From the cold case of a medici mercenary to a mythical place that turned out to be real,
here are 10 of the most mysterious archaeological discoveries.
10.
Biblical Mystery
The Philistines are arguably one of the most mysterious groups of people mentioned in the
Hebrew Bible.
The most famous stories are perhaps that of David and the Philistine Giant Goliath as
well as Samson and the Philistine Delilah.
For many years historians and archaeologists have been trying to figure out who the Philistines
were and where did they come from?
In 2016, archaeologists finally discovered the first known Philistine cemetery.
It was located in Israel outside the walls of Ashkelon, an ancient Philistine city that
lasted from the 12th to the 7th centuries B.C.
Containing more than 211 burials, National Geographic reported that the graves are giving
archaeologists an opportunity to investigate the origins of the Philistines and their assimilation
into local culture.
Before this, their remains were so rare that archaeologists started to joke that maybe
they were all buried at sea!
That’s why they couldn’t find any!
Until this landmark discovery was made, researchers had little to go on in terms of understanding
the Philistines’ burial practices and roots.
The Bible paints the civilization out as a villainous “uncircumcised” group that
continuously warred with their Israelite neighbors.
Artifacts reveal that the Philistines were much different from other local cultures of
the time.
They consumed pork and adhered to Aegean and Greek customs, rather than Semitic practices.
DNA analysis now shows that they actually descended from a group of sea-faring Europeans
from Iberia or Greece that arrived to Israel 3000 years ago.
Their pottery, architecture and burial customs were quite different from everyone else.
Their people were buried with very few grave goods.
Some had a couple of pieces of pottery and very rarely pieces of jewelry.
This one was found with some artifact on its face which could have been some sort of eyepiece
or something that was placed there after death.
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Some believe the Philistines were among the so-called “Sea Peoples,” a tribal confederation
that terrorized the Mediterranean during the Late Bronze Age.
But the mysteries of their identity and their homeland endure, with researchers hoping that
the recently discovered burials shed some light on their many unanswered questions.
9.
Strange Cemetery
During a routine excavation in the Leith port area of Edinburgh, Scotland archaeologists
got quite the shock when they found a medieval cemetery filled with the remains of hundreds
of people.
It was just a normal day in anticipation of a planned public transportation line in 2008,
but it turned into a much bigger dig!!
There are no known records of anyone being buried at the site since the street it sits
along was built in 1790.
Consequently, the transportation project came to a screeching halt while experts dug deeper.
They unearthed over 380 burials altogether, with the oldest dating as far back as the
14th century.
The newest graves date back to the time of the cemetery’s closure around 1650.
Since then, plans for the tram extension were reinstated, and excavations resumed.
Another 359 skeletons were found after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted last year, bringing
the total number of bodies discovered at the site to over 750.
The graveyard constitutes one of the largest burials from its time period ever found in
Scotland, as well as the largest collection of skeletons in Edinburgh.
The next step is for researchers to analyze the skeletons in hopes of learning more about
who the deceased individuals are and what their lives were like.
One separate, isolated grave, found beneath the other graves, who appears to be female,
was found in a pit measuring 33 feet (10 meters) across and 10 to 13 feet (3-4 meters) deep.
She was buried in a crouching position and facing in a different direction than the traditional
Christian burials.
Why?
No clue.
The grave likely predates the rest of the cemetery’s burials, and it seems to have
nothing in common with any medieval features at the site or nearby.
But experts are unsure how old the burial is or the circumstances of the woman’s life
or death.
They hope to learn more through radiocarbon dating and isotopic analysis.
8.
Medici Mystery
Born in 1498 as Ludovico de Medici, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere was a Medici warrior who
was exiled from Florence at just 12 years old for committing a murder.
He went on to establish a fierce reputation for his violent spirit, which made him a skilled
16th-century mercenary and military captain.
The Medici popes Leo X and Clement VII hired him to fight for them and he became quite
famous during his day, believed to be practically invincible!!
In 1526, a cannonball struck Giovanni, requiring the amputation of his right leg above the
knee.
He reportedly died shortly after surgery, possibly from gangrene.
In 2013, the man’s remains were exhumed from his burial at Medici Chapels in Florence.
His femur was intact, with only the lower leg and foot removed, telling a seemingly
different story than what’s on record.
But what that story is, or might be, has yet to be determined.
Describing Giovanni as a “vigorous man” measuring about 5 feet, 8 inches (1.73 meters)
tall, investigation leader paleopathologist Gino Fornaciari explained that the man’s
bones bore clear evidence of carrying heavy armor and riding horses dating back to his
teenage years.
Fornaciari added that experts hope to clarify the nature of Giovanni’s wounds and what
type of surgery he had.
7.
Tel Kedesh Hoard
Sometime during the late second century B.C (2600 years ago), someone buried a collection
of personal belongings at the archaeological site of Tel Kedesh along the modern-day Israel-Lebanon
border.
The items included a terracotta figurine of the god Eros, better known as Cupid, as well
as 23 glass game pieces, a pair of metal writing instruments, and a hairpin made from bone.
These objects all showed skilled craftsmanship, and their personal nature captured archaeologists’
attention.
They were mostly in good condition, indicating that they had been deliberately buried together.
Game pieces from the ancient world are very unique!!
Archaeologist Adi Erlich sought to understand how and why the artifacts ended up buried
together.
He points out that while it was customary to find a few ancient game pieces here and
there, it was highly unusual to come across 23 of them at once!
Erlich explained that the only imaginable scenario where it would make sense would be
with the burial of a child or adolescent, where game pieces may have been given as funerary
offerings.
Archaeologist Adi found a poem about a young woman named Hippe, who buried some items as
part of a pre-wedding ritual.
The poem’s author, known only as Antipater, had a rather common name for the time.
But there are records of a poet by this name who lived near where the Tel Kedesh hoard
was discovered, suggesting that whoever buried the objects might have done so for the same
reasons that Hippe did.
Perhaps it was some sort of tradition before marriage.
Get married and games are over!
It’s highly unlikely that experts will ever know for sure why someone buried the hoard
of trinkets but this seems the most likely.
6.
Moche Ruins
In 2018, archaeologists announced the discovery of many ruins and artifacts that the cryptic
Moche culture left behind.
Found at the Huaca Limón de Ucupe site in northern Peru’s Lambayeque region it dates
back some 1500 years.
The ruins consist of five raised pyramid-like adobe structures and two chambers, one which
was used for meetings and the other that was used as a banquet hall.
The hall is decorated with large murals measuring as high as 32 feet (10 meters), featuring
sea lions, fish, and other marine creatures.
There are two thrones that face one another, one which a ruler would have sat on while
the other, lower seat would have been used for making offerings.
The building was clearly intended for ceremonial gatherings among Moche nobility, according
to chief archaeologist Walter Alva, who spoke with National Geographic.
Its discovery constitutes the first physical evidence of these events actually happening,
whereas before, they were only seen in the culture’s artwork.
For unknown reasons, the structure was ultimately partially disassembled, concealed, and abandoned.
The Moche civilization’s collapse around 700 A.D. is also a mystery.
Some experts believe that El Niño brought severe flooding from the nearby Zaña River,
and that the extreme weather played a role in the society’s end.
But what really happened remains a mystery.
And now for a little-known culture that you’ve probably never heard of!!
But first, wanted to give a big shout out to Nayem Abid and Erika Russell!
You guys are awesome and thanks so much for supporting this channel!
If you are new here be sure to hit that subscribe button and join the Origins Explained family!!
5.
The Promontory Culture
During the 1930s, a young anthropologist was exploring the north shore of Utah's Great
Salt Lake when he found some curious artifacts in some caves.
He carefully catalouged hundreds of moccasins, moccasin parts, bison bone, pottery, arrows,
stone tools and all kinds of things and then sent them to the University of Utah.
Then came the Great Depression as well as WWII so the mysterious moccasins sat forgotten.
But now, archaeologists are on the trail of this little-known ancient culture now known
as the Promontory culture after the caves the artifacts were found in.
Archaeologists have gone back to the caves to better understand who lived here.
The staggering amount of moccasins is extremely rare since most of these types of items disintegrate
over time.
The style of these shoes was just like those from the Canadian Subarctic- so finding them
in caves in Utah is a little out of place!!
They were unlike the moccasins of nearby groups and closely resembled those worn by the Dene
people, who lived much further north.
This suggests that the Promontory Caves’ inhabitants were Dene ancestors, according
to geochemical archaeologist Dr. Jessica Metcalfe.
The team studied over 200 pieces of footwear from the caves with 82% of the shoes worn
by children 12 and under.
Researchers examined chemical traces in the shoes to reconstruct the movement of the people
who wore them.
An isotope analysis of an ankle strap revealed that the people who lived in the Promontory
Caves had subArctic Dene roots, and that they traveled pretty far south of the Great Salt
Lake -- perhaps into the American Southwest, where Dene-speaking populations exist today.
The conclusion, so far, is that it appears as though Dene connections go back much further
than scientists originally thought, with long-distance migrations starting many centuries ago.
4.
The City Of Ur
Famously mentioned in the Bible as the place where Abraham fled to from Canaan, the ancient
Sumerian city-state of Ur was thought to be a mythical place!
But once again it turned out to be real!
In fact, it flourished as a prosperous trade center even before it was mentioned in Scripture.
Founded around or perhaps even before 3800 B.C. in what is now Iraq, the powerful Persian
Gulf port city was home to as many as 80,000 residents at its peak.
Ur was continuously inhabited until around 450 B.C., when changing temperatures and drought
prompted the population to abandon the site and migrate northward toward more fertile
territory.
An italian explorer rediscovered Ur in 1625 when he traveled through the area and found
bricks and other artifacts bearing strange inscriptions.
At the time, the city’s ruins were buried beneath the sand.
British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley excavated the site in 1922 and found that
what’s left of Ur is largely reduced to rubble.
I mean, it was around a really long time ago!
The city’s most visible surviving remnant is a partially restored ziggurat that was
unearthed during the 1930s.
Originally constructed during the 21st century B.C., the structure was rebuilt by Babylon’s
final king, Nabonidus, during the 6th century B.C.
Over the centuries, the coastline has changed, and Ur’s few surviving remnants sit much
further inland compared to the city’s location during its heyday, when it was situated near
the coast and the mouth of the Euphrates River.
The ruins are helping archaeologists gain a better understanding of the culture, but
their knowledge is admittedly limited to what’s available at the site, and the once-powerful
city of Ur remains an enigma.
3.
Neolithic Stone Balls
Hundreds of carved stone balls dating as far back as 5,000 years have been found throughout
Scotland and other parts of Europe.
Their appearance varies, with some featuring intricate patterns and others bearing carved
knobs, pyramids, and other designs.
Most of the balls are similar in size, measuring roughly 2.75 inches (7 cm) in diameter.
Experts haven't been able to figure out these Neolithic artifacts, but they’re determined
to try!
The National Museum of Scotland recently announced that its researchers are trying to get to
the bottom of the mystery through virtual technology, by poring through hundreds of
documents relating to discoveries of the stone balls, and by searching for missing and undiscovered
artifacts.
Unfortunately, experts have limited data to work with.
For example, while they know that many of the stone balls were found near Aberdeen,,
they do not know the exact locations of the discoveries.
Additionally, some people who found these objects in the past likely underestimated
their historical value, meaning there are probably some stone balls in the possession
of families whose original owners overlooked their worth.
Dr. Hugo Anderson-Whymark, who is heading the research, told The Herald that the team
is trying to track down a few lost stone balls that are known to exist, including one that
was last seen in 1986 and another that went missing in 1908.
So if you see something let us know!!
He mentioned that there are probably a few others that got lost because people didn’t
know what they were or that they’re important.
The most recently discovered stone ball was found among a collection of flint tools in
2018.
Anderson-Whymark and his team hope that more will surface as their investigation unfolds,
and reminded the public that Scottish law requires people to report archaeological discoveries.
Even if it's just a ball!
2.
James Ossuary
The James Ossuary is a limestone box made to hold bones that was made known to the public
in 2002.
Ossuaries were very common in Israel from around the 2nd century BC until the fall of
Jerusalem in 70 AD.
But this one was special because it features an Aramaic inscription stating: “James,
son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.”
If the box’s contents are what the carving claims, it means they represent the earliest
known written mention of Jesus Christ, and the first known archaeological evidence of
him, period.
For historians and Christians alike, the discovery would be of major significance.
But ever since the report was released, the James Ossuary has remained shrouded in controversy,
including claims that the box itself is a genuine artifact but that its inscription
is a forgery.
In the so-called “forgery trial of the century,” the ossuary’s owner, Oded Golan, faced accusations
that the carving was fake.
Four others were also accused of participating in the alleged scam.
Golan and his co-defendants were acquitted in 2012, but not everyone is convinced of
his innocence.
In the years since, experts and critics have revisited arguments supporting and denying
the ossuary’s authenticity.
It’s hard to prove or disprove claims of forgery, since the artifact’s origins are
only traceable to a certain point when it was purchased from an antique dealer.
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has made its mind up and believes the ossuary
is fake, but some scholars have pointed out that the entire IAA panel consisted of members
who were openly outspoken against any arguments in the ossuary’s favor.
As with most biblical discoveries this artifact has led to much heated debate.
So the question remains- Is it real?
Is it not?
Who knows?
1.
Headless Statues
While conducting a routine excavation ahead of a building project east of Athens, archaeologists
recently discovered headless marble statues of a woman and her servant in an ancient Greek
cemetery.
Dating back to the fourth century B.C., the statues depict the woman seated in an elaborate
chair with a female servant standing beside her.
The sculpture likely marked the woman’s burial sometime before 317 B.C., when the
Athenian governor Demetrios of Phaleron outlawed the lavish gravemarkers.
Grave monuments like this were common at the time and often featured people with their
slaves.
In addition to not knowing who the women were, experts are unsure why their heads are missing.
It’s likely that the heads were accurate depictions of the people they represent, as
it was customary in Ancient Greece to mark graves with idealized faces, according to
leading Greek sculpture expert Olga Palagia.
Excavations are ongoing, and the statue was transported to the Archaeological Museum of
Vravrona for safekeeping.
Archaeologists are constantly finding more fragments and artifacts at the site, according
to an official statement so we just have to wait and see what else they find.
https://www.livescience.com/ancient-greek-statues-missing-heads.html
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