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AAPS Mission Statement
Ancient Artifact Preservation Society
Bringing together Diverse Pieces
of the Ancient American Puzzle
Ancient Artifact Preservation Society Mission, Vision, Goals
Mission Statement:
To collect and preserve evidence of ancient civilizations in North America, and the Great Lakes region in particular, in a manner that supports their study by amateur and professional scholars and to educate the public about the significance.
Our Vision:
To create a repository of artifacts and published research that supports the investigation of pre Columbian history in North American. To create a web site and educational materials that present the emerging thinking about pre-Columbian evidence of human activities in the Great Lakes region and beyond.
Our goals:
A prominent goal is to raise the funds for the purchase of the largest remaining piece of float copper discovered in the Copper Country of Michigan, and to house it in a facility that protects the discovery and draws attention to the significance of copper and the copper country to the development of civilizations in North America and elsewhere in the world.
To create a COPPER TRAIL linking sites along ancient copper routes. To enlist the participation of townspeople and politicians, state and Federal Parks departments...anyone who can help illuminate this worthy, historical, educational goal.
To create and implement a model of operation that will financially support our mission and be designed to be sustainable for decades.
To create a database of artifacts, and a safe repository to protect them, and for researchers to access and study.
To create an educational program that introduces the evidence of pre Columbian activities in the U.P. and its significance.
To place presentations of copper country pre-Columbian artifacts in 10 to15 historical museums throughout the U.P.
To create an endowment that will enable the proper housing of artifacts and research work.
To create a web site that will educate visitors about the artifacts, their significance, and where they can be visited. To offer for sale on the web site books and media that educate about pre-Columbian research – as well as items that promote thinking about archeology
To publish a bi-annual report and educational publication that encourages the pursuit of ancient archeology and geology.
To partner with professional archeologists, educational institutions and regional museums to support the research of artifacts.
To pursue the donation and or loan of artifacts currently held by Michigan residents (and beyond) to include in our collection.
To educate searchers in the U.P. about good archeological practices when artifacts are discovered.
Furthermore, we shall provide open forum for all serious researchers, who have data to share so that it may be “laid out on the table,” to see how the pieces fit with those from other researchers.
Disclaimer: However, though the personal views, opinions, theories and conclusions expressed by individual researchers and presenters are not necessarily endorsed by AAAPF, we wish to provide an open forum, website and eventually a museum to present this diverse material for all to access for their own areas of study and research.
Notes on the images shown in our banner: The stones are from the controversial "Burrows Cave" AKA "Embarrass Caves" and they may not be authentic. We had innocently chosen the mapstone simply because it represented the area of the Great Lakes and Michigan where so much ancient copper mining and trade activity has occurred. We do not make the claim that the stones are authentic or ancient, and do not know who made them, or when. We hold a wait-and-see position to see if those caves contain valuable artifacts and evidences, until they are examined in a legal and scientific manner. We hope to see this happen within a few years...then the truth will finally be told.
IMPORTANT UPDATE!
AAPS has recently made the momentous decision and we have put a $10,000 assurity deposit down to preserve (and BUY) the largest piece of natural float copper in the world, and the 40 acres upon which it resides. It has been nearly lost to big industry for MELT COPPER, as the price of copper has risen!! It MUST BE SAVED. There is nothing else like it in the world. (Though it has been reported there is a five mile stretch of solid copper deep beneath the water of Lake Superior between the Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale.)
This estimated 40 ton, 99% pure copper natural monolith, will be the centerpiece attraction in the rotunda of our future museum. The price is $350,000, and we have only 5 years to get it paid for, and to proceed with housing and securing it, and the physical museum. This copper, though not an actual artifact, is part and parcel of the world wide ancient copper trade, which built the Bronz Ages, which brought ancient sea-farers and trades people to our shores. It will be an attention-getter, being many times larger than the wee one in The Smithsonian (which they thought was the largest float copper piece.) It's a big step, but it's a first step to materialize our vision, and we need LOTS of help from MANY people...including you. Thank you very much!
Your donations to AAPS are tax-deductible and WELCOMED MOST GRATEFULLY
AAPS, PO Box 216, Skandia MI 49885 www.aaapf.org
www.ancientartifactpreservationsociety.org
www.ancientartifactpreservationsociety.com
AAPS Board members reside in the Great Lakes area. Advisors who have expertise in various areas, are scattered about the United States. Members-at-large are welcomed from anywhere in the world.
PLEASE NOTICE: Some people have trouble processing payments via PayPal, and some don't. This is what our web host has figured out: In order for your order to go through, your COOKIES MUST BE TURNED ON.
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Thoughts on the Float Copper and AAPS Museum From Lee Pennington:
These are my thoughts about the giant piece of float copper and the proposed museum by the Ancient Artifacts Preservation Society (AAPS) group.
First, the museum: There are hundreds of people, maybe thousands of people, myself included, who have in their possession strange, unusual ancient artifacts that simply do not make any sense according to the standard paradigm. The things I have I make no mention of to anyone other than people who show a genuine interest, and even then I do so very carefully. Everyday, well not that often, but certainly often, I run into people who also have such artifacts. Until we compare, we have no idea that we and others have such artifacts that might very well connect us all globally.
It's only by sheer accident that cross-study of different artifacts is even possible. The traditional academic people don't even want to look at these things. There is simply no place in the world where these artifacts can be brought together for present and future study. I hurt deeply that many things are being lost and even worse, trashed. When Wayne May managed to get the Michigan tablets back into Michigan, the hope was that a museum would be available to house these. I think that was where the AAPS group came up with the idea of a museum in the first place. You probably already know that the state archaeologist became in charge of the Michigan tablets, and they have been declared a fraud and, therefore, worthless for study. Even at the exhibit which was done, the tablets were listed as fraud.
Loss of Precious Artifacts: I predict that within 50 years, unless a proper place to house these Michigan tablets (and how many thousands of other artifacts?) at a place where the keepers are not locked into any particular paradigm, and at the very least, unbiased, then no one will even have the opportunity to study these precious, yes precious, fraud or not, tablets. They simply will be buried under the axiom that it's easier to ignore something when declared fraud, than it is to address the objects objectively. Trust me. This kind of thing, declaring fraud and then not having to answer some of the hard questions, is happening constantly.
Many archaeological reputations in America have been made not on discovery but solely on the art of debunking. Consider Fantastic Archaeology and tons of other debunking books. Many of these same archaeologists say they don't have time to waste on looking at artifacts that have already been declared frauds, but they certainly have time to write books declaring, and re-declaring, the very same artifacts frauds. The idea of a museum to house such objects and be available to those who wish to study them on a world-wide basis is an incredible idea. Will it happen? The odds are certainly against it. "Regular" museums simply won't touch many of these items.
I can speak from personal experience with what happened here in my area. Many of us worked long hours getting the "Brandenburg Stone" properly housed at the Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center in Clarksville, IN. The Brandenburg Stone has what appears to be an ancient script on it the stone was found early in the 20th Century near Brandenburg, KY, and 40 years later wound up in the Brandenburg Library, on the floor under a window where people were even walking on it. There has been much debate as to what the markings on the stone represent. (I'll attach a photo) We (Ancient Kentucke Historical Society) went to the expense of building a beautiful case for the stone and got it placed in the Falls. Local "academic" historians managed to put pressure on the Center and the stone "had to be removed." There had been a translation of the stone that indicated it was ancient Coelbren (Welsh), and the historians wanted "nothing" to do with anything that might add credence to an existing legend of a Welsh prince named Madoc. People were coming to the Falls Center just to see the stone. So now they have lost that potential revenue just because someone wanted no argument against the existing paradigm.
Imperative That We Have Our Own Museum: That's why such a museum, one that is not afraid to focus on out-of-place artifacts, is so important. The general AAPS Board has been hesitant to think in terms of such a museum being located in the Keweenaw because of outside people not wanting to travel that far to get to it. Some thought such a museum should be in the UP but not so far out but closer to a larger city, for example, Marquette. Both Fred Rydholm and I feel the museum should be located in the Keweenaw (near where many ancient copper mines are located). In relation to outside people not traveling so far to get to such a place, I mentioned at an AAPS board meeting the L’anse Aux Meadows site in Newfoundland. Thousands of people a year visit the site, and it's about as difficult to get to as any site, except maybe Antarctic. Would outsiders coming in to the Keweenaw be of value to the local people? Ask the people around L’anse Aux meadows (which I did). Some of the tiny settlements think in terms of the Viking site established there being a savior for the livelihood of their small communities. I think people like the
Second, the Giant Piece of Float Copper: I've read many pros and cons on the value of this piece of copper. Ask yourself. Have you ever seen a really large piece of float copper? I mean a really large piece. I'm talking 40 to 70 tons. There certainly have been others, thousands of them. Where are they now? Mostly melted down and used as electric wires and a thousand other things. Fred thinks in ancient times the float copper was what was gathered the most even much more than what was "mined." Fred says, "You could just pick the copper up off the ground!" Yet, the float copper is now mostly all gone. There are a few pieces still around held by individuals. This piece of copper that the AAPS is trying to save is probably the largest piece of float copper still in existence. I've seen on the posts people suggesting that the copper should be left in its natural habitat. I would be all for that, if it could only happen. But it's not going to happen. There are two choices remaining for this particular piece of copper. Either it will be saved and available for present and future generations to look at, or it will be melted down and gone forever. Fred's idea to purchase the copper and have it as the center piece for the proposed museum is brilliant. How much ancient history is connected to just such copper? Many people have traveled just to see the Ontonagon Boulder at the Smithsonian a boulder weighing a ton and a half. How many would travel and how far to see "the largest float copper boulder in the world one weighing maybe 70 tons, one nearly 50 times larger than the Ontonagon Boulder"? As Fred says, "It will be the show piece for the museum."
I am 100% in Support of the Museum: So why am I supporting both the museum and the saving of the great piece of float copper? I support the museum because it would be a place where we could see strange, unusual artifacts together in one place, to see their global significance, and to see relationships between things. I know many people who would donate their artifacts to such a museum. Without such a place, many such artifacts will simply be thrown out when the caring owner dies. The giant piece of float copper should be saved if for no other reason than for people to be able to see what was lying around nearly a hundred percent pure during the Bronze Age. Saving that great piece, at whatever cost, is better than melting it down and turning it into pennies and electric wires. Once melted, there is no putting it back. On both the museum and the copper, the future deserves better than status quo no, not status quo but better than loss, total, complete, loss.
Lee Pennington
Services We Can Offer Members
As a service to authors, artists, or photographers, who wish to offer their works through AAPS, we can now offer:
* Document and data conversion and editing services.
* Large format scanning of visual art
* Cover art and internal artwork
Some people have donated books and CDs, some are selling at a 60/40% profit share. (60% to author, 40% to AAAPF) These services help support the AAAPF and support such authors and artists at very affordable rates. Please write with your project ideas.
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