Buzz
Each historical artifact in a museum has a reasonable explanation for its creation and purpose. Yet, from time to time, discoveries emerge that completely puzzle scientists and historians, leading them to invest years of research to uncover their origins.
Here are ten of the strangest historical finds ever recorded. Some of these artifacts and sites are tangible and can still be visited today, despite their mysterious nature. Others were lost due to destructive forces or their existence remains disputed, depending on who you believe.
10. The London Hammer
In 1934, Max Hahn, a resident of London, Texas, came across an unusual rock resting on a ledge near a waterfall. The rock seemed oddly alive, with a wooden object sticking out from it. Max brought it home, and his family, being naturally curious, cracked open the rock with a hammer and chisel. To their astonishment, they found a part of an ancient hammer inside. They carefully examined one of the hammer’s bevels to confirm it was made of metal. Indeed, it was.
When the rock was split open, the metal hammerhead was revealed to the world for the first time since it had been encased by the rock. The catch, however, is that the rock is said to be as old as 400 million years. Human beings were not believed to have evolved until many millions of years after that. One possible explanation is that the mineral coating around the hammer isn’t 400 million years old, even if the surrounding area is. On the other hand, some proponents of creationism claim the London Hammer as evidence in their favor.
9. The Antikythera Mechanism
In 1900-1901, three flat pieces of bronze were salvaged from an ancient Greek shipwreck off the coast of Antikythera. At first, scholars were completely mystified by these fragments and were unable to comprehend their purpose for many years. Over time, the disks began to corrode, turning various shades of green and obscuring critical details. For decades, the three enigmatic pieces of bronze were left largely forgotten.
It wasn’t until 2006, when Mike Edmunds from Cardiff University published CT scans of the disks, that the Antikythera mechanism began to capture serious attention. Not only did it bear a striking resemblance to modern technology, far ahead of its time (dating back to between 205 and 87 BC), but the CT scans also revealed intricate details of the device’s internal structure and hidden inscriptions.
The Antikythera mechanism appeared to resemble a mantel clock, with traces of wood on the fragments suggesting it was housed in a wooden case. The case likely featured a large, circular dial with rotating hands, and there probably was a knob or handle on the side for adjusting the mechanism forward or backward. Turning the knob would have set the internal gears in motion, causing at least seven hands to move at varying speeds, as opposed to the usual two or three in a standard clock.
What’s truly astonishing is that the mechanism wasn’t tracking hours or minutes; it was monitoring celestial time. Every hand on the device corresponded to a different element of our solar system. One hand tracked the Sun, another the Moon, and others represented each of the five planets visible to the naked eye: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. A rotating black-and-silver sphere, moving alongside the other hands, indicated the phases of the Moon. The inscriptions uncovered on the mechanism turned out to contain dates for when specific stars would rise and set.
While much of it is understood, some mysteries remain. Scholars are still working to decipher the inscriptions hidden within the mechanism to uncover the missing pieces, which may have been destroyed or still lie at the bottom of the sea. Without these missing components, we may never fully grasp just how advanced this device truly was.
8. The Dropa Stones
The Dropa stones, if they indeed exist, were reportedly discovered in the Baian Kara-Ula mountains, located at the border between China and Tibet. The discovery was made in 1938 by Chinese professor Chi Pu Tei, who uncovered a series of aligned graves. The skeletons found inside were unusually small (around 122 centimeters or 4 feet tall) and had large, overly developed skulls. Chi Pu Tei and his team also found intriguing rock art inside a nearby cave system, depicting figures with round helmets, along with engravings of the Sun, Moon, Earth, and stars. As they explored further into the cave, they found a collection of 716 stone discs, most of which were half-buried in the ground.
The Dropa stones are said to feature hieroglyphic-like markings, date back approximately 12,000 years, and measure up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) in diameter, each with a hole in the center. In 1962, a researcher named Tsum Um Nui from Beijing University allegedly claimed to have decoded the hieroglyphic symbols after four years of study. However, after publishing his findings in a scholarly journal, he became the subject of ridicule. According to his research, one of the discs contained this exact message:
The Dropa came down from the clouds in their aircraft. Our men, women, and children hid in the caves ten times before sunrise. When at last we understood the sign language of the Dropas, we realized that the newcomers had peaceful intentions.
Soon after his reputation was tarnished, Tsum Um Nui went into exile and eventually passed away.
In 1968, Russian scientists began investigating the Dropa stones. One such scientist, W. Saitsew, became captivated by the stones. He decided to place one of the discs on an oscillograph, and to his astonishment, an oscillating rhythm was detected. It seemed as though the stone was electrically charged or functioned as an electrical conductor.
In 1974, German scientists Hartwig Hausdorf and Peter Krassa traveled to China and visited the Banpo Museum in Xian to investigate the Dropa disks. Upon their arrival, they were informed that the museum's director had received instructions from higher authorities to destroy the disks and to officially deny the existence of the Dropa stones.
Several questions remain unresolved. Why were the disks ordered to be destroyed? Why are there no records in China of a tribe named the Dropa? Was Tsum Um Nui correct in his translations? And, most importantly, did the stones even exist?
7. The Saqqara Bird
Unearthed in Saqqara, Egypt, in 1898, the Saqqara Bird is a wooden artifact believed to be around 2,200 years old. Though its form resembles a bird, it displays features more akin to a modern airplane, with the head being the only exception. Hieroglyphs inscribed on the artifact are said to translate as 'The Gift of Amon,' and three papyri discovered near the artifact allegedly contain the phrase 'I want to fly.'
Dr. Khalil Messiha, the physician who uncovered the artifact, theorized that the Egyptians created it as a model of an aircraft they either built or observed. He argued that the Saqqara Bird possessed aerodynamic properties and only lacked a tail wing stabilizer. In theory, if the stabilizer had been attached, it could have flown. Messiha even constructed a replica of the Saqqara Bird with the stabilizer, and to his astonishment, the model actually flew.
Some archaeologists maintain that the artifact is merely a representation of a real bird that happens to resemble a glider. The true function of the Saqqara Bird remains unclear. Was it just a toy, or could it have been a depiction of something the Egyptians actually witnessed during their lifetime?
6. The Baghdad Battery
Found in a village in Iraq, the Baghdad battery is a fascinating example of ancient technology. It consists of three parts: a ceramic pot, a copper tube, and an iron rod. Some have speculated that it was used for electroplating gold onto silver objects, although this theory has never been confirmed, and there is no concrete evidence to support it.
Ancient astronaut theorists propose that devices like the Baghdad Battery were potentially used as light sources inside the pyramids of ancient Egypt, though this remains a theory that has yet to be proven. The first person to seriously consider the pot as a potential battery was Dr. Arne Eggerbech. He created a replica of the device, using grape juice as an acid and thin layers of silver, which he claimed generated electricity.
If the Baghdad battery truly functions as its name suggests, it would precede Alessandro Volta's electrochemical cell by over a thousand years. However, some archaeologists argue it may have been a simple storage device for scrolls. Unfortunately, further investigation is challenging, as the artifact was reportedly stolen during the US occupation of Iraq in 2003.
5. The Piri Reis Map
In 1929, German theologian Gustav Deissmann was working at the Topkapi Palace Library in Istanbul. While organizing antique items, he stumbled upon an unusual piece of gazelle-skin parchment on top of a pile of discarded materials. Upon closer inspection, he was astounded to see the outline of South America drawn on animal skin. It was a map drawn and signed in 1513 by the Turkish cartographer Hagii Ahmed Muhiddin Piri, better known as Piri Reis. His sources for the map included eight Ptolemaic maps, four Portuguese maps, an Arabic map, and even one drawn by Christopher Columbus.
Here’s where things take a strange turn: According to some interpretations, this map not only displays Antarctica nearly 300 years before its official discovery but also depicts the continent as it would have looked before being covered by ice. The map is also believed to have been created using the Mercator Projection, a method not employed by European cartographers until the late 16th century. There's still no solid explanation for how Antarctica appears on the map so early (if, in fact, it does), but the use of the Mercator Projection could be attributed to Piri’s reliance on Greek maps in crafting his own.
4. Nan Madol
Located in Micronesia, off the coast of Pohnpei, Nan Madol is the only ancient city ever constructed on a coral reef. The city, built upon about 100 artificial islands, is an engineering marvel that has baffled archaeologists. The questions of how, when, and why remain unanswered, as there are no known records to explain the existence of this ancient city. Evidence of human activity on the islands dates back to the first or second century BC, while the city itself is believed to have been constructed between the fifth and 11th centuries AD. It is thought that the islands were used as a center for rituals and ceremonies by the ruling chiefs of the Saudeleur dynasty.
The locals of Pohnpei often share a legendary explanation for Nan Madol’s origins. According to the myth, twin sorcerers named Olisihpa and Olosohpa arrived from Western Katau and sought a place to build an altar for Nahnisohn Sahpw, the god of agriculture. After successfully constructing the altar, the brothers used it to perform rituals, one of which involved levitating massive stones with the help of a flying dragon.
3. The Paracas Skulls
At the Museo Regional de Ica, you'll encounter some strangely shaped skulls on display. Throughout history, various cultures have intentionally altered the shape of their children’s skulls by binding wooden boards to their heads, tightening them progressively over time. Just one glance at these skulls, and you'd swear their mothers rolled them down a mountain like pizza dough every day.
The Paracas skulls were unearthed on the Paracas Peninsula, located on Peru's southern coast. They were discovered in 1928 by Peruvian archaeologist Julio Tello, who also uncovered a highly elaborate and sophisticated burial site. In addition to their peculiar shape, the skulls exhibit some strange traits. For instance, the foramen magnum (the opening at the skull's base through which the spinal cord passes) is unusually positioned closer to the jawline. Moreover, the Paracas skulls are said to lack sagittal sutures, the seams normally found running along the top of human skulls. Essentially, these skulls don’t appear human—though you can probably guess what some people believe they resemble.
It has been repeatedly claimed that DNA testing conducted in 2014 revealed that the Paracas skulls contain mitochondrial DNA with mutations not found in any known human, primate, or animal species. However, other sources have consistently debunked these assertions, suggesting that any anomalies in the DNA can be explained by various factors, and do not indicate that the skulls are alien-human hybrids.
2. The Dead Sea Scrolls
The first batch of Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by accident in late 1946 or early 1947 when a group of teenage shepherds stumbled upon seven clay jars. These ancient scrolls, made of leather and papyrus, made their way through the hands of scholars who dated them to be over 2,000 years old. Following the initial find, treasure hunters combed the surrounding caves and uncovered more fragments, which together formed over 800 manuscripts.
The true authorship of the Dead Sea Scrolls remains unknown. The most widely accepted theory suggests they were created by a Jewish community that once lived in Qumran, a settlement that was destroyed by Roman forces around AD 70. Almost the entirety of the Old Testament is represented in these scrolls, with the notable exception of the Book of Esther, which tells the story of the Jewish queen of Persia. Some believe that these missing scrolls have either disintegrated over time or remain undiscovered.
One of the more unusual features of the Dead Sea Scrolls is the presence of a guide to hidden treasure. While most of the scrolls were written in ink on parchment or animal skin, the Copper Scroll was etched into metal sheets to endure the passage of time. Despite much anticipation from treasure hunters, none of the treasures described in the Copper Scroll have been found. It’s speculated that the Romans may have already claimed them long ago.
1. The Stone Walls of Saksaywaman
On the northern edge of Cusco, Peru, lies the Saksaywaman complex (with various spellings), thought to have been constructed by the Inca. The walls are made from large stones, meticulously shaped to interlock without the use of mortar. The level of precision is unmatched across the Americas. What’s more perplexing is the range of shapes used to fit the stones together and the way the wall subtly leans inward, leaving scientists puzzled for many years.
Dr. Derek Cunningham proposes an interesting theory: that the alignments of the stones may correspond with celestial phenomena. He suggests that early civilizations created writing from an ancient form of geometry, grounded in their observations of the Moon and the Sun. These astronomical values, crucial for predicting eclipses, were then transformed into angular measurements. Cunningham argues that these same angles are present in the construction of Saksaywaman. The pressing question remains: how did the Inca acquire such precise astronomical knowledge, and how did they incorporate these exacting angles in their stone walls?
