Top 5 Biggest Secrets of Ancient Egypt.
Over 4,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians ruled a significant part of the world and
even though they left behind a detailed legacy of arts and architecture.
They also left behind a host of mysteries that even today the most expert scholars have
been unable to solve.
Probably the most enduring mystery of all is how they were able to build not only the
pyramids but many other incredible structures without machinery or expert technology, not
to mention their near-perfect alignments to specific astronomical and cardinal points.
However, these five fascinating ancient Egyptian mysteries have been studied in depth and to
date.
all remain unexplained.
number one being second in line on the mysterious factor
behind the Great Pyramids of Giza .
Who were the sea peoples?
For nearly a century, a band of mysterious maritime warriors repeatedly attacked Egypt,
Turkey, Syria, Palestine and other territories and no one could match the power of their
mighty warships.
They became known as the Sea Peoples, an unknown civilization, who wreaked havoc on ancient
Egypt and featured heavily in inscriptions and carvings left by the Egyptians, who documented
their reign of terror.
But, it seems that despite these detailed records of their attacks little or nothing
is known about who these mysterious people were.
Where did they come from or where did they go?
the most detailed accounts comes from Ramses, a third who fought a series of catastrophic
battles against the sea peoples around 1170 BC.
One inscription reads: they desolated its people and its land was like that which has
never come into being.
He describes the sea peoples as consisting of a mixture of tribes including the Sheridan,
kara set, denyen, shekel ash and others.
What isn't known is why the sea peoples attacked in the first place.
Although it has been speculated they may have been displaced from their homeland by either
famine or natural disaster.
Although this is only speculation whatever their origins the Sea Peoples return to
Egypt in the mid 12th century BC intent on conquering Egypt but Ramses the third led
his forces to the defense of his kingdom and as
a defeating the sea People's Army on land.
He decimated their feet at the 1175 BC battle at the Delta were Egyptian Argent's lined
the banks of the Nile and rained arrows on the enemy's ships.
The war left Egypt considerably weakened but it also signified the end of the sea peoples'
reigns and as mysteriously as they appeared they disappeared having been decisively defeated.
They vanished from history leaving behind questions but still linger today.
What is the Dendera light?
The temple of dendera, dedicated to the goddess Hathor, is one of the most mysterious ancient
temples built by the Egyptians.
It's located 2.5 kilometres southeast of dendera and is one of the
best preserved of all the egyptian complexes especially at central temple that remained
buried by sand and burned until the middle of the nineteenth century.
The images engraved on it have raised the questions of just how far advanced the Egyptians
really were.
It features an object resembling a light bulb as convinced conspiracy
theorists and alternate history fanatics that the ancient Egyptians were given the power
of electricity 4000 years ago by time travelers or ancient aliens and the light source enabled
them to construct the pyramids and other tombs and monuments.
They created people believe the bulb-like object is reminiscent of an early light bulb
known as crooks tube .This claim is backed up by the lack of cerned found in the Egyptian
tombs ruling out the possibility that they were lit by fire and electricity was used
instead.
However, it's worth pointing out that most Egyptologists have dismissed this claim saying,
"there is evidence of certain but seen as we are talking over 4000 years ago.
it's not visible to the naked eye."Here is a mock-up of how the light would look and
work as displayed in a mystery park in Switzerland.
The mainstream interpretation paints an entirely different story.
The relief is a mythological depiction of a jet pillar and a lotus flower spawning a
snake within that represents aspects of Egyptian mythology.
The jet pillar is a symbol of stability which is also understood to be the backbone of the
goddess Siris.
The life and death of King Tutankhamun Following extensive excavations in the late
18-hundreds.
Many archaeologists thought the Valley of the Kings in Egypt had yielded all its secrets;
however , British archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter had a hunch but there was still
more to find.
And for six fruitless years, he searched the valley looking for the tomb of an obscure
king, who ruled 1332 to 1323 BC..
In November 1922, Carter discovered Tutankhamun's near-intact tomb.
The King's mummified body lay within a nest of three golden coffins which fitted snugly
one inside the other like a set of Russian dolls.
Two of the coffins were made of wood covered with gold sheets but the innermost coffin
was made from thick sheets of solid beaten gold but weighed in astonishing 110 point
four kilograms or 243 pounds.
These coffins were encased in a rectangular stone sarcophagus and the tomb was packed
with priceless treasures that included a gold throne crown and Cobra.
As well as the golden burial mask, the find was the most significant discovery of the
20th century and revealed that Tutankhamun was about 17 when he died and was likely to
have inherited the throne at the age of just eight or nine.
However, despite his mummy being surrounded by valuable treasures and his coffin being
the most expensive in the world in comparison to other Egyptian Kings.
Tutankhamun's tomb was tiny in fact it was the smallest royal tomb in the valley of the
kings and was not a tomb for fitting of a king but rather he hurried put together chamber
cut into the floor of the main valley this prompted speculation that Tutankhamun died
suddenly and his intended tomb was a much grander spacious affair that was not finished
at the time of his death and was later occupied by his successor I.
However, just this year, experts have dismissed this possibility.
Uncertainty still surrounds the death of the young king with many believing, he was weak
and sickly and may have been assassinated or died in a chariot
or hunting accident.
But in 2010, scientists found traces of malaria parasites in his mummified remainsunrevealed
that malaria combined with a degenerative bone disease might have been
the real cause of death.
Mystery solved?
Not quite..
In 2018, a new theory came to light after analysis of leather armor found in the boy
king's tomb.
It revealed that was well used and had probably seen action contrary to other theories Tutankhamun
may have met his death in battle.
Despite this new research, the cause of Tutankhamun's death is still one of ancient
egypt's biggest mysteries and the source of considerable debate and with no records found
of his final days.
It's likely to remain that way for the foreseeable future.
The Lost Land of Punt The mysterious Land of Punt is a Lost Kingdom
and the existence of the region is only known because of its mention in ancient Egyptian
records.
A relief located in Upper Egypt shows a variety of trees grew in punt, suggesting it was a
lush tropical land and for many years researchers have been trying to pinpoint the location
of the mysterious land.
The most recent research indicates there was in Africa.
Another relief found at modern-day Luxor, depicts the result of a mysterious overseas
expedition to the Land of Punt ordered by the Queen in around 1477 BC and sheds more
light on the elusive land.
The image known as the portico of Punt shows five ships carrying 210 men loaded with gold,
trees and exotic animals like leopards, baboons and giraffes.
The ships are surrounded by a variety of fish some of which zoologist
identified as species that live along the coast of africa reinforcing claims but punt
was indeed somewhere in that region but a punt was in Africa how did the Egyptians make
the hazardous journey to reach it.
While it seems there was no end to the ancient Egyptians talents and his thought they mastered
the Seas as well as the land proof of this came in a series of discoveries made along
a section of the Red Sea coast.
When archaeologists excavated a dried-up Lagoon known as Musa Colossus they discovered traces
of an ancient harbour that had helped launched early voyages onto the open ocean man-made
caves in the area contained various shipbuilding materials and the remains of one is the oldest
seagoing ships ever found.
This evidence shows the Egyptians were not only
skilled at creating incredible land monuments but were also competent shipbuilders.
It seems the ever resourceful Egyptians could sail down the Nile before disassembling their
boats and carrying them overland to the Red Sea reassembling them to do trade with punt
before repeating the process on the way back.
Now this seems extreme but then again they build the pyramids further proof of this was
identified in 2010 when researchers discovered hair samples from three
thousand-year-old mummified baboons found in tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
These would have been the pets of the elite that were buried with their masters.
The ancient hair samples were compared with the hair samples of modern animals living
in Eritrea, Ethiopia Somalia, Yemen, Uganda and other similar countries and concluded
it was most likely the animals originating in eastern Ethiopia and Eritrea.
A similar discovery adds weight to the africa theory
after archaeologists identifying a depiction of a bird on the portico of Punt as a secretary
bird a large bird of prey found only in africa particularly around coastal regions and Sudan.
The mysterious Great Sphinx.
The Great Sphinx is located on the Giza Plateau about 10 kilometres west of Cairo and sits
adjacent to the Great Pyramids of Giza.
It is orientated due east facing the Rising Sun.
It's the largest surviving sculpture from the ancient
world, measuring 73.5 meters in length or 241 feet and imparts 20 meters or 65 feet
in height and it was carved from a single block of limestone and is one of the largest
single stone statues in the world.
For thousands of years, the Sphinx was partially covered in sand and it wasn't
until the 1900s when the sand was cleared that his full body was exposed.
It is believed that the Sphinx was constructed in the 4th dynasty starting
in 26:13 BC by Pharaoh Khafre who had the stones shaped into a lion with his own face
cards on it.
Although some archeologists believe, it is much older than that but because it is one
of the few ancient Egyptian constructions with no inscriptions on its surface, it's
impossible to date it with any certainty.
However, considering its around 4,500 years old, it's still in remarkable condition.
Although it's not completely unscathed, its nose and ritual beard are missing, as well
as its Cobra embellished headrests.
It was initially believed that the sphinx lost its nose to Napoleon's men but 18th century
drawings revealed that the nose of the sphinx was missing before Napoleon's rival and it's
now generally believed but it was shot off by the Turks.
It's known that there are three passages into or under it and the tomb of Osiris is located
95 feet below the surface behind the back of the structure.
There is evidence that there are many more passages.
In 1995, workers renovating a nearby parking lot uncovered a series of tunnels and pathways
two of which plunged further underground close to the Sphinx.
Despite these fascinating discoveries, the Egyptian government will not allow any further
examination.
For now, the focus is on preservation rather than further explorations because of this
it seems we'll have to wait many more years before
the Great Sphinx gives up all her secrets.
So, that's five truly fascinating ancient Egyptian mysteries.