Giant 7 to 8-Foot Skeletons Uncovered in Ecuador
Strikingly tall skeletons uncovered in the Ecuador and Peru Amazon region are undergoing examination in Germany, according to a research team headed by British anthropologist Russell Dement. Will these remains prove that a race of tall people existed hundreds of years ago deep in the Amazonian rainforest?
Since 2013, the team has reported finding half a dozen human skeletons dating to the early 1400s and the mid-1500s that measure between 7 and 8 feet (213 to 243 centimeters) in height.
Dement told Cuenca Highlife: “We are very early in our research and I am only able to provide a general overview of what we have found. I don’t want to make claims based on speculation since our work is ongoing. Because of the size of the skeletons, this has both anthropological and medical implications.”
In late 2013, Dement received word that a skeleton had been uncovered by a Shuar local, approximately 70 miles (112 kilometers) from Cuenca, in Loja Province, Ecuador. Dement traveled to the site and recovered the rib cage and skull of a female which had been exposed by flooding. The bones were thought to date to 600 years ago. The rest of the skeleton was located and, once assembled, reportedly measured 7 feet and 4 inches (223.5 centimeters) in height.
This prompted the formation of a research team including four researchers from Freie Universität in Germany, and the assistance of Shuar locals. Funding was provided by the university for excavation and investigation.
Recognizing it is a controversial area of research, Dement noted “Even though I had been working with Freie for many years, I was concerned that they might not give a grant for someone looking for giants. To outsiders, especially scientists, I understand this sounds a little hair-brained.
“Because of the sensational nature of this, we have to be extremely diligent in our research since it will be met with a great deal of skepticism,” he said.
Three complete skeletons and two partial skeletons had no disfiguration and they were relatively healthy.
Dement told Cuenca Highlife: “The skeletons show no signs of diseases such as the hormonal growth problems that are common in most cases of gigantism. In all the skeletons, the joints seemed healthy and lung cavity appeared large. One of the skeletons that we have dated was of a female who was about 60 when she died, much older than typical cases of gigantism.”
The burials were elaborate. Bodies were wrapped in leaves and buried in thick clay. This sealed the skeletons and protected against water intrusion, leaving the remains in fairly good condition.
Since the announcement of this discovery, several reports have vastly exaggerated the dimensions of the finds, with 7 feet reported as 7 meters (making them 23 feet tall). The bones have also been erroneously connected with hoax photos, as well as a reconstruction of an “Ecuador giant,” which was a fake skeleton for a now-closed theme park in Switzerland.
Dement had previously studied Amazonian indigenous communities for more than two decades and had heard the legends of “very tall, pale-skinned people who used to live nearby,” he said. Community elders described them to Dement as a race of large, peaceful Amazonians who were welcomed by the indigenous Shuar and Achuar people. However, the locals also believed these people belonged to the “spirit world” and were purely mythical. - Giant 7–8-Foot Skeletons Uncovered in Ecuador Sent for Scientific Testing
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'Troll Demon'
No date given – Florida
Travis from St. Louis Park, Minnesota called in to tell of an odd encounter he had when he was a boy.
“When I was younger... I saw some type of creature that I have no idea what it was. The only way I could describe it was kinda like, I would call it some kind of troll demon or something. It looked like one of those little troll dolls that they used to make years ago. I was preparing to go dinner or something and my parents had already walked out of the house into the garage. I went back to my room for something and when I turned around it was standing in the doorway smiling. I'd say it was about 5 feet tall, not terribly tall but not necessarily short either. It just kinda sat there smiling at me for a few seconds. It had, its kinda like its lips were covering up its teeth. It wasn't like it was showing me its teeth or something, really. But, it just kinda grinned and it had these big round eyes that just kinda stared at me for a minute. It was one of those things where I looked away for a second and when I looked back it was gone. I had no idea what to do at the time. For some reason, I never told my parents. I just figured no one would believe me. I was old enough to know that if you cried wolf like that no body believes you. I was really scared though at the time and nothing ever really happened again but just for that split second it really was very scary. It kind of had like fluttering nostrils a little bit. Not necessarily reptilian. It kinda had like the little flesh color of the little troll dolls, kinda tannish but still kinda skin color.”
Source: Darkness Radio - July 27, 2015
Transcribed by Jamie Brian
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Coffee Lowers Death Risk
Researchers have revealed that the consumption of coffee is linked to a reduced risk of premature death.
For those who ingest multiple cups on a daily basis there's good news - a new study has shown that moderate amounts of coffee can have a beneficial effect on your brain and liver as well as offering a reduction in the risk of developing several types of cancer.
"Bioactive compounds in coffee reduce insulin resistance and systematic inflammation," said doctoral student Ming Ding. "That could explain some of our findings. However, more studies are needed to investigate the biological mechanisms producing these effects."
The findings were based on an analysis of data from 200,000 health professionals who filled in questionnaires about their food and coffee intake every four years for three decades.
The results suggested that those who drank up to 3 cups a day had a 9% reduction in their risk of premature death while those who drank between 3 and 5 cups has a 15% lower risk.
Drinking too much coffee however - more than 5 cups a day - resulted in an increased risk.
"The coffee bean itself is loaded with many different nutrients and phytochemicals," said Dr. Walter Willett. "And my guess is that they're working together to have some of these benefits."
"We [see] similar benefits from caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. That's important, because it suggests that caffeine is not responsible for [the benefit]."
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'Ghost' drives students out of private girls' school
Two boarders at the troubled Turakina Maori Girls' College have left the school saying they have been threatened by a resident ghost.
Parents of the girls are angry that the Rangitikei school - which faces closure by Education Minister Hekia Parata - has accused them of exaggerating or fabricating the ghost story.
The ghost, or kehua, is said to take the shape of a man in a black cape and hat and has been seen in the boarders' hostel.
Kamaka Manuel, who is the head of the Maori department at Cullinane College in Whanganui, said he picked up his year 11 daughter from the hostel late at night last week and she would not return until the family was assured it was a safe environment.
"The site needs to be blessed and it also needs consistent follow-up to ensure the girls are kept spiritually safe."
Sightings of ghosts at the hostel date back at least 20 years. Former student Kelly Sliepen, 38, said she and her friends once saw a cup move across a table by itself and smash on the floor. After that incident a minister blessed the building, but later she saw an apparition on the stairs.
"I literally saw this lady walking down the stairs, a white ghost, I remember it clearly. I wasn't scared, it was more like, what the f...?"
But the male ghost is said to be threatening and violent and one of the girls who left the school last week claimed she woke up with a fat lip.
Manuel said he was concerned by the way Turakina had handled the incident.
"We feel they are genuine and the girls are not exaggerating. We are disappointed that's the view of [the school]."
He said his family were strong followers of the Ratana Church and after he picked up his daughter she was taken to the church temple to be prayed over.
"I think it would be a frightening experience for anybody. It was enough to scare her and put the chills down her spine."
Manuel said the kehua had caused girls in the hostel to wake up frightened and hyperventilating. Some had reported feeling heavy pressure applied on them and hearing the spirit speak. "He's spoken about wanting to get them."
He realised some people would find the claims ridiculous, but he was firm in his beliefs.
"I believe that Satan, kehua, omens are about and attack vulnerable people, usually young people. As a parent you support your children. I believe my daughter is not making anything up. I strongly believe she's been through an experience."
He said his daughter and her friends should be concentrating on NCEA exams. "This is an added burden."
He wanted the school to create an "open forum" for families to voice their concerns.
Another parent, Manawai Martin, said the school was "in denial" about the kehua. When some of the girls called their parents two years ago to report seeing the spirit, the school confiscated their cellphones as punishment, she said.
Parents are upset that the Reverend Wayne Te Kaawa, moderator of the Presbyterian Church and chair of Turakina's board of proprietors, has suggested that any kehua were created by the girls themselves.
Te Kaawa went to the school on Friday to discuss the kehua with staff, students and parents.
He said the school land was purchased in 1927 and was blessed by Presbyterian and Ratana ministers. "All said there were no kehua on the site. There was no pa site there, there were no burial grounds."
In recent years ministers had blessed the hostel.
"We don't do exorcisms because there are no bad spirits there as far as we are concerned. We have blessings, we bless the whenua, we bless the buildings and even the girls themselves."
None of the ministers who had visited the site had reported the presence of kehua, he said.
"Where it's coming from, we don't know. One of our ministers said a rumour was started a few years ago by one of the girls that there was a ghost there. It could be that sort of thing happening again."
But Te Kaawa said he was concerned about reports of a girl being assaulted.
"We're talking physical now, not the spiritual realm."
Turakina's roll has fallen from 152 in 2003 to about 54 this year and it's trust board is in serious financial difficulty. Submissions over its future closed on Friday.
Asked about the kehua, Parata said: "Students' cultural values are important. How schools acknowledge them is a matter for schools and parents." - 'Ghost' drives students out of private girls' school
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