"Hereford Mappa Mundi": This is the Largest Medieval Map Still in Existence

You couldn't exactly open Google Earth and view a map of the planet in the fourteenth century.

But you may undertake a pilgrimage to Hereford Cathedral if you resided someplace in or close to the British Isles.

The Hereford Mappa Mundi is a large-scale (64′′ x 52′′) representation of the entire world, or at least the entire world as conceived in the pious English mind of the Middle Ages, which turns out to be almost unrecognizable at first glance today. The shrine of St. Thomas Cantilupe is the main attraction for the true believer.

The Hereford Mappa Mundi, which was created around 1300 and features illustrations that were influenced by everything from Biblical antiquity through the Middle Ages, acts as a sort of visual encyclopedia of the time.

The map displays plants, animals, birds, weird or unidentified species, humans, and 420 cities and geographical landmarks in addition to events that have marked the history of humanity.

One "Blemmye"—a warlike creature with no head but facial features in its chest—two "Sciapods," "guys with one huge foot," and "four cave-dwelling Troglodites," one of which eats snakes—are among them.

The map also features supernatural scenes from classical Greek and Roman mythology, Biblical tales, and a collection of well-known legends and stories, along with geography that we would now consider severely constrained and fairly mangled — Europe is labeled as Asia, and vice versa, to name only the most obvious mistake.

As a result, this speaks more to humanity's perspective during a time when there were less boundaries between reality and mythology.

The Hereford Mappa Mundi aims to demonstrate the accuracy of the Bible.

In light of the fact that they predicted Jesus would arrive from the east on the day of judgment, east is placed above.

Naturally, the hub is Jerusalem.

The Crucifixion Site, the Tower of Babel, and the Garden of Eden are further areas of interest, not to mention the locations of the Golden Fleece and Mount Olympus.

The Hereford Cathedral's website, which provides a thorough 3D scan of the map, visible from every aspect, coupled with descriptions of all its key features: in other words, a sort of Google Medieval Earth, allows you to examine all of these in depth.

A calendar that predates Mayan

Because human subsistence depended on the timing of planting, flooding, or game reproduction, the seasons have always been significant to humanity. 

K'awiil Yopaat of Quiriguá, symbol of the twentieth day -- Ahau (Ajaw). Late Classic period (653AD), a reference to the Maya calendar and their god K'awiil. Photo: José Luis Filpo Cabana. Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia

The calendar, however, is more than just the language of life; it is also its poetry, the enchantment through which we attempt to exert control over reality and time. 

That is why people began creating and erecting specifically orientated structures thousands of years ago; these constructions can now only be seen from a bird's eye perspective. 

Also, people were inventing their own time frames that were shorter than our 365-day calendar year.

Eternity is coming, and time is running out. According to the sundial painted on the wall of Wadowice's parish church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it bears this slogan. The town, which is close to Kraków, is a long way from Mesoamerica, the region where the oldest pre-Columbian 260-day calendar was recently sensationally discovered. The quotation was obviously significant even for cultures that were so apart by time and distance.

Every culture makes an effort to represent time measurement in some way. It can be tiny at times, like a sundial, or it can be epically large, like the 260-day calendar that was made along the Gulf of Mexico coast. A "pocket" version was more recently uncovered in Guatemala as a fresco on a pyramid wall.

The findings demonstrate that even without the cold certainty of a scientific background, individuals could measure time at that time.

Our earthly environment is characterized by chaos and disorder, but the sky's is by uniformity, rhythmicity, and harmony. Thanks to the observation of the skies, which has been a preoccupation of mankind from the dawn of time, it became possible to harness reality through the measurement of time itself, including times of day and of the yearly seasons.

A public debate has been sparked by French research on non-pictographic signs found in Paleolithic caves in Europe that were decorated like cathedrals by our ancestors anywhere between 12 and 30 thousand years ago. The oldest lunar calendar created by Homo sapiens, according to scientists, is 20–30 thousand years old. This indicates that the astronomical observations of the starry sky that allowed for the creation of such a calendar were made by individuals who had only learned how to properly smooth a stone, without the use of magnifying glasses (since there were none).

When discussing Mesoamerican calendars with Dr. Stanisaw Iwaniszewski of Warsaw's State Archaeological Museum and Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia, I am reminded that as much was suggested more than 50 years ago by Alexander Marshack, who studied the linear incisions on bone objects from those distant centuries.

"The oldest discovery is thought to be a bone fragment from Abri Blanchard, which dates to around 31 000 BC and is from the Aurignacian civilisation. Marshack claims that this results from a computation based on observing the moon phases. Each mark on the bones' surface would represent a day (or night), and they would nearly match the Moon's form (waxing, full, or waning). Marshack discovered 69 characters, or a span of two months and ten days. The works of Boris Frolov on Paleolithic calendar records and mathematics were well-known in the 1970s "the archaeologist claims.

New Scary Discovery Done At Dried Up Euphrates River

As the Euphrates , the lifeblood of the ancient lands of Syria and Iraq, withers away, a waterless abyss consumes the once-lush regions. This grand river, revered throughout history as one of the world's most magnificent natural wonders, has drawn scholars and seekers of knowledge to its shores for ages. And now, as the river dries up, some wonder what other terrors the land might yield, for the mysteries surrounding the heart of the Middle East are countless and dark. Join us as we delve into the depths of this great waterway and uncover the most ominous discovery yet of the largest source of water in Western Asia. Welcome to a secret world!

12 Mind-Blowing Ocean Mysteries That Scientists Can't Explain

The ocean holds many secrets that continue to mystify scientists to this day. In this video, we'll explore 12 of the most mind-blowing ocean mysteries that scientists can't explain! From strange underwater sounds and unexplained disappearances, to deep-sea creatures that defy scientific explanation and ancient underwater cities, these mysteries are sure to leave you in awe. Join us as we dive deep into the unknown and uncover some of the ocean's most fascinating and perplexing enigmas. So, grab a lifejacket and get ready for a journey into the mysterious depths of the ocean!

5 Mythical Places That Might Actually Exist

In the early 20th century, British Colonel Percy Harrison Fawcett found a mysterious document in the National Library of Brazil that spoke of an ancient city lost in the jungles of the Amazon. Then, during an expedition with his son and a companion in 1925, the three explorers vanished. However, it is believed that they might have been close to the place they were looking for.

When Fawcett found Manuscript 512, he was taken aback. The document was written by Portuguese bandeirante João da Silva Guimarães and stated that as early as 1753, explorers had discovered ruins that included arches, a statue, and a temple engraved with enigmatic hieroglyphs. And although the narration was detailed, the city's exact location was not mentioned.

Fawcett then began preparing an expedition to find the ruins, but World War 1 broke out, and the British government withdrew its support.

After serving in the Western front during the war, Fawcett undertook a personal journey to find “Z” in 1920, but was forced to stop due to an illness and the fact that he had to shoot his own pack animal.

The adventurer tried again five years later, this time accompanied by his son Jack and a friend of his, Raleigh Rimell. However, the three soon disappeared in the Mato Grosso jungle.

Several researchers argue that the explorer might have been influenced by indigenous tales, and locals could have told Fawcett of the archaeological site of Kuhikugu, near the Xingu River.

After Fawcett’s presumed death, the actual site of Kuhikugu was discovered, and it contained the ruins of about 20 towns and villages. Moreover, it is estimated that about 50,000 people might have lived in the extensive township.

In addition, vast geometrical earthworks were discovered in interfluvial settings along the southern Amazonia, and this fact has been recognized as supporting Fawcett’s theory.

While some relate the Lost City of Z with the infamous El Dorado, the mythical place has inspired its own set of stories, including a book by David Grann and a film adaptation by director James Gray.

The Early 20th Century Seen in Real Color

Color photography began to be widely popularized during the 1960s and 70s, and we're used to seeing history before that point in black and white. But color has been reproduced for much longer than that. Early experiments were made shortly after the invention of photography itself in the early 1800s, and one of the most successful and beautiful methods, the autochrome, was launched on the market in 1907. In this video we will tell the stories of people and places that appear on some of these autochromes.

The Biggest Cities Over Time

In the following video we will be exploring the most populated cities through the ages, starting with the first city, all the way to the 1 AD. Enjoy!

Spectacular Etruscan burial with 53 alabaster vases in the ancient city of Volterra, Italy

Many secrets of the ancient Etruscans, who represent one of the most enigmatic civilizations in Europe, are still to be discovered.

Etruscan cemeteries contain different burial practices dated from the 9th to the 1st century BC and bear witness to the achievements of Etruscan culture, which, over nine centuries, developed the earliest urban civilization in the northern Mediterranean.

Some tombs are monumental, cut in the rock, and decorated by impressive tumuli (burial mounds) and carvings. In contrast, others have wall paintings that successfully survived until now. However, many Etruscan tombs have been looted over the centuries.

Among those still preserved is the Inghirami Tomb, which belonged to the Atia family and is one of the most impressive tombs from the Etruscans' Ulimeto necropolis.

It contained fifty-three urns dating from the first half of the second to the middle of the first century.

The 'Inghirami Tomb' is considered one of the best-known late Etruscan tomb complexes. Two Inghirami brothers discovered it and visited the Ulimeto necropolis outside Volterra, Italy, in 1861.

Etruscan City Of Volterra

A ring of defensive walls surrounds Volterra, an ancient fortress city with Etruscan roots, built by the Medici family in 1474 on the remains of older fortresses. The construction appeared two years after the city of Florence had conquered Volterra after a brutal war over the control of the alum mines.

Closed within mighty old walls and situated on a hill 545 meters above sea level, Volterra is far from the sea and the urban settlements. Over the centuries, it was the city's most favorable strategic position. However, the massive fortress ("Fortezza dei Medici") was not built to protect the area but to subjugate the whole community and discourage rebellion.

However, although the city was closed within its walls, it was repeatedly captured but maintained some independence until the Romans finally conquered it.

Thanks to rich history and culture, Volterra could preserve several monuments, including the 'Inghirami Tomb.' The two young brothers accidentally found the structure outside Volterra's wall circle, where they went to spend their holiday.

Beneath a grassy mound, the boys discovered a subterranean structure - a tomb constructed of a circular chamber roughly hewn in the bedrock, without any decorations, and enclosed by a false dome supported by a central pillar. An entrance passage leads to the room, cut into the tufa rock.

Inside the tomb's chamber are fifty-three spectacular, beautiful cinerary alabaster urns and round central pillars supporting the ceiling, all made from local alabaster stone. The tomb chamber was filled with sixty chests from five-six generations, placed in two rows on the bench and in front of the central pillar.

Traditionally, the primary function of the urns was to hold a person's ashes after cremation. This funeral tradition was popular among both classical and prehistoric cultures. The structure represents a characteristic Volterran tomb dated to the 4th-1st century BC. Relief decorations and the reclining lid figures representing the deceased create an illusion of a banquet hall. However, these sculptural decorations were not intended to be public manifestations.

The Inghirami Tomb allows us to admire something from the distant past because there are not many valuable places to see. Almost all the Etruscan tombs were looted in antiquity a long time ago.

The Etruscan urns lack Latin inscriptions typically found on the ones dated to Roman times. Today, the jars that belonged to an Etruscan Volterranian family Ati (Atia), are stored in Florence, Italy. ¨

After the reconstruction, the tomb is now in the garden of the National Archaeological Museum of Florence.

The Real Noah's Ark Found by Archaeologist Ron Wyatt - Short Documentary

The following video has all the proof needed to back up the assumption that the real Noah’s Ark has been found in the mountains of Ararat. Watch the video to find out more!

Emperor Hadrian: Facial Reconstructions & History Revealed, with Antinous

Hadrian is considered to be one of Rome's "Five Good Emperors." But he was a man of many shades of grey. After a shaky beginning to his rule, Hadrian embarked on some truly amazing building projects, and stopped the aggressive expansionism of the previous administration. Hadrian is remembered mainly for the wall he built separating Rome from the "Barbarians" - Hadrian's wall. He was the happiest and most centered around his lover Antinous, but after Antinous' tragic death on the Nile, his reign took a darker turn. Join us as we reveal the history and facial reconstruction of Hadrian, and a bonus recreation of Antinous as well.

How Did The Ancient Egyptians Cut The Granite Blocks To Build The Pyramids?

Of the many enduring mysteries surrounding the pyramids at Giza, one of the simplest is the practical consideration of how the massive blocks were cut and placed at the site. Here, some scientists offer a few theories based off of the evidence left by the builder's thousands of years ago.

The first Dinosaurs on Earth

It took nature over 30 million years to recover from the largest biospheric catastrophe on the planet called the Great Permian-Triassic Extinction.

When life began to develop again, completely different animals started to prevail who ruled the planet for the next 160 million years. They lend their name to an entire era in the development of our planet. They started their triumphant journey to the pinnacle of evolution as small creatures with bird tracks. Thanks to their great adaptability, they managed to edge out all big predators.

12 Most Mysterious Recent Archaeological Finds And Artifacts Scientists Still Can't Explain

Finding a historically significant artifact is only half of the battle for an archaeologist. As soon as they’ve located an object or a place, their next job is to explain its purpose or its history. That isn’t always possible for them, and nor is it always possible for their fellow experts, who they contact when they get stuck! That means some of the most amazing discoveries of recent times are currently unexplained, so we’ve put them together in this video for you to see if you can solve the mysteries!

Ancient Greeks in the Arctic - The Voyage of Pytheas Documentary

In antiquity, very little was known of the distant north. Most of what trickled down into the Mediterranean world were various trade goods and rumors carried by merchants. However the prospects of what lay beyond soon attracted explorers to seek out the riches of the mysterious beyond. Himilco of Carthage was among the first to launch an Phoenician expedition into the Atlantic which may have reached as far as Brittany. Yet around 320 BC Pytheas of Massalia would launch his own Greek expedition which would penetrate as far as the Arctic.

In this history documentary we bring to life his journey as it made its way from the warm shores of the Mediterranean to the frigid depths of the Congealed Sea and beyond!

A new giant spider species found in Queensland

A rare and giant species of trapdoor spider, about as big as a mouse and only found in the Brigalow Belt in Central Queensland, has been described by Queensland Museum scientists, according to a new study in The Journal of Arachnology.

Named Euoplos dignitas, the spiders lives in open woodland habitats and builds its burrows in the black soils of the Central Queensland region.

“The name Euoplos dignitas is derived from the Latin dignitas meaning “dignity or greatness” and is reflected by the impressive size and nature of the spider and but also a connection to Project DIG, who funded our research,” says Dr Michael Rix, Queensland Museum’s Principal Scientist and Curator of Arachnology, and lead author of the paper.

“This species is known from only a very few locations around Eidsvold and Monto in Central Queensland and has lost much of its habitat to land clearing, which makes it likely to be an endangered species.

Lactose-intolerant humans were making cheese in Neolithic times

A new study has found evidence of cheesemaking – using milk from a number of different animals, such as cows, sheep, and goats – in Late Neolithic Poland.

The research suggests that early farmers reduced the lactose content in milk by fermenting it into cheese or other dairy products like yogurt. Lactose intolerance was common in Europe during the Neolithic (7000-1700 BCE) until the Late Bronze Age (1200 BCE). This is when the genetic mutation that enables adults to produce lactase – the enzyme which breaks down lactose in the body – became widespread.

Researchers analysed Neolithic ceramics and showed that cheesemaking (and other curd-enriching dairy processing) can be directly detected by studying the proportion of curd proteins in residues left on the pottery.

“Whilst previous research has shown that dairy products were widely available in some European regions during this period, here, for the first time, we have clear evidence for a diversified dairy herd, including cattle, sheep and goats, from the analysis of ceramics,” says Dr Harry Robson, co-author from the Department of Archaeology at the University of York in the UK.

A new concrete made from simulated extra-terrestrial dust, starch, and salt,

Scientists have created a new material, dubbed StarCrete, which is made from simulated Martian soil, potato starch, and a pinch of salt and could be used to build homes on Mars.

The material had a compressive strength of 72 Megapascals (MPa), which is more than twice as strong as the 32 MPa in ordinary concrete. StarCrete made from simulated moon dust was even stronger at over 91 MPa.

The team calculate that a 25 kilogram sack of dehydrated potatoes contain enough starch to produce almost half a tonne of StarCrete, which is equivalent to over 213 bricks..

Additionally, they discovered that a common salt, magnesium chloride, obtainable from the Martian surface (or from the tears of astronauts), significantly improved the strength of StarCrete.

The new research is in the journal Open Engineering.

Resilient bug-sized robots keep flying even after wing damage

Inspired by the hardiness of bumblebees, researchers have developed techniques that enable a bug-sized aerial robot to sustain severe damage to the artificial muscles (actuators) that power its wings, and still fly effectively.

They optimised the actuators so the robot can better isolate defects and overcome minor damage – like tiny holes in the actuator – and demonstrated a new laser repair method that can help the robot recover from more severe damage, such as a fire that scorches the device.

Using their techniques, a damaged robot could maintain flight after one of its artificial muscles was jabbed by 10 needles, the actuator was still able to operate after a large hole was burnt into it, and a robot could maintain flight even after 20% of its wing tip was cut off.

“We spent a lot of time understanding the dynamics of soft, artificial muscles and, through both a new fabrication method and a new understanding, we can show a level of resilience to damage that is comparable to insects,” says Kevin Chen, Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, and senior author of the paper.

“We’re very excited about this. But the insects are still superior to us, in the sense that they can lose up to 40 percent of their wing and still fly. We still have some catch-up work to do.”

The research, in Science Robotics, could make swarms of tiny robots better able to perform tasks in tough environments, like conducting a search mission through a collapsing building or dense forest.

The Story of Castle Rushen: One of Europe's best-preserved Medieval Castles

Castle Rushen on the Isle of Man is one of the best preserved medieval castles anywhere in Europe.

It was started by the last of the Manx Viking Kings in the 13th century and since then it has witnessed extraordinary events and been lived in by some extraordinary people.

Timeless Beauties From 100 Years Ago Brought To Life

In this video we bring you timeless beauties from 100 years ago, portraits of beautiful women photographed in the past, restored, colorized and animated (brought to life). We're taking you on a journey through time, to an era where style and elegance were the epitome of grace and poise. Get ready to be transported to the past, as we showcase the women's beauty captured over 100+ years ago, through a series of portraits that have been carefully restored, colorized and animated using AI technology. These images not only capture the essence of their beauty but also provide us with a glimpse into the fashion of the time. As you admire the stunning portraits, allow yourself to be inspired by the grace and confidence of these women, and how they continue to radiate beauty and charm even a century later. So sit back, relax, and join us on this journey of discovery as we explore the beauty of women captured 100+ years ago.

University Student Discovers Giant 65-Million-Year-Old Triceratops Skull in North Dakota

A college student made the discovery of a lifetime on a recent paleontology dig when he unearthed a partial Triceratops skull.

Harrison Duran, a fifth-year biology student at the University of California, Merced, uncovered the 65 million-year-old skull in the badlands of North Dakota.

“I can’t quite express my excitement in that moment when we uncovered the skull,” Duran said in a news release from the school on Wednesday. “I’ve been obsessed with dinosaurs since I was a kid, so it was a pretty big deal.”

North Dakota is part of the Hell Creek Formation, and this area is a treasure trove for finding fossils. The rock bed formation spans four states – Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Fossils date to the late Cretaceous period, 65 million to 70 million years ago, and were discovered in 1902 by paleontologist Barnum Brown.

Knowing the history of the area, Duran set out on a two-week dig accompanied by Michael Kjelland, an experienced excavator and professor at Mayville State University in North Dakota. The two met previously at a conference and became fast friends as they bonded over their passion for dinos.

“I have been going out to the badlands for years off and on, but to this particular site it was the first time,” Kjelland told CNN. Last year, he found another Triceratops skull around the same area that is currently being excavated.

They started their dig on June 1 2019 chiseling away at the rock and dirt in hopes of finding some treasure. By the fourth day, Duran struck gold.

The fossil was found upside down with the base of its left horn partially exposed, surrounded by plant fossils also from the Cretaceous era.

“It is wonderful that we found fossilized wood and tree leaves right around, and even under, the skull,” said Duran. “It gives us a more complete picture of the environment at the time.”

They named the dinosaur Alice, after the landowner.

Then the painstaking work of getting Alice out of the ground began.

“It took a full week to excavate Alice, whose fragile skull was meticulously stabilized with a specialized glue to solidify the fractured, mineralized bones, before an accelerant was applied to bond the structures,” UC Merced said in a news release.

Once out of the ground, the fossil was coated in foil and plaster, put in a box and wrapped in a memory foam mattress for transportation to the lab for further research.

The duo founded a nonprofit company, Fossil Excavators, to discover, persevere and educate others about fossils. Their organization will be conducting more research on Alice and preparing the dinosaur for display. Duran and Kjelland hope to use the fossil as an educational tool for others.

“It would be amazing for UC Merced to be able to display Alice on campus,” said Duran. “It’s such a rare opportunity to showcase something like this, and I’d like to share it with the campus community.”

Meanwhile, the exact location of the dig sites will remain secret. “There have been people in the past who have stolen dinosaur bones,” Kjelland said in the news release.

Kjelland told CNN that he anticipates more bones will be uncovered at the site where Alice was discovered, as well as the site where he found a Triceratops skull last year.

Several weeks ago, construction workers digging near a Denver, Colorado, retirement home found an adult triceratops buried in the bedrock – and the fossils were 68 million years old.

The Entire History of Ancient Japan

In the following video we will be exploring the entire history of ancient Japan. Watch the video below to find out more!

$771 Trillion Worth Of Gold Lies Hidden In The Ocean: Good Luck Getting It

In search of gold? Looking for the next gold rush? The oceans are a good place to look, however, it's not as easy as panning for gold.

Ocean waters around the world contain about 20 million tons of gold in them. When we say "in" that is meant literally, there is gold in ocean water. Unfortunately, the concentration lies on the order of parts per trillion, making it extremely difficult to get.

Based on today's spot price of gold at $42.51 USD per gram, that amount of gold would be worth roughly $771 trillion. Compare that with the United States gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016 of 18.57 trillion and its 41 times. Alternatively, you can compare it to the world domestic product of $78.28 trillion in 2014, almost 10 times the entire world's domestic product.

Needless to say, there's a lot of money to be had just in gold within the world's oceans. However, there's the monumental task of removing the gold from vast amounts of seawater. Each liter of water would contain approximately 13 billionths of a gram of gold.

Currently, there's no cost-effective method to remove the gold from seawater and be profitable. However, that didn't stop many eager inventors and investors both legitimate and scammers. In the 1890s pastor Ford Jernegan came up with a plan for a "Gold Accumulator" in a fever dream. The plan was to extract gold from the Long Island Sound using a process involving mercury and electricity treatments.

Jernegan started the Electrolytic Marine Salts Company and convinced enough wealthy investors to raise $1 million (about $26 million in today's dollars) in cash. The company was off and running, building a large gold-extraction operation in Lubec, Maine, far away from the watchful eyes of their investors. By 1898 investors began asking questions and wanting evidence the plant worked. Shortly thereafter Jernegan disappeared with cash in hand and leaving behind a useless contraption.

Since then a number of individuals and institutions around the world have attempted to separate gold from seawater. From post-WW1 Germans attempting to refill their coffers to Dow Chemicals to Columbia professor Colin Fink.

The list goes on and on, but they all have one thing in common: none were able to economically extract gold from seawater. However, we can be assured that inventors will continue to attempt to extract this massive amount of gold from the ocean. The prize is just too big not to have interest and perhaps one day one inventor or company will have the breakthrough necessary to make extraction profitable. Until that time, it's a pipe dream for the most creative wealth seeking inventor.