After a 15-month investigation, a New Jersey man has been charged with one count of criminal mischief in the vandalism attack on America's Stonehenge that left the New Hampshire colonial cold cellars wrongly believed to be an ancient Old World monument defaced with QAnon slogans. Mark Russo, 50, is currently is in jail in New Jersey waiting for extradition to New Hampshire to face trial. The New Hampshire Union-Leader reported some of the details: Russo was arrested after police found images of the stone and Russo online. Detectives connected him to a Twitter account responsible for a Tweet referencing “a few improvements” at the site. The images on the cross were also linked to Russo, police said. The newspapers also falsely reported that the tourist attraction was 4,000 years old and likely built by Old World people. The paper repeated claims straight from the site's website, with only a brief reference that "skeptics claim" the site to be a nineteenth century construction. Additional details were reported on Twitter. Russo's now-suspended Twitter account had posted tweets in which Russo discussed his desire to destroy the Washington Monument (which he called a monument to Baal) and the obelisk at Bunker Hill, and he cited History Channel and Travel Channel host Scott F. Wolter, a conspiracy theorist, from whose show America Unearthed he had learned about the false claims made for America's Stonehenge, specifically the episode I reviewed here. Russo apparently believed America's Stonehenge to be an evil pagan monument that had to be defaced and destroyed to break its prehistoric power in the name of God and QAnon, wrongly believing Wolter's allegations on America Unearthed that the colonial cold cellar had been the scene of grisly human sacrifices. The cider press popularly called the "sacrificial table" was the target of the vandalism attack authorities charged Russo with committing.
46 Comments
Paul
3/3/2021 11:30:01 pm
In brief, one nut defaces another nut’s property based on false information from a third nut. A cubed nut situation. Wonder if nut A used a loaded lodestone to find his way.
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Hilda Hilpert
3/4/2021 03:44:15 pm
HaHA, I like that one. But let's get serious for a moment. It is getting tiresome reading about idiots who go around destroying and vandalizing pictographs, historic battle sites etc. In a National Geographic magazine from way back, think the 1970s-10990s, they had a photo of of large designs in the California desert, similar to the NAzca lines. Anyhow, in the photo, the State of California had placed chain link fencing around the site to stop the morons from doing wheelies and donuts on them.You could even see the tire tracks they left behind.
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Kent
3/6/2021 12:45:22 am
I think it's a safe bet that no such National Geographic article exists.
Doc rock
3/6/2021 09:34:03 am
The Blythe Intaglios. Yeah, it was a thing back in the 70s. I saw the same photos.
Jim
3/7/2021 01:08:34 pm
Hilda, you mean like the idiots who tear historic US statues down?
Jim
3/7/2021 03:44:45 pm
^^^ Whoever responded to Hilda using my name,,Just stop it ! ^^^
Jim
3/4/2021 12:10:36 am
Ha !
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Anthony G.
3/4/2021 02:59:33 am
"...New Hampshire colonial cold cellars wrongly believed to be an ancient Old World monument"
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Kent
3/4/2021 10:43:51 am
It must have been for ritual purposes because Indians just weren't smart enough to invent root cellars. That would have to wait for the arrival of the White Man.
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Anthony G.
3/5/2021 05:27:47 pm
"It must have been for ritual purposes because Indians just weren't smart enough to invent root cellars. That would have to wait for the arrival of the White Man."
Anthony G.
3/9/2021 04:57:48 am
https://www.academia.edu/45399391/1607_1609_John_Daniel_Virginia_Company_Chart_The_FAMAS_TORON_
In the context of school massacres in the US I learned that psychological illnesses are often not treated appropriately in the US since the health insurance system does not pay for it. Would it be legitimate to ask the question whether this could have an impact not only on school massacres, but also on many other strange behaviours of certain citizens in the US?
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Jim
3/4/2021 09:29:24 am
" but I have a hard time to believe that such a belief and behaviour is incited primarily by politics and TV shows"
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Jim, and where you have been? Always on CNN?! Faithfully believing that evil devil Trump inspired a normal, decent, average American to go to a historical monument destroying and "adapting" it? Look, the idea of destroying and "adapting" historical monuments, errrr, who brought this up in recent years? Trump?! Not really.
Jim
3/5/2021 06:50:14 pm
The Devil made me do it defense doesn't work anymore Franke.
Jim, I would like to point out that exactly one person, only one person, only one single person, went to this archaeological site, and damaged it. If the TV show inspired this, why weren't there more idiots damaging it?
Doc Rock
3/4/2021 10:46:21 am
A cider press gets spun by pseudonobs as the site of ancient pagan sacrifices of little boys. A wackjob upset at the notion of a site of ancient pagan sacrifices of little boys within sight of Fenway shows his displeasure with the the site by vandalizing it. Wolter accuses skeptics, all of whom see the structure as a lye or cider press and not the site of ancient pagan sacrifices of little boys, of of culpability in the vandalism of the site by someone that believed pseudo claims that it was the site of ancient pagan sacrifices of little boys. I think that I have it straight.
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Richard
3/4/2021 05:59:24 pm
Kind of odd when one considers that Q anon is basically Nostradamus for white supremacists idiots and conspiracy theory. They succumb to an ancient form of manipulation then revolt against a cider press. Then call everyone else sheeple.
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Normandie
3/6/2021 06:53:35 pm
Yep...You got it!!
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Jim
3/7/2021 11:35:03 am
Here is an article fleshing out in a lot more detail what actually happened, and no T. Franke, it wasn't just one Person !
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Jim,
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Jim
3/8/2021 05:45:56 pm
"it was only one man on the site. Not two. The other man only consented but did not take action. Big difference, if you know about psychology."
Kent
3/10/2021 09:11:01 pm
Jim might be interested to know that according to the incoming U.S. Attorney General anything that happens after dark or when other people aren't about isn't terrorism. 3/7/2021 04:16:33 pm
While any act of vandalism is heinous disturbing what is basically a roadside attraction and commercial tourist trap isn't like the Taliban destroying sacred Buddhist monuments. The real loss is it muddies any future attempt to date the site in a rigorously scientific way to dispel the myths.
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Doc rock
3/9/2021 10:54:54 am
There have already been archaeological and historical investigations to dispel myths. They could do ten seasons of professional archaeological work there to further dispel myths and in year 11 there would still be people jabbering about phoenicians or templars or ancient aliens or whatever.
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Jim
3/8/2021 10:05:40 pm
Scott Wolter is pulling the old Oak Island Roman Sword brass is brass and it's old because I say so argument out of his you know what.
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Orm
3/9/2021 11:52:52 am
Mr. Language expert Wolter allowed someone on his blog to post under a name that is Swedish for Scott you Suck. That says it all.
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Anthony G.
3/9/2021 03:34:26 pm
"Also the metal analysis done in 1977 confirms it was not an old piece of brass, I guess that is the most significant scientific evidence."
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Jim
3/13/2021 09:36:06 am
Well Anthony, if you can disprove the science used as bad have at it. Perhaps take a good look at a photo on your cell phone and tell us how old the plate is.
Doc Rock
3/13/2021 09:43:51 am
The word culture as it relates to Clovis and archaeology refers to a cluster of similar archaeological materials in particular time and space.
Kent
3/13/2021 12:57:43 pm
"In 1977 Clovis was still a 'Culture'"
Anthony G.
3/13/2021 01:01:25 pm
Jim,
Kent
3/13/2021 04:43:15 pm
Listen up, Mooncup. When Jim and I both point out that you are an idiot that's worth listening to.
Paul
3/13/2021 06:47:20 pm
Anthony, your gibberish is hardly worth a reply. Just a basic science thing. If you don’t know and can’t compare metal testing from 1977 and 2021, how in the hell can you assume to understand multi spectral analysis with your cell phone. Sounds pretty Star Trek wishful thinking or Photoshop. As for the rest, gibberish, not worth beginning a new paragraph. Sorry, Kent.
Anthony G.
3/15/2021 01:14:14 am
Paul's Anus Utilizes Language
Paul
3/9/2021 05:17:13 pm
Well, if Scottie had not crapped the bed, he could reach out to him who can not be named for a sample of the Drake plate. Sure there is likely one somewhere next to the Roman swords. Wolter does not have to argue to make a fool out of himself, all he has to do is open his mouth.Surprised that he doesn't have Templars on Drake's voyage, but then maybe he does, don't care.How many hoaxes does it take to prove another hoax? None, if you are Scottie, proof by assertion and that includes being a big ASS in that ASSertion.
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Paul
3/9/2021 05:26:00 pm
Oh, I forgot to mention, if you ever need anything carbon dated, just get a hold of Scottie. He has spectroscopic eyes. Scottie can merely look at a piece and tell you by looking at the organic matter in the cracks how old it is. Could make a joke about butt cracks here but probably totally inappropriate.......
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Kent
3/13/2021 02:48:25 pm
You can carbon date anything with a cellphone.
Jim
3/15/2021 09:51:10 am
Woeful Wolter still doesn't get it !
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Jim
3/15/2021 02:51:53 pm
Sorry I neglected to put up the link in my above post:
Doc Rock
3/17/2021 02:59:32 pm
Isn't that a common strategy for these loons. Demand that experts do something that is either really stupid or impossible and then when they take a pass, denounce them as being close-minded or part of the conspiracy to hide the truth.
Kent
3/24/2021 10:03:38 pm
Our Scott insists that SHE "Do the the test." Why does HE not "Do the test"? Maybe I should "Do the test", maybe Jim should "Do the test." Anthony Warren's a mental patient so he doesn't enter into the discussion. What does it mean to "Do the test"?
Jim
3/15/2021 10:32:47 am
For more, here is an excellent review from the Smithsonian of Melissa Darby's new Book about Drake and his journey "Thunder Go North" .
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Jim
3/15/2021 07:45:31 pm
O M G,,,, Wolters twitter feed is a riot !!!
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MissiC
8/1/2021 11:29:58 am
Thank you to Anthony G, Jim and T Franke!! BRAVO! 👏 encore encore!
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