The Ancient Giants Of Nevada And The Mystery Of Lovelock Cave

Was North America once inhabited by a race of giants? According to an old legend supported by several challenging archaeological finds, it is possible. Many Native American tribes tell stories about the long-forgotten existence of a race of humans that were much taller and stronger than ordinary men.

These giants are described as both brave and barbaric and legends often mention their cruelty towards whomever they pleased.

The Paiute, a tribe that settled in the Nevada region thousands of years ago, have an outstanding legend about a race of red-haired giants called the Si-Te-Cah.

In the Northern Paiute language, ‘Si-Te-Cah’ literally means ‘tule-eaters.’

Legend has it that the giants came from a distant island by crossing the ocean on rafts built using the fibrous tule plant.

As odd as it may sound, this legend repeats itself all over the Americas, suggesting it might be an incomplete chronicle of a real event that happened long ago.

In Crónicas del Perú, sixteenth-century Spanish conquistador Pedro Cieza de León recorded an ancient Peruvian tale about the origin of the South American giants.

According to legend, they “came by sea in rafts of reeds after the manner of large boats; some of the men were so tall that from the knee down they were as big as the length of an ordinary fair-sized man.”

Could the giants of Peru and the Si-Te-Cah have been survivors of a massive cataclysm who took refuge on the American continent?

Legend tells that the Si-Te-Cah waged war on the Paiute and all other neighbouring tribes, spreading terror and devastation. Finally, after years of conflict, the tribes united against the common enemy and began to decimate them.

The last remaining red-haired giants were chased off and sought shelter inside a cave. The tribes started a fire at the cave entrance, suffocating and burning alive the Si-Te-Cah. Those driven out by the smoke were also killed.

In 1886, a mining engineer named John T. Reid happened to hear the legend from a group of Paiutes while prospecting near Lovelock, Nevada.

The Indians told him that the legend was real and the cave was located nearby. When he saw the cave for himself, Reid knew he was onto something.

Reid was unable to begin digging himself but news spread and soon, Lovelock cave was attracting attention. Unfortunately, the attention was profit-driven as guano deposits were discovered inside.

A company started by miners David Pugh and James Hart began excavating the precious resource in 1911 and had soon shipped more than 250 tons to a fertilizer company in San Francisco.

Any artefacts that might have been discovered were probably neglected or lost.

After the surface layer of guano had been mined, strange objects started to surface.

This led to an official excavation being performed in 1912 by the University of California and another one took place in 1924. Reports told about thousands of artifacts being recovered, some of them being truly unusual.

Measuring between 8 to 10 feet in height, these mummies have since been referred to as the Lovelock Giants.

A piece of evidence that remains on-site until this day is a giant hand print, embedded on a boulder inside Lovelock Cave. We won’t go into further debate pertaining to this aspect and its implications.

Around the same time as the second Lovelock Cave excavation, another dig revealed a set of equally-disturbing finds.

According to a 1931 article published in the Nevada Review-Miner, two giant skeletons had been found buried in a dry lake bed close to Lovelock, Nevada.

The oversized remains measured 8.5, respectively 10 feet in height and were mummified in a manner similar to the one employed by ancient Egyptians.

Another common trait between these mummified giant remains and the ones discovered as far south as Lake Titicaca is the presence of red hair.

While some scientists believe the reddish colour is a result of the interaction with the environment in which they were buried, the mummies verify the legends, which described the Si-Te-Cah and their kin as red-haired giants.

Proponents of alternative history believe these violent giants were none other than the biblical Nephilim, the forsworn offspring of the ‘Sons of God’ with the ‘daughters of men.’

If this is true, there’s little chance we might get to see any of the giant mummies. Those interested in keeping history secret will never disclose their location.

Source: https://archaeology-world.com/the-ancient-...

Classified Vatican Archives

In the following video we will be exploring classified Vatican archives. Watch the video to find out more!

Living woolly mammoths could roam the tundra again soon

Scientists have sequenced a nearly complete woolly mammoth genome, which should bolster efforts to resurrect the Stone Age zoological rock star.

Working with two mammoth specimens excavated from different parts of Russia and from different eras -- one nearly 45,000 years old, the other just 4,300 years old -- an international team of scientists has sequenced a nearly complete genome for the extinct pachyderm. The achievement provides the most complete snapshot yet of what a woolly mammoth was, which also means we're as close as we've been in a few thousand years to seeing, in person again, what a mammoth is.

"I think in the future it is sort of inevitable that someone will be able to do it, and we will do it," Hendrik Poinar says in the video below. Poinar, an evolutionary geneticist at McMaster University and one of the senior scientists on the project, is referring to the possibility of cloning a woolly mammoth. "The bigger question," he says, "is should we do it."

Poinar does not offer up a definitive yes or no answer to the question, pointing out that a mammoth isn't the easiest species to bring back from extinction, because the gestation period is a full two years to birth just a single offspring, compared with a saber-toothed cat, which could produce more than one litter of prehistoric terror kittens in a single year.

However, Poinar also notes that there are valid ethical arguments for and against bringing back the mammoth, including concerns over diverting effort from more pressing conservation projects, and the belief that humans may have been partially responsible for overhunting the animal into extinction.

Regardless of the complicated ethical questions involved, he says that with the new genome data, it could be theoretically possible to bring back the mammoths within a few decades.

One team of mammoth revivalists -- not directly involved in the publication of the study on the newly sequenced genome -- is not interested in waiting anywhere near that long. A Harvard-based group of scientists led by Dr. George Church is working on bringing back a version of the woolly mammoth by essentially combining DNA from the extinct species with that of the living Asian elephant.

Rather than creating a sort of Hollywood-style "Mammoth Park," the goal of Church's group is partially to bring large elephants back to the northern tundra as a means of converting it back to grassland to help insulate the permafrost below, thereby slowing climate change.

Church's team believes the cloning process to build a mammoth from an Asian elephant and engineered mammoth cells can begin as soon as 2018, meaning the world's first mammoth in thousands of years could be born in the early 2020s.

Going to the zoo is about to get a lot more awesome, folks -- get ready.

Source: https://www.cnet.com/science/we-might-get-...

Dinosaur With A 'Mohawk' Of Spikes Discovered In Patagonia

As scientists gradually uncovered a dinosaur in southern Argentina, they were surprised to find a horny mohawk rising up from the dinosaur's spine.

The dinosaur, now known as the herbivore Bajadasaurus pronuspinax, had two-feet-long spikes protruding from its back. They were likely similar to horns seen on modern-day antelopes with thick keratin covering the bone spikes.

The Bajadasaurus pronuspinax roamed Patagonia 14o million years ago in the Cretaceous. It belonged to the sauropod family, which were known to have long necks and tails. This specific dinosaur likely measured about 30 feet long.

The diagram below is an illustration of what the upper neck of the dinosaur may have looked like. It lived during the early Cretaceous, nearly 75 million years before the T. Rex.

The dinosaur's spikes were likely used to fend off predators and make it more difficult and deterring to attack. The sharp spikes, creating a mohawk along the dinosaur's back are long and thin enough that they would have likely been surrounded by keratin in order to not break off during an attack.

While the most likely purpose of the spikes was a defense mechanism, experts say that they may have been used to regulate the dinosaur's body temperature, as a mating display, or to store water in the tissue surrounding the spikes much in the way camels store water in their hump.

This animal fed on ground plants but upward facing eyes and a spike mohawk allowed it to deter predators as it spent its days grazing.

The dinosaur was discovered in Bajada Colorada, a small town in southern Patagonia. Most of the skull and the entire spine was uncovered, allowing researchers the ability to better study the dinosaur specimen.

Much in the same way porcupines, puffer fish, and rose plants use spines to deter predators, this dinosaur likely made any predator think twice before attacking.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/20...

Stunning Ancient Mosaics Adorn New Museum in Sparta, Greece

Two rare Roman floor mosaics discovered in Greece will feature in a new museum in Sparta which officially opens on November 21st.

The Abduction of Europa and Orpheus with the Animals mosaics were accidentally discovered in the late 19th century on private property.

The two mosaics discovered in 1872 and 1877 are from the end of the 3rd century AD and the start of the 4th century AD.

Mosaics in Greece fell to obscurity

Until now, the mosaics had no permanent home. One was left in a private garden while the other was placed in a wine storage space. The property was bought by the state, and a shelter was erected over them after which the mosaics fell to obscurity.

Researchers believe the two mosaics were part of the decoration of a bath complex. Possibly, the bath infrastructure and mosaics were part of a rich Roman house or two neighboring ones.

Both are distinguished for their composition, rich colors, and craftsmanship.

The 2.05 x 1.98 meter mosaic with the representation of the Abduction of Europa is the central theme of a larger mosaic floor. The woman is depicted sitting on the back of a bull, the form taken by Zeus, in motion towards the right while two winged cupids frame the figure.

With the introduction of the euro as the common European currency on January 1, 2002, Greece chose the representation of the Abduction of Europa in the Sparta mosaic as the motif for the two-euro coin, designed by Giorgos Stamatopoulos.

Orpheus is a Thracian bard, legendary musician, and prophet in ancient Greek religion. He was also a renowned poet and, according to the legend, traveled with Jason and the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece. He even descended into the Underworld of Hades to get his lost wife, Eurydice, back.

Mosaics discovered in Greece tell the story of Europa and Zeus

In Greek mythology, Europa was a Phoenician princess of Argive Greek origin and the mother of King Minos of Crete. The continent of Europe is named after her.

Zeus, the king of the Olympian Gods, transformed into a beautiful white bull to abduct her. The story of Europa is one of the most famous tales of love and lust between the gods.

Zeus was not only known for being the most prominent deity in the ancient Greek pantheon. He also had a reputation for endless love affairs.

Europa was picking flowers with her helpers when she suddenly saw the bull approaching from afar. The princess was astonished by the beauty of the animal. As they neared each other, he quickly leaned down at Europa’s feet in an act of utter submission to her. Encouraged by her helpers, she climbed on the animal’s back.

Zeus got up and slowly started walking around. Soon, however, he accelerated his pace and eventually broke into a gallop, with Europa clinging on for her life. The king of the gods and the frightened princess reached the seaside and dived into the sea.

Zeus had carried Europa from Phoenicia to Crete. Once they got to the island, Zeus reclaimed his human form and finally materialized his lust by mating with her under an evergreen tree.

Europa’s earliest literary reference is in the Iliad, which is most likely from the 8th century BC. Another early reference to her is in a fragment of the Hesiodic Catalogue of Women, discovered at Oxyrhynchus. The earliest vase-painting securely identifiable as Europa dates back to the mid-seventh century BC.

Source: https://greekreporter.com/2022/11/18/roman...

Mysterious Discovery in Spain: Scientists Unearth a Coffin That Will Challenge European History

In this ground-breaking episode of "Unexplained History," scientists make an astonishing discovery in Spain that will challenge European history as we know it. After months of careful excavation, the team uncovers a visigoth stone coffin that dates back centuries. The coffin, unlike any seen before, is filled with mysterious symbols and artefacts.

The scientists work tirelessly to decipher the meaning behind these artifacts, and what they uncover is truly mind-blowing. The findings not only shed new light on the history of Spain but have far-reaching implications for our understanding of the ancient world. Join us on this incredible journey as we uncover the secrets of this mysterious coffin and discover the truth behind one of the greatest historical puzzles of our time. Get ready to be amazed as we present "Unbelievable Discovery in Spain: Scientists Unearth a Coffin That Will Challenge European History."

Incredible Recent Discoveries in Antarctica!

Step into the realm of mystery and adventure as we unveil the recent discovery of a hidden advanced civilization buried beneath the ice of Antarctica. With cutting-edge technology, scientists have uncovered evidence of a once-thriving society that flourished with technology beyond our modern understanding. What secrets will be uncovered, and what impact will this discovery have on our current understanding of the world?

The History and Legend of the Colossi of Memnon

The Colossi of Memnon, situated on the western shore of ancient Thebes (Waset), mark the entrance pylon of Amenhotep III‘s Temple of Millions of Years.

Forming part of the funerary temple of one of the greatest pharaohs of ancient Egypt, the colossi have their own history and legend, which has made them famous beyond the borders of the Two Lands.

The history of the colossi of Amenhotep III

Although they now appear fragmented, both colossi are sculptures made from a single block of quartzite, believed to have been extracted from the Gebel el-Ahmar quarries near Cairo (about 20 km north of ancient Memphis).

These impressive statues represent Amenhotep III himself, the ninth pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty (who reigned ca. 1391-1353 BC). In ancient times, they marked the entry point of the monarch’s funerary temple, which stretched for almost 1km in length, starting at the first pylon behind the colossi.

The colossi, nearly 20 m high and about 1,000 T, show the monarch seated on a throne, with his arms on his legs, wearing the Neme headdress and skirt pleated.

Next to the legs of both Amenhotep III statues, we see the representation of several women in the north colossus. The one on the right appears to be Mutemwiya, the mother of the King. In the south, we see Amenhotep III accompanied by his wife, Tiye, and one of his daughters, whose name we do not know.

Two gods of the Nile are represented on the sides of the throne, uniting the symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt, the lotus and the papyrus, in what is known as Sema-Tawy, the union of the Two Lands.

The creation of the colossi is attributed to “Men”, who was the “chief sculptor of the great monument of the king on the red mountain”.

We have the colossi, but what happened to the Temple of Millions of Years of Amenhotep III?

The answer is easy: it is the largest funerary temple in Thebes, and for its construction, stone and adobe bricks were used for the most part.

This material, together with the fact that the temple was located in the floodplain, made the building. It had already begun to deteriorate in ancient times when it stopped receiving adequate attention. The waters that arrived with the flood of the Nile were slowly undoing the mud bricks with which the temple was built.

In addition to this, there was an earthquake in 1,200 BC that damaged the building.

After this earthquake, several monarchs after the great Amenhotep used the stones of his temple for their own constructions. We imagine that they were scattered around the enclosure after the earthquake.

And now we are faced with a new question: why build a temple in the flood zone? For pure symbology.

When building the temple here, it was intended that the Nile’s waters would reach it with the flood year after year. The entire temple, except for the sanctuary – which would have been built on a mound – would have been flooded during the flooding of the river.

This way, when the flood receded, the temple literally represented the emergence of the world, and life, among the primeval waters of creation (this is how the ancient Egyptians believed that the appearance of the world had taken place for the first time, with a mound of earth that arose between the waters of the Nun, the original ocean).

The Colossi of Memnon and their legend

Now, we have to ask ourselves where the name of the colossi of Amenhotep III comes from since Memnon does not refer to any Egyptian story, but to Greek.

In addition to the earthquake of 1,200 BC, we know that there was a new earthquake in 27 BC in Thebes, recorded by the Greek geographer Strabo (64 BC – 21 AD).

The City and its temples suffered the consequences, as well as our colossi, particularly the northern colossus since, from this shake. The northern statue emitted some singular sounds.

Every morning, with the sunrise over the horizon, the northern colossus began to “groan”. This made quite a claim among Greek and Roman travelers, who believed that these “laments” brought good luck to anyone who heard them.

Thus, from this moment, many arrive in Thebes wanting to listen to the ancient Egyptian giant (currently, these sounds are attributed to the change in temperature and humidity suffered by the stones of the colossus at sunrise, which would make them emit these particular noises when the wind passed through its cracks at certain times).

And here the legend begins; due to these moans, the Greeks associated the northern colossus with the Greek Memnon.

The giant’s laments did not last long since, in the year 199 AD, the Roman emperor Septimius Severus wanted to fill in the gaps in the sculptures in an attempt to improve the appearance of the colossi.

This restoration caused the sounds to cease, forever silencing the “groans” that made the statues of Amenhotep III so famous, which, in their day, flanked the entrance to the largest and richest of all the mortuary temples of Thebes.

Source: https://historicaleve.com/history-and-lege...

Divers Uncover Ancient Temple Submerged Within The ‘Egyptian Atlantis’

The remnants of the ancient submarine temple were found in the ancient sunken town of Heracleion, off the north coast of Egypt, identified as the Atlantic of Egypt.

About 1,200 years ago the town sank into the sea but after it was discovered 2,000 marine archaeologists have been probing to uncover new parts of the settlements.

In the most recent discovery, Egyptian and European divers uncovered the ruin of a temple along with several boats holding treasures like bronze coins and jewellery.

Using a sophisticated scanning device, they revealed a new part of the city’s main temple, which has been completely destroyed. Remains of a smaller Greek temple, complete with ancient columns was found along with pottery from the third and fourth centuries B.C.E.

The bronze coins were from the reign of King Ptolemy II (283 to 246 BCE). Archaeologists also stretched their map of Canopus—another sunken settlement close to Heracleion.

They found the remains of several buildings, expanding the city by about two-thirds of a mile along with gold and bronze coins as well as jewellery including rings and earrings.

The team believe the artefacts date from the Ptolemaic dynasty (305 to 30 B.C.E) to the time of the Byzantine Empire, which began in 330 C.E. Researchers also investigated some of the many ancient ships known to exist at the site.

They found treasures including crockery, coins and jewellery in one now fully-excavated vessel. The team believe the wreck dates from the fourth century B.C.

The city of Heracleion, home of the temple where Cleopatra was inaugurated, was one of the most important trade centres in the Mediterranean area before it disappeared into what is now the Bay of Aboukir.

But 12 years ago, underwater archaeologist Dr Franck Goddio was searching the Egyptian coastline for French warships from the 18th century battle of the Nile, but instead stumbled across the treasures of the lost city.

After removing layers of sand and mud, divers discovered evidence of extraordinary wealth, painting a picture of what life was like in Heracleion, believed to have been at the centre of Mediterranean trade more than 1,000 years ago.

Although it was mentioned in classical texts, Heracleion lay undisturbed beneath the waters of Abu Qir Bay until it was mapped in 2000. Researchers spent four years charting the city, known as Thonis in Egypt, according to the lead researcher Franck Goddio.

After more than a decade of excavation, researchers were able to create a map depicting life in the ancient trade hub.

The research team, led by Dr Goddio have yet to establish what caused the city to go down, but the main theory is that the unstable sediments Heracleion was built on collapsed, and in combination with a rising sea-levels, may have caused the entire area to drop 12 feet straight into the water.

‘We are just at the beginning of our research,’ Dr Goddio told the Telegraph in 2013.

’We will probably have to continue working for the next 200 years.’

Source: https://archaeology-world.com/divers-uncov...

The Vatican Discovers What No One Was Supposed to See

Surrounded by a 2-mile border within Italy, Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, with just over 100 acres of land. And yet, it is among the most powerful and influential countries on the entire planet. But as much as it is the location of the seat of the Papacy, it is also a hub of controversy.

Let’s unravel the mysteries of one of the most secretive city-states in the world.

From the Vatican and the Holocaust to the secret confession tribunal, here are 15 secrets the Vatican doesn’t want you to know!

20 Mythical Creatures That Were Only Seen Once

Legends of monsters, beasts, and strange looking animals have existed since the dawn of storytelling. But who is to say what’s real and what’s been forgotten? From tales of Dragons on each continent to amazing pictures of a real mermaid, here are 20 Mythical Creatures That Were Only Seen Once.