100 Surprising Finds Uncovered During Renovations of Ordinary Buildings

KirTop Top 100

A renovation can uncover more than old wallpaper: human bones, hidden time capsules, ancient gadgets, royal cake—and even a turtle trapped beneath a floor for years. Join Kir Top for 100 astonishing discoveries that turn everyday places into history’s strangest treasure hunt. Which find surprised you most? Subscribe to our channel for more curious stories. Comment and tell us what you liked most from the video! #History #Archaeology #Discoveries  👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@kirtop-100samyh  0:00:00 - Unusual Finds in Historic Buildings and Tombs 0:10:47 - Ancient Devices and Extraordinary Objects 0:21:19 - Food, Astronomy, and Ancient Knowledge 0:33:33 - Ancient Artifacts and Lost Technologies 0:47:00 - Historic Objects and Inventive Stories 0:57:45 - Ancient Food, Engineering, and Burial Finds 1:07:38 - Art, Dating, and Unexplained Technology 1:18:58 - Everyday Traces and Remarkable Survival  We're now available on Spotify! Listen now https://open.spotify.com/show/03446rMw7NEQKZvD764T3X

Transcript

00:00:00I'm Kirtop. And these are 100 discoveries found during the renovation of ordinary buildings.

00:00:08Bones in the wall. At first I thought it was fake. But seriously, who would find bones in their own

00:00:14wall these days? But the story is real. England. A woman is renovating her house. She opens up the

00:00:21wall and there among the old plaster and bricks are real human bones. A skull vertebrae. The

00:00:27police arrive and confirm that these are indeed human remains. Real ones. From around the 19th

00:00:33century, but the exact age hasn't been determined yet. And this is where it gets a bit unsettling.

00:00:37Because you realize between ordinary life and death, there's literally just a layer of wallpaper.

00:00:41And everything we're used to thinking of as the past isn't somewhere underground anymore.

00:00:45It's right here, inside the house. I don't know how those bones ended up in the wall.

00:00:49Maybe it was a crime. Maybe it was an old burial ritual. But the fact remains. In a real house

00:00:55where someone slept, ate, and lived. There were human remains lying behind the wall.

00:00:59A dress made of bison hide. In museum collections there is a woman's dress. It is sewn from tanned

00:01:06bison leather. It is dated to around 1800 or 1825. And it was made by women from the Native

00:01:14American tribes of the Central Plains of North America. Most likely from the Lakota or Cheyenne

00:01:19tribe. The dress is decorated with rows of shell embroidery. They run in horizontal stripes along

00:01:24the entire length of the garment. At the top, the dress is edged with a beautiful border,

00:01:28featuring metal discs and a blue triangular pattern. Such delicate and detailed embroidery

00:01:33could have taken the craftswoman several weeks of painstaking handwork. Such clothing was never just

00:01:39something for warmth. The rich decoration showed the status of the woman and her family within their

00:01:43tribe. And the complex patterns and sewing techniques were often passed down from mother to daughter from

00:01:48generation to generation. To make such a dress, a woman needed more than just the ability to sew

00:01:53beautifully. She also needed to have a good understanding of how to properly treat bison

00:01:57hide so that it would remain soft and durable for years and not become stiff or fall apart over time.

00:02:02Very few such dresses have survived to this day. After all, leather and fur do not withstand the

00:02:07passage of time well. Each such surviving dress is not just a beautiful exhibit behind glass.

00:02:12It is a rare living memory of women's hands that once put weeks of work, love for their family,

00:02:17and an entire tradition of their people, into a single item.

00:02:231936 Iraq Baghdad

00:02:25In 1936, during excavations near Baghdad, archaeologist Wilhelm Koenig discovered strange

00:02:31ceramic vessels about 14 cm tall, inside of which were copper cylinders and iron rods.

00:02:37They were insulated with bitumen. Those items were found in layers dated to approximately the 1st and 3rd

00:02:43centuries AD during the Parthian Empire and they did not resemble any vessels, tools or ritual objects

00:02:50known to archaeology from that period. When Koenig described the find, he drew attention to one detail

00:02:55that could not be explained by chance. If you fill the vessel with an acidic solution, an electric voltage

00:03:02appears between the iron and the copper. The simplest reconstruction produced between 0.5 and 1 volt

00:03:08exactly as much as a galvanic cell generates. In the 1940s, German and American researchers repeated the experiment

00:03:16and got the same result, confirming that the design really works as a battery.

00:03:21The official explanation was simple. These could have been vessels for storing scrolls or ritual objects.

00:03:26But the problem is that the bitumen insulation, metal electrodes and the way it's assembled make no sense in a

00:03:33ritual or everyday context.

00:03:34But they perfectly match the principle of a galvanic cell, which was only discovered by Alessandro Volta in 1800.

00:03:43Moreover, traces of electrochemical gilding have been found on the surface of some metal objects from the same region,

00:03:48which is impossible to do without a source of electric current.

00:03:52These vessels are officially kept in museums, described in catalogues and recognized as authentic,

00:03:57but their purpose has not yet been explained, because any direct explanation would disrupt the usual understanding of technological development.

00:04:03If people in the first century AD used electricity, even in its simplest form, then a question arises that history

00:04:10prefers to avoid.

00:04:11Where did this knowledge disappear to and why was there no further development, no traces and no continuation after it?

00:04:19Argentina. When I first read about Odessa, I thought it was just a conspiracy straight out of a movie.

00:04:24An organization created specifically to smuggle Nazis out of Europe.

00:04:28But then I saw documents, maps, interviews, photographs that don't explain themselves but say more than official reports.

00:04:35After the war, dozens, hundreds of SS men disappeared. They didn't just hide, they vanished, and almost all the traces

00:04:41led to one place.

00:04:42South America, especially Argentina, a country where dictators openly sympathized with Hitler, and in the mountains, those who didn't want

00:04:49to be found were hiding.

00:04:50In 2017, a cache was found in the Argentine Andes. Weapons from the Third Reich era, medals, maps with German

00:04:57inscriptions, everything carefully hidden.

00:05:00Not like museum exhibits, but like things that might be needed.

00:05:03Later, CIA archives surfaced, recording conversations where German bases were mentioned. A base, a hidden settlement, and even Hitler.

00:05:10I'm not a supporter of conspiracy theories, but when too many random discoveries form a chain, it's no longer a

00:05:16coincidence, it's a route.

00:05:17Someone really was leaving, someone continued the work, not on the front lines, but in the shadows.

00:05:22What is especially frightening is not that they might have survived, but that they could have lived for a long

00:05:27time and passed on not orders, but ideas.

00:05:30Five skeletons that shouldn't be there!

00:05:32In the spring of 2024, archaeologists in Poland made a strange discovery.

00:05:37Under the rubble of one of the buildings in the Wolf Slayer complex, the former residents of the Nazi leadership,

00:05:43human remains were found, five skeletons, three adults, a teenager, and an infant, all without feet and hands, without identification,

00:05:52without clothing, without explanation.

00:05:53This part of the complex belonged to Hermann Göring. It was here that he held closed meetings. There were no

00:05:59random people here, and there certainly couldn't have been any burials.

00:06:02The area was heavily guarded, and only a few people had access to these rooms.

00:06:06The identities of these people are still unknown. No dental prosthesis, documents, or military tags were found.

00:06:12Only skeletons laid out in strange positions, as if someone had deliberately staged the scene.

00:06:17An execution theory?

00:06:18But then who was the infant? A ritual theory?

00:06:22Archaeologists do not rule out that something irrational, almost religious, was happening in the last days of the Reich.

00:06:27Adolf Hitler himself was convinced of the sacred role of this war.

00:06:31He believed that the struggle of the Third Reich was not just politics, but the revival of an ancient order.

00:06:35Why were these particular bodies found at the heart of the Wolf Slayer?

00:06:38Why weren't they taken away, buried, but simply left under the floor?

00:06:41And why, during their retreat, did the Nazis spend their efforts not on saving, but on destroying the bunkers, blowing

00:06:46up everything in sight?

00:06:47As if they were afraid not of the advancing Soviet army, but of future archaeologists.

00:06:53Maybe it wasn't about these bodies at all, but about what was hidden nearby.

00:06:57Something that wasn't supposed to remain after them, something they buried to keep it secret.

00:07:02A dagger made of rock crystal, in the megalithic tomb of Montelirio Tholos.

00:07:07Located in the southwestern part of Spain, archaeologists discovered a unique artifact,

00:07:12a dagger made of rock crystal, dating back to around 3000 BC.

00:07:17This 22 cm dagger has been preserved almost completely, including the handle and sheath,

00:07:22which are made of ivory.

00:07:23Found in a separate chamber of the tomb, the dagger clearly held special significance for the deceased.

00:07:28Scientists suggest that this dagger was used for ritual purposes, since rock crystal in ancient

00:07:33times was considered a symbol of purity and a connection to the spirit world.

00:07:37Working with crystal required great skill, as it is a hard and brittle material,

00:07:41so such an item was extremely valuable.

00:07:44It is possible that the dagger served as a symbol of the owner's high status,

00:07:48and was used in rituals related to the worship of ancestors or gods.

00:07:52A couple from the United States with a strange story.

00:07:56In 1875, in the center of Philadelphia, workers discovered the mummified bodies of a man and a

00:08:02woman in an old cemetery, who had presumably died in 1792.

00:08:07Although this information was later refuted, no records of the Ellenbogen family or any other

00:08:13documents confirming their existence were ever found. The bodies underwent a process of saponification,

00:08:19turning into soap mummies due to the specific burial conditions,

00:08:22where fat transformed into a soapy mass, slowing down decomposition.

00:08:27The man, who was more saponified compared to the woman, and the woman with remnants of light hair

00:08:32on her head, are believed to have died at a later date than originally thought.

00:08:36This was confirmed by the discovery of pins with round heads, a manufacturing technology that only

00:08:41appeared in 1824. The man likely did physical labor. He had healthy bones but degenerative changes in the

00:08:49cervical spine. Both bodies had preserved internal organs, but the man had poor oral hygiene,

00:08:56which resulted in most of his teeth falling out during his lifetime. The woman died at about 30

00:09:01years old. She had health problems, including stones in the ureter and gallbladder. There was also

00:09:07vascular calcification. The soap lady is now on display at the Mutter Museum, while the soap man is

00:09:12kept in storage at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, where scientists study them,

00:09:18trying to uncover the mysteries of their lives and deaths. The stage where Shakespeare performed.

00:09:24In St. George's Guildhall in Norfolk, England, archaeologists discovered a unique wooden stage from the 15th

00:09:30century. According to experts, it was on this stage that the great playwright William Shakespeare may

00:09:36have performed medieval oak floorboards were found beneath two layers of later flooring. The top layer

00:09:42was laid in the 1950s and the lower layer in the 18th and 19th centuries. These 15th century boards are

00:09:49remarkable because they were fastened not with metal but with wooden pegs, which is typical for medieval

00:09:54buildings. Laboratory analysis using dendrochronology showed that the boards date between 1417 and 1430.

00:10:04Even though this is a century before Shakespeare's birth, St. George's Guildhall is one of the oldest

00:10:10and best preserved medieval buildings in England. The Guildhall was originally built by the Guild of St.

00:10:17George in the early 15th century and was used for religious services. But by 1445 it had already

00:10:23become a venue for theatrical performances. In 1593 when the London theaters were closed due to the

00:10:30plague, Shakespeare's troupe performed here. The expert on historic buildings, Dr. Jonathan Clark,

00:10:36emphasizes the importance of this discovery as the only surviving example of a stage where Shakespeare

00:10:41might have performed. The year 1900 Greece, the sea. In April 1900 a group of Greek sponge divers was

00:10:50working near the island of Antikythera when a storm forced them to drop anchor near some underwater rocks.

00:10:56During one of the dives, the diver Elias Tadiatis surfaced in a panic and reported that there were

00:11:02dead people lying on the seabed. It was later discovered that these were bronze statues lying

00:11:07next to the wreckage of a Roman merchant ship which sank around 60 to 70 BC. The excavations continued until

00:11:151901 and among the amphoraic coins and sculptures a corroded bronze fragment was recovered which

00:11:20at the time was of no interest and was sent to the museum as an ordinary piece of debris.

00:11:24It was only in 1902 that the archaeologist Valerio Stais noticed a gear wheel inside the fragment,

00:11:30something that should not have been present in any ancient artifact. Further research showed that

00:11:35inside there were at least 37 gears with precise geometry assembled into a complex gear train.

00:11:42In 1951 the physicist Derek de Sola Price conducted an X-ray study of the mechanism and proved that the

00:11:48device was used to calculate the movements of the Sunday, the Moon and the planets as well as to

00:11:53predict eclipses using the 19-year mettonic cycle. In 2005 tomography confirmed the presence of scales,

00:12:00inscriptions and complex mathematical relationships impossible for artisanal production. The mechanism is

00:12:05more than 2000 years old and its level of precision corresponds to 16th century engineering, not antiquity.

00:12:12And this is the first recorded find that is officially recognized, studied and yet does not fit into

00:12:18its era at all because after it nothing similar appears in history for another 1500 years.

00:12:25A book made of human hair. When you hear the phrase a book made of human hair, the first thing

00:12:30that comes to

00:12:30mind is fiction. Something out of cheap horror. But then you see a photo and you stop being surprised

00:12:36these books really exist. France, 14th-15th century. Medieval monasteries, where manuscripts were bound

00:12:42into booklets, sewn from something that at first seems like leather, and then you realize it's hair.

00:12:48Real, long, light-colored, human hair. For a long time scientists couldn't explain at all why this was

00:12:54necessary. Only recently have more or less clear hypotheses appeared. It turned out that the hair didn't just end up

00:12:59there by accident. It was sewn in deliberately, as a material, as a symbol. Perhaps these were

00:13:03reliquaries, personal items. Someone would leave a lock of hair in a book in memory of the deceased.

00:13:08Or on the contrary, as a vow, as part of repentance. Or perhaps as a protective element. Hair was

00:13:13considered to be the bearer of the soul. In one case, it was a prayer book, where not just a

00:13:18single lock,

00:13:18but an entire layer of hair was found between the pages, stitched right into the book. And for someone,

00:13:23this book could have been the only connection with a deceased person, or with themselves. Now imagine,

00:13:27you're in a library, you pull out an old volume, and it's alive. Not in a figurative sense, but truly

00:13:34alive. When knowledge and memory are bound not by ink, but by a person. A riddle on an ancient painting.

00:13:40The painting is called Air. It was painted by the Flemish artist Jan Bruegel, the Elder, in 1611.

00:13:48Today it is kept in the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon, France. The painting depicts a woman. This is

00:13:54the

00:13:55Greek muse Urania, the patroness of the sky and stars. And in the distance, two more figures can

00:14:01be seen. The gods Apollo and Diana. The artist painted on this canvas a great many animals.

00:14:07More than 60 species of birds and beasts. Among them are almost 40 species of European birds.

00:14:14And at least 14 from distant lands amidst all this variety, there is one small scene that was not

00:14:20noticed right away. A bat is holding a bird in its teeth as if it caught it right in mid

00:14:26-air. This is

00:14:27very unusual behavior for a bat. Most species of bats eat insects, not birds. Only in 2025 did scientists,

00:14:36using special devices, prove that some lard bats are indeed capable of catching birds right in the air

00:14:43during their migration south. Spanish researchers published this finding in a scientific journal.

00:14:48They studied several similar paintings created by Bruegel himself and his students. And such a

00:14:53hunting scene was found only in one of them. So the artist drew it not by accident, but on purpose.

00:14:59As if he'd actually seen something similar involving birds. Scientists say that old paintings should be

00:15:05interpreted carefully. After all, animals there often mean something symbolic. Not just what is literally

00:15:11depicted. But in this case, the species of bat was identified very precisely. And that means we are more

00:15:16likely looking at a real observation of nature, rather than just a decoration on the painting.

00:15:20A bag from the Stone Age

00:15:24Around 2500 BC, a Neolithic resident in what is now Germany found a unique solution for decorating his bag.

00:15:33During excavations near Leipzig in 2012, archaeologists discovered more than 100 dog teeth carefully arranged

00:15:40in a grave. This led to the assumption that they decorated the flap of a bag. Archaeologists noted that over

00:15:45time,

00:15:46the leather or fabric of the bag disappeared, leaving only the teeth pointing in one direction.

00:15:51These teeth probably decorated the outer part of the bag. They are all arranged in the same way,

00:15:57which resembles a modern flap. These finds were made at the Profen Quarry. In the same area, other important

00:16:04artifacts were discovered, including the burial of a woman who lived around 50 BC, buried with half a

00:16:10kilogram of gold jewelry. However, even among such rich finds, the bag with dog teeth became a real

00:16:17discovery. This is the first time archaeologists have found direct evidence of the existence of such an

00:16:22accessory. To decorate this bag, teeth from about 10 dogs were needed. In other burials from that time,

00:16:29archaeologists also found wolf teeth, dog teeth and shells, which apparently were used to decorate

00:16:34blankets and clothing. When the fabric decomposed, only these decorative elements remained. An ancient

00:16:41means of payment. A bronze coin attributed to Pontius Pilate, the prefect of Judea, was minted between 26

00:16:49and 36 AD, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. This mall artifact is a vivid symbol of the

00:16:56power and influence of the Roman Empire in the territory of ancient Judea. The coins of this

00:17:00period reflect not only economic activity, but also the political and religious aspects of the era.

00:17:06On the obverse side of the coin, there was usually an image of a cult object associated with Roman gods,

00:17:11which emphasized Rome's desire to impose its culture. However, this caused conflicts with the

00:17:17local Jewish population, for whom images associated with pagan beliefs could be considered blasphemous.

00:17:22On the reverse side of the coin, symbols such as the cornucopia or kettle drums were often depicted,

00:17:28symbolizing prosperity and control. The inscriptions on the coin contain references to Tiberius,

00:17:33reinforcing his authority as a ruler. The oldest bead in America. An archaeological team from the

00:17:41University of Wyoming found the oldest known bead in North America at the ancient mammoth site of La

00:17:48Prele in Converse County, USA. At this site, traces of an ancient hunting camp and the remains of a

00:17:54young Colombian mammoth have been preserved. Research, the results of which were published in the journal

00:17:59Scientific Reports, revealed the discovery of a Clovis bead made from hair bone. This item, 7 mm long

00:18:07and 1.6 mm wide, was probably used as a decorative clothing ornament. The bead is polished, has smooth edges

00:18:14and is covered with red ochre. There are grooves on the outer side of the bead, indicating that it was

00:18:19made using stones or teeth. To determine the origin of the bone material, scientists from the University

00:18:26of Washington conducted a mass spectrometric analysis of collagen. The analysis confirmed that the material

00:18:31used was either a metapodial bone or a proximal phalanx of a hair. This discovery became the first

00:18:37convincing evidence of the use of hair during the Clovis era, which dates back to about 12 000 years ago.

00:18:43The Clovis era is known for the discovery of distinctive stone tools, named after the Clovis

00:18:49archaeological site in New Mexico. A mummy's hand with a coin. The mummified hand of a child

00:18:56holding a copper coin became a unique discovery that puzzled scientists and opened new horizons

00:19:02for the study of mummification and the use of copper as an antimicrobial agent. Discovered in 2005 at an

00:19:09abandoned cemetery in Nyarlorenke, Hungary, this find sparked wide interest among specialists. The analysis

00:19:15conducted by a team of researchers revealed that copper on the infant's body contributed to the

00:19:21preservation of soft tissues. This became the first recorded case of mummification caused by copper.

00:19:27Scientists were also intrigued by the fact that the coin was in circulation in the mid-19th century even

00:19:32though the burial took place in a cemetery that had been abandoned many years earlier. Such a discovery

00:19:38became an example of a unique case of mummification using copper, which may attract the attention of

00:19:43researchers and archaeologists in the future. This discovery provides an opportunity to expand our

00:19:48knowledge about ancient civilizations, their traditions and customs, as well as the use of various

00:19:53materials and methods for preserving the dead. Scientists need to study more similar cases to

00:19:59understand how copper and other materials were used in mummification and what the beliefs and customs

00:20:03of ancient cultures related to this process were. In 2022 archaeologists discovered a unique item in a

00:20:12woman's grave, an iron folding chair. After restoration it was shown to everyone who was interested.

00:20:19The find was made in the village of NC, Germany during the excavation of a 7th century burial.

00:20:24In the grave were the remains of a woman aged 40-50 and a number of artifacts, including a colorful

00:20:31necklace and brooches. Nearby a male burial with ornate weapons was found, indicating Frankish influence

00:20:37at that time. The restored folding chair was presented at the archaeology in Bavaria conference.

00:20:42It consists of two parts connected by an axle and is decorated with brass ornaments.

00:20:47Traces of where a seat, probably made of fur, was attached can be seen on the supports.

00:20:51Such chairs are very rare in burials. The find indicates the high social status of the deceased

00:20:57woman. Only 29 graves with similar chairs are known in Europe and only 6 of them are made of iron.

00:21:03Professor Matthias Feil expressed his excitement about the discovery, emphasizing its historical value.

00:21:09He noted its importance for understanding the socio-cultural aspects of the early Middle Ages.

00:21:14This chair is evidence of the rich history hidden beneath the layer of earth.

00:21:19Ancient field ration. Fresh potatoes rot in warmth within a week. But on the arid coast of Peru,

00:21:26archaeologists found two tubers that are about 500 years old and they haven't rotted. They were lying in

00:21:32a clay jug, embedded in the floor. Wrinkled, but whole. From the time when the Incas ruled here.

00:21:38This isn't just a potato, it's chuño. What the Incas learned to make from ordinary tubers so they

00:21:44could be stored for years. The method is clever and relies on the local climate. They took the potatoes

00:21:49high up into the mountains, where at night there's a bit of frost and during the day the sun scorches.

00:21:53The tubers froze at night and thawed during the day several times in a row. Then they were

00:21:57trampled underfoot to squeeze out the remaining moisture and dried further. The result was a light,

00:22:02hard product that doesn't spoil without any refrigeration. Ancient dried food, essentially a

00:22:07long-lasting ration, 500 years before army rations appeared. And here's the most interesting part.

00:22:12Chuno can only be made high up in the cold mountains. But it was found on the hot coast,

00:22:18far below. This means that someone transported these potatoes across the whole country,

00:22:22from the icy peaks to the warm sea. And that's exactly what happened. The Incas sent entire caravans

00:22:28of llamas loaded with food all over their vast empire, supplying armies, workers, and the state.

00:22:33Lightweight and everlasting chuno was the perfect cargo for such logistics. Archaeologist Lidio Valdez,

00:22:38who found these tubers, immediately realized that the discovery was special. Although

00:22:42chuno was a staple food for the Incas, it is extremely rare to find it during excavations.

00:22:47In the past hundred years or so, this is one of only a few such finds. The potatoes were preserved

00:22:52by the dry climate and the sealed jar. Without them, the two tubers would not have survived to this day.

00:23:001999, Germany, Nibra. In July 1999, two illegal diggers with metal detectors found on the

00:23:07Middleburg hill near the town of Nibra, a bronze disc about 32 centimeters in diameter,

00:23:13covered with green patina and gold inlays in the shape of the Sunday moon and stars. Along with it,

00:23:19bronze swords, axes and bracelets were found in the ground, which allowed archaeologists to accurately

00:23:25date the discovery to around 1600 BC the Bronze Age, when according to textbooks, people did not possess

00:23:30systematic astronomical knowledge. Further analysis show that the disc depicts not just stars, but

00:23:36specific celestial cycles. A group of seven dots corresponds to the Pleiades, whose position was

00:23:42used to determine the beginning of agricultural seasons, and the arcs on the edges of the disc

00:23:46indicate the points of sunrise and sunset on the days of the solstices. The angle between them is

00:23:51exactly 82 degrees, a value that matches the actual angle of the sun's path for the latitude of

00:23:56central Europe. This disc made it possible to synchronize the lunar and solar cycles in a single

00:24:00calendar, which requires complex observations and mathematical calculations. The problem is that

00:24:05such knowledge officially appears in Europe only a thousand years later, in ancient Greece, and then

00:24:10disappears again, returning only in the Renaissance. In the Bronze Age of Central Europe there are no

00:24:15records of observatories, texts or traditions that could explain the existence of such an instrument.

00:24:20The Nibra disc is officially recognized as authentic and is kept in a museum. Its dating has been

00:24:26confirmed by independent laboratories, but its appearance remains unexplained because it is a

00:24:30precise astronomical instrument from an era when, according to the accepted version of history,

00:24:35such instruments could not have existed. The oldest mineral on Earth

00:24:40In 2001 a unique zircon crystal was discovered in Australia, which is recognized as the oldest mineral on

00:24:47Earth. Its age is an impressive 4.4 billion years, which makes it a witness to the earliest stages of

00:24:54our planet's formation. This tiny crystal gives scientists the opportunity to understand how the

00:25:00Earth cooled and formed during its first billions of years. Today this rare artifact can be seen at the

00:25:06Geology Museum of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, USA. Zircon is interesting not only because of

00:25:13its age, but also because its resistance to destruction allows it to preserve information about ancient

00:25:18processes that took place on Earth, making it a true keeper of our planet's history.

00:25:23A 3000-year-old priest's tomb. Archaeologists from Japan and Peru, who recently discovered a 3000-year-old

00:25:32priest's tomb in Casamarca, Peru. It is older than the pyramids in Egypt. The ancient burial mound was deep

00:25:38in the Andes, far from the bustling cities. Inside the tomb, there are two stunning ceramic seals.

00:25:45One shows a human face and the other a fearsome jaguar. And believe me, to reach this treasure,

00:25:51the archaeologists had to go through six layers of earth and ash. This remarkable priest was one of

00:25:56the first spiritual leaders in the Andes, and according to scientists, he managed the temples.

00:26:01This team of scientists has been digging in the Andes for 18 years, and every time they discover

00:26:06something new and exciting. Bloody imprints in Kyoto's castles. There is one strange detail in 16th

00:26:13century Japanese castles that tourists rarely notice. On some wooden floors, there are dark stains.

00:26:20Neither paint nor drawings. These are real imprints of human bodies left after samurai suicides,

00:26:26and they are still visible. Such marks remain, for example, in Fushimi castle, not far from Kyoto.

00:26:31In 1600, during one of the sieges, several dozen samurai committed suicide to avoid being captured.

00:26:38The blood soaked into the wood, and then the panels with their silhouettes were removed and transferred

00:26:42to other temples as a tribute to the fallen. Now this is called Urea Ito, the Cursed Boards.

00:26:48But strictly speaking, there's nothing mystical about it, just memory literally absorbed into the

00:26:52floor. In the photographs, you can see how the outlines of the bodies are imprinted on the floor,

00:26:56the contours of hands, heads, hips, as if people lay down and disappeared, leaving behind only a shadow.

00:27:021st century BC, Rome. In the 1st century BC, the Romans began to build things that modern

00:27:09engineering still studies with amazement and frustration. Because these structures have

00:27:13survived earthquakes, floods and 2000 years of erosion, while their modern counterparts fall

00:27:19apart in just decades. We're talking about Roman concrete, a material that was used for ports,

00:27:25breakwaters, domes, aqueducts and massive public buildings, many of which are still standing and

00:27:29functional today. Unlike modern concrete, the Roman mixture contained volcanic ash, lime and seawater.

00:27:37And it was this combination that triggered chemical processes, which over time didn't destroy the

00:27:42material, but actually made it stronger. In 2017, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of

00:27:49Technology confirmed that crystals of tobermorate and phillipsite form in the structure of ancient

00:27:54concrete, filling micro-cracks and preventing further destruction, creating a self-healing effect

00:28:00that is unavailable to most modern mixtures. The problem is that after the fall of the Roman Empire,

00:28:05the recipe for this concrete disappeared completely. Medieval builders no longer used this technology.

00:28:12Ports were destroyed, domes collapsed and concrete was reinvented only in the 19th century but without

00:28:17the ability to self-heal. There is no technological continuity between Roman ports, which have stood for

00:28:232,000 years and modern embankments designed to last 50 to 70 years, it's as if the knowledge was lost

00:28:29entirely, not just gradually forgotten. Archaeological and chemical analyses do not question either the

00:28:34composition or the age of Roman concrete and its properties are officially recognized. But it's

00:28:39impossible to explain why such a technology disappeared for one and a half thousand years without

00:28:43acknowledging that the technical level of the ancient world was higher than is commonly believed.

00:28:47This is another case where knowledge doesn't evolve but is interrupted, leaving behind a trace

00:28:54that we still cannot fully replicate despite modern science and industry. The document about the end of

00:29:01the world. According to several sources, there is a secret document in the Vatican about the end of the

00:29:06world containing prophecies about the fate of humanity. This document is said to describe key events of

00:29:12the 20th century including world wars and global conflicts. Many are convinced that the prophecy not

00:29:19only explains the causes of past disasters but also contains predictions for the future which concern the

00:29:25very structure of society and the dangers awaiting humanity. The document is allegedly kept in the Vatican

00:29:30Apostolic Archive, access to which is restricted to a limited circle of people. It is believed that the text is

00:29:36too grim and raises serious concerns so the church keeps it hidden from the general public to avoid

00:29:42provoking mass panic and to prevent destabilization. The theory about the existence of a prophecy about

00:29:48the end of the world is supplemented by stories about certain popes who, after becoming familiar

00:29:53with its contents, became gloomy and often spoke about the need to strengthen faith and unity in the

00:29:59face of future trials. Officially, the Vatican neither confirms nor denies the existence of the prophecy.

00:30:05However, rumors about its contents have given rise to numerous theories related to global

00:30:09cataclysms, the fall of states and even possible natural disasters. Some investigators suggest that

00:30:16the prophecy is connected to the so-called third secret of Fatima, which, according to believers,

00:30:21also speaks about the end of the world but was only partially revealed. The mysterious document remains

00:30:27one of the most frightening and chilling secrets of the Vatican. Some might think it's just another legend,

00:30:32but let's think logically. Our history repeats itself and has certain patterns. The Vatican archive holds a

00:30:40huge number of books from throughout our history. These books and manuscripts describe events dating back

00:30:46hundreds or even thousands of years. And if you study them, analyze them, and find those very patterns,

00:30:52then with a higher degree of probability you can predict future events quite accurately.

00:30:57The iconic collection Missa in agenda defunctorum of 1733 is a rare artifact from the early 18th century

00:31:05created for conducting requiem masses. This unique collection used by priests for reading prayers at

00:31:12the altar stands out not only for its content but also for its dark symbolism in design. The book's binding

00:31:19is decorated with an image of a skull and crossed bones, emphasizing its purpose in rituals related to

00:31:24death and remembrance. The collection includes chants and texts of the Latin liturgy, which were used for

00:31:29the repose of the souls of the deceased. The skull symbolism on the cover reflects the contemporary

00:31:34view of the transience of existence and a reminder of the inevitability of death motifs characteristic of

00:31:40the Baroque era. Such books were works of art, symbolizing the mystique and grandeur of Catholic rituals.

00:31:47It is known that bindings with such symbolism were often made specifically for churches or noble families,

00:31:53who wished to emphasize their connection to religious tradition. This collection was probably used in a

00:31:58monastery or chapel serving as a reminder of the need to pray for the repose of souls.

00:32:03A Mysterious Time Capsule

00:32:06For more than 200 years a statue at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, kept a

00:32:12secret.

00:32:13A mysterious time capsule was hidden in its marble base.

00:32:17Workers discovered it during recent restoration work.

00:32:20The capsule was sealed tightly and attempts to see its contents using X-rays were unsuccessful.

00:32:27It is believed that cadets hid the capsule in the monument in 1828.

00:32:31After its discovery, current students speculated about its contents.

00:32:36A diary, a map, a set of tableware, or maybe even another, smaller time capsule.

00:32:42This week the Academy held an event to open the capsule which was broadcast live on YouTube.

00:32:48Finally, the scientists and masks carefully opened the capsule.

00:32:51Inside there was only silt. Maybe there used to be something else there, but over time it decomposed.

00:32:56The next day, in the laboratory, archaeologist Paul Hudson discovered six American silver coins

00:33:01and a metal commemorating the Erie Canal, hidden in the sediment.

00:33:05These artifacts were dated from 1795 to 1828, which confirmed the assumption about the time the capsule was

00:33:12hidden. The monument is dedicated to Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish military engineer who fought in the

00:33:19Revolutionary War. The statue was removed for restoration in 2021, but the capsule was only discovered now.

00:33:26Its analysis is ongoing. Scientists are trying to understand the origin of the silt and the purpose

00:33:31of creating this time capsule, armor made from fish scales. Today we have an exciting journey to China,

00:33:39where 2500 years ago a brave warrior was buried in amazing armor. Imagine archaeologists are excavating

00:33:47deep in the Taklamakan desert in China. They come across a tomb, inside which lies a warrior in armor

00:33:53made up of more than 5000 overlapping leather scales. This suit was so comfortable and practical that the

00:33:59warrior could have put it on himself, like an apron before a meal. Except here, battle was on the menu.

00:34:05This armor is unusual for its time and place. Researchers believe it was brought from the

00:34:10Middle East, where this style of armor originated. The warrior who wore this armor was a man about 30

00:34:16years old. Next to him they found shards of pots, parts of a horse bridle made of horn and wood

00:34:21and a

00:34:21sheep's skull. This kind of scale armor provided better protection against blows and stabs than chain mail.

00:34:27And I was cheaper to produce, but it was less flexible and did not cover as much of the body

00:34:31as chain mail. Such armor was worn by warriors of many cultures and even used to decorate their horses.

00:34:38The materials for the scales varied from bronze and iron to pangolin scales and even paper. It's very

00:34:44difficult to find armor this old because very few of them have survived to this day. Only the armor from

00:34:49the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun and the armor of the Scythians are comparable in age to this find.

00:34:54Scientists from the University of Zurich, led by Pavel Patrick Wertmann,

00:34:58counted and found that the armor had 5,444 small and 140 large scales all made from cowhide.

00:35:06This type of armor was unusual for China at that time. This style was common among the Persians and

00:35:11Scythians. And even some Greeks wore such armor, although they preferred other styles. The owner of

00:35:16the armor could have been either an ordinary infantryman or a horseman. But the presence of a horse

00:35:22bridal suggests that, most likely, he was a horseman. He could have been a local who bought

00:35:27the armor in the west or a foreign soldier who came to fight in China wearing Assyrian equipment.

00:35:32We can only guess, but one thing is certain. This story is fascinating. Write in the comments

00:35:37what you think. Was this person from ancient China or a traveler from distant lands? And also,

00:35:43don't forget to subscribe to the channel, if you haven't done so already.

00:35:47The year is 415, Delhi, India. In the center of Delhi stands an iron pillar over 7 meters tall

00:35:54and weighing about 6 tons. It was erected around the year 415 A.D. during the reign of Emperor

00:36:00Chandragupta II. It has stood under the open sky for more than 1500 years. It has survived monsoons,

00:36:07heat, dust storms and the passing of dozens of eras. But at the same time, it has almost no rust,

00:36:12even though it is not made of stainless steel, but of pure iron. Analysis of the metal showed

00:36:17that the column contains a high percentage of phosphorus and almost no sulfur or manganese,

00:36:22which creates a protective film that prevents corrosion. But modern industrial metallurgy has

00:36:27only been able to partially replicate this effect so far. Moreover, the column was not cast,

00:36:32but forged from many pieces of iron, welded into a single monolith, which requires precise temperature

00:36:37control and hammering, impossible without an advanced technological tradition. According to

00:36:42the official version, in the 4th and 5th centuries iron was produced in small furnaces suitable for

00:36:47simple tools and weapons, but not for creating six-ton structures that remain resistant to corrosion

00:36:52for one and a half thousand years. Nevertheless, the column stands, its composition has been studied,

00:36:58its date confirmed, and it is not a legend or a disputed artifact, but a recognized monument that

00:37:03you can touch with your own hands. The strangest part begins next. The technology that made it

00:37:08possible to create this metal was neither developed further nor scaled up. In India,

00:37:12there is no series of similar columns, no metallurgical school emerges, there are no

00:37:17recorded transitional forms or attempts to repeat the success. It's as if the knowledge emerged in one

00:37:22place, was used once, and then disappeared, leaving behind an object that fits neither the technological

00:37:27level of the era nor the logic of its development. And this is already the third consecutive case,

00:37:32where technology appears ahead of its time and disappears without a trace,

00:37:36leaving behind neither a line of progress nor a chain of development nor an explanation that

00:37:40could settle the question. The dental prosthesis of the first president of the United States.

00:37:48The widespread myth that George Washington's dentures were made of wood is actually not true.

00:37:54His dentures were made from various materials, including teeth taken from his slaves,

00:37:59as well as hippopotamus ivory and metals such as gold and lead. This fact was often concealed or

00:38:06distorted in historical sources, likely due to the ethical issues related to the use of slaves' teeth.

00:38:12Washington suffered from serious dental problems throughout his life, and his personal records

00:38:17show that he bought teeth from slaves to use them in his dentures. Although such a practice was common

00:38:22in the 18th century, it still cast a shadow over the reputation of the first president of the United States.

00:38:27These dentures, with their gruesome composition and far from comfortable, placed significant limitations

00:38:33on Washington, and he experienced constant discomfort, which can be seen in his facial expression in many portraits.

00:38:40A miniature wonder. This miniature almanac with an embroidered cover, created in France around 1780,

00:38:49is a true masterpiece of 18th century decorative art.

00:38:53Its size, only three by seven centimeters, makes it not only a work of art, but also an intriguing

00:38:59collector's item. Such miniatures were popular among the French aristocracy and served both practical

00:39:05and aesthetic purposes. The cover, made of embroidered fabric, is decorated with an intricate floral pattern,

00:39:11which symbolized not only the taste of the era, but also the exceptional needlework skills of the time.

00:39:16The red and blue decorative elements on the edges give the item additional elegance.

00:39:22Such almanacs were often used as gifts, accompanied by personal inscriptions or poems,

00:39:27adding even more personal value to the item. Its small size suggests that it was intended to be

00:39:33carried in pockets or reticules, which allowed the owners to demonstrate refined taste.

00:39:38It may have contained brief notes, calendars or even love messages, making it a witness to the

00:39:43intimate moments of life in those years. A Ritual Mask in Japan

00:39:49Archaeologists discovered a unique wooden mask from the 3rd century in the ruins of Nishi-Iwata,

00:39:55Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Researchers believe that the mask was used in ceremonial rituals during

00:40:01agricultural festivals, about 1800 years ago in the Yayoi period. This find is one of three wooden

00:40:09masks from that period that have been discovered. The mask is carved from cedar and measures 30

00:40:14centimeters in height and 18 centimeters in width, with holes for the eyes and mouth and small holes

00:40:19on the sides for straps. It was found at a depth of 3 meters next to a wooden water bucket

00:40:24and a

00:40:25charred tool resembling a hoe. These items may have been used at agricultural festivals. During the Yayoi

00:40:32period, the Japanese transitioned to a settled agricultural society and used farming methods brought from Korea.

00:40:39According to Kaoru Terasawa, the director of the Makimu Kugaku Research Center, the mask could have been

00:40:45solely a ritual object used at festivals since it is too heavy to wear. Terasawa added that the mask

00:40:51might have represented the spirit of the head symbolizing the authority of Akime, the title of the

00:40:56ruler of the Yamato Kingdom. The oldest fabric. Fabric is one of humanity's oldest inventions and its history

00:41:04goes back tens of thousands of years. One of the oldest discoveries is a fragment of fabric estimated

00:41:11to be 34 000 years old. This amazing artifact was discovered in the Zuzuana cave in Georgia. Its age

00:41:19shows that even back then people knew how to make and use textile products. These ancient fabric fragments

00:41:25were made from plant fibers which were twisted into threads and then woven. Such technology was a

00:41:30crucial step in the development of human societies as it made it possible to create not only clothing

00:41:36but also various household items such as baskets, fishing nets and tools for carrying loads. This

00:41:43discovery shows that the skill of working with fibers developed in humans long before the appearance of

00:41:47complex tools and technologies. 1513a map. That shouldn't exist. In 1513 Ottoman admiral Piri Reis created

00:41:58a map of the world using, as he himself noted in the note, no fewer than 20 ancient sources some

00:42:04of

00:42:04which were very old and of unknown origin. This map was only discovered in 1929 in the Topkapi Palace in

00:42:11Istanbul and immediately after its publication it raised a problem that still hasn't been resolved.

00:42:17The map accurately depicts the coastline of South America including Brazil with correct proportions,

00:42:22angles and outlines as confirmed by comparisons with 20th century satellite imagery. But the

00:42:27strangest thing is that in the lower part of the map there is a continent whose shape matches

00:42:31Antarctica and it's shown without the ice cover. Geological studies conducted in the 1950s and 1960s

00:42:38by US and Soviet expeditions showed that the coastline of Antarctica without ice existed no later

00:42:43than 6000 years ago and possibly even earlier. In 1956 US Air Force Colonel Harold Allmayer sent an

00:42:52official report to the Air Force stating that the Piri Reis map contains data that could not have been

00:42:58obtained in the 16th century including an exact match to Antarctica's terrain which was confirmed by

00:43:03seismic surveys only in 1949 during Operation High Jump. To create such a map, either aerial photography,

00:43:12a global geodetic system or sources created before the continent was covered in ice would be necessary.

00:43:18Piri Reis was not the only one. The Urancius Phineus map of 1531 and the Mercator map of 1569 show

00:43:25the

00:43:26same outlines of the southern continent with coastlines matching up to 95% when overlaid on modern geological

00:43:34models. But official history claims that Antarctica was only discovered in 1820 and before that,

00:43:40humanity had neither the technical capability nor the geographical knowledge to make maps like these.

00:43:46If these maps are accurate, it means someone mapped the earth long before the age of sail,

00:43:51compass and longitude. And if these sources existed, it means that geographical knowledge was completely

00:43:57lost because after the 16th century such maps were no longer created and humanity was rediscovering a

00:44:02world that had already once been measured. A piece of cake. On February 10, 1840, Queen Victoria

00:44:12married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. At their wedding, an impressive cake weighing about 136

00:44:20kilograms was served. The three-tiered treat was decorated with miniature figures of the bride and groom in

00:44:25Roman attire as well as an exquisite entourage made from refined sugar which at that time was truly a

00:44:30luxurious and rare product. Inside, the cake was generously soaked with alcohol and filled with

00:44:35lemon, elderberry, sugar and dried fruits. However, a problem arose. Victoria was on a diet and the guests

00:44:43didn't seem hungry enough to tackle a cake weighing more than 100 kilograms. Therefore, at the end of the

00:44:48celebration, the queen ordered the cake to be cut into small pieces which were then placed in tin boxes and

00:44:54distributed to friends, relatives and other honored guests. That's how the tradition of giving guests

00:44:59pieces of the wedding cake was born. A tradition that, even at the royal court, took the form of a

00:45:04keepsake gift. Many of the recipients of these souvenirs decided not to eat them since it was a

00:45:09valuable gift from the queen herself. Some slices remained untouched and have survived to this day.

00:45:15Today, pieces of Victoria's wedding cake are true relics. Several of them are in the royal trash collection and one

00:45:22of

00:45:22these pieces was sold at auction in 2016 for one and a half thousand pounds sterling. If that seems like

00:45:28an impressive amount, then... It's worth noting that in 1998, a piece of King Edward VIII and Wallace

00:45:36Simpson's wedding cake, dated 1937, was sold at Sotheby's auction for $29,900.

00:45:45But what's surprising is that Victoria's wedding cake has remained edible to this day thanks to its

00:45:50high alcohol content. Theoretically, it could still be tasted today, although this will most likely remain

00:45:57just a legend. The treasure of the Third Reich. On the popular British show Antiques Roadshow,

00:46:04a visitor brought what he believed to be a rare Leica camera, decorated with Olympic rings, an eagle,

00:46:10a swastika, and the date 1936. He was sure that the device was connected to the Olympic Games in

00:46:16Berlin and was a valuable Nazi artifact. However, the show's expert Mark examined the camera, who

00:46:22specializes in antique cameras, reached a surprising conclusion. The camera turned out to be a fake.

00:46:28The guest said that he bought the camera for £480 at an antique shop, thinking it was a good deal.

00:46:35Hello, impressed by the camera's appearance, noted its beauty but quickly noticed details that revealed it

00:46:39was a fake. He explained that the antique market, especially in Eastern Europe, is flooded with

00:46:45fake Leica cameras made to deceive collectors. The expert pointed out issues with the serial numbers

00:46:51and poor engraving quality, which is unacceptable for original Leica cameras. A genuine rare Leica camera

00:46:57could be worth thousands of pounds. The cup of an ancient ruler. In 2014, archaeologists in Athens

00:47:05made a remarkable discovery. A wine cup broken into 12 pieces, which scientists believe belonged to

00:47:12Pericles, the legendary Athenian leader, whose rule marked the Golden Age of Athens.

00:47:18This historical artifact is now housed in the city's epigraphic museum. The most intriguing aspect of

00:47:24this find is the inscription, which includes the names of seven men, among whom are Pericles, and,

00:47:30presumably, his brother Arifron. The inscriptions engraved on the cup became visible only upon closer

00:47:35examination of the artifact. The name Arifron, standing next to the name Pericles, indicates a deep

00:47:41connection between these figures. It is assumed that the cup was used when Pericles was young, at a wine

00:47:47symposium, where participants traditionally engraved their names to commemorate their time together.

00:47:53The discovery provides a unique insight into the culture and customs of ancient Greek society, allowing us to look

00:47:59into the past and feel the connection between eras.

00:48:03A unique antique key, an archaeological team discovered a striking artifact near Claverham, North Somerset,

00:48:10United Kingdom. A majestic medieval key with an extraordinary design, serving as a portal to the past.

00:48:18The excavation was carried out near the 19th century estate of Cordeveig. Researchers discovered walls

00:48:24that were likely part of the main building. In the area near one of the walls, dated to the

00:48:29medieval era, a key with an intricate pattern was found. This item has been identified as a rotary

00:48:35key used to open locks by turning that were originally made of wood in ancient Babylon and Egypt.

00:48:41Roman craftsmen made significant improvements in the manufacturing of keys,

00:48:45making them more compact and durable. Its design and size are similar to the London type 6 keys,

00:48:51but it is smaller in size. It is still unclear which object this key belonged to, but its discovery provides

00:48:57a new perspective on medieval art and craftsmanship. How did the first paper money appear?

00:49:04Long ago in the times of the ancient Phoenicians, trade was a complicated matter. To simplify the

00:49:09exchange of goods, they came up with the idea of using coins as a universal means of exchange.

00:49:14However, coins were heavy and slaves carried them using special handles. Then the Chinese came onto the

00:49:20scene with a revolutionary idea. Around the first century BC they invented leather banknotes. They were made from the

00:49:27skin of white deer and marked with special signs. They could be used for purchases anywhere in the

00:49:31empire and refusing to accept them could cost you your life. These leather notes became the ancestors

00:49:37of the paper bills we know today. Sometime in the 9th century, the Chinese decided to try creating paper

00:49:43money using the technique of Sugirsingde. This is a method of wood engraving and printing on paper. But

00:49:49these flying money notes, as they were called in literature, were not taken seriously at first,

00:49:53since a paper bill could easily be blown away by the wind. Initially these paper notes were used as

00:49:59guarantees for debt obligations. But over time they became a full-fledged means of payment. Paper

00:50:05money made trade much more convenient, merchants no longer had to carry heavy coins and metal could be

00:50:10used for other important needs. These new flying money notes were more like checks and were used for

00:50:16large transactions. In just a few decades paper money went from being a credit certificate to a full-fledged

00:50:22means of payment, turning into what we call paper money today. Europe at that time was still immersed

00:50:29in the middle ages, but the Chinese idea was so groundbreaking that it spread all over the world.

00:50:35And so in 1601 Sweden became the first European country to print and put paper money into circulation.

00:50:41That's how the history of paper money, which we know and use today, began.

00:50:47From the 1st through the 10th centuries AD, mechanisms that show. In the 1st century AD,

00:50:52in Alexandria, the engineer Hirun described devices whose level of complexity would not appear in Europe

00:50:58for more than a thousand years. In the treatises Pneumatica and Automata, he records mechanisms with

00:51:04gear transmissions, valves, reverse motions and programmable sequences of actions. His temples opened their

00:51:10doors by themselves, statues moved and altars lit up without fire. All of this worked thanks to the

00:51:15pressure of steam, water and a system of gears calculated with a precision that required an

00:51:20understanding of mechanics and mathematics. These texts have been preserved, they are dated to the

00:51:241st century, and their authenticity is not disputed. But the problem is that such devices cannot be

00:51:29assembled without advanced production of standard parts, and according to the official version,

00:51:33the ancient world had neither machinery nor tools for precision machining on a large scale.

00:51:37Nevertheless, the described machines worked, and this is confirmed by reconstructions carried out in

00:51:42the 20th century by engineers from the Science Museum in London and the Institute for the History

00:51:46of Science in Athens. In China, in the year 1092, the scientist Su Song built an astronomical clock

00:51:51over 12 meters high, which used a chain drive, a water regulator and a mechanical escapement similar

00:51:57to those that only appeared in Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries. This clock showed the movements

00:52:02of the stars, the phases of the moons and the time of day and its description has been preserved in

00:52:06the

00:52:06official chronicles of the Song dynasty. After Su Susun's death, the mechanism was dismantled and the

00:52:12technology disappeared without any further developments. In the Arab world, in the year 1206,

00:52:17Engineer Al-Jazari created mechanical automata, clocks with programmable figures, and water pumps with a

00:52:23crank and connecting rod mechanism, which would only appear in Europe 300 years later. His book,

00:52:28The Book of Knowledge of Ingenia's Mechanical Devices, contains drawings, dimensions and instructions,

00:52:33but after his time, the technology once again failed to advance, and mechanical knowledge fades

00:52:38away until the Renaissance. In all these cases, the same thing repeats itself. Complex mechanisms

00:52:42appear suddenly, function, are described and then disappear from history as if they were an exception

00:52:47rather than a beginning. Between ancient automata, Chinese astronomical clocks and Arabic machines,

00:52:52there is no line of development, although according to the logic of progress there should be. And if these

00:52:58mechanisms really existed and worked, it means that the level of engineering thinking in the past was higher

00:53:02than the conventional historical account acknowledges, and the disappearance of this knowledge was not

00:53:06accidental but systemic. The Reichist Gold

00:53:10One of the sunken ships on Austria's Lake Toplizie hid its secret for decades.

00:53:15Depth, murky water, dangerous currents and ideal hiding place. Rumors had been circulating for a long

00:53:21time, crates of gold, documents, stolen works of art at the bottom, but recently there was a reason to

00:53:26take these rumors seriously again. Researchers discovered a sealed safe, estimated by some to contain up to

00:53:32four tons of gold. At first I thought it was just another legend, but then photos, footage and

00:53:36documents appeared, including some from CIA archives. According to their data, the ship was indeed carrying

00:53:41a special cargo that under no circumstances should have fallen into the hands of the Allies.

00:53:45This isn't just wealth, it's a backup plan. A resource for escape, for recovery, for continuing in the shadows.

00:53:51We're talking about the legacy of the Reich in technology, in ideas, in people, but every legacy also has a

00:53:57material

00:53:57part. Heavy, valuable, dangerous. And the fact that it was hidden in lakes, in mines and glaciers

00:54:02speaks to the scale of it. These weren't randomly hidden chests. This was a system.

00:54:07A mold for making gold images

00:54:11In the central part of Ulster Island, located in the southeast of Denmark, an enthusiast with a metal detector

00:54:17made an incredible discovery that could rewrite not only the history of the region, but also shed light on a

00:54:23little-known page of Danish history. Lennard Larsson, walking in the rain in search of artifacts,

00:54:28heard a faint signal from his device. After digging up the ground, he discovered a small unusual object,

00:54:34an ancient matrix for making golden images, which were presumably used in cult rituals as offerings to

00:54:40the gods. According to archaeologists from the Lowland and Falster Museum, this find may be connected to

00:54:46an ancient center of power or religious activity. The matrix, measuring only two centimeters, dates back to the

00:54:52period between 500 and 700 AD a time before the beginning of the Viking Age. Such artifacts are

00:54:57incredibly rare. Only 28 similar matrices have been found in Scandinavia, and none south of the Baltic Sea.

00:55:04The matrix from Falster depicts a person in elegant clothing, standing with arms lowered and palms

00:55:10facing outward. This gesture is found in both pre-Christian and Christian cultures, symbolizing either

00:55:16submission or revelation. The images, in particular, remain a mystery. It is still unknown whether the

00:55:22matrix depicts a man or a woman. It could be a figure of a king, expressing devotion to a deity,

00:55:28or

00:55:28conversely, a god appearing to a human. Crime, punishment and unexpected wealth. Do you know what

00:55:36to do when the money earned through honest work is not enough to live on? Our main character found his

00:55:42own

00:55:43unique answer to this question. Times were tough. The Great Depression ruined companies and people's

00:55:48lives. However, even in these difficult times there were people who could adapt and survive.

00:55:52Our hero, Emeric Juttner, a humble garbage collector from New York, was already in the twilight of his

00:55:58years. His job barely allowed him to make ends meet as it was, and with the onset of the crisis

00:56:03the

00:56:03situation became catastrophic. That's when the old man came up with his own special plan. Not the most honest

00:56:09one, but certainly an original one. In those days people who forged money were everywhere, like wolves

00:56:15in the forest. But a crafty old man chose a special path. He specialized exclusively in $1 bills. Who

00:56:21would be interested in those, right? After all, the big players were counterfeiting high-denomination bills,

00:56:27but our old man's money didn't turn out very well. It was as if a child had painted them. He

00:56:33even spelled

00:56:34the president's last name wrong, but as they say, every game has its end. The Secret Service agents

00:56:39scratched their heads when they started investigating complaints about counterfeit $1 bills. The paper

00:56:44was the cheapest kind, the print was blurry, the colors were faded, and then there was that strange

00:56:48spelling of the president's last name. However, although it's funny, more than 500 of these fake bills

00:56:53have already piled up over the year. Our humble craftsman was nicknamed Mr. 880. And although the

00:56:58agents tried to track him down, New York is a vast and sprawling city, and the old man turned out

00:57:03to be

00:57:04exceptionally cautious. And so, 10 years passed, and no one would have ever known about the old man

00:57:09if it hadn't been for the fire in 1948. Among the debris, they found very poor quality printing plates

00:57:14for making money. The owner turned out to be our old man, Emmerich Yutner. Emmerich no longer had the

00:57:20strength to work, and he lived in poverty, spending his counterfeits only on the bare necessities.

00:57:25He was already very old, and thanks to this, and the fact that he hadn't cheated anyone out of more

00:57:30than a dollar, the court gave him a light sentence. A one dollar fine and a year in prison. In

00:57:35the end,

00:57:36the old man spent only four months in prison and was released. That's the story we have. And remember,

00:57:41in life, there is always room for amazing events and unique heroes. This bread has been baked for 43,000

00:57:47years. Evidence has been found in Australia that Aboriginal people were baking bread long before the

00:57:54Egyptians, more than 34,000 years ago. The discovery of grindstones in New South Wales is evidence

00:58:00of an ancient tradition of making flour. Aboriginal people, known as hunter-gatherers, also practiced

00:58:05agriculture. Women collected seeds from various plants, including local grains from spinifex,

00:58:10sometimes even from ant nests. The flour was ground on grindstones,

00:58:15some of which are up to 50,000 years old. The flour was turned into dough and baked into nutritious

00:58:21bread,

00:58:21an important part of the Aboriginal diet. With the arrival of Europeans and the introduction of white flour,

00:58:26traditional bread-making methods almost disappeared, but today there is a renewed interest in these

00:58:30ancient techniques and in the culinary heritage of Australia's Aboriginal people.

00:58:35A real Indiana Jones find. Archaeologists made an amazing discovery beneath one of the largest

00:58:43cultural tourist attractions in Jordan. 12 completely preserved skeletons found in a tomb beneath the

00:58:49famous structure in Petra known as the Treasury. This place became famous thanks to the movie Indiana Jones

00:58:55and the Last Crusade. The Treasury, which is believed to be a mausoleum, was carved by the Nabataeans

00:59:00about 2000 years ago. Petra was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom and its majestic structures carved

00:59:07from pink stone still capture the imagination. This discovery will help us learn more about the

00:59:12ancient Nabataeans. Many other tombs in Petra contained only fragments of human remains, but in this tomb,

00:59:1812 complete skeletons were found. This important discovery will allow us to study the rituals related to life and

00:59:24death of the Nabataeans, as well as their way of life based on the analysis of teeth and bones.

00:59:30The preliminary dating of the tomb is from the first century BC to the first century AD,

00:59:35at the height of the Nabataean kingdom, which was annexed by Rome in the year 106.

00:59:41A ceramic vessel was found with one of the skeletons that resembles the famous cup from the Indiana Jones movie,

00:59:47which added extra intrigue to the discovery.

00:59:53Egypt, Saqqara. In Saqqara, in a necropolis dating back to the 26th century BC, there are 24 granite

01:00:01sarcophagi each carved from a single block of Aswan granite and weighing between 70 and 100 tons.

01:00:07These sarcophagi are located in the underground galleries of the Serapium, at a depth of more than 10 meters.

01:00:13They were discovered in 1851 by the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette.

01:00:18Their inner surfaces are polished to a mirror finish with a tolerance of less than 0.01 mm which

01:00:24matches the precision of modern CNC machines. Aswan granite has a hardness of 6 to 7 on the

01:00:30most scale and even today working with it requires diamond tools cooling and constant pressure.

01:00:36However, the official version claims that the Egyptians used copper saws, sand and manual labor.

01:00:42In 1995 engineer Christopher Dunn conducted measurements of the sarcophagi and showed that

01:00:48the inner corners form perfect 90 degree angles and the surfaces lack the waviness that is inevitable

01:00:53with manual processing. Such parameters are impossible without machine rotation and a stabilized tool.

01:00:59The strangest thing is that the sarcophagi were not used. Lids weighing up to 30 tons were moved,

01:01:05but inside no mummies, inscriptions or ritual traces were found, which completely contradicts the purpose

01:01:11of tombs. These objects fit neither into the religious practices nor the technological capabilities

01:01:15of the old kingdom. And to this day, there is no explanation as to how they were carved,

01:01:20transported from Aswan over 800 kilometers and installed in narrow underground corridors with

01:01:25a tolerance of just a few centimeters. And this is not an isolated case. In Giza, in the so-called

01:01:31Granite Temple, there are blocks weighing up to 200 tons fitted together without mortar with gaps of

01:01:37less than a millimeter. Surface analysis shows traces of high-speed cutting, which do not match the tools

01:01:43known from the 3rd millennium BC. Egypt has been officially dated, studied and described, but there

01:01:49are still too many objects in it, which look like traces of another technological culture that existed long

01:01:55before the pharaohs and disappeared without a trace. A child with a lock on his leg.

01:02:00Poland, the village of Peigne. 17th century archaeologists are exploring an abandoned cemetery and find

01:02:05a child skeleton. The age is about five to seven years old. The body is lying face down. There is

01:02:10a heavy

01:02:10padlock on the leg, old, made of iron. Not everyone was buried this way, only those who were feared.

01:02:16Could people in ancient times really be afraid of a child? In folk beliefs, it was thought that a body

01:02:20placed face down would not be able to rise, and the padlock was a kind of magical seal, so that

01:02:24the soul

01:02:24wouldn't leave, wouldn't return, and wouldn't cause harm. Nearby, there is another well-known burial of a dead

01:02:29witch. A woman who had a sickle placed on her neck, so that if she tried to rise, she would

01:02:34decapitate

01:02:34herself. This child is most likely part of the same tradition. They searched for the answer for 30 years.

01:02:42In 1995, off the southern coast of England, in Salcombe Bay, divers found the wreckage of a sunken ship.

01:02:49The hull itself was almost gone. But there was a valuable cargo lying on the seabed, more than 400

01:02:56gold coins jewelry, tableware, and a goatskin, and even small resin balls in a clay vessel.

01:03:02The find was impressive, but the main question remained unanswered. What kind of ship was it,

01:03:07and where did it come from? The answer was sought for almost 30 years. Independent historian Ian Friel

01:03:13found a record in old archives about a Dutch trading ship called Dom van Dom van Kelen. In 1633, this

01:03:19vessel was shipwrecked off the English coast on its way from Morocco to Amsterdam. Almost everything

01:03:24matched. The location of the wreck, the date, the origin of some of the items found, and the Moroccan

01:03:30gold coins. It was the coins that gave the most accurate clue. They have the years of minting on them,

01:03:36and the latest coin was minted in 1632. That means the ship couldn't have sunk before that date.

01:03:41And this helped link the find specifically to the Dom van Kelen.

01:03:45The final confirmation was found in the National Archives in the city of Kew,

01:03:49where old documents of the English Admiralty Court are kept. They state that Amsterdam merchants

01:03:54later claimed rights to the cargo of the sunken ship. According to them and according to two sailors,

01:03:59the ship got caught in a severe storm off the English coast, and the people had to abandon the

01:04:02ship along with all the valuable cargo. There was so little wood left from the ship itself,

01:04:06that the researchers had to study, not the hull, but what it was carrying,

01:04:10What was especially unusual about the find were the resin balls, which had spent several centuries

01:04:16underwater in a sealed clay jar. Most likely this was part of the ship's medicine chest. Today,

01:04:21this treasure is considered the largest known collection of gold coins from the Moroccan Saadi

01:04:25dynasty. The find helps us better understand 17th century maritime trade between Morocco,

01:04:30the Netherlands, and Britain. At the same time, not a single image of the ship itself has been found so

01:04:36far.

01:04:36The first vending machine, the city of Alexandria in Egypt, was a true gem of the Hellenistic era,

01:04:42a center of science, culture, and innovation. It was there that the Maushan, the first prototype of

01:04:48a university in history, was located, as well as the famous library of Alexandria, which preserved

01:04:53knowledge from all over the ancient world. In this city, in the first century AD, the outstanding scientist

01:04:59and inventor Heron of Alexandria lived and worked. His contribution to science and technology was

01:05:04truly immense. He worked in mathematics, optics, hydrostatics, and also created prototypes of

01:05:10inventions such as the theodolite, odometer, and even a steam turbine powered by jet propulsion.

01:05:15However, one of his inventions is especially interesting in the context of everyday life.

01:05:20Heron created the world's first vending machine. This amazing mechanism was located at the entrance to

01:05:25the temple and dispensed a portion of holy water for drinking and washing hands. The operating

01:05:29principle was simple. A temple visitor would drop a five drachma coin, and the machine would dispense

01:05:34a certain amount of water. The device worked thanks to the weight of the coin, which set a lever in

01:05:40motion

01:05:40that opened the valve. It might seem that such a simple system could be easily tricked by throwing

01:05:45something other than a coin. However, modern researchers and reconstructors claimed that the machine could be

01:05:51adjusted for a specific weight and size of coin, which made attempts at cheating practically useless.

01:05:57This mechanism, despite its simplicity, was a brilliant invention for its time and showed how

01:06:03progressive the ideas of Heron of Alexandria were. A discovery about the value of gold and silver.

01:06:10In ancient Egyptian tombs, sometimes amazing finds are discovered that are on par with gold and silver.

01:06:17One such example is a carpenter's tool chest found in the tomb of the carpenter Ankef,

01:06:22located in the necropolis near Asyut in Middle Egypt. There was an inscription on the box dedicated

01:06:28to Anubis, the lord of Keruret, and a reference to the name Ankef. On the side of the toolbox there

01:06:33was also a list of tools that were supposed to be inside. Six axes, six adzes, six chisels, and six

01:06:40other

01:06:40tools with copper blades, possibly saws. However, the contents of the box turned out to be different.

01:06:45Seven axes, seven adzes, five chisels, and not a single saw. The discrepancy between the list and

01:06:51the contents is explained by the fact that the entire box and the tools are just models. The box

01:06:57is 18 centimeters long, and the miniature axes are only 15 centimeters long. These are symbolic tools

01:07:03intended to be used only in the world of the dead, where Ankef continued to work as a carpenter for

01:07:09his

01:07:09great master, the pharaoh of Egypt. Much more important than the contents of the box itself was the

01:07:15inscription on its side, which served as a kind of spell. The find dates back to the Middle Kingdom,

01:07:20around 1981, 1802 BC. The material of the box is limestone wood, covered with a layer of lime.

01:07:28This exhibit is now in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, serving as an example of amazing

01:07:33artifacts that testify to the beliefs and customs of the ancient Egyptians.

01:07:38Picasso's dish. An ordinary second-hand store in Belgium. A shelf with dishes, dusty plates,

01:07:44cups, old glassware, and suddenly a ceramic dish. Not very beautiful. It looks handmade. On the back

01:07:50there's an inscription. Imprinte originale de Picasso. At first, they thought it was a joke or a replica,

01:07:56but they decided to check, and the examination confirmed it was an original, a genuine work by

01:08:01Pablo Picasso. 1953, one of the ceramic impressions he made in a series, though they were still rare.

01:08:07In France. How it ended up in a second-hand shop is unknown. Maybe it was lost, forgotten, or thrown

01:08:12away.

01:08:13Maybe someone didn't know what they were holding. Or maybe they knew, but didn't care anymore.

01:08:17The dish was sold at auction for 12,600 euros, but the amount isn't the main thing. The main effect,

01:08:23it's like finding an autograph in an old textbook, or an original letter in a box of scrap paper.

01:08:28Finds like these always throw you off, because they destroy the main myth. That value is found

01:08:32where it's expected. Sometimes art sits on a shelf among trash. And waits for decades. Until someone

01:08:39takes a closer look. The year 775A strike that leaves a mark on the trees.

01:08:46In 2012, Japanese researcher Fusamiyaki discovered something strange in the annual rings of a Japanese

01:08:52cedar. A sharp spike in carbon-14 that can't be explained by climate, or by measurement error.

01:08:58This spike turned out to be global. It was confirmed in trees in Europe, North America,

01:09:03Asia and the Southern Hemisphere. And it occurred in the years 774 and 775 AD. Basically, the planet

01:09:10received a short-term burst of radiation. Most likely from a super-powerful solar flare. Which is

01:09:16impossible to fake. Because it's recorded directly in the tree rings by year. After the discovery of

01:09:21the event in 775, it turned out that this was not a unique case. A similar, though weaker, carbon-14

01:09:28spike is recorded in the years 993 and 994. And another one around 660 BC. These events have been

01:09:36named the Miyake events. And their main significance is not that they are frightening, but that they

01:09:41give archaeology a tool that did not exist before. The ability to link an object, not to a century,

01:09:46and not to an era, but to a specific calendar year. In 2021 it was precisely by using such a

01:09:51marker from

01:09:52the year 993, that wooden samples from a settlement in Newfoundland made it possible to date the presence

01:09:58of Scandinavians in North America to an exact year. The year 1021. Not approximately the 11th century,

01:10:05not plus or minus a decade, but a specific year. Because Miyake events leave a date stamp in tree

01:10:09rings, and then you just need to count the rings to the bark. After that, any story about inaccurate

01:10:14ancient dating starts to look different. It turns out there are events on the planet that set absolute

01:10:19markers. And as soon as archaeology gets enough wood or organic material with annual rings, it can reveal

01:10:24the chronology down to the year. And that's dangerous for the usual picture of the past, because then

01:10:30many anomalies stop being debatable and turn into facts with an exact date. After that, you can't go

01:10:36back a couple of centuries to save a beautiful theory. From the year 500 to the year 1000 CE,

01:10:42Colombia Aerodynamics. In museums in Colombia and the USA, there are small gold figurines ranging from

01:10:484 to 7 cm in length, found in the burial sites of the Tolima culture and dated to between the

01:10:54years

01:10:54500 and 1000 CE. Officially, they are considered to be images of birds or insects, but they have

01:11:00details that do not exist in nature. These objects have vertical tail fins, rigid triangular wings,

01:11:07a fixed fuselage and a shape that completely matches the aerodynamic design of an airplane,

01:11:11not a living creature. In 1994, German engineers Peter Belting and Konrad Lubas created enlarged models

01:11:18of these figurines, precisely maintaining their proportions and equipped them with motors and radio control.

01:11:24The models took off, remained stable in the air and performed controlled flight without any

01:11:29structural modifications. Later, similar tests were conducted in the United States, where aerodynamic

01:11:35analysis showed that the shape of the wings generates lift that is impossible for flapping flight,

01:11:40but ideal for a glider or airplane. The problem is that vertical tail fins, symmetrical wing profiles

01:11:46and stabilized fuselages only appeared in aviation at the beginning of the 20th century, after decades of

01:11:52experiments and mathematical calculations. Such shapes do not exist in nature, and they could not have

01:11:58been a random artistic invention, because random shapes do not fly. To create such a configuration,

01:12:03you need to understand airflow distribution and the center of gravity and this knowledge was

01:12:07officially developed only after the works of Cayley and Lilienthal in the 19th century.

01:12:11The figurines are recognized as authentic, their metallurgical composition is confirmed,

01:12:16their dating is not in doubt, and they were found in closed archaeological contexts, but their shape

01:12:20still has no satisfactory explanation. If objects were created in pre-Colombian America that correspond

01:12:26to the principles of aerodynamics, it means that the understanding of flight existed long before

01:12:31aviation, and then disappeared completely, leaving behind neither drawings nor descriptions nor attempts

01:12:37at further development. Message in a bottle. Norwegian archaeologist Jakov Pradesen was astonished when

01:12:44he discovered a message in a bottle that had been buried in the ground for more than 150 years.

01:12:48The discovery was made during the excavation of an ancient Viking cemetery. The message was left

01:12:53by archaeologist Anders Lorange in 1874 when he first explored this burial mound. Archaeologists have not

01:12:59opened Viking burial mounds in Norway for more than 100 years, and it's incredible that they decided to

01:13:05excavate this one again. The mound where the bottle was found belongs to the legendary King Ott Ottbjorn.

01:13:11He was buried with the largest Viking ship in the world. The Norwegian Ministry of Cultural

01:13:16Heritage initiated the excavation to nominate the mound for UNESCO World Heritage status.

01:13:22Inside the bottle they found a note left by Lorange, two 19th century coins his business card,

01:13:27and a letter. The translation of the text on the note reads,

01:13:31this mound was excavated in 1874. Fallen warriors are buried here. They were burned together with the

01:13:37ship, weapons, and ornaments. 26 shields, two swords, an axe, many arrows, and other artifacts were found.

01:13:45All the finds have been transferred to the Bergen Museum. The burial mound became famous due to the

01:13:50large number of preserved artifacts, which confirms the traditions of Viking funeral rituals,

01:13:55where warriors were often sent on their final journey on ships with weapons and armor.

01:13:59The Vikings were seafarers and conquerors from Scandinavia, who explored and captured coastal

01:14:04territories from the 8th to the 11th century. Some scholars believe that they may have been the

01:14:10first Europeans to reach North America. There are only 23 of them in the world.

01:14:17Archaeologists in Turkey have found unique artifacts about 800 years old in Hasankiv,

01:14:22one of the oldest settlements in Batman. Among them are a rare healing bowl and two rings for archery.

01:14:28The thumb rings are made of agate and bone. The healing bowl, when only 23 like it in the world,

01:14:34was used in the medieval Islamic world to protect against bites from animals such as dogs, snakes,

01:14:39and scorpions. It is made of bronze, decorated with talismans, seals, and verses. This also speaks to

01:14:46the folk medicine practices of that time. Thumb rings, worn by archers, were used to prevent finger

01:14:51injuries from the bowstring. One of them was found near the shrine, which gives it special significance.

01:14:56These finds have now been transferred to the Hasankiv Museum and represent important evidence

01:15:01of ancient practices and beliefs, shedding light on the cultural features of the Islamic world

01:15:06related to folk medicine and archery. A dessert that has survived 100 generations. Imagine opening

01:15:13a jar of honey that's 3000 years old. You scoop some out with a spoon and eat it without a

01:15:19second thought.

01:15:20Sounds like a way to get poisoned. But honey is the only food on the planet that almost never spoils.

01:15:26It's not affected by centuries or even millennia. The most famous example was found in the tomb of

01:15:31Pharaoh Tutankhamun, which the archaeologist Howard Carter opened in... 1922. Among the golden treasures

01:15:39there were stone vessels with a thick amber substance solidified at the bottom. It turned out to be ordinary

01:15:45bee honey, which had been underground for more than 3000 years and was still edible. During that time,

01:15:52Egypt saw dozens of dynasties come and go. Entire civilizations collapsed and the honey just waited.

01:15:57The secret is that honey itself is a natural fortress against any infection. First of all,

01:16:02it contains almost no water. Bees evaporated from the nectar and without water, bacteria and

01:16:06mold simply can't survive. Secondly, it's very acidic. About as much as lemon juice and in such an environment,

01:16:11microbes die. And thirdly, bees add a special enzyme to the nectar which gradually releases hydrogen

01:16:18peroxide. The same thing we use to disinfect scraped knees. Three levels of protection in one product.

01:16:24That's why in ancient times honey was not only a treat but also a medicine. In Egypt it was used

01:16:28to treat wounds and burns. In an ancient medical scroll written one and a half thousand years before

01:16:33our era, honey is explicitly listed for use in wound healing dressings. And they were right. Honey really

01:16:40does kill germs. Science confirmed this only thousands of years later. Your yogurt will spoil in a week

01:16:46in the fridge. But honey outlasted the pharaohs, saw Tutankhamun to his grave and waited until it was

01:16:51dug up. And you can still spread it on bread right now. 750 BC. Assyria. Nimrud.

01:17:01In 1815, the ruins of the Assyrian city of Nimrud, British archaeologist Austin Henry Layard discovered a

01:17:07small crystalline object about 4 cm in diameter carved from rock crystal. The object was found in layers

01:17:14dating back to the 8th century BC and for a long time was considered an ornament or a decorative detail.

01:17:20But laboratory analysis revealed that it was a lens with a focal length of about 12 cm and an optical

01:17:26magnification of up to three times. Today it is known as the Nimrud lens and is kept in the British

01:17:31Museum under inventory number 91,110. Optical tests conducted in the 20th century showed that the

01:17:38lens was deliberately made. It has an aspherical shape which reduces distortions and allows light to

01:17:44be focused on a specific point making it suitable not only for magnification but also for working with

01:17:49small objects. In the 1970s, researchers at the British Museum confirmed that the lens could be used for

01:17:56engraving, precise carving and even for observing celestial bodies when properly assembled into a

01:18:02system. The problem is that officially optics as a technology appeared in the 13th century and the

01:18:07first telescopes were created at the beginning of the 17th century. Before that, according to the

01:18:11history of science, humanity had neither the theory of lenses nor the practice of making them. But the

01:18:17Assyrian lens exists, it is polished, has precise geometry and was crafted as a tool, not merely a stone.

01:18:24Moreover, in the same region, micro engravings are found on seals and ornaments, whose lines are less

01:18:29than 0.1 mm thick, which is impossible to do without magnification. If optical instruments existed

01:18:35in the 18th century BC, it means that craftsmen of that time could work with a precision unattainable

01:18:41by ordinary vision. And this automatically casts doubt on the idea that many ancient technologies were

01:18:47primitive. But after Nimrud optics completely disappears and reappears only after one and a half thousand years

01:18:53already in another civilization and without any connection to the Assyrian tradition.

01:18:58Kakat was kneading dough. This discovery was made during excavations on Mount Zion in Jerusalem,

01:19:04where among numerous finds, a fragment of a clay jug was found with the imprint of a cat's paw and

01:19:11claw marks.

01:19:12These marks belong to a cat that probably kneaded the clay while it was still drying before firing.

01:19:18This is the first such find in archaeology, confirming that the cat felt comfortable enough to display its

01:19:24usual feline behavior on the clay. The jug fragment dates back to the Abbasid era, around 750 AD. The

01:19:32traces were not discovered immediately during the excavation, but rather in the laboratory, when the

01:19:37laboratory director, Gret Henkotter, was carefully studying the materials found on Mount Zion. The paw print

01:19:43measures about 3x3 cm and the depth of the claw marks indicates that the cat likely stretched and

01:19:49extended its claws, leaving deep marks on the wet clay. Cat kneading is an instinctive behavior that is

01:19:57usually associated with a sense of safety and contentment. Cats do this when they feel relaxed and

01:20:03satisfied. Such animal prints on clay artifacts are not uncommon in archaeology, but this is the first time

01:20:09evidence has been found that a cat left claw marks while kneading. Other animals, such as dogs or birds,

01:20:16often left tracks on clay that was drying before firing. This case is unique not only because kneading

01:20:22was recorded on a ceramic artifact for the first time, but also because this ancient feline behavior has

01:20:28changed very little over thousands of years. Cats continue to knead soft surfaces, whether it's blankets,

01:20:34pillows or our laps, which brings them a sense of calm and pleasure. Babies in the sewer

01:20:42In 1988 in Ashkelon, in southern Israel, archaeologists made a shocking discovery.

01:20:48Under the baths, in a sewer dating back to the late Roman and early Byzantine period,

01:20:53the skeletons of about a hundred newborns were discovered. Upon investigation, it became clear

01:20:58that the infants had lived less than three days and their remains showed no signs of violence or trauma.

01:21:02Initially, scientists assumed that these were girls, since in many societies of that time,

01:21:08there was a practice of getting rid of newborn females. However, further analysis showed that

01:21:14among these remains, they were both boys and girls. One possible cause of the infants' deaths could

01:21:19have been the activities of women working in the baths. It is likely that the children were left by

01:21:24prostitutes who, being forced to live such a life, could not afford to take care of infants.

01:21:30The story from Ashkelon sheds light on the grim realities of the past, showing how horrifying

01:21:35those times were that women had to get rid of their newborn children.

01:21:40200 BC, 500 AD, micro... In the museums of Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, there are gold artifacts whose sizes

01:21:48are measured in millimeters and fractions of a millimeter. But at the same time, they are crafted

01:21:53with a precision that is invisible to the naked eye. In the collections of the gold museum in Bogota,

01:21:58there are micro-spirals, wire with a thickness of 0.2 millimeters in diameter, and figurines made up

01:22:04of dozens of parts joined together with no visible traces of soldering. They date from around 200 BC to 500

01:22:10AD.

01:22:11Analysis showed that the gold contains platinum impurities, whose melting point exceeds 1700 degrees,

01:22:18while ancient furnaces officially could not reach even 1200. In the 1970s, metallurgists from the

01:22:25Smithsonian Institution determined that the items were not cast, but sintered under precise temperature

01:22:30control, which would require either a complex furnace or a multi-stage process completely unknown

01:22:35to pre-Columbian cultures. At the same time, a similar technology appeared in Europe only in the 18th

01:22:40century, when platinum was first processed industrially. But in America, it was used 1500

01:22:46years before that without written sources and without any traces of technological development.

01:22:50Similar microtechnologies are found in the Old World. In Egypt and Mesopotamia, stone and gold beads less

01:22:57than a millimeter in diameter have been discovered with perfectly smooth holes that show no signs of

01:23:01manual drilling. In India, in layers dating back to the first millennium BC, micro-drillings with

01:23:06consistent spacing and smooth walls have been found which no manual tool could produce. Even under a

01:23:12microscope, there are no signs of vibrations typical of manual work. The strangest thing is that these items are

01:23:17not unique experiments, they are found by the dozens and hundreds, in different cultures and in

01:23:22different centuries. But the technology for making them doesn't develop, doesn't spread and isn't

01:23:28described. It simply exists in a finished form and then disappears, as if the craftsman who knew it

01:23:34vanished along with it. A turtle under the floor! And now we've come to what I promised at the very

01:23:40beginning,

01:23:41the most recent discovery of all, and apparently the strangest one, February 2025, the Brazilian city of Itacan.

01:23:49In the house of a woman named Luisa, a worker is opening up the floor in an extension to check

01:23:54for dampness.

01:23:55He breaks off the tiles, and underneath it, in a narrow gap between the concrete and the ground,

01:24:00lies a turtle. According to the owner, the concrete floor in the extension was poured 10 years ago, that's when

01:24:07the

01:24:07turtle got trapped. All this time it spent there, in the darkness under the concrete, walled and alive.

01:24:13What saved it was that turtles can slow their metabolism almost to a standstill. Its heart beats

01:24:19very faintly. It needs just a little bit of oxygen, and the animal can lie in hibernation for months,

01:24:24barely using any energy. It ate insects that crawled under the floor, and air and moisture seeped to it,

01:24:30through the ground. That's how, on the very edge of life, it survived for 10 years in a stone prison.

01:24:35But this survival came at a price. From the constant darkness and cramped space,

01:24:39its shell became deformed, the concrete pressed down from above, and its body grew crooked,

01:24:44pressed against the slab. Its eyes became so unaccustomed to light, that ordinary daylight

01:24:49now causes it pain. Now they are giving it water, feeding it fruits, and slowly, carefully getting

01:24:54it used to the sun again. It has defeated death, but this victory has left it crippled. 10 years in

01:24:59complete darkness have not gone without consequences. The turtle survived, but it came out into the light no

01:25:04longer the same as when it crawled under the floor. And that's the whole point of what we've discussed

01:25:08today. Honey, potatoes, Scythian gold, a frozen girl on a volcano, an entire island and a herd of cows.

01:25:15All of this should have rotted, crumbled, and disappeared, but it reached us intact. And each

01:25:21such discovery adds a piece to what we know about ourselves, how people lived, what they ate,

01:25:27what they believed in, and what they feared thousands of years ago. Time erases almost

01:25:32everything, and the little that it accidentally missed, that's our real memory of the past.

Category

Transcript

Recommended