The Acambaro Figurines

CLAIM: The Acambaro Figurines, a collection of around 33,000 ceramic pieces uncovered in Acambaro, Mexico that date from around 2500 BCE, depict a number of animals, including dinosaurs. (Hovind, 2003, 41:03)

RESPONSE: In July 1944, Waldemar Julsrud, a German merchant living in Acambaro, Guanajuato, Mexico, claimed to have stumbled upon clay figurines buried near El Toro Mountain. Hiring local farmers to excavate additional artifacts, he amassed a collection of nearly 33,000 pieces, and paid the farmers for each figurine they brought him. These figurines depicted animals, humans, mythological creatures, and, most controversially, what appeared to be dinosaurs. (Pezzati, 2005) The figurines ranged in size from a few inches to nearly six feet, and their alleged antiquity sparked interest and controversy after capturing the attention of young-Earth creationists such as Don Patton, Kent Hovind, and Dennis Swift. They argued that the artifacts supported the idea of a human-dinosaur coexistence, and were likely carved by individuals who had witnessed such creatures in life. (Isaak, 2004) If authentic, they argued, the figurines would challenge the scientific consensus that dinosaurs became extinct 66 million years ago. As such the figurines were heralded as evidence undermining evolutionary timelines and the broader framework of mainstream archeology. (Reed, 2018)

Almost immediately, skepticism emerged due to the figurines' pristine condition and the circumstances of their discovery. The figurines lacked signs of age, such as patina (evidence of oxidation), sediment, or wear, which are typical of genuine archaeological finds. (Blanton, 1999) Archaeologist Charles C. Di Peso, representing the Amerind Foundation, observed the excavation process firsthand. He noted that the methods employed by local farmers were unsystematic and destructive, often damaging authentic artifacts found in the same area. Moreover, he pointed out that the figurines could easily have been planted among genuine items to give the illusion of an ancient origin. (Peso, 1953) Fresh manure and footprints were found on some of the artifacts, suggesting recent handling. The figurines were mostly discovered in shallow soil, which is inconsistent with items purportedly buried for millennia. (Fitzpatrick-Matthews, 2007)

Debate regarding when the figurines were created continued until 1976 when researchers G. W. Carriveau and M. C. Han used thermoluminescence dating to test the figurines. This method determines the last time ceramic materials were heated and showed that the figurines had been fired sometime between 1939 and 1944, aligning precisely with the timeline of Julsrud's original discovery and proving conclusively that the figurines were a modern hoax. (Carriveau & Han, 1976) Many experts believe that the figurines were produced to exploit Julsrud's willingness to pay for artifacts, with local farmers manufacturing or staging the items to maximize profit due to the figurines' stylistic elements closely resembling local folk art traditions in Acambaro - some of which had been sold to Julsrud before the dinosaur figurines came to light. (Blanton, 1999; Heiser, 2010) The pristine condition of most figurines, combined with the lack of corroborating evidence for their authenticity, further supports this conclusion. (Pezzati, 2005)

Today, the Acambaro Figurines are now regarded as a hoax, dismissed by mainstream researchers, and were not produced by humans who had contact with dinosaurs. (Kuban, 2013) It's worth noting that the young-Earth creationist group New Creation counts ancient artwork supposedly depicting dinosaurs among their arguments that creationists should not use, and Creation Ministries International includes the Acambaro Figurines among young-Earth arguments that are not convincing. (Doyle, 2016; New Creation Staff, 2024)

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING

Blanton, J. (1999) The Acambaro dinosaurs. The Newsletter of the North Texas Skeptics, 13(10).

Carriveau, G. W. & Han, M. C. (1976) Thermoluminescent Dating and the Monsters of Acambaro. American Antiquity, 41(4), 497-500. LINK.

Doyle, S. (2016, October 1) Ica stones, Acambaro figurines, and good arguments. Creation Ministries International.

Fitzpatrick-Matthews, K. (2007, May 7) The Acambaro figurines. Bad Archaeology [Archive, The Wayback Machine].

Heiser, M. (2010, July 11) Clay Figurines of Real Dinosaurs with Humans? Dr. Michael S. Heiser.

Isaak, M. (2004) CH710.2: Acambaro dinosaur figurines. Index to Creationist Claims.

Kuban, G. J. (2013, December) Alleged Dinosaurs in Ancient Art. paleo.cc.

New Creation Staff (2024, June 26) Arguments Creationists Should NOT Use. New Creation.

Peso, C. C. (1953) The Clay Figurines of Acambaro, Guanajuato, Mexico. American Antiquity, 18(4), 388-389.


Reed, T. [Tony Reed]. (2018, February 2) How Creationism Taught Me Real Science 75 Acambaro figurines [Video]. YouTube.

White, A. (n.d.) The Acambaro Figurines. The Argumentative Archaeologist.

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