Michigan Relics

The Michigan Relics (also known as the Soper Frauds) are a large grouping of pseudoarchaeological prehistoric artifacts "discovered" throughout the state of Michigan in the late nineteenth century. Many of the relics were inscribed with hieroglyphs and cuneiform and were originally believed to be proof of pre-Columbian contact with the Americas.

"Discovery"

The first discovery of the relics in Michigan occurred in October 1890 when a man in Wyman, Montcalm County, Michigan found a small clay cup while digging post holes in a field. Shortly after that initial discover in Wyman, many other more elaborate discoveries were made in a three or four mile diameter around Wyman. Most of the artifacts were authenticated by those who witnessed their discovery. The people of Montcalm County were digging anywhere from one to four feet into the surface undulations and mounds, and scores of "remarkable objects" were unearthed.