From a strange ancient map to mysterious artifacts, these are 10 archaeological controversies
that have scientists divided…
10.
The Piri Reis Map
In 1929, a German theologian was cataloging items in the Topkapi Palace Library in Istanbul,
and he came across a gazelle skin parchment with an unusual map drawn onto it.
Dated back to 1513, it was drawn and signed by Turkish cartographer Hagji Ahmed Muhiddin
Piri, an admiral in the Turkish Navy at the time and the map is now known as the Piri
Reis map.
The most unusual thing about this map is that it appears to show the continent of Antarctica,
300 years before it was officially discovered.
Not only that, but it depicts the continent as it would have looked before it was covered
in ice some 6000 years ago.
Reis claimed his map was drawn based upon more than 20 different maps and charts, leaving
researchers with quite the puzzle.
This has led to many different theories as to how this was possible.
The obvious suggestion is that the map was drawn with information that was more than
4000 years old, which implies that there was a seafaring civilization present at the time
that was able to collect the data.
Furthermore, the map used mercatorial projection which wasn’t used until later.
The topographical detail was so advanced that it is believed it would require aerial capabilities
to chart, so whoever did it must have been incredibly advanced for the time… with some
believing it's evidence of ancient Atlanteans.
Not everyone's so convinced that this map is proof that an ancient advanced society
existed, though.
Those who are skeptical of the idea point to the fact that the map is also a fair representation
of the lower coast of South America, complete with some of its modern geographical features.
And if there was another seafaring society, why did no one else mention it in their writings?
It is unclear just what exactly the Piri Reis map is showing and it is sure to be the source
of debate for a long time to come…
What do you think?
Let us know in the comments below!!
9.
The Jehoash Inscription
In 2001, a group of Israeli archaeologists were shown a stone tablet, supposedly dating
back to 1000 BC, with writing that describes repairs that were made to the temple of Solomon…
the first evidence ever to have been found about the renowned building.
It underwent a series of tests, including radiocarbon dating, before being declared
as a genuine artifact.
It was even found to contain microscopic particles of gold on its outer layer, which were thought
to have been caused by the fire which, according to the Bible, destroyed the temple in 586
BC.
Just as the tablet was about to be sold, things started to get more complicated.
The person who had found it was also linked with another artifact, the James Ossuary,
which was a burial box with inscriptions that mentioned Jesus' brother.
The tablet was recovered and inspected by a team of linguists who declared it to be
a fake because some of the Hebrew used in the writing was modern, not ancient.
Other experts disputed this assessment, though, saying that so little is known about ancient
Hebrew that it would be impossible to tell.
In the end, the stone tablet and the ossuary were proved to be elaborate fakes.
The radiocarbon dating had been fooled by the addition of charcoal particles, and the
gold flakes were purposefully put there to fit in with the story.
It's proof, though, of how subjective the analysis of ancient artifacts can be, and
how easily experts can find themselves on opposing sides when trying to understand them.
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8.
Spanish Hill, Pennsylvania
Spanish Hill, in Pennsylvania, was first described by an explorer in 1795 who said it was ‘the
shape of a sugar loaf, about 100 feet high, with a level top, on which are the remains
of intrenchments'.
Others saw the remains of walls, and further archaeological investigations have found potential
evidence of a Native American society, including shell heaps, corn, flint chips, and various
other implements.
Archaeologists aren’t exactly in agreement about what the hill was once used for, and
what significance it has.
Some believe it was simply a farm, which would explain the implements.
Others think that the hill was used by some of the earliest Spanish settlers as a stronghold,
while another theory is that it was an encampment used by the Native American Nation of Carantouan.
Of course, all three could be true, or none could be true and it was used in a completely
different way.
Until comprehensive proof is found, the debate will continue….
7.
How Alexander the Great Died
By 323 BC, Alexander the Great had secured an empire that stretched from the Balkans
to modern day Pakistan, but his death at the age of 32 that year has been a mystery ever
since.
He was on the verge of attacking another empire, when he became ill and, after 12 excruciating
days, finally passed away.
There have been a number of theories as to what happened to him, ranging from malaria,
typhoid fever, alcohol poisoning, and even assassination by one of his rivals.
To make things even more peculiar, his body apparently showed no signs of decomposition
for 6 days, which led to many at the time being convinced that he was actually a god.
In a recent report, a researcher has claimed that he suffered from a neurological disorder
called Guillain-Barré syndrome, and the reason his body wasn't' decomposing could have been
because he wasn't even dead yet.
Still, this is a theory based on written records and not on an examination of his body, so
his true cause of death remains unknown for sure, and there are plenty of differing opinions
on what happened to him.
6.
Otzi
In 1991, the body of a 5,000-year-old mummy, now known as Otzi, was discovered by mountain
climbers.
The remains of the 45-year-old were remarkably well preserved, which has allowed researchers
to examine in detail the causes of his death.
Despite this, there's a lot that remains unknown, and there's still great debate about how he
met his end.
Otzi was found lying face down in a depression in the rock at the top of a pass in the Italian
Alps.
He is the oldest known preserved human, far pre-dating the mummies of ancient Egypt.
Various tests have proved inconclusive about how he died, and there are a number of different
theories about what happened.
He had signs of failing health, and some believe he may have fallen and injured himself, and
become a victim to the elements.
A different argument has also come forward, that he was fleeing danger and was, in fact,
murdered.
He had an arrow wound in an artery in his arm, which could have caused rapid blood loss
and death.
Some researchers believe this could have been a raiding party or even a ritual human sacrifice.
Whether he died of natural causes, during a fight, or in a ceremony, we may never know…
but those on either side of the debate will surely stick to their belief until something
more conclusive is found.
5.
Tikal Temple 33
Tikal Temple 33 was a 108-foot-high Maya funerary pyramid that was found in the remains of the
Maya city of Tikal, along with a number of other monuments.
It was built in three different stages of construction in the year 457 when King Siyaj
Chan K'awiil II's shrine was remodeled, and it's one of the most investigated structures
of the city.
While archaeologists are in agreement about the reason for its construction, and when
it was built, there's one controversy that has split the community.
Now, only the base of the temple survives, and that's because, in the 1960s, a team of
archaeologists decided to dismantle the final version of the large pyramid to see inside,
and learn more about the earlier construction phases.
Needless to say, the destruction of ancient buildings is a highly contentious act, and
not everyone agreed that it was the right thing to do.
Despite having been cleared by the Guatemalan authorities, many argued that it was irresponsible,
especially as there were no funds available to rebuild the pyramid, and the stones that
were removed were placed in landfill.
What happened to Tikal Temple 33 is etched in the minds of all archaeologists who find
new structures, and serves as a warning as to their role between preservation and exploration.
What do you think?
Was it ok to dismantle the pyramid?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
4.
The Cyrus Cylinder
The Cyrus Cylinder is a clay cylinder which is inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform script.
It was created in 539 BC on order of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the first Persian
empire when he took control of Babylon.
There are two parts to the text, the first which details a story of Cyrus’ deeds, and
the second which is Cyrus speaking in first person where he speaks of how successful he’s
been as king.
Archaeologists and historians have varying ways of interpreting the words inscribed on
the cylinder.
Originally it was seen as being very close to the truth, but many now see it as a propaganda
document designed to make Cyrus’ enemies appear to be weak.
Another interpretation is that the document includes a confirmation of the Bible with
the similarity of events that are described, and the most recent theory is that it’s
actually the first known example of a bill of human rights.
While the idea that it’s a propaganda document is the widely held view, the other interpretations
are still believed by many… both those who truly see it that way, and those who are themselves
trying to use it for their own means.
The bill of human rights version, for example, is a result of a heavily altered translation
of the words, and one that was presented to the UN in 1971 to claim that Cyrus was the
first ruler to establish rights for his people.
3.
The Sandia Cave
The Sandia Cave in Las Huertas Canyon, New Mexico, was once believed to be a place with
vast evidence of the earliest inhabitants to live on the continent, but a controversial
set of events has led the archaeological community to question everything that they once thought
to be true.
In 1934, a student called Frank Hibben excavated the cave and found artifacts from the Folsom
culture, who were at the time thought to be the earliest inhabitants of the Americas.
He kept digging, though, and found another collection of artifacts that dated from 10,000
years earlier, and were created by a group of people he named ‘Sandia Man'.
Within 30 years, other academics started to suspect something wasn't right about these
claims, and in 1995, an article was published in the New Yorker raising serious questions.
New visits to the site suggested the Sandia Man artifacts didn't actually come from deeper
beneath the ground and may have actually been placed there by Hibben himself.
Sandia Man was removed from literature, but there are still those who think there's validity
to the original claims.
This site has now been tainted for good, so the real truth may never be known… unless,
of course, a similar site is found nearby that can prove it once and for all.
2.
The Runamo Inscription
With ancient cultures having used symbols that we wouldn't necessarily recognize today,
how would you know for sure whether something was actually written, or just occurred naturally?
That's the question that's divided archaeologists in the case of the Runamo inscription, which
is located near a church in Blekinge in southern Sweden.
For centuries people believed the cracks to be writing, with some even claiming to be
able to read it.
In 1833, an expedition was led by an Icelandic professor who deciphered it to find a poem,
but only a few years later another team decided it was nothing but natural cracks within a
rock.
Today, it’s generally accepted that the Runamo inscription is a dolerite dike with
cracks in it, but there are still those who believe there’s something more to it…
1.
The Talpiot Tomb
In 1980, a tomb was unearthed at a burial site in the Talpiot neighborhood of East Jerusalem,
and inside there were 10 ossuaries… some of which bore inscriptions that have been
translated as saying ‘Jesus son of Joseph’, ‘Mary’, and a few other names associated
with the New Testament.
These names led some researchers to believe that this was the burial place of the family
of Jesus of Nazareth, while many others rejected the idea, saying that these names were very
common at the time.
Proving something like this one way or the other is virtually impossible to do.
Comparisons were made with the James ossuary which was in the same collection as the supposedly
fake Jehoash inscription that I talked about earlier, and the soil and mud samples were
found to be almost identical.
Is this, as some believe, actually the place where Jesus and his family were buried?
Or simply just another tomb that was typical of a wealthy family at the time?
We’ll perhaps never know, and the scientific community is most definitely divided on this
one.
Thanks for watching!
Archaeology and science is full of passionate debate as we try to learn more about our world.
Any other controversies you would like to mention?
Let us know in the comments below!
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