Biondi's "Romanian Sphinxes"

In an interview (SCIENCE IS NOT A GODDESS TO BE GIFTED 2/11/2026) on the weirdo Italian 'Expedition' channel, host Nicole Ciccolo speaks with Filippo Biondi. The conversation primarily focuses on the retraction of a peer-reviewed paper regarding discoveries in the Great Pyramid Giza, where Biondi plays the victim and ascribes tyhe issue to "the defensive reactions of the scientific community" (in facyt the paper is simply bad and shgould never have been accepted for publication in that form). They then go on to discuss Biondi's ongoing and future archaeological radar scanning projects globally in Romania and under the Chinese pyramids (3:02). Presumably this will be after teh FULL publication of teh Khafre Project results. Describing his fieldtrip to Romania, Biondi has this to say:

"It was a wonderful experience with the archaeological team from Romania, whom I greet. They were present at the conference we held in Bologna, and right there I was asked if I wanted to participate in a measurement campaign on the Carpathian plateau where these Romanian sphinxes are located. I went there in person, took a tour, and then conducted a study inspection right where these rocks clearly recall the shapes of human faces, but with a Neanderthal or Underworld profile. With these Neanderthal profiles, it was a truly touching and unique experience, and I recommend everyone to go there. It was beautiful to go and observe firsthand some primordial monuments made by men, albeit Neanderthals, who lived there at that time. Basically, it turned out to be a very interesting unit to carry out, and we want to see if we can do some scans there too to discover what could be underground. Otherwise, there are other aspects, but this is very interesting" [AI translation from Italian transcript].

The sites to which they refer are presumably the well-known Romanian tourist-scam attractions.

The first of these would probably have been the Bucegi "Sphinx" (Sfinxul din Bucegi), a famous natural  rock formation in the Bucegi Natural Park, Bucegi Plateau (Prahova/Dâmbovița County) Bucegi Mountains of Romania at an altitude of 2,216 metres. This is a lump of rock approximately 8 metres tall and 12 metres wide. Its current shape was formed naturally over millions of years through wind-driven ice and sand abrasion, freeze-thaw cycles, and differential weathering of alternating conglomerate and sandstone rock layers. When viewed by the weak-minded from a specific angle, the rock profile closely resembles a human face with distinct eyes, nose, and lips, earning its nickname in 1935/1936. It is claimed that local folklore links the formation to ancient worship of the supreme Dacian god Zalmoxis. Unsubstantiated pop-culture legends claim the plateau acts as an energetic earth chakra, contains a hidden secret base or library guarded by an energy field, or was shaped by ancient civilizations or extraterrestrials.

The photos layer of Google Earth [45° 24′ 29.88″ N, 25° 28′ 13.08″ E] can be used to see what this lump of rock looks like from other sides, seen NOT "from a specific angle", and you can judge for yourself how much it looks like somebody has been sculpting the site into a sphinx and how much this is tourist-trap flim-flam. 

Apart from this, others are claimed. There are several other natural rock formations across Romania that have been dubbed "sphinxes" due to pareidolia (the human tendency to see faces in random shapes) and wind erosion. While none are as famous as the Bucegi Sphinx, they carry similar local folklore.

• The Topleț Sphinx (Sfinxul de la Topleț): Located in Caraș-Severin County near the village of Topleț, this megalith lies in the Cerna Valley. It is a massive block of rock that, when viewed from the correct angle, strongly resembles the profile of a stern human face staring across the valley.

• The Stănișoara Sphinx (Sfinxul din Stănișoara): Found in the Căliman Mountains (part of the Eastern Carpathians), this formation is another byproduct of volcanic rock weathering. It has a distinct anthropomorphic look that frequently attracts hikers.

• The Piatra Arsă Sphinx (Sfinxul de la Piatra Arsă): Located on the same Bucegi Plateau but further along towards the Piatra Arsă meadow, this lesser-known rock formation is often overlooked by tourists rushing toward the main Sphinx.

• The Sphinx of Solomon's Stones (Sfinxul de la Pietrele lui Solomon): Located right on the outskirts of Brașov in a popular gorge area, this geological formation features limestone crags shaped by water and freeze-thaw cycles that resemble a human profile.

• The Maramureș Sphinx (Sfinxul Maramureșului): Situated in the Gutâi Mountains near the famous "Rooster's Crest" (Creasta Cocoșului), this is a volcanic rock structure sculpted by alpine winds to mimic a human head.

Some references:

Discover Romania (Romania travel tips), ' The Sphinx and Babele: Romania's Mysterious Rock Formations High in the Bucegi Mountains' (nd).

Romania Tour Store, 'Fascinating mysteries of the Sphinx from Bucegi Mountains' October 15, 2017.

Poppyoana, ' Bușteni, Romania: The Mountain Sphinx - Conspiracy theories and occult legends surround this mysterious natural rock formation' Atlas Obscura October 19, 2017.

Durupinar "Wood Found!!!!!"

 

Back on the Durupinar project fundraiser, a wide-eyed Kezia McGarvie  ( Oct 28) excitedly but somewhat prematurely reveals after the end of the fieldwork: ' BREAKING: WOOD RECOVERED FROM THE NOAH'S ARK DURUPINAR SITE'.

In a major development in the search for Noah's Ark, project lead Dr. Cenker Atila has confirmed that multiple pieces of wood have been recovered from the Durupınar formation in eastern Turkey. The fragments are damaged and charred, raising fascinating questions about what happened at this site thousands of years ago. The samples are now in the laboratory for carbon-14 dating [...] While laboratory testing is still needed to establish their age and significance, this is an exciting new chapter in the investigation.

According to the internal biblical chronology, Noah's Flood occurred in the year 1656 AM (Anno Mundi), so by the most popular rendering to 2348 BC (equivalent to 4298 Cal BP). That is Early Bronze Age, just after the disappearance of The Kura-Araxes Culture in the general region of the Durupinar site (no need to mention the absence of evidence of flooding as the cause of that collapse about a century earlier).

Typically, for such an amateurish project, more details are available, not from an official press release by the excavation's director, but in the form of video shorts, some made by the project's PR team, and many (several dozen already) derivative ones made by other content creators. In one of them, Noah's Ark Researcher Reveals BLACKENED WOOD Found Underground! (@proofinthedirt 30/10/2026) isan interview with Andrew Jones, the head of "Noah's Ark Scans"

"The wood that was found earlier this summer, the professor [Atila] kept it quiet just to make sure that the site was secure and people would not dig up more, you know, so that he made that decision, ah, but we now decided to announce it now, because we're about to send.. we actually have... some of it has already been sent off to a lab, but another lab in the US is about to test it, and so the professor said, yeah, go ahead, tell everyone we found wood. And so, there's charred blackened wood, and also uncharred wood that has been found inside the site, and when you are looking at the site, it's about 8-9metres down and at least a metre or so in, and we're looking at the west side.

The way he refers to this does NOT sound like it came from the boreholes, but the rather inexplicable coring method employed on the side of the site where (what seem likely to be) soil samples were taken by pounding a steel tube into a cliff from a ladder (in the screenshot it seems the guy relegated to this role could not always keep the hole level...)...

Bozo hammering away, no measuring equipment or recording media in sight*

It is difficult to see how ANY stratigraphical observations can be made of the stratigraphical context of any samples retrieved by such crude methodologies, which just represent destruction of context without producing information.

Elsewhere, the manky stuff represented as wood in the official team's film certainly does not look like charred wood (charcoal) in the photo, nor really is there any way of identifying the black stuff as "wood" (looks more like a coprolite to me - Noah's Ark Poo). In any case, and wood found loose in a core is useless without a context, does it come from a lake silt layer and its wood that fell into the lake, is the wood in fact nothing more than the roots of a socking-big Holocene or recent tree? Is it earlier material that became incorporated into the mass by means of mixing when the Telçeker mudslide occurred? Once again, the excavators (I use the term loosely) failure to establish the underlying geology BEFORE they began doing the archaeology (and interpreting the bits and bobs they find) is methodologically utterly unsound. Shame on you Professor Atila. 

Notes

* Note several metres-thick, apparently homogeneous, very dark grey loam layer at the top of this section. Looking at the aerial shots, I think the team really needs to examine the possibility that the bank forming an amygdaloidal enclosure around the site is the rampart of an earthen enclosure of some kind, for example a cattle pound, with an entrance in the middle of the west side. The wood they have found could relate to that site, until the existence of such an enclosure has been disproven. 

Has Anthropology Degree, Reinterprets Archaeology

This blog's favourite US Amazon-explorer evidence eschewing cosplayer Luke Caverns has been busy:

 The Olmec World - San Lorenzo and La Venta (Mesoamerican History, Myth and Origins)

("This volume offers both a comprehensive introduction and a captivating narrative of the Olmec world-its geography, ecology, art, religion, and legacy. Written for mystery-seekers, history enthusiasts, and lovers of ancient civilizations, it brings to life the culture that stood at the dawn of the Americas, a civilization both foundational and forever enigmatic"). 

Publisher: Carmichael Press, Publication date: September 28, 2025, 258 pages ISBN-13: 979-8231987863. Carmichael Press is an independent publisher or indie imprint primarily utilized for self-publishing. The vast majority of his books have only been published within the last few months (ranging from mid-2025 through late 2026) and are currently listed in a way suggesting they are print-on-demand and open for pre-orders.

About the Author
Luke Caverns is an independent researcher, explorer, and former archaeology lecturer whose work bridges academic inquiry with field-based investigation. He began teaching archaeology in 2004, where he developed a reputation for bringing ancient civilizations to life through a combination of rigorous scholarship and a deep fascination with the mysteries of the past. From early in his career, Caverns was drawn beyond the traditional boundaries of the classroom. His interests expanded toward the great unanswered questions of human history-particularly the rise of the civilizations of the New World, the enduring enigmas of ancient Egypt, the monumental landscapes of Anatolia, and the global phenomenon of megalithic construction. These interests would eventually define his life's work.

Leaving formal academia behind, Caverns pursued a more immersive path, dedicating himself to both linguistic and field research. He undertook the study of Latin, Arabic, Spanish, and Quechua, equipping himself to engage directly with primary sources, regional histories, and local traditions across multiple cultural spheres. This linguistic foundation allowed him to move beyond translation and interpretation, opening a more direct connection to the civilizations he studies. His field experience includes participation in five archaeological excavations across South America, where he worked alongside researchers and local teams in environments ranging from high Andean plateaus to dense jungle terrain. These expeditions deepened his focus on pre-Columbian cultures, ancient trade networks, and the architectural achievements of early American civilizations.

Today, Caverns operates as a modern-day explorer, documenting and investigating little-known and often overlooked archaeological sites throughout Central America. His work combines on-site analysis, historical comparison, and a critical examination of both established and alternative interpretations of the ancient world. Blending the discipline of an academic with the curiosity of an explorer, Luke Caverns represents a new generation of independent researchers-one equally at home in ancient texts, remote landscapes, and the enduring mysteries of humanity's earliest civilizations.

There is a longish thread on the guy here: https://x.com/PastPaulitics/status/1915339940386185245 

Luke Caverns Books available through Amazon:

• Edfu Atlantis Theory: Zep Tepi and the Egyptian Genesis – September 12, 2025 • Nephilim Architecture and Megalithic Monuments – September 23, 2025 • The Olmec World - San Lorenzo and La Venta – September 28, 2025 • Antarctica Ancient Mysteries – October 3, 2025 • Nuragic Civilization, Sardinia's Stone Towers and Bronze Age Legacy – October 28, 2025

• Mystery of the Chachapoya Cloud People – March 19, 2026 • Neanderthals and Their World – March 29, 2026 • The Invisible Past: A Genetic History of Our Species – March 29, 2026 • The Hidden Story of Human Origins – April 1, 2026 • The Olmec Code: Symbols, Pyramids and the Dawn of Mesoamerica – April 9, 2026 • Ancient Peru Pyramids and Sky Temples – May 7, 2026 • Easter Island: Lost World of the Moai – May 8, 2026 • Unexplained Megaliths – May 9, 2026 • Mu and Lemuria: The Sunken Megalithic Civilization – May 9, 2026 • URUK, First City of the Gods – June 22, 2026 • Urartu, The Megalithic Key – July 2, 2026

Another Pseudoarchaeology get-together

Quest for Ancient Civilizations Austin 2026 "The Quest for the Future — The Future is Ancient".

Quest for Ancient Civilizations brings together researchers, authors, and explorers in a 3-day conference on lost civilizations, forbidden archaeology, and the questions mainstream research won't touch — in one room, with an audience that actually wants the answers (Austin, Texas USA, October 16–18, 2026). "Featuring the voices rewriting history: David Hatcher Childress; Randall Carlson; Billy Carson; Dan Richards (DeDunker); Hugh Newman; JJ Ainsworth; Drew Brophy; Duncan Trussell; Kurt Metzger; Tyler Engle; Dr. Heather Lynn; Brent Pella; Enrique Chaug; James Vieria + More TBA".

The later announcement made an important change, it turns out at the last moment that "Quest for Ancient Civilizations" would not take place "at ACL Live at the Moody Theater on October 16–18"  which apparently costs $25k a day to rent (?):

  ["Industrial-chic units for groups in a hip apartment hotel, plus a rooftop deck and champagne fountain"] Jesus wept... now Google the address of the new conference venue, it is in the most depressing graffiti-covered urban wasteland on the south side of the city centre with virtually zero parking spaces.

I would like to know whether that announcement was made in time for the people who bought tickets could still get their deposit (or money!) back if they cancelled after seeing where it was.

Dan Richards and the Imaginary Hidden Cave

Yesterday, Graham Hancock's hairy foulmouth protégé, Dan Richards from Spokane Washington USA, was featured on the popular conspiracy theory Jo Rogan podcast [ Joe Rogan Experience #2563 - Dan Richards Oct 8, 2026] and they were discussing Jason Colavito's article "The 1909 Grand Canyon Hoax" concerning the original report of the existence of the imaginary Kincaid Cave. Halfway through Richards blurts out:

"Now, I do know that Jason guy, and he's um kind of a two-faced piece of crap, so I wouldn't trust everything that he says here. If he saw something that flew in the face of his narrative, he will not report it. [...] He's a professional debunker. That's um, basically, Yeah, I, I... He's... He's one, If you ask Graham Hancock to list off the top ten pieces of shit that argue with him, this guy's name's going to come up".

Quite where that kind of language comes from is unclear. The post to which they are referring mostly is a reprint, for the record, of the 1909 article. I know Jason Colavito's work and rate it highly. Dan Richards, however... His record speaks for itself. He also attacks people indiscriminately and when they respond to his bile, he plays the victim at the drop of a hat (as we see in this clip).

The Kincaid "Cave", Arizona, Part of America's Fake Past

The Claim: An Ancient Egyptian Colony in Arizona

On April 5, 1909, the Arizona Gazette published a sensational front-page story titled “Explorations in the Grand Canyon.” The article claimed that a massive, sophisticated network of underground tunnels big enough to house up to 50000 people had been discovered carved into the cliffs of the Marble Canyon region of the Grand Canyon.

According to the report, the expedition was led by two men, Professors S.A. Jordan and G.E. Kincaid, who were allegedly funding the excavation on behalf of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The article detailed the discovery there of mummies, hundreds of advanced artefacts, including weapons, copper tools, and tablets covered in hieroglyphic writing. Most shockingly, the text claimed these artefacts dated back to the era of Pharaoh Ramses II (around 1250 BCE), suggesting [if true] that Old World ancient Egyptians had settled the region before the ancestors of Indigenous Americans, like the Ancient Puebloans.

The original text states that the entrance was located on the east wall of the canyon, "some 42 miles up the river from the El Tovar Crystal Canyon" (now known as the Bright Angel Creek area near the South Rim's El Tovar Hotel), sitting roughly 2,000 feet above the river bed. Following these directions, modern searchers place "Kincaid's Cave" in the Marble Canyon region or the upper portions of the main Grand Canyon. Specifically, it corresponds to the eastern ridge of the canyon just north of the Kwagunt Rapids, directly across the river from the 'Nankoweap Granaries' (approximate Coordinates: 36°18'24"N, 111°50'24"W).

The story continues to be recycled today, fuelled by idiocy and the fact that several Grand Canyon landmarks currently bear Egyptian names (such as the "Isis Temple" and "Horus Temple").

The Arizona Gazette story is unequivocally an early example of American fake news. The narrative collapses under scrutiny for several reasons:

• Non-Existent Investigators: The Smithsonian Institution has checked its archives repeatedly and possesses absolutely no record of any employees, affiliates, or contractors named "Professor Jordan" or "G.E. Kincaid." Neither man left behind a paper trail, academic publications, or any verifiable credentials.

• Zero Archival or Artefactual Evidence: The Smithsonian has no record of ever receiving, cataloguing, or storing Egyptian artefacts recovered from anywhere in North or South America. In the early 1900s, museum professionals already utilized meticulous, multi-layered logbooks to track acquisitions.

• Complete Lack of Documentation: For a self-proclaimed breakthrough of this magnitude, the article featured no photographs, site sketches, or technical field notes. No legitimate artefact from this alleged "cave" has ever been produced for peer review.

• Telltale Editorial Errors: The original 1909 article repeatedly refers to the "Smithsonian Institute" rather than its official, legal name, the Smithsonian Institution. This is a classic hallmark of a fabrication written by an outsider unfamiliar with the organization.

• If there were 50k people living in underground caves there, by what means was enough food transported to them from outside (AI suggests ballpark figure of 25k to 45k metric tons annually) without leaving traces of a satellite -visible transport network all leading to this cave?

• The Linguistic Coincidence: The Egyptian names given to the canyon's geological monuments (like Isis and Apollo Temples) were actually bestowed by Clarence Dutton, a 19th-century geologist who surveyed the region in 1882. He simply chose names from Egyptian, Roman, and Arthurian mythology because he found the rock formations majestic, not because any artefacts were found there.

• Misunderstood "Off-Limits" Zones: Modern conspiracy theorists often claim the government makes parts of the canyon "off-limits" to hide the cave. In reality, these restricted zones exist for safety, ecological preservation, and Indigenous sovereignty. Many sections belong to the Hualapai, Havasupai, and Navajo reservations, who restrict tourism to protect their traditional lands and sacred heritage.

It seems pretty clear that the 1909 article was a slow-newsday fabrication engineered by a bored or creative journalist to boost newspaper sales, a common practice in the era of yellow journalism in America and still practiced there to an disturbing degree.

Questions for the Durupinar 'Expedition'

@peterpeccavi has some excellent questions for the Durupinar Expedition team who have just prematurely announced the results of their fieldwork

Meanwhile another comment to the team seems to me just as perceptive...