Marble Man Reprise 2

In Adelaide a few days ago Mr. Peter Salotti, an Italian, produced what is claimed to be the body of an aboriginal girl, which, he declares, he dug from beneath the roots of a tree in his vineyard, a few miles from the city. It was lying on its back, with the soles of the feet resting on the surface, the knees doubled up, and the hands folded across the abdomen. A crust of travertine limestone covered it, and where this has broken away the under-lying material has the appearance of very fine marble, indented with pits. The figure is 4ft in in length, and was found in land which became a vineyard 50 years ago. It was buried in tho subsoil, and surrounded by porous travertine, and would, therefore, be within the zone of circulating water, and any organic material would be rapidly removed.

The claim that the object is a petrified human body has been upset by the result of examinations made by competent geologists and medical men. These gentlemen pronounce it pure Italian marble. The opinion held is that the sculpturing was done by an Italian who, half a century ago, was engaged forming a vineyard there. The reason for the burial is, of course, unknown, but it has been suggested that the character of the work called for such treatment of a work unpalatable to English taste.

Professor Baldwin Spencer, of the Melbourne University, has been induced to give an opinion upon the discovery of a marble figure, alleged to be a petrified human being, under the roots of a 30-year-old gum tree near Adelaide. The professor, having in mind, perhaps, the discovery of a piece of sculpture some years ago in New South Wales, is inclined to think that the Adelaide curiosity is the work of human hands. He believes it must be a marble statue of some kind that was either purposely buried under the tree or got there by accident. He smiled when asked if the alleged mummy was of scientific interest, and remarked that the discovery was of about the same value as the so-called human footprints found at Warrnambool recently.

A most curious natural phenomenon, in the shape of the petrified body of a young aboriginal girl is reported from Adelaide. It was found on Tuesday last, at a depth of about 3ft below the surface at Waterfall Gully. The body measures 4ft. 3in. in length, and is in perfect condition, even to the nails on the hands and feet, with the exception of one joint of a finger, which is missing. The body is perfectly hard, and has the appearance of white marble. Dr. M'Donald, who spent some years in China, was greatly struck by the resemblance the body bears to the conventional statue of Buddha. It is in a sitting-posture, and the hands are crossed in the manner familiar to those who know the representations of the Eastern god.

In the course of a letter to the press Professor J W. Gregory, of the Melbourne University, writes:—

"A petrified young lady recently produced from beneath a gumtree near Adelaide, does not help us much to settle the antiquity of man in Victoria. If she proves anything, it is that the race of pitted people was once somewhat widely distributed through Australia, and that Italians of such names as Sala and Salotti are endowed with a special gift for finding their petrified remains. There are several points of connection between the petrified girl of Adelaide and the petrified giant of Cow Flat, Orange, New South Wales, which was produced in 1889. Both were in solid limestone, the surface of which was pitted. Both were first seen in the possession of an Italian, who realized their financial value. The owner of the recent find is said to have refused £100 for his treasure. The previous specimen was exhibited at Sydney and elsewhere in New South Wales at a charge for admission, which at least part of the time was 2/. The petrified man of Orange was found by a man named Sala, his successor is named Salotti. Sala means hall or large room Salotti is the plural form of the word for a parlour or small room. It is only in ac-cordance with the beautiful appropriateness of nature that a Sala should be provided with a petrified full-size man (with, according to one critic, the head of a giant), and a Salotti with a petrified maiden of 4ft. 3in.

The Orange police undertook some useful researches into the genesis of their petrified man, and Sub-inspector Ford reported that the figure was carved by Sala out of a block of lime stone from Bell's quarry. Chippings and acid bottles were found in Sala's house." Nevertheless some people clung resolutely to their belief in the specimen, notably a Dr. C. W. M'Arthy, who barracked for it in a series of letters to the press, and sought to establish its authenticity by skull measurements. It happened to be Dr. M'Carthy who tried rain-making at Broken Hill, but perhaps that is only another coincidence.

"Nevertheless some people clung resolutely to their belief in the specimen, notably a Dr. C. W. M'Arthy, who barracked for it in a series of letters to the press, and sought to establish its authenticity by skull measurements. It happened to be Dr. M'Carthy who tried rain-making at Broken Hill, but perhaps that is only another coincidence."

It was only 15 years since the Marble Man was in the news yet already the details were becoming confounded: Dr. M'Carthy is the same "Dr. C. W. M'Arthy" and he never attempted to authenticate the Marble Man via skull measurements although the discredited science of Phrenology was experiencing a revival in the early years of the 20th Century and may well have been recently practiced by the eccentric McCarthy.