Today we will tell you about a strange archaeological find called the "Devil's Corkscrew". The artifact is so unique that it has no analogues in the world. The most interesting thing is that its age is about 20 million years. Those who are familiar with the history of our planet will understand that we are talking about natural education. However, for supporters of exotic versions, age is not an argument. They can argue that a prehistoric unknown civilization or aliens from another planet were involved in creating the "corkscrew"!
It all started in the middle of the 19th century in Nebraska (USA). Spiral formations of stone have been found in Sioux County. The local population gave them their name - "Devil's Corkscrew".
For the first time, the official study of this natural (or artificial?) Phenomenon dates back to 1891. It was then that paleontologist Erwin Barbour arrived to study these objects. Having started to study them, he found that the maximum length of the formations is 3 m. They themselves are spiral pipes, the walls of which consist of a white fibrous material. Inside, they are filled with sand. Barbour named these objects Daemonelix. In fact, he translated the words "Devil's Corkscrew" into Latin.
After some time, a hypothesis was put forward about how such spirals could form. Barbour made the assumption that in front of him were the remains of algae or sponges, which were very large. They were in a lake that existed about 20 million years ago.
Another theory of the origin of the find arose in 1893. Its authors are paleontologists Theodore Fuchs and Edward Pinkerton Cope. They suggested that spirals in ancient times were animal burrows. The argument in favor of this was the discovery of the bones of a rodent in one of the spirals.
However, Barbour did not agree with this point of view. He pointed out that the shape of the Devil's Corkscrew was too perfect for a simple burrow. However, in the future, the version about algae or sponges, nevertheless, has undergone changes. This happened when it was established that the lake did not exist in this place, but there was a semi-arid steppe. Then, perhaps, plants grew here that had such an unusual shape. Perhaps it was about their roots.
In 1904, at the bottom of one of the spirals, the remains of an animal that is the ancestor of modern beavers were found. It lived about 22 million years ago. Since then, the version that mammals were involved in the creation of the "Devil's Corkscrew" began to gain more and more popularity. Plants were indeed present in the tubes. There was a lot of silicon in the groundwater. Thanks to this, a vitreous substance was formed, which eventually became the walls of the tubes. They repeated the shapes of the holes.
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This version looks very plausible. Especially considering the fact that the ancestors of modern beavers dug spiral-shaped burrows. Their end was a sleeping chamber. She was at right angles. It is in it that the bones of these animals are found, if they have survived to this day.
Having studied these arguments, it can be argued that the question of the origin of the "Devil's Corkscrew" must be completed. However, history has presented surprises more than once. What appeared to be proven was subject to revision.