07-16-2008, 09:08 AM
Frank Levine
Record Staff Writer
The mystery surrounding the origin of a rock bearing unusual properties found near Roswell in 2004 deepened this week following Wednesday's story detailing its discovery and the suggestion by investigators that the rock might be of extraterrestrial origin.
Within hours of the story's publication, the Internet and blogosphere erupted in wild debate over the small red rock with magnetic properties, engraved with what appears to be moon phases, a supernova and an eclipse.
In Roswell, a small number of residents came forward claiming to have seen similar rocks years ago, allegedly sold as souvenirs to tourists seeking UFO memorabilia.
Some residents even brought their rock specimens to the Daily Record offices. However, although similar, none reflected the same level of sophistication seen in the rock presented to the public last week.
One resident, asking not to be identified, allowed the inspection and photography of a collection of small rocks with crop circle designs inscribed on the surfaces. One rock, a small dark one with similar characteristics to the one in question, was very similar, but once again, with different design characteristics.
On Friday, one Roswell resident, also asking not to be identified, presented a small collection of rocks, each with similar "crop circle" patterns engraved into the surface.
Roswell Mayor Sam D. LaGrone, who handled the rock and commented on its "strangeness," said Friday that no one really knows what the rock represents, but there are indications it may not have come from the cosmos.
"I'm not a geologist," he said. "The rock is surely strange looking, but when someone showed me a picture of crop circles in Europe exactly like the design on the rock, I believe that someone may have created the image, for whatever reason."
The wine-red-colored rock, measuring less than two inches across, and weighing about 40 grams, was unearthed in 2004 by Roswell businessman Robert Ridge, 50, who said he found it near a sandy pit while deer hunting. He said that he kept the rock for nearly three years, sharing its discovery only with family and friends.
Ridge, a self-described "semi-retired" auto body and paint man, said he is basically unimpressed with those who question the rock's origin, or how it was found.
"I say this to the naysayers, if the rock is being sold to tourists, then buy one and show it to me," he said, adding, "So far I haven't seen the rock with its unusual characteristics duplicated anywhere.... And if anyone questions how it was found, I will be happy to take a lie detector test, anywhere, at any time."
He said that if his motives were not transparent, he wouldn't have held onto the rock for nearly three years before turning it over to investigators.
According to his own account and the statements of investigators, Ridge decided in 2007 to show the rock to UFO investigators Chuck Zukowski and Debbie Ziegelmeyer, who were at the time reportedly "astounded" by the rock's sophisticated inscription and overall appearance.
Zukowski, a reserve Colorado law enforcement officer, said he and Ziegelmeyer, his sister, spent a year investigating its origin, traveling through the Southwest searching for similar artifacts from museums to gift shops. They said they also presented the rock to anthropologists and other scientists who reportedly said the rock needed further analysis to determine its properties and origin.
Brought into the discussion this week was an aerial photograph taken in 1996 of English crop circles that are almost exactly the same as the design depicted on the rock in question.
Colin Andrews, a renowned crop circle investigator and author in England, said, "I can confirm that the design on the stone allegedly discovered near Roswell, New Mexico ... is precisely the same as a design discovered in cereal crops that I investigated during 1996 in southern England. The crop circle design was discovered on the morning of Aug. 2, 1996, below an ancient site called Liddington Castle, in the county of Wiltshire, England."
Meanwhile, in a prepared statement Friday, Zukowski and Ziegelmeyer said, "We scoured the Internet and have gone to many 'metaphysical' stores looking for an exact replica. We've also talked to many crop circle enthusiasts thinking if there is a trinket out there, they would have seen it. We got close with 'water laser' techniques, but still came up empty. Debbie and I do have a couple of rocks with designs on them, but they have been engraved, and the design is not three-dimensional coming out of the rock. Also this rock was found miles away from the city of Roswell while Robert was deer hunting. There would be no tourist stand set up in that desolate area and remember, the area is at the base of the El Capitan Mountains, not anywhere near the main highway coming into Roswell."
Their statement concluded: "What's interesting about this artifact is the magnetic polarity. The top side with the design will spin a compass needle, but it does not do that on the underneath side. The compass needle just moves back and forth, and will not spin. So the design itself is creating a magnetic polarity."
They called upon the public to help in their investigation as the burden on two investigators is too much "to explore every possibility ... to eliminate any possibility the rock is indeed a product which was sold as retail merchandise. If anyone has or knows where we can get an 'exact' replica which also possesses the magnetic properties this one does, then please contact us and help us with our investigation."
One local ufologist had a rather unusual explanation as to why there was so much controversy surrounding the mysterious Roswell rock.
"You may call me a conspiracy freak, but I believe the government wants to discredit the rock or anything else that confirms the existence of extraterrestrial life.... That's why people are questioning the rock and its discovery."
Readers may contact Zukowski through his Web site, http://www.ufonut.com, or by calling: (719) 213-4250.
http://www.roswell-record.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=29936&SectionID=49&SubSectionID=112
Record Staff Writer
The mystery surrounding the origin of a rock bearing unusual properties found near Roswell in 2004 deepened this week following Wednesday's story detailing its discovery and the suggestion by investigators that the rock might be of extraterrestrial origin.
Within hours of the story's publication, the Internet and blogosphere erupted in wild debate over the small red rock with magnetic properties, engraved with what appears to be moon phases, a supernova and an eclipse.
In Roswell, a small number of residents came forward claiming to have seen similar rocks years ago, allegedly sold as souvenirs to tourists seeking UFO memorabilia.
Some residents even brought their rock specimens to the Daily Record offices. However, although similar, none reflected the same level of sophistication seen in the rock presented to the public last week.
One resident, asking not to be identified, allowed the inspection and photography of a collection of small rocks with crop circle designs inscribed on the surfaces. One rock, a small dark one with similar characteristics to the one in question, was very similar, but once again, with different design characteristics.
On Friday, one Roswell resident, also asking not to be identified, presented a small collection of rocks, each with similar "crop circle" patterns engraved into the surface.
Roswell Mayor Sam D. LaGrone, who handled the rock and commented on its "strangeness," said Friday that no one really knows what the rock represents, but there are indications it may not have come from the cosmos.
"I'm not a geologist," he said. "The rock is surely strange looking, but when someone showed me a picture of crop circles in Europe exactly like the design on the rock, I believe that someone may have created the image, for whatever reason."
The wine-red-colored rock, measuring less than two inches across, and weighing about 40 grams, was unearthed in 2004 by Roswell businessman Robert Ridge, 50, who said he found it near a sandy pit while deer hunting. He said that he kept the rock for nearly three years, sharing its discovery only with family and friends.
Ridge, a self-described "semi-retired" auto body and paint man, said he is basically unimpressed with those who question the rock's origin, or how it was found.
"I say this to the naysayers, if the rock is being sold to tourists, then buy one and show it to me," he said, adding, "So far I haven't seen the rock with its unusual characteristics duplicated anywhere.... And if anyone questions how it was found, I will be happy to take a lie detector test, anywhere, at any time."
He said that if his motives were not transparent, he wouldn't have held onto the rock for nearly three years before turning it over to investigators.
According to his own account and the statements of investigators, Ridge decided in 2007 to show the rock to UFO investigators Chuck Zukowski and Debbie Ziegelmeyer, who were at the time reportedly "astounded" by the rock's sophisticated inscription and overall appearance.
Zukowski, a reserve Colorado law enforcement officer, said he and Ziegelmeyer, his sister, spent a year investigating its origin, traveling through the Southwest searching for similar artifacts from museums to gift shops. They said they also presented the rock to anthropologists and other scientists who reportedly said the rock needed further analysis to determine its properties and origin.
Brought into the discussion this week was an aerial photograph taken in 1996 of English crop circles that are almost exactly the same as the design depicted on the rock in question.
Colin Andrews, a renowned crop circle investigator and author in England, said, "I can confirm that the design on the stone allegedly discovered near Roswell, New Mexico ... is precisely the same as a design discovered in cereal crops that I investigated during 1996 in southern England. The crop circle design was discovered on the morning of Aug. 2, 1996, below an ancient site called Liddington Castle, in the county of Wiltshire, England."
Meanwhile, in a prepared statement Friday, Zukowski and Ziegelmeyer said, "We scoured the Internet and have gone to many 'metaphysical' stores looking for an exact replica. We've also talked to many crop circle enthusiasts thinking if there is a trinket out there, they would have seen it. We got close with 'water laser' techniques, but still came up empty. Debbie and I do have a couple of rocks with designs on them, but they have been engraved, and the design is not three-dimensional coming out of the rock. Also this rock was found miles away from the city of Roswell while Robert was deer hunting. There would be no tourist stand set up in that desolate area and remember, the area is at the base of the El Capitan Mountains, not anywhere near the main highway coming into Roswell."
Their statement concluded: "What's interesting about this artifact is the magnetic polarity. The top side with the design will spin a compass needle, but it does not do that on the underneath side. The compass needle just moves back and forth, and will not spin. So the design itself is creating a magnetic polarity."
They called upon the public to help in their investigation as the burden on two investigators is too much "to explore every possibility ... to eliminate any possibility the rock is indeed a product which was sold as retail merchandise. If anyone has or knows where we can get an 'exact' replica which also possesses the magnetic properties this one does, then please contact us and help us with our investigation."
One local ufologist had a rather unusual explanation as to why there was so much controversy surrounding the mysterious Roswell rock.
"You may call me a conspiracy freak, but I believe the government wants to discredit the rock or anything else that confirms the existence of extraterrestrial life.... That's why people are questioning the rock and its discovery."
Readers may contact Zukowski through his Web site, http://www.ufonut.com, or by calling: (719) 213-4250.
http://www.roswell-record.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=29936&SectionID=49&SubSectionID=112
