No one knows what happened when we, Homo sapiens, first encountered the Neanderthals. But we know we met.
We know that for thousands of years we lived side by side in Europe and Asia. And we know we had children together. So you’re probably carrying around a bit of Neanderthal DNA.
Kind of cool to be part Neanderthal, don’t you think? It’s not as strange an idea as you might think.
There are 20 tons of dinosaur bones covered in sand in the south-central Sahara.
Sereno and his team uncover a sail-backed dinosaur called an ouranosaurus in Niger in 2018. (Matthew Irving)
Reptiles with wings exist. a being that resembles a dog with armor. There are eleven unidentified species, all of which have lengthy necks. According to scientists, they roamed the desert up to 200 million years ago, when it was still green.
A world-class display in Niger has long been envisioned thanks to one of Africa's largest fossil caches, a prehistoric cemetery. The unique find is at risk from sand dunes that are collapsing and looters. However, excavation must be postponed while the country deals with a second wave of the coronavirus in addition to growing Islamist insurgencies.
Boubé Adamou, an archaeologist at the Institute for Research in Human Sciences in the nation's capital, Niamey, who assisted in the discovery of the treasure, remarked, "This is our cultural identity." But saving the lives of the living comes first.
About twice the area of France and made up primarily of desert, Niger has long been known for its dinosaur wealth. Many bones can be seen poking through the sand. In order to access what scientists refer to as the continent's most diversified collection of extinct giants, paleontologists must endure a scorching trip through bandit country.
Foreign explorers have received the most of the credit for these remains throughout history. Even now, for both practical and aggravating reasons, the country's dinosaurs tend to migrate to Europe or North America. Richer nations provide temperature-controlled chambers to stop bones from breaking. Termites have infected Niger's premier museum.
Sereno brushes sand off a skull cap, part of a burial some 8,000 years old. The bones belonged to people who lived in the Sahara when it was green, he said. (Matthew Irving)
Before the pandemic, leaders were working to restore such cultural infrastructure. They desired a long-lasting location for their scattered findings.
Mahamadou Ouhoumoudou, the chief of staff to the president of Niger, stated that "we need to make it so that everything that has been taken from us can be returned."
Paul Sereno, a well-known University of Chicago paleontologist whose decades-long explorations in Niger have contributed nine species to the catalog of dinosaur species, collaborated with local experts.
Two new museums, one in the capital and one in the desert region of Agadez, were the result of a collaborative partnership. Sereno's discoveries, which are currently housed at his laboratory in Chicago, would be stored there, along with whatever the upcoming generation of explorers found in the soil of Niger.
Sereno observed, generally speaking, "The best place for priceless specimens in any country is on display. Everyone is aware of their location. They're well-known. They develop into treasures."
The land has already been designated by Niger. The NigerHeritage project is expected to cost tens of millions of dollars. Officials reported that international donors including the World Bank expressed interest.
Sereno's team found 20 tons of dinosaur bones in Niger's Agadez region over a series of trips in 2018 and 2019. (Matthew Irving)
However, when the epidemic broke out, planning came to a halt, and now 20 tons of bone are lying in the midst of the Sahara.
Unintentional discovery
The beginning of the dinosaur saga in Niger was another secret graveyard.
Early in the 1960s, French nuclear energy agency prospectors were searching for uranium in the Ténéré wilderness when they came across a massive, bluish-stone object.
French paleontologist Philippe Taquet quickly determined that they were the vertebral columns of a dinosaur.
He had never gone on a fossil expedition when he was 24 years old and fresh out of college. But he was dusting off a new species just a few days after joining the prospectors.
Taquet described the incident in his 1994 memoir, writing, "There is a place on this Earth where, simply by hopping out of your car, you risk suddenly finding yourself nose to nose with a dinosaur."
Although the French team had government approval to excavate, until the late 1980s there were no rules preventing foreigners from collecting dinosaurs from Niger. In the US, France, and Italy, some bones found their way into the hands of private collectors. Others wound up at London's British Museum.
The Ténéré fossils were sent back to Niamey by Taquet after he investigated them in France; they are still housed in wooden crates at the National Museum.
A member of Sereno's team cleans rock from a 60-foot dinosaur. (Matthew Irving)
The Frenchman's efforts gave Sereno's group a route to follow. To make fresh discoveries, scientists and armed escorts in Land Rovers heed local advice: For large teeth, go this route.
Over the course of a series of journeys covering around 1,000 km in 2018 and 2019, the researchers cataloged hundreds of bones in Agadez. They were led by a man riding a moped to a massive spinosaurus, also known as a "spine lizard."
"It's everything, everywhere in Niger," Sereno declared. In actuality, it's excessive.
The specimens' excavation took several months. They span all geological time periods, including mammals, humans, and dinosaurs. One Neolithic woman wore an ivory bracelet even now. Before being given names, the 11 new dinosaur species must first undergo peer assessment.
Each skeleton was given a temporary plaster covering by Sereno's team. To cover them, they brushed sand over the top. They hoped that anything sticking out would be mistaken for rocks by onlookers.
Paleontologists frequently rebury dig sites before coming back with moving trucks. But for at least a year, that process has been halted by the pandemic.
Niger has sent soldiers to guard the expanse from looters. Bandits are known to roam those parts, while extremist groups typically operate hundreds of miles south. Nomads are also keeping an eye on the dinosaurs, periodically texting Sereno with updates.
Locations of fossil discoveries
So far, no one has reported a theft or sand avalanche.
“I have my fingers crossed that the wind god is on my side,” Sereno said, “and things will look the same in a year.”
‘We can’t keep them like this’
One of the world's poorest nations must shoulder a significant burden in order to preserve dinosaurs. It became harder due to the pandemic. Leaders are juggling issues that are more urgent.
Extremist group attacks increased at this time. On January 2 2021, Islamic State fighters carried out the worst ambush in recent memory, murdering at least 100 people in two villages in the southwest.
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project reports that during 2019 and 2020, the number of Nigeriens killed in such violence more than doubled. Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State affiliates have used a sense of despondency to expand their ranks throughout West Africa ever since extremists seized control of the neighboring country of Mali nearly ten years ago.
Sereno's team collects the surface fragments of a dinosaur. (Matthew Irving)
"We need education, services, and jobs that support young people," said Moulaye Hassane, director of the violent extremism program at the National Center for Strategic and Security Studies in Niamey. "In that sense, dinosaurs and tourism could be great for Niger."
At the National Museum in Niamey, resolve for that aim is present even though it is shaken.
Crates labeled "FRAGILE" contain pieces of Taquet's early discoveries that are on the tile floor. Brooms, some rope, and a toilet brush are placed nearby. Termite cracks can be seen in the walls.
Director of the museum Haladou Mamane said, "We can't keep them like way.
In the past, visitor traffic generated $370 on average per day. People posed with replicas of the long-necked jobaria and sail-backed suchomimus dinosaurs, which Sereno found in the 1990s.
The seasoned Sahara rover is aware of what is still undiscovered. He was traveling with Sereno when he went to the restroom and came across a 10,000-year-old human skull.
Old pals Mamane and Amadou discussed taking back their national heritage. There would be vaccines. Travel limitations would be loosened. They hoped that the coronavirus would decline.
Adamou remarked that dinosaurs were more valuable than uranium, oil, or anything like. They are welcome here.
Paleontologists in Agadez usually travel after dawn and near dusk with the help of a GPS device and local guides. (Matthew Irving)
The typical threats were manageable for him. Since 2008, when bandits raided his caravan, the researcher has never gone fossil hunting without a rifle.
Reasonable risk. A priceless reward.
The prospect of the dinosaurs from Niger being at last at home makes him grin.
I am a staunch advocate for using historically-themed movies as a viable method of quickly absorbing historical information, gaining an immersive understanding of the eras they portray, and stimulating the imagination.
Firstly, in the realm of rapid historical learning, these movies condense years, even centuries, of events into a palatable 2 to 3 hours of viewing time. They draw on extensive research to construct their narratives, making it possible for viewers to acquire a broad understanding of the major events, key figures, and societal norms of the period in question. Even though these films may not always be 100% accurate, they are often good launching pads for further investigation into the historical periods they depict.
Up: Bonaparte Before the Sphinx (1886) painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme.
Down: Napoleon the movie (2023) Directed by Ridley Scott.
Secondly, historical films provide an invaluable sense of the "vibe" of the times they represent. Unlike textbooks, which typically present history in a more detached, factual manner, films engage audiences in a far more visceral and emotive way. By utilizing elements such as costuming, set design, and dialect, films immerse viewers in the atmosphere of the era. They offer a tangible experience of the past that the written word alone cannot convey, thus making historical events feel more relevant and alive.
Moreover, the cinematographic techniques, music, and visuals used in these films can create intense, memorable scenes that anchor historical events in the viewer's memory. For example, Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" provides a powerful, visceral sense of the horrors of D-Day that is hard to forget. Such scenes make the past resonate in a way that is more immediate and personal than most traditional historical accounts.
Lastly, and most importantly, historical movies are fertile ground for cultivating imagination. As viewers, we are not just passive recipients of the historical narrative but active participants who imagine ourselves in the shoes of the characters, questioning their decisions, and pondering alternative outcomes. These films invite us to think about how we would act in similar circumstances, sparking our creativity and empathy.
In addition, the speculative elements in historical fiction can further stimulate the imagination. Movies like "Inglourious Basterds" or "The Man in the High Castle," for example, offer alternate histories that invite us to reimagine the world as we know it.
In conclusion, historical movies, with their richly drawn narratives and immersive atmospheres, offer a vibrant and imaginative way to learn about history. They bridge the gap between the past and the present, transforming what might otherwise be seen as dry facts into living, breathing experiences. Thus, while they shouldn't replace thorough historical research or study, they serve as a compelling supplement that fosters a more vivid and imaginative understanding of the past.
Throughout the annals of history, maps have always played a critical role in revealing the mysteries of the world to mankind. In this context, the first European map of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire, holds a significant position. This map, drawn in 1524, is a milestone not only in the history of cartography but also in the confluence of two contrasting civilizations: the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and the European explorers.
In 1521, Hernán Cortés, leading the Spanish conquistadors, succeeded in overthrowing the last emperor of the Aztecs, Cuauhtémoc, marking the fall of the mighty Aztec empire. Tenochtitlan, the empire's sprawling capital located on an island in Lake Texcoco in present-day Mexico City, was virtually decimated. Despite the destruction, the city's elaborate system of canals, temples, causeways, and marketplaces captivated the Spaniards.
The Conquest of Tenochtitlan Painting, 16th century
With a desire to document this unique city and its intricate urban layout, a map was commissioned. It was to be a testimony to the magnificence of the fallen city and serve as a valuable resource for the new rulers. The task fell upon an indigenous group of artists and scribes who had formerly worked for the Aztec elites. They were fluent in both the indigenous Nahuatl language and Spanish and skilled in the European and Mesoamerican cartographic traditions.
The map they created was a blend of European and Aztec cartographic styles. On the one hand, it adhered to the European tradition of creating bird’s-eye view cityscapes. On the other hand, it incorporated indigenous symbols and color coding, similar to the pictorial manuscripts known as codices used by the Aztecs to record their history and religious beliefs.
Author Friedrich Peypus
The map of Tenochtitlan is a testament to the city's grandeur and the Aztecs' advanced urban planning. The city, divided into four zones, was depicted with its complex network of canals, which served as streets for their canoe traffic. Iconic landmarks like the Templo Mayor, the royal palace, and the bustling marketplace of Tlatelolco were illustrated with careful detail.
Moreover, the map revealed the city's relationship with its environment. Tenochtitlan was surrounded by Lake Texcoco and connected to the mainland by three causeways. These causeways and the aqueduct that brought fresh water from the mainland were carefully depicted.
Tenochtitlan was a large city-state located on an island in Lake Texcoco, in the Valley of Mexico. Founded in 1325, it rapidly grew to become the capital of the expansive Aztec Empire. At its peak, the city had a population of between 200,000 and 250,000 people, making it one of the largest cities in the world at that time.
The city was designed around a ceremonial center, where important political and religious buildings were situated. The most prominent of these was the Templo Mayor, a large pyramid dedicated to the gods Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc. Surrounding the ceremonial center were four main districts, or 'campan', which were divided into 20 precincts ('calpullis').
A sophisticated system of canals ran through the city, enabling transport by canoe. Large causeways connected Tenochtitlan to the mainland, which was a marvel of engineering at the time. The city was also notable for its public buildings and marketplaces. The largest marketplace was in the nearby city of Tlatelolco, which was eventually absorbed into Tenochtitlan.
Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China - Painting of Tenochtitlan-Tlatelolco on Lake Texcoco
The economy of Tenochtitlan was based on agriculture, trade, and tribute from conquered territories. The Aztecs employed a system of agriculture known as 'chinampas', or floating gardens, which were small, rectangular areas set upon the shallow lake bed. They grew various crops, most notably maize, beans, squash, and chili peppers.
Trade was carried out at a local, regional, and long-distance level, with goods from as far away as Central America and the American Southwest reaching Tenochtitlan. The city's grand marketplaces were filled with goods such as textiles, pottery, food, precious stones and metals, feathers, and other items.
Tenochtitlan was the center of Aztec civilization, which was rich in mythology and religious traditions. Society was stratified, with nobles, priests, warriors, traders, artisans, farmers, and slaves each having their place. The Aztecs had a complex system of education, with separate schools for the nobles (calmecac) and the commoners (telpochcalli).
The ruins of the Templo Mayor were rediscovered in the 20th century, and today they provide an important archaeological site in the heart of Mexico City. The rich history of Tenochtitlan continues to influence modern Mexican culture and is a potent symbol of the country's indigenous heritage.
Model of the the Ancient Aztec City of Tenochtitlan, Zocalo Square, Plaza de la Constitucion, Mexico City:
The map was sent to Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, in 1524. The map provided Europe with its first visual representation of the New World's urban complexity, shifting perceptions about the so-called "primitive" societies of the Americas. It served as a tool for the Spanish administration to better understand and govern their newly acquired territory.
Yet this map was not merely a practical tool; it became an emblem of conquest, a symbol of European domination over the New World. By asserting European spatial understanding over an indigenous landscape, the map participated in a broader colonial project of control and appropriation.
Nevertheless, the enduring legacy of this map lies in its syncretic character. It serves as a tangible symbol of a moment of profound cultural encounter, blending European and Aztec conventions to create a document that both records and transcends its historical moment.
To this day, the 1524 map of Tenochtitlan continues to fascinate scholars and the general public alike. As a window into a lost world, it speaks volumes about the richness of Aztec civilization and the early days of intercultural contact in the New World.
Wise quotes from Confucius have been helping people all over the world to live in harmony with nature for many centuries. Confucius lived at the turn of the 4th-6th centuries. The best quotes and aphorisms of Confucius are like diamond thoughts. The wise sayings of Confucius influenced many great figures, conquerors, scholars and ordinary people. The wisdom that Confucianism keeps in itself is cherished not only by the Chinese, but also by other peoples around the world.
The great wisdom of Confucius will help you strengthen your character, find peace and become a wise person.
In the video below we will analyze the Irish DNA story. Watch the video to find out more!
Today, rumors reverberate throughout the world, all emanating from the heart of the Grand Canyon—an iconic wonder transformed into a confusing riddle that has perplexed even the most seasoned experts. A mystery has emerged among the formerly calm beauty, evading explanation and leaving the globe in amazement. What lurks within the Grand Canyon's depths, provoking such intense curiosity? Today, let's go into the unknown, unraveling the unfathomable and searching for solutions.
In northwest Arizona, the Colorado River cuts through a canyon that is over a mile deep. Forty distinct sedimentary layers, including rocks that are a mind-boggling 1.8 billion years old, have been exposed to its erosive effect. Watching the flaming sun fade into the starry night as the purple shadows of dusk fall is a sight to behold.
A lot of us know Uhtred from the TV show the Last Kingdom. Here we see him accomplish many incredible feats such as slaying the great warrior Ubba, and fighting alongside Alfred the Great being the sword and mind that allowed his Kingdom not to fall to the Vikings. But Uhtred was very real, and was based from a man named Uhtred the Bold the ealdorman of Northumbria. The events in the show take place in the late 9th century when England still had multiple realms and Kings. The real Uhtred was born in the 10th century, when England was a united land under one King. So let’s delve into the life of the real Uhtred and find out more about this mysterious figure.
In the shadowy corridors of history, the lines between power, politics, and the paranormal often blur. Once noblewomen of grandeur, now whispered in hushed tones as the 'Royal Witches,' their chilling tales intertwine royalty with the forbidden realms of witchcraft. Venture with us into the cobweb-laden corners of the past, where the scent of intrigue mingles with the faint echoes of incantations; a time when the crown and the cauldron danced a deadly waltz in the moonlight...
An intricate five-figure stone carved panel was unearthed under a house in Sayburç in 2021. The village, built in the 1940s, is located upon a raised mound, southwest of Sanliurfa and is one of the 12 'Taş Tepeler' sites in the region. Two separate areas have been discovered, the northern zone containing an oval bedrock enclosure whist just south several structures with T-pillars, some with animal carvings and V-necks, have been excavated.
In what has been described as the world's first 'narrative scene' the 11,000 year-old panel details two leopards, a bull, a jumping man holding a serpent (or hunting bola) who has 6 or 7 fingers on one hand, and a 3D high-relief carving of a man with a V-neck, holding his phallus. Above this, the stone bench has two large cup-marks, next to sockets that T-pillars would have been inserted into. Further hypogeum-style features exist, with a strange carving on one surface with small indentations and an abstract serpent head design. In this video Hugh Newman, Andrew Collins and JJ Ainsworth investigate the site (with full permission from the land owners) and even get a chance to explore an underground chamber which is off-limits to the public and take a look around the village where ancient stone blocks lie scattered around.
A forgotten sliver of land in the far north of the Persian Gulf, Kuwait’s Failaka Island is home now mostly to camels. Its only town is a sprawling ruin pockmarked with bullet holes and debris from tank rounds, and the landscape beyond seems empty and bleak. Even before Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait prompted its sudden evacuation, Failaka in the past century was little more than a quiet refuge for fishermen and the occasional Kuwaiti seeking relief from the mainland’s fierce heat. But just under the island’s sandy soil, archaeologists are discovering a complex history extending back 4,000 years, from the golden age of the first civilizations to the wars of the modern era.
The secret to Failaka’s rich past is its location, just 60 miles south of the spot where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers empty into the Gulf. From the rise of Ur, the world’s largest metropolis in the late third millennium BC, until Saddam Hussein’s attack during the First Gulf War, the island has been a strategic prize. For thousands of years, Failaka was a key base from which to cultivate and protect—or prey on—the lucrative trade that passed up and down the Persian Gulf. In addition, there were two protected harbors, potable water, and even some fertile soil. The island’s relative isolation provided a safe place for Christian mystics and farmers amid the rise of Islam in the seventh and eighth centuries AD, as well as for pirates a millennium later.
In the following video we will be saying the incredible legend of the ghost ship of The Flying Dutchman. Enjoy!
The majority of organisms that have ever existed and now extinct. Most animals have been wiped out my mass extinction events and some scientist argue than we are currently going through a mass extinction event. Humans have raised the rate of biological extinction and now we are loosing animals at an astonishing rate. Most animals disappear without a trace but luckily for some recently extinct animals, some footage still remains. In this video i will be going through just a few of these animals as i will be going through 5 extinct animals that we still have footage of.
In the video below we will be explaining how a medieval islamic kingdom waged war in Gaul. Watch the video to find out more!
In Antarctica, The icy frontier at the bottom of the world is home to several unsettling discoveries that give it's ice-covered landscapes additional layers of fascination. Some of these numerous puzzling discoveries stand out for their grave consequences and the fact that Russian researchers discovered them.
In the beating heart of the desert, where time surrenders to eternity, lie secrets buried deeper than the shifting sands. The Egyptian Sphinx, a silent sentinel, has for millennia defied the passage of time and withstood the onslaught of the elements, clutching tightly to mysteries that have left even the most intrepid scientists chilled to the bone. As we pry into its stoic silence, here are 10 eerie Sphinx discoveries that have left even the boldest scholars fearful of what else lies beneath its ageless gaze.
In today’s video we will analyze the worst Popes in whole history. Watch the video below for more!
In this video we will be explaining how vikings evolved into holy crusader kings of Europe. Watch the video to find out more!
The Great Pyramid of Giza. The Great Wall of China. The Parthenon. The Eiffel Tower. Stonehenge. Great structures capture our imagination and give us a lasting collective heritage. (They also provide the backdrop to innumerable selfies.)
But while they may last for centuries, these familiar objects have widely divergent building times. Some take decades to erect, others just a few years. Still others have been slowly created over centuries. Here are some of the world's most famous landmarks, along with the time it took to make them a reality.
In the shadowy footprints of Genghis Khan, the unacknowledged hands of queens sculpted an empire. Buried beneath the dust of the Mongol steppes and the echoes of thunderous cavalry, lie stories of forgotten queens who wielded power with finesse and strategy. The jewels in their crowns? A testament to their strength. Their robes? Woven with the threads of power, diplomacy, and sagacity. Welcome to a journey back in time, where we unveil the unknown regents of the Mongol Empire, the resilient women who crafted kingdoms out of chaos and kept a sprawling empire intact with the art of their governance.
