100 Archaeological Discoveries Made Completely by Accident

KirTop Top 100

A garden shovel, a storm, or a routine construction job can uncover history’s wildest secrets. From Viking silver and hidden tombs to ancient tech and mysteries beneath the sea, these accidental discoveries prove the past is full of surprises. Which one will blow your mind?  Subscribe for more fascinating history! Tell us in the comments what you liked most about the video! #Archaeology #History #Discoveries #AncientWorld #Mysteries  👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@kirtop-100samyh  0:00:00 - Ancient Records and Monumental Discoveries 0:10:56 - Prehistoric Landscapes and Ritual Sites 0:22:01 - Mysterious Artifacts and Ancient Burials 0:33:36 - Burial Rituals, Royalty, and Cold War Secrets 0:47:39 - Ancient Engineering and Unusual Finds 0:58:32 - Accidental Finds and Ancient Trade 1:08:27 - Calendars, Tunnels, and Ancient Machines 1:17:12 - Early Technology and Archaeological Surprises  We're now available on Spotify! Listen now https://open.spotify.com/show/03446rMw7NEQKZvD764T3X

Transcript

00:00:00I'm Kirtop and these are 100 archaeological discoveries made completely by accident.

00:00:10The Diary of Merer In 2013, archaeologists Pierre Tallet and

00:00:14Gregory Marward discovered at the site of an ancient harbor on the Red Sea coast papyrus

00:00:20scrolls that are the oldest known documents. These records, dating back to the 27th year

00:00:26of Khufu's reign, were created by workers directly involved in the construction of the

00:00:30pyramid. Among them are accounting ledgers detailing the distribution of resources, bread, beer,

00:00:36grain and meat to feed 20,000 workers. An even more unique find was the Diary of Inspector

00:00:42Merer who led a team of 200 men. The diary details the process of transporting limestone blocks

00:00:49from the Tura quarries to Giza. These blocks, used for the pyramid's casing, were transported

00:00:54along the nylon wooden boats during the annual flood. Each boat could hold up to 70-80 tons

00:01:00of stone, and Merer's team managed to make two-three trips in a ten-day week, transporting

00:01:05around 1,000 blocks per second eason. Particularly notable is the mention of the

00:01:10noble Ankh-Waf, Khufu's half-brother, who oversaw the construction of the pyramid.

00:01:15The diary also records for the first time the original name of the pyramid, Akhet Khufu, which

00:01:21translates to horizon of Khufu. These records confirmed the existence of a complex infrastructure

00:01:26that included canals, harbor and storage facilities. The workers not only transported materials,

00:01:31but were also engaged in building ports and managing resources. The archives were probably

00:01:36buried in Wadi al-Jarf, after the death of Khufu, when the work was suspended.

00:01:42Egyptologists considered these discoveries the key to understanding how the ancient Egyptians

00:01:46were able to build some of the most magnificent structures in human history.

00:01:51A story not found in the history books. Not long ago, archaeologists found evidence that wine was

00:01:57already being consumed in ancient Troy long before the Iliad was written. This isn't just a theory or

00:02:03guesswork, but real chemical proof confirming that even ordinary people in Troy not only drank wine,

00:02:10but also used it in their everyday lives. For researchers this was a sensation, since in antiquity

00:02:16only the elite could usually afford the luxury of drinking wine, but in Troy it was accessible to

00:02:21all social strata. Research showed that wine was so important to the people of Troy that the vessels

00:02:26used for drinking it were found all over the city, from wealthy palaces to humble residential quarters.

00:02:32But what is even more interesting is that the very fermentation method used in Troy was so unique that it

00:02:38is reminiscent of more complex and advanced civilizations of that time. And now, thanks to these studies,

00:02:44we can confidently state that Troy was not merely a legend, it was real, and its culture was significantly

00:02:50more complex and progressive than we could have ever imagined.

00:02:54Wood that looked brand new. During the construction of a storm drain in the Bavarian town of Aschaffenburg,

00:03:02workers stumbled upon oak beams at a depth of 8 meters. The wood looked so fresh that at first,

00:03:07everyone was convinced it was the remnants of some recent construction work, not something ancient.

00:03:13Dendrochronological analysis of the tree rings in the lab showed something completely different.

00:03:18The oaks were felled between 372 and 352 BC. This is Celtic Latin culture, European Iron Age.

00:03:26Each log was three to four meters long, with some weighing up to 250 kilograms. They were lifted by

00:03:32crane after painstaking manual clearing. The structure combined massive timber and stonework,

00:03:37a rather rare engineering solution for that period, because it was built directly on the marshy bank

00:03:42of the main river, on unstable ground where an ordinary foundation would have simply shifted.

00:03:47What exactly it was remains unknown. Perhaps a water gate, guarding the route from the river to the

00:03:54settlement. Perhaps a pier where boats carrying people and cargo docked.

00:03:58The oak for the structure was brought from the Spessart forest along with the stone,

00:04:03quite a long journey for that era. They clearly preserved axe and adzmarks,

00:04:07which allow us to study the very techniques used by Celtic carpenters. Given that a golden fibula

00:04:12shaped like an animal's head and other rich artifacts had already been found nearby,

00:04:17archaeologists suspect they are looking at an important early Celtic center,

00:04:21the existence of which was previously almost entirely unknown. Right now, each log is undergoing wet

00:04:27conservation. Without this, Iron Age wood pulled from underground begins to deteriorate in literally

00:04:32a matter of days. Before that, a specialist manages to make a 3D scan of each element,

00:04:39and they ultimately plan to display part of the structure in the Stiffs Museum in Aschaffenburg.

00:04:44The Keeper of the Great Wall of China

00:04:47During the restoration of the Jiangku section of the Great Wall of China, archaeologists made an

00:04:53astonishing discovery. In one of the ancient defense towers, they found the dragon statue.

00:04:58Built during the Ming Dynasty in the 1500s and early 1600s, this section of the wall stretches

00:05:04for 20 kilometers across the mountainous landscape and has remained virtually untouched. Archaeologists from

00:05:09the Beijing Institute stumbled upon the dragon, first discovering its carved scales. After removing the

00:05:15layers of soil, they revealed the tail, claws and finally the head of the sculpture. Leader archaeologist

00:05:21Shang Heng noted the exquisite details, suggesting that the dragon once adorned the tower's roof. In addition

00:05:26to the dragon, researchers found a European cannon brought to China during the reign of Tianqi. This points

00:05:32to the cultural and military exchange between Europe and China at that time. These finds highlight the rich

00:05:39history of the Ming Dynasty, showcasing the architectural mastery and strategic importance of the Great

00:05:44Wall of China. The wall remains a symbol of China's historical resilience and ingenuity, reaffirmed by new

00:05:50archaeological discoveries. An underworld on a fresco. We head to Italy, where scientists used cutting-edge

00:05:58technology to peer behind the curtain of ancient Etruscan frescoes. In laboratories, scientists used

00:06:06specialized equipment to scan the paintings across different ranges of light. This is called multi-light

00:06:11hyperspectral extraction, or simply MHX. It sounds complicated, but it's really just a supercharged

00:06:18version of our normal vision. Hidden details were uncovered in these ancient paintings, so well concealed

00:06:25that we didn't even suspect they existed. One of the most astonishing discoveries took place in the tomb of

00:06:32the monkey. On one of the frescoes, details of the underworld emerged, with rocks and trees surrounding

00:06:37bodies of water. The main character of this story isn't a monkey at all, but a long-lost man carrying

00:06:41some kind of object.

00:06:43Just imagine. All these years, the hero was hiding in plain sight. We just couldn't see him. Discoveries like this

00:06:50turn our understanding of the past upside down, and make you wonder. How many more hidden heroes on ancient frescoes

00:06:57are waiting for their

00:06:58moment to reappear before us? Thanks to the courage of archaeologists, who aren't afraid to challenge the

00:07:03majority opinion, we can witness these mysterious findings. Prehistoric petroglyphs in a unique location.

00:07:10In the Italian Alps on Mount Pizzo Trecero, amazing prehistoric petroglyphs were discovered, recognized as the highest in

00:07:17altitude in Europe. These rock carvings were found in the summer of 2017 by hiker Tommaso Malinverno,

00:07:24who noticed strange carved figures on a rock at the foot of the Trecero Glacier in the Stelvio National Park.

00:07:31So archaeologists dated the petroglyphs to the Middle Bronze Age, meaning they are about 3,600 to 3,200 years

00:07:38old.

00:07:39The uniqueness of these findings lies not only in their age, but also in their altitude of over 3,000

00:07:43meters above sea level,

00:07:44which indicates that people back then were exploring high altitude areas. The drawings include figures of

00:07:50people with their hands raised to the sky, a spiral, depictions of animals and geometric patterns,

00:07:55the meaning of which is still unclear. In November 2024 in the Lombardy region, where the Stelvio Park is located,

00:08:02another important discovery was made. A 280 million year old fossilized ecosystem was found in the Orobian

00:08:09Alps Park in Orobi Valtellinesi. This confirms that the region is a true window into the past,

00:08:15uniting both paleontological and archaeological heritage. A treasure under a new terrace.

00:08:22A resident of the Northern Netherlands was clearing rocks and gravel from his garden,

00:08:27getting ready to pour concrete for a new patio. But the shovel struck something metallic. Bottle, bottle!

00:08:32Just a few hours later, it wasn't construction workers at the site, but archaeologists. The man,

00:08:38who wished to remain anonymous, had dug up the largest Viking Age silver hoard in Danish history.

00:08:43Over 700 items with a total weight of 18.5 kg. Ingots, bracelets, coins, coin fragments,

00:08:51and a small Thor's hammer, part of the hoard about 300-320 items weighing 6.6. Half a kilogram

00:08:57remained inside the clay vessel, where it had once been hidden, while the archaeologists gathered the rest

00:09:02from the surrounding soil. For comparison, the previous record holder, the famous Tersilovsky

00:09:08hoard, weighed about 6.5 kg. The new hoard is nearly three times heavier than it is. And just so

00:09:14you know,

00:09:14this is already not an isolated find, but a new national record. The hoard dates back to the 10th

00:09:19century. Among the coins were both English and Arab ones. A good example of how far silver traveled in the

00:09:26Viking Age. Some of these coins could have passed through Europe, while others made their way to

00:09:31Scandinavia from the east. Who hid all this wealth and why they never came back for it is unknown,

00:09:37but roughly. A thousand years later, it was stumbled upon entirely by chance during routine garden work.

00:09:43A treasure! In the oldest tomb, in the southwestern part of China, archaeologists discovered an intact tomb

00:09:51from the Western Han Dynasty period in the Wulong district of Chongqing municipality. The tomb found

00:09:57during rescue excavations ahead of the construction of a hydroelectric power plant on the Wujang River

00:10:01contained 600 valuable items made of wood, bamboo, ceramics, and bronze dated back to 193 BC,

00:10:09making this discovery an important testament to the history and culture of that era. The tomb ended up

00:10:15submerged for most of the year, which contributed to its preservation and protected it from decay and

00:10:20looting. According to the project leader, Huang Wei, studying the artifacts will provide a new

00:10:25understanding of the lives of the people in this region. Around 2000 years ago, for example, the

00:10:31unearthed jade ware testifies to a high social status, the tomb owner. This discovery is compared

00:10:37to the finds in Shandong province, where more than 110 tombs dating from the period between the Jin and

00:10:42Qing dynasties were excavated. In some tombs, artifacts made of gold, silver, bronze, and ceramics were found,

00:10:48as well as preserved Yuan dynasty murals featuring traditional Chinese patterns that symbolize

00:10:53prosperity. When the Sahara was an ocean

00:10:59Now it seems lifeless, endless sand scorched by the sun, rocks, rare caravans, but once,

00:11:04millions of years ago, the Sahara was completely different. It was an ocean, the Tethys Ocean, vast,

00:11:11warm, inhabited by ancient creatures, ammonites, sea urchins, corals, giant reptiles. All these creatures

00:11:17lived where lizards struggle to survive today. Geologists have found traces of deltas, riverbeds,

00:11:23coastlines, all of it shows that water once lapped here, but the ocean receded and another story took

00:11:29its place. Hundreds of thousands of years later, people settled on this land, some of the most

00:11:34ancient, whose name still echoes through the sand. The Berbers, or as they call themselves the Amazigh,

00:11:39are the descendants of those who survived climate change, the vanishing of rivers,

00:11:43and the drying up of lakes. They stayed when others left. The rock paintings in Tassili,

00:11:48Najer, are a true library of prehistoric consciousness, people hunting with bows,

00:11:53celebrations, scenes of love and war, even depictions of beings with rounded helmets,

00:11:58as if from another reality. Some think it is an allegory, others, proof of contact with an alien

00:12:04intelligence, but the essence remains the same. When the Sahara was not yet breathing, the Berbers

00:12:08already knew how to tell their stories. They knew where to find water, how to survive when the days

00:12:13are scorching and the nights are freezing. They guided. Well, Numidia traded with Rome,

00:12:18fought against Egypt and then vanished from the map, but not from the land. The Arab conquests pushed

00:12:22them out of the cities into the desert and mountains. But the culture survived, even now,

00:12:27the Berber tongue echoes in remote villages, holding a memory thousands of years old and traces of a far

00:12:32more ancient past still linger in the desert itself. Mushroom rocks, at first glance, just rocks,

00:12:38but look closer and the shape is striking. A massive cap of hard stone rests on a slender, eroded stem.

00:12:45These formations are the result of differential erosion. Wind-carrying sand scours the softer rock

00:12:50over the years, leaving the harder stone standing. Each of these mushroom rocks is like a marker of time,

00:12:55temporary, yet proud. Their stems gradually wear thin and one day the cap will collapse.

00:12:59They endure for hundreds of thousands of years, yet they are still doomed, just like the ocean,

00:13:04just like civilization. Only the memory in the stones, in the pollen, in the sand outlasts it all.

00:13:10Are there other traces of this ancient civilization left? And what can they tell us about a past we

00:13:15still don't understand? Stone turtles from the cave. About 16 and a half thousand years ago,

00:13:22someone set dozens of stone turtles upright into the ground inside a Turkish cave.

00:13:29Archaeologists found about 20 to 25 of these figures, and they weren't placed just anywhere,

00:13:34but around stones laid out in a circle. The largest turtle reaches a length of about 30 centimeters.

00:13:40And there are several oddities here, many of the figures look unfinished or hastily made.

00:13:44That is, perhaps for the ancient people, the appearance of the turtle itself wasn't as important as where and

00:13:50how it was placed. In that same cave, they had previously found horns, an eagle talon, mollusk shells,

00:13:56and turtle carapaces specially hidden in the natural niches of the walls, and near one of those clusters

00:14:01lay a stone resembling a turtle. All this led researchers to suggest that the site was used for

00:14:06more than just ordinary life. The excavation leader, Deniz Sarri, proposed an even more unusual version.

00:14:14Some of the figurines resemble the shape of the Gidekaya hill itself, inside of which the cave is

00:14:19located. Perhaps people were literally creating small depictions of the landscape surrounding them.

00:14:25She even allows for a connection to some early veneration of the mountain, but emphasizes that

00:14:29there is not enough evidence for such a conclusion yet. And turtles aren't just found in ancient rituals here,

00:14:33but also in the Israeli cave of Hilazon Taktit. In the grave of an elderly woman, they found the

00:14:39remains of at least 71 turtles. They were eaten first, and their shells were later deliberately

00:14:44placed in the burial. So 16,000 years later, the question remains fairly simple. Why was the turtle

00:14:50so important to the people who visited this cave? The Algerian Atlantis, the underwater section of Tipasa,

00:14:56is studied today just as seriously as the ruins on the shore, the Alveri divers. Marine archaeologists,

00:15:03document amphorae, cisterns, storage niches, and most importantly, appear carved into the rock that

00:15:08looks like an engineered structure, rather than an accidental one. The shape of the terrain,

00:15:12these fragments piece together a picture of a port operating from at least the 4th century BC to the

00:15:173rd century AD. Moreover, the profile of the finds points to regular trade rather than isolated instances

00:15:23of dumping at sea. UNESCO insists on expanding the protection of the waters, because the surf is

00:15:27rapidly washing away the cultural layer, and without protected status, the site is vulnerable to intense

00:15:32diving, which would mean losing even what we've managed to discover. The team brings up the

00:15:36artifacts spotted back in the spring and traces the dark contours of the structure with new equipment,

00:15:40but only a series of dives and sediment analysis will provide the final answer.

00:15:45Are we looking at a sunken city swept away by the water, or the lower tier of an ancient harbor,

00:15:50that gradually sank beneath the waves? What grabs me here isn't the word Atlantis, but the chance to

00:15:56glimpse the inner workings of a real port fueled by three whole eras, Phoenician, Roman, and Byzantine.

00:16:02If we can map out the layout of the piers and systems, we'll finally understand what this

00:16:06coastal hub actually looked like, about which historical sources remain silent, and the sea still

00:16:11hides, monsters' lairs. In South America there are thousands of tunnels, some as narrow as animal

00:16:17burrows, others like the corridors of a military base. Four meters wide, hundreds of meters long.

00:16:22Who dug them? Water and lava are ruled out. Geologists agree, nature didn't make them.

00:16:28On the walls are grooves like claw marks. In one of these caves in Argentina they found the answer,

00:16:34the skeletons of two giant sloths weighing four tons each, with claws up to 20 centimeters long.

00:16:39They were the ones who needed tunnels of that size. It is believed that they dug burrows for

00:16:43generations to raise offspring and take shelter from the glacial climate. And the narrower passages could

00:16:47have belonged to other monsters, ancient giant armadillos. Their modern descendants

00:16:52dig too, just on a smaller scale. And here the question arises, what else lies beneath our feet,

00:16:58if tunnels like these could be dug, not by humans, but by beasts?

00:17:02The vessel of Bergamon. In the Bergamo Museum in western Turkey stands a huge stone vessel,

00:17:08so massive that it's hard to believe it was for everyday use.

00:17:12It's nearly human height, with walls carved from a single piece of stone,

00:17:16and its surface covered in reliefs. It's about 2000 years old. Such vessels were used in ancient

00:17:22Pergamon, when the city was the capital of a powerful Hellenistic kingdom and one of the cultural

00:17:28centers of the Mediterranean. Their purpose is still debated. Some believe they stored sacred oil,

00:17:34while others think they were ritual water basins. Used during ceremonies with reliefs of masks,

00:17:39garlands, lion heads, the details are crafted so precisely that you can even see the texture of the

00:17:43fur and the folds of the fabric. And that's considering the craftsmen had to work with stone,

00:17:48rather than bronze or wood. The main question is how they moved such vessels, weighing several tons.

00:17:53They are found in temples, on terraces, near sacred springs. So, someone hold them up the steps,

00:18:00set them on pedestals, and integrated them into the architecture of the entire complex.

00:18:04Pergamon is famous for its altar of Zeus and the library that rivaled the Library of Alexandria.

00:18:10Carved stone balls! A Neolithic settlement in Scotland became the site of a unique discovery

00:18:15of hundreds of perfectly polished stone balls decorated with spirals and concentric circles.

00:18:22Dating back to the 4th and 3rd millennia BC, these artifacts show remarkable skill in stoneworking.

00:18:28The balls are made of various rocks, ranging from fragile sandstone to durable granite,

00:18:33and they demonstrate a level of precision, clearly not intended for utilitarian purposes.

00:18:38One theory suggests the spheres could have been sling stones, but this is unlikely given the

00:18:44immense labor put into creating them. Another hypothesis is that they were used as balance

00:18:49weights, but the variety of forms, shapes, and carvings casts doubt on this theory as well.

00:18:55Some researchers leaned toward the idea that the spheres held ritual significance,

00:18:59that the patterns were symbolic, and the spheres themselves were used in cult rites.

00:19:04However, there is not yet enough evidence to support this theory, and the carved stone balls

00:19:09of Scotland remain one of the most intriguing mysteries of the European Neolithic.

00:19:14These mysterious artifacts continue to spark interest and debate among archaeologists,

00:19:19highlighting the richness and complexity of Neolithic culture.

00:19:24A 4,600-year-old board game in the Iranian city of Shari Sukteh, also known as the Burnt City.

00:19:33During the 21st excavation season, they discovered a 4,600-year-old board game.

00:19:40And this isn't the same game that has already made this place famous worldwide.

00:19:45Back in 1977, they found a wooden board here with counters and dice.

00:19:50One of the most complete ancient board games known to archaeology.

00:19:53The new find looks nothing like it in terms of design. It turns out that in the very same society,

00:19:58at the exact same time, several different gaming traditions existed at once.

00:20:03Much like today, when a single household might have a chess set, a backgammon set,

00:20:07and a deck of cards all at once. The game was discovered in a vast cemetery,

00:20:11where the dry climate preserved organic materials exceptionally rare for archaeology,

00:20:16fragments of fabric, leather, and even eggshell. They also found a bone comb there,

00:20:20with an engraved pattern similar to items from Central Asia, another piece of indirect evidence

00:20:26of Shari Sukteh's distant connections. Sukteh was a major trading hub of the Hellman civilization,

00:20:31which flourished in the 3rd millennium BCE, connecting Central Asia, the Indus River Valley,

00:20:36the Persian Gulf, and Mesopotamia. The city occupied about 273 hectares,

00:20:42and craft workshops here were often located right inside residential homes. The production of ceramics,

00:20:47stone vessels, and jewelry was literally part of daily life, rather than a separate industrial

00:20:53district. Considering how many unusual things were found in this one cemetery alone, I have a feeling

00:20:59that Shari Sukteh will surprise archaeologists many more times in the upcoming excavation seasons.

00:21:05A storm revealed an ancient ritual. In the spring, after a storm, a coastal cliff collapsed on the

00:21:11shore of the Baltic Sea. A block of clay, that tore away and fell down, concealed something inside

00:21:16that no one would have found without nature's own help. It lay underground for nearly 3000 years,

00:21:21and turned out to be in pristine condition, 24 cm long. It's decorated with patterns of stars,

00:21:27a crescent, and symbols resembling signs of the Sunday and moon. According to archaeologists,

00:21:32the weapon had ritual significance, and was possibly used in ceremonies related to the Sunday cult.

00:21:37The ornaments correspond to Bronze Age astral symbolism. The fine site itself was a beach that

00:21:42gave no hint of what was hidden there, just clay, just an eroded bank. And here it is, an object

00:21:48that

00:21:48lay in the dark for three millennia, coming to light just seconds before it could have been washed away

00:21:53by the water. Sometimes archaeology isn't just about digging, it's when the earth itself chooses the

00:21:59place. It's a moment to reveal something important to you. Mystical figurines. These unusual figurines

00:22:05from the ancient Mexican city of Teotihuacan represent rare examples of the art and world

00:22:10view of the Aztec culture, discovered in 1933 in the Medepec region. By an American anthropologist,

00:22:17the figurines depict men and women with hollow torsos that open up. Inside are smaller figurines or

00:22:22objects, which sparks much debate regarding their meaning and purpose. Such figurines are often referred

00:22:28to as hosts. Because of their peculiar contents, the cavity in the chest area is symbolically closed

00:22:34with a door, hinting at the concealment of knowledge. A hidden meaning, or the concept of

00:22:39the inner self. Perhaps these figurines embody the philosophical concept of the Nagual, an inner spirit

00:22:44or companion, who accompany the person in their spiritual quest and along life's path. Other

00:22:49interpretations suggest a link between the figurines and symbols of fertility, nurture or spiritual growth.

00:22:56Perhaps they embodied social or religious roles of a warrior, a ruler, a merchant or an elite

00:23:02woman of Teotihuacan society. The intricate detailing as well as the ability to open and close the

00:23:07figurines speaks to the high level of skill of their creators. This unique design possibly symbolized the

00:23:14interaction between the internal and external worlds, as well as the desire to reveal hidden truths

00:23:19about the nature of man and the universe. A ring with a single word, on a gold ring,

00:23:25about 2000 years old, archaeologists found just one single word. The problem is that the ring was

00:23:31found in Thailand, but this word is written in ancient Indian script. Beside it lay a second gold

00:23:37ring without inscriptions, and human remains, and researchers read the only word on the first ring roughly

00:23:43like this. He who protects Pusha. Perhaps it's a wish for good luck, or perhaps simply the name of the

00:23:49person who owned the ring. The very presence of Indian script on gold jewelry found 130 kilometers

00:23:55from Bangkok. It is already an interesting fact in itself. It is direct evidence that trade and

00:24:02cultural ties between South and Southeast Asia existed around 2000 years ago. They didn't just appear much

00:24:08later, as is sometimes commonly believed. Both rings were found next to each other. On July 2nd, 2026,

00:24:15at an Iron Age site dating back approximately 1500 to 2500 years ago, when gold, bronze and iron were

00:24:22just beginning to gain truly significant importance in the local culture.

00:24:27Telamon the Risen

00:24:29The unique atlas from the Temple of Zeus in the ancient city of Agrigento in Sicily

00:24:34is one of the most impressive examples of monumental sculpture from the 5th century BC. The temple,

00:24:40built in the Doric style, was considered one of the largest temples in the ancient world,

00:24:44and its architecture reflected the might of Greek civilization. The Telamons, which served as supports,

00:24:51held symbolic meaning, depicting titanic strength supporting the heavens or the immense weight of the

00:24:56architectural structure. These giant statues around 7.5 meters tall, impressed with both their detail

00:25:03and their sheer size. One of the Telamons has been restored and erected in its original location,

00:25:08demonstrating the complexity of the engineering and artistic solutions of the ancient masters.

00:25:12Yet myths and mysteries surround atlas. Some researchers believe that these depictions,

00:25:18that the portrayal of the titans, might reflect ancient myths about the clash between gods and giants.

00:25:22and their position in the temple symbolized their subjugation. Others believe that such sizes and

00:25:28forms could have been used as representations of extraterrestrial beings in which the ancient

00:25:33inhabitants believed. Satellite Data

00:25:36Modern satellite imagery accessible through various online platforms, such as Google Earth,

00:25:42shows possible entrances to underground bases in Antarctica. One such example is images showing

00:25:49strange holes in the ice sheet resembling artificial structures on South Georgia Island. Satellite images

00:25:56were also discovered that, according to some researchers, indicate a possible UFO crash. One such image was

00:26:04found on Google Earth and shows an object resembling a crashed spaceship. The image sparked interest among

00:26:11ufologists and internet researchers, who suggested that it could be debris of extraterrestrial origin.

00:26:17Some of these objects have unusual shapes and sizes that are hard to explain by natural processes.

00:26:24The alleged UFO on South Georgia Island is often compared to the interstellar object Oumuamua,

00:26:30a UFO that caught scientists' attention in 2017. Oumuamua, discovered as the first known

00:26:37interstellar object passing through the solar system, has an unusual shape and trajectory that do not match the

00:26:42characteristics of typical asteroids or comets. This led to hypotheses that it could be an alien probe or a spacecraft.

00:26:53Paints that have survived thousands of years on ancient Egyptian sarcophagi, you can still see red,

00:26:59yellow and blue colors almost as they were applied thousands of years ago.

00:27:05And for a long time it seemed that the secret was quite simple. Good pigments and glue made from animal

00:27:10tissue.

00:27:11But when scientists broke down the composition of the ancient paint, literally protein by protein,

00:27:15they found something unexpected inside. In a new study, they examined 28 microscopic samples of paint

00:27:22and glue from 14 Egyptian artifacts dating back from about 3,400 to 2,000 years ago.

00:27:28Among the usual components, they indeed found traces of animal tissues, bones and connective fibers,

00:27:35but alongside them were plant proteins, including sesame and moringa.

00:27:39This is especially interesting. This tree was known to the ancient Egyptians,

00:27:43but its proteins hadn't been directly found in art materials before.

00:27:47That is, some craftsmen a thousand years ago could have added a product of this plant to the paint or

00:27:52glue

00:27:53used to coat the sarcophagus. But with moringa, there's another curious detail. In Greco-Roman Egypt,

00:27:59this plant was associated with Pitae, the god of craftsmen and artisans. Therefore,

00:28:04researchers allow for the possibility that moringa might have been added not only for its properties,

00:28:08but also because it held special significance. Proving this after 2,000 years is no longer possible.

00:28:14But the coincidence looks interesting. It turns out Egyptian craftsmen didn't just mix some random

00:28:19pigment with some kind of glue. They had their own recipes that included quite unexpected ingredients.

00:28:24And some of these paints outlived the craftsmen themselves by several thousand years.

00:28:29On the southwestern coast of Sicily, archaeologists uncovered not just ruins,

00:28:34but an entirely forgotten fragment of an ancient city.

00:28:39Three meter high walls, gates, cemeteries, workshops, all of this belonged to ancient Greek Selenus.

00:28:45Recently, the northern gate was discovered, through which processions passed to the necropolises.

00:28:50They led to 5,000 graves, ranging from simple burials to rich crypts,

00:28:54and all of this stood at the city's most vulnerable border. Apparently,

00:28:57ritual practices and the city's vulnerability were connected.

00:29:00According to Diodorus Siculus, it was right from here that the Carthaginian forces broke into the city.

00:29:05The battle raged for 10 days and 16,000 defenders of Selenus perished.

00:29:10The battle site is right here beneath our feet, and right next to it is the cemetery where they were

00:29:14likely buried.

00:29:15It is amazing how much has survived. Kilns, ceramic fragments, the remains of artisan workshops,

00:29:21wine warehouses. From the scale and density of the finds it becomes clear the city lived,

00:29:25traded, ritualized death, and suffered. And now, two and a half thousand years later,

00:29:30it is slowly returning to the surface. A mysterious mask.

00:29:35A strange artifact made of iridium, found in Florida, challenges the traditional view of ancient civilizations.

00:29:41According to researchers, this object is 10,000 to 12,000 years old and made of iridium,

00:29:48a metal extremely rare on earth and most often found in meteorites.

00:29:53The artifact is astonishing in its intricacy and skillful craftsmanship,

00:29:57suggesting that ancient craftsmen possessed technologies far ahead of their time.

00:30:02Engraved on the surface of the object is an image resembling the deity Viracocha,

00:30:07known in Inca culture as the creator of all things.

00:30:10According to legends, Viracocha came from Lake Titicaca, bringing light and knowledge.

00:30:15This image could be evidence of a connection between ancient peoples and an extraterrestrial

00:30:20civilization, which would explain the use of rare meteoric material to create this artifact.

00:30:26Historians believe that this object was stolen by the Spanish in 1715 and taken away on the ship

00:30:32La Concepcion. The ship sank during a storm and most of the cargo, including other artifacts,

00:30:39remained at the bottom of the ocean. The mask washed ashore and, according to experts,

00:30:43it represents only a small fraction of the lost treasure estimated at $5 billion.

00:30:50Frozen Beauty

00:30:51A funerary mask of a young woman, crafted by an unknown master of the Liao dynasty,

00:30:57907-1125, demonstrates the highest level of metalworking craftsmanship of that era.

00:31:03Made of gilded bronze, this mask embodies an image of serenity and refined elegance.

00:31:08The Liao who ruled over the northern part of China were known for their innovations in craftsmanship,

00:31:13including adapting Chinese techniques into their own unique styles.

00:31:17This mask likely served as an important talisman,

00:31:21protecting the deceased woman's soul on her journey to the afterlife.

00:31:24One can see delicate features in it, reflecting a portrait-likeness of the deceased,

00:31:28which sets it apart from other cultural artifacts of that era.

00:31:31A special fastener beneath the chin, designed to be secured under silk clothing,

00:31:36suggests that the mask not only had aesthetic value,

00:31:39but also served practical purposes in funerary rituals.

00:31:42Mystics suggest that such masks could carry information or energy,

00:31:47connecting descendants with their ancestors.

00:31:49Some researchers claim that the distinct style of rounded features,

00:31:53could have been inspired by certain extraterrestrial visitors,

00:31:56especially given the symbolism and sacred customs.

00:31:59Liao! A necklace of 42 teeth!

00:32:03In Poland, in a 5000-year-old grave, they found a necklace of 42 teeth!

00:32:08Among them, they have already identified the teeth of canines, bears, and ungulates,

00:32:13but some may turn out to be human.

00:32:16Next to the buried individual lay two more human skulls,

00:32:18and they weren't even looking for this grave at all.

00:32:21Archaeologists near Zarevina were studying a cemetery about 1600 years old,

00:32:25and were already wrapping up the season, when almost at the edge of the excavation,

00:32:29they noticed the remains of a small burial mound.

00:32:31Beneath it turned out to be a burial dating back to around 2900 BC,

00:32:36making it nearly three and a half thousand years older than the cemetery.

00:32:39Up top, inside lay a nearly complete skeleton of an adult male,

00:32:43near the root of each tooth in the necklace.

00:32:45A hole had been deliberately drilled so it could be strung onto a cord.

00:32:49The cord itself had vanished long ago,

00:32:51but the set was well preserved enough to now attempt to determine

00:32:54the origin of each tooth using ancient DNA analysis.

00:32:58And that wasn't the only unusual object in this grave.

00:33:01Next to it lay a meticulously crafted battle axe made of serpentinite,

00:33:06with traces of wear preserved on its edges.

00:33:08A flint blade and amber and bone jewelry were also found there.

00:33:13But what raises the most questions are the two additional human skulls,

00:33:16both belong to adults.

00:33:18They could have been placed here during a ritual,

00:33:20transferred from another burial or added later.

00:33:23There is no definitive answer yet,

00:33:26so now archaeologists have to figure out not only who this man was,

00:33:30but also whose teeth he was wearing,

00:33:32and why the heads of two other people ended up next to him.

00:33:36The monk who became a Buddha from the inside.

00:33:39Let's get back to the monk,

00:33:40because this story is much crazier than it seems at first glance.

00:33:43The procedure is called Sokushinbutsu,

00:33:46roughly translated as becoming a Buddha in this body,

00:33:48and was practiced in Japan starting around the 9th century.

00:33:52The idea is simple and completely wild.

00:33:55And at the same time, a monk could achieve enlightenment not through death,

00:33:58but by transforming his body into an imperishable relic while still alive.

00:34:02How did this work in practice?

00:34:03This is where the real horror begins.

00:34:06That's the first 2000 days on the strictest diet,

00:34:09no meat, no grains, only nuts, seeds, roots, and tree bark.

00:34:13The body begins to devour itself.

00:34:15The fat disappears, the moisture leaves the muscles.

00:34:17This was done intentionally.

00:34:19The less organic matter in the body,

00:34:21the less insects and bacteria can destroy it after death.

00:34:23Stage 2.

00:34:24The monk would begin drinking tea made from the sap of the Urushi tree.

00:34:27It's the lacquer tree.

00:34:28The very one whose secretions are used to make Japanese lacquer.

00:34:31The sap is poisonous, killing in large doses,

00:34:34but in small ones, it coats the internal organs with a thin protective film.

00:34:37For insects, this smell is unbearable,

00:34:39making the body literally inedible from the inside.

00:34:41Stage 3.

00:34:43The box.

00:34:44The monk sits in the lotus position,

00:34:46and he would be placed in a wooden sarcophagus,

00:34:48and either buried or walled up.

00:34:50Two tubes, one for air, the second for the bell rope.

00:34:53Every day?

00:34:54One strike meant he was alive?

00:34:55Every day?

00:34:56No one knows what he was thinking in the dark,

00:34:58what he felt as he realized the air was running out,

00:35:01how that last chime of the bell sounded.

00:35:03When the bell fell silent, the tubes were sealed.

00:35:05Another thousand days later, the box was opened.

00:35:08If the body was preserved, the monk was recognized as a living Buddha.

00:35:12Lacquered, dressed in ritual robes, and placed in a temple for worship,

00:35:16if not, he was buried with honors.

00:35:17Out of the hundreds of monks who tried to walk this path,

00:35:21only a handful succeeded.

00:35:23Around 12 confirmed cases are known in Japan.

00:35:25Monk Liu Kuan is one of them.

00:35:27His statue stood in a Chinese temple for several centuries,

00:35:30then somehow ended up in private hands,

00:35:32and ultimately made its way to a Dutch museum.

00:35:34Nobody knew what was inside.

00:35:36It was just an old Buddha statue.

00:35:38There are thousands like it.

00:35:40In 2015, researchers decided to do a CT scan,

00:35:43a standard procedure for studying old sculptures,

00:35:45to check for cracks and cavities.

00:35:47And they found him, sitting in the same lotus position.

00:35:50Inside the bronze and gold was a man who,

00:35:53a thousand years ago, decided to become a god.

00:35:55And did.

00:35:56Analysis showed scrolls with Chinese characters inside the skull and chest cavity.

00:36:00Instead of internal organs, monks sometimes packed body cavities with sacred texts so that

00:36:04wisdom would literally reside inside the relic.

00:36:06This is no longer history.

00:36:08This is an entirely different genre.

00:36:10Now the question is, if a monk was willing to spend three years in the dark just to

00:36:15become incorruptible.

00:36:16What does this tell us about humans?

00:36:18That we have always sought a way to cheat death.

00:36:21And sometimes did it so radically that a thousand years later,

00:36:24Dutch scientists opened statues only to discover that it had actually worked.

00:36:27Golden shoes from the steppe.

00:36:30On the Mangishlak Peninsula in western Kazakhstan, at the Karikabak burial ground, archaeologists

00:36:37Andrei Astafyev and Evgeny Bogdanov excavated the 1,500-year-old burial of a young noblewoman.

00:36:44She was dressed in a ceremonial costume, imitating royal garments.

00:36:48And the main element was shoes, covered with thin gold plaques,

00:36:53which the publication directly referred to as golden shoes.

00:36:56But these shoes, just like the belt of that woman, didn't have functional buckles.

00:37:01They simply lacked the fasteners needed for actual, everyday use.

00:37:05Researchers believe that both the footwear and the belt were made specifically for the funeral,

00:37:09not for everyday life.

00:37:11In other words, what we have here are not the worn clothes of the deceased,

00:37:14but a costume tailored entirely for the burial ritual.

00:37:17The headdress was decorated with a central plaque featuring an image reminiscent of the Gorgoneion,

00:37:21the head of the Gorgon Medusa from Greek mythology,

00:37:24used as a protective amulet in the Hellenistic tradition.

00:37:26At the same time, other costume details, like the buckle shaped as birds of prey with outstretched wings,

00:37:32hark back to a much older Scythian tradition.

00:37:34It turns out to be a blend of at least three cultural influences in a single burial outfit.

00:37:39The Karikabak burial ground turned out to be not just a burial site,

00:37:43but a major craft, artisan and trade center.

00:37:46Traces of metallurgy, jewelry making, glass making and pottery production are found here,

00:37:51and in neighboring burials there are Byzantine-style Klosanay enamel ornaments.

00:37:55The archaeological site itself was discovered back in 2016 and it dates from the 1st to the 6th century AD.

00:38:01Over 150 coins from 6 different states were found there, ranging from Parthia and Sasanian Iran to Byzantium and China.

00:38:10For a remote settlement on the eastern shore of the Caspian, its connections span a remarkably wide area.

00:38:15Apparently, Karikabak was an important point on the trade route connecting Central Asia with the North Caucasus

00:38:20via the Volga region and the southern Urals.

00:38:23Some researchers even suggest that this might be the legendary city of Aspabota mentioned in ancient sources,

00:38:29although there is no direct evidence for this yet.

00:38:33The archaeologists themselves call this more of a hypothesis than an established fact.

00:38:402,000 years ago, when the eruption of Vesuvius destroyed the ancient Roman city of Pompeii,

00:38:45two victims of the disaster clung to each other in the final moments of their lives.

00:38:50They became known as the two maidens believed to be a mother and daughter or sisters,

00:38:54but a new DNA study changed the perception of their story.

00:38:58Scientists from the Max Planck Institute conducted an analysis of the remains preserved in their plaster casts,

00:39:04that both of the deceased were subordinates whose posture could indicate quite close relations.

00:39:10Now experts suggest that the pair could have been same-sex lovers.

00:39:13CT scan data and DNA analyses confirmed that the deceased lying on his chest were not relatives.

00:39:19The man, designated as Individual 22, was over 20 years old and his companion,

00:39:24human, 21, was between 14 and 19 years old.

00:39:28To conclude, to conclude about same-sex love between the two men merely based on their posture,

00:39:33at the time of their death from the volcanic eruption, I think is not entirely correct.

00:39:37But modern scientists can also really surprise us with their reasoning.

00:39:40My only goal was to talk about this, so to speak, discovery.

00:39:43And whether to believe the scientists or not, everyone decides for himself.

00:39:48A secret underground base.

00:39:50While studying the ice sheets in Greenland,

00:39:53NASA scientists made an unexpected discovery.

00:39:56They discovered the remains of an abandoned Cold War military base called Camp Century.

00:40:01This city under the ice was part of a secret American project called Ice Worm.

00:40:06The base was conceived as a network of tunnels,

00:40:09that could serve as a deployment site for intercontinental nuclear missiles aimed at the Soviet Union.

00:40:14Using a Gulfstream III research aircraft, equipped with radar instruments,

00:40:18NASA scientists studied the depth of the ice sheet and the structure of the bedrock.

00:40:22In the images, they saw the remnants of tunnels and structures that had been preserved within the thick ice.

00:40:28Camp Century was built in 1959 and included a network of 21 tunnels with a total length of about 3

00:40:34km.

00:40:35However, the project was abandoned in 1967 due to high costs and the instability of the ice sheet.

00:40:42Initially, the US military planned to create a network of tunnels over 4,000 km long to deploy Minuteman IRBM

00:40:49missiles.

00:40:51But the ice sheet turned out to be too difficult for carrying out such ambitious plans.

00:40:55Today, melting glaciers in Greenland are gradually exposing the base's remains,

00:40:59including buried fuel and pollutants.

00:41:02This city under the ice is yet another testament to how military ambitions intertwine with scientific research

00:41:08and the environmental challenges of our time.

00:41:11The Hieroglyphic Stairway of Copen

00:41:13The ancient city of Copen, located in the western part of modern-day Honduras,

00:41:18is famous for its outstanding architectural structures and numerous monuments,

00:41:23testifying to the advanced state of this civilization.

00:41:27One of the most famous monuments in Copen is the Hieroglyphic Stairway,

00:41:32which is considered one of the largest and most complex Mayan inscriptions.

00:41:36The Hieroglyphic Stairway in Copen consists of 63 steps on which more than 2,200 hieroglyphs are carved.

00:41:43This stairway serves as an important source of information about the dynastic history of Copen and its rulers.

00:41:49The hieroglyphs on the stairway recount the deeds and achievements of the kings,

00:41:53as well as religious and ritual events associated with their reigns.

00:41:57Ernst Verstermann, an outstanding German scholar, played a key role in deciphering Maya hieroglyphs.

00:42:03In the late 19th century, he made significant progress in understanding the Maya writing system,

00:42:09which allowed him to read many texts, including those found on the hieroglyphic stairway.

00:42:14Maya hieroglyphs represent a complex writing system, combining phonetic and ideographic elements.

00:42:21Modern technologies have significantly advanced the study of Maya hieroglyphs.

00:42:26The use of 3D scanning photogrammetry and digital analysis allows researchers to create precise models of hieroglyphic texts,

00:42:34and analyze them with a high degree of detail.

00:42:36Machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies help automate the processes of deciphering and comparing texts,

00:42:43which speeds up and eases the work of scholars.

00:42:47Princesses who could fight.

00:42:48In the tomb of the Egyptian princesses, archaeologists found bows, arrows, maces and daggers.

00:42:55For a long time, all of this was considered ordinary funerary gifts, beautiful weapons,

00:43:01that were meant to accompany the woman into the afterlife.

00:43:03But when scientists re-examined their bones,

00:43:06it turned out that some of these princesses may have actually used these weapons in life.

00:43:11We are talking about the mummies of the daughters of Pharaoh Amenemath II, who lived about 4000 years ago.

00:43:18They were discovered back in the 19th century, and more than 100 years later,

00:43:22the remains were rediscovered and studied in the collection of the Cairo Museum.

00:43:26The soft tissues were hardly preserved.

00:43:28Instead, the bones revealed much more than the researchers had expected.

00:43:32In one of the princesses, the upper body was developed in such a way,

00:43:36as if she had been performing the same heavy arm movements for years.

00:43:38Researchers believed that such physical strain could have been linked to using a mace or a dagger.

00:43:44In the other, they found changes that closely match regular archery.

00:43:49Moreover, old fractures were discovered on her ribs and foot, which had fully healed.

00:43:56This does not mean that Egyptian princesses took to the battlefield alongside the army.

00:44:00It is simply impossible to prove that from bones alone.

00:44:04They could have trained, hunted, or done other hard physical labor.

00:44:09But now, the weapons from these tombs look completely different.

00:44:13Perhaps these weren't merely symbolic objects, but tools these women actually knew how to use.

00:44:19And the image of an Egyptian princess who spent her entire life lounging in a palace

00:44:24surrounded by servants becomes far less convincing after this.

00:44:28The pharaoh who was forgotten. Everyone knows Tutankhamun. The golden mask. The curse. Billions of views on YouTube.

00:44:35But there is a pharaoh almost no one knows about. And yet, his tomb is even richer.

00:44:40Susanzai ruled Egypt from roughly 1047 to 998 BCA, period that historians politely call a late era,

00:44:47when the great empire was already bursting at the seams.

00:44:50Power was divided between pharaohs and priests, and all that remained of the former glory were memories.

00:44:54And here was this pharaoh from an era of decline, lying in a sarcophagus, made of silver.

00:44:59Not made of gold, but of silver. To a modern person, the difference might not be obvious.

00:45:04But in ancient Egypt, it was the other way around. Gold was mined in Nubia.

00:45:08There was relatively a lot of it. Silver isn't found in Egypt at all.

00:45:12It was brought from afar, through trade networks that stretched across the entire Middle East.

00:45:16Silver was a rarity. Silver was a luxury that cost more than gold.

00:45:20Susanne's silver sarcophagus isn't just a work of art. It's a display of wealth,

00:45:25that in the context of its time, surpasses Tutankhamun's gold mask.

00:45:29The tomb was discovered in 1940 in Tannis.

00:45:31French archaeologist Pierre Montet uncovered an untouched burial.

00:45:35Untouched is the keyword.

00:45:37Most Egyptian tombs were looted back in antiquity. Not this one.

00:45:41Everything remained in place. Jewelry, vessels, funerary goods.

00:45:45Why does no one know about him? Partly bad luck with the date.

00:45:48Montet announced the discovery in May 1940.

00:45:51And that very day, German troops launched an offensive against France.

00:45:54World newspapers were writing about other things.

00:45:57The sensation drowned in the war dispatches and never resurfaced.

00:46:00That's how history works. Tutankhamun is discovered during peacetime and becomes an icon.

00:46:05Susanne's is discovered at the beginning of World War II and remains unknown.

00:46:08His silver sarcophagus is now kept in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

00:46:12The same building as Tutankhamun's gold mask. Crowds line up for Tutankhamun.

00:46:16Hardly anyone visits per Susanne's. Sometimes being richer just isn't enough.

00:46:20You also have to pick the right moment.

00:46:22The Shroud of Turin and its connection to UFOs

00:46:26This enigmatic Christian relic sparks interest not only among religious communities,

00:46:31but also among paranormal researchers and ufologists.

00:46:34This 4-meter linen cloth bears the imprint of a human body, presumably crucified,

00:46:40which tradition associates with Jesus Christ.

00:46:42The relic is kept in the Turin Cathedral and continues to spark endless debates about its authenticity.

00:46:48From a scientific perspective, radiocarbon dating points to its medieval origin.

00:46:53But there are theories that link it to divine or even extraterrestrial intervention.

00:46:57The uniqueness of the image on the Shroud is hard to explain.

00:47:01It wasn't painted with a brush but looks like an imprint resembling a photographic negative,

00:47:07which is incredible for the technology of that time.

00:47:09The connection to UFO and alien theories arises from the hypothesis

00:47:13that the Shroud could have been the product of highly advanced technology.

00:47:17Ufologists claim that the process of creating this imprint could be linked to a release of

00:47:21powerful energy or a light pulse reminiscent of modern laser technology.

00:47:25Some believe that the resurrection of Jesus, accompanied by a miraculous phenomenon,

00:47:29could have been the result of an intervention by extraterrestrial civilizations

00:47:33that pass their knowledge on to humanity. However, these are merely theories.

00:47:39Armor that shone for 1700 years. At the Xinjiang site in Shaoqing, China,

00:47:47archaeologists have raised hundreds of armor plates, about 1700 years old, from ancient wells and pits.

00:47:54The Three Kingdoms period, the state of Eastern Wu, founded by Sunday Quan. And many of these plates

00:48:00still gleam with a silvery white shine, as if they were buried recently and not 2000 years ago.

00:48:07Secret turned out to be quite simple. The iron plates were dipped in molten tin.

00:48:11This created a thin silvery layer that protected the metal from corrosion.

00:48:16An archaeologist found not only finished parts, but also raw tin, semi-finished goods, and production waste.

00:48:22Meaning there was a fully functioning workshop here where such armor was mass-produced.

00:48:27There is even a theory that these very shiny plates could be linked to the legendary Chinese

00:48:33shining light armor. But that cannot be proven just yet.

00:48:37Yet the metal itself has indeed retained its silvery sheen after roughly 1700 years.

00:48:43The Volgograd Discs. On the Medveditskaya Ridge in Russia's Volgograd region,

00:48:48an area famous for its anomalous zones, mysterious stone disks were discovered.

00:48:54The find consisted of six large round objects, the biggest of which measures 4 meters in diameter.

00:49:00Researchers claim that the structure of the disks is astonishing.

00:49:04Their composition includes tungsten, rare refractory metals used in modern industry and space technology.

00:49:11Ufologists have suggested that these strange objects could be the wreckage of ancient spacecraft

00:49:16that crashed to earth thousands of years ago and turned to stone over time.

00:49:21Similar findings resembling flying saucers only fuel theories about ancient aliens who visited our planet.

00:49:29An alternative hypothesis explains the origin of the disks through natural processes of erosion and concretion.

00:49:35Geologists believe that these rock formations could have arisen from high pressure and mineral deposition over millions of years.

00:49:42However, the perfectly round shape and the presence of tungsten remain unexplained to this day.

00:49:47The Tungsten Pyramid, submerged since prehistoric times.

00:49:51Off Yonaguni Island, at a depth of 30 meters on the ocean floor, lies a stone pyramid.

00:49:57Even steps, terraces, arches, openings.

00:50:00Everything looks as if it's a building, not random rocks.

00:50:03The object is about 10,000 years old, meaning it was built even before the Sumerians, the Egyptians, and the

00:50:09first cities.

00:50:10Scientists are still arguing to this day.

00:50:12Some are convinced that this is a quirk of nature, while others consider Yonaguni proof of a hitherto unrecognized civilization.

00:50:19If they are right, it could completely change our understanding of when and how human history began.

00:50:25What if this isn't just a misleading clue about the past, but evidence of a civilization?

00:50:30What if beneath this ocean lies a history we know nothing about?

00:50:34The impact of the asteroid and contact with the gods.

00:50:39The asteroid believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago left a significant mark on the

00:50:46Yucatan Peninsula.

00:50:47This impact created the Chicxulub Crater, which remains an important geological site to this day.

00:50:53Although this cataclysm occurred long before the rise of the Maya civilization,

00:50:58its long-term geological and environmental consequences may have shaped the region where this culture later flourished.

00:51:05Archaeological findings such as cities and structures destroyed and buried beneath layers of sediment

00:51:10may indirectly support the theory of cataclysms that struck the Yucatan.

00:51:15Nevertheless, there is no direct evidence that the Maya knew about the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs,

00:51:20or had any information about them at all.

00:51:22The idea that the Maya could have had contact with dinosaurs is scientifically unfounded.

00:51:27Dinosaurs went extinct long before the first humans appeared, not to mention the Maya civilization.

00:51:33However, in their mythology and art, one can find depictions of creatures that could be interpreted as

00:51:38legendary or mythical beasts, but this does not serve as proof of their actual contact with dinosaurs.

00:51:44Researchers sometimes find dinosaur fossils in Mesoamerica,

00:51:48but these findings date back to times preceding human history.

00:51:51Such finds may be of interest to geologists or paleontologists,

00:51:55but they do not confirm the theory of Maya contact with dinosaurs.

00:51:58Knowledge of ancient cataclysms may have been integrated into their

00:52:02mythology and beliefs associated with natural phenomena and the actions of the gods.

00:52:07The Maya believed in the cyclical nature of time and recurring catastrophes,

00:52:11which may have reflected their understanding of the past and anticipation of future events.

00:52:15A serpent nearly seven meters long. On the rocks of northern Australia,

00:52:20archaeologists found depictions of the Rainbow Serpent, one of which stretches for nearly seven meters.

00:52:26It is an open maw, similar to that of a crocodile, a long tongue, and several rows of teeth,

00:52:31and the most interesting thing here isn't even the size.

00:52:34The Rainbow Serpent is one of the most important figures in Australian Aboriginal mythology.

00:52:38It is associated with water, the earth, and the time of the world's creation.

00:52:43It was envisioned differently in different regions,

00:52:45which is why the drawings vary significantly from one another.

00:52:48Researchers examined 165 rock art sites in Arnhem Land,

00:52:52and found 29 depictions of the Rainbow Serpent across 21 locations.

00:52:57The largest of them appeared relatively late. Judging by the style of the drawings, paint composition,

00:53:02and how some images overlap others, many date back to the 19th and early 20th centuries.

00:53:08And this is where the story shifts. It was precisely during this time that European colonization

00:53:13hit the local peoples especially hard. New diseases spread, and long-standing ties between local

00:53:19communities were breaking down. People were losing the lands where their families had lived for generations.

00:53:25Researchers noticed that around that same time, mythical figures on the rocks began growing much larger.

00:53:30The Rainbow Serpent was painted more and more often, and on a massive scale.

00:53:35Then came giant humans, pythons, crocodiles, kangaroos, and even a baleen whale.

00:53:40Researchers suggest that during that period, such enormous images helped people stay connected to

00:53:46their land and traditions. The Rainbow Serpent was a vital part of local lore,

00:53:51so its figure on the rock could serve as a reminder that these stories and customs hadn't vanished.

00:53:56Perhaps that is why, during times of intense change, serpents and other mythical creatures around here

00:54:03started appearing on such an enormous scale. The Kensington runestone. It's one of the most

00:54:10mysterious archaeological finds in the US. In 1898, farmer Olof Oman discovered a rectangular slab of

00:54:18sedimentary rock in the state of Minnesota. Runic symbols are engraved on the stone's surface, describing a

00:54:25Scandinavian expedition across North America in 1362, 130 years before Christopher Columbus's voyage.

00:54:33The text on the stone tells of a group of 30 explorers, Norwegians and Swedes, who allegedly

00:54:38advanced deep into the continent until some of them were killed. The content of the Runic inscriptions

00:54:43has sparked much debate among historians and linguists. Some consider the stone a 19th century hoax,

00:54:50while others see it as confirmation of an early Norse presence in America. The connection to UFOs

00:54:55and an extraterrestrial past stems from questions about the origins of the technology that allowed

00:55:00for the carving of such precise Runic symbols onto hard stone as well as the Norseman's knowledge of

00:55:05the continent. Ufologists claim that Norse myths about sky gods who brought light and knowledge echo

00:55:11theories of ancient civilizations making contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. Perhaps the Vikings,

00:55:17those who explored uncharted seas and lands, could have made contact with aliens or received guidance

00:55:22for their expeditions. The Lost Text of the Bible

00:55:26In Turkey, archaeologists have discovered a unique 5th century amulet depicting King Solomon defeating the

00:55:32devil. The 1,600-year-old bronze pendant is engraved with an ancient Greek inscription,

00:55:38Our Lord has defeated the devil. This artifact may be linked to a lost biblical text describing Solomon's

00:55:44magical powers. Sources claim that between the 1st and 5th centuries a text called the Testament of

00:55:49Solomon existed that was not included in the canon. In this text, the Archangel Michael gives Solomon a

00:55:55magic ring that allows him to command demons. The unearthed amulet confirms that Solomon was seen not

00:56:01only as a wise king but also as a vanquisher of evil. The artifact was discovered among the ruins of

00:56:06an

00:56:06ancient military structure in Hadrianopolis in modern-day Aideon. The amulet probably belonged to a soldier who

00:56:12believed in Solomon's magical protection. Engraved on the back of the pendant are the names of the

00:56:16archangels, Azrael, Israphel, Gabriel, and Michael. This symbolizes protection from evil, uniting the

00:56:23traditions of different religions. Azrael is known as the Angel of Death in Judaism and Islam, while

00:56:28Israphel is the herald of the end of the world who sounds the trumpet on Judgment Day. Gabriel and

00:56:33Michael are widely revered in Christianity, the former as a messenger of God and the latter as a spiritual

00:56:38warrior. All these names reinforce the protective significance of the amulet. The Solomon amulet is

00:56:43not merely a historical artifact. It demonstrates how legends and religious traditions intertwine

00:56:48across different eras. The figure of Solomon unites three world religions, remaining a symbol of wisdom

00:56:54and power. A golden helmet buried for the gods on April 7th, 1976. Galicia, northwestern Spain. The

00:57:04village of Leiro. Jose Maria Vicente is digging the ground for a shed. The shovel hits something hard.

00:57:10He thinks, a rock. He pulls it. It gleams. A neighbor was walking by and saw a golden gleam.

00:57:16Word spread around the area before Vicente could even realize what he had found. The Leiro gold helmet.

00:57:20That is what this artifact is called now. The Bronze Age. Around 1800 BC. Weighing 270 grams. Thin with

00:57:28detailed engraving all over its surface. It is called a helmet but wearing it in battle was physically

00:57:33impossible. The metal was too thin. A single blow and it is all over. It was a ceremonial object. A

00:57:40ritual one. Made not to protect the body but for something else. The proof lies in how it was found.

00:57:45The helmet lay inside a ceramic vessel. Carefully packed. Intentionally buried. It wasn't lost. It was an

00:57:50offering. A gift to gods or spirits that have been gone from our world for 3000 years. Similar items

00:57:56seem to have been found in Ireland and Britain. This means that a unified symbolic tradition existed

00:58:00all along the Atlantic coast. People who had never met each other in their lives were crafting the

00:58:05very same ritual objects. And buried them the same way. A common language, without words. Vicente didn't

00:58:11sell his find. He didn't melt it down. He handed it over to the authorities. He received a modest compensation,

00:58:16disproportionate to its true value. But the helmet remained in Spain. It ended up in a museum and

00:58:20became a symbol of the region. And recently, a time capsule was buried at the site of the discovery.

00:58:253000 years ago, gold was buried in the ground for the gods. Today, a message in the ground for

00:58:29descendants. The very same gesture across 3000 years. A reactor started by nature.

00:58:36Nearly 2 billion years ago, deep underground in Africa, a nuclear reactor started up entirely on its own.

00:58:42This isn't a metaphor or an exaggerated claim. The very same nuclear chain reaction that we build

00:58:49power plants for today actually took place there. It was discovered completely by accident in 1972.

00:58:57French specialists examined uranium ore from the Oklo deposit in Gabon and noticed something strange.

00:59:03It contained less of the specific uranium isotope that serves as fuel for nuclear reactors.

00:59:09Simply put, the ore looked as if some of the fuel in it had already been used at some point.

00:59:14Testing showed that this is exactly what happened. Only it wasn't done by humans. About 2 billion

00:59:19years ago, there was much more of the necessary type of uranium in nature than there is today.

00:59:24In Oklo, it happened to accumulate in rich enough deposits, with groundwater constantly seeping

00:59:29through the rock. By sheer chance, that was enough to trigger a chain reaction.

00:59:33But the most interesting part is that the reactor was also self-regulating.

00:59:37As long as there was water between the rocks, the reaction continued and everything around it

00:59:42heated up. Then the water boiled away and dissipated. And the reaction stopped.

00:59:46The rock cooled down, the water returned. And everything started up again. According to

00:59:50calculations, one such cycle looked something like this. About half an hour of operation and roughly a

00:59:56two and a half hour pause. A whole group of such natural reactors was discovered in Oklo,

01:00:00reactor zones. And this process didn't last for just a few days, but likely for hundreds of

01:00:04thousands of years. Physicist Paul Corotta predicted the very possibility of a natural nuclear reactor

01:00:10back in 1956. And 16 years later, they found a place where nature had already put this idea to the

01:00:18test. Almost 2 billion years before humanity even appeared. The road through the ashes? Southern Italy.

01:00:27During routine gas pipeline construction, an excavator strikes something strange under a thin layer

01:00:33of volcanic ash. Footprints of bare human feet alongside hoof prints. Archeologists rush to the

01:00:39site and realize they are looking at the scene of an ancient flight. Men, women, children, livestock,

01:00:44all fleeing their homes in a hurry. But this isn't Pompeii. Not 79 AD. These footprints are one

01:00:53around 1995 BC, the time of the so-called Avellino eruption, one of the most devastating cataclysms of the

01:01:00Bronze Age. Before this, it was believed that almost nothing was known about it. Now we can literally see the

01:01:07root of the people trying to escape. The final choices are frozen in the solidified ash. Amazingly,

01:01:13centuries later, people settled in that very same spot once again. Archeologists have found the remains of

01:01:18settlements dating from 1900 to 1200 BC and even Roman structures. The cycle repeats itself. First

01:01:24an eruption, then the return, as if the land itself refuses to let people forget. This isn't just a story

01:01:30of a disaster. It's about repeating mistakes. About the stubbornness of human hope. About memory, which

01:01:36like ash still remains beneath our feet. A 2,000 year old fig? Irish archaeologists made an unexpected

01:01:44discovery, finding the charred remains of a 2,000 year old fig on the Drumenau Promontory, north of

01:01:50Dublin. This find became important proof that the Roman Empire, which previously considered Ireland

01:01:55out of reach, still had an influence on its culture. The Drumenau Promontory was a key communication point

01:02:01between Ireland and England, which was under Roman rule. Among the finds made by researchers from

01:02:06University College Dublin, the fig turned out to be the most surprising. They confirmed that the fig had been

01:02:12brought to the island in an era when such exotic fruits were considered a rarity. Previously, figs had

01:02:18only been found in Ireland in medieval layers, but this specimen is the oldest known. Besides the fig,

01:02:24traces of spelt were found, a cereal widely consumed in Roman Britain, but rare for Ireland. These finds show

01:02:30that the Romans were not just trading goods, but also spreading their lifestyle. Archaeologist Christian

01:02:36Baker said that the inhabitants of Ireland at that time enjoyed spelt bread, olive oil, and wine,

01:02:41and also used glassware and ceramics, brooches, and beads. Figs, first cultivated in eastern Turkey

01:02:48and northern India, made their way via ancient trade routes to the Mediterranean, where they became an

01:02:53important part of the Roman diet. Researchers believe that figs and spelt may have been transported

01:02:58through Roman Chester, a major trading post in Britain. A treasure found with a metal detector,

01:03:04in Buckinghamshire, UK. Adam McClelland went out into a field with a metal detector.

01:03:12He had the landowner's permission, but whether he expected to find items there that could have been

01:03:16used during Roman religious ceremonies nearly 2000 years ago is an entirely different matter.

01:03:22Two bronze plaques with coloured enamel, a glass gaming piece, a bone dye, and fragments of a bronze

01:03:28rattle emerged from the ground. Individually some of these items might not seem all that unusual,

01:03:34but it was the entire set that caught the experts' attention. Artifacts of this kind are linked to

01:03:40Roman religious rites, and such finds are extremely rare in Britain. At this point,

01:03:45what began as a routine metal detecting outing became much more complicated. Archaeologists from

01:03:50Oxford stepped in to properly examine the site and retrieve whatever might still be left in the ground.

01:03:55The restoration turned out to be expensive, but it was paid for by a private sponsor. Now the hoard

01:04:01is said to be displayed to the public at Discover Buck's Museum in Islesbury. Not a bad result for a

01:04:07guy

01:04:07who just decided to take a stroll across a field with a metal detector. Mermaid from India. Not many people

01:04:14have heard of the Chandrakatugur archaeological site in India, located about 35 kilometers from Kolkata.

01:04:22Chandrakatugur was a thriving port city, engaged in international trade, inhabited by people from

01:04:28400 BC to 1250 AD. Today, only the ruins of a 10th century brick Buddhist temple remain at this site.

01:04:37Interest in Chandrakatugur arose due to the numerous terracotta artifacts dating back to the Shunga period.

01:04:43That is, the 2nd to 1st centuries BC. Most of them were stolen or taken abroad, and only a few

01:04:49fragments have survived in Indian museums. Although the complex was discovered in 1906,

01:04:55the archaeological survey of India under British control did not conduct excavations here.

01:05:00Many of the stolen items are now housed in world-renowned museums such as the metropolitan

01:05:04city. Two terracotta plaques depict a mermaid, a rather rare motif in Indian culture. On one plaque,

01:05:11a mermaid is swimming in a lake, holding what looks like a mirror or a flower. People on the shore

01:05:15gaze at her as if she were a wonder. A great chieftain has arrived on a chariot to behold this

01:05:20creature. On the other, the mermaid has been caught in a net by fishermen. The people wave at her,

01:05:25and she waves back, showing no fear. Examining these reliefs, I wondered, could they be depictions

01:05:31of ancient legends or real events that took place in Chandrakatugur 2,200 years ago?

01:05:37Perhaps mermaids weren't a figment of the imagination, but were real sea creatures in ancient

01:05:43times. Write in the comments below the video whether you believe in the existence of mermaids or

01:05:47something similar. After all, the depths of the seas and oceans remain unexplored to this day.

01:05:54The Baghdad Battery. And how do you explain this ancient find that incorporates modern-day technology?

01:06:02In 1938, in the desert of Iraq, archaeologist Wilhelm Kunnik discovered a mysterious clay jar.

01:06:09Inside the jar was an iron rod wrapped in copper. It looks like an ancient battery that is 2,000

01:06:15years old.

01:06:16One scientist even took a replica of a Baghdad battery, filled it with grape juice and generated

01:06:22electricity. The television show Mythbusters also tested this theory and it turned out to be

01:06:27plausible. Could the ancient inhabitants of Iraq have used this jar as a battery? Maybe they just

01:06:33stored scrolls in it? Or was it a clever trick in the temples? Scientists are still debating. Unfortunately,

01:06:40the original jar was stolen in 2003. And now we can only guess what it was actually used for.

01:06:45Perhaps this jar is the key to the secrets of ancient technologies. Or maybe it's just an interesting

01:06:51artifact. A horde with leather straps. Archaeologists don't find 2,000 year old bronze jewelry every day.

01:07:00But they still do find it. But pieces of leather that have been buried in the ground with them all

01:07:05this time are a completely different story. That's exactly what archaeologists found near the village of

01:07:10Tatarsky Sarsaz in Tatarstan. Under a layer of stones, archaeologists found a cache of women's

01:07:16jewelry. A bronze breastplate made of 3 plates and decorative pieces from shoes. Moreover, some of

01:07:22them still had leather laces. And this is important not because the laces themselves look impressive.

01:07:28It's just that metal can survive in the ground for thousands of years, while leather usually disappears

01:07:32much sooner. Here, however, both parts were preserved at once. The bronze ornament and what was once used to

01:07:38fasten them. Based on the set of items from the Roman era, researchers suggest they might be looking at

01:07:44an almost complete woman's costume, which existed from roughly the 2nd century BC to the 3rd century AD.

01:07:51In similar hordes from this region, items made in the Roman Empire are sometimes found. Similar

01:07:56hordes have already been discovered in this region. One of the most famous was discovered back in 1913.

01:08:02Moreover, items from the Roman Empire are sometimes among such finds. A fine example of how far individual

01:08:09objects could travel almost 2,000 years ago. As for the settlement itself, archaeologists have

01:08:14only just begun to study it, more extensive excavations are already planned here for 2027. So the bronze

01:08:21breastplates and leather laces may be far from the last things they pull out from under the stones.

01:08:27A 6,500-year-old calendar. 6,500 years ago people built a massive circle in the center of modern

01:08:36Europe,

01:08:36whose gates were aligned with the Sunday and the Moon. One of the lines aligned with the Solstice,

01:08:42the other with the lunar cycle, which repeats every 18.6 years. And about 2,000 years later,

01:08:49for some reason, at least 15 people were buried inside that very same site. The structure was

01:08:55discovered near the Czech village of Klibi. It was truly massive. A ditch about 2.5 meters deep encircled

01:09:01an area up to 250 meters in diameter. Behind it stood a wooden palisade and 12 gates led inside.

01:09:09When researchers studied their layout, it turned out that it was clearly no coincidence. One line

01:09:15pointed to the sunrise and sunset during the summer and winter solstices. The second one was linked to

01:09:21the major lunar standstill, the moment when the Moon's position reaches the extreme points of its cycle.

01:09:27This happens about once every 18.6 years. That means the builders weren't just watching where the

01:09:33Sunday came up in the morning. To notice a lunar cycle like that, they had to observe the sky for

01:09:38years, perhaps even passing these observations down from one generation to the next. Near the gate,

01:09:43archaeologists found skulls and large cow horns. Researchers suggest that they might have once been

01:09:48mounted directly on the wooden gateways, meaning that people entered this circle beneath real skulls

01:09:53and horns. And all of this took place in a structure that was simultaneously linked to

01:09:58observations of the Sunday and the Moon. And similar structures are already known in Central Europe.

01:10:03For example, the famous Gossack Circle in Germany is also aligned with the solstice and is even older

01:10:09than the Czech complex. This was an important part of life for early farming societies long before

01:10:15Stonehenge was built. But Schlebi held another surprise. Inside, archaeologists discovered the

01:10:19remains of at least fifteen people. The strangest thing is that they were buried here about 2000

01:10:25years after the circle was built. For those who created this burial site, the structure was already

01:10:31ancient as well. About as much time separated them from its original builders as separates us today

01:10:37from the Roman Empire. Why, after centuries, did people return specifically to this place? And why they

01:10:43decided to bury so many people here at once is still unknown. Stone Age Tunnels

01:10:50Imagine a labyrinth of underground tunnels beneath Europe, stretching from Scotland all the way to the

01:10:56Mediterranean. These mysterious tunnels date back to the Stone Age and have existed for 12,000 years.

01:11:02Archaeologists like Heinrich Kusch are simply amazed by this wonder. Tunnels just 70 cent in a wide stretch

01:11:08for hundreds of kilometers underground. There are even resting areas. Who build them and why? Could they

01:11:15have been shelters from enemies or mystical passages made by elves and dwarves? Or maybe someone in ancient

01:11:21times was trying to build subway lines? What is this? A mystery of antiquity? Or something more? Perhaps the

01:11:27secrets of these tunnels will remain forever unsolved? Yet they stand as a reminder of just how wondrous and

01:11:33incomprehensible ancient civilizations can be. To dig deep underground and build such a tunnel in the

01:11:39Stone Age without future technology seems like an impossible task. The Leikorgos Cup

01:11:46The Leikorgos Cup is a unique ancient artifact combining fine art with complex technical craftsmanship.

01:11:53Dating back to the 4th century AD, this Roman glass cup stands as a striking example of ancient

01:11:58glassmaking craftsmanship. The cup's peculiarity lies in its ability to change color under different

01:12:04lighting. In reflected light the cup appears green. It takes on a rich, ruby-red hue.

01:12:11This effect is achieved thanks to gold and silver nanoparticles in the composition of the glass.

01:12:16The imagery on the cup is based on Greek mythology and tells the story of Leikorgos, who tried to kill

01:12:21Ambrosia, the son of Dionysus, the god of wine. The depiction shows vines sprouting from the vineyard

01:12:27entangling Leikorgos' body, rendering him unable to move. The Leikorgos Cup is currently kept in the

01:12:32British Museum. It serves not only as a magnificent example of ancient art, but also as proof of the

01:12:39ancient craftsman's high level of knowledge in chemistry and optics. A tomb where people were

01:12:45buried for 700 years. In one Egyptian tomb, people were buried for nearly 700 years. New bodies were

01:12:52placed on top of the old ones until the small burial chamber literally turned into a multi-tiered cemetery.

01:12:58And among these burials, archaeologists found one very strange detail, a mummified dog lying across

01:13:04the legs of a man and a woman. We are talking about Tomb TT 209 near Luxor. It was first

01:13:11used around the

01:13:128th century BC. And the last burials appeared there already during the Ptolemaic period. Researchers

01:13:17counted 16 relatively well-preserved bodies and the remains of at least 4 or more individuals.

01:13:22At first, everything looked quite orderly. People were buried separately in their own coffins.

01:13:27Personal belongings were left nearby. But generations passed, and space grew tighter and tighter. Yet,

01:13:33for some reason, they kept using that tomb. Eventually, they began placing new coffins

01:13:37right on top of the old ones. Archaeologists can see burials stacked one on top of another in several

01:13:43layers. By the end of the tomb's history, it had become a full-fledged multi-level system.

01:13:48And somewhere in this burial tangle, a dog appeared. It was placed there intentionally,

01:13:52not brought in by chance. What exactly it meant is unknown. Perhaps the animal was meant to accompany

01:13:58the deceased to the afterlife. Beliefs like that were quite common in Egypt. The very same burial chamber

01:14:04was opened again and again over the course of hundreds of years, placing more deceased people

01:14:09inside each time. Why this tomb remains so important to people dozens of generations later, we still

01:14:16don't know. And the fossilized bullet. In Crimea, a mysterious 2,200-year-old bullet was found embedded

01:14:24in stone. Yes, yes, you heard right. A bullet. Back then, firearms and gunpowder did not exist yet.

01:14:32Researchers discovered it when the stone cracked open. How did the bullet end up inside an ancient stone?

01:14:37This discovery could change all of history. Could a bullet from the future really have ended up in the

01:14:42past and lain in the ground for several millennia? In any case, the artifact is shrouded in mystery

01:14:48and we can only guess what really happened. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.

01:14:56Features of the Antikythera Mechanism

01:14:59In the deep sea of the island of Antikythera, in 1901, a group of Greek divers stumbled upon one of

01:15:05the most

01:15:05mysterious finds in the history of archaeology. They discovered a sunken ship carrying treasures

01:15:12from the ancient world, including statues, jewelry and, most strikingly, a complex mechanism oxidized

01:15:18and encrusted with marine deposits. This object, which came to be known as the Antikythera Mechanism,

01:15:24is shrouded in mystery and remains the subject of numerous studies today.

01:15:29The bronze mechanism is a complex system of gears and levers, consisting of 30 mechanical components

01:15:35housed in a wooden frame. The structure of the mechanism testifies to the high level of knowledge

01:15:41and technical skills of its creators. This artifact demonstrates an astonishing mastery of metalworking

01:15:47and knowledge of astronomy. 3D scanning and X-ray tomography allowed scientists to delve deeper into

01:15:53the structure of the mechanism and understand how it works. These methods made it possible to examine

01:15:58every single part of the device without risking damaging it. Thanks to these technologies, it was

01:16:04discovered that the mechanism includes a series of gears capable of predicting astronomical positions

01:16:09and ephemerities of the sun, the moon, as well as other planets of the solar system. The main function

01:16:14of the Antikythera Mechanism was astronomical modeling. The device was used to calculate and predict

01:16:20solar and lunar eclipses as well as to determine the phases of the moon and possibly the positions

01:16:25of the planets. This discovery significantly expanded our understanding of how advanced technology and

01:16:31scientific knowledge were in ancient Greece, confirming their ability to create complex computing devices

01:16:37long before the invention of digital computers. Nevertheless, many mysteries of the Antikythera Mechanism

01:16:42remain unsolved. For example, the exact purpose of some components and scales, as well as the full range of

01:16:48its functions, are still not fully understood. Furthermore, it remains unclear who exactly created

01:16:54this mechanism and whether other similar devices were ever made that could shed more light on the

01:16:59technological achievements of that era. The Antikythera Mechanism remains a symbol of ancient Greek

01:17:05engineering, reminding us that the history of technology and science still has many chapters yet to be explored.

01:17:11A workshop dating back 9,000 years, several thousand years before the Bronze Age began. People in Turkey

01:17:19had already set aside a dedicated space for working with copper. Archaeologists found everything in one

01:17:25place, raw malachite, unfinished pieces, copper beads and production waste. And this workshop is around 9,000 years old.

01:17:33The strangest thing is that there was no smelting furnace. People didn't yet know how to extract metal the way

01:17:39they

01:17:39would later on. Yet they had already been experimenting with it long enough to create a dedicated workspace.

01:17:45The use of copper and malachite at Kayonu can be traced over the course of roughly 2,000 years.

01:17:50This means working with this material had long been a familiar part of their craft,

01:17:54and was passed down from generation to generation. And all of this happened thousands of years before

01:17:59the rise of advanced metallurgy. In general, Kayonu is one of those places where it's particularly evident just

01:18:05how early people began experimenting with new technologies. In the very same region,

01:18:10like Yubeklitepe and Nevalichori, cities that also changed our understanding of what people of that era

01:18:17were capable of. The lost part of the statue of Ramesses II. In 1930 German archaeologist Gunther

01:18:25Rohder discovered the lower part of a statue of Ramesses II in Egypt, known as Ramesses the Great,

01:18:31who ruled from 1279 to 1213 BC. The statue had been broken apart, and its upper half remained lost

01:18:40for centuries. After a long search, the top part of the statue was finally found in Hermopolis,

01:18:46which has been turned into an open-air museum. The discovery was made thanks to the efforts of

01:18:51archaeologists from Egypt and the U.S. during excavations in Hermopolis, which is located near

01:18:56El Ashmunein. Hermopolis was one of the main religious centers of antiquity, dedicated to the

01:19:01god of wisdom, Thoth. The upper part of the statue, 3.8 meters long, was discovered under layers of sand

01:19:07and depicts the pharaoh in a traditional headdress with a cobra. The statue is made of limestone.

01:19:13Hieroglyphs glorifying Ramesses II are engraved on its back. The find also contained traces of ancient

01:19:20paint, which will enable scientists to accurately date the statue's creation and determine its origin.

01:19:25Ramesses II is known as one of the greatest pharaohs in the history of ancient Egypt.

01:19:31During his long life, he built many immense structures and strengthened Egypt's military

01:19:36and diplomatic might. A turtle two meters long. Paleontologists from the Brazilian Amazon

01:19:44came looking for small fossils and almost walked past a shell over a meter and a half long.

01:19:48It was spotted by Professor Francisco Negri, who was walking last in the group.

01:19:54The rest of the expedition had already moved on by that point.

01:19:57Part of a giant freshwater turtle shell was sticking out of the rock.

01:20:01When they start clearing the find, its size became even more impressive.

01:20:05In life, the turtle itself could have reached about two meters in length.

01:20:09Most likely it's a Stupendomys geographicus, the largest known freshwater turtle,

01:20:15that lived in South America about eight to ten million years ago.

01:20:19And it didn't end with just a shell. Parts of the pelvis and femur were also preserved nearby.

01:20:26If further research confirms the initial findings, scientists might be looking at one of the most

01:20:30complete specimens of this giant turtle ever found in Brazil.

01:20:34But first, the fossil had to somehow be retrieved from the Amazon.

01:20:39There were only a few days left before the expedition ended and naturally no one had brought the equipment

01:20:45to transport a five-foot shell. The researchers had to team up with local boatmen to build a wooden frame

01:20:50and literally improvise a transportation method on the spot.

01:20:54And that's the beauty of this find. A 16-person team came here looking for small fossils.

01:21:01Almost the entire group walked right past it.

01:21:05Only the guy at the back noticed the remains of one of the largest freshwater turtles that ever lived on

01:21:10Earth.

01:21:12An antenna on the sea floor.

01:21:15In 1964, the research vessel USNS Eltonin was exploring the depths of the Southern Ocean

01:21:21and accidentally snapped a photo of something inexplicable.

01:21:25At a depth of 3,900 meters, the camera captured an object that looked like a radio antenna.

01:21:32What was it? Another stray signal from extraterrestrials?

01:21:35The news spread quickly through the newspapers and everyone decided it was proof of extraterrestrial intelligence.

01:21:41But it didn't turn out to be that simple.

01:21:43Over time, scientists found out that this wasn't alien technology.

01:21:48In reality, it was a deep-sea sponge that really did resemble an antenna from a distance.

01:21:54As it turned out, nature has its own design style too.

01:22:02A recently published report by Japanese researchers states that the unique camping bed from the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun

01:22:08represents a true technological breakthrough of its time.

01:22:13This exclusive folding bed, discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter, is striking in its design.

01:22:20It can fold into a Z-shape.

01:22:22Architect Naoko Nishimoto, specializing in the history of furniture, emphasizes the uniqueness of this find.

01:22:28Although other, simpler models of folding beds have been discovered, this three-section bed is something truly special.

01:22:36Nishimoto asserts that the craftsman who created this piece achieved a true feat of engineering.

01:22:41After all, even the bed's legs, decorated in the shape of lion's paws, are equipped with complex hinges that allowed

01:22:47them to be folded up.

01:22:48These parts were most likely created through trial and error, pointing to the deep intellect and ingenuity of the artisans.

01:22:54Despite the bed's technological sophistication, it's unlikely that the young pharaoh Tutankhamun ever used it in practice, as his health

01:23:02and lifestyle wouldn't have allowed it.

01:23:04As scientists suggest, this bed was part of the funerary treasure, symbolizing eternal comfort in the afterlife.

01:23:12A tablet older than Sumerian writing.

01:23:15This ancient tablet was discovered in Greece back in 1993.

01:23:20Strange symbols were carved into it.

01:23:23And when the wood was dated, it resulted in a date of around 5260 BC.

01:23:28And here problem arose.

01:23:30It was still about another 2000 years before the first generally recognized texts from Mesopotamia appeared.

01:23:35The tablet was discovered near Lake Castoria at the site of the Neolithic settlement of Despilio.

01:23:41The settlement itself had been known since the 1930s, when the water level in the lake dropped significantly,

01:23:47and the remains of ancient structures appeared on the shore.

01:23:50But it was a small piece of wood with signs that became the most controversial find of this place.

01:23:55And in 2024, another very interesting date appeared in the story.

01:24:00In the wood from Despilio, researchers found a trace of a burst of cosmic radiation

01:24:05that occurred in 5259 BC.

01:24:09Such bursts leave a mark in the annual rings of trees, almost like a barcode, with a specific year.

01:24:15Only one thing matters.

01:24:16This does not mean that the tablet itself has now been dated down to the exact year.

01:24:20But it did become clear that the settlement really existed here more than 7000 years ago.

01:24:25But the main question remains the same.

01:24:27What exactly is written on the tablet?

01:24:28And here, it's better not to rush into sensationalism.

01:24:32The symbols have still not been deciphered.

01:24:33And most researchers don't call it a full-fledged writing system.

01:24:37A more cautious term is proto-writing.

01:24:40That is, the symbols could denote the number of items, names, property, or some other information.

01:24:45But we don't yet know whether they conveyed actual speech.

01:24:48Moreover, the tablet is not entirely alone.

01:24:51It seems similar symbols were also found on ceramics from this region.

01:24:54So, simply brushing it off as accidental scratches won't work either.

01:24:58Though Despilio doesn't take the title of the creators of the oldest known writing away from the Sumerians just yet.

01:25:04But the tablet reveals something no less interesting.

01:25:16And if a longer inscription is ever found, or that very key to deciphering it, we will have to return

01:25:22to this little wooden tablet once again.

01:25:24Which finds surprised you the most?

01:25:27Well, if you liked this video, give it a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel.

01:25:31Hit the bell icon to get notified when a new video is out.

01:25:34After all, a new video is coming soon.

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