Some ancient mysteries
Antikythera
mechanism: An ancient mechanical device of advanced craftsmanship variously described
as a clock, analog computer or orrery. It dates from the 1st century B.C. when
it may have been plundered from Athens by Roman general Sulla. Since its rediscovery
in 1900 there has been ongoing speculation & research into its origin, internal
functioning, application & relation to modern devices.
Ark of the Covenant:
This religious artifact, if it existed, has been lost since or before the destruction
of the First Temple in Jerusalem.
Atlantis: A legendary land from one of Plato's
dialogues, its whereabouts are unknown. It may never have existed & simply
been a storytelling device.
Dorchester Pot: Purportedly a 100,000-year-old
metal pot of unknown provenance, it disappeared in the 19th century making further
research impossible.
Dwaraka or Dwarka (an underwater city): This is one of
the mysteries from Hindu mythology. The accounts from Mahabharata & Vishnu
Purana suggests that the city submerged under the sea shortly after Krishna departed
for heavenly abode. The city was described as one of the planned cities of that
time. The recent underwater studies conducted by ASI (Archeological Survey of
India) show strong evidences of existance of such city dated to the 2nd millenium
BC.
Egyptian pyramids: While it is generally agreed that pyramids were burial
monuments, there is continued disagreement on the particular principles that might
have given rise to them. One theory that has gained a degree of acceptance is
that they were designed as a type of "resurrection machine." The Egyptians
believed the dark area of the night sky around which the stars appear to revolve
was the physical gateway into the heavens & one of the narrow shafts that
extends from the main burial chamber through the entire body of the Great Pyramid
of Giza points directly towards the center of this part of the sky. This suggests
the pyramid may have been designed to serve as a means to launch the deceased
pharaoh's soul directly into the abode of the gods.
End of the Mayan long
count calendar in 2012: It is commonly believed that the Mayan Long Count calendar
ends in 2012; however, recent evidence has shown that the calendar does not end
in 2012 ; the belief arose because the Mayans abbreviated their dates to five
places.
Garden of Eden: A legendary place from Genesis, where the first man
& woman supposedly dwelt. Its location is unknown, & is believed by mainstream
scholars to be purely mythological.
Greek fire: The secret compound acting
like modern napalm was a weapon of Byzantium. Knowledge of its composition &
method of manufacture was lost in the Middle Ages.
Great Flood: Many cultures
have stories about a Great Flood; the modern interpretation of this is that most
primitive cultures lived on floodplains, & the myths were simply exaggerations
of the relatively common flooding events which occurred where the early civilizations
were located.
Holy Grail: Artifacts claimed to represent the grail include
the Hawkstone Grail & Nanteos Cup.
Nazca line figures in Peru.Land
of Punt: The African region regularly visited by ancient Egyptians cannot be identified
with certainty.
Nazca Lines: It is not known why the Nazca culture constructed
many desert figures that were essentially invisible to themselves.
Phoenicians
in Brazil: Some believe that Phoenician navigators had reached Brazil in ancient
times, leaving several archaeological & linguistic traces in the country.
Pythia: The priestess presiding over the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi
Stonehenge:
Stonehenge is a henge & its fame comes not only from its archaeological significance
or potential astronomical role but also in its less tangible effect on visitors,
what Christopher Chippindale describes as "the physical sensation of the
place," something that transcends the rational, scientific view of the monument.
Some have theorized that it represents the female sexual organs (article from
The Observer) or have identified a phallic shape in the Heelstone. Alfred Watkins
found three ley lines running through the site & others have employed numerology
dowsing or geomancy to reach conclusions regarding the site's purpose. Some New
Age & Neo-Pagan followers see Stonehenge as a sacred place of worship.
Tyrian
purple: The ancient method of mass-producing the purple fabric dye is unknown
& cannot be reproduced.
Villa of the Papyri: The only surviving library
of antiquity was discovered at this Herculanean villa in 1765. The 1,800 scrolls
were carbonised in the 79 A.D. eruption of Vesuvius, evidently as they were being
transported to a safe location. Only in the 1990s was a method devised to reliably
read them after they are painstakingly unfolded. Those texts already deciphered
hint at a nearby library awaiting excavation
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