Five Rocks in One Hand
By Steven & Evan Strong
Photography by Natalie Jacqueline Paez of Third Eye Society
(Special thanks to Christine)
16/10/15
Over the last three months we had decided to make no written comment on the ever expanding collection of Original sacred marked rocks. The main reason for the deliberate omission is simply a matter of being overwhelmed by an accelerating flow of rocks and as a result of this overload we have had a great deal of trouble in just trying to keep up. Whether photographs or actual rocks sent through the post, it just never seemed to stop. The quantity of rocks we are now personally responsible for has trebled, and it seems every second day another contact is made seeking our comments and recommendations.
So great is the quantity of rocks we have been asked to investigate, we no longer have the time to discuss just one rock, it will take far too long. From this point on we feel it best to include four to five rocks per session to be analysed, and then briefly give our take on what this means. It is not that these more recent rocks are less profound or spectacular, somewhat like a clone of those before. Far from it, if anything we keep being astounded by how diverse and unsuspected the number of ways lines, angles and shapes can be used. In so many cases the diagrams and patterns on these rocks has the feel of computer script. But it never remains static, just when we suspect that just maybe we have a ‘handle on’ the manner and genres of markings involved in the First Language, something new appears on the chert horizon.
Of the five rocks on the table for examination, in earlier times no less than three would have commanded sole attention. But that was then, not now, and under new guidelines we will have to be more concise in analysis and broader in scope. Four of these marked rocks (Ros’ Rocks 13 to 16) were once again supplied to us by Ros and as with all the rocks she is purchasing, belong to a collection gathered between 1926 and 1939. Absolutely genuine in Original ownership, these four rocks are marked yet each has as much in common as they are different. The fifth rock (Christine’s Rock 17) was given to us a few weeks ago and was found on a beach on the Far North Coast (NSW). One of the many reasons it was included in this ensemble is the incredibly close proximity to where Gemma’s Rock 12 was found, and that connection is strengthened through sharing the same colour, sizing, undercoat and style of cutting. There is virtually no doubt that both marked rocks (12 and 17) come from the same place and serve very similar purposes and narratives.
Before delving into the possibilities and observations there is need to provide a backdrop to these rocks. All of these rocks break the mould in relation to a technology on display that contradicts the common misunderstandings that blight the approved Original historical narrative. What is no longer appreciated is that for some time it was commonly accepted that there was a massive amount of evidence in Australia that indicated there was something going on in this continent that just did not fit. We have a large collection of press clippings spanning three decades (1910-1937) which go into considerable detail describing a variety of artefacts found in Australia that was understandably assumed to be Egyptian. Two weeks ago Ros sent us a copy of a chapter from a book written by Michael Terry, called the “War of the Warramullas,” which opened with a very dry matter of fact observation that is totally in accord with our experience. “Was Australia visited long ago by mysterious yet highly-civilised people? This intriguing question puzzles me and has puzzled Europeans for generations. There is a great deal of nagging assertive evidence to indicate that it was.” (1)
No acceptable academic of today will even entertain such a radical notion, but it seems there was a time before the Second World War such when thinking was the norm and openly discussed without a hint of ridicule. The recurring problem Michael Terry and other earlier historians faced related to their assumption that the Original people had always shunned any technology that wasn’t reliant upon tools made from bone, stone and sticks.
Irrespective of whether the evidence in country of days long past was local or imported, it still is being found and we are obliged to keep “nagging.”(2) For us the question no longer relates to whether all this “evidence” is genuine, that is beyond doubt, but who and when is the only issue remaining that needs to be addressed. And in that pursuit, the marked rocks are the first step towards solving all of the “puzzles”(3) Michael Terry and many early British ‘settlers’ were grappling with.
Ros‘ Rocks 13
Without doubt the rock that has captured most of our time and drawn even more ‘dead-ends’ is Ros Rock 13. It ticks all previous boxes and quite a few we were not aware of until its appearance. It is as shiny and polished as Ros’ Rock 3, but the variety and range of markings is as unique as it is “intriguing.”(4)
We can’t be as absolute as we have been with other rocks, but even so strongly suspect this rock was shaped by tool and hand. Across the five sides there are 95 lines that break the thin chert overlay revealing a cream brown undercoat. The largest of the five sides by area and number of marks (28) is Side 1, and from first sighting it has always resembled a geographic relief of some unknown landform. It certainly looks like a plateau above and on one side there is a slope running down a severe slope towards the shoreline with a major watercourse flanked by six smaller creeks.
The length of lines on this rock vary, most are not long but there are two lines that span all four sides. There are three widths of line, but all are on the finer side of the overall narrative. There is no thick cut, this is all quite fine and intricate. In what adds to this delicate effect, quite a few lines are not exposed and still retain the thin veneer of chert in the depression, other lines come to clean stop seemingly unconnected and there is a noticeably high percentage of lines with curves and arcs.
This rock is very smooth and highly polished, it is as shiny in the sun as Ros Rock 3, which until now has been our unmatched benchmark in rating the lustre of all other rocks in the collection. The surface has been worked over many times, and there is a real chance some of the very feint thin lines are the last traces of an earlier engraving.
The imprinting on this rock, particularly the bottom edge of Side 1, is concentrated and quite dramatic. Beginning at the top edge a series of small curved imprints are spread along two thirds of the edge creating a jagged serrated line that is so at odds with the curved smooth edges and flat glassy surface elsewhere. We suspect that this juxtaposition is intentional. Past the line of imprints the final third of the edge is even more brutal with huge impact points in abundance, it seems sizable chunks of rock were chiseled away. And this possibility is real surprise, it is the first time on any marked rock is there an incision or point of removal that is the result of any chisel-like tool.
To be held in the right hand, as would be expected, the thumb should rest where, according to our version of events, the creeks meet and flow into the sea. The thumb should feel the edges and imprints, this is the only edge not smooth and curved. Finally, the penny dropped, with the benefit of comparing to the next two rocks to be discussed which also had all smooth, level sides except the side where the thumb sits most comfortably, the repetition of one less treated side in so many rocks is deliberate. Raised, rough or sharp, the thumb gets more grip on the rock than if it is perfectly smooth and buffed.
The need for the thumb to rest upon a rougher surface began with Ros Rock 1 which has four rectangular symmetrical sides and straight lines, and is upset by a crude excavation into the top edge where the marks of six percussion bulbs still remain. There was no attempt to tidy up after the initial removal of a fair piece of one side. All that can be said on behalf of this deviation from the flat and smooth is that it facilitates a better grip and feel for the rock than a polished and smooth surface. It is pattern seen on many other rocks, and has finally been recognised as such.
This marked rock has been polished many times, shaped into a specific design, covered by a thin veneer of chert upon which nearly 100 lines were cut. Everything has a meaning, be it the width, angles, length, points of intersections or shapes, it is all part of the First Language. What distinguishes this marked rock is the huge variety of styles, imprints and lines, and in this respect has no equal. What also came into focus once the lines and three sides were recorded and repositioned only adds to our suspicion that this is some form of map. With all three sides standing side by side it appears to our eyes in combination that there is the crude outline of the Australian continent and with what could be a series of preferred naval passages running beneath the southern section of Australia. The intersection of seven lines at one point is both a masonry skill of high degree and navigational feat of refinement.
But more of these possibilities later, as this is meant to be a brief introduction and the next rock is no less important.
Ros’ Rock 14
It seems a waste of ink and print to remind the reader that this rock has a very thin layer of chert with a lighter coarser grain underneath. A large percentage of marked rocks do not vary in this aspect, the only feature worth discussing relates to why the chert is always the same thin width, colour, smoothness and so unlike what is below. It was always our strong suspicion, which evolved into an utter conviction once holding Ros Rock 5 in our hands, that in this case and others the chert was melted and poured onto the base rock which was often already marked.
In this case it is probable the initial process was the same, but owing to the dramatic depth of cut and number of times the main side was re-grooved, it could be that the base rock was unmarked, then at some time after the chert was applied and baked hard, it was cut. In what only highlights the importance of the main side, none of the marks on the other sides show any evidence of retouching. This side is easily the most worn and concentrated, but what is of highest priority is that this rock has the deepest and widest cuts yet seen.
Not only is the depth of cut unequalled, so too the trouble taken in shaping this rock in a way that it must be held in one very specific grip. Thumb separate with the four fingers resting along the edge of the next side, the resulting spread of weight has never been more balanced in any other rock in this growing collection. With the thinnest section of this carefully shaped rock resting in the hollow of the palm and the thickest part on the webbing the entire piece sits perfectly balanced in the palm with the flat side facing upwards. This rock is without doubt the most ‘palm-centric’ shape of all the marked and shaped rocks we have seen, it would appear everything revolves around achieving a total connection between skin and silica.
No less committed in execution is the depth and width of cut, there has been nothing like this before and leads one to ask why was it deemed necessary to cut so deep? Obviously the exposure to the elements and rubbing of skin on the flatter marked side has taken its toll, but in its more pristine state there was pressing need to make straight lines, clean angles, be precise and cut very deep. In what emphasises the commitment to geometry and exactitude is the deep cut on Side 3, at the very top before the cut narrows to a small line that runs off an angle, if continuing from that first point directly down the face at 90 degrees that imaginary line would intersect at exactly the same point the second diagonal line cuts across the horizontal line.
The accuracy and geometry On Side 1 is so reminiscent of Ros’ Rock 1. Owing to our conviction that the first rock contained at least one star map, and the obvious similarities in presentation, we are inclined to believe that Ros Rock 14 is also a star map and would not be surprised in the least if it had some form of connection with the Pleiades.
Ros’ Rock 15
Like its predecessor this rock was also shaped to satisfy requirements we are at a loss to fully understand at the present juncture. As much as we were taken by the deliberate manner in which the last marked rock was designed for one specific grip, this rock is even more unnatural and obviously required more time and skill in construction.
There are seven sides and every edge is smooth and rounded. All seven faces are just as smooth, each maintains the same incline and level surface. The entire ensemble has been smoothed, buffed and polished, but as to whether this is an example of a base rock coated and a thin veneer of chert, or a natural rock marked after reshaping is difficult to decide.
On most occasions the base rock was engraved first, but this time probably not. All the lines require far less pressure and hardness of blade being of the same shallow depth and narrow width. There is not one cut that is anything deeper than shallow, and if compared to the chasms in Ros’ Rock 14, most of these lines would barely rate a mention.
There is a more Spartan approach to this narrative, six faces have a lot of open space in between and very few lines on display. What is even more revealing in its paucity, is that all the lines are evenly worn. This has to be the only rock where we can definitely declare that this rock was fully engraved at one sitting using one width of blade, and that was the first and final treatment. Unlike any other rock we have examined, this rock has most of the engravings on one side but it is much smaller in area than the two main faces, this is unique. Almost all the lines (25) are on one quite small face, which not only has 75% of the tally, but has one thicker line which was created by the same thin blade running back and forth thus gradually widening the cut.
There is one side, the largest, which has two visible lines and close to 50 quite faded yet separate pecks of no less than four diameters. Outside the massive cluster on Side 3 of Ros’ Rock 2, this is the largest number of pecks found on one side. There is a smaller carry-over of peckings on to the next side, but the other five sides are free of any puncture or peck mark. As to what they represent, outside the obvious recurring answer, the night sky and stars, we have no reason to look elsewhere.
We suspect that the side with the most lines was also where the right thumb rested when held in ceremony or teaching. That may explain why this is the most worn side because having the most cuts affords greater skin contact. We would not be surprised if further measurements of each side will produce ratios and numbers of great significance, but as this is merely an introduction, enough has been said and there are two more marked rocks still waiting inspection.
Ros’ Rock 16
Apart from being part of the collection of Original marked rocks collected between 1926 and 1939 there is very little to add. It looks nothing like anything we have seen before, wrong colour, no dark chert, and at first glance there is one line that is marginally better than a 50/50 chance it is unnatural, and that is about all we can add to this bland offering.
The rock is primarily brown with a tinge of orange, the only possible candidate for a marked line is feint and just visible and on its own is less than remarkable. All that can be stated is that if it wasn’t for the lighter resinous-like substance that has the appearance that it oozed out of the rock it would not rate a second sitting.
However, once running the skin over the lines of something raised that seems to be sitting on, or perhaps attached to, the rock, a further inspection in full sun seemed a better way of viewing things. That really didn’t help, there are no hidden tricks as the lighter substance appears to be stuck onto the rock, and that was the reason why Ros sent the rock. She also felt the gum was an import and a later attachment, and perhaps this is the same resin used in at least four other rock from the series that show evidence of infilling.
These depressions/holes in the base rock have been filled with other minerals and wedged into the gap, and remain fast and attached to this very day.
The idea that this substance is not natural and can act as an adhesive with amazing qualities and durability is certainly a claim we have made earlier and seem to making yet again. We can’t be sure if this isn’t an unusual geological phenomena and believe the rock deserves some follow-up research, but what we can be certain of is that the last rock on the list leaves no room for any doubt.
Christine’s Rock 17
This marked rock is the most Spartan in application and least marked rock in the collection. At first glance it seems completely clean bar one line that circumnavigates the four sides and a second much smaller less defined line that curves around one edge. It is decidedly minimalist in presentation, but this is one case where less is more than sufficient. We have seen rocks with a melange of lines running in every possible direction and the best we could offer in assessment is maybe. Here two lines, of which one is barely visible and the other ‘gun-barrel’ straight, automatically leads on to the unchangeable involvement of human hands with the assistance of highly advanced technology.
One sharp line of uniform depth and width runs around all four sides and joins seamlessly, so much so that we cannot identify a starting and finishing point. It looks as if it was done by a machine, so unerring in accuracy and steady is the line that if it was done free-hand without any assistance the chances of maintaining the same angle, width and depth concluding in an undetectable point of reconnection is close to impossible.
Unlike most of the rock, the top edge of the rock is slightly worn which is possibly due to this being the most likely position for the right thumb to rest. Around this section is the trace of a second line that also traveled across four sides and reconnects, what is curious is that most of the line seems to have not worn away but was recoated. A slightly raised ridge is detectable nearly all the way around and suggests that the earlier line and depression was covered, and the newer cleaner line is due to a much more recent cutting into the chert veneer.
Five Rocks add up to …
This one-lined rock is not a star chart, geographic relief map or complex narrative, it is much simpler than that. The single remaining line means something of the utmost importance and once again there is a lot more to this than two lines.
In every case the chances of reading the message engraved into these rock is realistically minimal if left to our own devices and entirely in the hands of Original custodians of the Old Ways. However, when it comes to identifying technological anomalies at least four of the five rocks we have introduced are full of questions and ambiguities, and if relying on approved text and curricula, will never be understood.
Shaped rocks, a glass-mirror finish, rounded edges, deep cuts into very hard rocks, delicate fine incisions, precision of the highest order, an abundance of straight lines, thousands of degrees of heat, and so it continues, there is so much about these five rocks that chronicles a time when virtually everything which happened here long ago is at odds with both the Australian and global narrative of ancient times. That fact just won’t go away, irrespective of the merits of our explanations, each and every combination of sticks, stones and bones will always be found lacking.
Our claims are modest, the rocks are Original and made in Australia in ancient times, but need tools and devices that came into being in very recent times. It makes no difference whether our interpretations are correct as it still comes down to two explanations, either the rocks are fake or our history is fake. There is no other choice left on any table, it is one or the other with no staging post in between
References:
(1) Michael Terry, 1974, “War of the Warramullas”, (Rigby), p. 123.
(2) Ibid.
(3) Ibid.
(4) Ibid.
About The Author
have you had or considered palistry or palm readers having a look at these markings?