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University of Chicago Receives Mystery Indiana Jones Package

Posted by timothy on from the cool-prank dept.

First time accepted submitter VanGarrett writes "Someone at the University of Chicago went through a lot of trouble to baffle a few people, with an old timey package addressed to Indiana Jones. From the article: 'The package contained an incredibly detailed replica of "University of Chicago Professor" Abner Ravenwood's journal from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. It looks only sort of like this one, but almost exactly like this one, so much so that we thought it might have been the one that was for sale on Ebay had we not seen some telling inconsistencies in cover color and "Ex Libris" page (and distinct lack of sword). The book itself is a bit dusty, and the cover is teal fabric with a red velvet spine, with weathered inserts and many postcards/pictures of Marion Ravenwood (and some cool old replica money) included. It's clear that it is mostly, but not completely handmade, as although the included paper is weathered all of the "handwriting" and calligraphy lacks the telltale pressure marks of actual handwriting.'"

49 of 65 comments (clear)

  1. Surprised the DHS didn't shut it down by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Mystery package? Everybody panic! I said panic! PAAAAAAAAANIC!

    1. Re:Surprised the DHS didn't shut it down by akboss · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Surprised they didnt call in the bomb squad to blow it up, just to be sure.

      --
      "Remember, politicians and diapers should be changed often and for the same reason."
    2. Re:Surprised the DHS didn't shut it down by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      A few years back at UGA, someone called in a suspicious looking paper bag was found outside a building and the bomb squad was called in.. IIRC, a remote-controlled robot was used to open it up to find someone left some muffins. I believe the two buildings and parking deck were cleared out.. want to say at least 20 or 30 classes cancelled (400+ students)

      There were some people calling shenanigans on the whole thing afterwards, saying it was an over reaction.. but hindsight is 20/20. I think they did a good job regardless. Better safe than everyone dead.. as the saying goes, you know.

      http://onlineathens.com/stories/102205/cops_20051022043.shtml

  2. Congratulations by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Looks like someone decided to turn a piece of fan art into performance art.
    I am amused.
    Nicely done.

    1. Re:Congratulations by VoidEngineer · · Score: 2

      Performance art? It's obviously an application to the College (received in December, duh). Among some alumni, bets on the declared major range from Art Restoration & Museum/Library Curation to Archeology, Egyptology, & Paleontology. I almost went into Paleontology. One of my best friends has a B.A. in Egyptology. I have a half-dozen acquaintances I know who focused in various Museum/Library curator positions. It could be any.

  3. At least they didn't blow it up. by pecosdave · · Score: 2, Insightful

    That's standard procedure these days for unknown packages right?

    --
    The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
    1. Re:At least they didn't blow it up. by jhoegl · · Score: 4, Funny

      They couldn't.
      It might have contained the antidote.

    2. Re:At least they didn't blow it up. by Xeranar · · Score: 1

      You are correct. It does belong in a museum! I suspect the packages outer wrap was addressed to a real person or the department just was awesome and took a chance.

  4. Indiana Jones 5 buzz? by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    Indiana Jones 5 buzz? or maybe it Indiana Jones and the time machine.

    1. Re:Indiana Jones 5 buzz? by isorox · · Score: 2

      Indiana Jones 5 buzz? or maybe it Indiana Jones and the time machine.

      I modded that -1, scary thought

  5. Probably just a mailing error by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It's more likely that the package from the ebay seller to the buyer got damaged in the mail, and the inner package fell out. The USPS then delivered the inner package.

    1. Re:Probably just a mailing error by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      As a side note––

      Every so often there's a story in the news about a letter that got lost in the post office for 50-60 years – seems like it's usually WWII era mail from a GI to his girlfriend or something similar – and the post office finally delivering it.

      I happen to know that in the stamp collecting world there are literally tons of old, stamped envelopes, often with the original correspondence inside. I'm convinced that there's some joker out there who periodically drops one of these old letters in the mail just to see what happens. I can imagine a big, busy post office not noticing that one piece of mail has already had the stamp cancelled and just sends the letter onward to the sorting facility and the rest is history.

      So I wouldn't be at all surprised if it turned out that someone dropped the prop in a mailbox somewhere and the post office blithely delivered it as addressed.

  6. There Goes My Afternoon by elflocko · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now I want to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark...

  7. Well Damn... by 3seas · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... Guess they will just have to do a better job next time.

    1. Re:Well Damn... by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 2

      > all of the "handwriting" and calligraphy lacks the telltale pressure marks of actual handwriting.

      You fools! The "real ones" were identical to this as they were props!

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  8. Summary missed best part of article by GODISNOWHERE · · Score: 5, Informative
    The article concludes with

    Internet: help us out. If you’re on Reddit (we’re not) or any other nerdly social media sites where we might get information about this, feel free to post far and wide and e-mail any answers, clues, ideas, thoughts, or musings to indianajonesjournal@uchicago.edu (yes, we did set up an email account just to deal with this thing).

  9. Perhaps not what it claims to be by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The poster perhaps misread the article url - http://uchicagoadmissions.tumblr.com.

  10. They got it wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "We’ve been completely baffled as to why this was sent to us, in mostly a good way, but it’s clear this is a neat thing that either belongs somewhere else— or belongs in the halls of UChicago admissions history."

    No, it belongs in a museum!!!

    1. Re:They got it wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      "We’ve been completely baffled as to why this was sent to us, in mostly a good way, but it’s clear this is a neat thing that either belongs somewhere else— or belongs in the halls of UChicago admissions history."

      No, it belongs in a museum!!!

      So do you!

    2. Re:They got it wrong by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      I've heard they throw great parties there.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    3. Re:They got it wrong by bsDaemon · · Score: 4, Informative

      Out of mod points or I'd correct this... whoever modded this flamebait doesn't recall the ship-board fight at the start of Last Crusade.

    4. Re:They got it wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Out of mod points or I'd correct this... whoever modded this flamebait doesn't recall the ship-board fight at the start of Last Crusade.

      Whoever modded me Flamebait needs to seriously turn in their geek card. :(

    5. Re:They got it wrong by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      "Weâ(TM)ve been completely baffled as to why this was sent to us, in mostly a good way, but itâ(TM)s clear this is a neat thing that either belongs somewhere elseâ" or belongs in the halls of UChicago admissions history."

      You -- you're just passing through funny. This is funny!

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    6. Re:They got it wrong by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      Any other suggestions, professor?

      I know my Family Guy!

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  11. They have top men looking into it by Dancindan84 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who?
    Top. Men.

    --
    "Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." - Oscar Wilde
  12. Adam Savage, or one of his friends is a suspect. by MaxToTheMax · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I happen to know did a limited production run of these replicas, and gave some away to friends. (NOTE: long interview.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3fLntnhlgA

  13. Clearly, this was sent to the wrong location by damn_registrars · · Score: 1

    It should have been sent to Las Vegas instead

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
  14. The Ebay seller is the mysterious gifter by Mister+Liberty · · Score: 1

    He wanted to prop up the Ebay bids a bid by drawing attention to it by
    sending the mystery package.

    Only US Postal Service ... as usual was late.

  15. Yes and they are picking up a good show for canada by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    Yes and they are picking up a good show form canada soon.

  16. Updated tumblr Post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    They have posted an update here ... I would say their most plausible explanation is probably the correct one judging from the original picture:

    Most plausible, least exciting: someone purchased one from the replica-maker on Ebay that we linked to yesterday, and on its way to the recipient, it wormed its way out of an outside package. Thinking the Egyptian postage was legit, a wayward mail carrier wrote on our zip code and it hitchhiked its way to our office. Certainly less exciting than our other options, but would still be a hilarious end to our vexing problem. If you are the original Ebay seller of this item and have an angry customer who never got their package, please let us know.

    1. Re:Updated tumblr Post by VoidEngineer · · Score: 1

      I don't buy it. The package is addressed to 1101 East 58th Street. That's the UChicago Administration and Admissions office address. No way. It's obviously a College application. And a good one too! Somebody has a sense of aesthetics. Probably someone wanting to go into Art Preservation or Museum Curratorship. Maybe Egyptology or Paleontology.

    2. Re:Updated tumblr Post by AthanasiusKircher · · Score: 1

      It's obviously a College application. And a good one too! Somebody has a sense of aesthetics. Probably someone wanting to go into Art Preservation or Museum Curratorship. Maybe Egyptology or Paleontology.

      Or maybe creative Forgery??

      That's it! We've found it -- it's obviously a business school application!

    3. Re:Updated tumblr Post by ottothecow · · Score: 1
      And it makes quite a lot of sense. The post office does do its best to deliver everything.

      I had a friend in school (at UChicago no less) get a postcard from their parents who were traveling somewhere out of the country. Their parents couldn't remember the address and literally wrote something like
      Firstname Lastname
      University of Chicago
      Chicago, IL

      The card eventually made it all of the way to campus. They lived in on campus housing, so once the card made it into the university's mail system, they must have figured out which mailbox was hers and delivered it. A bit odd that they wouldn't realize the postage was fake (although it was foreign and if it fell out of another package, it would have already made it partway through the system), but figuring out the correct zip code and writing it down seems plausable.

      As to the point about it being the admissions department and thus clearly an elaborate application...the original post notes that that building used to be the geology department or something and only became the economics and admissions offices in recent history. Also, if you were applying to the school correctly, it would help to spell Illinois correctly.

      --
      Bottles.
  17. MOD PARENT UP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Obviously this is where it came from.

  18. A follow up letter by Grayhand · · Score: 1

    I'd appreciate you forwarding the journal since I'll be out of the office for some time. If any Germans, especially one with a burned hand, attempt to claim the journal please deny any knowledge of it's existence. Sincerely Indy

  19. how will the gold and silver pawn offer for it? by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    how will the gold and silver pawn offer for it?

  20. how much will the gold and silver pawn offer for by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    how much will the gold and silver pawn offer for it?

  21. Re:Yes and they are picking up a good show for can by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    no

    Continuum

  22. Soak it up, Chicago! by CuteSteveJobs · · Score: 1

    If University of Chicago didn't already have a museum, it does now and one that would attract more visits than any Colbert exhibit.

  23. Re:But does it have... by daw1234 · · Score: 2

    wrong movie.

  24. Obvious Answer: It's an Application to the Colleg by VoidEngineer · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As a UChicago grad, I think the answer is obvious. It was delivered to the Admissions office during the month of December. It's an application to the college. The Admissions office would just like to know who it's from! :)

    It's daring, if somewhat obvious. But to my knowledge, it hasn't actually been done before. It was bound to happen eventually, however. I'm just kind of surprised it took this long, in fact. Whoever sent it will obviously get in if they have a modicum of academic ability or talent. It's exactly the kind of nerdy stunt, with an appreciation for aesthetics, that UChicago appreciates.

  25. It's only a "Second Best" Christmas Gift by Crypto+Gnome · · Score: 1

    What they were really hoping for was a set of Crystal Skulls.

    --
    Visit CryptoGnome in his home.
  26. Sender Solved. by musixman · · Score: 1

    It was Adam Savage (Mythbusters) who sent it. He is a widely know collector & creator of movie prop's & he sent this for fun. It took me about 3 minutes to figure this out so I'm kinda surprised nobody connected the dots.

  27. Re:Obvious Answer: It's an Application to the Coll by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 1

    Whoever sent it will obviously get in if they have a modicum of academic ability or talent. It's exactly the kind of nerdy stunt, with an appreciation for aesthetics, that UChicago appreciates.

    As yes - Wed shakes and a pub with foosball, beer and white boards.

    --
    I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
  28. Re:Git rid of it! by martin-boundary · · Score: 1

    Get rid of it before the guys pretending to be Nazis show up!

    There's no chance of that. Right now, they're on the other side of the state chasing a family who stole their HitlerMobile.

  29. Safety Precaution when opening box by Cito · · Score: 1

    Make sure you retreat to the nearest fridge after opening...

    just in case...

  30. Re:Adam Savage, or one of his friends is a suspect by pz · · Score: 2

    To see the relevent bit of that nice interview, seek to about 30:00.

    --

    Put my fist through my alarm clock with its ding-dong death inside my ear. - The Blackjacks.
  31. $177.50 by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

    Damn, somebody got that diary on eBay for a very sweet price. A blog link or two and that could've been a few thousand.

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  32. Wrong Dr. Jones. by denzacar · · Score: 1

    Adam Savage talks there about making a GRAIL DIARY belonging to Henry Walton Jones, Sr. - NOT the diary of Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr.

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens