12 Most Ancient Technology And Mysterious Artifacts Finds Scientists Still Can't Explain

As time marches on, our knowledge base as a species expands. We know far more now than people who lived a century ago did. To someone who lived a thousand years ago, our modern technology would look like witchcraft. With that in mind, you might think it should be easy for us to understand the technology used by our ancient ancestors and the artifacts that they made. Nothing could be further from the truth. For centuries, the existence of Thonis-Heracleion was considered to be a myth. Like Atlantis, it was said to be a once mighty Egyptian city that had disappeared beneath the waves. Unlike Atlantis, Thonis-Heracleion was found. In the year 2000, divers reported that they'd discovered ancient Egyptian treasures deep below the waters of Abu Qir Bay, close to Further dives were ordered, and eventually the ruins of an enormous temple, 700 anchors, and 64 ships were identified three miles out at sea. 2,300 years after it sank, Thonis-Heracleion had been found once more. Even after all this time in the water, the ruins are astonishingly well-preserved, thanks in part to the fact that the Egyptians made most of the buildings and sculptures out of granite. Its enormous harbor is so vast that it must have been one of Egypt's biggest trading hubs back when it was accessible. There's evidence of numerous canals crossing the city streets, so it's possible that it might have been a city on water, much like Venice in Italy today. Even though the lost city has now been found, scientists still have no idea why it sank in the first place. Shahr-e Sukhta, also known as the Burnt City, is an archaeological site of significant historic importance, located in Sistan and Balochistan Province, southeastern Iran. Dating back to around 3550 to 2300 BCE, this site is associated with the Helmand culture and is situated on the bank of the Helmand River, near the Zahidan Zabul Road. Recognized for its cultural and historical value, Shahr-e Sukhta was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in June 2014. The city's origins trace back to simple rock-cut tombs of the Phoenician and Hellenistic eras, evolving into an extensive urban settlement. The site covers an area of approximately 490 acres, with the built area reaching around 296 acres at its peak, making it one of the world's largest cities at the dawn of the urban era. The site's location near the Lut Desert, one of the hottest places on earth, contrasts with its more hospitable ancient climate, when the nearby Hamun Lake was much larger, and the area was marshland. Shahr-e Sukhta features a vast graveyard measuring about 62 acres, containing between 25,000 and 40,000 ancient graves. The city went through several stages of civilization and was burnt down three times before being abandoned around 2300 BCE. The reason for its rise and fall remains shrouded in mystery, with artifacts suggesting a unique civilization independent of ancient Mesopotamia. Our knowledge of the Blythe Antaglios in Colorado, USA has come and gone over time. The collection of massive geoglyphs was first recorded in the 19th century, but somehow became forgotten until a pilot flew above the area in 1932 and spotted them from the sky. Even then, they weren't added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places until 1982. There are over 200 geoglyphs in the region, including human-like figures and animals. Nobody knows who made them or why, but they must have been incredibly difficult to make. The largest of them is over 170 feet long and can only be seen from above. As the ancient occupants of the land couldn't fly, it's mystifying that they'd create a work of art that none of them would ever be able to see in full. A 2021 study that was supposed to provide a definitive age for the geoglyphs has instead deepened the mystery that surrounds them. The researchers identified some aspects of the glyphs that appear to be 450 years old, whereas other parts seem to be closer to 2000. It's possible that they were created by the Mojave, but the ongoing confusion over their age makes it impossible to say for sure. Shesha, also known as Shesha in Sanskrit, is a significant figure in Hindu mythology, revered as a serpentine demigod and the king of all serpents. He is a primordial being of creation, often depicted as supporting the planets of the universe on his hoods and continuously singing the glories of Vishnu from all his mouths. Shesha is sometimes referred to as Ananta-Shesha, which means endless Shesha or Adi-Shesha, first Shesha. According to beliefs, when Shesha uncoils, time moves forward and creation takes place, and when he coils back, the universe ceases to exist. Vishnu, in his Narayana form, is often shown resting on Shesha, with his consort Lakshmi by his side. Shesha is considered one of Vishnu's two mounts, alongside Geruda. Shesha is believed to have descended to earth in various human forms or incarnations, including Lakshmana, the brother of Vishnu's incarnation Rama, and Balarama, the brother of Krishna. His name, meaning he who remains, signifies his enduring nature, as he exists even when the world is destroyed at the end of each kalpa. Shesha's form is typically depicted as a massive serpent floating coiled through space or upon the ocean of milk, forming the bed for Vishnu. Who or what created the features known as the San-Pol-Tat-Targa cart ruts in the Maltese archipelago? These deep grooves, which scissor-cross the land at the sites of Taala-Wa-Amal and Mizra-Gar-il-Kabir, have been created in solid bedrock and yet are almost certainly artificial in origin. In one particular location, they form such a recognizable artificial pattern that they've been compared to the meeting point between train lines at Clapham Junction in London, England. We know of no natural phenomenon that would create marks like this, but we can't think of a good explanation of how ancient humans could do this either. They're known as cart ruts because they look like they were left behind by carts as they were dragged through the region. But no cart could ever leave behind such wounds in solid rock. If they're not cart ruts, they must have served some other purposes. It's been theorized that they could have been created for irrigation or perhaps as pathways to important ceremonial places, but neither theory can be proven. We have no doubt that humans made these marks many thousands of years ago, but we have no idea how or why. Our next mysterious site is known by many names, including Zoratskarer and Karahunj. However, it's better known by its nickname, which is the Armenian Stonehenge. In truth, though, it doesn't look much like Stonehenge. In form and appearance, Karahunj in Sisyan is a ring-shaped arrangement of meneers with holes drilled into them. Archaeologists and historians have speculated that this may have been a prehistoric astronomical observatory, but that's little more than a best guess. Far more evidence would be required to support such an assertion. There are 223 standing stones at the site, which are thought to have been erected in either the Iron Age or the Middle Bronze Age several thousand years ago. While the observatory theory is the most popular among experts, there's a less well-regarded theory that Karahunj is actually all that remains of the walls of an ancient Armenian city that once existed here. There's no sign of an ancient settlement in the surrounding area, though, so that seems to be a flight of fancy. Whoever created the Armenian Stonehenge chose a stunning hilltop setting for their work, but we might never understand why they did it. There's already one world-famous archaeological feature on Peru's Nazca Plateau, and that's the famous Nazca Lines. Far fewer people are aware of the band of holes, which is a shame because they are no less fascinating. The first time they came to the world's attention was in 1931 when they were captured in a photo taken from a plane high above the Pisco Valley. Clearly, an arrangement of 500 holes in a formation like this didn't happen by accident, so what could they have been used for? They were briefly thought to be a mass grave, but that theory had to be thrown out when no evidence of human remains could be found at the site. Today, we have a new theory that comes from research carried out by the University of California in the United States of America. Experts there believe that the holes might have been used as a crude way of determining units used in taxation or trade by the Inca. Inca people didn't use coins or other forms of currency as we would understand them, so they needed a way to determine a single unit of any item being traded or taxed. If the theory is correct, that unit was equivalent to one wholeful of whatever commodity was being sold. The only thing scientists know for sure about the giants of Mont Parama is that they exist. Beyond that, everything else is speculation and guesswork. The most popular theory that currently prevails regarding the origin of the eight-foot-tall sculptures is that they're a product of the Neerajic civilization, who lived in Sardinia between 1800 and 240 BCE when they lost their land to the ever-expanding Roman Empire. They left very little behind themselves in the form of written records, and unusually, there are few mentions made of them in the writings of any other civilization or culture. What they did leave behind, though, is their stonework, and the giant statues may be examples of it at its best. It wasn't until 1974 that the sculptures were found close to Cabras on the islands west, and they immediately puzzled the team that found them, because of the large disc shapes that represent their eyes. Because ancient tombs were found close to their position, it might be that they're intended to be guardians of the dead, but yet again, that's just a guess. There's a cave in Spain that contains some of the most ancient artwork in Europe. You can go and see it if you like, but there are plenty of people who think you shouldn't. The Altamira cave paintings are held in such high regard that the caves have been nicknamed the Sistine Chapel of the Paleolithic Era, but damage is caused to the ancient paintings every time groups of humans come near them. That's why many experts believe they ought to be off-limits for the sake of preservation. The caverns, which are in the country's Cantabria region, have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. The paintings that adorn their walls and ceilings range in age between 20,000 and 14,000 years. It's thought that different groups of humans lived inside the caves between those times. Most of the art depicts animals local to the area, like bison and bulls, although there are also human figures and a few abstract shapes. Science tells us that every time groups of visitors have been allowed in to see the paintings firsthand, their very presence, right down to perspiration and breathing, damages the delicate artwork. Nevertheless, the money generated by tourism dictates that the visits continue. Our next artifact is the Yarmouth Runic Stone, sometimes also known as the Fletcher Stone. The quartzite slab was found by retired British Army surgeon Dr. Richard Fletcher on his land in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1812. The faint impression of an inscription is still visible on the stone and, to some historians at least, resembles Norse runes. This could point to the arrival of Viking explorers in the area sometime close to the beginning of the 11th century. We already know that there were Vikings in Newfoundland by then. In 1934, runology expert Olaf Strandwald translated the runes as Leaf to Eric Raises This Monument. This was before Leif Erikson's arrival at Newfoundland was known of, so the translation could well be both accurate and significant. However, other researchers have cast doubt on Strandwald's credentials and claim the marks were made by nothing more deliberate than nature. Other people claim to have looked at these markings and seen ancient Mycenaean, Basque, and Japanese. It seems that this is a mystery without an end. Travel to Laos, and you'll find one of the world's most fascinating, unexplained archaeological sites in the shape of the Plain of Jars. They are all over the country's highlands, mostly focused in the Tianguang Plain. All of them are shaped out of solid rock and range in size between 3 feet and 10 feet. The largest of them weighs over 10 tons. It's never easy to date rock monuments, but they are believed to have been made around 2,000 years ago, with some estimates going as far as 2,500 years. Nobody so far has been able to prove what the jars were used for, but the most commonly accepted theory is that they were used to house the remains of the dead after funeral rites. The bodies would be placed into the jars, which presumably had lids at one point in the distant past, until the decomposition process was complete and only the skeleton remained. The skeleton would then be retrieved and buried elsewhere. The discovery of personal effects, including clothing, jewelry, and stone carvings around the area of the jars, might back up this idea. Carving a huge temple out of a single piece of rock by hand strikes us as the most difficult way of possibly creating a building. That hasn't stopped people from doing it though. This is the Kailasa Temple in India, which is the single largest monolithic building in the world. It's been carved into a cave on the side of a mountain, and it took 20 years to finish it. Ancient Hindus performed the labor, which is rumored to have been ordered by a Hindu king who had prayed to the god Shiva to save his wife from sickness and had seemingly had his prayers answered. Work was completed around 1,300 years ago. It's not the only example of such a structure either. A scale model of the Kailasa Temple has also been built in South India, and this one goes by the name of Vetuvan Koil. It's roughly the same shape as Kailasa Temple and bears many of the same markings, although this one was scraped out of a hillside as opposed to being carved into a mountain. Curiously, Vetuvan Koil is unfinished. It's possible that Vetuvan Koil was intended to be a prototype or test build for Kailasa Temple, but why wouldn't they finish one before starting the other? Subscribe to the channel, turn on the notification bell, and enjoy watching new videos on my channel. Thanks for watching and see you soon!