What if some technology from the ancient world ended up in the hands of medieval or modern
scientists?
Historians and archaeologists often like to talk about this.
In this video I will tell you about archaeological discoveries that could rewrite our history.
However, some of them still rewrote it!
Hi, friend.
You are on the KirTop channel.
Medieval prosthetic hand During archaeological work, a skeleton with
a rare iron prosthetic arm was found near Freising in Bavaria.
This amazing prosthesis dates back to the late Middle Ages or early modern period and
was discovered near the parish church of St. George.
The find was sent to Munich for detailed study.
The prosthesis was intended for the left hand, missing four fingers.
Apparently it was covered in leather and contained a soft padding at the base, and the fingers
were made of non-ferrous metal.
Although such prostheses were rare, about 50 examples of similar products have been
discovered in Central Europe.
These ancient prosthetics demonstrate the attempts of doctors of the time to help people
who had lost limbs, especially amid numerous military conflicts such as the Thirty Years'
War.
One of the most famous prosthetics was created for Götz von Berlichingen, a knight who lost
his arm in 1504.
His story inspired Goethe to write a play.
Both of Goetz's prostheses have survived and are now in the family castle in Baden-Württemberg.
Obsidian mirror Ancient civilizations in Mexico used obsidian
mirrors, or tezcatls, as divination tools.
Looking into the depths of the mirror, the sorcerers were transported to the world of
gods and ancestors.
Obsidian mirrors can be seen as a metaphor for the images of ancient Mexican monuments:
they reflect not only the object, but also the person looking.
The main accessory of the supreme Aztec god Tezcatlipoca is an obsidian mirror.
His name translates to "smoking mirror".
He is often depicted with a mirror on his chest, wearing jewelry, or in place of his
right leg.
Tezcatlipoca was the ruler of the night and its creatures, primarily the jaguar, which,
according to beliefs, could move between the earthly and underground worlds.
In 1969, American artist Robert Smithson visited Mayan ruins, following the path of writer
John Lloyd Stevens.
Despite traveling through Mayan territory, Smithson claimed to embody Tezcatlipoca.
This experience inspired him to create a piece of art in which he used mirrors to illustrate
time travel.
In the early 20th century in Mexico City, Augustus Genen, a Mexican collector of French
origin, amassed an extensive collection of pre-Columbian artifacts.
Ancient Mexican mirrors from his collection survive to this day in various shapes and
sizes.
Sometimes they were reused, inserted into Christian crosses or as symbols of vanity.
Devil's tracks On the night of February 8-9, 1855, mysterious
hoof prints appeared in the snow of Devon.
They could be seen on rooftops, fields and narrow streets from up to 100 miles away.
The journey of the tracks was not interrupted even in front of obstacles in the form of
walls or rivers.
Many believed that these were traces of Satan himself.
These tracks, also known as "Devil's Hooves", left behind an inexplicable path.
The prints resembled those of a donkey, but their placement suggested a bipedal creature.
Each track was about 8 cm wide and about 10 cm long, and the distance between them was
from 20 to 40 cm.
The tracks extended throughout the Devon region, including the Exe Estuary area.
One of the most unusual aspects was that the tracks appeared out of nowhere and then disappeared.
Sometimes they paused at a pile of hay to resume on the other side.
In The Times newspaper of February 16, 1855, these marks were called "Satan's prints."
Many quickly linked this phenomenon to the Prince of Darkness, especially when footprints
appeared on doorsteps and around churches.
Some people believed the tracks were fake.
Some considered possible sources of traces of cats, hares, mice and badgers.
However, no animal could leave marks on the roof.
Of course, there were aliens.
Some associated the tracks with UFOs or sea monsters.
Scientist Mike Dash suggested that there could be different reasons behind the tracks.
However, the exact origin of the tracks still remains unknown.
Some continue to believe that it was Satan who wandered Devon on that fateful night in
1855.
What do you think about this?
Write your opinion in the comments.
Toothbrush from the time of Frederick the Great
In Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg, researchers have discovered traces of early modern industrial
activity, including the remains of three mills that operated from the mid-17th to the mid-19th
centuries.
These mills were associated with a noble estate, on whose territory the first carriage depot
in Germany appeared in 1838.
This depot served to service the first Prussian railway line between Berlin and Potsdam.
Later its area increased significantly.
The depot existed for more than 150 years and closed in 1999.
Now the territory is intended for the creation of an innovation center.
According to Christoph Krauskopf from the Office for the Protection of Monuments, there
is a map from 1863 that shows the mills.
In addition to the foundations, the researchers found details of the water supply system from
the Nute River.
Other finds included fragments of tiles with the monograms of Prussian monarchs, shards
of ceramics, clay whistles and a wooden toothbrush.
Light-skinned blue-eyed giants For centuries there have been rumors about
giant people who lived on Earth in the distant past.
Bone finds around the world support these myths.
One of the most mysterious places with such finds is Santa Catalina Island off the coast
of California.
Santa Catalina is a small cozy island near Los Angeles, part of the Channel Islands archipelago.
Its history begins with the settlement of the Gabrielino Indians about 7,000 years ago.
After them, both Spaniards and Mexicans visited here until the island became part of the United
States.
The story of young Ralph Glidden, who moved to the island in 1896, deserves special attention.
After finding an Indian skull, he became interested in searching for ancient relics.
Growing up, Ralph conducted many archaeological excavations, finding over 800 graves and many
artifacts.
He sold these relics to museums and private collectors.
The Catalina Island Museum, founded by Glidden, is known for its unique exhibits.
Among them, the skeletons found by Glidden became especially popular.
But the greatest resonance was caused by his application for the discovery of the remains
of people 210-270 cm tall.
According to him, they had a European appearance: blond hair and blue eyes.
One of the amazing finds was the skeleton of a girl surrounded by the remains of 64
children.
According to Glidden, the remains of more than 3 thousand people were discovered on
the island.
Most of them were tall, which was not typical for the Indians.
In 1913, German-born physician A. Fürstenan discovered an 8-foot skeleton in Avalon Bay,
along with artifacts, including a stone with symbols.
But when trying to extract it, the skeleton collapsed, leaving only part of the bones.
The press actively responded to such reports.
The Ogden Standard-Examiner newspaper wrote about Glidden's findings in 1929, claiming
the existence of an ancient tall race on Catalina.
In addition, it was said that on the nearby island of Santa Rosa, skeletons with double
rows of teeth and six fingers and toes were discovered in 1959.
Furstenant also heard legends about an ancient race of giants on Catalina who lived before
the arrival of Europeans.
However, Glidden's sensational findings on Santa Catalina remained in question for scientists
from around the world.
Most scientists believed that he was looking for funding for his research, and rumors said
that the skeletons in his museum were only high-quality fakes.
According to some sources, part of the “giant skeletons” was sent to the University of
California and the Smithsonian Institution, where they disappeared into secret storage
facilities.
Archival photos allegedly depicting these skeletons are controversial.
There is an opinion that they are fake, but researcher L. Marzulli claims their authenticity,
noting the presence of a sixth finger on one of the hands.
In 1962, sensing his impending death, Glidden sold his collection for just $5,000.
He passed away in 1967.
Today, the question of who Ralph Glidden was - a master of hoaxes or the discoverer of
a mysterious civilization - remains open.
Unfortunately, no convincing scientific evidence has been found for the existence of giants
on Earth along with humanity.
Cannonballs from Dracula's Army Count Dracula is known to many as a bloodthirsty
vampire who hunts his victims with the help of supernatural abilities and sharp fangs.
However, the real person behind this name, Vlad the Impaler, was far from the mythical
image created by Bram Stoker.
Ironically, the real Vlad preferred to use cannonballs rather than fangs.
Recent excavations in the town of Svishtov, Bulgaria, have uncovered cannonballs that
may have belonged to Prince Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler.
This ruler, who became the prototype of the legendary Dracula, was known for his brutal
methods of warfare, especially against the Ottoman Turks.
A particularly interesting moment in his military career was the conquest of the Zishtov fortress
in Svishtov.
Recent archaeological finds of cannonballs likely indicate that these cannonballs were
used by Vlad during this siege.
These cannonballs were designed to fire culverins, early cannons used in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Vlad the Impaler tried to retake territory captured by the Turks, who had controlled
the region since Roman times.
After successfully conquering the Zishtov fortress, Vlad turned it into his residence.
Although artillery was an important part of his siege tactics, his sinister reputation
stems from his preference for executing his enemies by impaling them.
Visby lenses A favorite pastime of archaeologists and historians
is playing “what if?”
Many moments from the past, even seemingly insignificant ones, could radically change
the course of human history.
For example: what if the so-called “Visby lenses” fell into the hands of an early
medieval scientist and he began the study of optics in Europe 500 years earlier?
The Visby Lenses are a collection of high quality optical lenses found on the Swedish
island of Gotland in 1999.
They date back to the 11th and 12th centuries and are made of quartz.
Some lenses show signs of alteration, probably for mounting in the silver frames that make
them so recognizable.
These lenses are reminiscent of the "reading stones" of Abbas ibn Firnas.
This suggests that the lenses were produced in the Byzantine or Islamic Empires, then
brought to Scandinavia and remade to suit local tastes.
Lenses of this type could be used as magnifying glasses for reading or for viewing the details
of objects.
They could also serve as decoration.
Interestingly, when compared with modern lenses, the image quality of antique lenses is almost
as good.
However, the origin of the lenses remains a mystery.
The appearance and disappearance of these lenses in the Scandinavian world raises questions.
Did they buy the first lenses or receive them as trophies?
Did an Islamic or Byzantine artisan come to Gotland?
Or was it the creation of a brilliant inventor from Gotland?
Regardless of the origin of the lenses, the question can be asked: what if they had fallen
into the hands of the inventor who created the telescope 500 years before Galileo?
What if Vikings could explore our solar system?
What if the science of optics had begun to develop 500 years earlier?
Runestone from Ryoka An ancient runic inscription on a stone found
in southern Sweden at Edeshög is the longest in the world.
Many experts believe that this is an epitaph in memory of the warrior Vemuda, created by
his father.
However, Swedish scientists who studied the text concluded that the stone also reflects
fear of the coming climate crisis, in particular global cooling.
Researchers suggest that the text refers to the consequences of the cold snap of 535-536,
which caused famine, mass migrations and conflicts.
This crisis could have caused the Scandinavian population to halve.
The text also mentions battles under the reign of Thjodric, possibly referring to Theodoric
the Great.
However, scientists believe that there may be an additional subtext: the struggle between
light and darkness, life and death.
According to archeology professor Bo Graslund, the text can record terrible natural phenomena,
such as a solar storm or an eclipse.
They could provoke fear of the approach of Fimbulwinter, the apocalyptic winter from
Norse mythology.
Varna gold treasure The oldest processed gold was found not in
Egypt or among the ancient Sumerians, but in Bulgaria, near Varna.
Some researchers consider the Varna culture to be the first European civilization.
Radiocarbon dating also confirmed the antiquity of this gold.
It was dated to the 5th millennium BC.
Gold was accidentally discovered in the 1970s by excavator operator Raikho Marinov, who
was later even awarded.
Research at the site continues and approximately 300 graves have been discovered so far.
Gold finds from Varna indicate extensive trade relations of the ancient Varna culture, which
may have exported rock salt.
Interestingly, shells of the mollusk Spondylus were found in the graves, which could have
served as money.
Notable finds include a golden boomerang, believed to be an Australian invention, and
gold-plated pottery.
The two golden bulls are striking in their ratio, reminiscent of the golden ratio, and
are associated with the principles of constructing the Cheops pyramid.
Scientists also highlight the similarity with the English Stonehenge: there are 56 protrusions
on the amulet in the form of a golden bull, the same number of round holes were found
in Stonehenge.
Fascinating coincidences of history, isn't it?
The golden treasures of Varna number more than 3 thousand artifacts, weighing a total
of 6.5 kg, the bulk of which were found in three special graves, including grave No.
43 with the remains of a possible ruler.
This man was impressively tall for his time - 1.75 m.
Buried next to it are a variety of gold objects: appliques, rings, necklaces, objects that
could be symbolic images, as well as weapons and tools with gold details.
In addition, the grave contained many objects made of copper and other materials such as
stone, flint and shells.
Of particular note is a bracelet made of gold cylinders, considered the most ancient of
gold items, and grave No. 36, where over 850 gold artifacts were discovered.
These items confirm the burial of a person of royal family.
The story of a condemned man The justice system is not without flaws.
Sometimes innocent people end up behind bars.
However, the story of Will Purvis is an example that miracles do happen.
In 1893, in Mississippi, Will was accused of killing a neighbor due to a sudden quarrel.
Purvis confirmed the existence of a conflict between them, but categorically denied murder.
He had no defense witnesses.
The jury sentenced him to death.
When he was taken out of court, he exclaimed: “I will outlive you all!”
It seemed like empty words back then.
However, when he was led to execution in 1894, something incredible happened.
The noose did not block his breathing and the rope came undone.
The crowd decided that this was a sign from above!
The sheriff, sensing the tense situation, took Will back to prison.
Despite appeals, the verdict remained in force.
Will's friends did not leave him - they organized an escape.
The change in power and public support did their job: Will was offered life imprisonment
instead of the death penalty if he surrendered.
Purvis agreed, and later the public began to put pressure on the governor so that Will
would be completely released from responsibility due to the lack of evidence of his guilt.
The governor had to agree.
As the years passed, the truth came to light.
On his deathbed, a certain Joseph Beard admitted that he was the killer, not Purvis.
Will, whose name was cleared due to many circumstances, passed away on October 13, 1938, just a few
days after the death of the last of the jurors who sentenced him to death.
What do you think?
Was the incident on the scaffold a miracle or a sign?
Leave your comments under the video.
Share this video with your friends and don't forget to subscribe to the channel if you
haven't done so before.
Thanks for your views, bye everyone!