A ROCK LAKE
HISTORIC INTERPRETATIONAL OVERVIEW
In North American Archeological circles, one of the great enigmas is who mined the millions of pounds of pure raw copper from Michigan's upper peninsula and Isle Royale in the time period between 3000 BC and 1200 BC. Indigenous use of copper was limited to small-scale utilization and does not account for the prodigious amounts mined.
In European and Middle Eastern Archeological circles, one of the enigmas is where did all the copper come from to sustain the copper and Bronze Age cultures in the time period between 3000 BC and 1200 BC. Local sources were not sufficient and of the quality necessary to supply these large scale cultures.
Oral Native American history and lore deny any affiliation to the prehistoric mining operations; rather they cite 'ancient maritime foreigners' who mined the ' Red Rock '. All throughout North America there are archeological anomalies that point to the possibility of contact from Trans Pacific and Trans Atlantic visitors with pre-Columbian North American cultures. Additional, evidence suggest wide trade networks between the people of Mesoamerica and those magnificent indigenous cultures labeled as the “Mound Builders”.
Rock Lake may hold in its murky depths some of the answers to the identity of the “Ancient Foreigners" that the local Indian lore speaks of. Who are the people that built the 'Rock Tepees" (pyramidal stone structures) that lay beneath the waters of Rock Lake and where did they come?
3000 B.C.
The copper culture starts in Asia Minor and Europe and North America. Mining operations for pure copper start in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Some researchers have theorized that possibly the Rock Lake Wisconsin area became a winter base camp below the heavy snow line for the foreign miners who call their site TYRANENA 1 perhaps based from the native American languages or of their own creation. From TYRANENA 1 the traders travel down the Rock River to the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico and to distribute the copper cargo and some may possibly sail across the Atlantic back to North Africa and Europe with their rough copper ingots. The TYRANENIANS' build rock pyramidal structures and tombs for their dead on the banks of a small lake in a valley where a river runs through.
1200 B.C
The first great Michigan mining epoch ends and possibly with it any further transatlantic trade as the need for copper is smaller as the bronze age draws to a close, as Iron is found to be a more suitable metal. Mining operations end on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. TYRANENIANS pack up and go home. The postglacial activity fills this small glacier-created valley and the structures are inundated and thereby protected. Local Indians regard this area as off limits and sacred. They can still see the tops of the 'Rock Tepees' as evidence to their oral history of the "Foreigner Kings" who came to this the area. Later geological data confirms several prehistoric and historic water level rises.
900 A.D.
Copper again becomes the coin of the realm, this time in Middle and South America. Mayan miners, astronomer-priests remembering the ancient lore of the copper deposits mined centuries earlier in Northern Michigan, mount expeditions to establish control of the mineral for the copper based economy after civil/religious strife forces certain portions of the populations to disperse elsewhere.
From the Yucatan and surrounding areas, up the Mississippi and to southern Illinois, they establish the pyramid city of 'Cahokia" as the center for their intercontinental copper trade. Mining operations in upper Michigan start again
They then establish their point camp in the same area as the 'TYRANENIANS' had. It is called 'AZTALAN' -and becomes their stronghold for several centuries.1300 A.D.
Copper deposits are found closer to the Mesoamerican homelands in Mexico and the "AZTALANDERS" leave their pyramid city along with the populations of the other mound cities to regain control of the ancestral home to the south in the lands of present day Mexico.
1830 - 1840
A. D
Early settlers arrive in the Rock Lake area and see strange protrusions sticking out of the water. Local Indians speak of the 'Rock Tepees ' of the 'Ancient Foreigners'.
1850's A. D
Local residents establish saw mills and dam up the flowage of Rock Lake and water levels rise and totally submerge structures.
1900
Two local residents, the Wilson brothers, spot mysterious structures underwater while duck hunting. Unusual clarity exists as it is late fall and rainfall was low for the year dropping water levels below normal. The two men advise the other residents of Lake Mills and dozens of people in boats converge on the lake to witness the underwater structure. Several boys dive a short distance and touch the pyramidal structure. It is described as a long tent shaped structure of undetermined height and approximately 100 feet long. A week later the water conditions change and the structures are lost to the murkiness and silt of the lake.
1900
-1930's
Various sightings of pyramid structures by local residents. Also, the first aerial sightings reported by civilian pilots. Local schoolteacher does first research and hires members of the university swim team to free dive on the structures. One of the Wilson brothers helps the group find the structure and several swimmers dive to it and confirm its existence. The teacher becomes a town celebrity.
1937
Famous Diver Max Nohl, the true inventor of the 'SCUBA' tests his equipment in Rock Lake. He comes upon a tall cone shaped pyramid in the south end of the lake. The structure made of small stones looked like an upside down ice cream cone that was definitely manmade according to Nohl. Nohl plans to come back to further explore the pyramid legends of Rock Lake. Nohl dies in car crash with wife years later before he could return.
1941-45
Army bomber pilots flying practice runs over Rock Lake from TRUAX field in Madison take pictures with through their bombsights of strange objects in the lake. Later searches for pictures from the Pentagon archives turns up empty handed.
1967
The town of Lake Mills forgets about its lost history in the Rock Lake until a Scuba Instructor from Illinois John Kennedy dives into Rock Lake and comes upon a man made structure near the end of his dive. Kennedy is low on air and makes quick measurements of the structure. It is about twenty foot in height with an unknown height still buried in the mud and has a length of approximately 100 feet. He surfaces and tries to have one of dive buddies take a compass reading. Subsequent dives fail to find the structure again. An article appears in a 1967 issue of "Skin Diver" magazine recounting the incident.
1987
Journalist and author, Frank Joseph comes upon an article in an old issue of " Skin Diver" magazine about pyramids in a Wisconsin lake while doing researching for his book on Atlantis. Being a diver he decides he must look into this story.
1989
Author Joseph starts diving with other team members and begins first modern electronic sonar sweeps of lake and finds several anomalies that could be manmade structures.
1991
The first pictures of manmade structures underwater are made by Joseph’s team. Conditions for photography are bad with only slight possibility for good visibility in early spring or late fall. Attempts to photograph pyramids fail due to water conditions caused by silt, algae and weather. Frank Joseph writes two books about Rock Lake, "THE LOST PYRAMIDS OF ROCK LAKE" & "ATLANTIS IN WISCONSIN".
1998
Archie Eschborn and Jack LeTourneau draw up new plans for a better-planned expedition in July of 1998, based on aerial photography from the year before. Their plan includes more equipment than was used before with electronics such as newer side scan sonar technology, DGPS (Differential Global Positioning Satellite), underwater I/R (Infrared) video photography cameras. The group acquires through personal funds a 28ft. research vessel and name it the - R.V. TYRANENA. The new group gathers experts who have previously done research on the Rock Lake and called themselves "ROCK LAKE RESEARCH SOCIETY". The group’s purpose will be to document and help preserve these archeological treasures that could rewrite North American history. The July Expedition is tremendously successful and RLRS documents it targets with sonar and video. The group studies its data and makes plans to publish a scientific report authored by Dr. James Scherz from the University of Wisconsin with the intent to present it to various state agencies to convince them to protect the ancient underwater structures in Rock Lake.
1999
Three separate expeditions were completed in 1999. The first in April was aborted after the 3rd day of bad weather. The next attempt in May was successful in reacquiring the sonar targets of the previous year indicating that the group was now able to locate same structures repeatedly via Global Positioning Satellites. The Chicago Tribune goes along for one day and does a feature story. Several dives were made to seek out new sites under the direction of Dr. James Scherz.
2000
Additional sonar side scan work was completed in May of 2000. The dive team will focus on finding the flat top pyramid in the south end of the lake. Several dives were made in the summer to confirm targets. Dr. Scherz completes the 1st part of his scientific report and is slated to complete the remainder of his report in the future after further research of a larger scope is completed. The Rock Lake Research Society will then present its findings to Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources.
2001
The Rock Lake Research Society does its most extensive aerial photography in the spring of 2001 at and around Rock Lake. Aerial photography captured many new features in the water and on land. Most notably, possible "Intaglios" between Rock Lake and Aztecan State Park. One major spring on the "East Wall Structure" that was first captured on Video and Sonar in 2000.
2002
RLRS team plans more sonar side scan work to recapture correct earlier DGPS (Differential GPS) readings that were faulty due to antenna/receiver equipment linkup problems on some targets. Additional underwater video work resumed with ROV & RLRS divers later in the year for a future Rock Lake Video Documentary.
April 2002
Rock Lake Research Society members Archie Eschborn and Jack LeTourneau surveyed Rock Lake via Helicopter and marked GPS positions with a spotter boat manned by Rock Lake Research Members. This was the Rock Lake Research Society's first coordinated air and water effort to mark sites seen in the clearer waters that occur in April after the ice melts. Some new sites in shallow water will be investigated to determine if sites are post Native American in origin or actually older.
October 2002
Research vessel RV Tyranena I is donated to charity group in favor of securing a smaller easier to handle research boat for future research.
April 2003
Rock Lake Research Society acquires a smaller research vessel RV Tyranena II and starts to outfit the boat for the 2004 research. The group plans to do more expeditions in spring and summer of 2004 with the new boat and equipment. The Book “The Dragon in the Lake “ documenting the 4 years of research at Rock Lake will be available in December of 2004 after many delays due to continued receipt of new data and new research information from other contributors .
2004
RV Tyranena II is outfitted in 2004 and makes only a one-day cruise to check out the boat. Some outboard motor problems and equipment reconfiguration changes sideline the boat for the year as more work is done. Archie Eschborn halts all further lake work so he can focus on completion of the Rock Lake book. The book is submitted to the publisher in October.
2005
The book "The Dragon in the Lake" becomes available to the public via the RLRS website and Amazon.com as well as can be ordered through larger retail book stores.
RLRS acquires its own side scan sonar from Humminbird Marine Electronics so that it can use the latest in technology without needing to utilize a "tow fish" to acquire sonar images. This sonar system will be used to compare sonar images and GPS data with the earlier data for accuracy.
Archie Eschborn plans for Book signings and Radio Interviews to be held in the second half of 2005. Copies of the book along with a letter will be sent to various state officials and agencies in an effort to mobilize the state to protect the underwater sites at Rock Lake. Additionally RLRS will work with local Lake Mills civic groups to create a "Grass Roots" effort for the protection of the " The Lost Pyramids of Rock Lake" and a protocol and permit for divers who want to dive in the lake.
The History Channel arrives at Rock Lake to work with the Rock Lake Research Society to shoot a segment for their new series "Digging for the Truth" for their 2006 season.2006
The History Channel Premier Episode "American Pyramids" of the Digging for The Truth airs January 30 on their hit series ³Digging for the Truth". The Rock Lake Research Society starts donations to various local groups based on proceeds from book "The Dragon in the Lake". The Author presented checks to the Friends of Aztalan and the Lake Mills/Aztalan Historical Society. Archie Eschborn plans on meeting with various civic groups to present his research and explain the need for this underwater site's protection.
2006 was in essence a short season for us but several valuable resources were tested and put in place. Rock Lake Research Society now has its own side scan sonar equipped research boat the Tyranena 2. We were able to test our GPS coordinates with one of our new members who has dove every aspect of this lake. We had the pleasure of working with this individual for a short time this summer to corroborate and verify each other's finds. This was done successfully with our new side scan sonar and WAAS GPS on two major sites .
Also in 2006, Rock Lake Research President Archie Eschborn, spoke to the Ancient Earthworks Society, The Lake Mills Historical Society and held 2 book signings in Lake Mills during the summer. A live interview of Archie Eschborn for Astraea Magazine is available on the Rock Lake Research Society Website.
It was decided that our documentary video would be put off for another year as we work jointly with our independent research member in using our mutual knowledge and resources to better document the bottom of the lake. Therefore, we don¹t anticipate a product till late 2007/08 for both the Rock Lake documentary and soundtrack. We believe this will provide for a product that can make a better case for the protection of this archeological site. New material is being compiled to further evidence the archeological remains at the bottom of the lake through the work of other research groups.
2007
Rock Lake Research Society plans on dives coordinated with various state archeological groups in the summer of 2007 and compiling more video footage for DVD Video.