Step 2: The red circle indicates the area where we began working with Symbol 1 in this photograph. Starting at top left of the Marcel photograph, the first apparent symbol was labeled Symbol 1. Under magnification, left and right edges of the beam are highly visible. The beam extends from top left to bottom right of photo. Edges of the beam are visible above and are parallel to each other. Note how symbols are placed equidistant from each other.

After enlarging the photo up to 16X, working with it at 8X was the clearest. Light and dark were inverted periodically to acquire a feel for the spacing of the symbols. This led to some preliminary conclusions about the symbols.

1. The circular areas or circles appear to located at the tips of lines, or at the starting and ending of each line of a symbol. The circles go up and down the entire beam.

2. The characters are clearly 3-D and are incised into the "metal" or solid structure of the beam. The highlighted areas are the surface areas next to an incised symbol.

3. Due to damage suffered by the beam, some of the symbols are bent along the sides. Tracing them would have produced a curved line, when in reality, the line would have been straight originally.

4. No evidence is suggested under this magnification that glue or other substances dripped, melted or ran over the surface causing the symbols.