Midwestern Epigraphic Society and Ancient America
A small amateur organization rides the wave of discoveries that Columbus was the last to come to America
by James Leslie
By the early 1980s Barry Fell had published his first three books, America BC, Saga America and Bronze Age America showing evidence that Europeans had visited American years before Christopher Columbus’ contact. Fell was now at his height of popularity with the American people. The time was right; people were ready to question the accepted dogma that Europeans did not come to America before Columbus.
It was also the time two Columbus, Ohio, brothers, Victor and Beverley Moseley – yes Beverley is a man – owners of a small company that designed and fabricated exhibits for museums in the Midwest region were struggling how to upgrade the display on an odd museum piece at the Delf Norona museum at Moundsville, W. Va. This piece, The Grave Creek Stone was engraved with 23 symbols in the Phoenician or Iberian alphabet, with a translation by Barry Fell from a recent book, among several other translations by eminent linguists, see: www.econ.ohio-state.edu/jhm/arch/grvcrk.html
A fortuitous meeting of the brothers with Fell in Boston invigorated Victor to research the historical records of Midwest America for evidence of contacts of between the old world and the new world. Much was found and the brothers followed as many leads as they could in their spare time. Victor was the researcher, organizer, while Beverley being an artist and field explorer at the Ohio Historical Society physically visited and documented the sites. Meanwhile they organized a group of enthusiastic men and women into the Midwestern Epigraphic Society (MES). Victor became the President and Beverley the Secretary. Victor authored a Constitution and By-Laws for the club and I am told Barry Fell adopted much of these two documents for his own The Epigraphic Society. Additionally, Victor labored hard to get the club approved for a 501-c-3 tax classification which continues to this day.
Due to his popularity, Fell soon became overwhelmed with findings in Kentucky of ancient writing in Ogham and other alphabets and MES found itself investigating and documenting these sites for Fell to translate, and a number of the Kentucky individuals are still active with MES, Dr. John Payne of Berea and James Burchell of Manchester. Early on two Ohio sites were investigated, the Murray Tunnel Chamber and the Barnesville Track Rocks. All these were documented in the club Newsletters and Journals, many now included in the club web page, www.midwesternepigraphic.org.
Over the years MES has formed connections with other organizations and clubs as well as with Wayne May, publisher of the Ancient American magazine and provided input to Scott Wolter for his America Unearthed History channel series. Besides epigraphy MES investigates diffusion of all aspects of culture to show contacts between the old and new worlds.
Gradually the old dogma is changing due to findings in DNA and other scientific fields. Recently ancient Chinese archive maps recording voyages to the Americas have come to light, see: www.gavinmenzies.net with evidence now found of Chinese artifacts in America, see: www.amazon.com/Chasing-Dragons-True-History-Piasa/dp/1480138746. MES tries to educate the general public in these new developments.
MES helps people identify strange things they dig up in the back yard by email circulation of the finding to our group of experts and knowledgeable amateurs for their opinion – and anybody can join this email circle – it’s free. We have our publications plus a great annual Symposium with speakers on many topics. You can join our club, contribute your findings or just learn new things.