Among approximately 7,000 stone artifacts recovered by locals between 1982 and 1984 are carvings depicting figures with Jewish side locks, Moorish sailor headdresses from first-century North Africa, and solid gold pieces bearing what appear to be Egyptian inscriptions. Kimball reports that the original cave entrance was deliberately destroyed with black powder explosives roughly 15 to 20 years prior, apparently to cover the tracks of looters who may have extracted around $12 million in precious metals.
Sonogram imagery from recent expeditions reveals reflective surfaces consistent with gold, what appears to be a mummy on a table, and possible helmets hanging from a wall. Kimball estimates 28 statues remain inside, including at least one solid gold figure too heavy to remove.
Key Moments
How a paid tip led to a cave on a southern Illinois farm: Glenn Kimball describes how he and Wayne May paid a stinging sum to a man at a convention to be taken to an alleged ancient cave in southern Illinois ('Little Egypt'). The tipster ducked out at lunch with their check; the team went to the county recorder, found the actual landowner, and - while sitting in the landowner's living room - took a phone call from the original con-man complaining about looters on his property.
The cave entrance was blown shut with black powder: Kimball reveals that horizontal sonograms detected a 110-foot carved spiral stone staircase leading down into the cavern - and that the original entrance was deliberately blown to smithereens with black powder roughly 15-20 years earlier. He argues the looters cashed out the gold artifacts and sealed the cave to cover their tracks.
Solid gold artifacts allegedly sold across 2,000 miles: Kimball confirms photographs on Art's website show solid-gold artifacts with what appears to be Egyptian writing, says some are now in his team's possession and others scattered as far as California, New York, and a particularly precious piece in Chicago. The owner allegedly sold them at gold-weight value, plus stones from the cave 'in lots' of 100 or 500.
Sonogram of a mummy floating between two helmets: Examining a red sonogram image with Art live, Kimball points to two blue 'bulbs' he interprets as helmets hung on cave walls and a floating mummy-shape between them on a reflective surface. He explains Illinois law requires calling the county coroner within hours of finding any human remains and notes legal protocol for the eventual dig.
Kimball estimates 28 statues remain, one solid gold, 5.5 feet tall: Kimball estimates that detection equipment shows about 28 statues still inside the cave, at least one of solid gold standing roughly five and a half feet tall - too heavy for previous looters to extract. He explains the project is self-funded, with monetization planned through media, a TV show, film work, and a touring exhibition rather than artifact sales.