de Soto carving in Arkansas

Backwoodsbob

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Nov 12, 2013
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It all good. We are not use to giving out private emails to people we dont know. You can be tracked much easier that way. Well it easy to do that anyway. Still be patient and you.will be helped. The phone app use to be the easiest to post pictures. Dont know what happened there. Most of us are working sites and stay busy. Welcome and wait. Thanks for sharing your finds.
Bwb

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miboje

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Mar 21, 2016
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i am having a difficult time deciphering the meaning of what i found.
Well, join the club...
I have been studying on this site and have read books for almost a year, and there is MUCH I have yet to learn. Many folks have been at this for years, and knowledge does not come easy. This stuff is HARD. If you aren't one to stick to it, do the leg work, develop and test theories, study, and read everything you can get your hands on, back out now.


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sqaush

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Feb 25, 2015
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I am still learning the site also. The phone app is harder lol Don't give up, there's plenty to read while you wait for him to respond.

if you are trying to use the treasurenet app, delete it and get tapatalk app its a lot easier to navigate
 

tinhorn

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Jul 28, 2011
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Don't let anyone deceive you. They were working all through Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Historians claim they were only here briefly...because they don't have written records....of course they don't! Those are in Spain! But when you put boots on the ground the truth become very evident. DE Soto was here...and so we're many others....great find!
 

Charl

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Jan 19, 2012
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I have read some of the journals that are online. It states that he stopped at Morrison Bluff to help break up a steamboat gambling gang. There is a marker with his name on it that is believed by locals to be his tombstone about 1/2 mile south of the river in Morrison Bluff. I haven't seen it yet but hope to get permission soon. I have also read that he went to Hot Springs and Caddo Gap which is South of Morrison Bluff. This is beside the river bridge at Morrison Bluff View attachment 1410214

de Soto died in 1542....

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]The era of the steamboat began in Philadelphia in 1787 when John Fitch (1743–1798) made the first successful trial of a 45-foot (14-meter) steamboat on the Delaware River on August 22, 1787, in the presence of members of the United States Constitutional Convention.[/FONT]

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Backwoodsbob

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Fox, I have a small version of that stone. As soon as I can post pictures again I will show you.

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maccounty

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Have you been able to get back out there anymore fox Hound? I like where this thread was going. Interesting.
 

OP
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Fox Hound

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Jan 29, 2017
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Cool! Thank you for sharing the info! I've still been dealing with some personal issues and haven't been able to do anything else. I'll be back as soon as I can.
 

reptwar1

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Jan 24, 2013
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Russelville Arkansas
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Soon as archaeologists get involved, I give it 48 hrs before the area is deemed "off limits" to everyone. Last people I would tell is them!
 

dsty

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Dec 2, 2007
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Randal County
One of the methods I use to help I. D. is use the compass , don't take long, carving that use East/ west/north /south- generally in my world of old settlers square league are just property lines and they all ways use 189.5 feet apart and use one of the 4 compass degrees, when they use 2 or more directions that may be what you have found, trail markers see to be random degrees turns are more apt to follow the terrain. It helps to know what kinda road, trail you are on and what to expect. Thanks Folks, its been a plesure
 

CheathamHill

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Oct 10, 2009
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That carving is awesome! However, that gnarly somewhat diseased tree would be hard pressed to be even a century old
 

dsty

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Dec 2, 2007
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Randal County
They had vaults in each 25 mile section, ( Township ) for tools, shelter, seem to be in the North East corner, or they could have placed the vaults in the south east corner, never did get that worked good enough to tell for certain. Palo Duro Canyon has one if anyone wants to look at one Its just west of the curio shop along with 3 faces aprox 30feet high that point to San antonio Mexico city and New orleans one has a teter totter on top which increases the distance by 10 percent
 

miboje

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They had vaults in each 25 mile section, ( Township ) for tools, shelter, seem to be in the North East corner, or they could have placed the vaults in the south east corner, never did get that worked good enough to tell for certain. Palo Duro Canyon has one if anyone wants to look at one Its just west of the curio shop along with 3 faces aprox 30feet high that point to San antonio Mexico city and New orleans one has a teter totter on top which increases the distance by 10 percent

Dsty - would you happen to have a picture of any of these vaults? I would love to know what I am looking for.
 

dsty

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Dec 2, 2007
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miboje, I did not bring any photos with me, There's one in Palo Duro Canyon that would work if you just wanted to look, its at the bottom of the bluff just under one of the 3o ft heads, There's a curio shop and a parking lot then its about 3/8 to 1/2 mile west Google earth will take you there. Viking's Bath at Stone burg Texas. Just look at Viking Baths at Stone Burg Texas on your computer. This Is 3 vaults put in solid rock, one has a lip all the way for a cap around its top, you can believe that the owner will not let visitors on the property, folks post some vaults and don't know what they are its a round hole in the bluff 6 foot high and 6 ft tall and 15---25 ft deep. Something else that's fun to look for are old churches Tinman and I worked them out from Spanish Fort Texas to a league north then our direction turned to the West from the Red River to Shawnee Oklahoma when we had to skip a church Distance between them was 25 miles or 10 leagues
 

reptwar1

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Jan 24, 2013
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Russelville Arkansas
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I've been to the Desoto carving here in Arkansas several times, and as much as I hate to admit it, it probably isn't more than 80 yrs old. Look at it this way... Ever seen a limestone headstone in a cemetery that's 100 years old? Some you can barely even make out the date or name due to weathering. Now in the case of the Desoto carving, we are dealing with sandstone which is BY FAR more susceptible to erosion and weathering. Old thread, I know, but I have spent years analyzing the site. Desoto was in the area no doubt, but highly doubtful that he or his expedition carved this (unfortunately)
 

buck8point

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Awesome. If you're ever near caddo gap it's got a cool monument worth stopping and checking out. If I remember right it has a historical marker on the highway, just follow it. Gives a history of de Soto and a battle he had with the Indians there. I got pictures somewhere. I'll see if I can download them.

I was at that spot in June. Very cool place and monument, and just wondering what is in the ground there, had me intrigued to say the least.
 

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buck8point

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I've been to the Desoto carving here in Arkansas several times, and as much as I hate to admit it, it probably isn't more than 80 yrs old. Look at it this way... Ever seen a limestone headstone in a cemetery that's 100 years old? Some you can barely even make out the date or name due to weathering. Now in the case of the Desoto carving, we are dealing with sandstone which is BY FAR more susceptible to erosion and weathering. Old thread, I know, but I have spent years analyzing the site. Desoto was in the area no doubt, but highly doubtful that he or his expedition carved this (unfortunately)

Was thinking exact same thing when I saw the pic. looks much more recent, too clean.
 

Paleo_joe

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Mar 5, 2011
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Any roadside marker about De Soto is probably wrong. That old "touristy route" that included Hot Springs, etc. has been proven wrong by people like Charles Hudson. People at first took the journals of De Sotos party and guessed at where they camped based on days of travel in certain directions. Hudson et al found that the route can be traced using the location of major native american cities we have found. De Soto traveled from city to city (and city is the right word - there were more people living in Eastern Arkansas in the 1400s than there are now) and we know those cities so we can reconstruct the route pretty accurately now. His party was under constant harrasment by the indians and there was no treasure to be found. They even had to float his body out into the river so that the indians wouldn't dig it up and desecrate it.
 

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