Buzz
Tales of giants are deeply embedded in myths and folklore across the world. Nearly every culture and community has stories of enormous beings who once walked the Earth. Over the past two centuries, especially since the early 1900s, numerous claims of giant skeletal remains or fossilized footprints have surfaced, hinting that these legends might hold some truth. These accounts often come with a sense of mystery, suggesting that such discoveries were suppressed or dismissed.
Could these all be elaborate deceptions, or is there a kernel of truth to these tales? Below are 10 alleged findings related to giants.
10. Giant Bones Unearthed at Lake Delavan, Wisconsin, 1912
As reported in The New York Times on May 4, 1912, 18 massive skeletons were discovered at Lake Delavan in Wisconsin, buried in charcoal and baked clay. The Phillips brothers made this find while digging into a burial mound. These remains were believed to belong to an unidentified group of people who once inhabited the region.
Despite their human-like appearance, these beings exhibited distinct differences beyond their enormous size. The bone above the eye socket sloped directly backward, and the nose was positioned higher than the cheekbones rather than aligning with them. The jawbones were notably described as 'bearing a slight resemblance to the head of the monkey!'
These giants were not the only ones discovered in Wisconsin. In 1891, The New York Times reported that scientists from the Smithsonian Institute had uncovered giant remains while exploring burial mounds in the ancient city of Aztalan near Madison, Wisconsin. Six years later, in 1897, the Times published another article detailing the discovery of a 2.7-meter (9 ft) skeleton in nearby Maple Creek.
Although all reports indicated that the findings would undergo further study and analysis, no published reports or definitive conclusions about them seem to exist.
9. The Giants of Death Valley, 1947
In 1931, F. Bruce Russell, a former physician from Cincinnati, revealed that he had uncovered a network of tunnels and caves beneath California’s Death Valley in the Mojave Desert. Alongside his colleague Daniel S. Bovee, the duo conducted extensive explorations of these caves. Russell later recounted to Howard E. Hill that they had discovered multiple human skeletons, each measuring approximately 2.7 meters (9 ft) in height.
Hill shared this story during a meeting of the Los Angeles Transportation Club, and the discovery was reported in The San Diego Union on August 4, 1947. The skeletal remains were reportedly mummified, with Bovee estimating their age to be around 80,000 years old.
Inside the labyrinth of tunnels and caverns, the pair also claimed to have uncovered what they believed to be an ancient “ritual hall.” Here, they found markings strikingly similar to those used in masonic societies. Additionally, hieroglyphics were discovered that bore a strong resemblance to symbols associated with the lost civilization of Atlantis.
8. Giant Remains Unearthed in Varna, Bulgaria, 2015
Varna, located in modern-day Bulgaria, was once the ancient Greek city of Odessos, a significant trading hub dating back approximately 7,000 years. Odessos’s mythology was rich with tales of giants, so when a seemingly giant human skeleton was found there in January 2015, it sparked considerable interest among enthusiasts of such phenomena.
The discovery happened entirely by chance. Workers excavating the area stumbled upon a jar believed to date back to the fifth century. As they dug further to uncover the foundations of an ancient fortress wall, they made an astonishing find.
The skeleton was positioned with its hands resting on its waist and its head oriented toward the east. Researchers and excavators concluded that this deliberate placement suggested the individual held significant importance during their lifetime. While no specific height was disclosed to the media, one of the excavators described the skeleton as 'very tall' and 'remarkable.'
7. Massive Remains Discovered in Ecuador, 1964
In 1964, Father Carlos Vaca, a priest with a background in hospital work, was summoned by locals in Ecuador to examine some unusually large bones. The extraordinary size of the bones made them particularly intriguing. Father Vaca collected some of these remains from the mountain where they were found and kept them in his home until his passing.
Austrian artifact researcher Klaus Dona was granted permission to transport the bones to Austria for examination and inclusion in an exhibition titled “Unsolved Mysteries.” Klaus stated that multiple experts had analyzed the bones and confirmed their human origin. Based on the size of the bones, including a complete shin bone, Klaus estimated that the individual they belonged to would have stood an astonishing 7.6 meters (25 ft) tall!
In an interview with Project Camelot, Dona revealed that the bones underwent DNA testing by an Austrian archaeological DNA specialist, but no DNA strands could be extracted. This led Dona to believe the bones were at least 10,000 years old. He also mentioned that the location where the bones were found translates to “cemetery of the giants” in the local Ayamara language.
6. Giant Mummies Discovered in Tunnels Near the Colorado River, 1909
According to an April 1909 report in The Arizona Gazette, explorer G.E. Kinkaid made several extraordinary discoveries while rafting on the Colorado River. He claimed to have found a tunnel that extended nearly 1.6 kilometers (1 mi) underground.
At the end of the tunnel, Kinkaid discovered a fortified area containing copper weapons and tools, a large statue resembling Buddha, ancient tablets inscribed with unusual hieroglyphics, and, most intriguingly, several mummies measuring 2.7 meters (9 ft) tall, all wrapped in dark shrouds.
If Kinkaid’s claims weren’t already contentious, he further fueled speculation by asserting that the government had deliberately sealed off the area to keep its existence hidden from the public. The Arizona Gazette headline also suggested that the discoveries pointed to ancient, tall individuals migrating to the United States from Asia thousands of years ago.
5. The Enigma of Lovelock Cave, 1911–1929
Located approximately 32 kilometers (20 mi) south of Lovelock, Nevada, Lovelock Cave—also known as Sunset Guano Cave, Horseshoe Cave, or Indian Cave—is believed to predate known human settlements on the continent, dating back to ancient times.
In 1911, two miners, David Hart and James Pugh, became interested in the guano deposits within the cave due to its value as a crucial component for gunpowder production. They established a company, obtained permission, and began excavation. While their primary goal was guano extraction, they soon believed they had uncovered ancient artifacts and contacted Alfred Kroeber, founder of the University of California’s Anthropology Department.
The first archaeological excavation took place the following year, with additional digs in 1924 and 1929. These efforts unearthed thousands of artifacts, including around 60 human mummies of average height, numerous bones, and weapons. Among the discoveries were sandals measuring approximately 38 centimeters (15 in) long, a giant-sized handprint embedded in the cave wall, and more mummies—this time, reportedly between 2.5 to 3 meters (8–10 ft) tall.
If these findings are accurate, they align with the legends of the Paiutes, a Native American tribe that lived in the area for millennia. The Paiutes spoke of a race of red-haired, white-skinned giants called “Si-Te-Cha,” who were said to inhabit the very cave that was excavated.
4. Giant Human Finger Discovered in Egypt, 2012
In March 2012, images of what appeared to be a mummified giant finger, allegedly found in Egypt, circulated across various websites and online media. The finger measured 38 centimeters (15 in) in length, suggesting that if genuine, the individual it belonged to would have been of colossal size.
Despite the existence of alleged photographic evidence, the authenticity of the finger remains unverified, as the photographer no longer possesses it. According to the original story published on the website of Bild (a German tabloid), the photos were taken in 1988 by Gregor Sporri. He paid $300 to an unidentified man who claimed to be part of a “grave robber dynasty” for the opportunity to photograph the finger. The man also provided Sporri with an X-ray and a certificate from the 1960s, supposedly confirming the finger’s human origin.
Sporri returned to Egypt in 2009 in an attempt to locate the man he had met, but his efforts were unsuccessful. As of now, the giant finger’s location remains a mystery.
Interestingly, the Roman scholar Flavius Josephus appeared to support the idea of giants in ancient Egypt. In AD 79, he wrote in The History of the Jewish War that, “There were giants. Much larger and differently shaped than ordinary people. Horrifying to look at!”
3. Giant ‘Footprints’ Discovered Worldwide
Numerous alleged fossilized giant footprints have been found across the globe. One of the most famous is “Goliath’s Footprint” in Mpaluzi, South Africa, near the Swaziland border. The impression measures 1.2 meters (4 ft) long and strikingly resembles a human foot. While its exact age is debated, estimates range from 200 million to three billion years old.
Other fossilized footprints of comparable size have also been documented. In 1926, The Oakland Tribune published a story about 1.5-meter (5 ft) footprints found atop a cliff in San Jose, California. The previous year, in 1925, a purported 2.5-meter (8 ft) footprint was discovered near San Jose on the John Bunting ranch.
Interestingly, a set of standard-sized footprints may be even more intriguing in comparison to the larger ones. In 1976, anthropologist Mary Leakey reported finding normal-sized fossilized footprints in Tanzania. These prints appeared entirely human but were estimated to be around 3.6 million years old, predating the accepted timeline for modern humans by millions of years.
If these footprints are authentic, they would challenge our current understanding of human history, requiring a complete reevaluation. They would also raise the possibility that the alleged giant footprints are genuine, suggesting that humans may have once coexisted with giants, as many myths and legends claim.
2. The Giants of the Caucasus Mountains, Georgia, 2014
In 2014, the TV series The Unexplained Files featured an episode exploring potential ancient giant civilizations. The episode focused on the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia as a key location of interest.
In 2008, a local herdsman reportedly stumbled upon what he believed to be a giant’s grave. Georgian researchers investigated the claim, interviewing the man who made the discovery. He recounted finding a stone crypt and, upon entering, discovered two massive skeletons seated at a large table.
The researchers traveled to the remote, mountainous, and heavily forested area to verify the claim. They located the crypt the man had described, but it had collapsed. Beneath the debris, they uncovered a pile of bones that appeared human, except for their unusually large size.
Professor Vekua, a highly respected scientist, examined samples of the bones. He stated that if they were confirmed to be human, the individual would have stood between 2.5 and 3 meters (8–10 ft) tall. However, before a final conclusion could be reached, Vekua passed away, and the bones were subsequently “lost” in the museum where they were stored.
The crew of The Unexplained Files did not recover additional bones, as the crypt had completely collapsed. However, they emphasized the need for a full excavation of the site, which could potentially reveal more skeletal remains like those found by the original Georgian researchers.
1. Aleutian Island Discovery, 1940
Ivan T. Sanderson, a well-known and respected zoologist who frequently appeared on television, once shared a peculiar story about a letter he received. The letter came from an engineer stationed on Shemya in the Aleutian Islands during World War II in 1940.
The Aleutian Islands, located between Alaska and Russia’s easternmost region, separate the North Pacific from the Bering Sea. During World War II, the US used the islands as a strategic base for potential conflict with Japan. While constructing airstrips, workers made an astonishing discovery: a burial site containing human skulls and leg bones that were nearly three times the size of an average adult. The skulls measured between 56 to 61 centimeters (22–24 in) from top to bottom, compared to the typical 20 centimeters (8 in).
Sanderson mentioned receiving a second letter from another member of the unit, which confirmed the discovery and supported the details of the first letter. Both correspondents noted that the Smithsonian Institution had taken possession of the remains. However, Sanderson claimed that the Smithsonian not only failed to release any information about the find but also denied ever having such artifacts in their collection.
Sanderson maintained that he found the engineers’ accounts credible. He theorized that the decision to conceal the discovery might have been driven by the reluctance to “[rewrite all the textbooks.”
