AMERICA UNEARTHED CONTINUING REVIEW:

On January 4, 2013, I posted Mayan Rock Art In Georgia? which was a review of a new television series on History2 channel. 

This television series aired on 28 December, 2012, on History2 channel titled America Unearthed follows the adventures and logic(?) of Scott Wolter, a forensic geologist, as he tackles some of the tough, unanswered questions in American history – where have we heard this before? Episode 1, Season 1, was titled American Maya Secrets, and purports to prove that there was pre-Columbian Mayan presence in Georgia. In my January 4, 2013, posting I voiced my skepticism about the arguments in this program and cited some of Jason Colavito’s arguments against this as well. 

We now can see that this is not an isolated instance in this new series. Season 1 continued with Episode 2, the Medieval Desert Mystery, which examined markings outside of a rock art cave in Arizona. The cave itself contained a quantity of authentic prehistoric Native American rock art. However, just outside the entrance to this cave a boulder has markings on it that were identified in the program as a burial inscription in Anglo-Saxon runes proving that a visitor from England died there in the 1500s. Unfortunately they did not have permission to excavate an archaeological site so they could not dig and find the burial – convenient, isn’t it?

It now seems that we can see a trend here. This is epigraphy raising its ugly head again. Just as with the examples from Barry Fell and his disciples back in the 1970s and 1980s, we are presented with ridiculous claims by unqualified individuals. In this instance they an aura of scientific credibility by the supposed scientific credentials of the host. But note this carefully, he is a geologist, not a linguist, an archaeologist, or even a historian. The show has entertaining moments, just please don't believe it!