Latin America - Top 10 Most Mysterious Discoveries! Archeology of Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and more!
Latin America - Top 10 Most Mysterious Discoveries! Archeology of Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and more!
South America is indeed a magical continent. Over the years, more attention was brought to Africa and the Middle East, as they were considered exotic locations with natural wonders and mysterious sites. But South America also has a lot of hidden gems to offer – here are top 10 mysteries of South America. Brought to you by Zero2Hero!
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And if you like ancient history...check out these lost civilizations, including the Rapa Nui of Easter Island!! https://youtu.be/CvCOACmz36A
10. The palenque ruins, Mexico.
The Mayan civilization flourished for centuries, and then it abruptly came to an end. There are many theories about why it collapsed, but there is still no definite answer as to what caused the downfall of the Mayans.
Ancient ruins of cities and temples from the Mayan period could provide valuable insight into this research, because many sites of the Mayans have been preserved in their entirety to this day. One such place is the city-state called Palenque. This city-state is also known as lakamha, which could be translated as “big water”. Palenque was at the height of its power in the 8th century AD, but it existed for more than a thousand years. The ruins of this Mayan city have been dated from 226 BC to 799 AD, which is an astonishing time span. Palenque is such an important historical site because it has plenty of sculptures and inscriptions of the Mayan civilization, as well as many palaces, squares and temples, helping us have better insight into these ancient people.
9. Easter Island, Chile
Many of you would be surprised at the mention of Easter Island, but it is indeed a part of the South American continent. Easter Island formally belongs to the territory of Chile, although it lies approximately 2,200 miles away from it.
Easter Island became inhabited when the Polynesian people came to live on it around 1000 AD. They created a rich, powerful culture which thrived in the centuries to come. These people eventually came to be known as Rapa Nui. They were very successful, in terms of building a civilization but many factors, including deforestation of their island and overpopulation of that same small space, led to their weakening. When the Europeans arrived in 1772, Easter Island had a population of only 2,000 – compared to more than 10,000 a couple of decades before that. In the 19th century, they were close to extinction, but have managed to survive and increase their numbers. Easter Island and the Rapa Nui are most famous for the Moai – big human figures carved in rock in the 13th and 14th century AD. To this day, we are not exactly sure why these statues were made, or why they had to be so big. Check out our video about the top 10 Lost civilizations to learn more about the people of Easter Island!
8. The Brazilian “Stonehenge”
In the Amapá state in Brazil, there is a natural park called - Parque Arqueológico do Solstício. In it, there is a huge circle made of stones, which people call “the Stonehenge from the Amazon” or “Brazilian Stonehenge”.
There are 127 stones in total, with each of them measuring around 13 feet tall, all located near the bank of the river called Rego Grande and positioned in a big 100 foot diameter circle.
The site hasn’t been scientifically dated, so we cannot say exactly when this structure came into being, however, based on the carbon-dating of some pottery found on location, we can make a safe estimate and say that the stones are between 500 and 2,000 years old. Obviously, this site is much younger than the famous Stonehenge in England, but scientists believe that it could have had a similar purpose, such as a burial place, an astronomical center, or a ceremonial location. Also, it is still not clear whether the stones were brought from afar, or used directly from the location.
7. The city of tiwanaku, Bolivia
Tiwanaku is located in present-day Bolivia, and it is another archeological site from the pre-Columbian period. According to archeological research, this was a powerful city in its hay day, and it most likely was at the height of its power in the beginning of the first millennium AD. It is still not sure how big this city was, because only a small portion of it has been excavated by archeologists. Also, it is not known exactly how powerful Tiwanaku was, but it is safe to say that it had a major political influence, reaching all the way to present-day Peru and Argentina. Another interesting thing about this ancient city is that Tiwanaku is, in a way, its modern name – because that’s how it came to be known.