Rick Prince Find

Licking County, Ohio

Photos and information provided by Jonathon Gephart, Newark Ohio, nephew of finder.

     

In about 1983, at a strip mining operation near Brownsville, Ohio, Rick Prince noticed this siltstone object firmly embedded in an extensive shale wall about 18 m (60') below the terrain surface.  It was extricated by over an hour of careful chipping.

This stone bears an obvious resemblance to a human face, and Mr. Prince had it examined by several geologists that observed evidence of artificial modification.  The only remaining documentation of this is the typed index card shown below, received by "Marilyn", whom Mr. Prince remembers as being the director of the Ohio Historical Society in Newark, Ohio.  It is thought to be from a geologist working with the Ohio Historical Society.

In addition to the seeming improbability of a human-carved stone appearing at such a depth, the shale in which it was embedded would have, in this area, been covered by a layer of earth pushed in by the Illinoian glacier at least 130,000 years ago.  And of course being encased in hard shale is a further mystery.

Below is a note from Mr. Prince shortly after the discovery.

 
Several features of this stone resemble those typical of artifacts from the Day's Knob site (33GU218) and elsewhere.  These are:

- The crest over the forehead (see photos at top of page).

- One eye wide open, the other slanted and half closed (see photos at top of page).

- A simple face cut into the open eye:

- A simple face cut into the primary figure's nose:

   

- A simple face cut into the primary figure's chin:

Altogether, quite a mystery...

 

 

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