12 Mysterious Artifact Discoveries Scientists Still Can’t Explain

Artifacts that are found in archaeological sites and excavations are used to learn about the ancient world and how people lived. Many mysterious artifacts have been discovered that scientists can't explain, and the search continues to find their use and how they came to be. While dice are now used regularly for board and other games, they used to be connected only to gambling and other illegal or unwanted habits. In order to play games and keep them separate from any other activities, teetotems were used rather than dice. The term was used in Through the Looking Glass in 1871, and they were used commonly through the 19th century for board games. A teetotem is a small top that would spin, and when it stopped and fell to one side, the image or number on the other side would be revealed. That is the number that was used for moving a piece around a game board, or the symbol that determined what happened next. As their popularity grew, there were those who felt they were as bad as dice and that all games of chance are problematic, including children's board games, and they tried to stop families from using either. Many games came with a teetotem while others required you to purchase one separately. Some games even had spaces drilled into the game board so it would become a spinner, which remain used in games to this day. Ishinohoden Megalith is in a key location within the city of Takasago in the Oshiko Jinja Shinto Shrine. It has been listed as a National Historic Site of Japan since 1979, but its date is as of yet undetermined. It is made of tuff, a volcanic rock that is vented from cracks within the surface of a volcano, and stands almost 6 meters high, over 6 meters wide, and is estimated to weigh over 500 tons. Even at this weight, it appears to float over the bond beneath it. There has been no evidence of stone tools that would allow for the carving of this monument, and it still remains in question how it was made, along with how it holds its position, and this may be one ancient discovery that science cannot explain. It also shares no sign of what its purpose is or why it was made. Menehune are a Hawaii legend, and their tales are shared through families and passed-down generations. It is said that they live in the mountain forests and unknown valleys, avoiding people by living in caves, lava tubes, hollow logs, and huts. In 1820, there were 65 Menehune listed on the census, and in the 1940s, a group of elementary students saw a group of them jumping around in the trees. While only few people have reported sightings, there are a few accounts that have been passed down. They are said to be short, with red or dark skin, big eyes, protruding foreheads, and long eyebrows. As their language is unknown, there is no record of communication. Statues, carvings, and images are dotted around Hawaii, showing how they have been ingrained in the culture for centuries, and stories of them may have come with waves of Polynesians who settled on the islands, or from colonists from Tahiti centuries later. Caves, ponds, and other landmarks are named after them, and these are spaces where they are rumored to live. Pompeii is not only very well known, but also a source of nearly endless artifacts that have been used to piece together knowledge about the community and the eruption that buried the city. One of these artifacts is a ceremonial chariot that is mysteriously preserved. Built with bronze and tin, it was far enough away to remain in place, but close enough to be fully coated. Wooden remains are also present, and imprints of ropes can be seen. Located in 2021, outside of a villa that was the location of a find in 2018 of three horses in the stable, one of which was wearing a harness, the chariot was taken to the laboratory of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii to clean it and begin restoration. As a first of its kind, it is believed that the chariot was used for festivities, ceremonies, parades, and processions. Also unusual is that the chariot has four wheels, and that it is not the expected type of transportation for the city. A cave home found in the UK may be the oldest home with an intact interior to have been found to date. Situated by the River Trent, Anchor Church Caves is thought to be 1,200 years old and belonged to Northumbrian Kind Erdvulf after he was chased from his throne and ended up living as a hermit. It is not known exactly why he was exiled, and this is just one of the mysteries surrounding this artifact, though it is known that it occurred in 806 AD when a book states that he had a cell in a cliff, which turned out to be a house carved from caves. He was buried only 8 kilometers from that cave in 830 AD. When first discovered, it was thought to be made for decorative or entertainment purposes, but it was later determined to be an Anglo-Saxon dwelling from the 9th century. All areas of the home from the floor to windows and doors, even the roof, remain nearly exactly how they would have been at their creation. After death, King Erdvulf was made a saint, though there is little information on why. Megalithic tombs that have been aged as the same time as Stonehenge have been discovered in Poland. Due to the size of the structures, some are calling them the Polis Pyramids. Though they are low to the ground, they stretch 150 meters long and are up to 10 meters wide at the entrance with a taper at the other end, and they are 2 meters high. Each is covered with boulders and stones that weighed as much as 10 tons. Smaller stones were used toward the thinner end of the tombs, ensuring they all stayed in place for the thousands of years they have remained. The construction makes their classification Megalithic Tombs, and they are from the Neolithic period, making them the oldest that have been found so far, even older than the Egyptian pyramids. Beit Gerven Maresha National Park is located in Israel, and it is a World Heritage Site that contains a network of caves, the remains of Maresha, which was an important town of Judah and Beit Gerben. A Jewish cemetery, amphitheater, Byzantine church, public baths, mosaics, and burial caves are also located within the park. As the park contains these biblical town and cities, it is well-protected and a very popular tourist site. Most of the artifacts are dated back to the 14th century BCE, and it was excavated from 1898 until 1900, and further excavations occurred in 1992. Each excavation uncovers more buildings, carvings, decorations, and artifacts. Roman ruins were also located at this site, followed by a bathhouse and walls and more from the Crusader period. A family tomb was found that was built for the leader of the Sidonian community, and the largest part of this cave includes several paintings of both real and mythical animals above each of the bodies, a crow to keep away demons, a three-headed dog guarding the entrance to the underworld, and a phoenix. Viking archaeology is a large part of learning about the past, and there are several mysterious artifacts that are not yet explained, including the stone ship excavated in 1941 in Jelling, Denmark. The ship is at a historical location and has been excavated twice, with the results of the second dig in the 1960s showing it was much larger than previously thought, and it was discovered that it reaches 354 meters in length. Buried under two royal barrows, it has not been fully excavated, and it remains a mysterious artifact discovery both in how it got there and the history of this ship. The burial complex has burial mounds for a family, the head of which was once a king. Some scholars have suggested the stone ship under the traditional burial mounds was to ensure that those buried above and around it will have everything they need to facilitate their journey to the afterlife. A visitor's site has been built for all tourists and local visitors, which allows them to see the site from a viewing platform, and digital binoculars have been added that allow people to view it as it would have looked in Viking times. Sarmizegetusa Regia is a key historical site in Romania and was the capital during the Dacians' rule. It was also an important military base and the religious and political center of the country. Built on a 1,200-meter-high mountain, it is a fortress with six citadels, and it was here that the city and the community were managed. In a location only 40 kilometers away is another city that is often confused with it due to the similar surrounding names and the likelihood that it was the capital after the Dacian era. Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa was built by a Roman emperor, and their influence in the area remains heavy, even having shaped the language. Sarmizegetusa Regia included residential areas with dwellings and workshops alongside the religious buildings, and the fortress was formed with stone blocks to protect everyone within. The area covered is almost 30,000 meters squared. It is noted as one of the most important Dacian sanctuaries, and its excavation was full of artifacts that helped to form an idea of the lifestyle of those who lived there. Oji is a building within the Nusabad underground city. That is a completely underground city that was built in the Sasanian era over 1,500 years ago. The amazing architecture shown is a prime example of what could be done with beginning technology. Located near Kashan in Iran, it includes tunnels that connect chambers and keep those moving around the city underground, both as they move around and when they get to their destination. Building underground served two main purposes. First, it was sheltered from the Iranian heat, and second to keep citizens safe from invaders, as they were able to hide in the underground city during a raid and not be found. By building the tunnels in ways that created a structure similar to a maze, if any stranger or threat was able to enter the city, they wouldn't be able to easily find their way around it, allowing for their removal. Running three levels deep, people were able to have a residence, use the tunnels and stairways to get to their job and back, and could access religious chambers and other needs without having to surface. A monolithic church has been found underground in the village of Aubetiers-sur-Drone. It is designated as one of the most beautiful churches in France, and the Église monument is over 27 meters high. Construction has been pinpointed to the 12th century, and carving into the cliff that it resides within was a monumental feat. The church itself has measured at 27 meters long, 16 meters wide, and 20 meters tall. A baptismal pool in the floor is accepted as one of the oldest parts of the church, and it has a Greek cross carved into the bottom. A necropolis is also present, with 170 tombs carved into the floor, with the head pointing towards Jerusalem. Serving as the parish church until 1784, when it was used as a factory to provide gunpowder to the revolution, after which it was used as a graveyard, until it was stopped for health reasons, and it then remained undisturbed until the 1950s, when the rock fall that had hidden it was moved. Tourists are welcomed year-round, except Christmas Day and New Year Day. Fondly called the Armenian Stonehenge, the Karahunj is around 230 kilometers from the capital city Yerevan. These prehistoric structures include a megalithic site that is covered in hundreds of megaliths from 1 to 2.8 meters in height. Within this site, which covers 70,000 square meters, are the Speaking Stones, Bronze Age tombs, and more than 220 standing stone monuments, centralized in a ring, with various sized stones surrounding the circle in rings. Carved from basalt, the stones have never been moved, and dating shows that others were added as time passed, and are not as old as the originals. This mysterious artifact is not yet solved, with there so far being no clear reason for its creation, though salvation, commemorating a battle, use for a church, or as a way to prevent natural disasters are all reasons this civilization has built others. Studies of the area began in the 1980s and are ongoing. With such a large area to excavate, it is a project that may never fully end. Some pottery remnants have been located in the tombs that were dated to the 13th century, and it is certain that other artifacts will be found. Mysterious artifacts can be found anywhere, and sometimes in the most surprising places. Excavations are showing that people really know very little about the spaces in the world, and they continue to learn every year. Ancient artifacts can bring a new point of view to the past, and help to move technology forward today. Subscribe to the channel, turn on the notification bell, and enjoy watching new videos on my channel. Thanks for watching and see you soon!