Mystery Hunting: You Found What Where??? 🔎
This mystery was hidden in my hometown and I never knew!
WHAT ARE WE DISCOVERING THIS MONTH?
Where did you come from, Cotton-eye-Joe?
A mystery in my own backyard and I never knew!
Vote in the poll.
Before we get to the mystery that was hiding in my backyard, I want to say hello to all the new peeps! There was an influx this week and I have no idea where you all came from, so feel free to let me know because it helps me know what I’m doing right.
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THE MYSTERY IN MY BACKYARD.
Let’s face it, we all think where we grew up was boring and could not wait to escape. It’s only later, we learn about unusual mysteries in our hometown that make us go, “Wait. That happened there?”
This is the story of the Newberry Tablet.
In 1896, a farmer in Newberry hired some lumberjacks to clear out some trees. While working, they stumbled upon a clay tablet and two figurines. No one knew what they were so photos were sent to the Smithsonian and the University Of Michigan. Experts at the time didn’t recognize the writing and said it was a hoax.
But the story doesn’t end there.
Modern experts now believe the text is similar to Minoan writing. The Minoans lived from around 3000 BC to 1100 BC on the Greek island of Crete. Which begs the question, what was this tablet doing in the middle of nowhere in Upper Michigan?!
Currently, the tablet is on display at Fort De Buade Museum in downtown St. Ignace. Not much remains of the tablet, which lends to the theory that it’s a hoax. How did the tablet last for thousands of years only to deteriorate so quickly? But if the tablet is a fake, how likely is it that a farmer and some lumberjacks would know about the Minoans and be able to copy their text? It’s one of those mysteries where the answers aren’t quite clear-cut.
WHAT MYSTERIES DOES YOUR HOMETOWN HOLD?
I hope you enjoyed learning about the mystery of the Newberry Tablet. I had no idea this enigma was right under my feet while I was growing up. Are there any mysteries where you live?
My next email will drop into your inbox on May 28th. Keep your eyes open because I will be sharing an exclusive flash fiction story about a monster lurking in the lagoon.
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Thank you for reading.
Until next time, stay spooked!
Home town creatures! There's an old "haunted" schoolhouse near where I grew up. And there are a lot of haunted places where I am now. But not creatures.
I love it when our home towns have treasure we never knew when we were there. :)
That's a pretty cool discovery. Maybe time travel?
It's fun to speculate.