The Nampa Figurine

 Summary

In 1889, a figurine depicting what appeared to be a clothed woman was allegedly recovered by well diggers at a depth of 320ft. above a layer of sandstone in Nampa, Idaho. The layer that this figure is purported to have come from is the Glenns Ferry Formation, dating to the late Pliocene / early Pleistocene, or roughly 2mya. This story has been utilized by young earth creationists to show that human activity can be noted in layers where humans supposedly did not exist according to modern geology (thus falsifying long-age interpretations of geology), and equally by advocates of far antiquity of man, to prove that man has existed in his current form for millions of years longer than is currently supposed by mainstream science. Most commentaries and information on the artifact comes from groups that particularly advocate one of these views.

After being discovered by the well workers, the figurine fell into the hands of an amateur geologist George Frederick Wright, who included it as evidence for a young earth in his book Origin and Antiquity of Man. It was then shown to geologist John Wesley Powell, Civil War veteran and second director of the U.S. Geological Survey. He was shown the figurine by a gentleman who was staying at the same hotel he was staying at in 1889, Boise, Idaho, some 22 miles southwest of Nampa.

Powell remarked on its fragility, stating that it would be difficult for it to have been brought up from such a depth intact, as simply dropping it from eye level would have shattered it to pieces. After pointing out that the figurine strongly resembled the clay dolls made by the nearby Indian tribes, the presenting gentleman jokingly asked Powell not to give him away, implying that it was known to locals that the Figurine was not genuine. Others involved in the conversation stated that they had all gotten a good few laughs out of the figurine at the expense of many city folk "tenderfeet" who had seen the figure and fallen for the jest.

- Wikipedia. (2022, February 28) John Wesley Powell. LINK.

- Feagans, C. (2018, July 30) Forbidden Archaeology? The Nampa Image Hoax. Archaeology Review. LINK.

- Fitzpatrick-Matthews, K. (2011, January 3) The Nampa figurine. Bad Archaeology. LINK.