# American Monsters **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 2, 2003, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-monsters/146286 "2003-01-02T22:16:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dandylion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Dandylion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandylion)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-monsters/146286/21 "2003-01-07T00:06:37Z")
“a local farmer, had been digging a new well on his property and struck a deposit of very hard stone about nine feet below the topsoil” This quote from SwimmingwithChickens’ link sounds a lot like a hoax involving a buried “pretrifidied” giant man. It has a name, but I can’t remember it. The giant was a statue and was buried on a farmer’s property and left there for a year. The giant was “found” when the farmer dug a well were the statue was. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-monsters/146286/22 "2003-01-07T00:26:57Z")
Dandy, are you thinking of Piltdown Man, or the Cardiff Giant? ---
**Author:** ![Dandylion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Dandylion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandylion)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-monsters/146286/23 "2003-01-07T00:35:08Z")
Cardiff Giant! That’s it! Thanks, I completely blanked on the name. Cardiff had an argument with a local minister about giants in the Bible. To make the Biblical Scholar look bad, he comissioned a huge statue - reportedly to look like Cardiff - to be made in another state. When it was done, he had in buried - at night of course - on the farm of a cooperative farmer. A year later, the farmer dug a well were the statue was resting. I have The Big Book of Frauds somewhere, but I can’t find it. The Cardiff affair happened in the U.S.A. in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s. Piltdown Man hoax happened at the same time, but in England. ---
**Author:** ![Dandylion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Dandylion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandylion)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-monsters/146286/24 "2003-01-07T00:40:24Z")
Cardiff Giant! That’s it! Thanks, I completely blanked on the name. Cardiff had an argument with a local minister about giants in the Bible. To make the Biblical Scholar look bad, he comissioned a huge statue - reportedly to look like Cardiff - to be made in another state. When it was done, he had in buried - at night of course - on the farm of a cooperative farmer. A year later, the farmer dug a well were the statue was resting. I have The Big Book of Frauds somewhere, but I can’t find it. The Cardiff affair happened in the U.S.A. in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s. Piltdown Man hoax happened at the same time, but in England. ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingwithChickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@SwimmingwithChickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingwithChickens)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-monsters/146286/25 "2003-01-07T16:04:14Z")
Yes, I’ve seen reference to the Cardiff Giant as well. This particular set of claims involves the farmer digging down and discovering a pyramid on his property. When the pyramid is opened inside are a number of mummified giants sitting in a circle. While I admit that I am skeptical about these (and all claims in general) I am actually curious if anomalous skeletons have been found. Usually the sources don’t pan out (as is presumably the case with the mysterious disappearing AIM…) Have there been real findings of American Monsters\*? \*(not literal monsters, but I added that for impact…) ---
**Author:** ![TheLadyLion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d78d45/32.png) [@TheLadyLion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLadyLion)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-monsters/146286/26 "2003-01-09T07:56:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SwimmingwithChickens \* > \*_While I admit that I am skeptical about these (and all claims in general) I am actually curious if anomalous skeletons have been found. Usually the sources don’t pan out (as is presumably the case with the mysterious disappearing AIM…) Have there been real findings of American Monsters_? > \*(not literal monsters, but I added that for impact…) \*\* Well, someday in the distant future, archaeologists will unearth the remains of several real people whom they may think are frauds. This may include Robert Wadlow (otherwise known as the tallest known human being), Joseph “John” Merrick (otherwise known as The Elephant Man) and Michael Jackson (other wise known as the living freakazoid). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Slugworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Slugworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slugworth)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-monsters/146286/27 "2003-01-09T08:59:01Z")
And as a bonus, Michael Jackson’s bones will be in close proximity to the Elephant Man’s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-monsters/146286.md?page=1)