Ancient Dinosaur Depictions

8/8/2019 Ancient Dinosaur Depictions

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ANCIENT DINOSAUR DEPICTIONS

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To the right is a picture of a dinosaurfighting a mammoth from the bookBuried

Alive by Dr. Jack Cuozzo (click to enlarge).It was taken by the author in the BernifalCave, one of the caverns in France that isrenowned for Neanderthal artifacts. Thecave has been closed to the public. ScienceNews was given the opportunity to publishthe remarkable photo, but declined. Itseems that evidence against the prevailingparadigm of naturalistic origin was selectedagainst. It is buried alive by the scientificestablishment. As Cuozzo says, this isnatural selection in the most literal sense!

"Fran Barnes, arecognizedauthority on rock art of the American South-West, writes,'In the San Rafael Swell, there is a pictograph [picturesymbol] that looks very much like a pterosaur, aCretaceous flying reptile'..." (Swift, Dennis, "Messages on

Stone," Creation Ex Nihilo, vol. 19, p. 20). This figure, about 7 feet long from wing-tipto wing-tip, is actually painted with a dark-red pigment. Indians of the Fremont culture

are thought to have inhabited the "Swell" between 700 and 1250 A.D. Black DragonCanyon is named for the pictograph which resembles a large winged reptile with aheadcrest. On the left is shown a photo of one of the curious "dinosaur" petroglyphsnear Middle Mesa at the Wupatki National Park. This particular petroglyph is called "Puffthe Magic Dragon," and appears to be a depiction of a fire-breathing dinosaur. Thoughthere is no certain way to date such petroglyphs, it is believed to be at least severalhundred years old.

In 600 BC, under the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar,a Babylonian artist was commissioned to shapereliefs of animals on the structures associated with

the Ishtar Gate. Centuries later, in 1887 AD, whenGerman archaeologist Robert Koldeway stumbledupon the blue-glazed brick, that gate wasrediscovered. The animals appear in alternatingrows with lions, fierce bulls (rimi or reems inChaldean), and curious long-necked dragons(sirrush). The lions and bulls would have beenpresent at that time in the Middle East. But, on what creature did the ancientBabylonians model the dragon? The same word, sirrush, is mentioned in the book of Beland the Dragon, from the Apocrypha. Both the description there and the image on
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these unearthed walls (see right), which are now displayed in the BerlinVorderasiatisches Museum, appear to fit a sauropod dinosaur. (Shuker, Karl P.N., "TheSirrush of Babylon," Dragons: A Natural History, 1995, pp. 70-73.)

The ancient Sumatrans produced multiple pieces ofart depicting long-tailed, long-necked creatures witha headcrest. Some of these animals resemble

hadrosaurs. This particular work (EthnographicalMuseum, Budapest) depicts a creature that bears a striking resemblance to aCorythosaurus which is being hunted by these ancient Indonesian peoples. (Bodrogi,Tibor,Art of Indonesia, plate#10, 1973.)

Asian stories and stylizeddragon depictions are fairlycommon. But an unusualbeaked dragon statue came upon the antiquities market and

is now in the Genesis Parkcollection. The bronze styling on this artifact suggests it is from the Zhou Dynasty (1122B.C. - 220 B.C.) or possibly from the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.). It displaysnumerous characteristics of the beaked dinosaurs (like the oviraptor depicted alongsidefor comparison): tridactyl feet configuration, metatarsal stance, scale-likerepresentation all over the body (except for the horn which has a striated pattern), long(albeit slender) tail, elaborate head crest and a long neck. Another fascinating Chineseartifact is the Late Eastern Zhou Sauropod (Fang Jian) Ornamental box. Displaying atridactyl foot, a long neck and a head that resembles a brachiosaur, this depiction iscompelling. (Fong, Wen ed., The Great Bronze Age of China, Metropolitan Museum of

Art, 1980, p. 285.)


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Next we consider a Shangdynasty (B.C. 1766-1122) dragonartifact that was advertised onthe Chinese antiquities market asa dinosaur depiction. It displaysrelief lines in a scale-like pattern,

a broad beak, a dermal frill, anda headcrest that is strikingly likethe dinosaur Saurolophus (shown on theright). This jade statute, now in the Genesis Park collection, ismade of white colored nephrite with differential weathering,cleaving veins and earth penetration, demonstrating authenticity.(Click to enlarge.)

The February 26, 2000 issue ofScience News contained an article

that commenting on an artifact housed at the Boston Museumof Fine Arts that has come to be known as the Hesione vase(Hesman, 2000). Pictured on this ancient Greek vase is a seriesof somewhat unusual paintings, including one that portrays amonster that possesses the head of a dinosaur. This potterywas created around 550 B.C., and depicts the Greek heroHeracles rescuing Hesione from this "monster of Troy." Forcedto concede the amazingly realistic dinosaurian depiction,Science News concluded that the paintings on this unusual vasesimply prove that ancient people dug fossils, too.

To the left is an urn from Caria, which was located in Asia Minor (Turkey). This artifact(described in Thomas H. Carpenter's 1991 bookArt and Myth in Ancient Greece: AHandbook) is estimated to be from 530 BC. It depicts what appears to be a mosasauruswith several known sea creatures. The animal behind the sea serpent is a seal, while anoctopus is below the sea serpent along with what seems to be a dolphin. The thick

jaws, big teeth, large eyes, and positioning of the flippers on this creature match amosasaurus skeleton very well. Some mosasaurus species also had a narrow cranialcrest behind the eye that may have had a fin attached the way it is depicted on theCarian urn. Other artifacts of interest from this region came to light after the delugeand landslide of 1971 in the small village of Girifalco. A lawyer named Mario Tolone

began investigating. Tolone asserts to have found dinosaurian representations in thisarea of Caria with hundreds of other ancient artifacts, of a pre-Greek civilization ofCalabria, that is at least 3000 years old.
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Shown to the left is a terracotta statue measuring about 18cm long, shaped remarkably like a dinosaur with plates onits back. The plates are triangular, and continue along theback until reaching the tail. In the view from above (right)the object reveals a strange curving of the plates, as if theanimal had been represented in motion on the land. Thelegs are large and awkward, as if carrying great weight,

not at all like those of a lizard. There is also a clear representation of a stegosaurus ona piece of broken pottery.

The art below is from a Mesopotamian cylinder seal dated at 3300 BC. (Moortgart,Anton, The Art of Ancient Mesopotamia, 1969, plate 292.) The animal on the right is anartists conception from a skeleton of an Apatosaurus. There are many strikingsimilarities between these two depictions. The legs and feet on the Egyptian art clearlyfit the sauropods better than any other type of animal. The biggest difference is at thehead. Cartilage forming the shape of a frill or ears may be stylized or accurate (sincethere is no way to know from the skeletons we have today). As for the musculature, theEgyptian artist draws with stunning realism. One has to ask where the artist got the

model to draw so convincingly the trunk of a sauropod?

An Egyptian seal with the cartouche(official name inscribed within an oval)

of Tutmosis III (appx. 1400 B.C.)depicts a Sauropterygia-like animal(type of plesiosaur). The anterior andposterior flippers are distinctively

represented with thenarrow connection

to the rotund body of the creature. Theseal is from the Mitry collection and is of unquestioned authenticity. Theancient Egyptians are known for their keen

observation and accurate zoologicalrepresentations,particularly with regardto sea creatures. Othersuch seals in the Mitrycollection appear to have dinosaurian representations as well. Theworld famous gold throne of King Tut (right) has winged serpentsforming the arm rests. Known as Wadjet, the winged serpent ofEgypt, protected the Pharaohs and controlled the waters of theNile.


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In fact, winged snakes are depicted on many of the coffins from ancient Egypt. To thelower right is a picture of a winged serpent like a "covering saraph" protecting the godOsiris. There is even a hieroglyphic symbol for the winged serpent that appears in theEgyptian Book of the Dead. (Note the hieroglyphic in the picture on this limestonependant to the lower left.)

The January 2003 issue ofNational Geographic magazine

presents an artifact described as a "cosmetic palette . . . from acemetery of the first dynasties in Manshaat Ezzat." These long-necked creatures displayed on page 78 fit the pattern of otherancient dinosaur-like depictions, including arching, muscularnecks and stout bodies. Known as the "Two Dog Palette," thisartifact depicts many lifelikeanimals (including a giraffe onthe reverse).

To the right are displayed slatepalettes from Hierakonpolis

showing the triumph of King Nar-mer with long neckeddragons and an ancient palette depicting a pair of"dinosaur-like" creatures along with numerous clearrepresentations of living animals (taken from p. 93 ofPritchard's bookThe Ancient Near East in Pictures).

The preponderance of these long-necked depictions in ancient art (notealso the Egyptian wand depiction) motivated archaeologists who do not believe menand dinosaurs coexisted to invent a name for this particular creature. It is called a"serpopard," supposedly a mosaic of a serpent and a leopard. But for those who believe

that man was created in the beginning alongside the great reptiles, these palettes seemto be an attempt to depict a sauropod dinosaur. Note the "Four Dogs Palette" with the"serpopard" cut out for clarity.


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To the right is a Roman mosaicfrom about 200 AD that depictstwo long-necked sea dragons.

Paul Taylor, author ofThe Great DinosaurMystery and the Bible,

likens them to the web-footed Tanystropheusshown beside.

To the left is another beautiful mosaic that was oneof the wonders of the second century world. Called

the Nile Mosaic ofPalestrina, it depicts Nilescenes from Egypt all theway to Ethiopia. Scholarsnow believe this is thework of Demetrius the

Topographer, an artistfrom Alexandria who came to work in Rome. The top portion of this remarkable piece ofart is generally believed to depict African animals being hunted by black-skinnedwarriors. These Ethiopians are pursuing what appears to be some type of dinosaur. TheGreek Letters above the reptilian animal in question are: KROKODILOPARDALIS whichis literally translated Crocodile-Leopard. The picture shown here is only a small portionof the massive mosaic. It also contains clear depictions of known animals, includingEgyptian crocodiles and hippos. (Finley, The Light of the Past, 1965, p. 93.)

"An ancient Mayan relief sculpture of a peculiar bird with reptilian characteristics has

been discovered in Totonacapan, in northeastern section of Veracruz, Mexico. JosDiaz-Bolio, a Mexican archaeologist-journalist responsible for the discovery, says thereis evidence that the serpent-bird sculpture, located in the ruins of Tajn, is not merelythe product of Mayan flights of fancy, but a realistic representation of an animal thatlived during the period of the ancient Mayans - 1,000 to 5,000 years ago. If indeed suchserpent-birds were contemporary with the ancient Mayan culture, the relief sculpturerepresents a startling evolutionary oddity. Animals with such characteristics are believedto have disappeared 130 million years ago." (Anonymous, "Serpent-Bird of the Mayans,"Science Digest, vol. 64 November 1968, p. 1)

The picture to the right (click to enlarge) was drawn by North American Anasazi Indiansthat lived in the area that has now become Utah approximately 150 B.C. - 1200 A.D.Even noted anti-creationists agree that it resembles a dinosaur and that the brownish


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film which has hardened over the picture, along with thepitting and weathering, attests to its age. One evolutionistwrites, "There is a petroglyph in Natural Bridges NationalMonument that bears a startling resemblance to adinosaur, specifically a Brontosaurus, with a long tail andneck, small head and all." (Barnes and Pendleton, CanyonCountry Prehistoric Indians - Their Culture, Ruins, Artifacts

and Rock Art, 1995.) Clearly a native warrior and anapatosaur-like creature are depicted. Horned and flyingserpent figures are prominent in the mythology of most

Native American peoples, often associated with rain and thunder. An example is theAlgonquin pictograph of a flying serpent known as Mishipizheu. Yet another NativeAmerican rock pictograph found in Utah (see left) seems to depict a sauropod dinosaur.

Henry Rowe Schoolcraft was a geologist and Indianagent and wrote extensively about the Sioux Indians. He heard stories about amonstrous creature called Unktehi, something like an ox but much larger; with greathorns. Schoolcraft reproduced drawings of several types of Unktehi monsters onbirchbark around 1850. These were based upon rock art describing a war party of fivecanoes crossing Lake Superior that encountered animals resembling giant turtles,snakes, and moose. But some (upper right) clearly look dinosaurian. Sioux Indiansfurther west, when interviewed by ethnologists, described Unktehi as an immensereptile or serpent with legs. He was shaped like a giant scaly snake with feet and a

notched backbone or crest like a giant saw and had a heavy spiked tail. Still otherIndian reports describe Unktehi as a swamp-dwelling creature. Adrienne Mayor, anevolutionist, believes that the Sioux were weaving stories about fossils theyencountered. But the pictures and description bring to mind the dinosaur ankylosaurus(lower right) with a low slung body, long tail, heavy armor, and prominent doublehorns. (Mayor, Fossil Legends of the First Americans, 2005, pp. 235-237.)


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The native American Cocl culture of Panama was discoveredby A. Hyatt Verrill. He noticed the oddly pterosaur-like representations on Cocl potteryand suggested it was so realistic that these native Americans must have beeninfluenced by fossil discoveries. He describes the depiction (see left) as having "beak-like jaws armed with sharp teeth, wings with two curved claws, short, pointed tail,reptilian head crest or appendages, and strong hind feet with five-clawed toes oneach." The Cocl civilization dates from AD 1330-1520. But Verrill theorizes that suchdrawings were based on "accurate descriptions, or even drawings or carvings, offossilized pterodactyls." (Verrill, A. Hyatt, Strange Prehistoric Animals and their Stories,

1948, pp. 132-133.)

Another petroglyph (carved rock drawing) has been found inArizona's Havasupai Canyon (photo taken by Dr. DeLancy). In thefar right picture, Paul Taylor compares this ancient drawing to theEdmontosaurus.

There are stories of a plesiosaur-like creature seen in Queensland,

Australia. Both aboriginalpeoples around LakeGalilee and tribes fartherup to the north tell of along-necked animal witha large body and

flippers. "Elders of the Kuku Yalanji aboriginal tribe of FarNorth Queensland, Australia, relate stories of Yarru (or

Yarrba), a creature which used to inhabit rain forest waterholes. The painting [left] depicts a creature with featuresremarkably similar to a plesiosaur. It even shows an

outline of the gastro-intestinal tract, indicating that these animals had been hunted andbutchered." (CEN Technical Journal, Vol.12, No. 3, 1998, p. 345.)


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There are some clearly ancient engravings indolerite and gneiss that have been found inBushmanland, South Africa. Amongst the manydepictions, dinosaur footprints, and other artifactsin this region; two are of special interest. One

resembles asauropod dinosaur and the other looks like an attemptto depict a pterosaur.

An Egyptian seal (right) depicts a large pterosaurhunting a gazelle (Giveon, R., "Scarabs From RecentExcavations in Israel," Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 83,1988, p. 70.) The leaf shaped tail vane of thepterosaur is unmistakable. The long reptilian head hasthe double crest of a Scaphognathus above it. The two wings even exhibit the uniquecorrugated features seen in the Solnhofen Rhamphorhynchus fossil and the claws of a

pterosaur. The level of detail is similar to that for the gazelle. The seal dates from 1300-1150 B.C. and is now in the Tel Aviv University's Institute of Archaeology. Similarly, anEgyptian statue residing in a Berlin museum depicts legs with toes and claws, three

wing claws; a prototagium (a portion ofthe wing above the arm known from

pterosaur fossil impressions); and a tail vane. That pterosaur is shown hunting a falconand also appeared to have the dental structure of a Scaphognathus. (Goertzen, John,"The Rhamphorhynchoid Pterosaur Scaphognathus crassirostris: A 'Living Fossil' Until

the 17th Century," 1998 ICC Paper.)

Deep in the jungles of Cambodia are ornate temples and palaces from the Khmercivilization. One such temple, Ta Prohm abounds with stone statues and reliefs. Almostevery square inch of the gray sandstone is covered with ornate, detailed carvings.These depict familiar animals like monkeys, deer, water buffalo, parrots, and lizards.However, one column contains an intricate carving of a stegosaur-like creature.


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But how could artisans decorating an 800 year old Buddhist temple know what adinosaur looked like? Western science only began assembling dinosaurs skeletons in thepast two centuries. (Pictures are courtesy of Don Patton.)

European reports of flying serpent living in Egyptpersist through the 1600's. The Italian naturalistProsper Alpin wrote a fascinating natural history of

Egypt in the 1580's. He describes their crest, a smallpiece of skin on the head, their tail being "thick as afinger," their length being "as long as a palm branch,"

and their leaf-shaped tail. (Alpin, P., Histoire Naturelle de l'Egypte, tr. by R. de Fenoyl,1979, pp. 407-409.) All is precisely like modern fossil reconstructions. A French woodenimage, dating from the 16th century, also displays remarkable features of a pterosaur.There are two wings that clearly appear to have ribbed membranes rather thanfeathers. There appears to be a small head crest above and slightly in front of the eyes,

the distinctive tail vane, and a hint of the twin skin flapabove and behind the bony crest that is quite like theEgyptian seal.

The next drawing is from a 17th century German tractabout the dangers of witches and witchcraft. Witches areaccused of causing houses to spontaneously combust. Thepterosaurs depicted flying in the background, withcharacteristic headcrests and tails, were apparentlyassociated with witches. (Guazzo, Francesco Maria,

Compendium Maleficarum, 1628, p. 23.) Many accounts from that time period describecreatures that sound suspiciously like pterodactyls. An officialgovernment report from 1793 states: "In the end of November and

beginning of December last, many of the country people observeddragons appearing in the north and flying rapidly towards the east;from which they concluded, and their conjectures were right,that...boisterous weather would follow." ("Flying Dragons at

Aberdeen,"A Statistical Account of Scotland, 1793, p. 467.)

A dragon was said to live in the wetlands near Rome in Decemberof 1691. This creature lived in a cave and supposedly terrorized the local population. Asketch of the skeleton has survived in the possession of Ingegniero Cornelio Meyer(right). The most remarkable thing about the animal is the clear head crest and thedual piece of skin from the crest. Five digits were clearly visible for each foot, of the

proper length and with the first shorter and offset from the rest as is proper for theScaphognathus. There is a hint of a wing claw on the far wing where it curves forward.The membraned wings are in front of the legs, on the vertebrae, matching the fossils.The femur is properly shown as a single bone. The tibia and fibula, the twin lower legbones, are visible too.

Although some have suggested that it could be a fossil or a faked composite, it is muchtoo accurate to be a fabrication. The survival of the skin suggests that it is not a fossilsince it includes accurate wing features, a head crest, and the ears. (Goertzen, John,"The Rhamphorhynchoid Pterosaur Scaphognathus crassirostris: A 'Living Fossil' Until


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the 17th Century," 1998 ICC Paper.)

In 1704, Hllischer Morpheus:Saducismus Triumphatuswas published, the theme of this work was the grotesque(including subjects like the occult and black arts). No doubtbecause the Bible referred to Satan as "that old dragon,"dragons are among the creatures often encountered in

such works. Within this volume are drawings which depictflying dragons containing actual morphological features ofcertain species of pterosaurs.On the frontispiece of thework is a clear depiction of along tailed pterosaurrepresented with two feet,wings, and a snake-like tailending in a tail vane.

Choir stall railings and

misericords (shelf-like seats forreclining while standing) in

medieval European churches areoften adorned with ornate carvings.

A common theme is the depictionsof a dragon (symbolizing Satan)fighting a lion (symbolizing Christ). To the right is one suchdepiction, showing a dragon that looks very much like asauropod dinosaur.

"A fantastic mystery has developed over a set of cave paintings found in the GorozomziHills, 25 miles from Salisbury. For the paintings include a brontosaurus - the 67-foot,30-ton-like creature scientists believed became extinct millions of years before manappeared on earth. Yet the bushmen who did the paintings ruled Rhodesia from only1500 b.c. until a couple of hundred years ago. And the experts agree that the bushmenalways painted from life. This belief is borne out by other Gorozomzi Hills cave paintings- accurate representations of the elephant, hippo, buck and giraffe. The mysteriouspictures were found by Bevan Parkes, who owns the land the caves are on. Adding tothe puzzle of the rock paintings found by Parkes is a drawing of a dancing bear.(Anonymous, "Bushmen's Paintings Baffling to Scientists," Evening News, January 1,1970, London Express Service printed in Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, January 7,

1970.)

To the left is just such a rock painting from a cave at Nachikufu near Mpika in northernZimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia). It shows three long-necked, long-tailed creaturessketched in white. (Clark, Desmond J., The Rock Paintings of Northern Rhodesia andNyasaland, in Summers, Rogers, Rock Art of Central Africa, 1959, pp. 28-29, 194.)

Iron sculptures madeby the Bambarapeoples of Mali Africa


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in the 1800's display a three-horned creature with what appears to be a neck frill. Thespecimens shown here, part of Genesis Park's collection, exhibit dinosauriancharacteristics. One shows top horns pointed forward and the neck frill extendinghalfway down the animal's back, much like the ceratopsian dinosaur Chasmosaurus.The long tail, squat arched body, and sprawled legs also give it the appearance of aceratopsian dinosaur. The second, entitled "dinosaurian sculpture," by the exhibitinggallery shows a four-legged creature with a long neck and tail like a sauropod dinosaur.

The neck has a slight widening and a ridged frill that makes it a fascinating depiction.

Another African tribe from the Mali region is knownfor producing dinosaurian objects in the mid-1800's. This is the same timeframe when Sir Richard Owencoined the term dinosaur in England. The bronzeartifact to the left shows a Dogon tribesman riding along-necked, long-tailed reptilian creature. Theoddly bird-like head with strong jawline isreminiscent of the "duck bill" on certainOrnithopod dinosaurs. The diamond-shaped

pattern on the skin matches fossilized skin impressions discovered on ahadrosaur in southern Utah.

In 1924 some Roman stylelead artifacts were excavatednear Tucson, AZ (see right).Described on p. 331 of DavidHatcher's bookThe Lost Cities

of North & CentralAmerica is the unique carvings on theseimplements, particularly a clear dinosaurdepiction on a sword. The Arizona HistoricalSociety still has the sword.

A plated and horned creature has also beendiscovered in

Cree Indian art (far left) on the AgawaRock at Misshepezhieu, Lake Superior

Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Also to theleft is pictured an Inca Ceremonial BurialStones that is likely from the Nazca culture.In 1571 the Spanish conquistadors broughtback stories that there were stones withstrange creatures carved on them foundin this region of Peru. Today, over 1100such stones were found by Dr. JavierCabrera. In the early 1930's, his father found many of theseceremonial burial stones in Ica's numerous Peruvian tombs and noted that dinosaur-like


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creatures were represented on some of them. Retired from the University of Lima, Dr.Cabrera had focused upon validating these finds within the scientific community. Hiscredibility was strengthened by long-necked creatures displayed on pottery in themuseum of Lima and beautiful tapestries from the Nazca tombs (ca 700 AD) with arepeating pattern that looks like dinosaurs. Indeed, the depictions on some of the IcaStones show the sauropod dinosaurs with a crest of spines much like that discovered byPaleontologist Stephen Czerkas.

"Recent discovery of fossilized sauropod (diplodocid) skin impressions reveals asignificantly different appearance for these dinosaurs. Thefossilized skin demonstrates that a median row of spineswas present... Some are quite narrow, and others arebroader and more conical." (Geology, "New Look forSauropod Dinosaurs," December, 1992, p. 1,068.)" Also,of interest is the fact that the skin of many of the carveddinosaurs has rounded bump-like depictions. Somescientists had pointed to this as evidence that these

stones were not scientifically accurate.

However, more recent discoveries of fossilized dinosaur skin and embryos have silencedthese same critics. For example, Luis Chiappe and colleagues discussed certainsauropod dinosaur embryos found in South America: "The general skin pattern consists

of round, non-overlapping, tubercle-like scales...A rosette pattern of scales is present inPVPH-130" (Chiappe, et al., 1998, p. 259). Note the skin depiction above to the left.

Not far from the South AmericanNazca sites are the Moche Indianarchaeological locations. These Mochetribes inhabited northern Peru about100-800AD. Among the artifactscurrently in the Lima museum are the

Mocha stirrup- spout pots and vases.Their main artistic medium was the red & white ceramic pots,which depict with singular realism medicalacts, combative events, musicalinstruments, plants and animals.

In the Larco Herrera Museum in Peru there are vases thatclearly depict dinosaurs. Some of these same types ofdinosaurs are shown on the Ica stones, including the dermalfrills. The pictures here were taken by Dr. Dennis Swift.


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In 1945 archeologist Waldemar Julsruddiscovered clay figurines buried at thefoot of El Toro Mountain on theoutskirts of Acambaro, Mexico.Eventually over 33,000 ceramicfigurines were found in the area and

identified with the Pre-classical Chupicuaro Culture (800 BC to 200 AD). Theauthenticity of Julsrud's find has been challenged because the huge collection includeddinosaurs. In 1954 the Mexican government sent a team of archeologists to investigate.In 1955 Charles Hapgood, professor of Anthropology at UNH, conducted an elaborateinvestigation including extensive radiometric dating and thermoluminescent testing bythe University of Pennsylvania. In 1990 an investigation was conducted by Neal Steedy,an archeologist who works with the Mexican government. Thus Julsrud's work hassurvived numerous tests and the Mexican government has even imprisoned two menfor selling these artifacts on the black market. Moreover, the dinosaurs are modeled invery agile, active poses, fitting well with the latest scientific evidence and lendingcredence to the artists having actually observed these creatures. Like the Ica Stones,

some sauropod's are depicted with a distinctive spinal frill. There was extinct ice-agehorse remains, the skeleton of a woolly mammoth, and a number of ancient humanskulls found at the same location as the ceramic artifacts, validating the antiquity of thesite (Hapgood, Charles, 2000, p.82). Dr. Ivan T. Sanderson was amazed in 1955 to findthat there was an accurate representation of a Brachiosaurus, almost totally unknownto the general public at that time. Sanderson wrote, "This figurine is a very fine, jet-black, polished-looking ware. It is about a foot tall. The point is it is an absolutelyperfect representation of Brachiosaurus, known only from East Africa and North

America. There are a number of outlines of the skeletons in the standard literature butonly one fleshed out reconstruction that I have ever seen. This is exactly like it."

Further evidence of the authenticity of Julsruds finds is the near-perfect Iguanodondinosaur figurine. This was one of the first dinosaur skeletons discovered. The earlyconcept of its appearance was almost comical in the mid 1800's. By the turn of thecentury it had improved considerably but fell farshort of what we now know. The Acambarofigurine exhibits knowledge we have gained onlyin the last few years. No hoaxer could havemade this model in the 1940's.

To the right is anartifact from

Tiwanaku, animportant Pre-Columbian archaeological site in Bolivia.Tiwanaku is recognized by Andean scholars as one of themost important precursors to the Inca Empire. Thesculptor depicted a dinosaur-like creature at least 800years before European scientists discovered dinosaurs.

"In the 1960's, a leading jewel designer called Emanuel Staub was commissioned by theUniversity of Pennsylvania...to produce replicas of a series of small gold weightsobtained in Ghana. ...So well crafted were they that the animals that they depicted


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could be instantly identified by zoologists--all but one, that is, which could not besatisfactorily reconciled with any known animal, until Staub saw it." (Shuker, Dr. KarlP.N., In Search of Prehistoric Survivors, 1995, p. 20.) Originally photographed restingon its hind legs (as if bipedal), this enigmatic Ashanti gold figurine was difficult toidentify. Once properly positioned, Staub noted that the mysterious artifact bears astriking resemblance to a dinosaur. Perhaps this figurine was an attempt to model thesauropod Mokele-mbembe creature that is said to inhabit remote regions of equatorial

Africa still today.

At a museum in Manitou Springs, Colorado, there is an unusual carved artifact. It is anIndian prayer stick (see below left), roughly a foot long, with a crested head, eyes onboth sides, and beaked mouth. The beautiful artistic work stands out as strikingly like apterodactyl! This portrayal from a Saxon shield mount reveals a pterosaur-like creatureat rest. The wings are folded back along its scale-like sides, a long beak full of teeth,crest, and an unmistakable tail vane all make the depiction compelling. The wings arefolded back along its scale-like sides, a long beak full of teeth, crest, and anunmistakable tail vane all make the depiction compelling.The flying reptile widfloga (orfar-ranging flyer) was known to the Saxons and this shield-boss came from the Sutton

Hoo burial site. It is displayed at the British Museum (click to enlarge).

Some of the beautiful French chateaus built at the close of the Middle Ages and early1500's have dramatic dragon illustrations carved into their walls, ceilings, and furniture.These include Chteau de Chambord, Chteau de Blois, and Chteau Azay-le-Rideau.Note the similarities in the dinosaurian-like dragons and their resemblance to dinosaurslike Plateosaurus and Thecodontosaurus. The Chteau Azay-le-Rideau also displays afascinating tapestry depicting what looks like a pterosaur fighting a (click to enlarge). Atapestry at Chteau de Blois portrays a dragon (and its baby) with gnarly horns on itshead that are reminiscent of the dinosaur Dracorex hogwartsia (click to enlarge).


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Another pterosaur-like depiction from the Middle Ages is shown

in Athanasius Kircher's 1678 bookMundus Subterraneus. This

drawing is so compelling that Peter

Wellnhofer (The Illustrated

Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs, 1991,

p. 20.) suggests it might have

been based on fossil finds. But it ismore likely based on even more

ancient reports. In Kircher's book,

the character Winkelried was

supposed to have killed the dragon in Switzerland during the earliest days of his

particular settlement. The most obvious anatomical discrepancy with pterosaurs (the

front feet) was a more recent addition to dragon depictions.

G. E. Smith's 1919 bookThe Evolution of the Dragon explains that ancient notions only

included a snake-like body, leathery wings like a bat, and two legs. The front legs were

not added till the 16th century. Kircher also includes a picture of a dragon (on left) thatresembles the rhamphorynchoid pterosaurs.

According to the Greek mythology a heroic figure named

Jason, son of Aeson, captured a golden fleece that was

guarded by a hissing dragon. This legend of Jason

charming the Dragon is memorialized in a beautiful

painting (see left) by the multi-talented European artist

Salvator

Rosa(1615-

1673). It

is

remarka

ble in its

likeness to a pterosaurian. From

where did Rosa get this inspiration?

In 1496 the Bishop of Carlisle, Richard Bell, was buried in Carlisle Cathedral in the U.K.The tomb is inlaid with brass, with various animals engraved upon it (see right).

Although worn by the countless feet that walked over it since the Middle Ages, a

particular depiction is unmistakable in its similarity to a dinosaur. Amongst the birds,

dog, eel, etc. this clear representation of two long-necked creatures should be

considered evidence that man and dinosaurs co-existed.

One would think that such hard evidence would be highly problematic for evolutionary

theory. Indeed Dr. Philip Kitcher, in his anti-creationist bookAbusing Science, claims


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that solid evidence that dinosaurs and man co-existed would "shake the foundations of

evolutionary theory." (1998, p. 121) Likewise, Strahler insists that "it is conceivable that

a scientist will some day discover human bones among dinosaur bones in such a

relationship that it is judged highly likely that humans and dinosaurs lived at the same

time. Such a finding would deal a crushing blow to the widely favored hypothesis of a

unique evolutionary sequence. In Popper language, the hypothesis of evolution would

be falsified." (Strahler, Arthur N., Science and Earth History: The Evolution /CreationControversy, 1999, p. 17.) Unfortunately the history of Darwinian theories suggests that

all such evidence would quickly be assimilated into evolution theory. But one can at

least hope that as more evidence comes to light, the credibility of the evolutionary

story-tellers will at last wear thin!

DINOSAURS IN THE BIBLE

There are a number of places where it appears that dinosaurs or other

similar creatures are mentioned in the scriptures. Remember that the

Bible was translated into English long before the word "dinosaur" was

coined. However, the word "dragon" appears 21 times in the Old

Testament alone. "You shall tread upon the lion and adder: the young

lion and the dragon shall you trample under feet" (Psalm 91:13). From

the context it is clearly speaking about a real creature that it would be

impressive and intimidating to step on! Jeremiah 51:34 tells, "he has

swallowed me up like a dragon..." which brings to mind the way many

carnivorous reptiles swallow their prey whole. Both dragons of the sea(Psalm 74:13) and field (Isaiah 43:20) are mentioned. Indeed, Genesis 1:21 can best be

translated: "And God created great sea monsters..." One such sea monster became sufficiently

well-known to the ancients to be given the special name "Rahab" (Isaiah 51:9). The prophet

Ezekiel likens Pharaoh to a sea monster that invaded the Nile river and stirred up the mud

(32:2). The Hebrew word, "Tannin," is from the root meaning "to extend." The language

conjures up an image of a long-necked plesiosaur-like creature paddling up the river and

stirring up mud from the Nile delta with its flippers. Just such a creature is depicted by the

ancient Egyptians who may have netted one just as Ezekiel describes in verse 3.

Job is the oldest book in the Bible. This book is very interesting from a scientific perspectivebecause of the many natural phenomena that are addressed by God, Job, and his friends. Along

the way, God points Job to two special creatures. The first, mentioned in Job 40:15, is usually

translated "behemoth" in the English Bible. Some commentators have suggested that behemoth

was a hippo or elephant. But the passage makes clear that this herbivorous animal was "chief

of the ways of God." Certainly the hippo and elephant (which had other Hebrew names) don't

qualify as the biggest land animal, nor does their anatomy fit the clear language of verse 17. A

cedar tree brings to mind a dinosaur's huge tail! In fact, pygmy peoples in equatorial Africa tell

stories of a ferocious dinosaurian creature that occupies their swamps and rivers and lashes its

opponents with its tail. It becomes fascinating, as one considers the tail as an offensive


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weapon, to review the description of Satan as a dragon: "And there appeared another wonder

in heaven; and behold a great red dragon ...And his tail drew the third part of the stars of

heaven, and did cast them to the earth:" (Revelation 12:3-4).

Job 41 portrays yet another awe-inspiring creature: Leviathan. While

clearly one of the fiercest creatures that God made, it is difficult to

establish exactly what Leviathan was. The Bible describes a sharp-

toothed, scaled creature whose habitat is the mire and deep waters.Ken Ham suggests the ferocious kronosaur as a candidate. Others

have suggested that this fire-breathing monster was a land-dweller

that merely spent much of its time in the water. Perhaps leviathan

was a dinosaur with armor or claws whose "sharp stones" were

employed to destroy ancient weapons. Maybe we have yet to

discover the remains of a leviathan!

The "unicorn," mentioned nine times in the KJV Bible, is the Hebrew word "Re-em." The

Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) translated it "Monokeros" (one-horn) which

was used in Bibles until the 19th century when Akkadian and Ugaritic records were found thatmentioned the "Re-em" being hunted like a wild ox. However, their early pictograph for the

"Re-em" shows an animal head with three horns, like a Triceratops. In Psalm 92:10 the "Re-

em" has but one horn, while the language or Deuteronomy 33:17 implies two horns. Although

most commentators and modern versions translate it as a bull or rhino, some have theorized

that "Re-em" might be a Monoclonius (single horned dinosaur like Triceratops).

In Job 39:9-12 God asks, "Will the unicorn be willing to serve you, or abide by your crib? Can

you bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after you? Wilt

you trust him, because his strength is great?" This passage shows that the unicorn, whatever it

was, could not be tamed to be used in farming, as could an ox. In his classic work NaturalisHistoria the first century author Pliny the Elder described "an exceedingly wild beast called the

Monoceros [one-horned]. ...It makes a deep lowing noise, and one black horn two cubits long

projects from the middle of its forehead." He describes it as like an elephant in length, but with

much shorter legs. Other classical authors like Aelian, Oppian, and Martial also mention a "nose-

horn" creature (a "Rinokeros"). Some claim that the "Rinokeros" sharpens his horn on a rock

and utilizes it in fighting elephants. This is the root word from which we get the modern name

rhinoceros, but the ancient descriptions do not fit the rhino. The correlation between the

classical authors and some modern cryptozoological reports is striking. Dr. Roy Mackal's

explorations in the Congo brought back reports of a rare, single-horned animal called "Emela-

ntouka" or "killer of elephants." In a recent expedition, pygmies in Cameroon identified thehorned creature (there called "Ngoubou") with a Ceratopsian dinosaur and claimed it could

sport from one to four horns. Indeed, modern researchers believe that the ceratopsian

dinosaurs likely did use their great horn for combat (Dodson, Peter, The Horned Dinosaurs:A

Natural History, 1996, p.123.)

In the Authorized version of scripture we find Isaiah twice mentioning the "fiery flying serpent."

Egypt is called the place of the "lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent," (30:6). This fits with

classical authors describing pterosaur populations in Egypt and Arabia. Goertzen notes: "The

Hebrew word, m'opheph Jpvfm, is a polal participle; a form used only by Isaiah when describing
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the reptilian saraph. The polal indicates an intensive of the root pvf ooph that means to fly or

flutter. The imperfect form of the polal is found in Genesis 1:20, 'flying creatures that flutter to

and fro' and Isaiah 6:2 'seraphim' (the same word as

the reptiles here used for angelic creatures) that fly to

and fro.'" (Goertzen, John, "The Bible and Pterosaurs,"

1998.) This same word is employed in Numbers 21:6 to

describe the poisonous reptiles that bit the murmuring

Israelites. Indeed it is easier to envision an attack ofnimble flying snakes (pterosaurs) killing many of the

children of Israel rather than them being surprised and

killed by snakes on the ground. The pterosaur

becoming a type of Christ (John 3:14) seems more appropriate than the snake, which from

Genesis to Revelation is a symbol of Satan. In addition, the spread wings on the top of the pole

would form a cross. In fact, a plate found with Sennacherib's booty at Calah (from the conquest

of Palestine) depicts such a winged serpent on a pole that would seems to match the

Nehushtan or brazen saraph of Moses that had become a symbol of worship by Hezekiah's reign

(II Kings 18:4). The "fiery" flying snake even matches some cryptozoological reports from New

Guinea, which attribute to alleged living pterosaurs a bioluminescent capability like a firefly.

While some of this remains merely speculation, it becomes clear that some very fascinating

animals have become extinct since Biblical times. But some might object to using arguments

from the Bible, claiming that it is not a reliable resource. There are several lines ofevidence

that the Bible is God's Word. Skeptics respond that there are supposed to be a great many

contradictions in the Bible. Again the facts come down on the side of God's Word being

consistent, entirely without error in the original, and remarkably preserved.
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Ancient Dinosaur Depictions

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