Toynbee tiles are tiles that were created by an unknown man and laid out in various regions of the United States and South America. After I had watched Resurrect Dead: Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles, a documentary directed by Justin Duerr and Steve Weinik, it made me extremely curious to know if any of the mysterious tiles resided within my own city, Buffalo.
To my surprise, I found that many of the tiles were actually right under my nose. I had been walking passed one nearly every day as I journeyed across the crosswalk between Buffalo State College and the Albright Knox art gallery on Elmwood Avenue.
Many of the tiles read "Toynbee idea in Kubrick's 2001 resurrect dead on planet Jupiter." Other tiles such as the one located in front of Buffalo State simply read "House of Hades tiles made from the ground bones of dead journalists." It is even believed that the Toynbee tiles first started in Buffalo, New York. Although no one is really positive what these tiles mean, much less who even made them, the mystery continues to intrigue people, gaining various theories behind the tiles. In watching the documentary Ressurect Dead: Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles, it is suggested that the tiles have a religious tie.
Following the obsession of a man trying to discover the person responsible for the Toynbee tiles, the documentary delves into possible suspects, eventually narrowing down to a mysterious character that refuses to interact with the documentary crew. Theories of the tiles are explained such as how did someone place mosaic tiles in the middle of busy roads without anyone noticing? One theory suggests the artist gutted the bottom of their car to drive on newly paved roads, strategically placing the tiles in the asphalt without anyone blinking an eye
So what do the tiles mean? Although we may never know for sure until the creator comes forward, Max Rivlin-Nadler's article The Reappearance of The Toynbee Tiles: What Does It Mean, found on gothamist.com, elaborates that the reference to Toynbee can either relate to writings of Arnold Toynbee or "The Toynbee Covector", written by Ray Bradbury. From there it has been found that Toynbee ideas may have to do with the plausible fact that real resurrection is capable both on a religious and scientific level.
In Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, the main character is sucked into a portal, which happens to be near Jupiter. While in the portal, the astronaut essentially witnesses death and rebirth, tying the ideas together.
Toynbee Tile Locations in Buffalo, New York
Crosswalk of 1300 Elmwood Avenue between Buffalo State College and Albright Knox
Washington Avenue and Lafayette
Elmwood Avenue and Bidwell Parkway
Many of the Toynbee tiles have since been covered or removed so it is hard to find them, but possible to see remnants of them in the asphalt of roads throughout the city if you pay attention.
