The most mysterious archaeological finds.
Sometimes unusual artifacts discovered deep underground call into question our usual hypotheses about the origin and development of human civilization.
Around such finds, heated debates flare up about their origin and purpose. Our selection includes just these: the most mysterious finds of archaeologists.
One of the most mysterious structures of antiquity was found in 1891, 30 km from the capital of Mongolia. The complex was built about 1,300 years ago in the middle of a mountain lake. But archaeologists have no evidence to explain the purpose of the Clay House or point to the civilization that built it.
9. Salzburg parallelepiped
A metal object weighing 785 g was found in Austria in 1885 in a piece of coal, whose age ranges from 25 to 67 million years. The ideally correct shape does not suggest that the parallelepiped is a fragment of a meteorite. Among fans of the theory about the extraterrestrial origin of humanity, the most popular version is about the alien nature of the discovery.
8. Ural “spirals”
Spirals measuring 3 cm are made of an alloy of copper, tungsten and molybdenum. It is possible to make such products only with a certain level of development of science and technology. At the same time, scientists estimate the age of the spirals at 300 thousand years.
7. Antikythera Mechanism
This artifact was discovered on the wreckage of a ship that sank off the coast of Greece. The age of the find is 2 thousand years. The mechanism contains 37 bronze gears housed in a wooden case with a dial. Most likely, the mechanism was intended to calculate the movement of celestial bodies. There were simply no analogues to the device in ancient culture.
6. Voynich Manuscript
The mysterious manuscript is written in a language unknown to mankind and indecipherable. The manuscript was discovered while clearing the rubble in the basement of one of the Italian monasteries. The parchment on which the text is written dates back to the 15th century. The most famous cryptologists and riddle lovers are working on the decryption. But for now, the meaning of the Voynich manuscript remains a mystery.
5. Stone balls from Costa Rica
The purpose of these balls, made from igneous sedimentary rocks, remains a mystery. Ideally shaped balls weigh up to 16 tons. Who, when and with what technology gave the blocks an ideal shape is unknown.
4. Baltic anomaly
A stone anomaly discovered in 2011 at the very bottom of the Baltic Sea, according to some scientists, may be the remains of an ancient spaceship that crashed. Although other scientists argue that the correct shape of the anomaly may be the result of the movement of an ancient glacier.
3. Genetic drive
A disk with a diameter of 27 cm found in Colombia would be difficult to manufacture even with the use of modern technologies, since the lydite from which it is made has the highest strength and at the same time a layered structure. However, more scientists are amazed by the process of fertilization of an egg and the development of life depicted on the disk.
2. Figurine in a space suit
In an ancient Egyptian tomb in the area of Tel El-Tabila, among the ritual figurines, one was discovered that did not resemble any of the previously found ones. The creature with the head of a lizard is dressed in a suit resembling a spacesuit.
1. Bas-reliefs in the Temple of Hathor (Lamp of Dendera)
In 1969, during excavations in Egypt, images were discovered that surprisingly resembled modern electric lamps. A number of enthusiastic scientists even reconstructed the mysterious lamps using modern technologies.
Despite the level of technological progress and all the accumulated knowledge about the history of our planet and the civilizations that inhabited it, we still cannot understand some mysterious discoveries.
Most finds allow scientists to learn something new about the past, but there are also artifacts that contradict all logic and challenge generally accepted knowledge about the capabilities of ancient peoples. For example, how exactly was Stonehenge built? Why were the Nazca geoglyphs drawn? Who wrote the Devil's Bible?
However, if we do not understand something, this does not mean that we still cannot try to learn something new thanks to mysterious findings. As a result, researchers will definitely find all the answers. For now, let's just find out what kind of puzzles modern archaeologists are struggling with. Here is a selection of 25 such secrets of the past!
25. Roman dodecahedrons
Roman dodecahedrons date back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD and still remain a real mystery to the scientific community. The diameter of these artifacts usually ranges from 3 to 11 centimeters, they are most often made of bronze and represent a polyhedron of 12 regular pentagons with round holes and balls at the top of each corner. According to some versions, dodecahedrons were used either for ritual purposes or as a measuring device. These were very valuable objects, and throughout Europe archaeologists have already found several hundred of these mysterious artifacts.
24. Giant circles
Photo: Rei-artur blog
In Jordan and Syria, 8 huge circles were discovered using satellite imagery. The diameter of the figures ranges from 220 to 455 meters, and no one knows exactly when they appeared here, or why they were drawn. Archaeologists are still excavating the site where the mysterious formations were discovered, but they are already suggesting that these objects date back to the period from the beginning of the Bronze Age to the times of the Roman Empire.
23. Copper scroll
Photo: Wikipedia Commons.com
Among the other scrolls found in the Dead Sea area, there is one manuscript that is different from all the others. The discovery was made in 1952, and unlike parchment or papyrus artifacts, this scroll is made of a metal alloy (mostly copper). The manuscript contains approximately the following text: “In the large cistern, which is located in the courtyard of the pillared hall, in the recess opposite the door, in the corner, nine hundred talents are hidden. In the cistern under the wall on the east side there are six hundred silver bars. In the southern corner of the columned hall at the tomb of Zadok and under the column in the meeting hall there is a spruce vessel for incense and the same vessel made of cassia wood.” Yes, this is a real treasure map. Historians and ordinary treasure hunters have been trying in vain to find this treasure for many years. Some experts even began to suggest that the text is of a metaphorical nature or is more of a kind of recommendation rather than a description of an already completed hiding place.
22. Letters rongo-rongo
Photo: Wikipedia Commons.com
Rongorongo writing was found on Easter Island in the 19th century. They are a collection of wooden tablets covered with mysterious hieroglyphs of unknown origin. No one has ever been able to decipher the meaning of these ancient letters, but some scientists believe that deciphering these texts could help shed light on the mysterious disappearance of the ancient civilization that once inhabited Easter Island.
21. Scottish pyramids of Clava
Photo: Elliott Simpson
These mysterious stone structures are almost 4,000 years old and were discovered on the south bank of the River Nairn in Scotland. Piles of stones are diluted with vertically standing megaliths (stone blocks), and most of all scientists are puzzled by the question of how exactly the people of those years managed to collect all these heavy boulders in one place and install them in the form of a ring monument. In addition, researchers do not quite understand why this ancient complex was built in the first place. Among most theories, the most common ones involve burial rituals, solstice sightings, and even aliens.
20. Pot-bellied Hill or Gobekli Tepe
Photo: Teomancimit
Göbekli Tepe is a huge archaeological complex discovered in Turkey, whose age is approximately 11,000 years old, that is, it is 6,000 years older than even the legendary Stonehenge. In the temple complex, many pillars decorated with carved silhouettes of animals and other mystical creatures, as well as many other religious buildings, were discovered. Initially hidden under a 15-meter hill, the complex was mistaken for an ancient cemetery, but archaeologists later realized that they were faced with something more grandiose. Most likely, it was a temple, but research is still ongoing.
19. American Stonehenge
Photo: (WT-shared) Jtesla16 at wts wikivoyage
American Stonehenge was discovered in the town of Salem, New Hampshire (Salem, New Hampshire). This amazing monument is a system of caves and stone structures, and its origin is still unclear and causes a lot of controversy among experienced archaeologists. The territory on which the complex is located belonged to the Pattees family, but the site remained unnoticed until William Goodwin bought the land in 1937. Since then, archaeological excavations have begun here. Radiocarbon dating showed that they worked on the creation of this mysterious place as early as 2000 BC. But who exactly lived in this American Stonehenge is still unknown to science.
18. Stone balls of Costa Rica Las Bolas
Photo: Shutterstock
Locals call them Las Bolas (balls). These spherical artifacts are scattered along the coast of the Diquis River Delta, on the Nicoya Peninsula and on Caño Island in southern Costa Rica. The giant stone spheres date back to around 600 AD and are composed primarily of gabbro (igneous rock). The purpose of the stone balls is still a mystery, but scientists speculate that they were either used as wayfinders or for the purpose of studying the stars.
17. Treasures and the mysterious disappearance of the Sanxingdui people
Photo: Nishanshaman
This archaeological mystery lies not so much in the artifacts themselves, but in the creators of the finds. In 1929 and again in 1986, a pit containing jade items was discovered in the Chinese province of Sichuan. A simple peasant was the first to find it, and several decades later, a full-fledged excavation was finally carried out here. The treasury contained bronze and stone artifacts, elephant tusks and other amazing finds. Apparently, the Sanxingdui culture lived in these lands on the banks of the Minjing River about 3,000 years ago, but suddenly it literally disappeared from the face of the Earth, and scientists are still wondering why. Among the probable causes are war and famine. One of the most recent speculations involves a strong earthquake. Perhaps, during the next powerful shock, a serious landslide occurred, blocking the river bed and changing its course, which forced the ancient settlement to hastily change its place of residence in search of a new source of water.
16. Nazca geoglyphs
Photo: Unukorno
The lines and geometric patterns in the Nazca Desert (Peru) are one of the world's greatest archaeological mysteries. Scattered throughout the Peruvian plateau are a great many of these mysterious designs, which appeared between 500 AD and 500 BC. The unusual size, huge number, plot and structure of these geoglyphs have puzzled the most prominent scientists. The main version says that these lines and drawings are associated with some ancient rituals or were used by ancient scientists to observe the starry sky.
15. Baghdad battery
Photo: Boynton/flickr
This artifact is almost 2000 years old. A Baghdad battery was found in a suburb of the Iraqi capital. In front of you is a clay vessel with a bitumen stopper and an iron rod passed through the stopper into the vase itself, inside of which there is also a copper cylinder. When filled with vinegar, this battery is capable of producing an electrical voltage of 1.1 volts. However, no written evidence has been found that these vessels were used in this manner. Scientists have not discovered any other devices that would work using these ancient galvanic elements. Skeptics believe that these were ordinary vessels for storing manuscripts.
14. Underground city of Derinkuyu
Photo: Nevit Dilmen
In the Turkish province of Nevsehir, a real city was hidden right underground for many years. There are many similar dungeons in Turkey, but Derinkuyu is the largest of them. The shelter consists of 8 levels and descends to a depth of 80 meters. The cave kingdom was built around the 8th century BC, and the first inhabitants were the ancient Phrygians, and then the early Christians, who hid here from persecution. However, the original purpose of such a grandiose underground structure still remains unknown.
13. Shroud of Turin
Photo: Dianelos Georgoudis
The Shroud of Turin is a 4-meter linen cloth with an imprint of the body of a man executed on the cross. The Shroud is kept in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin and is recognized as one of the most important Christian relics, since believers believe that it was the body of Jesus Christ that was wrapped in it when he was buried in the tomb of a Jewish elder. Scientific research has not yet shed light on the age of the canvas, since some experts believe that the fabric was produced during the Middle Ages, while other scientists attribute it to the time of Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church does not recognize the shroud as authentic, and the Orthodox Church has so far refused to take an official position on this matter.
12. Underwater cairn
Photo: Nemo
In Lake Tiberias, using the echolocation method, scientists recently discovered an entire underwater pyramid. The pile of stones stretches approximately 70 meters in diameter, but archaeologists have not yet been able to determine its age or purpose. There are a lot of tilapia swimming in this lake, which has led some experts to believe that this structure was once used for fishing.
11. Stonehenge
Photo: garethwiscombe
Stonehenge is a very famous archaeological complex, which has long been considered a real mystery. The largest stone blocks weigh approximately 25 tons and rise 9 meters above the ground. Some of these giant boulders were brought from West Wales, meaning they were dragged as far as 225 kilometers. How exactly the ancient inhabitants of these places managed to transport such heavy stones is still unknown. Carrying them probably required the coordinated work of several thousand people at once. If this was all true, then the creation of this complex should have marked the real unification of England in those years, because the construction required very serious resources and the involvement of a large number of workers.
10. Sound effects in the hypogeum (sanctuary) of Hal Saflieni
Photo: Wikipedia Commons.com
The Hal Saflieni Temple is located in Malta, and this prehistoric complex is almost 5,000 years old. In addition, it is one of the very few underground sanctuaries dating back to the Bronze Age. No one knows exactly why this hypogeum was built, but the main version is that it served as a refuge for the prophet, and subsequently a burial ground was organized here. This place becomes even more mysterious due to its unusual properties, due to which sounds here are perceived in an unusual way. There is a special room in the dungeon where all the lowest sounds resonate as loudly as if you were in the center of a giant bell, but outside of this room you can hardly hear anything. Was this what ancient people intended during the construction of the complex, or was this an unforeseen effect?
9. Khatt Shebib
Photo: Pixabay.com
Sir Alec Kirkbride discovered the Hutt Shebib in 1948. This is an ancient wall that stretches 150 kilometers across almost the entire Jordan. Since its opening, the structure has been shrouded in mystery and has captivated the minds of prominent archaeologists. No one still knows how ancient the Hutt Shebib is, or what it was intended for. Today, only modest ruins remain of the wall, although previously it was supposedly not too high, which means that the wall was certainly not designed for defensive purposes. It is possible that it was used by ancient farmers, or that it was some kind of symbol of boundaries.
8. Giant Codex or Devil's Bible
Photo: Wikipedia Commons.com
The Codex Gigas (in Latin) is a medieval parchment manuscript recognized as the most voluminous and heaviest handwritten book in all of Western Europe. The vault is so heavy that only 2 people can move it at a time, because the weight of this block is about 75 kilograms. The Gigantic Codex includes the Old and New Testaments, as well as several other texts - the works of Josephus, Isidore of Seville's Etymology, Cosmas of Prague's Czech Chronicle and other books in Latin. The author of the codex is unknown, but presumably he was a single person - a hermit monk who worked on the creation of the manuscript for several decades in a row. This collection was called the Devil's Bible because it also contains a full-page image of Satan.
7. Puma Punku
Photo: Janikorpi
Puma Punku is a Bolivian complex consisting of huge megaliths, carved from stone with the greatest precision. The most important mystery today is not so much the purpose of some of the local objects, but their age. Expert opinions are divided and very different from each other. So, some scientists believe that the complex appeared around 500-600 BC, while others believe that the artifacts are almost 17,000 years old. Another amazing feature of Puma Punku is the incredible precision with which the stones were processed. The blocks look as if they were cut using a diamond cutter, but such technology is unlikely to have existed in such ancient times.
6. Longyou Caves
Photo: Zhangzhugang
Discovered in 1992 near the village of Longyu, the amazing Longyu Caves are a whole system of man-made dungeons that were flooded for a long time. They were discovered while cleaning local ponds, and in the end it turned out that the height of some of the rooms reaches 30 meters. None of the 24 has communication with the neighboring one, but they all have common walls. The dungeons are simply huge, made with incredible skill and require significant effort to create them, but for some reason not a single historical document mentions their existence. The age of the structures was determined by a number of indirect signs (for example, stalactites) and is approximately 2200 years old.
5. Super-Henge
Photo: anonymous
Not far from the famous Stonehenge, archaeologists have discovered an even larger complex hidden deep underground. It was called Superhenge, and this monument consists of 90 huge stone blocks, reminiscent of the megaliths from Stonehenge. Scientists discovered the complex using ground-penetrating radar, and the monument has still not been excavated. Experts find it difficult to answer the question about the purpose of the object, but they are sure that all these stones were buried here with some special intention.
4. Stone labyrinths of Bolshoi Zayatsky Island
Photo: Vitold Muratov
A small Russian island, lost in the White Sea, no more than 2.5 square kilometers in size, is a practically uninhabited piece of land that keeps many secrets. For example, did you know that stone labyrinths have been decorating this place for almost 32 thousand years? All these piles and strange mounds cover the main part of the island, but archaeologists still have not figured out who exactly built the mysterious labyrinths and for what purpose. Perhaps these were religious altars or other ritual objects.
3. Stone slab Cochno
Photo: University of Glasgow
In Scotland, archaeologists have unearthed a 5,000-year-old stone slab decorated with unusual geometric patterns. The Cochno Stone (from the name of the farm near which the artifact was found) is 13 meters long and 7.9 meters wide, and scientists called the designs carved into its surface “bowls and ring marks.” Similar patterns are found around the world and in other prehistoric locations. The meaning of these drawings remains unknown to this day, as well as who created them. In addition, it is not clear how exactly ancient people managed to leave these marks in places so distant from each other. The Kochnin slab was transported to another place not only for further research, but also to protect it from attacks by vandals.
2 Microscopic Copper Finds That Are Nearly 300,000 Years Old
Photo: ugraland
In 1991, mysterious artifacts were discovered on the banks of the Narada, Kozhim and Balbanyu rivers in the Ural Mountains. The microscopic spiral-shaped copper and tungsten parts are surprising because experts are still arguing about their age. Some scientists suggest that these finds are somehow related to rocket tests at the nearby Baikonur and Plesetsk cosmodromes. However, other researchers argue that the rocks in which these mysterious springs were found are too ancient, and analysis of these layers has shown that the finds may be approximately 300,000 years old.
1. Tomb with skulls from Sanken
Photo: Pixabay.com
In Sweden, archaeologists have discovered a burial site of human remains that are almost 8,000 years old. Researchers found 11 skulls of men, women, children and infants there. Scientists have probably stumbled upon a tomb built here during the Stone Age, when hunters and gatherers strung the heads of the dead on one common pole and buried them in lakes. No one knows exactly how and why the ancient people came up with such a terrible ritual.
Very often, questions generated by archaeological finds remain unanswered. Revealed from the darkness of oblivion, witnesses of the distant past keep their secrets. Sometimes they only perplex researchers, and sometimes they terrify, striking with their cruelty that goes beyond the limits of reason. Some archaeological finds, photos of which are presented in the article, belong specifically to this category.
frozen cry
The Egyptian Antiquities Service is a serious organization where all archaeological finds that come into its field of view are scrupulously entered into the appropriate accounting registers. Mr. Gaston Maspero, who worked in this department for a considerable number of years, saw everyone, and when a new batch of artifacts arrived in November 1886, he got down to business as usual.
The day was already approaching evening, when he had to register the last figure, still hidden under a layer of ancient materials. The official, with his usual movement, cut and moved to the sides the ancient shroud that tightly hugged the mummy. What he saw made him recoil. In the crimson rays of the sun sinking beyond the horizon, a body bent in convulsions with arms and legs stretched like a prisoner’s appeared before him.
But this was not what horrified the seasoned official. The wide open mouth of the mummy was twisted in a silent scream that had frozen several millennia ago. The head was thrown back, and seemed to be looking at Mr. Maspero with bottomless eye sockets full of suffering.
Having come to his senses, the official realized that he had unwittingly witnessed the last act of a tragedy that had played out in the distant past, and perhaps a crime. There was no doubt that this unfortunate man, whose body was now lying on the table of one of the offices of the Antiquities Service, was buried alive. What caused such cruelty will forever remain a mystery.
The ancient Egyptians, when sending loved ones on journeys through the afterlife, gave great importance to his mouth, since it was believed that it should be forever closed, otherwise the deceased would not find peace. Nevertheless, these screaming dead appear before archaeologists to this day. They are sometimes found among the American Indians, the Celts, and other peoples. It seems that they stand guard in the depths of ancient burials, scaring off uninvited guests - treasure seekers - with their screams.
Headless Skeletons
Several years ago, many British newspapers came out with screaming headlines - “The Nightmare of Dorset County”, “The Horror of Dorset County” and other variations on this theme. What alarmed the journalists so much and made ordinary people forget about other newspaper news for a while? And this is what happened.
In those days, repair work was carried out on one of the oldest roads in Dorset, which is located in the southwest of the country and washed by the waters of the English Channel. They dismantled the old pavement, which had long since outlived its usefulness, and in its place a modern road surface was laid. Suddenly, a bulldozer, working slightly to the side of the road, moved the top layer of earth with its knife, revealing what was hidden underneath from human eyes.
Many human bones, darkened by time, appeared before the eyes of the astonished workers. The find was reported to the police. Those, having arrived and completed all the formalities necessary in such cases, informed the employees of the Royal Archaeological Society.
When the scientists arrived at the place and began to study the burial ground, the first thing that caught their eye was the absence of skulls. They were discovered a little later, after additional excavations. The skulls were buried nearby, and it seemed as if they had been deliberately laid out in an even pyramid.
The remains of ancient weapons were also discovered here - swords and shields, the characteristic features of which determined that their owners were undoubtedly Vikings. But the main sensation lay ahead. When they began to study each of the skeletons in detail, it turned out that their position indicated that those unfortunate people to whom they once belonged were first buried in the ground standing up to shoulder level, and only after that they lost their heads.
These terrible archaeological finds have received the most likely explanation. In the ninth century, the Vikings launched devastating raids into Britain. The county of Dorset, located on the shore of the strait, became their next prey. Obviously, at some point, military luck turned against these robbers, and fifty-four thugs (this is exactly the number of human remains that scientists counted) fell into the hands of local residents.
The times were barbaric, and one should not be surprised at the imagination with which the aggressors were punished. They were buried up to their necks and their heads were cut off, apparently with some kind of peasant sickles or scythes. The peculiarities of the soil in this part of the country have allowed evidence of this terrible massacre to survive to this day.
"Matryoshka" from hell
In 2009, something was added to the category of “unexplained archaeological finds” for which even the most approximate explanation could not be found. This year, in Sweden, in Motala, on the territory where there was once a lake, excavations were carried out. Suddenly, a strange object fell into the hands of scientists; it looked like a stone, but turned out to be a human skull.
Such archaeological finds are by no means uncommon, but in this case something alerted the researchers. The reason was the unusual weight of the skull - undoubtedly, it contained something that was still hidden from prying eyes. The X-ray results amazed scientists. It turned out that their find consisted of eleven (!) human skulls nested inside each other. In front of them was some kind of creepy “matryoshka”, which appeared from the dark depths of the underworld.
It’s hard to even imagine how many people, from babies to very old people, paid with their lives for the sake of this hellish souvenir, where the skulls were driven into each other with amazing precision. Unusual archaeological finds always excite the minds of researchers and give rise to many hypotheses. So it was this time. However, no convincing explanation for the discovery was made. Whether it was an element of some ancient ritual or simply the product of someone’s sick fantasy - forever remained a mystery.
Swiss watch from an ancient tomb
Recently, mysterious archaeological finds, classified as a special group called “anomalous artifacts,” have been increasingly mentioned in the media. We are talking about the attributes of modern life, discovered during excavations of cultural layers dating back to long-gone eras. Let's give a few examples.
Several years ago, Chinese scientists, while excavating an ancient tomb in the Guangxi region, unexpectedly discovered an object that resembled a ring. Having cleared it of dust, the scientists discovered that they were holding a watch in their hands. Yes, yes, elegant women's watches, and also Swiss. The age of the tomb where this find was discovered was four hundred years old, and it had never been opened - there was no doubt about that. How did modern watches get into it?
A hammer made before humans appeared on Earth
In 1936, in the US state of Texas, scientists were presented with a puzzle that has remained unsolved to this day. In layers of limestone that are one hundred and forty million years old, a hammer was discovered that was literally embedded in the rock. Its handle has petrified and turned into coal, which confirms its multi-million-year-old age. The metal from which the hammer was made was something unique. According to experts, such pure iron has never been obtained in the entire history of world metallurgy.
Scientists around the world recognize that such mysterious archaeological finds are by no means uncommon. There are many cases where certain objects of our modern life are discovered in rocks dating back many millions of years and formed long before the appearance of the first people. Official science cannot give any explanation for this phenomenon and therefore simply ignores such facts.
Time travel - technology of the future
Let's give another example. In Texas, during scientific research, one of the surprises awaited archaeologists, which also had no rational explanation. Human footprints were discovered under a layer of rock, and next to them were dinosaur footprints. The improbability of this combination lies in the fact that ancient reptiles lived on Earth many millions of years before the appearance of the first people. This fact has long been established by science and is beyond doubt.
Archaeological finds of this kind, due to their mystery, give rise to the most daring and sometimes incredible hypotheses. How, other than time travel, can one explain such a combination of attributes of different eras, sometimes lagging behind each other by millions of years? In our modern life, things that until recently seemed fantastic have become commonplace. Who knows, maybe time travel is a very real technology that is not yet known to us.
Siberian finds
But let’s return from the realm of hypotheses to the realm where there are archaeological finds that are fully recognized by scientific circles. The Novosibirsk Local History Museum, for example, contains exhibitions that undoubtedly deserve close attention. And although they do not shock, like those artifacts discussed above, they can nevertheless serve as food for the richest imagination.
Interesting archaeological finds were included in the museum’s exhibits after excavations carried out in the Moshkovsky district near Novosibirsk. We are talking about a cult site where ritual sacrifices were performed for at least seven centuries. No, no, no charred human bones were found, and the representatives of the Kulai tribes who left us this monument were not distinguished by wild morals, but these finds are unique in their own way.
The fact is that at this sacred place, in addition to a large number of ancient jewelry, arrowheads and elements of combat and everyday clothing, two burials were discovered, placed in stone sarcophagi made from monolithic granite slabs. Considering that they are at least two thousand years old, one can only speculate as to how these ancient Siberian tribes managed to mine granite, process it, and construct geometrically perfect structures from it. Where did they get these technologies and where did they disappear to?
Exhibits of the Omsk Museum
You can also see unusually interesting archaeological finds in the Omsk Local History Museum. Everything that was brought here from scientific expeditions became not just exhibits of the exhibition, but also elements on the basis of which reconstructions of dwellings belonging to the most different eras were created. Among them is a tent made of animal skins, dating back to the Stone Age, and a dugout, the dwelling of people of the Middle Ages.
The earliest site of ancient people in this area is fourteen and a half thousand years old. In science, this period is considered the end of the Early Stone Age. He presented scientists with many interesting archaeological finds. Artifacts obtained by Omsk archaeologists irrefutably prove that already in those days their fellow countrymen used bows, sailed in boats, knew weaving and mastered the art of pottery. In harsh and snowy winters, they used skis for transportation, which other peoples developed only many centuries later.
Alpine find
It is also interesting to recall the latest archaeological finds, which were widely covered in the media. Among them, the most ancient mummy of a European man, discovered in the Alps in the nineties of the last century, aroused the greatest interest in the scientific world. It was discovered on the border of Italy and Austria. Its age is more than five thousand years.
Research has shown that the mummy belongs to a forty-six-year-old man who was engaged in cattle breeding and died from an arrow. In addition, deciphering the genome helped establish that he had brown eyes, and was in many ways similar to the modern inhabitants of Corsica and Sardinia.
Priestess from the Scythian steppes
Another mummy, found during the same period on the border of Mongolia, was called the “Princess of Ukok.” This mummy got its name from the plateau where it was discovered in one of the burial mounds of the Scythian period. After a comprehensive study of the find, it was determined that the “princess,” whom the Mongols consider their ancestor, died while still a very young woman. She was no more than twenty-six years old.
It is curious that during her burial she was dressed in rich silk clothes, and her body was decorated with a tattoo depicting griffin figures. In addition, six horses were buried with her in the mound. All these details indicate that the found mummy, in all likelihood, belonged to one of the Scythian priestesses.
Amulet from the Moscow region
Recalling the famous archaeological finds of recent years, one cannot fail to mention the most curious artifacts discovered quite recently during excavations in the area of the village of Myakinino not far from Moscow. Among them, the so-called serpentine amulet deserves special attention. Archaeological finds in Russia often represent a variety of amulets, amulets and other sacred objects, the purpose of which is to protect their owners from various dark forces.
The peculiarity of this find is that it can rightfully be called an intermediate element in the transition from paganism to Christianity. On one side of this cast bronze amulet there is a relief image of the scene of the baptism of Jesus Christ, and on the other there is a mythical figure of a woman whose legs turn into the bodies of eleven writhing snakes.
Archaeological ancient finds like this are often striking in their complete inconsistency with current Christian canons, and testify to the naive and, in part, childish attitude of our distant ancestors towards the higher powers that guided their lives. One gets the impression that the ancient master placed both images, so incompatible with each other, on the amulet, guided by simple logic - maybe someone will help.
Some of the discoveries that have shocked the world
Listing the most interesting archaeological finds that caused the greatest public outcry, one can list the discoveries made by scientists in various parts of the planet. There are a huge number of them. Among them, we will definitely remember the skull of the so-called “Venetian vampire”. Unlike his brothers, who ended their nightly feasts with a stake in their chest, this native of the world of shadows had his mouth filled with cement. With this stone gag in his mouth, his skull was found in the vicinity of Venice.
Reports of excavations carried out in 2006 in the area of the Mexican capital horrified the public with the number of mutilated human and animal remains removed from the ground. Much was already known about the bloody sacrifices of the Aztecs, but these excavations demonstrated the scale of such actions, and the satanic imagination of their performers. All the horror of that era appeared before humanity in full.
Sometimes researchers make sensational discoveries in the most unexpected places. For example, while studying the sewerage system of ancient Roman-Byzantine baths in Israel, archaeologists unexpectedly stumbled upon a huge accumulation of children's remains. How they got there, and what prompted someone to commit such a barbaric act by throwing them into the sewer, will forever remain a dark mystery of past centuries.
Discovery of Heinrich Schliemann
What archaeological finds have gained the greatest worldwide fame and influenced the further development of science? Probably the most significant of them was the discovery made in 1865 by Heinrich Schliemann. Yes, yes, we are talking about the discovery of the legendary Troy. Having read Homer and becoming his connoisseur and admirer, Schliemann could not imagine that the description of Troy was given by his favorite author only as a poetic fiction. Contrary to the prevailing opinion at that time, he wholeheartedly believed in the historicity of everything that the ancient poet described.
He believed and searched. Thanks to this man's obsession, he and his colleagues discovered the ruins of an ancient city, and Troy itself ceased to be a legend. Heinrich Schliemann went down in history not only as an outstanding researcher, but also as a symbol of determination, capable of accomplishing what is generally considered impossible. Many archaeological finds, photos of which are given in this article, were discovered by the followers of this remarkable German scientist. It was he who inspired entire generations of archaeologists to work, the crown of which was new discoveries.
In the article about the most terrible finds, we posted such exhibits that at first shocked the members of the expeditions that found them, and after the publication of the facts, they shocked the world community.
Virgin of Llullaillaco
The mummy of a girl, who was 13-14 years old at the time of her death, was found in the Andes at an altitude of 6,700 meters by German archaeologist Johann Reinhard.
After research, it became clear that the Incas sacrificed the girl; before that, she was fed high-quality food for a year, and at the same time pumped with narcotic substances. Rather, the terrible death occurred as a result of an overabundance of drugs in the child’s body.
We judge this from the standpoint of the morality of today, but at that time, creepy morals, as it seems to us, were a common occurrence, fueled by religious ideas. By the way, on our website you can see an interesting article about the most unusual ones in the world.
Cemetery of Babies
What could be worse than infanticide? In 1988, work was carried out to study the aqueducts of the Roman Empire near the Israeli city of Ashkelon. As a result of their work, scientists stumbled upon a terrible burial ground in which only infants were buried.
Historians have found out that in ancient times there was an establishment where children were killed at this place. The fact is that according to Roman law, if the father did not recognize the child before the age of 2, he was killed.
Thus, they also got rid of illegitimate children. The boys were killed immediately, but the girls could be saved, and, having matured, they joined the ranks of the priestesses of the most ancient profession.
In 1886, while exploring the pyramids of Egypt, Egyptologist Gaston Maspero found an unusual mummy not of royal origin at all. The buried person was wrapped in sheep's clothing, and the accompanying grave goods were completely absent.
But something else surprised the researchers. Having unwound the mummy, they saw that the hands of the deceased were tied, and his face was frozen as if distorted by a scream. He was given the name "Unknown Man E", and later several more similar burials were discovered.
Scientists' opinions are divided. Some talked about the terrible death that befell these people, and part of the scientific community now agrees that the open mouth is a consequence of natural causes.
Six month old baby
This find is scary simply because of the age of the buried Inuit boy. At the time of his death, which happened around 1475, he was only 6 months old.
It was discovered during archaeological research on the island of Greenland, and 7 other adults were buried next to it. Permafrost allowed not only the clothing, but also the skin of those buried to be well preserved.
This discovery allowed archaeologists and ethnographers to learn a lot about the way of life of the Greenland tribes, what they ate, what they were sick with, and what caused their death.
According to the site, the “most terrible finds” category also included the cemetery of headless Vikings, discovered in 2010 as a result of archaeological research in the English county of Dorset.
The worst thing was that the bodies of 54 warriors were beheaded, and their heads lay to the side of the bodies. In addition, several skulls were missing, and people were killed by a sword blow to the neck from the front.
Perhaps it was a mass demonstration execution, or a sacrifice to the Gods, and the missing skulls were taken as trophies, or put on display for the edification of their comrades.
Thanks to archeology, it was possible to solve a murder committed almost 3 thousand years ago. But it is possible that the man discovered in Denmark was strangled as a ritual sacrifice.
Living in the 3rd century BC, after being strangled, he was thrown into a swamp, so his body and face were well preserved, since peat is an excellent preservative. It was even possible to take a fingerprint.
Local boys discovered the body in 1950, and at first they thought it was their friend who had drowned earlier in these marshy swamps. The terrible discovery provided rich material for understanding the history of the very beginning of the Iron Age.
This discovery, made in 1952, also in the marshes of Denmark, shocked archaeologists not only with the hair preserved on the skull, but also with the causes of death.
According to scientists, he was stabbed to death, most likely by fellow villagers, and thrown into a swamp. In addition, his leg was broken, but it is impossible to determine whether the injury was sustained during life or during the fall.
Still, in the 3rd century BC there were cruel morals, and an innocent man, about 30 years old, was accused of a crop failure, and perhaps of some other troubles, and was killed in cold blood.
That's not all…
We have collected so much interesting material related to this topic that we simply cannot complete it here.
We continue the topic of archeology with an article about. It is very interesting!
