From Mexico's creepy Island of the Dolls to the Naval Base on Diego Garcia, in today’s video we will be exploring Islands throughout the world that are shrouded in mystery. Enjoy!
Inside the Vatican Museums
Join us as we explore the world's most precious collection of art and learn about the most interesting job in the world - the role of the key keepers who are responsible for opening and closing the museum's doors every day. We'll take you on a journey through the halls and galleries, including the pearl of the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and introduce you to Gianni Crea, the senior key keeper who coordinates the work of the other key keepers and ensures that each door has a lock and its own key.
Through interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, we'll give you an inside look at the daily duties of the key keepers, who open some 300 doors and walk about three and a half kilometers each time at opening and closing time. We'll also review the top news and events of the Vatican Museums over the past year, giving you an overview of what's been happening at this remarkable institution.
Scientists Terrifying New Discovery Hidden Under Antarctica's Ice
You might be well-traveled, but Antarctica is one place most people will never have the chance to visit. This southernmost continent is virtually uninhabited, not to mention cold. But are there other reasons not to visit besides the frigid temperatures and lack of infrastructure? Possibly. From bacteria to sea spiders, here are 20 scariest things found in Antarctica.
The Discovery Of The Earliest Human Ancestor
Recently a team of fossil hunters working in Kenya came upon a set of fossilised teeth and a series of bones. Their find set in motion a chain of events that ignited excitement across the scientific world, for if they were correct in their findings, not only would they have found the oldest human ancestor, but much of the received wisdom humankind’s evolution would have to be rewritten. This programme is the story of their discovery and the implications it has for understanding of how we split from the apes. Dubbed “Millennium Man” by the press, he is twice as old as the most famous skeleton in the world “Lucy”. The remarkable link between Millennium Man and humans is his ability to walk on two legs, overturning previously accepted scientific opinion on why, how and when humans began to walk. As Professor Senut who worked on the project points out, “Science doesn’t proceed or get better with established ideas. You have to challenge” and Millennium Man seems to be challenging an awful lot of accepted science. Documentary first broadcast in 2001.
Postosuchus: the King of the Triassic
Postosuchus was a large carnivorous reptile from the late Triassic period. Despite its dinosaur-like appearance, it belonged to a different group called "Pseudosuchia", which was very diverse during the time. Today, the only remaining Pseudosuchians are crocodilians.
Neanderthal - Ancient Human
In the following video we will be talking about the ancient human Neanderthal until the arrival of Homo sapiens. Watch the video to find out more!
New 'gigantic' dinosaur species have been discovered in Australia
A new species of enormous dinosaur was discovered, according to Australian paleontologists. The bones suggest the beasts may have been two stories tall and as long as a basketball court.
Paleontologists carrying a 3D-reconstructed humerus of Australotitan cooperensis in Queensland, Australia
The discovery of a new species of sauropod dinosaur, which may be among the biggest to have ever lived, has been confirmed by paleontologists in Australia.
The identification of the Australotitan cooperensis species is an important step in a 15-year journey that began with the discovery of the first bones of the species in 2006 on a family farm in the Eromanga Basin, around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) west of Brisbane.
What do we know about the novel dinosaur species?
Informally, the dinosaur is referred to as "Cooper" after the nearby creek where the bones were found. The estimated size of the creature was 20 to 30 meters (65 to 98 feet) long and 5 to 6.5 meters (16 to 21 feet) height. This implies that the dinosaur species would have been two stories tall and as long as a basketball court.
Only in South America have the remains of a dinosaur this size before been discovered. "Cooper" is one of the top five largest dinosaur species yet found.
"Discoveries like this are just the tip of the iceberg," declared paleontologist Scott Hocknull, curator of the Queensland Museum and senior author of a study about the dinosaur that was released this week.
He pointed out that larger examples have yet to be found since it was thought that theropods, which were even bigger, preyed upon the plant-eating sauropods.
The new Australotitan species is thought to have existed between 92 and 96 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period, when the Australian continent was still connected to Antarctica.
Students pose for photos with a replica of femur from the Australotitan cooperensis in Eromanga, Queensland, Australia
How did the find come about?
On the farm owned by her family, rancher Robyn Mackenzie and her husband made the discovery 15 years ago while grazing cattle. Since then, she has developed into a field paleontologist and established the dinosaur's home, the Eromanga Natural History Museum.
The Queensland Museum and modern digital technologies collaborated to create the first 3D scan of each bone. The scans made it possible to compare the bones to those of other species, enabling researchers to identify particular traits.
The confirmation that A. cooperensis was a new species, according to Hocknull, was a "very long and painstaking task."
Mackenzie hopes that the find would bring visitors to her own country. In 2007, the bones were initially put on exhibit.
12 Facts about Greenland That You Might Not Know
Greenland is without a doubt the destination in the Arctic that sees the fewest tourists in the summer and is also the one that the least amount of people are familiar with. It is also one of the most fascinating locations in the world. Greenland is enormously enormous and incredibly white, two features that undoubtedly both contribute to the attractiveness and make it more than a bit frightening to plan a visit. If you have ever taken even a cursory look at a global map, you are bound to be aware of these facts. Greenland is an Arctic conservation area comparable to only a few others, both on land and within the oceans that shape it, and it is populated by a historic Inuit culture that has developed to the rhythm of its own drum. However, size and ice aren't the only things that Greenland has going for it; there is so much more to it than that.
Exploring the Royal Necropolis of Naqsh-e Rustam (Tombs of Four Achaemenid Persian Kings)
In this video we will explore the ruins of the royal necropolis known today as Naqsh-e Rustam. It's here that the four Achaemenid king Darius I (a.k.a. Darius the Great), Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I and Darius II were laid to rest. The site was so special that several Sasanian kings added their own reliefs and inscriptions there, including on the mysterious building known as Ka'bah-e Zardusht. For these and other reasons, Naqsh-e Rustam is one of the most important and interesting archaeological sites with regard to Iran's ancient past.
The Truth About Jesus & Mary Magdalene: What History Really Tells Us
In the video below we will investigate the truth about Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Watch the video to find out more!
The Lost Roman Map Of Atlantis & Other Ancient Mysteries
In the following video we will be exploring the lost Roman map of Atlantis along with other ancient mysteries. Watch the video to find out more!
Top 7 Unsolved Mysteries That Cannot be Explained | Enigmatic Mysteries
From baffling cases like the lost colony of Roanoke to unexplained phenomena such as the Bermuda Triangle and the Voynich Manuscript, these enigmatic mysteries will grip your imagination and leave you questioning the limits of human understanding. Join us as we uncover the hidden secrets and perplexing puzzles that have stumped experts for decades.
Discoveries Made By Accident
In today’s video we will be exploring discoveries that were made by accident. Watch the video to find out more!
Deep Sea Diver Captures What No One Was Supposed to See
Oceans are still an enigma for us and divers are always keen to find out new things underneath the water's surface. In today’s video, we will see the titanic wreck, a reef full of human skeletons, and eerie encounters with freakish marine animals but let's start with the biggest underwater cemetery. Enjoy!
Most Mysterious Discoveries Found In The Middle Of Nowhere
In the following video we will be talking about the most mysterious discoveries found in the middle of nowhere. Watch the video for more!
Archaeologists find treasures from mystery civilisation that could rewrite Chinese history
A massive dig unearthed over 500 sophisticated artefacts in the Sanxingdui archaeological site in China’s southwestern province of Sichuan. The dig, which started in 2019, found treasures that had no apparent connection to known Chinese culture and were likely used for religious or magical ceremonies. The amount of items discovered suggests the existence of a prosperous, yet unknown civilisation that may have been economically prosperous and technologically advanced.
The World’s Oldest Banking System: Morocco’s Ancient Granaries
According to historians, the Igudar granaries in Morocco are the world’s oldest bank, going back as far as the 13th century. Some historians believe they may even go farther than that since the granaries are as old as the mountains they are built in.
These granaries belonged to the Amazigh people who settled in Morocco more than 4000 years ago. The Amazigh tribes mainly lived in the South of Morocco which is a mountainous area. They started to build granaries in the caves and cliffs of the mountains.
Each Amazigh family owned a granary and stored their valuables inside it. These valuables ranged from documents and weapons to food and jewelry. An interesting finding is that some granaries were big enough to act as shelters during war times. Some had enough room for cats to protect the valuables from mice.
The Amazigh had various ways of managing the granaries. Firstly, they had tablets (boards) to keep track of the valuables and who they belonged to. The management was the responsibility of a secretary called the Lamine.
Secondly, each tribed selected representatives which formed another management body: the Inflas. The Inflas comprised 10 people and each granary had a key holder called the Amir.
The tribes only paid the Amir for their efforts to keep the valuables safe. Additionally, tribe members could safeguard their own granaries as well.
One of the oldest and biggest of the Igudar is Agadir Imchguiguiln which is more than 700 years old. Recent renovations reveal that it has 130 granaries, a central square, a mosque, and even a prison cell.
Aside from their physical value, the world’s oldest bank, Igudar granaries represent the collective trust inside the community and between different groups of people. In recent years, the Moroccan government has been working to have Unesco recognize the granaries as an international heritage of great importance as well.
Particle physics has revealed a 2,500-year-old catacombs in the ancient Greek necropolis
The ruins of the ancient necropolis of Neapolis, built by the Greeks between the end of the fourth and the beginning of the third century BC, are located about 10 meters beneath modern-day Naples.
Unfortunately, the Sanità district has a high population density and urban characteristics, making systematic excavations extremely difficult. Nonetheless, the archaeological research that led to the discovery of the Ipogei dei Togati and the Ipogei dei Melograni led researchers to make assumptions about the presence of other unknown monuments.
The use of cosmic rays and lasers allowed researchers to examine the underground without the need for any physical excavation.
The collaboration between particle physics and archaeology, two seemingly unrelated fields, produced a technique known as muography, which is particularly useful in urban settings where it is impractical to use active study techniques due to its non-invasive nature.
In collaboration with the University of Nagoya in Japan, a group of researchers from the University of Naples Federico II and the National Institute of Nuclear Physics used muography to detect the presence of possible cavities in the underground of Naples‘ Sanità district. One of the most significant structures discovered is a hidden Hellenistic chamber that most likely houses a burial.
Muography is a technique that makes use of muons, which are high-energy charged particles produced by cosmic rays in the upper layers of the atmosphere. These muons were installed 18 meters below the Sanità district’s current street level to measure muon flux for about a month.
Researchers used a special technology called “nuclear emulsion” to record the tracks of these muons. This technology uses highly sensitive photographic film to capture and visualize the paths of these particles. As a result, the researchers were able to generate a radiographic image of the upper layers and observe both known and unknown structures.
The muography revealed an excess of muons in the data, which could only be explained by the presence of a new burial chamber. The study explained that the chamber’s area measures roughly 6.5 by 11.5 feet and has a rectangular shape, indicating that it is human-made rather than natural.
Based on the depth of the chamber, the researchers believe it was part of an ancient Greek necropolis dating from the sixth to third centuries B.C. This hypogeum was most likely the tomb of a wealthy individual.
The researchers suspect this chamber is similar to others discovered in the late 1800s, such as the Hypogeum of the Toga-Wearers and the Hypogeum of the Pomegranates.
The two altars date to the first century CE. (all photos via Nello Musumeci on Facebook)
Archaeologists discovered the remains of an Ancient Nabatean temple at the bottom of the sea
Archaeologists have dug up the remains of two altars from a Nabatean temple, which were discovered underwater on the seabed of Pozzuoli. This region is found within southern Italy, and the now-submerged temple is believed to have once been the heart of Puteoli, a commercial port in the area.
The researchers claim that the remains of the underwater temple are most likely from the first half of the 1st century AD. The altars are similar to larger great altar found in the same area in 1965.
This inscription is related to Dushara, the head deity of the Nabatean pantheon and a god that was unique to this religion. The researchers say that the top of the altars found in the underwater temple contain votive niches, which initially held betyls, small sacred stones used as effigies of the gods.
The Nabatean pantheon was an aniconic religion, which means it didn’t include any figural representations.
Instead, the underwater temple helps showcase how the pantheon relied on standing stones and other cultic stelae to represent the worshipped gods within it. This set of altars brings the total number of Nabatean-based discoveries to a total of five in this area of the sunken city. It’s also likely there are other remains located along the seabed.
The presence of this Nabatean temple has been known for a while. However, archaeologists had yet to define exactly where it was. With this recent discovery, researchers can finally say exactly where the temple was located and perhaps understand more about how the Nabatean people interacted with the merchants and locals in the area.
These kinds of discoveries are always exciting, especially as researchers continue to search for the road to Atlantis, which is still believed to exist somewhere out there. This underwater temple is simply another reminder of the ancient world that humanity once roamed.
1,500-year-old secret underground passage uncovered in Istanbul
During the ongoing excavations in the ruins of Saint Polyeuktos Church in Istanbul’s Saraçhane neighborhood, which was destroyed during the Latin invasion, a 1,500-year-old underground passage has been discovered.
A previously unknown underground passage about 20 meters from the nearby Haşim Işçan Passage was discovered. The carved marble blocks and reliefs in the underground passage, which contains mosaics and stone inlays, have impressed researchers.
Mahir Polat, Deputy Secretary-General of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, stated that the structure is an excellent example of the city’s architecture that has withstood the test of time and the wrath of earthquakes.
“What is one of the most important aspects of this discovery of a 1,500-year-old passage? Dozens of tremors have passed in these 1,500 years in Istanbul, which is currently struggling with earthquake risk. This structure has managed to survive all these earthquakes. Türkiye should learn the secret and have knowledge of this,” Polat explained.
