In 1864, a French newspaper published a stunning report from the American frontier: oil prospectors had drilled into a gigantic meteorite and found a tiny humanoid body sealed inside a stone sarcophagus. Its face was knife-like. Its arms were too long. Its tomb was carved with the planets — and Mars was drawn larger than all the rest.
The story spread across Europe and America, blurring the line between science, journalism, satire, and belief. But was the Colorado Martian a genuine mystery, a forgotten alien encounter, or one of the strangest media hoaxes of the nineteenth century?
In this episode of Unexplained History, we uncover the strange case of Henri de Parville’s Martian mummy, the petrified-man craze, the Great Moon Hoax, and the era that taught readers to trust stories simply because they looked like news.
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🎧 Unexplained History explores the myths, mysteries, and misunderstood moments that shaped our world. Hosted by Tom Mackenzie and Don Masterson. New episodes every week.
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History, Mystery, True Crime, Conspiracy, Paranormal, CIA, Cold War, Ancient Aliens, Archaeology, Unsolved, Supernatural, Tom McKenzie, Audio Drama, Storytelling, Documentaries.
This episode includes AI-generated content.