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The Immense Collection of Strange Acambaro Figurines: Evidence of Dinosaurs Living Among Us?

The Immense Collection of Strange Acambaro Figurines: Evidence of Dinosaurs Living Among Us?

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Most mainstream paleontologists and geologists place dinosaurs on earth’s timeline at around 220 million and 65 million years ago, during the Mesozoic Era. Homo sapiens on the other hand, do not appear in the record until about 200,000 years ago - in the Middle Pleistocene, Middle Paleolithic (Eurasia), or Middle Stone Age (Africa). There are, however, occasional claims of evidence that dinosaurs and humans were not so temporally distant from each other, and in fact coexisted at one time. The bizarre Acámbaro figures are an example of this phenomenon.

The Acámbaro Figures Emerge

In 1944, the German shopkeeper Valdemar Julsrud claimed to have stumbled upon mysterious figurines while on horseback near Acámbaro in Guanajuato, Mexico. He said that he found over 30,000 of them with the help of a farmer. What is distinct about the figurines is that they appear to depict dinosaurs and humans living together. Additionally, there are also some strange figurines that many people say resemble flying saucers and even aliens.

‘Flying Saucer’ and humanoid figurines from the Acámbaro collection.

Flying Saucer’ and humanoid figurines from the Acámbaro collection. (The Greater Picture)

Most archaeologists have dismissed them as fakes because thermoluminescence studies and analysis of the artifacts’ surfaces reveal a very recent age. But these studies have not stopped those who are outside of the archaeological mainstream who have other ideas about the figurines’ origins.

Those who believe that the artifacts are genuine can be divided into three groups: cryptozoologists who say that the figurines are evidence of a relict population of dinosaurs in the region who happened to come into contact with humans, those who believe that the figurines were left behind by interdimensional aliens who could travel back to the time of the dinosaurs and bring knowledge of them to Central American peoples, and young earth creationists who claim that humans and dinosaurs had to coexist to fit in with their interpretation of Genesis chapters 1-11 in the Bible. The first position is probably the most consistent with the mainstream view. However, none of these points of view matter much until you first examine the questions about the collection’s authenticity.

Some of the mythical and dinosaur-like Acámbaro figurines.

Some of the mythical and dinosaur-like Acámbaro figurines. (The Greater Picture)

Questions of Authenticity

On the surface, one of the main problems with the Acámbaro figurines being genuine is that there are few, if any, nearby dinosaur fossils. There are also no written accounts or oral traditions which speak of dinosaur-like creatures living in the area. It seems that if they were common enough for thousands of figures to be produced depicting them, the giant beasts would also show up more often in local traditions - just like jaguars and butterflies do. One website in favor of their authenticity states that there is no recent native pottery tradition in the area. On the other hand, if this claim is accurate, the figurines need not have been produced in the area either - even if they are just an elaborate hoax.

Some of the clay figures from the huge collection.

Some of the clay figures from the huge collection. (The Greater Picture)

In 1952, American archaeologist Charles Di Peso examined the artifacts and found that their surfaces showed no signs of weathering or collecting dirt in the cracks (that would have suggested that they were thousands of years old.) He used these observations to conclude that the figurines were not ancient. He also asserted that the family which had originally provided the figurines to Julsrud had been making them for a peso per item. Furthermore, the figurines resembled creatures and characters that the family may have seen in films at an Acámbaro cinema or from reading comic books available at a museum in a larger city nearby. These findings cast doubt on the authenticity of the artifacts.

Humanoid figurines from the Acámbaro collection.

Humanoid figurines from the Acámbaro collection. (CC BY SA 3.0)

Thermoluminescence dating was also used on some figurines between 1969 and 1972. The analysis produced a date of about 4500 years B.P. (Before Present) placing the age of the artifacts around 2500 BC. Believers proclaimed this information as evidence for their authenticity. However, further studies in 1976 and 1978 revealed that the old date was erroneous and that the figurines did not meet the temperature conditions required for reliable thermoluminescence dating. The dates that could be attained revealed that the objects were from the late 1930s or early 1940s - shortly before they were “discovered”.

A few humanoid-animal combination figures.

A few humanoid-animal combination figures. (The Greater Picture)

Are the Figures Really Dinosaurs?

These findings all cast doubt on the authenticity of the figurines. Another issue is that even if they are genuine, it is not clear that they are in fact depicting dinosaurs. For example, many of the figurines which are said to represent dinosaurs only have two legs - not the four legs that are normally associated with specific creatures. Some archaeologists have suggested that, if they are genuine, they might actually depict stylized non-saurian animals, or mythical monsters instead.

Detail of one of mythical-looking Acámbaro figures.

Detail of one of mythical-looking Acámbaro figures. (CC BY SA 3.0)

It is possible that humans and dinosaurs did coexist, but this finding does not appear to be evidence supporting it. Even the prominent young earth creationist organization, Answers in Genesis, which would be very interested in any evidence for dinosaurs and humans coexisting has stated that this is probably a hoax.

The results of the various studies suggest that the Acámbaro figures are not evidence of dinosaurs coexisting with humans - and thus they do not create problems for paleontologists and geologists saying that dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period.

Some of figurines which look like reptiles or sea creatures.

Some of figurines which look like reptiles or sea creatures. (CC BY SA 3.0)

Top Image: A famous Acámbaro figurine depicting a human apparently riding a dinosaur. Source: Creative Commons

 By Caleb Strom

References:

Abrahams, I. (2011) Kachina Bridge Dinosaur Petroglyph: Still Good Evidence. Available at: https://answersingenesis.org/dinosaurs/humans/kachina-bridge-dinosaur-petroglyph/

Di Peso, C. C. (1952) The Clay Figures of Acambaro, Guanajuato, Mexico. Available at: http://www.michaelsheiser.com/PaleoBabble/The%20Clay%20Figurines%20of%20Acambaro.pdf

Fitzpatrick-Matthews, K. (2007) The Acámbaro figurines. Available at: http://www.badarchaeology.com/out-of-place-artefacts/mysterious-objects/the-acambaro-figurines/

Pezzati, A. (n.d.) Mystery at Acámbaro, Mexico: Did Dinosaurs Co-Exist with Humans? Available at: http://www.michaelsheiser.com/PaleoBabble/Pezzati%20PENN%20Expedition%20Acambaro%20figures.pdf

The Greater Picture. (n.d.) The Waldemar Julsrud Collection. Available at: http://thegreaterpicture.com/Waldemar_Julsrud.html

 

Comments

At first glance, the Acambaro figurines do not appear to be genuine, due to the deviation from what would be considered the “typical” styles of the region during  the time period in question. This is the standard, nearly automatic answer given by the vast majority of archeaologists when confronted by “atypical” findings, which go against the currently accepted theories.

Insofar as verifying the authenticity of the artifacts goes, there are several basic “rule of thumb” techniques which can be used even by amateur archaelogists to determine if the objects “might” be authentic. All artifacts which have been the soil for periods of hundreds, or sometimes even thousand of years typically have indicators which may be used to “get a feel”, so to speak, of their possible authenticity.

One of these indicators is the presence of “root marks” on the surface of the artifact. These are small lines on the surface caused by the root systems of nearby plants which have rested against the object and left their traces on its outer layer.

Another method is the presence of Manganese deposits or “Manganese Blooms” on the surface of the piece. These marks are present in many ceramic objects which have been in the ground for a long period of time.

Thermoluminescence is used primarily as a dating technique, and if done correctly is a reasonably accurate dating tool, but is only used when there is a high probability of the artifact being authentic, and possibly of great value. This is due to the highly technical, and very costly process utilized.

Are the Acambaro figurines real, or are they fake? Until more research is done, the truth will not be known, but for me, with the evidence being what it is, I simply have to call fake. I do hope that I am proven wrong since verifying their legitimacy would turn the entire scientific community upside down. Something that I personally would enjoy watching.

R. Lee Bowers

Daniel Lynx's picture

You're still learning u say yet say "probably" just another trick? What OTHER tricks of 30,000 plus artifacts is your mind comparing them too? You're truly a fool. There are not even just "dinosaur" figurines, the first one shows a saucer like craft, are you that blind? Disgusted.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5rzn2UDaU-s

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5_EVoauQh_4

"As you would have done to you so do to others." - Jesus

Daniel Lynx's picture

"As you would have done to you so do to others." - Jesus

Daniel Lynx's picture

Is your comment a scientific one, rational? How many Egyptian artifacts are percect in appearance, MANY, A MASSIVE AMOUNT. You are SUPER oblivious and ignorant. Your comment is also vague, WHAT is TOO PERFECT? Did you not read many of them are BROKEN? And who would bother to suddenly in the 30's make TENS OF THOUSANDS? ALSO SINCE WHEN DOES ALL ANCIENT ARTIFICACTS HAVE TOO LOOK, WHAT, "SHITTY"? So Mayan and Egyptian script should look sloppy and childish, does that include their pyramids, including the pryamids made to align with things with ultra precision. Are you ignorant also of Damascus steel, the anti-earthquake mechanisms built into ancient Greek buildings, https://www.iitk.ac.in/nicee/wcee/article/WCEE2012_5773.pdf, the Greek Antykythera astronomical calculator or Roman concrete that is still in use, ancient idols in India with machine polishing https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mEYUs7HBv3s (more than one video on this) so rapid the high gloss persists, and this super rust-resistant pillar in India https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_pillar_of_Delhi

You don't know or believe God, that is the problem with all you ignorant know it alls. He made it clear that humans started out intelligent with very long lives, and many mixed with some sort of non-human beings that spawned super-humans, and after destroying them he saw they regenerated well enough that they's be able to achieve anything, so "confused" their language.

"As you would have done to you so do to others." - Jesus

Tsurugi's picture

You two should look at the Ica Stones. Those are even more perfect and far more likely to be authentic, and there are tens of thousands of them.

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Caleb Strom's picture

Caleb

Caleb Strom is currently a graduate student studying planetary science. He considers himself a writer, scientist, and all-around story teller. His interests include planetary geology, astrobiology, paleontology, archaeology, history, space archaeology, and SETI.

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