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The Mysterious Toynbee Tiles: Decoding a Decades-Old Urban Enigma
Unraveling the cryptic messages embedded in asphalt across cities, one tile at a time
Imagine unexpectedly seeing an odd rectangle buried in the asphalt underfoot while you are strolling down a busy city street. Strange marks on its surface seem taken from science fiction: “TOYNBEE IDEA IN MOViE `2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPiTER.”
What may this imply? Someone put it there; and why? For decades, these enigmatic tiles have perplexed urban explorers, conspirators, and inquisitive onlookers both.
Often referred to as the Toynbee Tiles, this odd occurrence has spurred a lot of conjecture on their causes, intent, and artist(s).
The history of the Toynbee Tiles starts in the late 1980s when they first show up on streets all over big American cities including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, and beyond. Hundreds of such tiles with variants of the same enigmatic phrase have been found over years. Notwithstanding a lot of research, films, and many hypotheses, the person — or people — behind them stays a mystery.
Examining how the Toynbee Tiles have evolved to become among the most intriguing unresolved riddles of modern times, we will explore their…
