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Inoculate Yourself Against the Stupid: Some 3D Scans of the California Sword for Tonight's Episode of "The Curse of Oak Island"

1/12/2016

23 Comments

 
I haven't watched The Curse of Oak Island all season, but I'll probably tune in tonight.  Although next week's episode is titled "Sword Play," the now-infamous sword has apparently been spotted in the advertising for this week's episode. So maybe we'll finally learn what the folks on the show think of it.  

It's funny, but I'm not sure it matters much at this point what anyone appearing on The Curse of Oak Island has to say about the sword. I anticipate that the argument will go on, as Pulitzer will continue to assert the same things he's been asserting ("authenticated by an expert," "convincing XRF data," "from a shipwreck," "100 percent confirmed Roman artifact," "gold gilded," etc.), and the Sword Swallowers will continue to repeat those assertions no matter what airs. If someone comes on the show and says "probably a 19th century souvenir," how is that any different from what I've already been saying for weeks?

It's not.

Except, I think (and this is just a guess), that I actually have more data to back that up than someone would have had when the program was taped.  As we all know, several other swords (both copper alloy and iron) surfaced after Pulitzer proclaimed the Nova Scotia sword to be a "100 percent confirmed" Roman artifact that would require us all to re-write our history books.  Those other swords suggest the Nova Scotia sword was just one of batch of Hercules-hilted swords produced at some point in the fairly recent past.  Everything I've seen so far suggests to me that both the "Roman sword from Nova Scotia" and Pulitzer's interpretation of it are not credible. I still haven't seen anything that falsifies by hypothesis about the sword, and I doubt that there will be much new on The Curse of Oak Island episode(s) dealing with the sword.  We'll see.  I hope none of you threw out your history books too quickly. I'm still holding on to mine.

I wrote a post yesterday calling baloney on some of Pulitzer's interpretations of the design elements on the Nova Scotia sword.  The California sword, made from the same mold as the Nova Scotia sword but significantly less worn, allows us to see that what Pulitzer called a "sea shell" is really a palmette (aka an anthemion) and what Pulitzer said were "rocks" beneath Hercules' feet were actually two animals (perhaps lions). Those are inconvenient facts if his interpretation of the sword rests on it embodying some kind of nautical navigation theme. (That's probably a good guess, given what he has said about the "magical qualities" of the sword, its connection to Commodus, and other information that was present on the page selling pre-orders for Commodus's Secret before it was taken down).

I'm in the middle of producing a high quality 3D model of the California sword (and learning how to use my scanner in the process).  I wanted to share some of the preliminary (i.e., unprocessed) scan data here in time for tonight's episode of The Curse of Oak Island so interested viewers could have access to images of the California sword while watching whatever interpretations are bandied around the table on the program. Whatever gets said on TV about what is actually depicted on the sword ("rocks" or "sea shells" or whatever), you'll be looking at images of a better-preserved version of the same sword and can make your own evaluations accordingly. It should be fun.
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23 Comments
Trevor Furlotte
1/12/2016 10:25:15 am

Those images are amazing. He clearly wearing a lion's skin.

Reply
Jim Stella
1/12/2016 11:00:48 am

Interesting article. What is this California sword you mention? are you sure its not another replica as found on ebay or amazon. Ancient origins did a good article about the impressive background of the sword. Apparently they are 4 of them and all have lode stones and ancient metal composites from a known Roman mine. Does this one have those properties as well? Are you a Roman expert or something?

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Peter Geuzen
1/12/2016 11:13:10 am

You might want to skim through ALL the posts in this category

http://www.andywhiteanthropology.com/blog/category/swordgate

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Scott Hamilton
1/12/2016 11:45:20 am

Obvious troll is obvious. I mean points for effort, but like most trolls you don't know when to stop your sea-lioning. The passive aggressive "Are you a Roman expert or something" when, if you were really interested in that information, you could have literally checked any link the article is a giveaway.

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Andy White
1/12/2016 12:13:03 pm

The stories just keep getting better and better, don't they? Now all four "authentic" swords have magical magnetic properties and have undergone metallurgical analysis? What/where are these four "authentic" magical magnetic swords? Who has tested them? What are the results? You can't answer any of those questions because those questions have not been answered by the proponent(s) of the Nova Scotia sword.

I think expertise in Roman artifacts would be mostly relevant to evaluating Roman artifacts. I don't think the sword is a Roman artifact.

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Holly McFadyen
1/12/2016 11:18:12 am

Those are just absolutely great scanned pictures of the sword, now if hutoon had produced some kind of proof scanned pictures, he wouldn't be in any doubt about what is detailed in the sword handle design, looks like hutoon needs to go update his go go cue gadgets. The sword that hutoon has portrayed as the sword being recovered from the Nova Scotia peninsula is in better shape than this California sword, so he should have caught these small details.
But I have to agree with you Andy, it seems that no matter what is said on the show, once again, putz has mutz the water and and jumped the gun on spreading pseudoscience. He claims to be spreading this sword story because he said history needs to be told, well. In my opinion. He stole a story that had nothing to do with him, hutoon had no idea whether the sword story was to be told or not, fraudulent pseudoscience work he has done. Great work once again Andy.

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Bob Jase
1/12/2016 12:37:57 pm

Great scans! Looks to me as if the two animals at Hercules' feet are two more lions - they're smaller but appear to have manes similar to the one on the lion skin Herc is wearing.

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Maleficent
1/12/2016 12:40:58 pm

Based on the newest posts from the show, it's pretty clear the show is going to flog this horse until it's dust. They have no interest in the truth, only money.

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Traveller
1/12/2016 01:01:30 pm

Stealing other people's ideas in an attempt to profit? That's not the Glutton we all know...wait...yes it is. Ask the real brains behind the original technoscam how they felt after being threatened then lied about being called a stalker in order to shut them up.

It's Y2K all over! Except he wants a show out of this since he already scammed his bank account full.

Reply
Doug Crowell
1/12/2016 01:38:41 pm

Great investigative work Andy!

I worry that you are greatly contributing to improvements in the unreleased research behind this Roman Sword claim, and that the only credit you will receive is knowing that you put the White in this white paper.

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Bill Kelly
1/12/2016 03:01:03 pm

Hi Hutton! I mean Jim Stella!

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Gina Torresso
1/13/2016 09:13:17 am

What? Bill you are calling Hutton out...? Did you get deleted from his sites yet?

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Jim Stella
1/12/2016 03:53:19 pm

Bill Kelly - I'm not Hutton but have seen him on the show and found some of his audio clips online. I'm simply raising some questions here the rest of you are too blind to see. Its very apparent that Andy has a bias against Hutton and most of what he says is not grounded in any fact. He's no Roman expert and does not appear to support any real scientific inquiry in the subject. Everything he has said has been refuted and he's not privileged to the data and sources in the report. It also seems more doubtful that roman experts, a scientific-based research team with some big name professors, and a major television show are all going to miss things like replicas on Ebay so Andy White here can disprove them. He doesn't know what he does NOT know and further he has no way of verifying anything factually. All you have to do is read his previous posts, which is worse than a high school gossip column.

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Peter Geuzen
1/12/2016 04:11:07 pm

Scientific Research Team:
http://imgur.com/zjrFFcb

Roman Expert:
http://imgur.com/aTM0l8T

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Doug Crowell
1/12/2016 05:01:20 pm

Jim Stella, you are trying to be humorous right? Andy is assessing the facts of the claim, not Mr. Pulitzer's character. So far as I can see, Andy is the only one that has performed any scientific assessment of the theory. Nothing of substance has been put forth from the Ancient Artifact Preservation Society to support the stories being told, and they have failed to respond to inquires regarding such. I agree with you that a bias exists, but it is not on Mr. White's part.

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Gina Torresso
1/13/2016 09:14:04 am

Thank you Doug! Well said

Andy White
1/12/2016 05:17:07 pm

Thanks for the comment, Jim.

I think most reasonable, objective people would disagree with just about everything you said.

Do you think Hercules is standing on rocks and rushing water, or a pair of animals?

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Jim Stella
1/13/2016 12:19:30 am

Gentlemen, its very clear that all Andy's work is biased and totally not accurate. I want to make this very clear for everyone reading this. I have no idea what axe you have to grind here with the researcher behind it. I've been following this topic initially as a curiosity, which lead me here, but now i'm considering a higher level of involvement. Its really sad that orthodox history bloggers, like Andy, are discouraging real scientific inquiry and progress from taking place and drawing conclusions prematurely. I should disclose that I'm in academia at a major university in a highly relevant discipline (I'm not using my real name and its not the above mentioned). From what I gather it appears that this sword and artifacts have been independently authenticated by at least three separate groups and institutions, if not more, which has has the attention of myself and some colleagues. We will be making a formal request to AAPS to peer review the report. Lastly, if anyone thinks replicas on Ebay or 3D scans is a scientific assessment we are sorry that someone failed in your education. Andy, I found a bust of Nephrite on Ebay, you may want to start your investigation into that since she is likely fake and there is nothing else in King Tuts tomb.

Andy White
1/13/2016 03:33:30 am

Hi Jim,

Can I suggest you start your "higher level of involvement" by using your real name? That's what real scientists do, after all.

You might also consider answering a question (and backing it up with evidence) rather than just making the same assertions that you've read in the media. That's another thing that real scientists do.

And please tell me if you think Hercules is standing on rocks or animals. That's a simple question that speaks directly to the quality of the interpretations that you've accepted vs. what you can see with your own eyes. Make your own observations (scientists do that, too!).

Andy White
1/13/2016 03:42:04 am

And that's my friendly way of saying that, if you're an archaeologist or historian who'd like to have a real discussion about the "Roman sword" and it's context, I'm all for it. You'll need to be clear about who you actually are, however - I'm not going to try to have an honest back-and-forth with an anonymous ghost. Send me an email if you want to talk about it.

Mike Morgan
1/12/2016 06:07:48 pm

Let us not forget, Pulitzer will be doing another "Periscope" webcast on tonight's episode, but is delaying until after the episode finishes. It would be interesting to see his spin, but I've already had dinner and would like to keep it and I used up my ration of cheap booze while watching 2 of videos Andy linked in a post the other day so I won't be watching. Maybe Andy, or someone else with more resolve will report back on all his erroneous conjectures.

Reply
Michael
1/12/2016 09:00:19 pm

I watched Oak Island tonight. It seems that they do some analysis on the sword. I enjoyed how although they are calling it the "Roman Sword", they repeatedly said that it's supposedly a Roman sword and that they would need to thoroughly test it to really accept that claim as fact.

I don't know what their testing will consist of and how legitimate it will be, but I think they did say they will have an archaeologist specializing in Roman artifacts from St. Mary's University take a look at it or something like that.

Correct me if I said something inaccurate. :)

Reply
Doug Crowell
1/13/2016 03:22:11 am

Someone in academia? Defending the authenticity of the sword as claimed? Could it be... they chose not to associate their real name with the claim?

Reply



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