The 500,000 Year-Old Spark Plug

The Coso Artifact - a man-made, cylindrical object apparently encased in a geode - was discovered by Wallace Lane, Virginia Maxey and Mike Mikesell while prospecting for gems in Olancha, California on February 13th, 1961. The OOPArt (or ‘out-of-place artifact’) caused a sensation amongst Creationists, Forteans and conspiracists, who believed it might be up to half a million years old - but has since been identified as a 1920s-era Champion spark plug. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider whether the ‘Rock Hounds’ were deliberately defrauding people, or were just open-minded enthusiasts; ask why their find had such resonance with Creationists, when its existence cannot be consistent with the world being merely thousands of years old; and reveal how the ‘mystery’ was conclusively debunked…  Further Reading: • ‘When Some 1920s Garbage Was Mistaken for an Ancient Artifact’ (Smithsonian Magazine, 2017): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1920s-garbage-or-ancient-artifact-probably-1920s-garbage-180962081/ • ‘Hidden History - Lost Civilizations, Secret Knowledge, and Ancient Mysteries, By Brian Haughton’ (Red Wheel/Weiser, 2007):  https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Hidden_History/295EDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=coso+artifact&pg=PT173&printsec=frontcover • ‘Coso Artifact: Science Triumphs Over Theorists’ (Science For Everyone, 2022): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GawHMQpIGrU Love the show? Support us!  Join  🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…  … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.  Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices