T he «inscribed wall» at chatata, tennessee

2094 Знака

One of our favorite anomalies over the years has been the ancient «inscribed wall» at Chatata, near Cleveland, in Bradley County, Tennessee. The above quotation marks are intended to warn the reader that said wall may not be man-made, and its inscriptions may be natural rather than artificial.

An old drawing of a section of the «inscribed wall» at Chatata, TN. Note the triangular marker stone projecting above ground level.

The history of the Chatata wall is long and convoluted. Discovered over a century ago, new facts are still coming to light today, as reviewed by D.E. Wirth in a recent issue of The Ancient American.

The wall was originally almost completely buried. It attracted attention only because its course was marked on the surface by stones projecting from the ground every 25-30 feet over a gently curving arc about 1,000 feet long. One of these surface stones seemed to be inscribed with strange symbols. Excavations, supported at first by the Smithsonian Institution, revealed a 3-ply sandstone wall-like structure seemingly cemented together by a reddish mortar. Splitting the sandstone sheets revealed diagonal rows of markings like those illustrated.

At first, both wall and inscriptions were proclaimed to be artificial. More recent studies by geologists point to natural origins for the wall, the mortar, and even the inscriptions themselves. The latter may be no more than the burrows of mollusks. This interpretation does make sense because the so-called inscriptions were almost completely covered by the "mortar" - hardly a good way to convey messages! Also, the inscriptions themselves do not really look regular enough to be man-made. For these and other reasons, the Chatata wall now seems more of a geological curiosity rather than an archeological anomaly.

Nevertheless, at least two nagging questions remain:

Why were there regularly placed stones on the surface over the wall?

Early investigators also reported seeing inscriptions of animals, the swastika, the serpent symbol, and other recognized Indian symbology. Whatever happened to these inscriptions?

(Wirth, Diane E.; "An Ancient Wall at Chatata, Bradley County, Tennessee, Ancient American, 1:20, September/ October 1994. Also: Rawson, A.L.; "The Ancient Inscription at Chatata, Tennessee," American Antiquarian, 14: 221, 1892.)

№3. Определите какое из нижеприведенных утверждений верно (t), а какое не верно (f). Не верное утверждение исправьте.

1. The ancient «inscribed wall» is situated at Chatata, near NY. -F

The ancient «inscribed wall» is situated at Chatata, near Cleveland, in Bradley County, Tennessee.

2. The ancient «inscribed wall» was discovered over ten centuries ago. F

The ancient «inscribed wall» was discovered over a century ago.

3. The wall was originally almost completely flooded. F

The wall was originally almost completely buried.

4. Several of these surface stones seemed to be inscribed with strange symbols. T

5. At first, both wall and inscriptions were proclaimed to be artificial. T

6. The latter scholars thought that it may be no more than the fox tracks. F

The latter scholars thought that it may be no more than the burrows of mollusks.

7. Early investigators also reported seeing inscriptions of elephants, the swastika, the dragon symbol, and other recognized Maya symbology. F

Early investigators also reported seeing inscriptions of animals, the swastika, the serpent symbol, and other recognized Indian symbology.

№4. Перефразируя текст запишите его так, чтобы у вас получилась краткая новостная заметка о первоначальном открытии "стены".

Not long ago at Chatata, near Cleveland, in Bradley County, Tennessee there were found some stones seemed to be inscribed with strange symbols. It has caused interest of several scholars and excavation, supported by the Smithsonian Institution, began. It revealed a 3-ply sandstone wall-like structure seemingly cemented together by a reddish mortar. Splitting the sandstone sheets revealed diagonal rows of markings like those illustrated. We can see inscriptions of animals, the swastika, the serpent symbol, and other recognized Indian symbology.

The Chatata wall now seems one of the more interesting archeological anomalies.

№5 Придумайте и запишите 5 вопросов обращенных исследователям "стены".

1. What are the names of the first explorers of the Wall?

2. What other symbols did you see on the Wall?

3. Are you sure that these symbols are man-made?

4. Who financed the first excavation of the Chatata wall?

5. What other suggestions of the Wall origin do you have?

Text 4

№1. Прочтите текст, заполняя пропуски указанными словами в соответствующей форме.