M?n? ???icti?ns ?? ?l?in? c???ts h?v? ???n ???n? ?c??ss th? ?l???, ch???ct??iz?? in ?i?????nt w??s ― s?m? w??? ???k?? ???????nc?s, ?th??s h?? th? ???n? ?? s?h??ic?l sh??? th?t is ?ls? kn?wn t????; s?m? w??? ??? ?n? ??s?m?l?? ? ci?cl? ?? ?i?? whil? ?th??s w??? ??ll?w ?n? w??? s?ittin? ?i??. ??t m?st ?? th? m?inst???m sci?ntists c?nt???ict th?s? ???icti?ns, c?nsi???in? th? ?nci?nt ???th ?w?ll??s ??imitiv? ?n? with ? sk??tic?l w?? ?? thinkin?, ??l?tin? si?htin?s s?ch ?s th?s? with t?? m?ch ?nth?si?sm, ?? c?llin? it n?thin? m??? th?n ? m?ss h?st??i?.

?n ?nci?nt ????ti?n ??????s ??sc?i??? ? M?ssiv? ??? ?nc??nt?? 1
H?w?v??, th? ?nci?nt ????ti?ns ??? ??n?wn?? ??? th?i? ??v?nc?? ?n???st?n?in? ?n? t?chni???s, ?ls? ??? th?i? kn?wl???? ?v?? ?st??n?m? which w?s v??? ??v?nc?? c?m????? t? th?t ?nci?nt ???i??. ?n? ? sh??? ?? int???stin? ?vi??nc? c?nc??nin? th? ??? ?nc??nt??s ?? th? ??st is th? T?lli ??????s, ?t l??st ?cc???in? t? m?n? ?nth?si?sts in this ?i?l?. It’s ?n ?nci?nt t?xt t?llin? ?? ????t ?l?in? m?chin??i?s s?ittin? ?i??, which sc??t?? th? ????ti?n sk? ?????? v?nishin? int? ??t?? s??c?.
Th???h m?n? ??s???ch??s h?v? ??ni?? th? ??c?m?nt’s ??th?nticit? ?n? m??nin? which w??l? ?th??wis? ch?n?? ??? c????nt hist??? ?s w? kn?w it, ?? ?t l??st ??? ?n im???ssiv? ??ct ????t ?th??w??l?l? (?xt??t????st?i?l) ??in?s.
Th? ?v?nt cit?? in th? T?lli ??????s w?s witn?ss?? ?? ?n ????ti?n ?h????h ― Th?tm?s? III, wh? ??t??w???s ??????? his sc?i??s t? w?it? ????t this ?v?nt in Th? ?nn?ls ?? Li?? s? th?t “it ?? ??m?m????? ??? ?ll tim? ???w???.” Th? st??n?? ?cc????nc? h????n?? ????n? 1480 ?C, ?n? w?s witn?ss?? ?? th? ?nti?? ????ti?n ??m?.

?n ?nci?nt ????ti?n ??????s ??sc?i??? ? M?ssiv? ??? ?nc??nt?? 2
H??? is th? t??nsl?t?? t?xt ???m th? m?st??i??s ??????s:
In th? ???? 22, in th? 3?? m?nth ?? wint??, in th? sixth h??? ?? th? ???, th? sc?i??s ?? H??s? ?? Li?? n?tic?? ? ci?cl? ?? ?i?? th?t w?s c?min? ???m th? sk?. ???m th? m??th it ?mitt?? ? ???l ????th. It h?? n? h???. Its ???? w?s ?n? ??? l?n? ?n? ?n? ??? wi??. It h?? n? v?ic?. ?n? ???m th?t th? h???ts ?? th? sc?i??s ??c?m? c?n??s?? ?n? th?? th??w th?ms?lv?s ??wn ?n th?i? ??lli?s, th?n th?? ?????t?? th? thin? t? th? ?h????h. His m?j?st? ??????? […] ?n? h? w?s m??it?tin? ?n wh?t h?? h????n??, th?t it w?s ??c????? in th? sc??lls ?? th? H??s? ?? Li??.”
S?m? ???ti?ns ?? th? ??????s ??? ???s?? ?? ????l? int?????t??, ??t th? m?j??it? ?? th? t?xt is ?cc???t? ?n???h t? l?t ?s ?n???st?n? wh?t h?? h????n?? ???in? th?t m?stic?l ???. Th? ??st ?? th? t?xt ?s it ??ll?ws:
N?w ??t?? s?m? ???s h?? ??ss??, th?s? thin?s ??c?m? m??? ?n? m??? n?m????s in th? ski?s. Th?i? s?l?n???? ?xc????? th?t ?? th? s?n ?n? ?xt?n??? t? th? limits ?? th? ???? ?n?l?s ?? th? sk?. Hi?h ?n? wi?? in th? sk? w?s th? ??siti?n ???m which th?s? ?i?? ci?cl?s c?m? ?n? w?nt. Th? ??m? ?? th? ?h????h l??k?? ?n with him in th?i? mi?st. It w?s ??t?? s?????.
Th?n th?s? ?i?? ci?cl?s ?sc?n??? hi?h?? int? th? sk? ?n? th?? h????? t?w??? th? s??th. ?ish ?n? ?i??s th?n ??ll ???m th? sk?. ? m??v?l n?v?? ?????? kn?wn sinc? th? ???n??ti?n ?? th?i? l?n?. ?n? ?h????h c??s?? inc?ns? t? ?? ?????ht t? m?k? ???c? with ???th, ?n? wh?t h????n?? w?s ??????? t? ?? w?itt?n in th? ?nn?ls ?? th? H??s? ?? Li?? s? th?t it ?? ??m?m????? ??? ?ll tim? ???w???.
I? it w?s t???, th?n this ??c?m?nt ???s?nts ? v??? im???t?nt s??m?nt ?? tim? in h?m?n hist??? ― wh?n ???s m??? th?i? ???s?nc? n?tic?? t? th??s?n?s ?? ????l? ???m ?nci?nt ????t, incl??in? th?i? ??l??. ?v?n th???h th? t?xt ???sn’t m?nti?n ?n?thin? ????t ? ????n? ?? ?h?sic?l c?nt?ct with th? st??n?? ?l?in? ??j?ct (?? ??in?s), it ??sc?i??s ? ?ni??? ?nc??nt?? which ?n??? m?st??i??sl? ?s ?ish ?n? ?i??s ??ll ???m th? sk? wh?n th? ??j?ct l??t. Th? ?nci?nt ????ti?ns ??????l? s?w this ?s ? ?ivin? w?n???, ? si?n ?? ????t im???t?nc? ?n? ?t th? s?m? tim? ????t ??w?? ?v?? li?? ?n? ???th.
Wh?t C??s?? Th? Th? St??n?? ???ths ?? Th? ?nim?ls?
In ???s?nt ???s, ?v?nts lik? this ??? n?t ? w?n??? ?n?m???, th?t’s wh? w? ??li?v? th? c??s? ?? ???th ?? th? ???ict?? ?nim?ls ?cc????? ?s ? ??s?lt ?? th? ?l?in? s??c??s ?missi?ns ?? m???? s?n?? w?v?s. Wh?t?v?? th? c?s?, w? c?n int?????t th? st??n?? ???ths ?s ? ??s?lt ?? ??v?nc?? t?chn?l???, ???in? m??? c???i?ilit? t? th? ?änik?ni?n ??ct th?t th??? w??? in???? ??v?nc?? ?xt??t????st?i?l ??in?s wh? w??? c?nst?ntl? visitin? (?? m?st ??????l? ?????in?) ?nci?nt ????t ?s w?ll ?s th? wh?l? w??l? in th? ?nci?nt tim?. ??t ??? wh?t??

?n ?nci?nt ????ti?n ??????s ??sc?i??? ? M?ssiv? ??? ?nc??nt?? 3
Th? ??i?in?l ??????s T?lli Is L?st T????
?n???t?n?t?l?, th? ??i?in?l T?lli ??????s h?s ???n l?st ?? is in th? hi????t, ?nl? c??i?s ??m?in. Wh?n ??s???ch?? S?m??l ??s?n???? ?????st?? ? ch?nc? t? st??? th? ??i?in?l ??c?m?nt ???m th? V?tic?n, h? ??c?iv?? th? ??ll?win? ?nsw??:
Th? ??????s T?lli is n?t th? ??????t? ?? th? V?tic?n M?s??m. N?w it is ?is???s?? ?n? n? m??? t??c???l?.
It is s??c?l?t?? th?t th? V?tic?n h?l?s s?m? ?? th? m?st v?l???l? ??c?m?nts ??????in? h?m?n hist???. I? this is th? c?s?, it’s ?n???st?n???l? wh? th?? ch?s? n?t t? ??v??l this ??????s ?? ????t im???t?nc?.
Th? ?nkn?wn ??t? ?? Th? T?lli ??????s
???th?? ?tt?m?ts t? st??? th? T?lli ??????s h?v? ???n m???, ??t with??t s?cc?ss. ?n in??i?? w?s s?nt t? ??. W?lt?? ??m????, Sci?ntist w??kin? ??? th? ?S ?m??ss? in ??m?, wh? ???li??: “Th? c????nt ?i??ct?? ?? th? ????ti?n S?cti?n ?? th? V?tic?n M?s??m, ??. N?lli, s?i? th?t ????. T?lli h?? l??t ?ll his ??l?n?in?s t? ? ???th?? ?? his wh? w?s ? ??i?st in th? L?t???n ??l?c?. ???s?m??l?, th? ??m??s ??????s w?nt t? this ??i?st.”

?n ?nci?nt ????ti?n ??????s ??sc?i??? ? M?ssiv? ??? ?nc??nt?? 4
?n???t?n?t?l?, th? ??i?st ?i?? ?ls? in th? m??ntim? ?n? his ??l?n?in?s w??? ?is???s?? ?m?n? h?i?s, wh? m?? h?v? ?is??s?? ?? th? ??????s ?s s?m?thin? ?? littl? v?l??. It’s ?nlik?l? th?t th? V?tic?n l?t ? ??c?m?nt ?? s?ch im???t?nc? sli? ?w?? ???m th?i? h?n?s ??t, ???s?min? it ?i?, w? c?n ?nl? h??? th?t s?m??n? st?m?l?s ???n it in ?n ?nti??? sh?? lik? its ???vi??s ?wn??, ?l???t? T?lli ?i?.
C?nt??v??s? ?v?? Th? ??th?nticit? ?? Th? T?lli ??????s
Th??? is ? h??t?? c?nt??v??s? ?v?? th? cl?im th?t th? ??????s T?lli is ? t??nsc?i?ti?n ?? ?n ????ti?n ??????s ??tin? ???m th? ??i?n ?? Th?tm?s? III. Th? cl?im ??i?in?t?? in ? 1953 ??ticl? ???lish?? in ????t, th? ???t??n S?ci?t? m???zin?, ?? Ti???n? Th????. ?cc???in? t? Th????, th? t??nsc?i?ti?n w?s s?nt t? him ?? ???is ?? ??ch?wiltz wh? s????s??l? ???n? th? ??i?in?l t??nsc?i?ti?n ?? th? ??????s ?m?n? ?????s l??t ?? ?l???t? T?lli, ? ??c??s?? V?tic?n m?s??m ?i??ct??.
??????nc?s t? “ci?cl?s ?? ?i??” ?? “?i??? ?iscs” ?ll????l? c?nt?in?? in th? t??nsl?ti?n h?v? ???n int?????t?? in ??? ?n? ???t??n lit???t??? ?s ?vi??nc? ?? ?nci?nt ?l?in? s??c??s, ?lth???h ???l??ists J?c???s V?ll?? ?n? Ch?is ????ck h?v? ??sc?i??? it ?s ? “h??x”. ?cc???in? t? V?ll?? ?n? ????ck, sinc? T?lli h?? s????s??l? c??i?? it ???in? ? sin?l? vi?win? ?? th? ??i?in?l ??????s ?sin? ?n “?nci?nt ????ti?n sh??th?n?”, ?n? ?? ??ch?wiltz h?? n?v?? s??n th? ??i?in?l, th? ?ll???? t?xt lik?l? c?nt?in?? t??nsc?i?ti?n ?????s, m?kin? it im??ssi?l? t? v??i??.
Whil? ??th?? ??ich v?n ??nik?n incl???? th? T?lli ??????s in his s??c?l?ti?ns ?? ?nci?nt visit?ti?ns ?? ?xt??t????st?i?ls. In th? 1968 C?n??n ?????t, S?m??l ??s?n???? ?????t?? th?t it w?s lik?l? th?t “T?lli w?s t?k?n in ?n? th?t th? ??????s is ? ??k?”. ??s?n???? cit?? th? T?lli ??????s ?s ?n ?x?m?l? ?? st??i?s ci?c?l?t?? ?m?n? ??? ???k ??th??s “t?k?n ???m s?c?n???? ?n? t??ti??? s???c?s with??t ?n? ?tt?m?t t? v??i?? ??i?in?l s???c?s” ?n? c?ncl???? th?t “?ll ?cc??nts ?? “???-lik? si?htin?s h?n??? ??wn th????h th? ???s” ??? ????t??l ― ?ntil v??i?i??”.