Coso artifact
Encyclopedia
The Coso Artifact is a spark plug
found encased in a lump of hard clay or rock on February 13, 1961 by Wallace Lane, Virginia Maxey, and Mike Mikesell while they were prospecting
for geode
s near the town of Olancha, California
, and long claimed as an example of an out-of-place artifact.
If a spark plug were encased in a 500,000-year-old mineral, this finding would represent a substantial scientific and historical anomaly
, as spark plugs were invented in the 19th century. Critics have argued, however, that the Coso Artifact can be explained by known natural processes.
The identity of the alleged trained geologist and his means of dating the nodule were never clarified, and his findings were never published in any known periodical. The nodule surrounding the spark plug may have accreted in a matter of years or decades, as demonstrated by examples of very similar iron or steel artifact-bearing nodules, which are discussed and illustrated by Cronyn.
An investigation carried out by Pierre Stromberg and Paul Heinrich, with the help of members of the Spark Plug Collectors of America, suggested that the artifact is a 1920s Champion spark plug. Chad Windham, President of the Spark Plug Collectors of America, identified the Coso Artifact as a 1920s-era Champion spark plug, which was widely used in the Ford Model T
and Model A engines. Other spark plug collectors concurred with his assessment.
Stromberg and Heinrich's report indicates the spark plug became encased in a concretion
composed of iron derived from the rusting spark plug. It is typical of iron and steel artifacts to rapidly form iron oxide concretions around them as they rust in the ground.
The location of the Coso artifact is unknown as of 2008. Of its discoverers, Lane has died, Maxey is alive but avoids public comment, and the whereabouts of Mikesell are not known.
Spark plug
A spark plug is an electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of some internal combustion engines and ignites compressed fuels such as aerosol, gasoline, ethanol, and liquefied petroleum gas by means of an electric spark.Spark plugs have an insulated central electrode which is connected by...
found encased in a lump of hard clay or rock on February 13, 1961 by Wallace Lane, Virginia Maxey, and Mike Mikesell while they were prospecting
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
for geode
Geode
Geodes are geological secondary sedimentary structures which occur in sedimentary and certain volcanic rocks. Geodes are essentially spherical masses of mineral matter that were deposited sygenetically within the rock formations they are found in. Geodes have a Chalcedony shell containing...
s near the town of Olancha, California
Olancha, California
Olancha is a census-designated place in Inyo County of the U.S. state of California. Olancha is located on U.S. Route 395 in California, south-southeast of Independence, at an elevation of 3658 feet...
, and long claimed as an example of an out-of-place artifact.
If a spark plug were encased in a 500,000-year-old mineral, this finding would represent a substantial scientific and historical anomaly
Anomaly
Anomaly may refer to:-Astronomy and celestial mechanics :* In astronomy, an anomaly is a quantity measured with respect to an apsis, usually the periapsis...
, as spark plugs were invented in the 19th century. Critics have argued, however, that the Coso Artifact can be explained by known natural processes.
Discovery
Following its collection, Mikesell destroyed a diamond-edged blade cutting through the rock containing the artifact and discovered the item.The identity of the alleged trained geologist and his means of dating the nodule were never clarified, and his findings were never published in any known periodical. The nodule surrounding the spark plug may have accreted in a matter of years or decades, as demonstrated by examples of very similar iron or steel artifact-bearing nodules, which are discussed and illustrated by Cronyn.
Criticism and analysis
The origin of the artifact has been the cause of much speculation. Pseudoscientific suggestions for the artifact's origin have included:- An ancient advanced civilization (such as AtlantisAtlantisAtlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
); - Prehistoric extraterrestrial visitors to Earth;
- Human time-travellers from the future leaving or losing the artifact during a visit to the past.
An investigation carried out by Pierre Stromberg and Paul Heinrich, with the help of members of the Spark Plug Collectors of America, suggested that the artifact is a 1920s Champion spark plug. Chad Windham, President of the Spark Plug Collectors of America, identified the Coso Artifact as a 1920s-era Champion spark plug, which was widely used in the Ford Model T
Ford Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from September 1908 to May 1927...
and Model A engines. Other spark plug collectors concurred with his assessment.
Stromberg and Heinrich's report indicates the spark plug became encased in a concretion
Concretion
A concretion is a volume of sedimentary rock in which a mineral cement fills the porosity . Concretions are often ovoid or spherical in shape, although irregular shapes also occur. The word 'concretion' is derived from the Latin con meaning 'together' and crescere meaning 'to grow'...
composed of iron derived from the rusting spark plug. It is typical of iron and steel artifacts to rapidly form iron oxide concretions around them as they rust in the ground.
The location of the Coso artifact is unknown as of 2008. Of its discoverers, Lane has died, Maxey is alive but avoids public comment, and the whereabouts of Mikesell are not known.
External links
- Archaeology from the dark side Salon.com