Social media users have spotted a smartphone in a 1937 mural and claimed evidence of time travel, according to infohub.kz.
An online debate has erupted over the mural titled "Mr. Pynchon and the Settling of Springfield," created by Italian-American artist Umberto Romano. The painting depicts the founder of Springfield, Massachusetts, William Pynchon, surrounded by colonists and members of a local Native American tribe.
Users' attention was drawn to a man in the foreground holding a dark rectangular object with a shiny frame and staring intently at it. Many saw a modern smartphone in the object and began spreading time travel theories.
The mural is housed in the Massachusetts State Government building, which formerly housed Springfield's main post office. The painting was created under the Federal Art Project, a government arts support program during the Great Depression.
Historians and art experts reject the conspiracy theories and offer a simple explanation. Most likely, the artist depicted a pocket mirror, a common trade item between European settlers and Native Americans in the 17th century. Other possible interpretations include a small religious publication or an iron blade.
According to experts, the conspiracy theory is the result of visual illusion and the perception of modern viewers accustomed to gadgets.