Footprints in Stone- Part 1
It is generally recognized that the rocks have left us a record of human activity in the past. But in 1976, the finding of the Laetoli footprints in Africa literally put evolution back on the map. Mary Leaky discovered 70 human footprints in stone in Tanzania known as the Laetoli tracks. The Laetoli prints, dated to 3.5–3.7 million years ago, also challenge evolutionary timelines, as they appear fully modern despite their supposed age. But archaeologists have interpreted them the age to fit the social paradigm of human evolution.
Laetoli prints, Africa
They looked like they were made by modern human beings, but that created a problem. The depressions left by our ancestors were in a stratum dated at 3.7 million years. No modern human could have laid down that track since we were not around yet according to evolution. Did humans evolve over millions of years through evolutionary change? Was life seeded from outer space by alien-like creatures with advanced technology? Or are we the product of special creation as outlined in Genesis?
Could these footprints in stone simply be as they appear – from a modern human? To the scientific community it’s unthinkable and unacceptable. Why? Because they would have to conclude that either modern man is much older than we have thought or that our dating techniques are faulty. Either way, there is a big problem for scientists. So, “interpretation” of evidence is an important tool that often comes to their rescue.
But this is not the last time that human fossil footprints have been found in ancient rock strata. Many track sites around the world point to a global phenomenon and continue to pose life’s four great questions (Who am I? Where did I come from? What is my purpose here? Where am I going)? Evolution embodies the frustrations of questionable identity, uncertain past, meaningless present, and a hopeless future.
It is apparent that as more discoveries are made, they will continue to contradict the accepted evolutionary model. In fact, more recent conclusions by scientists show that the fossil evidence is devastating to the evolutionary model and negates the entire concept of uniformity and the evolution of man.
I have spent nearly 30 years excavating and researching this phenomenon which began on the Paluxy River near Glen Rose, Texas. I have interviewed over the years the old-timers such as the late Emmitt McFall, who was born and raised in Glen Rose. He showed me personally where these giant human fossil footprints have been discovered and where others had been cut out in the 1930’s by the early researchers. I also interviewed, the late Grover Gibbs who has co-authored the book, “Valley of the Giants”. He has also explored the region of the Paluxy River ever since he was a kid. Growing up he worked at the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Glen Rose. Occasionally, the young Grover gave tours to people who wanted to see the dinosaur tracks and human tracks.
In the late 60’s C.N. Doughtery (author of Valley of the Giants) moved to the Glen Rose area and began to research the tracks. In their book he explains that when asking the locals how big the human tracks were they would slowly spread their hands apart till about the 18-24 inch mark.
Doughtery walked the river month after month waiting for the right conditions to spot these alleged Goliath-sized impressions. Two years later his efforts paid off and spotted not one but two giant men tracks. The prints measured 21 and one half inches long and 8 inches across the toes with a seven foot stride from heal to heal. A man with 22 inch feet and a 7-foot step would be approximately 12 foot tall! Could man have once have been 12-18 feet tall?
The Max Track- Author with cast of 22” fossil footprint on the Paluxy River
But were these human tracks? Both Gibbs and Doughtery were convinced till their deaths. If a footprint in stone does not appear to be made by a modern type human then it is not a problem for evolution. A footprint from an apelike creature in stone poses no problem. If the footprints around the world seem modern then they support Genesis. Were these footprints in ash and stone caught as the world heaved during the Flood? Is the fact that they are next to dinosaurs indicate we lived at the same time as the giant plants, insects and animals of the ancient world? The first several chapters of Genesis talk of man being giants. Goliath and the King of Bashan give us glimpses of these giants by placing them at approximately10-12 feet tall.
Fossilized Human Tracks: Evidence of Coexistence with Dinosaurs?
Over the years, numerous fossilized human tracks have been reported at various locations around the world. Some of these tracks have been suggested as evidence of the coexistence of humans and dinosaurs. One of the most notable locations is the Paluxy River basin in Glen Rose, Texas, which is home to Dinosaur Valley State Park. Many dinosaur tracks have been discovered along the river, with several excavated for preservation against erosion. However, human-like tracks have also been reportedly found in the same rock layers.
Other prints from the Paluxy River area are:
The Willet Print, excavated from a limestone ledge near Dinosaur Valley State Park in the 1950’s.
The Beverly Track, described as a "human track inside a dinosaur track," found in the Paluxy River July 3, 1997.
The Delk Print, which depicts a human footprint overlapped by a tridactyl dinosaur track. A spiral CT scan analysis has been used to authenticate the Delk Print, verifying that there is greater compression density beneath the tracks compared to other areas of the rock.
Sign shown at Dinosaur Valley State Park (the sign is no longer posted)
Fossil Human Footprints- The Istanbul Archaeology Museum, Turkey
Fossil Footprints around the world:
Hawaii, South Africa, Egypt, White Sands New Mexico, Great Britain, Asia, Australia, Italy, Nicaragua, & Mexico.
Order the PDF book: Evolution and Human Fossil Footprints here
As a token of our appreciation, we're offering you a limited-time offer of 20% off a paid subscription for your first year.
PS. If you loved this article, be sure to head over to our Ancient Pathways Patreon site. This is only a brief introduction to this intriguing subject of human footprints in stone. See the original 16mm film, “Footprints in Stone”, the new “Footprints in Stone: Forbidden History” and our “Out of Place Fossils Digital Library!
