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This iron-headed wood piece was found embedded in a rock allegedly 400 million years old.
"London Hammer," alleged to date back more than 400 million years, is an example of how the modern and ancient worlds might meet in unexpected ways. This tool, linked to the late 1800s, never rusted even though its wooden handle turned into coal.
How did the London Hammer avoid the usual effects of aging, like rust? And why was it found in rock that is much older than humans? To understand this better, we can start with where it was supposedly found – the small town of London, Texas.
In 1936, Max and Emma Hahn were hiking near Red Creek in London, Texas. On that day, they found a strange piece of wood in a rock. Years later, in 1947, their son broke the rock and found an iron hammer attached to the wood.
For many years, the hammer was just a local mystery. Then, in 1983, Carl Baugh, a Young Earth creationist, promoted it as proof of life before the biblical flood. Baugh believed Earth was created by a supernatural act 6,000-10,000 years ago.
The hammer puzzled scientists because it was found in rock that could be 65-135 million years old. Some doubt this, saying the rock matches the area’s minerals and could be much younger. Others think the hammer might have been left and then trapped in rock through natural processes.
Carbon-14 testing could show the hammer’s age, but Baugh has only done private tests and shared no results. Glen J. Kuban, a former creationist, says there is no solid proof that the hammer is from ancient rock.
Still, there are facts about the London Hammer that keep the mystery alive.
-The Hammer measures six inches in length with a diameter of one inch.
-The metal is made up of 96.6% iron, 2.6% chlorine, and 0.74% sulfur.
-The metal hammerhead has not rusted since it was discovered in the early 19th century.
-The wooden handle is unmineralized with small traces of carbonization
-While the exact discovery location has not been verified, the lack of sharp nicks seems to confirm that it was not chiseled from a larger rock formation but found loose, as the Hahns claimed.
J. R. Cole from the National Center for Science Education argued against the idea that the London Hammer is from ancient times. In 1985, he said the stone around the hammer is real and looks impressive to those who don’t know much about geology. He explained that a modern object can get stuck in stone when minerals harden around it after being dropped in a crack or left on the ground.
The London Hammer is still a mystery in America. Believers see it as an Out of Place Artifact or proof of time travel. Others think it is a natural geological formation. Whatever people think, it shows our endless search for knowledge and meaning
This iron-headed wood piece was found embedded in a rock allegedly 400 million years old.
"London Hammer," alleged to date back more than 400 million years, is an example of how the modern and ancient worlds might meet in unexpected ways. This tool, linked to the late 1800s, never rusted even though its wooden handle turned into coal.
How did the London Hammer avoid the usual effects of aging, like rust? And why was it found in rock that is much older than humans? To understand this better, we can start with where it was supposedly found – the small town of London, Texas.
In 1936, Max and Emma Hahn were hiking near Red Creek in London, Texas. On that day, they found a strange piece of wood in a rock. Years later, in 1947, their son broke the rock and found an iron hammer attached to the wood.
For many years, the hammer was just a local mystery. Then, in 1983, Carl Baugh, a Young Earth creationist, promoted it as proof of life before the biblical flood. Baugh believed Earth was created by a supernatural act 6,000-10,000 years ago.
The hammer puzzled scientists because it was found in rock that could be 65-135 million years old. Some doubt this, saying the rock matches the area’s minerals and could be much younger. Others think the hammer might have been left and then trapped in rock through natural processes.
Carbon-14 testing could show the hammer’s age, but Baugh has only done private tests and shared no results. Glen J. Kuban, a former creationist, says there is no solid proof that the hammer is from ancient rock.
Still, there are facts about the London Hammer that keep the mystery alive.
-The Hammer measures six inches in length with a diameter of one inch.
-The metal is made up of 96.6% iron, 2.6% chlorine, and 0.74% sulfur.
-The metal hammerhead has not rusted since it was discovered in the early 19th century.
-The wooden handle is unmineralized with small traces of carbonization
-While the exact discovery location has not been verified, the lack of sharp nicks seems to confirm that it was not chiseled from a larger rock formation but found loose, as the Hahns claimed.
J. R. Cole from the National Center for Science Education argued against the idea that the London Hammer is from ancient times. In 1985, he said the stone around the hammer is real and looks impressive to those who don’t know much about geology. He explained that a modern object can get stuck in stone when minerals harden around it after being dropped in a crack or left on the ground.
The London Hammer is still a mystery in America. Believers see it as an Out of Place Artifact or proof of time travel. Others think it is a natural geological formation. Whatever people think, it shows our endless search for knowledge and meaning
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