Deep in the quiet basements of our nation’s oldest museums, past shelves stacked high with forgotten relics, there are whispers. Imagine wooden crates, their surfaces rough with age, stamped with fading ink and cryptic shipping labels. Picture dusty ledgers, their brittle pages crackling with untold stories, filled with handwritten notes about incredible discoveries.
What if, among these shadows and forgotten records, lay the truth about something extraordinary? What if evidence of giant human skeletons, once unearthed and carefully packed, simply vanished from the official accounts, spirited away into the archives of the unexplainable? Many believe this is exactly what happened, and the trail of clues, though faint, remains.
The Paper Trail We Can Still Read
Every item that enters a museum, especially one as vast as the Smithsonian, is supposed to get an accession number. Think of an accession number as a permanent ID tag, a unique code that links an artifact to all its records—where it was found, who found it, when it arrived, and where it is stored.
These numbers are crucial because they create a permanent paper trail. When something goes missing or is reclassified, that trail is supposed to show why and where. Old annual reports from institutions, detailed field notes scrawled by excited archaeologists, and even simple shipment receipts can all hold vital clues. These are the places where seekers of truth look for discrepancies, for the breadcrumbs left behind by discoveries that seem too incredible to be true, yet were reported at the time.
Bureau of American Ethnology and the Mound Explorers
The Bureau of American Ethnology was a division of the Smithsonian Institution, created in the late 1800s to study the Native peoples of North America. These researchers, often funded by the government, undertook vast surveys across the land. Their teams explored thousands of ancient earth mounds, the mysterious structures built by early inhabitants.
These mound explorers dug into the past, carefully logging their finds. They moved countless artifacts, from pottery shards to ancient tools, and yes, sometimes even human remains. Reports suggest that among these discoveries were skeletons of astonishing size, far larger than any typical human, hinting at a lost race of giants that once walked the continent.
Accession Numbers That Lead Nowhere
Sometimes, the paper trail seems to vanish into thin air. Researchers pouring over old museum catalogs and digitized records have noticed strange entries. Some accession numbers lead to vague descriptions like “human remains” with no further detail, or the dreaded “unlocated” status, meaning the item cannot be found in the collection.
Reports speak of catalog numbers that don’t match any known inventory or items listed in one document but completely absent from another. For example, stories circulate about massive femurs or skulls described in field notes from Ohio in the 1880s, given an accession number, but then never officially displayed or cataloged in a way that allows them to be physically located today. These inconsistencies fuel the belief that certain remarkable finds were deliberately removed from public view.
Witnesses and Whispers from Local Papers
Before the age of instant news, local newspapers were the lifeblood of community information, and they often reported on incredible local finds. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, papers across America were filled with accounts of giant skeletons being unearthed during farming, construction, or archaeological digs.
Witnesses described bones far longer and thicker than average, sometimes with double rows of teeth or unusual skull formations. For instance, in 1883, reports from a newspaper in Warren, Pennsylvania, described the discovery of human skeletons measuring over seven feet tall, found in ancient burial mounds.
Another account from Minnesota in the 1890s detailed multiple giant skeletons, one estimated at over eight feet, excavated by farmers. These reports were not isolated incidents; they appeared again and again, with locals often believing they had stumbled upon evidence of an ancient, colossal race.
Why Skeptic Explanations Fall Short
Skeptics often offer several explanations for these giant skeleton reports: they were hoaxes, mismeasurements, or simply the result of unusual burial practices or natural bone changes over time (taphonomy). Some remains might have been reburied.
While these explanations might account for some individual cases, they struggle to explain the sheer quantity of reports or the consistent patterns across different regions and time periods. The repeated mentions of full skeletons, often found in ancient mounds and then shipped to major institutions, maintain the believer’s case.
Why would so many disparate communities, often miles apart, invent similar tales? The consistency of the descriptions, paired with the subsequent lack of public display by the collecting institutions, keeps the mystery alive and the questions burning.
How Readers Can Investigate Next
The search for these lost giants is far from over, and anyone with an internet connection and a keen eye can become a historical detective. You can dive into the archives yourself and look for clues. Here are some steps to get started:
- Search Chronicling America: This Library of Congress website has millions of digitized historical newspapers. Search for terms like “giant skeleton,” “mound builders,” or specific locations and years.
- Check State Historical Society Catalogs: Many state historical societies and university archives have online catalogs of their collections. Look for mentions of archaeological expeditions, field notes, or accession lists from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
- Request Accession Numbers: If you find a promising lead, try to request specific accession numbers from the relevant institution. Sometimes, older records are not digitized and require a direct inquiry.
- Contact Small County Museums: Local museums often have records or artifacts that never made it to larger institutions. They might have old newspaper clippings or even uncataloged items related to local discoveries.
- Note Exact Dates and Names: When you find an interesting report, write down the exact date, newspaper name, location, and any specific names of individuals mentioned. This helps create a clearer research path.
- Save PDFs: Always save copies of any relevant articles or catalog entries you find. These digital documents can be invaluable.
- Share Leads: Join online communities dedicated to anomalous history and share your findings. You can find out more about the broader context of these lost giants by visiting this informative post about how the Smithsonian ‘loses’ so much evidence .
- For a state-by-state look at mound discoveries, check out this sibling article: Giants in the Mounds The state by state map they do not want you to see .
Final Thought
The idea of giant skeletons hidden away in crates, their stories silenced, stirs the imagination. It’s a compelling mystery that suggests a missing chapter in our understanding of the past. Perhaps the true history of North America holds more wonders than we’ve been told.
By diligently searching through old records, newspaper archives, and museum catalogs, we, the curious public, can help piece together the puzzle. If you find an old newspaper clipping or an intriguing accession lead, share it. Together, we can shed light on these historical shadows and perhaps, finally, restore the lost stories of the giants in the crates.