an Malcolm
are u saying we all should not have posted on the discussion forum till it was proved the Electra landed on Gardner
REALLY
?
No Richie I am not, what I am saying is that people are tending to use speculations to build more speculations rather than concentrating on the known artifacts of human activity on Nikumaroro.

Now I am not claiming any special insight because of my background in archaeology, or the fact that I have done aerial surveys along coastal areas not unlike Nikumaroro looking for evidence of human activity, and used photos of a much higher quality than these 1937 photos. All I am saying is that I see nothing that cannot be explained as other than an artifact of natural processes, and I am not seeing anything that even by a complete suspension of my critical faculties that I would propose to be an artifact of human activity - that's all.
Comment and discussion of the evidence presented so far is fair, but from the discipline of my training I don't think that taking a wild guess then using it to support another wild guess is actually contributing anything to the resolution of the Gardner Island hypothesis. I am aware that in aviation "archaeology" circles many are critical of TIGHAR. Now I am neither an aviation archaeologist (whatever one of those is) nor am I critical of TIGHAR (seems to be an awful lot of sour grapes infesting this particular puzzle

); while the Gardner/Nikumaroro Island hypothesis for Earhart and Noonan's fate is just as valid as the other three I mentioned. Obviously it should be investigated and I find the openness of TIGHAR and what it has posted on its work to be clear and above board. They don't hide anything, including the fact that they don't have much evidence - that is a good trait.
But in the end it all comes back to finding clear irrefutable evidence to prove the case and that applies equally to the other hypotheses. Unfortunately clear and irrefutable evidence, to my eye and according to my experience at least, does not appear in those 1937 photos and no amount of special pleading will change that. Please understand Richie that I am not being dismissive or condescending, I am just giving an honest assessment of how I see it. It is better to be honest than telling people what they hope they want to know.