Stories of giants pepper mythology and folklore across every culture. Over the past two centuries, a slew of alleged discoveries—bones, mummies, footprints—have surfaced, suggesting those legends might be rooted in reality. Below we examine ten of the most intriguing claims, each steeped in mystery and a dash of conspiracy.
Alleged Discoveries Overview
From the frozen lakes of Wisconsin to the remote Aleutian islands, these reports span continents and centuries, offering tantalizing hints that colossal humans may have once walked the Earth.
10 Giant Bones Found At Lake Delavan Wisconsin, 1912
According to a May 4, 1912 report in The New York Times, the Phillips brothers uncovered 18 massive skeletons while excavating a burial mound at Lake Delavan, Wisconsin. The remains were said to be encased in charcoal and baked clay, hinting at an unknown race that once inhabited the region.
Although the bones resembled typical human anatomy, several distinctive features set them apart. The bone above the eye socket sloped straight back, and the nose sat markedly higher than the cheekbones. The jawbones were described as “bearing a minute resemblance to the head of the monkey!”
Wisconsin had a history of similar reports. In 1891, The New York Times noted that Smithsonian scientists discovered giant remains while probing burial mounds in Aztalan near Madison. Six years later, a 2.7‑meter (9 ft) skeleton was reported from nearby Maple Creek.
All articles promised further study, yet no published follow‑up appears to exist.
9 The Giants Of Death Valley 1947
In 1931, former Cincinnati physician F. Bruce Russell announced the discovery of an extensive tunnel network beneath California’s Death Valley. Together with colleague Daniel S. Bovee, Russell explored the caverns and claimed to have found several human skeletons, each measuring roughly 2.7 meters (9 ft) tall.
The tale was recounted to Howard E. Hill at a Los Angeles Transportation Club meeting and subsequently reported by The San Diego Union on August 4, 1947. The skeletal remains were allegedly mummified, and Bovee estimated their age at about 80,000 years.
Within the cavern system, the explorers also reported a “ritual hall” adorned with markings reminiscent of Masonic symbols and hieroglyphics that some linked to the lost civilization of Atlantis.
8 Giant Remains Found At Varna Bulgaria, 2015
Varna—once the ancient Greek trading hub of Odessos—has long been associated with giant mythology. In January 2015, excavators digging after uncovering a fifth‑century jar stumbled upon an unexpected find: a towering human skeleton.
The skeleton was positioned with hands on the waist and the head turned eastward, suggesting a deliberate burial rite possibly reserved for a person of significance. While no precise height was released, one archaeologist described the remains as “very tall” and “impressive.”
7 Enormous Remains Found In Ecuador 1964
In 1964, Ecuadorian priest and hospital worker Father Carlos Vaca was summoned to examine unusually large bones discovered on a mountain. Vaca kept the bones at his home until his death.
Austrian researcher Klaus Dona later transported the specimens to Austria for study and exhibition under the title “Unsolved Mysteries.” Experts who examined the bones concluded they were human, estimating the original individual would have stood about 7.6 meters (25 ft) tall.
Dona claimed DNA analysis yielded no strands, suggesting the bones were at least 10,000 years old. He also noted that the discovery site’s name translates from the local Ayamara language as “cemetery of the giants.”
6 Giant Mummies Found In Tunnels Near The Colorado River 1909
April 1909 reports in The Arizona Gazette recount explorer G.E. Kinkaid’s rafting expedition down the Colorado River, during which he discovered a 1.6‑kilometer (1 mi) underground tunnel.
At the tunnel’s terminus, Kinkaid claimed to have found a fortified chamber containing copper weapons, a large statue resembling Buddha, tablets with strange hieroglyphics, and several 2.7‑meter‑tall (9 ft) mummies wrapped in dark shrouds.
Kinkaid added that the government deliberately sealed the area to keep the public unaware, and the newspaper headline suggested ancient tall peoples had migrated to the United States from Asia thousands of years prior.
5 1929
Located about 32 km (20 mi) south of Lovelock, Nevada, Lovelock Cave—also known as Sunset Guano Cave—dates back to pre‑historic times. In 1911, miners David Hart and James Pugh began extracting guano for gunpowder, unintentionally uncovering a trove of artifacts.
Subsequent excavations in 1912, 1924, and 1929 revealed thousands of items, including roughly 60 average‑height human mummies, numerous bones, weapons, and 38‑centimeter (15‑in) sandals. Notably, a giant‑sized handprint was found embedded in the cave wall, and additional mummies measuring 2.5–3 meters (8–10 ft) tall were reported.
The Paiute tribe of the region spoke of red‑haired, white‑skinned giants called “Si‑Te‑Cha,” whom they claimed once dwelled in the cave—adding a cultural layer to the archaeological finds.
4 Giant Human Finger Found In Egypt 2012
In March 2012, images surfaced online purporting to show a mummified human finger measuring 38 centimeters (15 in) long, allegedly discovered in Egypt. If genuine, such a digit would belong to a truly gigantic individual.
The story, initially reported by the German tabloid Bild, traced the photos to 1988 when Gregor Sporri paid $300 to a mysterious “grave‑robber dynasty” member for the pictures. The source also supplied an X‑ray and a certificate—claimed to have originated in the 1960s—verifying the finger as human.
Sporri returned to Egypt in 2009 seeking the original finger but failed to locate it. The finger’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Roman scholar Flavius Josephus, writing in AD 79, asserted that giants once existed, describing them as “much larger and shaped differently than normal people. Terrible to behold!”
3 Aleutian Island Discovery 1940
Renowned zoologist Ivan T. Sanderson received a wartime letter from an engineer stationed on Shemya Island in the Aleutians, describing a startling find in 1940. While leveling hills for an airstrip, workers uncovered a graveyard of human skulls and leg bones that were nearly three times larger than typical adult specimens.
The skulls measured 56–61 centimeters (22–24 in) in height, compared with the average 20 centimeters (8 in). A second engineer corroborated the discovery, noting that the Smithsonian Institution had supposedly collected the remains.
According to Sanderson, the Smithsonian never released data on the find and even denied ever possessing such relics. He speculated that the scientists might have avoided “rewriting all the textbooks” by keeping the discovery hidden.
2 The Giants Of The Caucasus Mountains Georgia, 2014
In 2014, the TV series The Unexplained Files aired an episode investigating possible ancient giant civilizations in Georgia’s Caucasus Mountains. The story began in 2008 when a local herdsman claimed to have uncovered a stone crypt containing two massive skeletons seated at a large table.
Georgian researchers later visited the site, only to find the crypt collapsed. Beneath the rubble, a pile of unusually large human bones was recovered. Professor Vekua, a respected scientist, estimated that, if human, the individuals would have stood between 2.5 and 3 meters (8–10 ft) tall.
Before conclusive analysis could be completed, Vekua passed away, and the bones were subsequently reported lost in the museum where they had been stored. The crew suggested a full excavation could reveal more skeletal evidence.
1 Giant ‘Footprints’ Found Worldwide
Across the globe, alleged fossilized giant footprints have been reported. The most famous is “Goliath’s Footprint” in Mpaluzi, South Africa, near the Swaziland border. The impression measures 1.2 meters (4 ft) long and matches a human foot.
Age estimates for Goliath’s Footprint vary wildly, ranging from 200 million to three billion years. Additional reports include a 1.5‑meter (5‑ft) footprint on a San Jose, California cliff reported in 1926 by The Oakland Tribune, and a 2.5‑meter (8‑ft) print discovered near San Jose in 1925 at the John Bunting ranch.
In contrast, a set of standard‑size footprints discovered in Tanzania in 1976 by anthropologist Mary Leaky were dated to roughly 3.6 million years old—predating mainstream scientific estimates for modern human presence on Earth.
If these giant footprints are authentic, they would compel scholars to reevaluate humanity’s timeline and suggest that humans once coexisted with towering ancestors, echoing the legends that have persisted for millennia.