1 [Journal of Scientific Exploration, Vol. 11, No. 2] Evidence in Support of the Hypothesis that Certain Objects on Mars are Artificial in Origin Mark J. Carlotto 5 Ryans Place, Beverly MA 01915 (markjc@mindspring.com) Abstract - Findings from a series of independent investigations are summarized and presented as evidence in support of the hypothesis that certain features on the Martian surface are artificial in origin. The discussion focuses on the Cydonia region in Mars' northern hemisphere. The features under investigation include a formation approximately 2.5 by 2 km in size that resembles a humanoid face staring up into space from the surface and a number of nearby objects. One set of objects located 10-20 km southwest of the Face which has been termed the "City" contains several unusual structures comparable in size to the Face and a number of smaller structures which together with the larger objects in the City appear to be arranged in an organized pattern. Several other anomalous features in the area are also examined. Three types of evidence are presented which support the hypothesis that the objects in question are artificial. The first is based on a detailed examination of the objects themselves, the second concerns spatial and angular relationships, and the third involves a comparative analysis of the shape of certain objects. Using a Bayesian inference model and assuming the above sources of evidence are mutually independent we show that the above evidence strongly supports the hypothesis that these objects may be artificial in origin. Introduction Since 1976 there has been growing interest in a collection of unusual surface features in the Cydonia region of Mars. It is the opinion of the planetary science community that these objects are natural geologic formations. However in a number of independent studies an alternative hypothesis has been suggested - that certain objects on the surface of Mars may be artificial in origin. This paper considers this hypothesis and presents evidence from a variety of sources to support it. Background The Face was first imaged by a Viking orbiter spacecraft in July 1976. Dismissed by NASA as an optical illusion the Face on Mars was soon forgotten. Several years later it was rediscovered in the NASA archives by DiPietro and Molenaar who first published the results of their analysis in 1982 (DiPietro and Molenaar 1988). At about the same time the Face had attracted the attention of individuals in Austria (Hain 1979) and in the former Soviet Union (Avinsky 1984). DiPietro and Molenaar's work led to the formation of the independent Mars investigation group (Pozos 1987). Subsequent threads of research involved O'Leary (1990), Brandenburg, DiPietro and Molenaar