America Unearthed Season 3 Episodes 4 Thru 9 Recaps: Ancient Phoenicians In Chicago?

The Stone and several other rescued items after the Great Chicago Fire

Just catching up on "AU" episodes. Of these six, my favorite was "The Blood Stone" (since I knew absolutely nothing about the Waubansee Stone). I also enjoyed "Marco Polo Discovers America since I had not heard of the Berkeley Hills Walls in California.

Episode 4: Montezuma's Gold
Is Montezuma's gold hidden in a man made cave system in Utah? I'm going out on a limb and saying "no". I do love caves though so any time you show caves I'm with ya. I'm also not sure why someone would go to all that effort to enhance a natural cave if there wasnt a big payoff. And dont forget about Montezuma's Curse (so be careful when diving and ESPECIALLY when cave diving). Alas while I enjoy a good lost treasure story, I fear most of whatever buried goodies once existed have already been found (or their existence was a fabrication).

Episode 5: Custer's Blood Treasure
Did gold/money in Custer's possession disappear after the Battle of Little Big Horn? I personally think if there was any, its already long gone. And from Scott's blog, he doesnt think there was any either (but it was hard to determine that from the editing on the show). So what of Two Moons' treasure map? We may never know (if it actually even existed).

Captain Kidd: Bloodthirsty Pirate Or Scapegoat?

Episode 6: Captain Kidd's Pirate Code
Scott investigates Captain Kidd's connection to John Jacob Astor (and how a very large sum of money ended up in his account early in his career). Astor's descendant says she doesnt know anything about hidden money. All she got was a house and property that is very expensive to maintain. There is a story about Kidd's giving his wife a note with some numbers on it while he was in prison. Could these be coordinates for an island off the coast of Maine? Scott also investigates whether Kidd deserved his fearsome reputation or was set up by others (including Bellomont who had him arrested) trying to gain favor with the English government. Kidd was hung in London and his body gibbeted (look it up if you want to learn something gruesome) over the River Thames. He wife was also imprisoned for some time.

A Test Run For The Great Wall Of China?

Episode 7: Marco Polo Discovers America
Did the Chinese build a stone wall (currently known as the Berkeley Hills Walls) stretching at least 50 miles outside of San Francisco long before Columbus discovered America? One expert Scott visits says Marco Polo was in California spying for the Pope Innocent IV. Do Chinese maps indicate a fleet led by Admiral Zheng He visited the US in the 1400s? Next Scott heads to the Great Wall of China and then to Columbus Ohio. I found this episode particularly interesting since: 1. I knew nothing about this wall and 2. "Marco Polo" is currently airing on Netflix. Not sure if I believe Marco Polo was in California but Chinese sailors definitely seem feasible to me.

Episode 8: The Plot To Steal America
This episode investigates whether the French were conducting a secret land grab before the USA became a country. He discusses the top with a Native American woman who says her ancestors had no concept of land ownership. So he's discussing the French stealing the land from previous deed owners who originally stole the land from the Native Americans anyway. I found that scene to be very uncomfortable. Not my most favorite episode.

A Closeupof The Waubansee Stone (Or What's Left Of It)

Episode 9: The Blood Stone
This was my favorite of the episodes since I knew nothing of the Waubansee Stone (which is apparently the oldest artifact in Chicago). First Scott has to find the stone (which turns out to be quite a challenge). He is joined by Dr Scott Mastores (who will also examine the stone). They must swear not to reveal its location. Why so much secrecy about the thing? The image of a man was once on a larger boulder but has since been cut down over time. Did they really make water fountains out of part of the rock? If so, what a shame. The earliest documentation of the stone is from Fort Dearborn in the earlier 1800s. It was then located near the Chicago River. Some say the stone was created by a soldier and is of a Native American chief named Waubansee. Others point out that the stone depicts a man with a beard (which was not typical of Native Americans). Others say it was used for infant sacrifice by the Phoenicians (who may have ventured that far north in search of copper). The Phoenicians were known to conduct infant sacrifices as a way to promote their safe passage. Granite is also a very hard material to carve into and probably would not be a side project for someone in their spare time. Scott concludes the stone is indeed from the Phoenicians. What a grisly but interesting find.

Grade: 3 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). I especially enjoyed episodes 7 and 9. More of that ilk please!