8.
Corsica Roman Burial Jars
A group of archaeologists in Corsica, Italy were working at the Paoli de Île Rousse Square
when they uncovered a necropolis with 40 bodies buried beneath it!
Even though the area had been excavated during the 18th century, it wasn’t until a team
of French archaeologists set out to locate hidden treasures under the commune of Île
Rousse in 2019 that they made the discovery.
Experts really only expected to find the remains of ancient buildings.
Instead, they located the bodies of both children and adults.
But these were no ordinary graves.
Instead of being buried in a classic traditional coffin or sarcophagus, the bodies were placed
inside amphora, which are tall clay jars with two handles and a narrow neck.
In the Lower Empire, necropolises like the one found in Corsica were usually located
next to a church, so it makes the discovery that much more surprising considering the
area was a popular destination for those who came to visit the square with its shady palm
trees at the Riviera-style resort.
This type of burial became popular in the Roman world because the demand for graves
had increased and amphora were an inexpensive way to bury the dead.
But how did the ancient Romans obtain so many of these clay jars for burials?
Amphora were produced from the third century into the sixth century in Africa and were
used to import goods such as wine, oil or salted fish to the island.
Because merchants didn’t take the clay jars back with them when they returned to their
point of origin, Corsica ended up having a surplus of ceramics, using them to store various
items and eventually, they also became makeshift tombs.
The unique burials might seem like a gruesome way to bury the dead, but the infant mortality
rate in Roman times was high, which meant that a large quantity of amphora were needed
to give them proper burials.
7.
Chimu Sacrifices
Teams digging close to Peru’s third largest city made the gruesome discovery of the world’s
largest child sacrifice site.
While digging near the beachside town of Trujillo, archaeologists excavated 227 young victims
of the Chimu culture.
Aged between 4 and 14, the children were found facing the sea, which experts think may indicate
they were sacrificed to appease the El Nino phenomenon, which would have impacted the
local coastline and endangered the ancient people.
The bodies were found at the site of Huanchaco, which had been well-known as a place where
many child sacrifices took place between the years 1200 and 1400.
The group of ancient people believed that by placating the gods to have mercy and safeguard
them from rain and floods, the Chimu people had to sacrifice their children during wet
weather.
Even though experts found important artifacts, including silver earrings, they also found
the children’s footprints had remained intact, with signs they were marched to their deaths
from a massive ancient adobe site a mile from where they were buried.
After carefully removing the remains, archaeologists found the tell-tale signs of ceremonial knife
wounds on the bodies, as well as dislocated rib cages that may mean the Chimu tried to
remove the children’s hearts before sacrificing them.
Sadly, the sacrifices didn’t seem to make much of a difference.
The region is still devastated by the effects of El Nino to this day, making the ritual
sacrifices of so many children that much more devastating.
6.
Qenqo Temple
Located near the city of Cusco, an Incan archaeological site known as the Qenqo Temple has been whispered
about for decades.
Located at the temple there is a monolith, a single block of stone cut into a defined
shape.
It was declared a cultural heritage site by the National Institute of Culture in Peru.
The secret to the design of the monolith can be found in the temple’s name, which means
“labyrinth”.
Because the Inca left no written records, researchers had to guess why the stone at
the Qenqo Temple was cut into a zigzag shape.
And as researchers continued to study the site, they determined the giant stone labyrinth
may have been used to carry liquid.
But the type of liquid still remains a mystery.
Some believe it could have been used for holy water or maybe even corn beer made by the
Inca.
A more gruesome theory is that the Qenqo used the labyrinth during blood sacrifices, allowing
the blood to transfer down the tiny canals during death rituals performed by the ancient
people of Cusco.
Located about 5 km (3 miles) from Cusco about 3600 m (12,000 feet) above sea level, the
monolith’s ceremonial purpose becomes even more plausible when you consider the fact
that the dead might have been judged at the site, with some even embalmed in the many
chambers and tunnels found in the temple.
Experts believe one of the interior niches of the structure may have been used as an
amphitheatre where the ancient Inca may have gathered to witness sacrifices to either the
moon or the sun, two planets worshipped by the Inca at the time.
Although experts have not confirmed that the monolith at Qenqo was used for sacrifices,
much of the evidence points to that as the purpose of the site.
Without any written records, researchers continue to guess at the purpose of the site, and whether
it was for ritualistic purposes or simply an area where the ancient Inca gathered.
What do you think this labyrinth-like shape was used for?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below and if you like this video, click
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5.
Temple People of Malta
A group of people from Malta known as The Temple People have been the subject of study
for centuries.
As archaeologists continue to excavate the burial complexes they left behind, they are
trying to piece together the mystery of why these people survived for so long only to
suddenly vanish.
During the excavations, researchers discovered evidence that the settlers from Sicily arrived
in the area, bringing goats, cows, sheep and crops to develop their villages.
Objects left behind by these ancient people included phallic shapes and fertile figurines
as symbols of sensuality.
They also developed an obsession with building temples, some of which ended up surviving
long enough to become the oldest freestanding stone structures in the world.
They erected more than 30 temple complexes over their 1100-year history including intricate
burial complexes where lavish rituals of animal sacrifice were undertaken.
The Temple People were also known for their elaborate artwork including hundreds of statues
of fertile “fat ladies” among the rich cultural artworks left behind.
One of the underground burial complexes known as the Xagħra Stone Circle is estimated to
have housed between 6000 and 7000 individuals in its heyday circle and took over a decade
for experts to study.
While excavating the burial practices of the Temple People, experts discovered that they
often buried their dead deep inside natural caves where they lived, with the bones of
one generation placed on top of the others.
As the culture developed, the burial complexes were modified by being extended and divided
into rooms for additional burials.
Later, large pits that housed hundreds of individuals whose bones were separated, sorted
and stacked on top of one another became a strange new way for the Temple People to bury
their dead.
One of the most striking revelations came when experts discovered a grave pit that housed
only male body parts.
There were no grave gifts left in the pit, leading experts to believe the society was
more of a matriarchal one with women ruling over men.
With such a rich culture of art, sculpture and unique burial rituals, we can’t help
but wonder why the Temple People had such a rich cultural history only to eventually
vanish.
Some experts believe that their remote island environment along with their reliance on trading
with other cultures for goods may have been their ultimate downfall.
What do you think?
4.
Lost Iraqi Temple
Experts working in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq were surprised to find life-sized
human statues and the column bases of a long-lost temple built to a supreme God.
Dating back over 2500 years to the Iron Age, the temple ruins were found with inscriptions
that referred to the city of Musasir, who ruled the region at the time in what was nicknamed
the “city of the Raven”.
Inscriptions also referenced Haldi, who was the supreme God of the kingdom and who the
temple was built for.
A carving at the site showed the ancient city looking very much like modern Iraqi homes,
with their doorways on the ground floor, which was used as a stable and storage area.
As archaeologists continued to excavate around the long-lost temple, they found a number
of life-sized human statues standing up to 7.5 feet(2.3m) tall.
They were made from limestone or sandstone depicting bearded males, some of whom held
daggers in their hands.
The statues were originally erected above burials, which experts hope might eventually
help them to locate burial crypts where the Iraqis were believed to bury their chieftains.
Other interesting finds at the location include bronze statuettes and cuneiform inscription
that researchers are continuing to study.
They hope to learn more about the holy city founded in bedrock during the Iron Age, a
time when the Urartians, Assyrians and Scythians fought over what is now northern Iraq.
3.
Ancient Buddhist Temple
Could an ancient Buddhist temple discovered in Bangladesh belong to a mysterious saint?
An archaeological team of Bangladeshi and Chinese experts worked together to uncover
a 1000-year-old temple in India that was dedicated to Atish Dipankar, who was a Buddhist Master,
scholar and philosopher.
Experts believe the temple was discovered where the Saint was worshipped before he travelled
to Tibet.
The temple was located in an area that was busy and prosperous during the time Atish
Dipankar taught there.
Researchers unearthed a number of samples from what they believe is one of the oldest
archaeological sites in India during the 50-day excavation.
Pits filled with ash and pottery will help them with radio-carbon dating while the discovery
of the remnants of two roads and a 3m (9.8 ft) tall wall showed they were once part of
a wealthier area.
Another remarkable discovery made at the site were a series of stupa, which were spiritual
sites that contained relics of the Buddhist faith.
The stupa complexes contained burial mounds built between the 10th and 11th century.
Previously, archaeologists discovered a mound in the shape of an octagon that was very similar
to two larger octagon-shaped mounds located in previous digs.
A rare memorial chamber in the centre of the mound was a significant discovery, one that
was important to Buddhist disciples as a place to practice their religion.
As archaeologists continue to excavate and preserve these historical treasures, including
the first protective wall built over the entire settlement, the State Minister for Cultural
Affairs hopes to develop the area as a tourist spot to share the important historical discoveries.
2.
Mayan Ritual Caves
When archaeologists went diving in a Mayan cave that had been untouched for 1000 years,
they were stunned by what they found.
A cache of ritual vessels were found inside the Jaguar God cave in the Yucatán and researchers
believe they may hold clues to the rise and fall of the Mayan Empire.
The discovery was made beneath the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza where a treasure
trove of more than 150 ritual objects were located.
The cave system, known as the “Jaguar God”, was originally discovered in 1966 by an archaeologist
who wrote up a report saying that he had found an extensive amount of archaeological material
inside.
But instead of excavating the site, he had the entrance sealed and soon after, records
of the discovery vanished.
More than 50 years later, a group from the National Geographic explorers who were researching
the water table beneath Chichen Itza re-discovered the hidden caves system.
Investigators had to get creative to reach the site, by crawling on their stomach through
the tight tunnels for hours to reach the underground caverns.
When they did, their efforts were rewarded with well-preserved offerings by the ancient
residents of Chichen Itza, including incense burners, vases, decorated plates and other
objects found surrounded by stalagmites that had formed around them.
Many of the objects were emblazoned with the face of the rain God Tlaloc, as well as the
sacred tree that was a representation of the Maya universe.
Caves and cenotes were considered an opening to the underworld and were highly sacred spaces
for the Maya.
The fact that they were in such a difficult location and the number of artifacts found
points to the importance of the site.
1.
Orkney Island Spheres
Two 5500-year-old polished stone spheres the size of a baseball were discovered in an ancient
tomb north of mainland Scotland in the Orkney Islands.
The balls vary in their design with some ornately carved and others studded with projections.
Some have also been found that are smoothly polished without any carvings or other distinctive
features.
The strange thing is, hundreds of similar stone balls have also been found in Neolithic
sites in Scotland, England, Ireland and Norway.
Originally they were believed to be used as weapons, though some believe they were used
with ropes and lobbed at enemies for protection.
But as archaeologists continue to study these strange stone balls, opinions have changed,
with some thinking they were made to signify a person’s status in their community or
to commemorate an important part of their life.
Although they may seem like simple objects, it would’ve taken a long time to polish
the stone with water and another smaller stone to smooth the surface.
Normally, the balls have been found separately but this time, they were discovered in the
corners of two different underground compartments where human remains were buried along with
other objects like pottery.
Interestingly, cremated human bones were found near the entrances to the Orkney Island tomb.
Is it possible the ancient people of the island used these knives to separate the flesh from
the bones of the dead who were buried there?
Archaeologists still don’t know the answer and continue to study the objects to determine
their usage.
But it’s a race against time as the tomb, located near the coast, is vulnerable to storms,
forcing researchers to work as quickly as possible to remove all the objects for study.
At the time the tomb was created, the Neolithic settlement would’ve been about 1 mile(1.6km)
further from the coast than it is now.
Experts will now conduct analysis of the data gathered to the excavations in the hopes of
providing more information about the Neolithic people and why they buried these stone spheres
with their dead.
Thanks for watching!
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