During the early twentieth century, Howard Carter, a British Egyptologist, excavated for many years in the Valley of the Kings—a royal burial ground located on the west bank of the ancient city of Thebes, Egypt.
When Carter arrived in Egypt in 1891, he became convinced there was at least one undiscovered tomb–that of the little-known Tutankhamen, or King Tut, who lived around 1400 B.C. and died when he was still a teenager.
Twelve severed hands were found in Egypt as part of a horrifying “trophy-taking” practice that was just made revealed by a ground-breaking study.
The severed right hands have been discovered in three pits within a courtyard in front of the throne room of a 15th Dynasty Hyksos palace at Avaris/Tell el-Dab‘a in north-eastern Egypt.
This discovery is the first physical evidence of hand amputations in ancient Egypt, shedding new light on the civilization’s dark past.
Although the practice of placing severed hands is documented in tomb inscriptions and temple reliefs dating back to the New Kingdom, this is the first instance of an osteological analysis based on physical evidence.
Anatomical markers indicate that the hands belong to at least 12 adults, 11 of whom are male and one of whom is female. Once the attached parts of the forearm were removed, the hands were deposited in the pits with the fingers wide-splayed, primarily on their palm-facing sides.
The most tragic love story ever told is that of Orpheus and Eurydice. One of the most well-known Greek tales, it served as an inspiration to many notable artists, including Peter Paul Rubens and Nicolas Poussin. In addition, numerous operas, songs, and plays have been written in their honor to remember these two wonderful lovers who tragically died before they could experience their love. There are a few minor variations among the various versions of the Orpheus and Eurydice narrative. The earliest record is from the Greek lyric poet Ibycus, who lived around 530 BC. Here, we offer you a combination of these several variants.
Orpheus, talented at playing music
The greatest skilled musician of ancient times is thought to have been Orpheus. He is claimed to have inherited his exceptional musical aptitude from the god Apollo and the Muse Calliope. He was residing in Thrace, in Greece's northeast. Everyone who heard Orpheus' divinely endowed voice was charmed. He quickly grasped the lyre when it was initially introduced to him as a youngster. No god or mortal, according to the tale, could withstand his song, and even the rocks and trees would move to be close to him.
Orpheus is credited with teaching agriculture, writing, and medicine to humanity, according to some ancient sources. He is also credited as being a seer, an astrologer, and the creator of numerous mystic rites. People's minds would be piqued by Orpheus' weird and ecstatic music, which also had the ability to open people's minds to novel, unconventional theories.
Orpheus had a musical talent, but he also had a spirit of adventure. He was thought to have taken part in Jason's and his fellow Argonauts' journey to Colchis in order to steal the Golden Fleece, known as the Argonautic expedition. In reality, Orpheus was crucial to the success of the voyage because, via the use of his music, he was able to put to sleep the "sleepless dragon" that was guarding the Golden Fleece, allowing Jason to successfully capture it. In addition, the Argonauts were protected by Orpheus' song from the mysterious, female-like creatures known as Sirens, who lured men with their seductive voices before killing them.
Love at first sight
The ideal pursuits of music and poetry used to occupy a significant portion of Orpheus' formative years. His skill was far more impressive than his music's notoriety and regard. It would enchant both humans and animals, and frequently even the most inanimate objects would wish to be close to him. He had mastered the lyre by the time he was still a young man, and people came from far and wide to hear him sing. He first noticed a wood nymph at one of these gatherings of people and animals.
Eurydice was the name of the shy, beautiful girl. She had been attracted to Orpheus because of his voice, and neither could tear their gazes away due to the enchantment established by the music and his presence. The two young people's hearts were pulled inexplicably, and before long they were deeply in love and unwilling to be apart. They eventually made the decision to get married.
The morning of their wedding was sunny and clear. A huge feast then ensued when Hymenaios, the deity of marriage, sanctified their union. There was a lot of laughter and joy all around. The wedding guests soon dispersed from the newlyweds, who were still seated hand in hand and with starry eyes, as the celebration that had lasted for most of the day came to an end as the shadows became enormous. Soon after, they both realized it was time to leave and set off for home.
The snake-bite
But things will soon change, and joy would follow sadness. There was one man who hated Orpheus and wanted Eurydice all to himself. A shepherd named Aristaeus had devised a strategy to subdue the lovely nymph. He was standing there in the underbrush, watching for the young pair to pass by. He meant to leap on the lovers and murder Orpheus when he saw them approaching. Orpheus grabbed Eurydice by the hand and began fleeing pell-mell across the forest as the shepherd made his move.
Aristaeus didn't appear to be slowing down or giving up despite the prolonged pursuit. They continued to run, and then all of a sudden, Orpheus felt Eurydice trip and fall, her hand sliding from his. He hurried to her side, unable to fathom what had just transpired, but he had to stop short in shock when he noticed the deathly pallor that covered her cheeks. Because Aristaeus had seen the incident and departed, when he turned to look around, he could find no sign of the shepherd. Eurydice had stumbled on a snake nest nearby and was bitten by a poisonous viper. Aristaeus had given up his attempt after realizing there was little possibility of survival and was angry with Orpheus and his bad luck.
A supernatural plan
Orpheus was no longer the same carefree individual he had been before the death of his cherished wife. His life without Eurydice seemed to go on forever, and he was only able to weep for her. At this point, he had a brilliant but insane idea: he would travel to Underworld and attempt to get his wife back. His father, Apollo, would approach Hades, the god of the underworld, to request that he take the boy and hear his cries.
With his voice, lyre, and weapons in hand, Orpheus approached Hades and demanded admission to the underworld. Nobody pressed him. Orpheus explained his purpose for being there as he stood in front of the dead kings and queens in a voice that was both sweet and unsettling. He sung and played his lyre before King Hades and Queen Persephone, pleading for Eurydice to be brought back to him. Even the most heartless of individuals or Gods could not have ignored the hurt in his voice.
Even Cerberus, the enormous three-headed hound manning the entrance to the underworld, covered his many ears with his paws and howled in agony as Hades sobbed openly, Persephone's heart broke, and all of these events occurred. Hades made a last-ditch promise to this desperate man that Eurydice would accompany him to the Upper World, the world of the living, after hearing Orpheus' voice. But he cautioned Orpheus not to look back while his wife was still unaware since doing so would negate all of his previous good intentions. He ought to hold off on looking at Eurydice until she entered the light.
Orpheus set out from the underworld with tremendous faith in his heart and joy in his song, glad that he would meet his love once more. Orpheus heard the footsteps of his wife coming toward him as he was approaching the entrance to the Underworld. He was able to restrain himself from quickly turning around and hugging her. His heart was thumping more quickly and quicker as he got closer to the exit. He turned to give his wife a bear hug as soon as he stepped onto the living side of things. Eurydice was unfortunately only briefly visible to him before she was dragged back into the abyss.
Eurydice had not yet seen the sun when Orpheus turned his head, and as Hades had forewarned him, his beloved wife had been submerged back into the shadowy realm of the dead. He was overcome by waves of agony and sorrow, and trembling with sadness, he once more made his way to the Underworld. However, this time, he was refused access because the gates were closed and the god Hermes, who had been sent by Zeus, would not open them for him.
The death of Orpheus
The singer was left in complete sorrow and began to wander aimlessly day after day and night after night. Nothing offered any solace to him. His misfortune tortured him, pushing him to avoid all interaction with women, and gradually but surely he came to utterly hate their presence. His tunes were quite depressing rather than happy anymore. His sole solace was to lie on a large boulder and enjoy the breeze; the only thing he could see were the clear skies.
Because of his contempt for them, a group of enraged women happened to come across him. In his desperation, Orpheus did not even attempt to thwart their advances. He was murdered by the women, who then dismembered him and dumped him, along with his lyre, into a river. According to legend, his head and lyre floated to the island of Lesvos while traveling downstream. The Muses discovered them there and performed an appropriate funeral for Orpheus. People thought that music, sad but lovely, came from his grave. His soul traveled to Hades, where he met his beloved Eurydice once more.
The allusion to a scene from the Bible
If you carefully examine the aforementioned myth, you will notice a parallel between it and a scene from the Bible. The tale of Lot and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice are comparable. The metaphor of "not looking back" is crucial to both tales.
In the Book of Genesis, God commanded a good man named Lot to take his family and leave the area when he planned to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities that were drowning in sin. God commanded them to flee to the mountains and not to turn around to see the city being destroyed. Lot's wife couldn't help herself and turned around as they were leaving the city to view the burning cities. She changed right away into a pillar of salt! This might be seen as the immediate, frightening result of disobedience to God.
The most unique beaches in the world! Nature is capable of creating some truly beautiful things. Watch the video below to find out more!
Almost every type of military activity leaves behind a trace. Some of those traces are easier to spot than others, but they’re all there if you know where to look for them. We do know where to look, and we’ve found them in some very unexpected places. From the stunning and poignant to the strange and unsettling, here’s a video collection of incredible military finds.
What could be more horrific to mankind than the curse of slavery?
Slavery has very deep roots in the history of mankind and the African Slaves Trade has been going on for more than 13 centuries. It is still considered a common norm in Arabs because of its history in Arab culture, however, what seems so “normal” actually lays the foundation of terror that surrounds slavery! The shocking revelations made in this video will truly leave you questioning humanity!
The Arab Slave Trade started before the advent of Islam and continued for more than a Millenium. People usually connect slavery with Islam but it has less to do with theology. However, the Islamic texts don’t decline slavery. In fact, some people believe that Muslims can enslave any non-Muslim but it is not permissible to enslave Muslims. In this video, we will show you the history of the Arab slave trade.
In the following video we will investigate whether giant footprints have been left by ancient giants. Watch the video for more!
The method by which Spinosaurus hunted has been a matter of controversy for decades despite being the largest predatory dinosaur known (it is over two meters longer than the longest Tyrannosaurus rex).
Spinosaurus, the longest predatory dinosaur known, is opening its elongate jaws, studded with conical teeth, to catch a sawskate. Contrary to previous suggestions, this animal was not a heron-like wader – it was a “river monster”, actively pursuing prey in a vast river system located in modern-day North Africa. Dense bones in the skeleton of Spinosaurus strongly suggest it spent a substantial amount of time submerged in the water. Credit: Davide Bonadonna
A team of paleontologists has used a novel method—analyzing the density of long-extinct species' bones—in a new publication that was published on March 23, 2022, in Nature.
The research team discovered that Spinosaurus and its close relative Baryonyx from the Cretaceous of the UK both had dense bones that would have allowed them to submerge themselves underwater to hunt by analyzing the density of spinosaurid bones and comparing them to other animals like penguins, hippos, and alligators.
Because spinosaurids' elongated jaws and cone-shaped teeth resemble those of fish-eating carnivores, and because the ribcage of Baryonyx from Surrey also included partially digested fish scales, scientists already knew that spinosaurids had certain connections with water.
Dr. Nizar Ibrahim, a paleontologist of the University of Portsmouth and a National Geographic Explorer, discovered pieces of a Spinosaurus skeleton in the Sahara Desert of North Africa a decade ago. Retracted nose, small hind legs, paddle-like feet, and a tail that resembled a fin were all characteristics of the skeleton Dr. Ibrahim and his team reported, all of which strongly suggested an aquatic lifestyle.
The skeleton truly has "water-loving dinosaur" written all over it, according to Dr. Ibrahim. "We battled sandstorms, flooding, snakes, scorpions, and more to excavate the most enigmatic dinosaur in the world," he continued.
Dr. Ibrahim and his team earlier hypothesized that Spinosaurus could swim and actively chase prey in the water based on its highly specialized anatomy, but others asserted that it was not much of a swimmer and instead trudged in the water like a big heron.
Baryonyx, from Surrey in England, swims through an ancient river with a fish in its jaws. Like its much larger African relative Spinosaurus, Baryonyx had dense bones, suggesting that it too spent much of its time submerged in water. It was previously thought to have been less aquatic than its Saharan relative. Credit: Davide Bonadonna
Researchers are still debating whether Spinosaurus stood in the shallows and dipped its jaws in to catch prey, or if it spent most of its time submerged, seeking animals in the water.
"In part, this is probably because we were challenging decade-old dogma, so even if you have a very strong case, you kind of expect a certain degree of pushback," Dr. Ibrahim said.
An international team of experts, including senior author Dr. Ibrahim and lead author Dr. Matteo Fabbri of Chicago's Field Museum, sought an alternative method of determining the lifestyle and ecology of long-extinct animals like Spinosaurus in response to this ongoing controversy.
The concept behind our work, according to Dr. Fabbri, was that there are many possible interpretations for the fossil data. What about the fundamental physical laws, though? Any organism on this planet must abide by a certain set of laws. One of these laws relates to density and water-submergence capabilities.
Bone density can reveal if an animal can swim and submerge itself across the animal kingdom.
An specialist on the internal structure of bone, Fabbri, stated that "previous studies have shown that mammals adapted to water have dense, compact bone in their postcranial (behind the skull) skeletons." Dense bone aids in buoyancy control and enables submersion of the animal.
The team compiled a massive dataset of femur and rib bone cross-sections from 250 species of extinct and living creatures, including both land- and water-dwellers, and covered animals weighing from a few grams to several tons, including seals, whales, elephants, mice, and even hummingbirds.
Additionally, they gathered information about extinct sea reptiles including plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. The researchers compared the cross sections of the bones from these creatures to those from the relatives of Spinosaurus, Baryonyx, and Suchomimus.
According to Dr. Ibrahim, "the scope of our study kept expanding because we kept thinking of more and more groups of vertebrates to include."
The researchers discovered a direct correlation between bone density and aquatic foraging behavior: species that dive underwater to collect food have bones that are almost entirely solid throughout, whereas the cross sections of bones in land animals more closely resemble doughnuts with hollow centers.
The scientists discovered that Spinosaurus and Baryonyx both had the kind of dense bone associated with complete submersion when they subjected spinosaurid dinosaur bones to this paradigm.
The bones of the distantly related African Suchomimus were hollower. Despite having a crocodile-like snout and conical teeth, it nevertheless resided near water and consumed fish, but due to its low bone density, it wasn't actively swimming. Ibrahim said, "That was a bit of a surprise, since Baryonyx and Suchomimus look rather similar." But the group quickly understood that it was not unusual and that other groups had also shown similar trends.
Dr. Nizar Ibrahim. Credit: Paolo Verzone
The thick bones in the limbs of other dinosaurs, such as the enormous long-necked sauropods, simply reflect the extreme stress placed on those limb bones.
Some of these animals would have weighed as much as several elephants, so giving the bones more load-bearing capacity makes a lot of sense, according to Dr. Ibrahim.
The future of paleontology, according to Dr. Jingmai O'Connor, a curator at the Field Museum and co-author of this study, lies in collaborative research projects like this one that draw on hundreds of fossils. Although they take a lot of time to complete, they enable researchers to identify significant trends.
Dr. Ibrahim is already considering the following inquiries. "With this new piece of evidence, I believe it is reasonable to rule out speculative ideas that Spinosaurus was a huge wader because they are not supported by the available data. The bones are unreliable, and now that we are aware of it, even their internal structure supports our understanding of the animal as a massive predator that hunted fish in huge rivers while using its paddle-like tail for propulsion. We are already attempting to reconstruct these river monsters' movements in great detail, which will be fascinating.
The truth is going to get uncovered, drought has made skeletons alive, but what is the real story,what else is uncovered, wanna know then stay tuned till last.The Mississippi River's dry conditions have revealed a submerged world that usually stays out of view. The hulls of sunken ships and a wide array of missing nautical equipment have recently broken the surface, joining new islands that have emerged in recent weeks. The remaining tiny waterway is backed up with barges that are either stranded in the muck or waiting to make their way forward.
The frightening sight has drawn many riverside residents out on foot and in boats to take it all in.
In the following video we will analyze the top 10 prehistoric animals frozen in ice. Watch the video to find out more!
A group of archaeologists in England recently discovered something truly extraordinary, fulfilling every archaeologist's dream. Additionally, what they discovered may significantly alter our understanding of history. Watch the video below for more!
A Puzzling Piece of the Spanish Cultural Puzzle
In 1595, a group of lead books was found in the hills of Sacromonte, a suburb of Granada, Spain. These books, which are now collectively known as the Lead Books of Sacromonte, have been the subject of much controversy and mystery over the centuries. Despite the efforts of scholars and historians, many questions about these books remain unanswered.
The Lead Books of Sacromonte are a collection of twenty-two books made of lead sheets that have been bound together with wire. Each book is approximately 15 x 21 cm and contains between 4 and 14 pages of text. The books are written in a mixture of Arabic, Hebrew, and Latin, and they contain a variety of religious and mystical texts.
The discovery of the Lead Books of Sacromonte was significant because it was the first time that texts written in Arabic and Hebrew had been found in Spain since the expulsion of the Moors and the Jews in 1492. The discovery of these books challenged the prevailing historical narrative that suggested that there was little or no cultural exchange between Muslims, Jews, and Christians in medieval Spain.
Despite their importance, the Lead Books of Sacromonte have been the subject of much controversy over the centuries. Some scholars have suggested that the books are forgeries that were created in the 16th or 17th century in an attempt to prove that the people of Spain had a shared cultural heritage. Others have suggested that the books were created by the Moors or the Jews who were living in Spain at the time of their discovery.
One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Lead Books of Sacromonte is their authenticity. Although some scholars have suggested that the books are forgeries, others have pointed out that the books are written in a variety of languages and scripts that would have been difficult to fake. In addition, the books contain references to historical events and figures that are accurate and detailed.
Another mystery surrounding the Lead Books of Sacromonte is their contents. Although the books contain a variety of religious and mystical texts, many of them are difficult to interpret. Some of the texts contain references to ancient mystics and prophets, while others contain references to alchemy and the occult.
Despite the mystery surrounding the Lead Books of Sacromonte, there are several theories about their origins and significance. Some scholars have suggested that the books were created by the Moriscos, Muslims who were forcibly converted to Christianity but who continued to practice Islam in secret. Others have suggested that the books were created by the Sephardic Jews who were living in Spain at the time of their discovery.
Regardless of their origins, the Lead Books of Sacromonte remain an important part of Spanish history and culture. The books provide a glimpse into the rich cultural exchange that existed between Muslims, Jews, and Christians in medieval Spain, and they challenge the prevailing narrative of a monolithic Spanish culture.
Today, the Lead Books of Sacromonte are housed in the Cathedral Museum of Granada, where they are available for scholars and researchers to study. Although much is still unknown about these mysterious books, they continue to capture the imagination of people around the world.
In recent years, efforts have been made to use modern technology to shed new light on the Lead Books of Sacromonte. In 2015, a team of scientists from the University of Seville used X-ray fluorescence analysis to study the books’ composition. The scientists found that the lead sheets used to create the books were consistent with lead sheets that were available in the 16th century, providing further evidence that the books are authentic.
Despite the many mysteries that surround the Lead Books of Sacromonte, their discovery has had a profound impact on Spanish culture and history.
About 541 million years ago, the distribution of land and sea was much different than what we know. All of this took place long before the creation of Pangea.
At this time of the Cambrian, during the first phase of the Paleozoic, the Iapetus Ocean separates North America from South America and Africa which was welded together, the whole called Gondwana. The Rheic Ocean separates the African coast from the Baltic continent. Other oceans, such as the Panthalassa and the Paleotethys cover a very large area that separates North China and Siberia.
Lao Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer. Lao Tzu is the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu the founder of philosophical Taoism, and a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions. Watch the video below for more!
On February the 6th 2023 one of the most horrific catastrophes in modern history occurred in Turkey and Syria. In today’s video we will investigate whether something is causing mysterious vibrations on Earth every 26 seconds. Watch the video for more!
There’s something that draws people to Egyptian history. Whether it’s the hieroglyphics, the pyramids, or the fact that cats were worshipped, there’s clearly major interest in this ancient civilization. And that’s obviously pushed archaeologists to uncover as much as they can about Egypt’s past, including its death-based practices. With that in mind, we’re talking about mummies here. A team recently found a mummy that could change our understanding of Egyptian history. This is the story of Khuwy’s discovery.
In the video below we will analyze horse breeds from different countries. Watch the video to find out more about them!
It was not just the eruption that led to the death of the inhabitants of Pompeii but also the simultaneous earthquake.
Turmoil, confusion, attempted escapes and, in the meantime, an earthquake, showers of pumice, volcanic ash and hot gases. This was the inferno of the eruption of AD 79, the living hell in which the inhabitants of the ancient city of Pompeii found themselves, including the two victims whose skeletons were recently discovered during the excavation of the insula of the House of the Chaste Lovers.
They were the victims of an earthquake that accompanied the eruption, discovered beneath a wall that had collapsed between the final phase of the deposition of pumice and prior to the arrival of the pyroclastic flows that buried Pompeii for good.
Embark on a mesmerizing journey into the tragic tale of Medusa, the once-beautiful priestess cursed by Athena in ancient Greek mythology. In this compelling video, we delve into the intricate story of Medusa's transformation into a monstrous Gorgon, her ill-fated encounter with the hero Perseus, and the enduring symbolism of her visage. Explore the origins, myths, and artistic representations of one of the most iconic and misunderstood figures in classical mythology. Join us as we unravel the enigma of Medusa and reveal the captivating secrets behind her tragic fate.
In the Central District of Osku County, East Azarbaijan Province, Iran, Sahand Rural District, which is 60 kilometers southwest of Tabriz, is home to Kandovan Village. It is well-known for its spectacular, volcanically formed rocky architecture and hand-carved structures.
The hamlet has a distinguished international reputation and is the only rocky village in the world that is still inhabited. It was added to Iran's National Heritage List. The globe has two other uninhabited cliff settlements with comparable architecture: Cappadocia in Turkey and Dakota in America.
Etymology
Kandovan got its name because the village's rocky homes resemble bee hives. The first settlers in the area, according to Kandovan's history, were reportedly people from Hilevar, a village 2 kilometers away. They moved here to flee the Mongols and began to cut the Karans to create a secure haven for themselves.
Architecture
This charming village has a history that goes back 6000 years. Some archeological studies put its age as high as 7000 years old.
One of the attractions of the settlement is the architecture; in some spots, the walls' thickness approaches two meters. The rock serves as an energy-efficient building material, keeping the house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. These rocks stand at a height of roughly 40 meters.
This settlement is surrounded by sharp pyramidal cliffs that were formed by volcanic eruptions in the Sahand Mountain Range and have holes on their uneven surfaces. The cliffs are shaped like honeycomb cells, sometimes referred to as Karan. Most of these Karans are typically two stories, but occasionally they have three or even four levels that are separate from one another from the interior.
Every room in the cliff houses, including the kitchens, hallways, and even the pens, was chiseled out of stone by the residents to serve as windows and eventually to hold decorative glasses.
Village
The Kandovan has a fantastic climate, a lot of flora, and beautiful scenery because it is situated on the Sahand Mountain slopes. The region's fertile plains give nomads the opportunity to raise medicinal herbs and honey bees, two lucrative cash crops for the locals. The majority of the residents of this village are farmers and ranchers.
There are currently 117 households residing in the village, making it the only rocky settlement in the world that is still inhabited. The community's amenities include a mosque, a public bath, a school, a mill, gift stores, a buffet, and a restaurant.
