People have lived in Kansas for thousands of years, so it should come as no surprise that there have been some major archaeological sites in Kansas. From lost cities to mysterious skeletal remains, just about everything possible has been found in the Sunflower State, and we’re sure there will be even more discoveries in the future, but one of the strangest finds occurred over a century ago. Have you ever heard of the Lansing Man? This discovery is no longer in the headlines today, and even now, it remains shrouded in mystery, but this is a fascinating story from Kansas history that we don’t think should be forgotten.

The city of Lansing is now a bustling place of about 11,000 residents, but it was once a small farming community.
KDOT/Wikimedia Commons
It was in Lansing that in February 1902, a farmer named Martin Concannon was having a fruit cellar dug out on the banks of the Missouri River.
Wikisource
In the process of excavating land for the cellar, about 20 feet down, human remains from both an adult man and a small child were found.
W. H. Holmes/Wikimedia Commons

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Archaeologists were called out to the site, which was quite unique because the layers of rock that the bones were found in were older than the last ice age. It is thought that they were anywhere from 10,000 to 35,000 years old.
Wikisource
However, there was some controversy regarding the age of the bones themselves. They resembled the structure of Native Americans that had been known to reside in this area, but if they were actually as old as the surrounding rock, they were some of the oldest bones ever found in North America.
Wikisource
There was much scientific debate over the age of the remains and no official conclusion was drawn.
Some of the remains were sent to the Smithsonian Museum of National History for testing, while others ended up at the University of Kansas.
Stéphane Desclouds/Google Reviews
Sadly, the bones are not on display at either location and their current whereabouts are unknown.
While the exact age and current fate of the "Lansing Man" remains unknown, the remains are most assuredly the oldest ever found in Kansas. A marker was recently placed at the archaeological site where the bones were discovered.
Lansing Historical Society and Museum/Facebook

For more information about the history of the Lansing, Kansas area, check out the Lansing Historical Society and Museum Facebook page.

How fascinating! Have you ever heard of the Lansing Man (or any other fascinating archaeological sites in Kansas?)

 

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