America Unearthed - Ancient Mayan Secrets in Georgia

 I am going to be a little bit controversial today for the blog and introduce the TV Series America Unearthed.  This series is hosted by Scott Wolter and he is a geologist and adventurer.  The premise of the show is that history as we have been taught is wrong and that there is a hidden history that needs to be revealed.  This first episode is about Ancient Mayan Secrets in Georgia.

Evidence has emerged about a Mayan connection, only this connection was found in Georgia.  Massive stone ruins were found in Georgia that may have been Mayan in origin.  It is found in the Chattahoochee National Forest and is known as Table Rock.  There is evidence of walls and terraces on the site.  What does this site tell us about history?  Is this really evidence of Mayan settlement in North America?

Scott Wolter kicks off this episode.  He had been denied entry to see the ruin in the Chattahoochee National Forest by the Federal Government.  He speaks to a man who will bring photos and videos of the site to him.  Jon Haskell is the photographer of the site.  The video shows rock walls and terraces around the site.  He tells Scott to contact Richard Thornton to learn more about the site.  Scott returns to Georgia to talk with Richard Thornton about the site.

Thornton is an expert on the Creek.  He is a believer in the Mayan-Georgia connection.  This belief is based on that there are architecture as well as cultural and language similarities.  The site has been radiocarbon-dated to 1000 BC.  However, the academic community has come out strongly against the Table Rock Site.  Thornton had mapped out the site and created a map of the site.  He is also doing some historical experimentation at his home to see what was going on at the Table Rock Site.

Scott then takes a plan armed with LIDAR to get a map of the site.  The site is mapped out using LIDAR.  Scott sees some topography changes in the initial scans.  Is it a man-made feature?  A map will have to be generated for the site.  While the data is compiled and the map is being made, Scott drives down Georgia further to investigate a stone.

This stone is standing in a park and he talks with Gary Daniels to investigate the Georgia-Maya connection.  The Creek and the Mayans used similar symbols to describe events.  Daniels believes that the rock is a star map to record an event that happened in space.  Gary and Scott then talk about Maya Blue, and it was a long-lasting color that the Mayans created.  The clay that was used to create the Maya blue could have originated in Georgia.

Scott and Gary then investigate another site.  It is a spiral mound in the middle of a forest.  The only other site that has a spiral mound is in Mexico.  It was where the Creek Indians performed the Snake Dance.  Florida also had a potential Maya connection, as three tribes around Lake Okeechobee had “Maya” in their name.  Were the Creeks related to the Maya?  Why are there so many coincidences between the Creek people and the Maya?  Please, continue to watch this episode.  You can access this video here.
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Overall this was a fascinating episode to watch.  It makes you think.  Who knows?  Maybe our ancient ancestors traveled around more than you initially thought.  Maybe our ancestors were in contact with people over long distances?  This would be a more appropriate series for an independent student.  If you wanted to use this in a history class, then have the students apply the scientific method to the thesis Scott presents in this episode.