Stuff You Missed in History Class The Pompey Stone Hoax
Apr 1, 2026
A quirky 19th century hoax about a carved stone found in upstate New York and the drama that followed. Local sleuthing, early scholarly endorsement, and national attention fueled wild theories about 16th century explorers. Later forensic tool-mark analysis and a confession revealed a practical joke that kept historians debating for decades.
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How The Pompey Stone Was Discovered
- Philo Cleveland unearthed the Pompey Stone while clearing his farm and only noticed markings after rain washed it clean.
- He propped the stone on a rock pile, neighbors checked it, and it spent months on display at a local blacksmith shop.
Why Scholars Linked The Stone To 1520
- Early commentators read the inscription as referencing Pope Leo X and the year 1520, treating the stone as a 16th-century sepulchral monument.
- That reading linked the pebble to grand narratives of early European — especially Spanish — presence in upstate New York.
Schoolcraft Elevated The Stone's Significance
- Henry Rowe Schoolcraft promoted a biblical reading of the snake-and-tree motif and favored the 1520 date as evidence of very early European contact.
- His interpretation amplified local excitement and lent academic weight to the artifact's supposed antiquity.