Archaeologists have one of the most difficult yet important jobs on Earth. Their discoveries have changed the course of history, how we view humans of the past, and how we live today as a society. However, not all these discoveries have been positive. Humans are notoriously harsh to their enemies, which has been the case for thousands of years...
Saksaywaman
The Stones of Saksaywaman are dated all the way back to 1100 AD. Found in Peru, these stones are so insanely structurally sound that not even a single piece of paper can fit in between them. Each one of these stones was hand carved with the mastery of a modern craftsman. Strangely enough, no modern tools were used to construct this structure, despite its near perfection.
The Voynich Manuscript
This strange book is one of the world's greatest mysteries. Nobody knows how to decipher this book, which is dated 1400—long after standardized language was established. Evidently, scientists think that this book is an old manuscript depicting the beginning of "holy sex education." However, since it is technically indecipherable, no one will ever truly know.
Aztec Sacrifices
The Aztec people essentially killed themselves off by performing an absurd number of human sacrifices that would leave the average person's head spinning. Archaeologists found the remains of thousands of people and animals beneath 2000 years of aging rubble. Only skeletons remained, but it was clear that these bodies underwent severe amounts of trauma before they were "disposed of." Most of the subjects were dismembered and decapitated.
Stone Age Tunnels
There is a half-mile of unbelievable underground tunnels that network into one another in Bavaria. A lot of these tunnels date back 12,000 years, and some scientists believe that these tunnels were a way for man to hide from predators when in exposed environments. Some of these tunnels have storage rooms, personal chambers, and even weirdly modern plumbing systems.
The Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone is the key to understanding the language and culture of the ancient Egyptian people. This stone is inscribed with three different scripts, one of which is written in Egyptian Hieroglyphics, another in Ancient Greek dialect, and the other in a Demotic script. This stone provided the format for Western society to understand the glyphs of older times.
The Grauballe Man
The Grauballe Man was found in a bog in Denmark around 1952. The bog remained frozen for the majority of the year, and his body was beautifully preserved. Even his hair and fingernails remained. Based on his wounds. this man was likely sacrificed to benefit the upcoming harvest. Whether that worked or not has yet to be determined.
Gold Spirals
In 2015, archaeologists discovered an enormous trove of 2,000 ornate gold spirals. These artifacts dated all the way back to the bronze ages in Denmark. Archaeologists have no clue what these were used for, but the general consensus is that they were some form of currency.
The Headless Vikings of Dorset
A mass grave in Dorset, England was found in 2009 that had 54 decapitated skeletons. Despite this, there were only 51 heads in the same grave. These individuals are believed to have been Scandanavian Vikings who were executed by Anglo-Saxons around 1000 AD.
Easter Island
Easter Island is one of the most famous and important archaeological finds in the history of time. Initially, scientists had no idea what to think about these strange sitting heads that were discovered off the coast of Chile. However, in 2015, archaeologists began to dig the heads up, revealing their bodies that were covered in vast, intricate tattoos. It's likely that these structures were built to show reverence to royalty who fell in battle.
A Watch in the Tomb
This strange object was discovered in 2008 by a documentary team that was filming about the Ming Dynasty. Although it looks like a standard wristwatch, it's most likely merely a coincidence that they look the same. This object was connected to a sealed tomb that dated back 400 years from when it was discovered.
The Longyou Caves
These caves are considered to be the Ninth Wonder of the World. They were discovered in the late 20th century and their enormity shocked archeologists and historians alike. Not only was there no written history about them at the time, scientists still have no idea why these caves are here at all.
Ancient Jewelry
Metalworking is one of the oldest professions in the history of time. Early adopters of the craft were able to work with soft metals, particularly gold, more effectively because they were unable to superheat harder metals to their melting point. This particular piece was found in a tomb on Cyprus island in the Mediterranean sea.
Pickled Brains
For some reason, archaeologists discovered a skull in Northern England that had a perfectly preserved brain intact within it. The skull was roughly 2,600 years old, and the brain that belonged to it was pickled by the Northern sea, helping it withstand the test of time. Some think that this person's head was removed and ritualistically separated from its owner's body to preserve the brain, but it seems more like a simple coincidence from a scientific standpoint.
The Baghdad Battery
This artifact was found in a tomb close to Baghdad, Iraq. Initially, archaeologists thought nothing of it—but, after years of research, a German museum curator confirmed that this vessel could be used to function as a battery. There is a massive amount of information regarding the potential that this was an ancient source of energy storage, but there has been no confirmation whether this vessel could actually perform its assumed function.
The Sewer of Babies
Israeli archaeologist Ross Voss discovered something extremely disturbing while exploring an ancient sewer system. What he initially thought was chicken bones ended up being multiple human infant bones. These bones were just sitting at the bottom of a sewer feed together. Presumably, the babies were all thrown down there alive. It is suggested that these infants were babies birthed by prostitutes that worked at a local bathhouse, but nobody really knows where they came from.
King Louis's Blood
When King Louis XVI died during the French Revolution, people ran to his body to collect his blood in handkerchiefs and absorbent clothing. Nobody really knows why, but in recent history, archaeologists have been discovering pieces of fabric that were rumored to contain his blood stashed away within pottery and artifacts from the era.
Alien Skulls
Woah there, partner! This isn't actually an alien skull. An enormous trove of these heads was found in Central America, suggesting that children were forced to bind and elongate their skulls from birth. The trauma around the sides of these skulls indicate that this was a particularly damaging process, and all of these skulls belonged to a child between the age of five and fifteen.
Göbekli Tepe
This historical site in Turkey was abandoned roughly 12,500 years ago. The Göbekli Tepe predates Stonehenge by 6,000 years. Nobody knows why this structure exists, or what this place was used for, but some scientists speculate that this area was used for religious purposes.
Giant Wombats
In 1993, an Australian archaeologist dug up a mass grave that was full of enormous lizards and fossilized wombat bones. These wombats have never been discovered anywhere else on Earth. The projected weight of one of these creatures is around 3.1 tons, which is roughly the weight of three Honda Civics stacked on top of one another.
Stone Spheres
There are hundreds of stone spheres scattered around the world. From Bolivia to Costa Rica, these bizarre balls have been largely speculated upon as far as their origin goes. Some conspiracy theorists suggest that these orbs were created by a superior ancient race, or maybe even aliens. In reality, they were just carved by some really diligent individuals.
Ancient Troy
Although they seem like science fiction, the fall of Troy and the Trojan war were real historical events. It wasn't until an archaeologist named Heinrich Schliemann started checking out the sites in 1868 that people actually started to believe the old folktales. Initially, people thought these sites were actually just modern arenas that had been buried during the Turkish civil war.
The Cave of Altamira
This cave was discovered in Marcelino Sanz de Saultuola, and it has become one of the wonders of the science world. These are extremely early, detailed cave paintings that were created by Neanderthals. These paintings have been dated to the paleolithic period, which changed the science community's perception of Neanderthal's ability to create sophisticated tools and artwork.
Cannibals
There have been hundreds of curious Neanderthal skeletons discovered around Spain in recent history. These figures were found with human teeth marks embedded in their bones, dating back nearly 49,000 years from current times. This is likely an indication of early cannibalism before it was societally taboo.
Otzi the Ice Man
Otzi was found frozen into a glacier in the mountains of Austria in 1991. He is the oldest preserved humanoid ever discovered, and the fact that his body is intact is a borderline miracle. His blood was even well preserved enough to study, which is unheard of in specimens that are just 100 years old.
Early Domesticated Cats
The inclusion of cats in society has been a mystery since they were discovered to be included in ancient works of art. Although Egyptian society is widely credited for their early domestication of felines, China was most likely the first place to domesticate cats. These cats would defend farmer's grain fields from rodents in exchange for housing and affection.
The Unfinished Obelisk
This strange, unexplained formation is the oldest stone obelisk on earth. Found in Aswa, Egypt, this behemoth clocks in at 138 feet tall, weighing nearly 1,200 tons. The obelisk was carved out of one solid piece of bedrock, but nobody knows why or how it happened.
Dead Sea Scrolls
A set of scrolls were recovered from the deepest point in the Red Sea between 1947 and 1956. These scrolls were discovered in eleven caves hidden around the Northwestern Shore. These manuscripts are the oldest documented relics of the beginning of Christianity on Earth.
The Pilate Stone
This is the only physical evidence of the existence of Pontius Pilate, the man who condemned Jesus to death. The stone was part of an ancient Roman theater that was owned by Pilate. While this does not prove any of the stories in the bible, this is serious evidence that someone named Pontiouis Pilate actually lived at one point.
Knossos
Knossos is the rumored location of the great labyrinth that supposedly protected ancient Greek society. Additionally, this is the location in which the Minotaur was supposed to reside. Although these rumors are hard to believe, scientists can neither credit or discredit the Minotaur's existence nor can they disprove the existence of the labyrinth.
The Library of Alexandria
This was the largest collection of historical text in the history of man, showcasing scientific and biological recordings long before these concepts were even considered important. However, it is likely that Julius Caesar ordered the library to be burned, but some research indicates that the library was burned down because of government budget cuts. The texts that survived were rewritten over time, thankfully.
The Gate of the Sun
This archway is located in Bolivia and it dates all the way back to 14,000 BC. When this gate was discovered, it was laying on its side on the ground with an enormous crack running through it. Its intended use is unknown, but some pseudo-scientists believe that the Gate of the Sun was used as a portal to another dimension.
Mount Owen Moa
Right around 30 years ago, some archaeologists discovered a strange dinosaur-like claw frozen in an ice cap in New Zealand. The specimen was still covered in flesh and preserved bone, and it's assumed to have belonged to a large prehistoric bird. This bird is called a Moa. The claw is roughly 3,300-years-old, and scientists are considering cloning this creature with the leftover DNA.
Vampire Burials
Evidently, vampires were a huge problem in 14th century Bulgaria. There have been hundreds of skeletons found with iron stakes driven through their ribcages, indicating that these people were suspected to be vampires and they were given proper executions. However, there is one glaring problem: vampires have never existed, and these people were just senselessly murdered.
The Terracotta Army
These stone soldiers were discovered in Xian, China in 1974 by farmers who were digging a well to hydrate their rice paddy. Instead of hitting an underground spring, the farmers busted into a chamber that housed 6,000 terracotta men. In 1976, another two chambers containing these terracotta men were discovered not too far from the first. The army was built to guard the underground tomb of the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang.
The Desert Kites
Archaeologists discovered this series of walls in the Negev Desert while searching the plot for oil pockets. Some of these walls were up to 40 miles in length, and their existence perplexed those who studied them. It is assumed that these walls were used by hunters to lure large animals into closed-off areas to trap them easier. However, nobody knows the truth behind their existence.
Ancient Coins Indicate the Flip-Side of History
It was widely accepted that Australia was discovered by James Cook in 1770. However, more recent discoveries have shown that it's more likely that African explorers showed up a long time before then. Specifically, archaeologists found African coins that dated back 900 years before the arrival of Cook, rendering him a liar and a fraud.
Pompeii
In 79 AD, the ancient city of Pompeii was destroyed by a tragic volcanic eruption that killed every single person living on the island. The eruption came from an active volcano named Mount Vesuvius. Every person that got caught in the eruption got encased in stone, freezing them in time and keeping their bodies intact.
The Egyptian Book of the Dead
This book supposedly denotes a series of spells that can be used in the afterlife to do various things. While these spells are most likely useless, King Amenhotep of Egypt seemed to believe so. For reasons unknown, this book was torn apart and scattered hundreds of miles away from the desert tomb in which it was supposed to lay.
Neanderthal Tools
As time has gone on, more research has indicated that Neanderthals were extremely intelligent. They used tools similar to the ones that were "invented" in Europe around the 1,000 AD point. Neanderthals technically invented glue and soldering, by gluing sharpened metal to sticks and soldering arrowheads onto their shafts with low melt-point metals.
The Piri Reis Map
This map was created sometime in the early 1,500s. Named after the cartographer that charted it, the Piri Reis Map was the first extremely accurate map of intercontinental trade routes. This piece was also constructed using snippets from other maps, and it is still accurate to this day.
Ancient Greek Analog Computer
Also known as the Antikythera Mechanism, this mysterious machine baffled scientists when it was discovered in 1990. This complex mechanical device was used to pinpoint the locations of stars and helped guide seafarers to their destinations accurately. Scientists believe that this machine was made in 100 BCE, predating technology of its caliber in other places by over 1,000 years.
The Venetian Vampire
This skeleton was found in a mass grave in Venice. The subject was likely buried alive with a brick placed in between their teeth in suspicion that they were a vampire. This was a common, yet cruel, method of murder for poor individuals that were suspected of extermination for people who had the Black Death. This disease was originally suspected to be some sort of vampire causing disease, and not the terrible flesh-eating plague it actually was.
The Screaming Mummy
This poor subject was found mummified next to an unnamed Egyptian Pharoh inside one of the great pyramids of Giza. Although his identity isn't known, it is safe to assume that this mummy was the former slave or direct subject of the Pharoh, and was mummified next to his boss to serve him in the afterlife. Unfortunately, this was probably not his subject's idea, and he was most likely mummified alive.
Inca Child Sacrifices
Although the reason has never been known, scientists have discovered countless evidence that Inca society regularly sacrificed children to appease their gods. The bodies that have been found are, on average, between the ages of four and thirteen. Forensic tests even indicate that these children were given beer and coca leaf to numb them before they were killed.
Decapitated Gladiators
The remains of this man, found in York, England, shocked the archaeological community to its core. The discovery of this tall, supposedly muscular 45-year-old man led to the discovery of 60 more skeletons. These fellows are suspected to have been gladiators, all of which were decapitated for unknown reasons
Roman Dodecahedra
It is rumored that this object was formerly used as a tool to measure distance. Others believe that these little caltrops were used as toys or decorations, possibly to hold candles. Either way, these pieces of shaped iron were found all over Eastern Europe, and most of them date back to 100-200 BC.
Skull 5
This is the oldest intact hominid skull ever discovered. Scientists believe that it is roughly 1.8 million years old, and it was found right around where humanity is theorized to have started. This skull was preserved as one single, complete piece, and it predates the second oldest by nearly 1 million years.
Burying the Dead
Early human research indicates that burial rituals began as soon as humans gained the ability to communicate. There are more than 1,500 fossils that indicate that hominoids in South Africa had burial rituals similar to those that we used today. The placement of the fossilized bones indicates that the bodies were laid to rest, just like how we put people in coffins.
A Mystery Within the Tomb
The tomb of Alexander the great's half-brother and successor, Philip III Arrhidaios, has been dug up and reburied dozens of times over the course of history. The only constant within his grave is the custom coins embossed with his likeness that were made to commemorate his death. Archaeologists aren't even sure if the body in the grave belongs to him.
Hagar Qim
Hagar Quim Qim predates the Pyramids of Giza by over 1,000 years. This free-standing structure is a historical marvel, considering how the early man did not have the tools to move and build such a large construction. These structures were discovered in the early 19th century, and they even might predate Stonehenge.
Neanderthal Art
When you picture cavemen, it might feel strange to picture them as "artists." However, scientists have recently realized that cavemen weren't as far behind modern humans as they once thought. The Neanderthal capability to create cohesive pieces of artwork and exchange currency predates the perceived discovery of those concepts by nearly 2,500 years.
Pyramids Not Built By Slaves
The scientific community believed that the Great Pyramids of Giza were built by slaves, but recent information suggests that may not be true. A series of burial plots that were discovered in 1990 may imply that the individuals who constructed the pyramids were paid workers, not forced workers. The laborers that died ended up getting buried in the pyramid with beer and bread to take into the afterlife, which is something that a slave would have never received.
Pit of Death
A property development company in France discovered a well of bones in 2012. This pit was 6.5 feet deep and 5 feet wide, completely stuffed to the brim with the bones of adults and children. It has never been proven, but some scientists believe that these individuals were all related and murdered for political reasons.
Remnants of a Witch Hunt
Several churches around Northeastern Europe have some scary evidence of the witch hunts that occurred within them. Most churches had an iron or stone pillar that stood in the middle of the foundation. These pillars were usually fashioned with an iron ring that the "witches" were restrained to during their trails.
Mummified Lung
When you find a whole mummified body, that's pretty creepy on its own—but when you find a singular mummified lung within an otherwise completely decomposed skeleton, that's when you might want to start getting a little concerned. Archaeologists opened a sarcophagus in the Basilica of St. Denis in Paris in 1959. There is no reason that this mummy exists, and nobody knows how the single lung was mummified, although it is assumed that it happened while the subject was still alive.
Shackled Skeletons
Skeletons have been found shackled to walls in more European countries than you can probably count. This primitive method of incarceration quite literally killed people, and sometimes the guards would just leave the bodies to decompose in their cells. This was supposed to send a message to the next person to end up in there, who also probably suffered the same fate.
Bones Inside of a Tree
There was an episode of the true-crime show "Bones" about a skeleton that was found in a tree. Coincidentally, that actually occurred in real life, except the skeleton was located in Ireland, and it was a different tree. The bones ended up belonging to a boy that died between 1030 and 1200; his bones had knife marks in them.
The Ill-Fated Expedition
The searching for the Northwest Passaged claimed numerous lives, including those of 129 explorers who sought out a sea route to the Arctic in 1845. In 1993, this body was found frozen into an ice block just south of the Arctic. This individual likely froze to death, slowly and painfully.
Ancient Chemical Warfare
Chemical warfare has always been one of the most terrifying and unethical methods of murder in history. Around 2,000 years ago, Persian soldiers sieged on the city of Dura by digging tunnels underneath the city to surprise attack them. The Romans caught wind of what they were doing and decided to build some tunnels of their own, only to be blasted with noxious gas that was pumped into their tunnels through a Persian tunnel. Close to 800 skeletons were found with remnants of sulfur and bitumen crystals, suggesting that the Persians used a chemical gas called "the fumes of hell."
The Leper Warrior
Lepers used to be militarized in the frontlines of armies because their lives were already on borrowed time. However, there was one particular leper warrior that shined on the battlefield. He was such a strong fighter that the Italian infantry doctors attempted to keep him alive so he could continue fighting. Unfortunately, he succumbed to injuries caused by a longsword, not his leprosy.