15 Most Mysterious Archaeological Discoveries In the World

those eager archaeologists are always digging stuff up and in doing so they're always finding things that arguably never should have been found sometimes oddly deformed bodies or even whole cities can turn up who truly knows what is buried under our world's dirt and earth these are the most mysterious archaeological discoveries in the world [Applause] number 15. underground city of derenkuyu ancient cities are often found underground during archaeological digs after being buried beneath hundreds and thousands of years of dirt and sand but there's one place the city of daran kuyu that was amazingly built completely beneath the surface in the first place located in the turkish region of cappadocia it was discovered in 1963 when a local resident found a strange opening behind one of the walls of his home this turned out to be one of the secret entrances to darren kuyu and when researchers entered the site they couldn't believe quite how large it was archaeological people come here and they opened this underground thought to have been built sometime between the years of 780 and 1180 a.d the city was hand carved from the soft volcanic rock that the area is made from at its deepest it's 200 feet beneath the surface and with multiple rooms chapels stables and even oil presses there's enough space to accommodate as many as 20 000 people it's believed to have been a refuge at the time for people trying to avoid the wars that often broke out and could be sealed from the inside with giant stone doors to prevent anyone from breaking in darren cuyu isn't the only underground city in cappadocia but it's certainly the largest and has even been found to be connected to other sites via vast underground tunnels like this video smash the subscribe button and click the notification bell right now or this centipede will crawl on your face when you're sleeping now it's time for the juicy topic is this a corpse is it an alien is it an early attempt at some kind of automation or robot we here at the genius lemon cannot figure out what this peculiar artifact is it's weird right all we know is the curious story behind it during an archaeological dig in bristol in the united kingdom archaeologist owen barnard stumbled upon this curiosity when all he was really looking for was ancient roman coins it almost looks a bit like a small alien child wearing a suit that looks like a cross between something from farscape and a medieval soldier sadly owen bernard has shot down hopes of this find being quite that interesting by saying he thinks it's merely a prank that some kids buried at the dig site to mess with him and his colleagues but that hasn't stopped the madcap theorizers of the internet building bonkers theories regardless some say it's the deceased remains of some kind of underground soldiers others think it's a visitor from a parallel world and some think it was just made by bored 14 year olds as a joke what do you think as always comment down below with the hashtag juicytopic and let us know your opinion in relation to what we just showed on screen let's move on to the next one number 14 long u caves in 1992 four farmers were draining their fields in china when they noticed some unusual structures emerging in the ground what they had initially thought were five pawns actually turned out to be man-made structures and upon further investigation they found another 19 nearby now known as the long you caves because they are in longyew county in the zhejiang province archaeologists believe they were carved from the sandstone more than 2 000 years ago they are phenomenally large with each one taking up an area of more than 11 000 square feet and each reaching maximum heights of 98 feet quite what their purpose was and who created them remains unknown there are no historical records that mention them no records no no history no nothing about why this was created and the method of construction is unlike anything else that's been found nearby could this be evidence of an ancient civilization that's long been forgotten about and how many more structures like these lie beneath the ground around the world unless more are found with further artifacts we may never know for sure but it suggests a level of architectural understanding that people living so long ago weren't supposed to have number 13 a stone sphere excavated by experts in costa rica costa rica is a stunning place and is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world but it also has a rich history of human civilization and researchers have discovered a series of strange objects across the southern edge of the country known as the stone spheres of costa rica they date from the ismo colombian era between 1500 and 500 years ago but quite why they were made is still unknown in total more than 300 of these perfect spheres have been found ranging from the smallest that are a few inches across to the largest that are almost seven feet wide and a weight in excess of 15 tons i think that's the biggest one here it would have been a laborous process to make them that involved hammering jagged rocks and then sanding them down with stone so they clearly had some sort of significance to the people who created them it seems as if they may have been used to line the pathways that led to the homes of the village chiefs and other important figures but could it be possible they were used for purposes beyond decorations number 12. mysterious heat spots across the pyramids the pyramids in egypt have been somewhat of a mystery ever since they were rediscovered from beneath the sands but it seems that no matter how many times they are investigated there are still more secrets to uncover recently in 2015 a team of researchers were using new scanning techniques to image the three pyramids at giza for the first time ever scanning technology has been used on pyramids and they were stunned by what they found at each one they detected heat spots which included a particularly large one within the great pyramid but what could this mean different types of rock or stone contain heat to different degrees so it could be indicative of the way the internal structures of the pyramids were built but it could also suggest that there are previously unknown cavities or rooms within them something that has long been theorized to exist further research is necessary before authorities will allow anyone to try to break through to these new places but it's quite possible that what we think we know of some of the most instantly recognizable monuments on earth could be just the beginning number 11. mohenjo faro in the pakistani province of sindh there's an archaeological site that continues to surprise researchers even though it has been extensively explored since the 1920s known as mohenjo-daro it's so important that it was designated as a unesco world heritage site in 1980 this civilization flourished for 500 years then vanished but there's still so much to learn about it the structures that have been uncovered here are the ruins of a city that was built around 4500 years ago by the indus valley civilization it's believed to be one of the first cities to have been constructed anywhere on earth and shows a significant understanding of urban planning with all the buildings and structures arranged in a grid pattern at its peak it was probably home to at least 40 000 people and contained huge entertainment venues as well as places of warship homes and huge fortifications to protect the people inside a huge number of priceless artifacts have also been found over the years and it's because of this city that we now know so much about the people who built it and how they were the most advanced civilization of the time number 10. malta's cart ruts the island of melta in the mediterranean has long been a focus point of human activity with structures that date back many thousands of years but there's a series of grooves that carve through the landscape that give an insight into what life was like for the first settlers this is the opening where they they said that they used to let the smoke out one of the best places to see these ruts is the mizragar el kabir it's thought to have been a trading post that was first used 4500 years ago after settlers moved to the island from sicily at the time goods were transported by wooden carts but because of the soft ground in the region they soon began to erode the topsoil away as grooves were formed subsequent carts would follow the same path and eventually wore the ground all the way down to the bedrock sometimes as deep as 24 inches and this solid base made it even easier for the carts to travel what's astonishing though is the huge scale of the interconnected routes looking somewhat similar to a railroad switching yard number 9. underwater monument of yonaguni in 1986 a team of divers were searching for sharks in the waters off the coast of yonaguni which is one of the ryukyu islands in japan but instead of discovering a new breeding ground of hammerheads they instead made an astonishing find known as the yonaguni monument it's a highly unusual rock formation that appears to be man-made but raises the question of who made them and why they've ended up beneath the waves some researchers believe that the stepped monoliths could have been constructed more than 10 000 years ago at a time when the ocean levels were much lower and the seabed in the region was dry land it would however indicate the existence of a previously unknown ancient culture and with no artifacts or records having been found from the time there are many who believe that there's a simpler explanation for the structure it could instead have been completely formed by natural processes despite there being sharp edges and angles on the rocks this type of formation isn't exactly unheard of elsewhere around the world but still in the case of yonaguni not everyone is convinced what do you think is this man-made or is it simply the work of powerful ocean forces number eight the palace of gnosis excavations at the palace of gnosis on the greek island of crete first began in 1900 and it's since become one of the greatest sources of ancient artifacts and knowledge in the whole of europe [Music] near to the site of the modern day town of heraklion it's thought to be the earliest city on the continent and was built during the bronze age before finally being abandoned around 12000 bc we don't know why the people decided to leave but it's quite possible it was the result of geological instability in the region over the past century countless valuable objects have been found including two ancient scripts that have helped to understand far more about the minoans for whom the site was the center of their empire at its peak it was home to at least 100 000 people and it's where king minos supposedly built the labyrinth where he kept the mythical minotaur the legend is so synonymous with this place and has been for so long that some other artifacts were found there two roman coins actually have the half-man half-bull creature inscribed upon them number seven tootin commons tomb probably the most important and famous archaeological discovery of the 20th century was when howard carter uncovered the entrance to tutankhamun's tomb but even though that happened almost 100 years ago there are still several mysteries that remained unexplained you're greeted by osiris the god of the afterlife the first is whether there's still more to discover in the structure located in the valley of the kings recent scans of the walls suggest there may still be further recesses hidden behind panels that could be resting places of other members of the boy king's family but without concrete proof the egyptian ministry of antiques are unable to authorize any excavation works at the suspected sites the second and biggest question related to tutankhamen however is what the actual cause of his death was he was only 18 or 19 years old when he passed away and even though his remains were found in the sarcophagus there were so many things wrong with him that any of them could have killed him he had for example several illnesses and deformities as a result of inbreeding in his family and there's also signs that he suffered severe head trauma shortly before he died could it be that one of egypt's most famous pharaohs met his end during a horse riding accident or was there something more sinister behind his demise number 6. machu picchu peru today machu picchu is the most popular tourist destination in peru the incan citadel which was built in the 15th century sits on an almost eight thousand foot high mountain ridge and is believed to have been built as a mountain retreat for the emperor pasha cootie it was abandoned however during the spanish conquest and for centuries only locals knew where it was until it was rediscovered by the wider world during an expedition in 1911 the remains of more than 200 buildings can be seen as well as evidence of incan roads and agricultural ditches one of the most impressive structures is the temple of the sun which is a semi-circular building on a stone platform where residents would have worshipped for favorable weather signs of the incan's impressive grasp of astronomical phenomena can also be seen in particular the intiwatana stone which is thought to have been either a clock or calendar that used the stars to determine the passing of time it's because of this city that we now know so much about the incans but some researchers believe we've only just scratched the surface of it it's quite possible that there are other structures that have been buried beneath the topsoil and until these can be investigated we'll never fully know all of the secrets of this magical place number 5 sutton who england england is a place that steeped in history but there was one time period around the 6th and 7th centuries that very little was known about apart from by myths and legends this all changed though with the discovery of two burial sites at sutton who which have proved to be a treasure trove of historical artifacts in 1939 researchers found one of the most important archaeological finds ever to be unearthed in the country a ship burial that dated back to the 7th century while none of the original timber remained because of the acidic soil it left behind a perfect imprint in the ground which made it possible to determine how the boat was constructed all of the iron rivets were still in their original positions and researchers were able to deduct that the ship was 89 feet along revealed the impression of a ship which had long since rotted away and had posts at the stern and the bow it was dragged into position from a nearby river and lowered into a trench before a body was placed inside along with several artifacts before everything was buried under a layer of earth the body had since decomposed however so we may never know for sure who it was that was deemed important enough to have their remains treated in such a way number four the rosetta stone egypt we probably now know far more about the ancient egyptians than we do about any other ancient empire but have you ever wondered how it's possible to decipher hieroglyphics when they bear so little resemblance to written languages today for a long time historians had no way to understand these mysterious writings that was until the discovery of the rosetta stone according to legend it was found by french troops in 1799. until the rosetta stone was discovered and promptly uh acquired by napoleon's campaign in egypt and made its way to london where it could be studied on it are inscriptions that detail a decree that was issued in memphis egypt in 196 bc and helpfully it's written in three languages the two ancient egyptian scripts hieroglyphics and demotic and ancient greek by comparing the different versions with the greek still being widely understood it was possible to work out what each of the egyptian symbols meant and this is the basis for all translations to this day without the rosetta stone we may never have cracked the code so it remains one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever it has remained on view at the british museum since 1802 and is by far the most popular object for visitors to go and see number three prehistoric town of akrotiri the city of akrotiri which is on the greek island of sarini has been inhabited for many thousands of years beginning as a small fishing town it became a crucial outpost for trade in the area and was a vital link to the minoan empire it's thought by many to have been the inspiration behind plato's stories of atlantis but this all came to an abrupt end around 3600 years ago since the 1960s there have been a lot of excavations that are still going on when a nearby volcano erupted and covered the site in ash and mud excavations have taken place on the site since it was discovered in 1967 and have revealed incredible artifacts and clues as to how the minoans once lived of particular interest are the frescoes that depict daily life creatures and landscapes many of which have been perfectly preserved the work to uncover the city is slow and difficult however and there's still so much to be found it's already shown us so much about the bronze age life in the mediterranean but there are many mysteries still to be explained the main one of which is whether the people managed to escape in time and where it was that they went number 2. pompeii italy pompeii is arguably the most famous ancient city in the world thanks to the disastrous event that led to its preservation according to records from the time there was a monumental eruption of mount venus in 79 a.d and the nearby settlements that had been built on its slopes had no chance of survival because of its location pompeii was covered in hot ash and sediment which hardened fast and preserved the buildings and the people who perished almost perfectly after the fall of the roman empire it had been completely forgotten about and it was only in 1599 when workers were digging a water tunnel that it was accidentally discovered again excavations have taken place there since the 1700s this is a really typical baking establishment of pompeii and have given a unique insight into the loves of the romans there remains a mystery about pompeii however because there are clues to suggest that they weren't the first civilization to build on the site it's possible that the earliest people to live there predated the romans by hundreds or even thousands of years and it's only by looking beneath the protected historical monument that we'll ever find out the truth number one the tomb of the first emperor china while digging a well in the chinese town of zain in 1974 a farmer made one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in chinese history his hole suddenly opened up into a vast cavern and inside were thousands upon thousands of statues that have since become known as the terracotta army after extensive studies it's been determined that they were crafted over 38 years between 246 and 208 bc as a fitting tribute for the mausoleum of the first jin emperor each figure is modeled after an individual person so no two look alike and there are believed to be as many as 8 000 of them and we're at the center at the heart of this unbelievable world heritage site as well as the human figures there are 100 chariots 400 horses and more than 10 000 weapons which represent the largest known project of its sort to have ever been built originally they would have been painted with vivid colors but these have now faded to become what we see today but beyond the famous army is a much wider complex that's virtually an entire underground empire most of it however remains unexplored because of the fears of damaging such an ancient monument as technologies improve it's hoped that researchers will be able to venture deeper into the caves and who knows what they might find which of these did you find to be the most mysterious and do you have any explanations of your own make sure to let us know in the comments section also check out our other cool stuff showing up on screen right now see you next time

Channel: The Genius Lemon

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Keywords: archaeological discoveries, mysterious discoveries, ancient discoveries, strange discoveries, ancient, discoveries, recent discoveries, mysterious, archaeological, unexplained discoveries, archaeology, unexplained, recent, strange, mysterious artifacts, artifacts, archaeological finds, mysterious finds, weird discoveries, discovered, ancient artifacts, ancient mystery, strange mysteries, weird, discovery, ancient archaeology, most mysterious, unexplained mysteries, mystery, ancient finds

Id: G_dF0Ptv3l0

Length: 21min 43sec (1303 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 03 2020