MYSTERY ROCK

[Sodabob]

Howdy

I haven't been around for a while and had to re-register with a different name. Anyway, I'm working on a real mystery and could use some help. If I can remember how to post pictures, please notice the carved images in what locals call "The Mystery Rock." I have been asked by our local Historical Society / Museum to research it, and depending on the results here, might write an article for them in their newsletter. The rock has already been examined by a group of Archaeologist but they are baffled as to what the carvings might be or represent. The only thing they determined with any certainty is that the carvings were done with some type of steel tool such as a chisel. As for the date it was carved, they are baffled about that as well. Its located in a brushy area about 100 feet away from an old State highway and about 100 yards from an old Railroad line that was built in 1916. In the area there is also an old U.S. military encampment that was built in 1940-41 and sold to the County around 1947-48. The two most prominent theories are ...

1. The rock was carved by a Railroad worker
2. The rock was carved by a member of the Military

But regardless of who carved it or when, we are trying to determine what the carvings might be or represent? The archaeologist said they don't recognize the pattern and are pretty sure they are not Aztec or anything like that, and that they might be random that only the "carver" knows the meaning of.

If you have any theories or recognize the pattern as something specific, please let me know and I will pass the information on to the Historical Society. The rock is located about 50 miles east of San Diego along old Highway 94.

Thanks in advance to those who participate in possibly solving a mystery that has had locals baffled for several years.

Sodabob ... a.k.a. Sodabottlebob and Sodapopbob


The rock is about 6 feet long, 3 feet wide, and about 2 feet thick. Most of the carving are on one end of the rock but in some places continue over the side. The local museum has permits to move it next Spring but will need a backhoe to lift and transport it.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Guys... this stone is probably located in the desert, am I at least correct of that assumption Bob?

What I'm saying here is, this carving could be thousands of years old and would not have suffered from seasonal wear to the face being in the desert.
Here in Ontario, the extreme freeze thaw, combined the acid rain we used to get in the 1950s - 70s degraded many of our native carvings that were exposed to the elements.

Acid rain has many ecological effects, but none is greater than its impact on lakes, streams, wetlands, and other aquatic environments. Acid rain makes waters acidic, and causes them to absorb the aluminum that makes its way from soil into lakes and streams.Acid Rain Effects - Buildings. Acids have a corrosive effect on limestone or marble buildings or sculptures. It is well established that either wet or dry deposition of sulfur dioxide significantly increases the rate of corrosion on limestone, sandstone, and marble.

My point is... that this carving was likely a trail marker that stood upright and was created thousands of years ago by a long gone native culture.

Dave

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Minelab PRO-FIND 35 Waterproof Pinpointer Metal Detector for Experts with Tone ID & Adjustable Sensitivity - Grab it through Amazon!

[Sodabob]

The Mystery Rock is located in the vicinity of Campo, California which is about 50 miles east of San Diego and about two miles north of the Mexico border. The area is usually arid at an elevation of approximately 2,500' feet with thick brush, live oak trees, meadows and canyons dominating the landscape. Here are a few more pic of the rock ...

 

[Sodabob]

I went to the Mystery Rock today to take another look and walked around it several times to see if I could make sense of it. The one thing more than anything else that kept jumping out at me was the large Y symbol in the center. If the original carver intended to leave a message and was not just chiseling away willy-nilly, the Y symbol certainly seems to be the main focus. I even thought to myself, "Come on, Mr. Rock, what are you trying to tell me?" Of course rocks don't talk, but I did get the eerie impression the large Y was significant. The long story short led me to imaging that the so called symbols on the rock might not be symbols at all but letters. But what type of letters from what type of alphabet could possibly be similar to the carvings on the rock? You will probably think I'm off my rocker (pun intended), and I won't argue the point, but take a look at the "Phoenician Alphabet" shown below and compare them to the carvings on the rock. Especially notice the Y, the triangles, the rectangles, the zig-zags, etc.

By the way, the Phoenician Alphabet is considered the oldest alphabet in the World and has its origins in the Mediterranean area.

 

[Skifisher]

I am familiar with the area and the kumeyaay would not have done that I don't think, never seen anything like that in the area and I have hiked the area north and east of there quite a bit, seen allot, but nothing really carved per se. Could there be a Chinese connection? As there were several Chinese railroad camps along that RR route?

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Thanks for the update on this interesting mystery Bob.
I'd be interested to see if there is anything carved into the opposite side of the rock.
If there is something carved there, then I think it's a good chance this was originally a trail marker.

In my research for old homestead sites to detect, I use old atlas', Google Maps & Google Earth to triangulate topographical features, trails, wagon roads and areas of development.
Now, you've likely already done this, but have you recently done a Google Earth survey of the area? Have you gone over soil in close proximity to the rock with a metal detector?

I'm aware you've already mentioned:

Is a stones throw from a wagon road built in the 1860s
Is located in a community that was established in the 1860s (The community had a Blacksmith shop)
Is located a stones throw from a Highway that was constructed (of dirt) around 1910 and paved around 1930
Is located about 1/2 mile away from a Military encampment that was built in 1941

I honestly think you have to envision what this area looked like and how it was used prior to the arrival of the white man.
The majority of roads, trails and water sources had been used by the local inhabitants in the area for thousands of years.
The fact that 'your stone' is located in the desert, tells me that it likely holds some significance.

I'm heading to Las Vegas on Monday to work a trade show all next week, I'll pop in here occasionally for any updates.

Dave

 

[dognose]

Could the large Y in the center been used as a mold?

I am wondering what sort of impression would be left if the rock was rolled?

What method was used to determine the carving was done with metal tools? Was this recent? Methodology has came a long way in the last 20 years to determine authenticity of indian relics.

Interesting rock for sure.

 

[Sodabob]

Just fooling around with a great big question mark?

 

[Sodabob]

Interpretation according to various sources

 

[flyadive]

Interpretation according to various sources

View attachment 1672412

Translated .....
“ Build the Wall”
Lol

 

[Sodabob]

Translated .....
“ Build the Wall”
Lol

... "with a big beautiful door in it" (Lol)

I spoke with the museum curator yesterday and will tell you about the conversation we had in a few days. I'd do it now, but I'm heading out the door to go to a friend's house to watch the NFL championship games - and starting tomorrow I will be out of town for a few days. So please stay tuned because I found something near the Mystery Rock two days ago that might interest everyone.

 

[unclemac]

notice too how the carvings on the face extend down the sides....this is not a feature on typical petroglyphs.

 

[Quinoa]

Almost looks like a type of magic/occult/ angelic writing sigil, but it seems to have too many geometric features/characters. No ancient culture/ nor occult type thing I have run accross.

 

[Sodabob]

Here's the "something" I found near the Mystery Rock the other day. When I picked it up I noticed it was quite heavy and thought it was a Meteorite. When I got home and did some research and discovered it is not a Meteorite but a piece of Slag. The long story short is that Slag is debris left over from foundries and is used for Highway and Railroad foundations. It has a lot of iron in it that a magnet sticks to. Apparently one of the main (noticeable) differences between Meteorites and Slag is that Slag has holes in it created by exploding bubbles, whereas meteorites don't have the obvious hole. And because there is a Highway and Railroad nearby, I'm confident it came from one of those sources.

By the way, I have another so called "something" I came across in my research of the Mystery Rock symbols that I will share in my next post ...

 

[Sodabob]

You may recall my having said earlier that the Y symbol on the Mystery Rock might be significant. So I focused all of my research on it in an attempt to find a Y symbol with rounded ends or what might be circles. I'm still in the preliminary phase of this, but notice the rounded/circle ends on the letters, especially the Y, on this Phoenician coin. There are variation coins that are similar, but this particular example is referred to a "Shekel of Tyre" and dates to about 200 BC. Examples in descent condition sell for about $1,000.

Compare the Y on the Mystery Rock to the Y on the coin. Also notice that all/most of the letters on the coin have round/circle ends. [ Click to enlarge ]

 

[Sodabob]

P.S.

The letters on the Phoenician coins with the round/circle ends is the only artifact of any type I have been able to find that has those characteristics.

 

[Sodabob]

If you didn't think I was off my rocker before, you probably will now. As it turns out, there is a Phoenician coin with an OWL on it. With that said, look at the Y on the Mystery Rock and notice its outlined in what might be the shape of an owl ...






[ Phoenicia Tyre Owl Coin ~ circa 350 BC ]

 

[Sodabob]

Just fooling around ~ I like visuals ~ Plus I'm hoping the attachment can be enlarged by clicking on it ~ Some don't depending on the original size ...

 

[DCMatt]

Here's the "something" I found near the Mystery Rock the other day. When I picked it up I noticed it was quite heavy and thought it was a Meteorite. When I got home and did some research and discovered it is not a Meteorite but a piece of Slag. The long story short is that Slag is debris left over from foundries and is used for Highway and Railroad foundations. It has a lot of iron in it that a magnet sticks to. Apparently one of the main (noticeable) differences between Meteorites and Slag is that Slag has holes in it created by exploding bubbles, whereas meteorites don't have the obvious hole. And because there is a Highway and Railroad nearby, I'm confident it came from one of those sources.

Bob - If you found this chunk near the tracks and you didn't find lots and lots of it, I suspect it is a coal 'clinker' from the firebox of a steam locomotive that likely ran to the nearby military base well into the 1940's.

 

[Sodabob]

DC

I plan to go there soon and look along the highway and railroad tracks and see if I can find any more of the slag/clinkers. The highway is about 100 yards from the Mystery Rock and the rail line is about 200 yards away.

Here's another visual with the letter Y from the Tyre coin inserted next to the Y on the Mystery Rock. Please note I am not suggesting the carving was done in 300 BC but that the original carver might have known something about ancient history and used its influence to create the carving.

 

[unclemac]

i think it is a doodle. your carver was not all that skilled, he made lines and dots, no recognizable forms or words...it looks like random work to me. without meaning...practice as it were.