Tollense Valley | Europe's First Battle (Bronze Age History Documentary)

The Battle of the Tollense Valley took place in Bronze Age Germany c.1250 BC. Was this Europe's first battle?

Archeological discoveries in the Tollense Valley in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Northeast Germany suggest this was the site of a conflict in the 13th century BC. (Closest dates might be 1230 - 1240 BC) This was the European Middle Bronze Age.

As well as weapons and other artefacts, thousands of bones representing at least 140 individuals have been found here and most are men of fighting age. Some bones show injuries received at the point of death.

There might have been between 3000 and 7000 participants which if true is a truly enormous prehistoric battle.

So was this a great pitched battle? An ambush? A series of small skirmishes?

Despite all the evidence, piecing together exactly who these people were, how many there were, where they came from and what happened here… is not so simple.

Ancient India's Mythic Concepts: Harappans, Aryans, and Proto-Shiva Seals

Ancient India has a rich and diverse cultural tapestry that is home to enigmatic civilizations and enduring mythological ideas. The Harappan or Indus Valley civilization, for instance, stands as one of the oldest and most extensive urban cultures of the ancient world. The sophistication of their cities, advanced amenities, and cultural diversity are indicative of a highly evolved society.

Recent discoveries have added intriguing layers to our understanding of this ancient civilization. Notably, the presence of pipal trees on Harappan seals has drawn attention to the possible existence of a meditating proto-Shiva. This proposes the belief that the roots of yogic meditation and the iconic figure of Shiva can be traced back to the ancient Harappans, shedding light on the profound spiritual practices of that era.

Furthermore, the appearance of Shiva on Harappan seals suggests a continuity of mythic concepts and cultural symbols across millennia. Seals possibly depicting Shiva and yogic meditation not only connect ancient and modern spiritual practices but also prompt a reevaluation of the origins of such iconic symbols, challenging established narratives.

The term 'Aryan' has also been scrutinized for its problematic implications and factual incoherence in modern usage. It has become essential to reject racist narratives and embrace scholarly and scientific approaches that steer away from outdated and harmful ideologies to foster a more inclusive and accurate understanding of ancient history.

Moreover, the assimilation of nomadic peoples with indigenous cultures in India and Central Asia demonstrates the intricate interplay of various ethnic and cultural groups, contributing to the complex fabric of ancient Indian society.

The cultural diversity within the Indus civilization is particularly captivating, evident in their burial customs and language. This highlights the complexities of society and the interactions between different groups of people, offering valuable insights into the dynamics of ancient social structures.

It is pertinent to note that the legacy of the Harappan civilization has not vanished into the mists of time but rather transitioned, leaving a genetic influence that persists in modern-day India. This enduring legacy serves as a testament to the depth of their impact on the cultural landscape of the region.

The migration of the Indo-Aryans and Indo-Iranians in different directions, along with the amalgamation of cultures from the Hindu Kush and India, led to the coalescence of the Vedas into a canonical form around 1000 BCE. This process of cultural fusion and evolution is reflected in the Rigveda, which embodies a blend of cultural influences from various regions.

However, scholarly research into ancient cultures, particularly concerning the Indo-European migration theory, is riddled with challenges, emphasizing the need for a nuanced and cautious approach to interpreting historical narratives, avoiding oversimplifications, and embracing the complexities inherent in the study of ancient civilizations.

In conclusion, the ancient cultures of India possess a profound and enduring richness that continues to influence the modern world. The revelations surrounding the Harappans, the scrutinization of Aryan narratives, and the confluence of diverse cultures exemplify the depth of India's historical and mythic legacy, urging us to delve deeper into the enigmatic tapestry of its past to unravel the intricacies of its cultural and spiritual heritage.

How China Turned the Desert Green (and why it went wrong)

The Great Green Wall of China is the largest afforestation project in the world with over 66 billion trees planted in an effort to combat the expansion of the Gobi Desert, but it’s not all black and white. Regardless of intention, when done improperly projects like this can have a devastating impact on local ecosystems, and at this scale it’s safe to say that success or failure will have global consequences.

New Mysterious Mummy Find from Egypt Investigated! What Did We Find Out?

Each mummy find is like a small piece of the puzzle, helping researchers add another revealing piece to the bigger picture of ancient Egypt. However, as we will show you in a moment, some of these discoveries mean that we can confidently throw our official history books in the bin! But the other mummy finds that we are going to present to you today are moving, spectacular and sometimes even bizarre - or did you already know that some of the inhabitants of the pharaohs were already tattooed?

12 Most Incredible Treasures Found Recently

Treasure could be hiding anywhere. There might be some hiding in the ground below your feet right now. Perhaps there's some hiding in your walls, or belong the streets you walk along every time you go to work. You never know where the next fantastic treasure discovery will happen, but you can always rely on the fact that there's one coming. Astonishingly valuable discoveries happen all the time, all over the world, and here are just a few of some of the most incredible treasures that have happened in recent history!

12 Most Incredible Archaeological Finds That Scared Scientists

Experienced archaeologists and scientists have seen their share of strange and surprising things. Over the course of a long career, an archaeologist will likely have seen multiple sets of human remains along with countless other things that would spook the average person. What, then, would it take to scare an archaeologist or a scientist? Perhaps something like the things you’re about to see in this video!

5 Explorers Who May Have Actually Discovered America (Before Columbus)

In 1933, archaeologist José García Payón unearthed a small terracotta statue head from an archeology site in Calixtlahuaca, Mexico, and the groundbreaking discovery suggested ancient European civilizations might have reached the Americas centuries before Columbus.

The artifact’s appearance was intriguing, to say the least; its face was bearded, with distinctly foreign characteristics and wearing a shortened cap.

The terracotta head was found under three intact floors of a pre-Columbian pyramid structure. Along with the head were several objects made of gold, copper, turquoise, rock crystal, jet, bone, shell, and pottery. The burial site where the discovery was made was dated between 1476 and 1510 AD.

In 1960, García Payón granted the statue to the National Autonomous University of Mexico to undergo further research. Specialists Romeo H. Hristov and Santiago Genovés studied the ancient statue and even sent it to Bernard Andreae, a German Institute of Archaeology director emeritus in Rome, Italy, who confirmed the small head was a Roman work from the 2nd or 3rd centuries AD.

Andreae concluded: (QUOTE) “[The head] is without any doubt Roman, and the lab analysis has confirmed that it is ancient. The stylistic examination tells us more precisely that it is a Roman work from around the 2nd century AD, and the hairstyle and the shape of the beard present the typical traits of the Severian emperors’ period.”

How exactly could an ancient roman figurine end up in a sealed pre-Columbian burial site is still up for debate. Most world-renowned archaeologists and experts agree that the discovery is probably an elaborate hoax, and that perhaps the head was placed in the ruins during the Spanish occupation of Mexico.

Those supporting the hoax hypothesis cite the lack of archaeological rigor while documenting the discovery and the 30-year lapse between the discovery and the initial research.

However, a minority of experts, including Romeo H. Hristov, argue that the most likely explanation is the drifting of a Roman, Phoenician, or Berber ship to American shores.

Hristov claims that the likelihood of such an event is not far-fetched and is supported by the extensive evidence of Roman travels in the 6th or 5th centuries BC to Tenerife and Lanzarote in the Canaries. Thus, a lost Roman ship drifting into Mexico is entirely plausible.

Another possibility is human error, as archeological standards in 1930s Mexico were considerably less rigorous than they are today.

Still, there is no way to definitively disprove that ancient Romans arrived in Mexico many centuries before Christopher Columbus took the credit for discovering America...

This Oldest ancient 'computer' that shouldn't even exist!

A shipwreck was discovered by sponge divers off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera around 120 years ago, and the artifacts they unearthed have fundamentally altered our perspective on the course of human history. There were marble statues, gorgeous vases, sparkling jewels, old coins, and what appeared to be a lump of rusted metal, all of which were included in the treasure trove.

However, no one was quite sure what to do with the corroded metal. When it was found, it appeared to be nothing more than a rusted mass about the size of a big dictionary. There was no indication that it contained any interesting information whatsoever.

But in 1902, when it was found out that there were gear wheels inside of it, everyone immediately got quite enthused about it. The fact that anything from ancient Greece should not have gear wheels is the first item that has surprised researchers. These were precision gears, with each tooth measuring around one millimeter in length. And this was just really, totally, totally shocking.

Since then, the Antikythera mechanism has continued to pique the interest of several academic disciplines, including archaeology, mathematics, and science. It is a specialized calculator that employs bronze gear wheels in order to determine the cycles of the cosmos.

This Da Vinci Painting Is Weirder Than It Seems. Here's Why.

This piece is called Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci. It’s a portrait of 16 year-old Cecilia Gallerani, the favorite mistress of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza. It’s a painting created to commemorate the couple's relationship. A relationship that ended before the painting could even be completed due to Sforza’s marriage to Beatrice d’Este. Why did Leonardo da Vinci choose to include such a strange animal in this portrait? It’s probably not for the reason you might think!

What Is Judaism?

Judaism, at 4000 years old it is one of the oldest monotheistic religions and the granddaddy of Christianity and Islam. But even though its teachings helped create the world’s two most popular religions many people don’t know what the Jews actually believe.

Judaism developed in the eastern Mediterranean over the last 4000ish years. Today there are about 15 million Jews making it the world’s tenth-largest religion.

What is the Torah? What’s a Covenant? And why does no one worship mermen in the Middle-East anymore? Well Let’s Find out.

Medieval Traditions Not Taught in History Class!

As one of the supposedly darkest epochs in human history, the Middle Ages still do not have a good reputation. In this regard, we often think of dirty farmers and villagers who were superstitious and a bit underexposed. But what was everyday life in the Middle Ages really like? To put it plainly, the people of that time were actually quite wacky in many respects! From bloody divorce battles to animals in the dock to deadly ideals of beauty, here are some weird medieval traditions your history teacher never told you about!

What They Discovered in Antarctica Shocked the Whole World

Antarctica is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent on Earth, making it a harsh and unforgiving environment for both humans and wildlife. Despite these challenging conditions, scientists have made some groundbreaking discoveries in Antarctica that have shocked the world. From Staircases to Nothing to The Volcano that Erupts Solid Gold follow along as we countdown 15 Shocking Discoveries In Antarctica Nobody Can Explain.

The Hidden Teachings of Jesus

In 1945 workers in Egypt dug into an ancient Christian tomb where they found large Jar containing 13 leather scrolls manuscripts - Inside was 48 separate works. Later known as the “Nag Hamadi library” and the “Dead Sea Scrolls” But one manuscript that stood out because it gave such a different view on Jesus’s teaching’s: The Gospel of Thomas.

A great question to ask is “if all books and teaching weren’t included in the bible…Who decided what stays/goes? Constantine and Bishops in Council of Nicaea in 325AD. At least 45 books were completely taken away or tremendously edited. What the public was left with is what we now call “The New Testament” which makes up Christian theology.

Essentially it was watered down. Goal so everyday person could understand. An example is removing lots of women from it. Wonder why never hear about Mary or her story? The entire gospel of Mary edited out. Goes into her mother who was 81 years old how she was 14 when given to Joseph. Much more!

Here’s where we note: The Gospel of Thomas was completely ELIMINATED from the bible.

12 Astounding Archaeological Discoveries: Recent Marvels Unearthed

What's been good in the world of archaeology recently? The answer to that question is "quite a lot." No matter whether it's spring, summer, autumn or winter, the world's archaeologists are always hard at work. That means we always have fantastic fact-filled videos of amazing discoveries to bring to you - just like this one. Let's go!

Experts Made A Miraculous Discovery At Mount Zion That Proves A Biblical Story Really Took Place

At Mount Zion in Jerusalem, a group of archaeologists are slaving away in the Middle Eastern heat. And as the team go, they pick through thousands of years of history in a bid to find something significant. Their efforts aren’t in vain, though, as ultimately they’re rewarded with an incredible find – something that may just prove a story from the Bible actually once took place.

The myth of Pegasus and the chimera

Discover the myth of Bellerophon, the hero who battled and killed the Chimera monster atop the winged horse Pegasus.

Shielded from the gorgon’s stone gaze, Perseus crept through Medusa’s cave. When he reached her, he drew his sickle and brought it down on her neck. From Medusa's neck sprung two children. One was a giant wielding a golden sword; the other was the magnificent, winged horse, Pegasus. No bridle could contain him— until one fateful day. Iseult Gillespie details the myth of the hero Bellerophon.

Fish originally branded a '66 million years ago living fossil' amazes scientists again

The coelacanth - a wondrous fish that was thought to have gone extinct along with the dinosaurs 66 million years ago before unexpectedly being found alive and well in 1938 off South Africa's east coast - is offering up even more surprises.

Scientists said a new study of these large and nocturnal deep-sea denizens shows that they boast a lifespan about five times longer than previously believed - roughly a century - and that females carry their young for five years, the longest-known gestation period of any animal.

Focusing on one of the two living species of coelacanth (pronounced SEE-lah-canth), the scientists also determined that it develops and grows at among the slowest pace of any fish and does not reach sexual maturity until about age 55.

The researchers used annual growth rings deposited on the fish's scales to determine the age of individual coelacanths - "just as one reads tree rings," said marine biologist Kélig Mahé of the French oceanographic institution IFREMER, lead author of the study published this week in the journal Current Biology.

Coelacanths first appeared during the Devonian Period roughly 400 million years ago, about 170 million years before the dinosaurs. Based on the fossil record, they were thought to have vanished during the mass extinction that wiped out about three-quarters of Earth's species following an asteroid strike at the end of the Cretaceous Period.

After being found alive, the coelacanth was dubbed a "living fossil," a description now shunned by scientists.

"By definition, a fossil is dead, and the coelacanths have evolved a lot since the Devonian," said biologist and study co-author Marc Herbin of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.

It is called a lobe-finned fish based on the shape of its fins, which differ structurally from other fish. Such fins are thought to have paved the way for the limbs of the first land vertebrates to evolve.

Coelacanths reside at ocean depths of as much as half a mile (800 meters). During daylight hours they stay in volcanic caves alone or in small groups. Females are somewhat larger than males, reaching about seven feet (two meters) long and weighing 240 pounds (110 kg).

The two extant species, both endangered, are the African coelacanth, found mainly near the Comoro Islands off the continent's east coast, and the Indonesian coelacanth. The study focused on the African coelacanth, using scales from 27 individuals in two museum collections.

Previous research had suggested roughly a 20-year lifespan and among the fastest body growth of any fish. It turns out that this was based on a misreading decades ago of another type of ring deposited in the scales.

"After reappraisal of the coelacanth's life history based on our new age estimation, it appears to be one of the slowest - if not the slowest - among all fish, close to deep-sea sharks and roughies," said IFREMER marine evolutionary ecologist and study co-author Bruno Ernande.

"A centenarian lifespan is quite something," Ernande added.

The Greenland shark, a big deep-ocean predator, can claim the distinction of being Earth's longest-living vertebrate, with a lifespan reaching roughly 400 years.

Ernande said the researchers were astounded when they figured out the coelacanth's record gestation period, which exceeds the 3.5 years of frilled sharks and the two years of elephants and spiny dogfish sharks.

The researchers said late sexual maturity and a lengthy gestation period, combined with low fecundity and a small population size, makes coelacanths particularly sensitive to natural or human-caused environmental disturbances such as extreme climate events or too much accidental fishing.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/...

Inside the Second Sphinx of Egypt

Rumor has it there is a second sphinx in the Giza Plateau, and that’s what we will be exploring in the video below. Enjoy!