Archive for the 'Mysterious History' Category

The year’s most mysterious archaeological discoveries

As we prepare to enter the new year, let’s enjoy a fascinating list of ten of the most mysterious archaeological discoveries of 2013…

 

Ten unusual archaeological discoveries of 2013

(Ancient Origins)

 

One of the best things about archaeology is uncovering the unexpected. Some of the findings listed below certainly fit into this category – from elongated skulls to vampire graves, green slime, and the DNA of Bigfoot, 2013 has been an eventful year!

 

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Archaeologists discover mysterious elongated skull in France

 

French archaeologists made a surprising discovery during an excavation in Alsace, France, when they uncovered a substantially elongated skull dating back 1,500 years.  The finding prompted the archaeologists to extend their search over 7.5 acres, which resulted in the discovery of an abundance of artefacts, human and animal remains from Neolithic, Gallic, Gallo-Roman, and Merovingian societies. The skull appears to have been intentionally elongated through the practice known as cranial deformation, which is usually associated with ancient Mesoamerican cultures and was practiced extensively in Europe, Africa, Asia, and as noted, South America.  The skull was discovered during excavation of a necropolis containing 18 burials, in a tomb belonging to a woman who clearly held a high status position in society as she was buried with a rich assortment of treasures including gold pins, a silver mirror, beads of glass and amber, a comb made from deer antler and a number of other goods.  Cranial deformation was frequently associated with the elites of society and affirmed their high status. The important question of course is why?

 

See the rest here.

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Striking composite photos offer a slice of time travel

Sometimes I imagine stepping into a homemade time machine, assembled from old car parts and bits and pieces from the broken washing machine, and landing somewhere in the past to see how people really behaved and looked back then. Short of that, it’s the artists and the writers who act as our witches and sorcerers of time travel – they are the ones who give us the satisfying glimpses into other realms and other times that we desire.

 

Some are better at it than others. This photographer has done an excellent job of it – blending the past and the present in a way that soars the imagination…

 

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To view the entire gallery of wonderments, click here.

 

 

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The Nativity Of The Buddha

During this time of year, many people are imagining and reveling in stories of Christ’s nativity. Many of the symbols in our modern day Christmas rituals are based on these stories. So, just imagine how Christians and Christmas celebrators would feel if the exact site of Christ’s birth with remnants of the manger itself had been found?

 

For Buddhists, this recent archaeological discovery is no doubt a deep one…

 

 The Earliest Archeology Of Buddha Found

(Science 2.0)

 

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“Archaeologists working in Nepal have uncovered evidence of a structure at the birthplace of the Buddha dating to the sixth century B.C., the first archaeological material linking the life of the Buddha and the movement he founded to a specific century.

 

The Maya Devi Temple at Lumbini, Nepal, has long been considered the birthplace of the Buddha and now excavations have uncovered the remains of a previously unknown sixth-century B.C. timber structure under a series of brick temples. Laid out on the same design as those above it, the timber structure contains an open space in the center that links to the nativity story of the Buddha himself.

 

Previously, the earliest archaeological evidence of Buddhist structures at Lumbini dated no earlier than the third century B.C., the time of the patronage of the Emperor Asoka, who promoted the spread of Buddhism from present-day Afghanistan to Bangladesh…”

 

For the complete story, click here.

 

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