Si-Te-Cah – Giants of northern Nevada, or myth and legend?
The Si-Te-Cah did exist. They fought the native Paiute tribes of northern Nevada, Utah and southern Oregon. Archaeologists are reexamining some of the original artifacts found in the cave, with some surprising results.
From the Archaeologist.org:
Was North America once inhabited by a race of giants? According to an old legend supported by several challenging archaeological finds, it is possible. Many Native American tribes tell stories about the long-forgotten existence of a race of humans that were much taller and stronger than ordinary men.
These giants are described as both brave and barbaric and legends often mention their cruelty towards whomever they pleased.
Now, new archaeological evidence has been uncovered that indicates much of the legends told by Native American tribes could indeed be true.
Sarah Winnemucca and the Piutes
New York Post, March 2024,
A series of mysterious giant skeletons up to 10 feet tall reportedly discovered in and around Nevada caves last century — dubbed the “Giants of Lovelock” — are still baffling scientists decades later.
The claims about supersized humans that roamed the area around Lovelock, a remote town 90 miles northeast of Reno, thousands of years ago are rooted in Native America lore, which tells of fierce red-headed, pale-skinned giants who arrived from Central America by boats and attacked local tribes.
Continuing:
However, two subsequent excavations that were carried out in 1912 and 1924 brought to light thousands of ancient artifacts, among them a well-worn sandal measuring an astonishing 15 inches in length, which is the equivalent of a modern-day size 29 shoe.
There is much evidence that they were larger than normal humans, like a modern-day NBA player. But the Paiutes were smaller than average height. So, naturally, the Si-Teh-Cah would seem to be giants.
Light-skinned, Red hair?
And there is genetic evidence that the Si-Te-Cah may have had some northern Siberian, and even possibly eastern European ancestry.
Paiute legends spoke of their red hair. That could have come from genetic markers from European, even Viking or Celtic ancestors.
The answer to the first comes from the daughter of a Paiute tribal chief named Sarah Winnemucca and her book Life Among the Paiutes: Their Wrongs and Claims. Writing in the late 19th century, Sarah described an enemy tribe who used to raid Paiute settlements and carry off prisoners to eat.
Sarah had more tangible evidence for the distinctive red hair the tribe had, as well. In her book she also describes, somewhat ghoulishly, a dress she owned which had been made from the red hair of the defeated Si-Te-Cah. Sarah described it as a “mourning dress”.
A website for skepticism in anthropology and archaeology attempted to debunk claims of giants and red hair. Yet, skeptoid.com concedes some aspects of the original stories may indeed, be true.
Skeptoid.com, 2013,
“The Red-Haired Giants of Lovelock Cave”
It turns out that all the stories can be traced back to a single primary source, a book written in 1882 by Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins, the first Native American woman to copyright a publication…
so the story comes full circle, and the origin of what later writers exaggerated is ascertained, at least to some level of likelihood. Evidence tells us the Lovelock Culture was not largely cannibalistic, but there may have been some bands that were to some degree.
Many alt-archaeology enthusiasts allege a conspiracy of silence by curators at the Smithsonian Institute and other institutions, who they say are sitting on much of the evidence of the original finds. Some of their claims may seem outlandish. And many of the conspiracy theory believes are Christian creationists, who push a narrative of living giants, as explained in the Bible.
From Before the Past (on Twitter):
The Smithsonian has most of the bones from all these beings. Si-Te-Cah are said to still be encountered to this day…
