Steven & Evan Strong: Forgotten Origins, Out-of Place-Artifacts, Australia

What Has Been Found

A square-shaped cast metal seal (90mm2, 20g) with eight Chinese characters and two side

markings, believed to represent the “Tiger-tamer Marshal Zhao of the Dark Altar” (玄壇伏虎

趙公元帥)—a Daoist deity linked to wealth, protection, and navigation. The artefact bears

the hallmarks of imperial-level craftsmanship, including a nine-fold casting method and

complex copper-zinc alloy composition consistent with early high-temperature metallurgy.

2. Who Found It

The seal was discovered by John Miltenburg in collaboration with local researchers. The

initial academic interpretation and contextual analysis were later undertaken by Ed Liu

(Chinese scholar) and Ian Hudson and team, with external review and correspondence with

Dr Luk Yu-ping, Curator of Chinese Paintings and Prints at the British Museum.

3. When It Was Found

The discovery occurred in early May 2022 during surface exploration of the wetlands area

surrounding Tortilla Flats, Northern Territory, approximately 110 km south of Darwin.

4. Where It Was Found and in What Circumstances

The seal was recovered from wetlands heavily embedded in clay, located between two

creek systems near Tortilla Flats. The location’s hydrological conditions likely preserved the

artefact by limiting exposure to air and corrosive elements. There is no evidence of modern

habitation, trade, or military activity in the immediate vicinity that would explain the seal’s

presence through known historical channels.