Pure Minnesota copper shipped across Atlantic by Bronze Age Mediterraneans

 

 

Following on from the bombshell research of Gavin Menzies (2011), the highly entertaining and interesting Nick Spanos has written (2o24):

Minoans in Michigan and the Case of the Missing Copper | by Nick Spanos | Medium

 

Minoans in Michigan and the Case of the Missing Copper

 

During the Bronze Age, from roughly 3500 [sic] to 1000 BC, civilizations across Europe and Asia experienced an era marked by remarkable advancements in metallurgy and global trade networks. At the center of this transformative period was bronze, an alloy made from copper and tin, which fueled the rise of powerful empires and enabled significant technological and cultural progress. However, a compelling mystery endures: What happened to the millions of pounds of copper extracted from the shores of Lake Superior in North America? Where did it all go?

 

The Mystery of the Missing Copper

 

Extensive archaeological records confirm that over five thousand copper mines were operational along the southern shores of Lake Superior during the Bronze Age. It is estimated that these mines yielded millions of pounds of high-purity copper. Yet, only a tiny fraction of this copper appears in the archaeological artifacts left behind by the indigenous peoples of North America. The burning question remains: If Native Americans used only a small portion of this copper, what became of the rest?

 

One intriguing theory has gained traction among historians and archaeologists: The missing copper was transported across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe, feeding the growing demand for bronze. At first, this idea seems improbable, but an increasing body of evidence suggests that the Minoans — an advanced and seafaring Bronze Age civilization from the Mediterranean — may have been responsible for this transatlantic trade.

 

Damien Mackey’s comment: I would probably identify these people as Cretans (Philistines) and Levantines, as I do not accept that there were such peoples as Minoans, or Phoenicians:

 

Of Cretans and Phoenicians

 

(10) Of Cretans and Phoenicians

 

Nick Spanos continues:

 

Revisiting the Minoan Civilization

 

The Minoans, who thrived from around 2700 to 1100 BC on the islands of Crete and Santorini, are often celebrated for their sophisticated society, impressive art, and maritime prowess. They developed extensive trade networks that spanned from the Indian Ocean to the Orkney Islands north of Scotland. But could their influence have reached even farther, across the Atlantic Ocean to North America?

 

Surprisingly, the Minoans possessed the technological means to make such a journey. Archaeological evidence shows that Minoan ships were robust and well-designed for long voyages. These vessels were more seaworthy than the ships later used by the Vikings, who successfully crossed the Atlantic to reach North America in 1000 AD. Additionally, the Minoans had access to advanced navigational tools, including star charts inherited from their close interactions with the Babylonian Empire. In fact, their knowledge of celestial navigation surpassed anything the Vikings had, making transatlantic travel by the Minoans a plausible proposition.

 

Evidence Supporting Transatlantic Trade

 

In his groundbreaking book The Lost Empire of Atlantis, historian Gavin Menzies presents a compelling case that the Minoans played a key role in extracting and exporting the Lake Superior copper to Europe. The evidence he compiles offers a fascinating and provocative perspective:

 

1.       Identical Mining Tools: The mining tools found in Lake Superior closely resemble those discovered in European mines known to be operated by the Minoans. The similarity in tool design implies a shared or transferred knowledge of mining techniques.

 

2.      Matching Pottery and Utensils: Pottery shards and everyday utensils unearthed at the Lake Superior mining sites are nearly identical to those used in Minoan settlements on Crete. This suggests that Minoan traders or laborers may have lived among or worked with the local Native American populations.

 

3.      High-Purity Copper: The copper extracted from the Lake Superior mines stands out for its extraordinary purity, exceeding 99%. Notably, many Bronze Age artifacts from Europe also contain copper of similar purity levels, hinting at a shared source.

 

4.      Abrupt End of Mining Operations: The copper mining activity at Lake Superior ended suddenly, coinciding with the decline of the Minoan civilization. This timeline aligns with the eruption of the Thera volcano around 1600 BC and the subsequent disruptions that devastated the Minoan world.

 

Genetic Evidence: The Haplogroup X Connection

 

One of the most compelling pieces of evidence linking the Minoans to North America comes from genetic studies. Researchers have identified a rare mitochondrial DNA marker known as haplogroup X, which is present in the modern descendants of the Minoans on Crete and in various regions across Europe and the Middle East where the Minoans had significant influence.

 

Intriguingly, haplogroup X also appears among the Ojibwa and Chippewa tribes near Lake Superior.

 

The distribution of this genetic marker points to an ancient link between the Minoans and the indigenous peoples of North America. Genetic analysis further suggests that haplogroup X was introduced to these Native American populations around the same time as the peak of copper mining activity, indicating a period of interaction and possibly intermarriage between Minoan traders and Native American communities.

 

Given the enormous effort required to extract millions of pounds of copper, cooperation with local populations would have been essential. The genetic evidence supports the idea that Minoan traders worked alongside Native American miners, forming alliances that facilitated cultural and genetic exchanges. The implications of these interactions remain a topic of ongoing research, but they offer a tantalizing glimpse into a more interconnected ancient world.

 

Plato’s Knowledge of the Atlantic and the Minoans

 

The ancient Greek philosopher Plato, writing around 400 BC, provides a curious historical footnote that may support the Minoan transatlantic theory. In his works, Plato described a vast ocean beyond the “Pillars of Heracles” (modern-day Strait of Gibraltar) and a landmass on the other side, which he referred to as Atlantis. While scholars have long debated the existence and location of Atlantis, Plato’s references to a navigable ocean and advanced seafaring civilizations align with what we know about Minoan maritime capabilities.

 

Damien Mackey’s comment: ‘Plato’ I would consider to be a fictitious composite, based on biblical characters, e.g. Baruch, and, in the case of some of his presumed writings, the prophet Daniel:

 

‘Plato’ much indebted to Jewish prophet Daniel

 

(10) ‘Plato’ much indebted to Jewish prophet Daniel

 

Nick Spanos continues:

 

It is plausible that the Greeks, who had inherited knowledge from earlier Mediterranean civilizations, were aware of the Minoans’ potential voyages across the Atlantic.

 

Over time, however, such knowledge may have been lost or distorted as the world entered periods of cultural decline and dark ages.

 

Damien Mackey’s comment: On “Dark Ages”, see e.g. my article:

 

How to obscure history? Just add “Dark Age”

 

(11) How to obscure history? Just add "Dark Age"

 

Nick Spanos continues:

 

Rethinking Our Historical Narrative

 

If the theory of Bronze Age transatlantic trade is true, it challenges many of our assumptions about the development of human civilization. History has often been presented as a linear story of continuous progress. Yet, the case of the missing copper suggests that history might be more cyclical, characterized by waves of cultural flourishing followed by periods of decline and forgotten knowledge.

 

The idea that a sophisticated trading network connected the Old and New Worlds thousands of years ago forces us to reconsider the capabilities of ancient societies. The Minoans, with their advanced navigation skills and global trade networks, may have been far more interconnected than previously thought. The potential for such transoceanic interactions expands our understanding of the Bronze Age and invites further investigation into the lost knowledge and achievements of our ancestors.

 

This cyclical view of history, with its booms and busts, also holds a mirror to our own time. Our current era of technological advancement and cultural prosperity has persisted largely uninterrupted since the 1200s. Could we be approaching another downturn, or have we finally broken free of history’s repeating patterns?

 

Conclusion

 

The mystery of the missing copper from Lake Superior continues to intrigue historians, archaeologists, and curious minds worldwide. While some say conclusive proof of Minoan transatlantic trade has yet to be found, the evidence — ranging from identical tools and pottery to genetic markers and advanced seafaring technology — paints a compelling picture of a deeply interconnected ancient world.

 

As new discoveries emerge and our understanding of the Bronze Age evolves, we may uncover even more secrets that challenge our views of history. The story of the Minoans and their possible voyages across the Atlantic is a testament to human ingenuity and the spirit of exploration — a legacy that continues to inspire and captivate us today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trump a new Nebuchednezzar

 

 

 

‘Wherever the sons of men or beasts of the field or birds of the air dwell,

He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all.

You are that head of gold’.

 Daniel 2:38

 

Trump vs Nebuchadnezzar

 

Trump vs Nebuchadnezzar – The Bible Study (2026)

 

Donald Trump’s second term has been marked by a flurry of vindictive and destabilizing actions, raising alarms both within and beyond U.S. borders. By threatening the rule of law, undermining democratic institutions, and alienating allies worldwide, Trump appears intent on bending every institution to his will. In looking for historical or scriptural parallels, many observers have pointed to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon—another towering figure whose hubris and might led him down a path of self-exaltation and harsh rule before his pride met its downfall.

 

Nebuchadnezzar the Conqueror

 

Nebuchadnezzar … the historical king of Babylon (circa 605–562 BCE), was renowned for his conquests, monumental building projects, and wealth. Yet the Bible depicts him as the epitome of arrogance. In the Book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar was warned about his overweening pride, his disdain for human dignity, and his failure to acknowledge any higher authority than himself. He destroyed Jerusalem, exiled its inhabitants, and forcibly remade society according to his own desires. When he surveyed the magnificence of Babylon, he boasted, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30). That kind of self-glorification, the Scriptures say, led to his dramatic fall and a humbling period in which his power was stripped away.

 

Trump’s Parallel Arrogance

 

It’s hard to miss parallels between Nebuchadnezzar’s self-aggrandizement and Trump’s daily outpourings. Since retaking the White House, Trump’s rhetoric and executive orders have signaled that he deems himself above conventional checks and balances. He has weaponized the Department of Justice, pardoned convicted Capitol Hill rioters, and continues to threaten  political opponents with legal reprisal. Such actions reflect a leader who sees the machinery of government primarily as an extension of his personal will, mirroring Nebuchadnezzar’s ancient drive to remake everything in Babylon according to his own image and interests.

 

In biblical terms, Nebuchadnezzar eventually discovered that no ruler stands invincible before moral order. Trump, with his relentless focus on personal revenge, seems similarly unmoored from constitutional or ethical guardrails. He has singled out “deep state” elements, ex-presidents, and civil servants, all portrayed as enemies to be purged. Recent moves—enlisting billionaire Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency,” mass firings, and the systematic dismantling of agencies like USAid—reveal a mindset convinced of personal infallibility and committed to reshaping the nation’s fabric without regard for legal or human consequences.

 

Disregard for the Vulnerable

 

One hallmark of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign was his capacity for destroying cities and exiling populations, a form of imperial might that left suffering in its wake. Similarly, Trump’s threat to forcibly remove or “clean out” two million Palestinians in Gaza, turning their homeland into a U.S.-owned real estate project, reflects the same brazen disregard for vulnerable populations. The parallels are stark: Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon sacked Jerusalem, exiled its residents, and boasted of triumph; Trump’s policies threaten to uproot civilians for real estate profit and strategic advantage.

Likewise, the mass defunding of USAid evokes a chilling resonance. Babylon’s conquests profoundly disrupted the economic and social stability of conquered peoples. In Trump’s present-day administration, axing foreign aid on such a massive scale consigns millions—already caught in fragile circumstances—to renewed suffering. The unilateral severing of these lifelines further illustrates a leader convinced of his own righteousness, despite global outcry.

 

Hubris and the Fall

 

The story of Nebuchadnezzar offers a cautionary note about ultimate accountability. In the biblical narrative, he reaches the pinnacle of arrogance before God humbles him dramatically. Bereft of reason, the king roams like an animal until he finally acknowledges a higher sovereignty. This episode underscores a universal moral law: unchecked pride often prefaces a fall.

 

Trump’s behavior—disregarding the rule of law, ignoring international norms, and assaulting democratic values—has sparked widespread alarm. In the U.S., courts and portions of civil society have begun pushing back. Globally, former allies such as Britain have expressed shock and dismay, as Trump embarks on “tariff wars,” severs ties with international bodies like the World Health Organization, and diminishes America’s role in the global humanitarian sphere. If Nebuchadnezzar’s lesson holds, a moment of reckoning eventually arrives for leaders who place themselves above moral or legal limits.

 

The Danger to Democracy

 

Perhaps the most haunting comparison lies in Trump’s attack on democratic institutions. Nebuchadnezzar’s power was absolute. He recognized no meaningful constraint on his authority. In the same spirit, Trump’s second-term vengeance spree—his “purging” of government agencies, his undermining of checks and balances, and the targeting of free press—amounts to an attempt at absolute rule. This is a modern re-enactment of ancient autocracy, with the difference being that it unfolds within what was once considered the world’s leading democracy.

 

Both Nebuchadnezzar and Trump highlight the vulnerability of political systems to ego-driven rule, where personal ambition overrides institutional norms. If history—and Scripture—teaches anything, it is that such rule inevitably faces its own undoing, often at great cost to the society involved.

 

Conclusion

 

Nebuchadnezzar’s example serves as both parallel and warning for Donald Trump’s presidency. The biblical monarch’s pride led him to subdue nations, oppress peoples, and exalt himself beyond measure—until his empire crumbled beneath the weight of his arrogance. Trump’s second term, marked by an ever-growing list of infractions against democratic governance and international cooperation, follows a disturbingly similar trajectory. The fundamental message from Nebuchadnezzar’s downfall is that no ruler, no matter how powerful, stands above truth, law, or moral principle. Whether Donald Trump will encounter a similar humbling remains to be seen. Yet the biblical admonition rings true across the ages: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

 

Christianity

 

In our time, the parallel must not be overlooked. America and the world watch as a modern leader treads an ancient path of unchecked ambition. The question is whether, unlike in Babylon, enough constitutional safeguards and courageous opposition remain to temper that ambition before it wreaks irreparable harm.

 

 

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Pompey ‘the Great’ fake

 

 

by

 Damien F. Mackey

  

Conventional ancient Roman history/chronology needs to be subjected to revisionist scrutiny just as we found to have been the case with ancient Egypt

and the Near East. This article will be a continuation of efforts towards trying to determine whether the seemingly impregnable fortress of conventional

ancient Roman history is firmly based, or if it, too, might be susceptible

to breaches when revisionist pressure is applied.

   

Introduction

 

That the received Roman history may not be as formidably secure as may have been thought I hope that I have demonstrated – without initially having considered it to have been necessary – in articles such as:

 

Rome surprisingly minimal in Bible

 

(11) Rome surprisingly minimal in Bible

 

Horrible Histories. Retracting Romans

 

(12) Horrible Histories. Retracting Romans

 

Jesus Christ was the Model for some legends surrounding Julius Caesar

 

(12) Jesus Christ was the Model for some legends surrounding Julius Caesar

 

Found me arriving at the conclusion that the renowned ‘Julius Caesar’ was largely –

if not entirely – a composite figure, based upon, among others, Jesus Christ;

Alexander the Great; and Octavius (Augustus).

 

Time to consider Hadrian, that ‘mirror-image’ of Antiochus Epiphanes, as also the census emperor Augustus

 

(12) Time to consider Hadrian, that 'mirror-image' of Antiochus Epiphanes, as also the census emperor Augustus

 

Plutarch and Petrarch

 

(12) Plutarch and Petrarch

 

and various other related articles.

 

My revision (based on the efforts of many) has already successfully undertaken some necessary folding of Egyptian and Babylonian history.

For respective examples of this, see my:

 

Egypt’s Old and Middle Kingdoms Far Closer in Time than Conventionally Thought

 

(12) Egypt's Old and Middle Kingdoms far closer in time than conventionally thought

 

and

 

Aligning Neo-Babylonia with the Book of Daniel

 

(12) Aligning Neo-Babylonia with the Book of Daniel

 

Apart from the inestimable benefit of getting rid of those artificial ‘Dark Ages’ – cf. Peter James et al., Centuries of Darkness (1990), being a leader in the field here – such revisionism can serve to make more realistic certain ancient genealogies. For instance, it was found that the conventional Egyptian history, in the case of some detailed genealogies of officials serving a string of named pharaohs, ends up with a whole lot of octogenarian persons, or older, still actively functioning in office.

 

Similarly does the received Roman Imperial chronology create aged but still active characters: e.g. John the Evangelist, in his 90’s (according to a tradition) vigorously chasing a young man on horseback; Yohanan ben Zakkai still going at 120 (highly unlikely), straddling the supposedly two Jewish Revolts.

 

Now, reverting back to the Roman Republican period again, I turn to a brief consideration of Julius Caesar’s supposedly famous contemporary and fellow triumvir, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, or, as we know him better, Pompey ‘the Great’.

 

Is Pompey also a composite?

 

If there is any value in the conclusions that I reached about ‘Julius Caesar’ in my article, “Jesus Christ was the Model for some legends surrounding Julius Caesar”, then that, I believe, must put extreme pressure on the validity of ‘Pompey the Great’ himself, Caesar’s fellow triumvir (along with Crassus).

More especially so as Pompey, too, like Julius Caesar, was (as we shall now learn) likened to Alexander the Great – Pompey perhaps even more explicitly so than Caesar was.

 

Nic Fields tells of it in Warlords of Republican Rome. Caesar versus Pompey (2008, p. 67):

 

Meteoric Rise

 

His flatterers, so it was said, likened Pompey to Alexander the Great, and whether because of this or not, the Macedonian king would appear to have been constantly in his mind. His respect for the fairer sex is comparable with Alexander’s, and Plutarch mentions that when the concubines of Mithridates were brought to him he merely restored them to their parents and families. …. Similarly he treated the corpse of Mithridates in a kingly way, as Alexander treated the corpse of Dareios, and ‘provided for the expenses of the funeral and directed that the remains should receive royal interment’. …. Also, like Alexander, he founded many cities and repaired many damaged towns, searched for the ocean that was thought to surround the world, and rewarded his soldiers munificently. Finally, Appian adds that in his third triumph he was said to have worn ‘a cloak of Alexander the Great’. ….

 

It is interesting to learn that the original name of king Antiochus IV ‘Epiphanes’, who, like Pompey, supposedly, would desecrate the Temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem, was likewise a “Mithridates”:

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Antiochus_IV_Epiphanes

 

Nic Fields again on p. 98:

 

In a sense Pompey personified Roman imperialism, where absolute destruction was followed by the construction of stable empire and the rule of law. It also, not coincidentally, raised him to a pinnacle of glory and wealth. The client–rulers who swelled the train of Rome also swelled his own. He received extraordinary honours from the communities of the east, as ‘saviour and benefactor of the People and of all Asia, guardian of land and sea’. …. There was an obvious precedent for all this. As the elder Pliny later wrote, Pompey’s victories ‘equalled in brilliance the exploits of Alexander the Great’. Without a doubt, so Pliny continues, the proudest boast of our ‘Roman Alexander’ would be that ‘he found Asia on the rim of Rome’s possessions, and left it in the centre’. ….

 

Pompey is even supposed to have gone so far as to have tried to emulate Alexander’s distinctive appearance:

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/miscellanea/cleopatra/pompey.html

 

The marble bust of Pompey is in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (Copenhagen). Its somewhat incongruous appearance, the round face and small lidded eyes beneath the leonine mane of hair, is because Pompey, the most powerful Roman of his day, sought a comparison with Alexander the Great, whose distinctive portraits were characterized by a thoughtful facial expression and, more iconographically, locks of hair brushed back high from the forehead, a stylistic form known as anastole, from the Greek “to put back.”

 

Did Pompey absorb – like I have argued may have been the case with Julius Caesar – not only Alexander-like characteristics, but also general Hellenistic ones?

 

And might that mean that the famous event of Pompey’s desecration (by his presence therein) of the Temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem, supposedly in 63 BC:

http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12264-pompey-the-great

 

The capture of the Temple mount was accompanied by great slaughter. The priests who were officiating despite the battle were massacred by the Roman soldiers, and many committed suicide; while 12,000 people besides were killed.

 

 

Pompey himself entered the Temple, but he was so awed by its sanctity that he left the treasure and the costly vessels untouched (“Ant.” xiv. 4, § 4; “B. J.” i. 7, § 6; Cicero, “Pro Flacco,” § 67). The leaders of the war party were executed, and the city and country were laid under tribute. A deadly blow was struck at the Jews when Pompey separated from Judea the coast cities from Raphia to Dora, as well as all the Hellenic cities in the east-Jordan country, and the so-called Decapolis, besides Scythopolis and Samaria, all of which were incorporated in the new province of Syria. ….

 

may in fact be a muddled version of that real historical incident when king Antiochus (Mithridates) ‘Epiphanes’ most infamously desecrated the holy Temple in Jerusalem (2 Maccabees 5:15-18).

 

Republic spilling into Empire

 

 

What a complete mess is conventional ancient history!

Kingdoms, dynasties and rulers duplicated, or triplicated.

History and culture having a “strange afterglow” centuries later. 

Impossible “Dark Ages” procrusteanising time periods by extension. 

BC characters and events mysteriously projected into AD 'time’. 

And, in this case, the Roman Republic flopping over into its Empire.

 

Dolly Parton put it well: “It’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it” (9 to 5).

 

 

There is that strange re-duplication, about 60 years later, of the First Jewish Revolt against Rome.

 

But it seems that the history books also ‘know’ of a ‘third’ bloody capture of Jerusalem in Roman history - one which is thought, however, to have preceded the other supposedly two assaults by Rome in the Neronic and Hadrianic (so-called) imperial eras. It is considered to have occurred in Republican times, in 63 BC, when Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey ‘the Great’), one time ally of Julius Caesar, captured Jerusalem and killed 12,000 Jews.

 

This is quite a massive event, to say the least, yet it is often mentioned only in passing.

 

Strange that it is nowhere referred to in the Bible.

 

Hence, I suspect that there also needs to be a folding of some Roman Republican history with early Roman Imperial history. There was, for example:

 

(i)  a Pompey the Great (Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus) also at the time of Caligula (see A. Barrett, Caligula - the Corruption of Power, p. 237) about a century after (presumably) the Republican Pompey. And there was then also a

 

(ii)    Marcus Crassus; the same name as the ‘earlier’ Pompey’s fellow consul (see Mackay, p. 135). Moreover, Caligula may have been murdered by a

 

(iii)  Cassius Longinus (Barrett, p. 162); the same name as the chief conspirator against Julius Caesar.

 

All very strange indeed and desperately needing to be explained. ….