Editing Out-of-place artifact (section)

{{Short description|Artifacts that challenge historical chronology}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Redirect-multi|3|OOPA|OOPART|OOPArts|other uses|OOPARTS (disambiguation)|and|oopa (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Antikythera Fragment A (Front).webp|thumb|Gear of the [[Antikythera mechanism]], a [[Analog computer|mechanical computer]] from the 2nd century BCE showing a previously unknown level of complexity]]

An '''out-of-place artifact''' ('''OOPArt''' or '''oopart''') is an [[Artifact (archaeology)|artifact]] of historical, archaeological, or paleontological interest to someone that is claimed to have been found in an unusual context, which someone claims to challenge conventional [[historical]] chronology by its presence in that context. Some people might think that those artifacts are too advanced for the technology known to have existed at the time, or that [[Human settlement|human presence]] existed at a time before humans are [[Timeline of human evolution|known to have existed]]. Other people might hypothesize about a contact between different cultures that is hard to account for with conventional historical understanding.

This description of archaeological objects is used in [[fringe science]] such as [[cryptozoology]], as well as by proponents of [[ancient astronaut]] theories, [[Young Earth creationism|young Earth creationists]], and [[paranormal]] enthusiasts.<ref name="Olshin2019">{{cite book |author=Olshin |first=Benjamin B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=theJDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA353 |title=Lost Knowledge: The Concept of Vanished Technologies and Other Human Histories |publisher=Brill |year=2019 |isbn=978-90-04-35272-8 |pages=353– |doi=10.1163/9789004352728}}</ref><ref name="Salon"/> It can describe a wide variety of items, from anomalies studied by mainstream science to [[pseudoarchaeology]] to objects that have been shown to be [[hoax]]es or to have conventional explanations.

Critics argue that most purported OOPArts which are not hoaxes are the result of mistaken interpretation and wishful thinking, such as a mistaken belief that a particular culture could not have created an artifact or technology due to a lack of knowledge or materials. In some cases, the uncertainty results from inaccurate descriptions. For example, the cuboid [[Wolfsegg Iron]] is not a perfect cube, nor are the [[Klerksdorp sphere]]s perfect spheres. The [[Iron pillar of Delhi]] was said to be "rust proof", but it has some rust near its base; its relative resistance to corrosion is due to slag inclusions left over from the manufacturing conditions and environmental factors.<ref name="NewInsights">{{cite book |author1=R. Balasubramaniam |editor1-last=Rao |editor1-first=Ramachandra Patcha |editor2-last=Goswami |editor2-first=Nani Gopal |title=Metallurgy in India: a retrospective |date=2001 |publisher=India International Publisher |pages=104–133 |url=http://eprints.nmlindia.org/5806/1/104-133.PDF |language=en |chapter=New Insights on the Corrosion Resistant Delhi Iron Pillar}}</ref>

Supporters regard OOPArts as evidence that mainstream science is overlooking huge areas of knowledge, either willfully or through ignorance.<ref name="Salon">{{cite news |last=O'Hehir |first=Andrew |date=August 31, 2005 |title=Archaeology from the dark side |url=https://www.salon.com/2005/08/31/archaeology/ |access-date=19 April 2010 |work=[[Salon.com]]}}</ref> Many writers or researchers who question conventional views of human history have used purported OOPArts in attempts to bolster their arguments.<ref name="Salon"/> [[Creation science]] often relies on allegedly anomalous finds in the archaeological record to challenge scientific chronologies and models of human evolution.<ref name="StrombergOthers2004a">{{Cite journal |last1=Stromberg |first1=Pierre |last2=Heinrich |first2=Paul V. |date=March–April 2004 |title=The Coso Artifact |url=https://ncse.ngo/coso-artifact |journal=[[Reports of the National Center for Science Education]] |volume=24 |issue=2 |pages=26–30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214074141/http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/rncse_content/vol24/2562_the_coso_artifact_mystery_fro_12_30_1899.asp |archive-date=14 December 2007}}</ref> Claimed OOPArts have been used to support religious descriptions of [[prehistory]], [[Ancient astronauts|ancient astronaut theories]], and the notion of vanished civilizations that possessed knowledge or technology more advanced than that known in modern times.<ref name="Salon"/>