On June 27,1969, workmen cutting into a rock shelf
situated on the Broadway Extension of 122nd Street, between Edmond and Oklahoma
City, came upon a find that was to create much controversy among the experts.
The find was an inlaid tile floor, found 3 feet below the surface, and covering
several thousand square feet. Durwood Pate, an Oklahoma City geologist,
commented on the floor in the Edmond Booster of July 3, 1969:
"I am sure this was man-made because the stones are placed in perfect sets of
parallel lines which intersect to form a diamond shape, all pointing to the
east. We found post holes which measure a perfect two rods from the other two.
The top of the stone is very smooth, and if you lift one of them, you will find
it is very jagged, which indicates wear on the surface. Everything is too well
placed to be a natural formation."
Pate also discovered a form of mortar between the tiles. He believes now that
the tile surface served as a common floor for several human shelters over a wide
area. Delbert Smith, a geologist and president of the Oklahoma Seismograph
Company, summed up the mystery concerning the tile floor in the Tulsa World of
June 29, 1969:
"There is no question about it. It had been laid there, but I have no idea by
whom."
Yet another facet of the mystery involved the question of age. There are some
differing opinions as to the geology involved, but the best estimate places the
tiles at 200,000 years old.