Top 10 strange archaeological discoveries ever found on Earth

Archaeology has some tempting features. It's like watching the mysterious story of Sherlock Holmes being solved before our eyes. The clues are there, buried underground. We just need to find them. Archaeology is sometimes regarded by other historians as the "poster boy" of history. Its flashy discoveries often steal the limelight and attract the attention of the public, which is impossible for any textbook. An archaeological discovery—such as the discovery of the body of Richard III in a parking lot in Leicester in 2014—may make an entire generation of academic writings obsolete in a second. Some of these findings are very strange, they can completely change the way we view history.

No.10: Fecal fossils from Lloyds Bank

The Lloyd Bank dung fossil is one of the strangest discoveries of the Viking era, unlike any other discoveries of that era, because it is the stool of the Vikings. It is 19.5 cm (8 inches) long, the largest discovered so far One of the human feces. It was so dense that it turned into fossils instead of decaying like normal feces. Findings like this are very rare, but Jovic's moist soil is preserved. Now we can all stare at it and sympathize with its creator, especially because it contains hundreds of eggs belonging to whipworms, which are worms that live in the large intestine. Leaving aside humor, this finding is very important because it gives us a very detailed understanding of the Vikings’ diet, and it is almost impossible to find concrete evidence. From the dung fossils, we can see that no matter who created the dung fossils, his diet is mainly composed of pollen grains and grain bran, and these pollen grains and grain bran can be eaten in the form of bread and porridge. The discovery is on display at the Jorvik Viking Center Museum in Yorkshire, England.

No.9: Leicestershire Bark Shield

In 2015, archaeologists working in Leicestershire, England discovered something unique in European history-an iron age shield made of tree bark. This shield, built around 395-255 BC, completely overturned the world of archaeology. Before this discovery, it was generally believed that the bark shield was not sufficient for use in actual combat. Although the shield was severely damaged when it was discarded in a pit used to feed livestock, more than ten years have passed by this time and many actions have been witnessed. Since its discovery, experimental archaeologists have been trying to reconstruct it. They found that this shield is surprisingly strong, and can even withstand arrows and weapons, and is much lighter than traditional wooden or metal shields. In addition, its shape and design are similar to the metal shields discovered in the same period. The bark shield seems to be painted with a red and white grid pattern. Prior to this discovery, it was generally believed that bark shields, if they existed, were mainly used for sacrifices, because they were too fragile to be used in wars. Archaeologists now believe that they are likely to be widely used, especially by poor fighters. However, we did not find many, because most of them have rotted and are now lost.

No.8: The Buddha of Sweden

Everyone now knows that the Vikings are prolific businessmen. They maintain a trading base from Ireland to Russia, and even markets as far as Baghdad and Egypt. However, nothing embodies the enterprising spirit of the Vikings than a series of discoveries on the island of Helgo in Sweden. For most of the early Middle Ages, Helgo was a bustling trading post for Vikings, and during this time, items from all over the world eventually came here. Among these discoveries is a Buddha statue, the crest of an Irish bishop, and a spoon from North Africa. It is speculated that the spoon and the bishop’s stick were taken during the raid, because the Vikings often looted in Ireland and Egypt, but the Buddha statue must be used for exchange. This statue was produced in Kashmir, India around the sixth century, and was probably purchased somewhere along the trade route between the Middle East and Russia. This unusual statue is likely to be shipped back to Helgo and sold to a local store. This discovery confirms some historians’ speculation that the Vikings’ trade routes are much further than people have recently thought. Although they may not come all the way to the Indian market, they often find themselves doing business with Arabs, who in turn do business with India.

No.7: Ancient Egyptian tobacco

One of the strangest archaeological discoveries in recent decades occurred in Munich, Germany, in 1992. Dr. Carolina is conducting chemical tests on some ancient Egyptian mummies owned by the King of Bavaria. To her surprise, she found traces of nicotine and cocaine on the cigarette. In ancient times, both of these drugs could only be found in the Americas. Since then, various hypotheses have appeared, trying to explain how these traces appear. The most credible statement is that the ancestors of this drug existed in Eurasia at that time, but it was extinct before modern times, just like the ancient Roman drug skewer pine vanilla. However, recent studies indicate that, theoretically, the ancient Egyptians might have the ability to sail to the Americas. Archaeological discoveries and ancient descriptions from Hatshepsut to Ponte Island reveal a complex naval infrastructure, including ports, construction materials, and the wreckage of the oldest nautical vessel found so far. Contemporary description of Egyptian ships It is shown that a ship over 21 meters long carries more than 200 sailors, alongside cargo that can only be found on the coast of Africa. This shows the long-distance trade capability of ancient Egypt. There is a more tempting clue. In 1909, the "Arizona Bulletin" reported that two explorers funded by the Smithsonian had discovered caves containing Egyptian-style artifacts in the United States. However, no evidence exists today, and the Smithsonian does not have any records indicating that their explorers have ever reported such discoveries. At present, this archaeological discovery is still a mystery.

No.6: Gowan's stone.

The stones of Govan are some of the strangest monuments left from the early medieval England. As the sarcophagi of important figures such as the royal family or wealthy aristocrats, they only exist in places with both Nordic culture and British native culture. They have been found in parts of Cumbria and Yorkshire in central Scotland. Featuring a mix of Celtic and Norwegian styles of art and decoration, they seem to be used to emphasize the importance of the dominant elite. They may be used by the newly arrived Nordic dynasty to consolidate their power and connect their authority with the previous Celtic kings in an attempt to appease their newly conquered subjects. The Gowen Stele is a group of 31 sarcophagi built in Strathclyde around 870 AD. They were built to commemorate the rulers of Strathclyde, when the leaders of Celtic and Norway were competing for control of the kingdom. Initially there were 46 stones. But in the 19th century, when these stones were finally confirmed to be of archaeological value, only 31 stones were moved to the old parish church of Govan. The rest were displayed on the wall of the church in 1973. The nearby shipyard was demolished along with part of the church’s property. These 15 stones are considered lost and may have been mistaken for fragments and destroyed. However, in 2019, a 14-year-old volunteer rediscovered three of the stones in the churchyard while he was participating in his first archaeological excavation. The Govan Heritage Trust is currently expanding the scope of excavation, trying to find other missing stones.

No. 5: Gate's written rock

In the early 20th century, some Roman soldiers worked in quarries in Cumbria to collect rocks for the construction of Hadrian's Wall. When they were there, they decided to engrave some information on the stone. In the 16th century, William Camden, one of the first modern historians, and his friend Julius Corton officially rediscovered these prints. Since then, in the 18th and 19th centuries, this place called the Getter Rock has been recorded several times. But these graffiti were never properly recorded. Since then, erosion has destroyed some information, making some of it illegible. Until the road collapsed in the 1980s, the public could easily enter this place. It is almost impossible to reach the quarry now. Recently, archaeologists from Newcastle University visited the site and they had to walk down 9 meters to reach it. Archaeologists worried that the site would be completely eroded, so they made a three-dimensional model for future historians to study. The model can be found on Sketchfab. In addition, the soldiers wrote down the names of themselves and the officers. Once, someone even carved a small cartoon of their commander.

No.4: Orkney Temple

From the time of Pikti, the Orkney Islands are sparsely populated and are almost unimportant nationwide. However, before the Iron Age, Orkney was one of the most advanced settlements in Britain. The purpose of this site remains controversial, and many of its mysteries still haunt archaeologists. According to the standards of the Iron Age, the central structure, No. 10 structure, is 25 meters long and 20 meters wide. These walls are 5 meters thick. Today, their height is still more than 1 meter (3.3 feet). However, despite the large scale of the building, the inner hall is only 6 meters wide. This is because there is a thick wall inside that occupies most of the interior space. In the center of the main room is a large stove decorated with large furniture like dresses, the purpose is not yet clear. The roof is arguably the most impressive part of this structure. It is made of whole blocks of stone bricks. The space between the inner and outer walls has been carefully laid, possibly with a roof, creating an internal corridor surrounding the interior. This unusual building has made many people guess that it may be some kind of temple, but its true purpose is still unknown. Colored rocks are scattered randomly on the floors of the two buildings on the scene, which only adds to the sense of mystery. The most popular theory is that they have some religious significance. One of the rocks is carved with an image of the sun. Various speculations have been made about the purpose of the site, from the high-status private settlement of the chief to the meeting place of different local tribes. One thing is certain: Although it is hidden on a small island in the northeast corner of the British Isles, it is one of the most impressive and advanced sites in the Iron Age Britain.

No.3: Tomb of Philip the Arab

In 2018, a Roman-era tomb was excavated. The more you read, the more bizarre its story will be. The landscape of modern Bulgaria is mainly composed of mounds, some of which are as high as hills and can be seen from a great distance. In recent years, these monuments have been plagued by treasure hunters. They dig up these monuments, take out the remains, and sell them on the black market-the annual transaction volume is about 1 billion US dollars. Therefore, legal archaeologists in Bulgaria have stepped up efforts to excavate and protect old sites, remove archaeological discoveries, and take them to museums where they can be preserved. When a team began to excavate the largest mound in Bulgaria, Maltep Mound, they discovered something more valuable: a huge Roman tomb. The team is now close to completing the excavation of the entire south side. They now believe that they have discovered the tomb of the Roman emperor, Philip the Arab, and hope that it will become a site of global significance. They intend to dig the entire structure, and this process will require government funding. Due to the ageing of the structure, it almost certainly needs reinforcement to survive independently. When they dig it, there is no doubt that some members of the team were excited about the prospect of discovering Roman-era treasures. When they found the remains of a 40-meter-long treasure hunting tunnel, their hopes must have been dashed. The head of the research team said that they expected to find things like cigarette butts and batteries in these tunnels. However, in this tunnel, they found animal dung and coins from the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Great. These treasure hunters dug this tunnel in the 16th century. Fortunately, the adventurers did not seem to be able to steal the tomb. Archaeologists have discovered coins and pottery dating back to the 200s, but this is certainly an unusual discovery.

No. 2: Neanderthal glue

For a long time, people have thought that Neanderthals were just not as smart or advanced as Homo sapiens, but recent discoveries overturned this assumption. In June 2019, archaeologists discovered evidence that Neanderthals used original glue on their tools. This discovery has a history of 55,000 to 40,000 years and is one of the oldest adhesives used by humans to assemble tools. This adhesive seems to be mainly made of turpentine, but sometimes also contains beeswax. In the process of making organic glue, this resin is heated to a very high temperature on the fire. This organic glue is used to apply a notch to the wood shaft. Then, a flint blade was slotted and held in place. This is not the first time this behavior has been discovered. It helps to consolidate the belief that this behavior is common among early humans. This also means that there is now more evidence that Neanderthals can start a fire when they need it-this is another issue that has been debated for many years.

No.1: Very old house

In architectural archaeology, there is a concept called "local threshold", which is the oldest era in which the residence of ordinary people can exist, and it still exists today. Although buildings such as castles and monuments have existed for thousands of years, ordinary people’s homes are usually made of more perishable materials and are rarely preserved to modern times. For many years, the British dialect threshold was thought to be somewhere in the late 17th century. It is believed that houses built before 1660 cannot be preserved to a large extent to this day because they will suffer too much wear and tear. A comprehensive study overturned this hypothesis. The focus of the project is to investigate 86 of the 3,000 simple houses of farmers in Western England and Wales. They found that almost all of these buildings were built during the "Great Reconstruction" period, from the 1260s to the 1550s, which made them at least 100 years older than previously thought. Contrary to what people thought before, even ordinary farmers’ houses are durable. Some houses were built with wood from more than 100 trees, which indicates that as early as the plague raged in Europe in the 14th century, tree planting was close to industrialization. Many of these houses are located in the central region, which is famous for several ancient forests including Cannock Chase and Sherwood Forest.