Buzz
Area 51 isn't Nevada's only hidden base. Other desert regions house ancient ships brimming with treasure, disappearing monoliths, and timeless songs.
10. A Giant Joyful Cat
The Nazca Desert in Peru gained worldwide attention when enormous geoglyphs were found etched into the ground. These ancient figures feature animals, birds, and geometric shapes. In 2020, a new discovery emerged, and for cat enthusiasts, it was a delightful surprise.
Carved into a cliffside, the feline spans 37 meters (120 feet) in length. Its relaxed pose depicts the cat lounging on its back, seemingly asking for a belly rub. What makes it stand out even more is that, unlike the other Nazca Lines, this cat’s design is simpler and more straightforward.
The lack of intricate lines in the cat geoglyph may be due to its age. At 2,000 years old, it is the oldest design in the Nazca region. As one of the first attempts, its lines were likely less precise. Over time, as generations honed their craft in creating these desert masterpieces, their techniques evolved, producing works that still baffle us today.
9. Ice Teeming with Life
Ice isn't something you’d expect to see in the desert. Yet, under specific conditions—such as high altitudes and extremely dry climates—fields of jagged ice appear across deserts around the globe. Known as 'penitentes,' these formations resemble towering blades, some growing as tall as a person.
In 2019, samples were collected from an ice field in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Some samples showed red patches, which was an astonishing discovery. In other parts of the world, red ice often signals the presence of living microbes. This was the first time such a phenomenon had been detected inside penitentes.
Following a series of tests, scientists identified the microbes as snow algae, a species that thrives in alpine and polar ice. However, the mystery remains as to how these organisms made their way into the ice formations standing alone in the desert.
8. An Infinite Melody (Kind Of)
In 1982, Toto released their iconic hit 'Africa.' Nearly four decades later, someone thought it would be a great idea for this song to play in the desert forever. That someone was Max Siedentopf, a Namibian-German artist. As a devoted fan of the song, he claimed to have listened to it over 400 times by his own count.
Depending on your perspective, he either crafted a unique artwork or introduced a never-ending earworm to the desert. In either case, the location of the installation was kept secret. At his chosen site, he set up multiple speakers and an MP3 player on white pedestals, connecting them to a solar-powered battery system.
In the Namib Desert, this song is supposedly playing on a never-ending loop. Or at least, that was the intention. The artist, however, never shielded the installation from the desert's harsh conditions, aside from using sturdy equipment. Siedentopf himself admitted that the desert would likely silence the song sooner rather than later.
7. The Most Remote Tree
By the 1970s, the Tree of Tenere had been standing tall in the Sahara Desert of Niger for nearly 300 years. As the only tree for 402 kilometers (250 miles), this solitary acacia served as a guiding point for ancient travelers and was even marked on military maps dating back to the 1930s.
This isolated tree had its origins in a time when the Sahara was much greener and resembled less of the barren desert it is today. Tragically, it perished in 1973. The manner of its death angered many people: a drunk driver, following an old caravan route, crashed into the Tree of Tenere.
The trunk of the fallen tree is now preserved and displayed at the Niger National Museum. In honor of the tree’s legacy, a metal monument was erected at the exact location where the acacia once stood.
6. 1.8 Billion Trees
The Sahara desert had everyone fooled. From locals to scientists, most believed the Sahara was a vast expanse of sand dunes with little more than the occasional lizard. But artificial intelligence and satellite technology revealed otherwise, uncovering something the human eye had missed.
In 2020, a study employed AI and NASA satellites to count trees in the desert. Remarkably, the project uncovered over 1.8 billion trees and shrubs hidden in the western Sahara. What made this discovery so extraordinary was that all of them were located within a relatively small region. In total, this elusive vegetation covered just 1.3 million square kilometers (501,933 square miles).
5. A Space Invader Named Witherspoon
In 1990, National Guard pilots were flying over Oregon's Alvord Desert when they spotted something that would capture global attention. Below, etched into the earth, was a gigantic symbol featuring squares, circles, and petals. This design was later recognized as a Hindu symbol known as Sri Yantra.
While many speculated that aliens were responsible, the truth was far less otherworldly. The creator of the image was Bill Witherspoon, who carved the symbol without permission to alter what was a protected wilderness area.
Despite the controversy, Witherspoon refused to abandon his desert artwork. He paid the $100 fine and proceeded to create more giant symbols—this time on a private ranch where he had permission. However, not everyone appreciated his creations. Complaints ranged from environmental concerns to worries that Witherspoon was using the symbols to summon dark spirits.
4. Slab City, A Hidden Oasis
Camp Dunlap, a former training site for Marines, was abandoned after World War II. Soon, squatters began to settle on the concrete slabs of the old base, transforming it into a makeshift community, with streets and homes emerging from the remains of the past.
Nestled in California's Colorado Desert, the residents of Slab City pride themselves on being the last truly free people in America. If freedom is measured by taxes, they might have a valid claim. The government seems uninterested in this remote settlement.
Survivalists, wanderers, and adventurers call Slab City home, but it's not just a place for those who seek an alternative lifestyle. For many, it's the only option after losing everything. Life here is tough, with no plumbing, water, or medical facilities. If you're robbed, tough luck – there is no police force in Slab City.
Officially, Slab City doesn't exist at all, a self-created community operating outside the bounds of any established authority.
3. Area 6: The Hidden Site
Area 51 might be the most famous secretive military base, but it’s not the only mysterious location in the Nevada desert. Enter Area 6, a smaller facility featuring hangars and a 1.6-kilometer (1-mile) long runway.
The airspace around Area 6 is tightly controlled, with a high fence encircling the entire complex. Situated about 19 kilometers (12 miles) from Area 51, the airstrip serves both Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. Beyond this, the details remain unclear.
When questioned about the site, a spokesperson gave a brief response, stating, 'They come here to test their own sensors.' Investigations later uncovered a license application for the contractor that built the airstrip, which described the location as a facility for testing and developing unmanned vehicles.
Some have speculated that Area 6 is home to MQ-9 Reaper drones, specialized aircraft used for reconnaissance missions. The area might be where new technology for these drones is tested, and its arid landscape provides an ideal setting for mission rehearsals.
2. The Ship Buried in Gold
In 1533, the Bom Jesus, a ship from Portugal, set sail and mysteriously disappeared. Along with the loss of its entire crew, it vanished with a cargo of gold coins valued at $12.5 million by today’s standards.
Nearly five centuries later, in 2016, miners stumbled across the wreckage of the ship in a dry lagoon in the Namibian desert. Upon alerting archaeologists, they confirmed the identity of the vessel. After six days of excavation, the gold was retrieved.
The media buzzed with excitement over the discovery of the precious coins, but for the archaeologists, the real treasure was the human remains, clothing, and pottery they found. Artifacts like these offer valuable insights into the lives of sailors from centuries ago, making them historically more significant than gold.
1. The Utah Monolith
In 2020, wildlife officials conducted an aerial survey over a remote area in Utah. Their objective was to spot and tally bighorn sheep, but their attention was diverted when they noticed a glimmering object below. Curious, the helicopter made a landing nearby. Upon investigation, they discovered a strange metal rectangle standing upright in a ravine.
This was not some ancient relic. What made the situation even more perplexing was that the 3-meter (10-feet) pillar had been intentionally planted in solid bedrock, seemingly for no reason at all, in the middle of the desert.
In an effort to protect historic sites and prevent visitors from getting lost in the vast desert, authorities kept the exact location hidden. But despite these precautions, someone managed to find it. About a week after its discovery, the monolith mysteriously vanished.
