As the Spanish philosopher and essayist, George Santayana said, those who cannot remember
the past are condemned to repeat it.
Human civilization reached behavioural modernity roughly around 50 thousand years ago, and
before that - anatomically modern humans arose in Africa about 250 thousand years prior.
The dive into our ancestry doesn’t end there though, because perhaps as early as 1.8 million
years ago - humanity began using fire for heat and cooking, developed the fragments
of a Paleolithic language - and began the systematic burial of their dead.
Ancient history is brimming with uncertainty - and a certain lack of clarity on exactly
WHO we were has followed us since the dawn of mankind.
The fact that we measure our ancestry by the year two thousand and nineteen perhaps discredits
the trials and tribulations that our species has already been through - and lurking within
the corners of those turbulent times, are some terrifying ancient mysteries.
So let’s take a look, shall we?
Hello horror fans - and welcome back to the scariest channel on YouTube - Top 5 Scary
Videos.
As per usual, I’ll be your horror host Jack Finch - as today, we curiously take a look
at the Top 5 Terrifying Ancient Mysteries.
Roll the clip.
For the curious amongst you, that clip was from the 2008 movie, 10’000 BC - and yeah,
whatever, it’s incredibly historically inaccurate, but eh - I thought it was pretty fitting.
Kicking off at Number 5 - The Lost Roman Legion
A mystery that has baffled Roman Historians for aeons.
The Legio IX Hispana - or the 9th Legion - also commonly known as The Lost Legion, was one
of the most renowned fighting forces of the Roman Empire that existed from the 1st century
BC until at least 120 AD.
They collected countless battles and victories across the Empire’s influence, participating
in the Siege of Asculum in 90 BC - as well as fighting ferociously beside Mark Antony
in the Battle of Actium.
Following the assassination of Caesar, they were one of the Senate's most powerful military
tools, and battled the Cantabrians of Spain as well as the Germanic tribes of the Rhine
borderlands.
And after that, their successes led them to Britain - where they participated in the Roman
invasion led by emperor Claudius - and it is thought that they were stationed there
all the way until 120 AD.
And then they disappeared.
Completely.
Seemingly fell off the face of the Earth.
Now, the Romans were incredibly diligent record keepers - it's why we know so much about them,
and why they made extensive records of every military battle and confrontation - even their
losses - so they could better develop their Imperial Machine.
And the Ninth Legion, after seemingly heading to Scotland to fight the Picts and Celtic
Tribes - just disappeared.
No notes, no records.
Nothing.
Now, The Lost Legion was made up of over 5’000 men.
And somehow, in the strange mists of time - they all completely disappeared.
I guess we’ll never know.
Coming in at Number 4 - The Sky Caves of Nepal
Also known as the Mustang Caves - The Sky Caves of Nepal are a collection of over 10’000
man-made caves dug deep into the sides of the Himalayan valley in the Mustang District
of Nepal.
This place has absolutely baffled archaeologists and researchers since their discovery in the
mid 90s, when local explorers began venturing inside the stacked caves and found several
dozen partially mummified human bodies - all at least between 2000 and 3000 years old.
Further exploration of these caves had led to discoveries of valuable Buddhist paintings,
sculptures, manuscripts and numerous ancient artifacts that is thought to belong to the
12th and 14th century - but the fact that the Sky Caves seem to predate them by over
- at the least - 2000 years - has offered no answer to the burning question.
Who built these caves?
And why?
Since 1996, the Sky Caves of Nepal have been listed as a UNESCO tentative site - and the
Mustang Region was formerly known as the Kingdom of Lo - until its annexation by Nepal at the
end of the 18th century.
This in turn made it a restricted demilitarized area until 1992 - making it one of the most
preserved and isolated regions on the Planet.
Seemingly, whoever was making these caves have been around for at least three thousand
years - burying their dead in elaborate, ritualistic, ceremonial sky tombs - and no one has any
idea why.
Swinging in at Number 3 - The Ridgeway Hill Viking Burial Pit
And this one - is so heavy metal - that I have no idea.
It could literally make up the plot of a Clive Barker film.
In September 2008, archaeologists from Oxford Archaeology began excavating along the route
of the A354 - when they discovered a burial pit on nearby Ridgeway Hill - containing the
bodies of what appeared to be 54 viking mercenaries.
And all of them were decapitated.
Not only were they all decapitated though, but when their remains were discovered, it
was found that they were all in relatively neat little piles.
Their heads in one pile.
Their torso’s in another - like some kind of ancient hunting grounds visitor attraction.
Researchers are stumped about The Ridgeway Hill Pit - there are no leading theories,
and the vast majority of it just doesn’t make sense.
Carbon dating found that their remains dated back to between 970 and 1025 AD - and they
were all of Scandinavian origin, and carried the physiques of warriors.
One leading theory is that the group were somehow ambushed by nearby villagers and ceremoniously
slaughtered - but that makes zero sense, and has no ties to the known ritualistic practices
of the Native Britons.
Also, markings on the vikings bones showed that the method of execution was a bizarre
mix of crude and incredibly precise blows - and there was a total of 188 wounds visible
on the skeletones - an average of 4 per viking.
One of which, had the top of his skull sliced off - exposing his brain.
Vampiric blood ritual?
Ancient Cult Sacrifice?
I have no idea - but the Ridgeway Hill Pit doesn’t make any sense.
Next up at Number 2 - Gobekli Tepe
And to be honest, I could talk about Gobekli Tepe all day - because what the hell is going
down at that place, we’ll maybe never know.
Gobekli Tepe - which is Turkish for Potbelly Hill - is an ancient megalithic site that
was evidently used for social ritualistic practices.
Oh, and also - it dates back to the 10TH MILLENNIUM BC.
At the least!
Just look at this place, and you’ll understand exactly why this is so insanely baffling - during
a time which, most anthropologists agree - we as humans were primitive hunter gatherers.
But nah, Gobekli Tepe seems to say otherwise - with the structure itself making up patterns
of absolutely massive T-shaped stone pillars - more than 200 of them, which form around
20 seperate circles - and are currently the world's oldest known megaliths.
Older than stonehenge.
So - during a time when mankind were seemingly roaming the plains hunting mammoths - we were
actually building incomprehensibly vast structures.
Klaus Schmidt, who was a leading German archaeologist - held the belief that Gobekli Tepe was a
vastly important pilgrimage destination, and a somewhat cathedral for a primitive cult
of the dead.
Though no tombs or graves have ever been found at the site, Schmidt believed that they remained
to be discovered, hidden in niches located behind the temple walls.
It’s important to note that the vast majority of Gobekli Tepe is yet to be unearthed, and
mainstream archeology has primarily ignored this site.
For all intents and purposes, it may be one of the most important ancient structures of
our species.
As Ian Hodder of Stanford University said - Gobekli Tepe changes everything.
And finally - at our Number 1 spot - The Sphinx
And bare with me - because there is one ancient structure that is beyond baffling.
The Sphinx, and the perpetual mystery that surrounds it.
Now, I’m a stickler for science - but there is something about the Great Sphinx of Giza
that just doesn’t add up.
Now hear me out, because the vast majority of Egyptologists claim that The Sphinx is
4512 years old - which would have meant it was built in the year 2494 BC.
BUT - that completely ignores the fact that there are certain, very clear weathering patterns
on the Sphinx that do not occur in any other ancient structures in the area - the Great
Pyramids included.
Author John Anthony West, alongside geologist Robert M. Schoch, found very clear evidence
of water erosion on the structure - which is not consistent of the environmental climate
patterns of the given time.
These patterns, and the effect of water erosion - would be consistent in a time when Egypt
was a wet and rainy landscape - meaning that the Sphinx would have to be between 7 thousand
and 10 thousand years old.
On another note, between 1991 and 1993 when West’s team were examining the Sphinx, they
found evidence of hollow, regularly shaped spaces and chambers between the paws and at
either side of the Sphinx.
Egyptologists put an end to their examination - and forbid any other work.
The mysteries of the Sphinx are countless, and one thing is for certain - they’re not
being fully explored by modern research.
Well, what do you guys think about the Mystery of the Sphinx?
Let us know in the comment box down below.
Unfortunately, that’s all we’ve got time for in today’s video - but before we depart,
let’s take a look at some of your more creative comments from over the past few days.
Oogachaka says -- I’ve watched Leviathan thanks to your recommendation; it turned out
to be a cheesy version of The Thing set underwater.
--- Ooooh, erm - yeah, sorry about that good buddy - that wasn’t really meant as a recommendation,
more of a, I’ve got a few hours to kill - let’s watch some awesomely bad horror
movies.
But yeah - I’m glad you enjoyed it anyway, I promise I have better recommendations than
Leviathan.
On that note though - why don’t you guys check out our brand new Lovecraftian playlist,
so you can severely binge some of the best cosmic horror movies, video games and literature
going.
We’ve also got an SCP playlist, a straight up Horror Movie playlist - the possibilities
are endless.
Go on, give it a click.
Well, there we have it folks - cheers for sticking around all the way until the end,
if you were a fan of this video - make sure to hit that thumbs up button, as well as that
subscribe bell, and I’ll be seeing you in the next one.
As per usual, I’ve been your host Jack Finch - you’ve been watching Top 5 Scary Videos
- and until next time, you take it easy.