Before we start discussing America Unearthed S01E07 “Mystery of Roanoke,” I want to direct your attention to my blog post from the other day revealing the finances and more than $600,000 initial budget for America Unearthed. The next time an alternative theorist complains that “scientists” are “suppressing” the truth in order to preserve their government funding and tenure-track jobs, remind them that almost no scientist makes nearly as much cash as “alternative” TV presenters (who are also taking government cash). Dozens of people owe their jobs to each alternative show, and with the hundreds of thousands of dollars invested into the series, telling untruths about American history is a hugely profitable business.
Let me begin by stating upfront that I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in the lost colony of Roanoke, the group of 118 colonists who disappeared from the first English settlement in Virginia sometime between 1587 and 1590, leaving behind only the carved word “Croatoan” on a tree. This occurred in the Early Modern period, well after the European discovery of America, so it’s not anything that has any impact on the “hidden” history of America, unless aliens abducted them or something. So it was an uphill battle for me to pay attention to this fairly padded hour of television, at least until Wolter started getting pissed off. Then, for a few minutes, it got good.
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Yesterday I reported that the original plans for America Unearthed involved exploring whether “Egyptians” had colonized the Grand Canyon. Most of us who’ve read about “alternative history” have come across the weird claim that an Egyptian, Tibetan, and/or extraterrestrial palace is hidden away in the Grand Canyon. This weird claim is based entirely on a 1909 Arizona Gazette newspaper article, almost certainly a hoax, which claimed that an archaeologist named S. A. Jordan and an adventurer named G. E. Kinkaid investigated the underground chambers for the Smithsonian.
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AuthorI am an author and researcher focusing on pop culture, science, and history. Bylines: New Republic, Esquire, Slate, etc. There's more about me in the About Jason tab. Newsletters
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