Creator / Scott Wolter

Scott F. Wolter

"The history that we were all taught growing up is wrong... there's a hidden history in this country that nobody knows about. There are pyramids here, chambers, tombs, inscriptions, they're all over this country. We're going to investigate these artifacts and sites and we're gonna get to the truth. Sometimes history isn't what we've been told."

— Scott Wolter

Scott F. Wolter is an author, researcher and television host. He is known best as the host of the H2 series America Unearthed. Scott is a Forensic Geologist based out of Minnesota, he is the founder and President of American Petrographic Services and the inventor of Archaeopetrography (a process used to date and understand the origins of stone artifacts).

Scott was involved in analyzing the concrete remains of the World Trade Center after the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Scott's first television appearance was as a Kensington Runestone expert on the documentary Holy Grail In America which indirectly resulted in Scott hosting America Unearthed.

Scott is also the author of several books including:

• Lake Superior Agate (1986, with new editions in 1994, 1997 and 2008)
• Ettringite: Cancer of Concrete (1997)
• The Lake Superior Agate, One Man's Journey (2001)
• The Kensington Rune Stone: Compelling New Evidence (2005)
• The Hooked X: Key to the Secret History of America (2009)
• Amazing Agates: Lake Superior's Banded Gemstone (2010)
• From Akhenaten to the Founding Fathers: The Mysteries of the Hooked X (2013)

Scott has faced controversy for:

• Trademarking "The Hooked X", which A&E Networks (parent network of H2, which airs America Unearthed), tried to use against a blogger critical of the show.
• Claiming an honorary Masters Degree on his resume for decades that the university he claimed it was from has no record of.
• Defrauding someone who purchased an agate from him back in 1987, by claiming it was a Lake Superior agate when it was not. The judge ruled that Wolter "knew or with reasonable care and competence, should have known" that the agate was not what he claimed it to be. Scott literally wrote a book on Lake Superior Agates, published the year before, as the judge notes.
• In May of 2014, Wolter accepted an award from a pod-caster named "Frank from Queens" known for his racist rhetoric. On behalf of the fictitious 'World Council on Solutrean Elders, Frank declared Wolter "Solutrean 2014 Man of the Year" to which Wolter responded “That’s a high honor, and I sure appreciate it, Thank you so much”
• Wolter also received criticism for his willingness to appear with former US Nazi Party Leader and convicted child predator Frank Joseph at fringe history conventions.

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This creator provides examples of the following tropes:

• Alternate Landmark History: Major basis of Wolter's scholarly work.
• Ancient Conspiracy: Wolter believes in several
• Arch-Enemy: Skeptical Xenoarcheologist, author and blogger Jason Colavito
• Bad "Bad Acting": Guilty of this during scripted portions of America Unearthed
• Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: Frequently used; Lewis and Clark were really looking for Welsh settlements, Marco Polo was a Vatican spy, Davy Crockett survived the Alamo and led a secret life afterward, Jarl Henry Sinclair came to America before Columbus as a Knight Templar (not the trope) and with the Holy Grail. Just as a few examples.
• Can't Take Criticism: Wolter epitomizes this, including not being able to take the criticism that he can't take criticism.
• Conspiracy Theorist: Wolter believes Oreos are a Templar conspiracy, among other examples.
  Quote from Wolter's book From Akhenaten to the Founding Fathers regarding Oreos: The design includes twelve Maltese-style Templar crosses, likely symbolic of the twelve primary constellations of the zodiac, surrounding the Cross of Lorraine, which is attached to an oval shape encircling the Oreo name. Opposite the Cross of Lorraine is a stylized AVM. In this case it must surely be referring to Mary Magdalene. The “Double Stuff” Oreo cookie features the Cross of Lorraine and the Talpiot chevron-circle design […]. The symbolism represents Templar knights surrounding and protecting the Cross of Lorraine, the bloodline descendants of the Royal Family through time.
• Demonization: Anyone that doesn't subscribe to Scott's theories or doesn't believe his supposed evidence is subject to this, including most academia.
• Double Entendre: In a recent blog post, Scott posted that attacks on him has "hardened my resolve" Hilarity Ensued after his critics got a hold of that gem.
  • He compounded it a few weeks later on America Unearthed by referring to himself as a "hard scientist"
• Early-Installment Weirdness: Scott's appearance in Holy Grail in America led to America Unearthed
• Everyone Has Standards: The Knights Templar came to America in the 12th century and hid the Holy Grail, then created Oreos as a Templar conspiracy, but aliens? That's crazy talk!

• Frivolous Lawsuit: Subverted
• The Fundamentalist: Definitely qualifies, especially anything to do with the Kensington Runestone.
• Geek Physiques: Subverted
• Gosh Dang It to Heck!: No matter how much Scott's Berserk Button is pushed, he still maintains his 'Minnesota Nice' composure and doesn't swear. He has uttered 'gosh', 'dang' and 'heck' when upset.
• Holy Grail: Believes it's in America
• I Invented X: Archaeopetrography; Also, the term Hooked X, which Wolter had trademarked even though it's a fairly standard term in linguistics.
• Innocently Insensitive: Scott telling a Native American woman that America was 'stolen' by the French from other European settlers.
• I Reject Your Reality: Scott's hypotheses start to border on this, especially when confronting 'academics'
• Knight Templar: Scott arguably fits this in terms of his relationship to history, the effects his pseudo-science has on the population exposed to it and his recklessness with artifacts, but he thinks he's doing a good thing and setting history right!
• Lantern Jaw of Justice: Scott Wolter
• Nerd Action Hero: Scott is often portrayed as this and referred to as a "Real-life Indiana Jones"
• Phony Degree: While Scott Wolter does hold a real Bachelor's Degree in Geology, until two years ago he also claimed an honorary Master's Degree as well from the University of Minnesota, this was listed on several public versions of his resume and referenced by him on radio appearances. Blogger and Wolter critic Jason Colavito uncovered that the University of Minnesota has no record of this honorary Master's Degree. Wolter explained it as follows:
  "I was invited by the UMD Geology Department to give a lecture at the college about my research. Afterword, six of my former professors asked me technical questions which I answered to their satisfaction. Afterward, they had an informal reception in the Professor’s lounge where they gave me an honorary degree with a whipped cream-topped coffee as my “certificate.” Was it officially recognized by the University? No. They gave it to me as I have always presented it to be, a sympathy degree. At the time I was quite proud and when I told my then supervisors at my new job at Twin City Testing, they published the story in the company newsletter and added it to my resume’."
  • And that's how Scott Wolter received his 'honorary honorary degree'.
• Science Is Wrong: Scott's mantra - "The history that we were all taught growing up is wrong."
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Let's drill randomly into the ground where the Holy Grail may be...
• Windmill Crusader: Wolter certainly fits.