What makes the Great Wall of China so extraordinary

The Great Wall of China is a 13,000-mile dragon of earth and stone that winds its way through the countryside of China. As it turns out, the wall’s history is almost as long and serpentine as its structure. Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen detail the building and subsequent decay of this massive, impressive wall.

Visiting North Sentinel - An Island Untouched For 60,000 Years

Known as “the most dangerous island in the world” - north sentinel island has been isolated from the rest of the world for a long time. Lets visit the past of north sentinel island to find out about one of the few “uncontacted” civilizations!

4,800 year old fossil of a mother cradling and looking lovingly down at her baby found in Taiwan

Around 4,800 years ago, a young mother died near the Taiwanese coast. When she was lifted from her grave as part of a scientific excavation, archaeologists discovered that she had been buried with a six-month-old infant tucked into her arms. Interred near a stone dwelling, it appeared the pair had been sent into the hereafter in a loving embrace.

No one knows what killed the mother and child, but it is rare to find this kind of joint burial among the island’s Stone Age cultures.

“The young mother holding the baby surprised us most,” says Chu Whei-Lee of Taiwan’s National Museum of Science. “I guess they were buried under the house by their loved ones,” she adds, although more evidence is needed to support that idea.

Sharks and Farms

Chu and her collaborators uncovered the pair during work at a Neolithic site in Taichung City called An-ho in 2014 and 2015. The site, which appears to have been in use for at least 800 years, is located along the central part of Taiwan’s west coast and today is about 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) inland.

But ancient shorelines were different, and it’s likely An-ho was once coastal. Indeed, more than 200 shark teeth were found among the site’s dwellings, ash pits, and graves, suggesting the sea was important for the people who lived there, Chu says.

While it’s not the oldest evidence of humans on Taiwan, the An-ho site is believed to be the first example of what’s known as Dabenkeng culture in this part of the island. Dabenkeng sites appeared abruptly along the Taiwanese coast about 5,000 years ago, and archaeologists suspect the Dabenkeng people arrived on the island, rather than emerging from cultures that already existed there.

“The Dabenkeng people were the first farmers in Taiwan, who may have come from the south and southeast coasts of China about 5,000 years ago,” says Chengwha Tsang of Taiwan’s Academia Sinica. “This culture is the earliest Neolithic culture so far found in Taiwan."

From Taiwan, the Dabenkeng people may have spread across Oceania and Southeast Asia, carrying their language and culture with them.

“They were probably the earliest ancestors of the Austronesian language-speaking people living nowadays in Taiwan and on the islands of the Pacific,” Tsang says.

Burial Rites

This find should help archaeologists figure out not only how the Dabenkeng people lived, but also how they handled death.

The mother and child were unearthed among at least 48 graves, including those of five young children. Burial goods such as pottery were found with the bodies, which were interred in a north-south alignment and placed on their backs–a departure from the facedown posture usually found among other human burial sites in Taichung.

Chu adds that the team has extracted DNA from the remains and sent it off for analysis, which should help scientists study the relationship between the Dabenkeng, aboriginal Taiwanese, and cultures across Oceania.

Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture...

12 Most Incredible Archaeological Finds

If there's one thing you can rely on this channel for, it's amazing archaeology. Our eyes are always open to the greatest archaeological treasures in the world, and we're always excited to bring you new videos full of fantastic finds and dynamic discoveries. There are plenty of them in this video, so make yourself comfortable, and we'll begin!

Kings of Poland Family Tree

In the video below we will analyze the family tree of the Polish kings. Watch the video to find out more!

The REAL reason The Dodo Went Extinct

The Dodo disappeared over about 100 years after being discovered by Europeans. The main reason they ended up extinct was because Dodo birds weren't equipped to defend against the animals brought to the island by the Europeans due to a little known trope of evolution!

Smyrna | The 7 Churches of Revelation

It’s been almost 2,000 years since the apostle John was instructed by Jesus to write letters to the seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation. These timeless letters reveal a message of God’s love through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus, identify and provide correction for problems in the church, and offer hope and encouragement for the future.

The Bronze Age Collapse: A Mysterious Downfall in Ancient History

The Bronze Age Collapse, often referred to as the Late Bronze Age Collapse, is one of the most intriguing and debated periods in ancient history. Taking place around 1200 BCE, this catastrophic event saw the near-simultaneous decline and eventual fall of major advanced civilizations in the Eastern Mediterranean, including the Mycenaeans of Greece, the Hittites of Anatolia, and the New Kingdom of Egypt. The aftermath led to a 'dark age,' a period marked by societal regression, loss of literacy, and drastic cultural changes.

Chronology and Affected Regions

Timeframe: The collapse spanned roughly from 1200 BCE to 1150 BCE, although its effects lingered for centuries.

Regions Impacted: Major affected regions include the Aegean, Anatolia, the Levant, the Caucasus, and parts of the Eastern Mediterranean coast.

Signs of the Collapse

1. “Destruction of Cities”: Many significant urban centers, such as Hattusa, Mycenae, and Ugarit, experienced widespread destruction. Some were abandoned entirely, while others saw reduced complexity in subsequent settlements.

2. Loss of Literacy: The art of writing, especially in regions like Greece, was largely lost, not to be revived until several centuries later.

3. Societal Regression: There was a noticeable decline in intricate arts, architecture, and large-scale construction. Societies reverted to simpler forms of living, often in smaller community structures.

4. Economic Decline: Trade routes, which had once connected different parts of the Eastern Mediterranean, were disrupted. This led to economic downturns, a decline in craft industries, and, in some cases, famine.

Possible Causes

The Bronze Age Collapse is still a subject of much debate, and its causes are likely multifaceted. Some theories include:

1. Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, droughts, or other climate changes might have played a role. There's evidence suggesting prolonged droughts in certain regions, which could have led to food shortages.

2. Invasions and Warfare: The enigmatic "Sea Peoples" are often cited as a significant cause. Egyptian records mention these mysterious raiders attacking coastal cities, but their origins and exact role in the collapse remain uncertain.

3. Economic Factors: The interdependent nature of the trade networks meant that disruption in one region could lead to a domino effect, destabilizing economies in interconnected areas.

4. Sociopolitical Factors: Internal strife, political instability, or societal unrest might have weakened some states, making them more vulnerable to external threats.

5. Technological Advancements: The shift from bronze to iron could have had economic and military implications. While this transition was more gradual, the emergence of iron tools and weapons could have provided certain groups with an advantage.

Aftermath and Legacy

The Bronze Age collapse led to a power vacuum in several regions:

1. “The Rise of New Civilizations”: In the vacuum left by fallen empires, new civilizations eventually emerged. The Archaic Period in Greece laid the foundation for classical Greece. Similarly, in the Levant, the Phoenicians rose as dominant seafarers and traders.

2. Cultural Transmission: While many aspects of the Bronze Age civilizations declined or were lost, some were absorbed and transmitted by surviving or emerging societies.

The Bronze Age collapse stands as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities of even the most advanced and interconnected societies. While its exact causes may never be fully known, the lessons it imparts about adaptability, resilience, and the cyclical nature of civilizations are timeless. As researchers continue to piece together this ancient puzzle, the period serves as a rich field of study about societal dynamics, transformations, and the ever-evolving course of human history.

Seminoles - Native Americans Who Never Surrendered

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What Did Pangaea Look like?

200 million years ago, the planet looked very different than it did now. Plate tectonics had arranged the world's continents into a single massive landmasses: Pangaea. In today’s video we will attempt to use our knowledge of geography to create a basic map of what this land might have looked like.

The Astonishing Life Of China's Tyrant Empress | Wu Zetian

Since her death 1300 years ago, Wu Zetian has been remembered as a callous tyrant, who brought calamity to China. But now, extraordinary new discoveries are revealing a very different picture of her reign.

As archaeologists investigate hidden tombs, spectacular pagodas, gigantic palaces and priceless treasures from her time, they are uncovering a very different story of China’s female Emperor, her skills and her empire. Wu Zetian’s China was a military, economic and cultural superpower, whose influence stretched from the edge of the Mediterranean to Japan and India. Recent discoveries reveal the wealth and stability of her reign, and point to her skills as a politician and a leader. But they also provide tantalising new evidence of the cruelty and violence at the heart of her regime.

The 12 Labours of Hercules/Heracles

he Twelve Labours of Heracles or Hercules are a series of episodes concerning a penance carried out by Heracles, the greatest of the Greek heroes, whose name was later romanised as Hercules. They were accomplished over 12 years at the service of King Eurystheus. The episodes were later connected by a continuous narrative. The establishment of a fixed cycle of twelve labours was attributed by the Greeks to an epic poem, now lost, written by Peisander, dated about 600 BC. After Hercules killed his wife and children, he went to the oracle at Delphi. He prayed to the god Apollo for guidance. Hercules was told to serve the king of Mycenae, Eurystheus, for 12 years. During these 12 years, Hercules is sent to perform twelve difficult feats, called labours.

Iran: History, Geography, Economy & Culture

This is the story of Iran, once known as Persia. In this video we will explore the long history of Iran through to the controversial present, the diverse geography of Iran of deserts and mountains, the surprisingly complex Iranian Economy and the remarkably rich Iranian culture that has influenced the world in so many ways.

A history as old and rich as any, it has endured the battering of invasions and competing influences over millennia, to survive until the present day. This is the country that spawned the world’s first great empire, the Achaemenid Empire, and despite defeat at the hands of the Macedonian Greeks under Alexander, rose again under the Parthian Empire and Sassanid Empire. It was conquered by Muslim Arabs in the 7th Century AD, and over the next 200 years the original population that practiced the home-grown religion of Zoroastrianism was converted to Islam.

During the Golden Age of Islam it became a hotbed of artistic and scientific genius, and the Iranian language, Farsi, was beautiful written down by such poets as Ferdowsi in the epic piece of Persian Poetry, the Shahnameh (Book of Kings). In later centuries, Iran struggled on, maintaining its independence under the Safavids and The Qajar Dynasty, before coming under the influence of Russia and Great Britain in the Great Game of the 19th Century.

The discovery of Iranian Oil marked further influence by Western Powers, who later installed Shah Mohammed Reza ("The Shah"), whose rule turned corrupt and autocratic. He was finally deposed in the 1979 Iranian Revolution by Ayatollah Khomeini and the Islamic Republic of Iran was born. But this further continued troubles for the country, as it became internationally isolated over the Iran Nuclear Program and Iran's promise to destroy the State of Israel.

The geography of Iran comprises mostly mountains and deserts, and yet nonetheless houses a surprisingly large population of 80 million, who are mostly ethnic Persians with Azeris making up the largest minority.

Iranian culture has influenced the world with many words from the Persian language, Farsi, finding their way into English and other European languages. The games of chess and backgammon either emerged from, or were heavily shaped by Persia. And Persian carpets are regarded as the finest in the world, in a tradition that goes back millenia.

The History of Hell

Hell is well-known in popular culture and is a widespread belief among Christian communities today. But where did this doctrine come from? Jewish apocalyptic literature from the 2nd Temple period reveals the idea was evolving even before the rise of Christianity.

Thapsus 46 BC - Caesar's Most Complicated Campaign

In this video we will be talking about the aftermath of the battle of Ruspina as Caesar continues fighting against the optimate forces led by Labienus, Cato, and Scipio and king of Numidia Juba in Africa, leading to the battle of Thapsus and the most complicated campaign in Caesar's career.

Was There Really a Female Pope?

In the video below we will investigate whether there was really a female pope. Watch the video to find out more!