 12 metres, has markings that resemble a mastodon.
A mastodon is an elephant-like creature that once inhabited parts of North America. It also carried what appeared to be a spear in its side.
Accepting the fact that they need the experts to come in and verify if the carvings are an ancient petroglyph, Holley said he has shown pictures of the boulder to them. Michigan has only a couple of confirmed petroglyphs.
Since the petroglyphs experts are not able to dive in sea water, the scientists say they are facing trouble showing the exact carvings to the experts.
Though the exact location of the boulder is not unveiled to prevent it from theft, scientists say it lies within the 50-kilometre-long (31 miles) bay on the flat, sandy lake floor.
Holley also told the Associated Press that the boulder is a part of a row of stones of varying sizes that might have marked the shoreline 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. The boulder with the markings is about one metre high and about 1 1/2 metres long.
I see a butterfly on a flower.
There appears to be a moose or a giant elk on top of the “elephant”, upper right side........
I see a naked woman.........but then I see them in everything......
It is possible. Many factors affect the lake levels including rainfall, spring runoff and inflow/outflow rates. Superior and Michigan are fed by different watersheds and both drain into Huron so one can be higher than normal while the other is lower than normal and the other lakes are at normal levels.
You sure that isn’t the Virgin Mary?
LOL!!!!.........
I think it’s an old GOP political sign. Above the mastodon I think it reads “Vote for Grog Hunter - 2008 B.C.” or something like that.
being a diver and living in Traverse City, I can tell you that Lake Michigan ain’t salty....
As for not disclosing the location, this is a good idea. The vast majority of divers i know would never disturb it other than to take pictures, but there are a handful that will take anything they can.
FYI
Michigan Law claims all sites like this as State property. All shipwrecks and artifacts associated with a shipwreck fall under the Michigan Bottomland Preservation act.
wow, something cool found in MI?
very unusual.
So they have sea water in Michigan now? The global warming folks must be right about the sea level rising, if the ocean has gotten all the way up the Great Lakes that far.
And why are the experts 'unable' to dive into 30 or 40 feet of water?
Michigan ping
Do you even want to know what I saw in the drawing? hmmmm????
IMHO - I wouldn't say Lake Michigan drains into Lake Huron (though Lake Superior does). I'm no expert but I believe, other than having different names, they are, scientifically speaking, only one lake, with one level, the narrowest part being the Straits of Mackinac.
Me too... with double D's!
It’s a regular elephant IMO.
Yeah, that’s the one!.......Those cavemen were really big on boobs!.........
Not unless the VM is in her Lady Godiva suit..........
There’s “shaggy” lines at the bottom, indicative of long hair, I presume. Otherwise, One of Hannibal’s guys was way off course...........
Not compelling enough to call it anything more than a regular elephant IMO.
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