by Wayne May
The June/July, 1999 issue of Ancient American published exciting news concerning the disclosed location and planned excavation of the controversial "Burrows Cave." It allegedly contains thousands of inscribed and illustrated stone tablets deposited by Old World visitors to southern Illinois almost 2,000 years ago. Discovered by Mr. Russell Burrows in 1982, the precise whereabouts of the Cave, has caused a great commotion among the many participants including Harry Hubbard (his site is in Marion or Wayne County) and Robert Ghostwolf who claimes to have a site somewhere in the midwest.
Since our announcement three years ago, representatives from Ancient American and Discovery Resources (a California-based research organization) have joined forces to identify and open the Cave site Mr. Burrows identified to them in 1999. Early in their joint venture, they were surprised to learn that the landowner of the site had no previous contact with Mr. Burrows. They were subsequently forced to enter into a new agreement with the landowner, before they could even attempt an entry.
After 42 months of painstaking fund-raising and arranging for the professional participation of specialists in geology, archaeology, excavation, metal detection and ground penetration radar, we are finally ready to proceed with opening the Cave.
We were additionally surprised to discover that its known openings seem to be deliberately collapsed and filled in sometime during the recent past. What we now feel reasonably sure is the main entrance comprises a 20 to 30 foot horizontal tunnel with a 110 foot drop to the floor of the corridor. The formerlyopen spaces are filled with collapsed rubble, and there are indications that the doorway to the site was collapsed intentionally."
We were surprised yet again by a statement from Mr. Burrows. He now claims that the underground site we have identified is not his, which, he insists is more than forty miles away. According to Burrows, the location we are working was revealed years ago to him by local Indians as a Chickasaw treasure trove, which he hs never visited.
On March 24th, 1999, Russell Burrows led Wayne May to what he claimed was the location of the "Mystery Cave of Many Faces," site of a cache of inscribed, illustrated stones documenting Old World visitors to Illinois in pre-Columbian times. Above, Mr. Burrows points to the alleged cave entrance where he supposedly made his discovery 17 years ago. The following day, Mr. Burrows entered into a contractual agreement with Discovery Resources, wherein he agreed to reveal the place of entrance. Upon signing the agreement, Mr. Burrows accompanied Wayne
Of course, we will honor Mr. Burrows' request that the location which has become the focus of our labors will no longer be referred to "his" site, and henceforth be known, not as "Burrows Cave," but as Tombs of the Embarras (pronounced "Ahmbrah").
Mr. Burrows' has made an announcement that "his" site is currently being excavated by an anonymous archaeology team from an unidentified "major" university. He claims that work at this undisclosed
location is presently taking place. Artifacts removed, examined and photographed by the unnamed professor in charge will be allegedly turned over to him as his personal property becausethe landowner has deeded the site to him in some fashion.
Meanwhile, Ancient American Magazine and Discovery Resources are bringing to bear virtually...
