[meteorite-list] Dig Turns Up Little At MysteriousNewport Tower *except for a meteorite)

[Charlie Devine]

Mark wrote:

     >Good work there, well done taking the
     >time to go see the site.......Do you know
     >if they do any kinds of tests other then
     >a visual like a streak test, magnet test,
     >etc., etc.?

Hello Mark,

Well, I'm only 30 minutes from the site, so no big deal getting there.
Besides, the Newport Tower has been called the "most enigmatic structure
in North America", so visiting the first dig allowed there in 60 years
was a must for me, since I've long been interested in the mystery of
it's origin.  Everyone involved wanted to see a "Viking sword" emerge
from the ground, but that never happened.  As for the mystery stone, it
was actually found by accident when one of the students working there
ran a magnet through dirt taken from a 2000-3000 BP level.  They were
not screening or paying attention to that level, as it long predates the
tower, but the student didn't realize it and used a magnet in a search
for metal artifacts, and up popped the stone.
I was certainly disappointed that I was unable to examine it.  On the
other hand, that probably spared me the task of being the one to tell
them "that's no meteorite."  I didn't want to find myself in that
position, since by then the stone was their most exciting find.  Many
people from this list had written them, and at least one listmember
suggested a monetary value for the stone!!  So now the people at ASU can
make the call.

Best wishes,
Charlie