The task of a historian is to piece together a whole picture using clues from separate pieces and parts. Sometimes, it's easy to arrive at a conclusive explanation. Other times, the process can be very challenging. And occasionally, historians may find themselves face to face with something particularly bizarre. Over the last few hundred years, scientists have found a number of perplexing artifacts and relics that have left most historians truly mystified. Many historical mysteries remain unsolved and scholars continue to theorize about them. Take a look at some of the inexplicable things that have been discovered.
The ancient Romans have left a variety of evidence of their amazing feats. Their language has survived in ours. The roads they built are still in use in the present. We've also witnessed their aqueducts as well as their sculptures. We know what those architectural wonders were used for. However, the Romans haven't left any explanation for their dodecahedrons. They look like hollow stone or metal balls, but they're not perfect spheres. As their name suggests, these objects have 12 sides. What were they used for? This remains undetermined. Some experts speculate that they had a religious purpose. Others think they were used for plumbing.
A few hundred years before the dodecahedrons were made, an Egyptian queen nearly shaped the fate of Rome. Cleopatra VII died just before Caesar Augustus became the first Roman emperor. She had been Julius Caesar's mistress. Her enemies in Rome considered her a threat and waged war against her. When she died in 30 B.C., she was buried with Mark Antony, another Roman leader who had joined her cause. Their tomb was said to be near a temple to the Egyptian goddess Isis. We still don't know where it is, or even if it still exists. It allegedly contained treasures made of gold, silver, pearls, and other precious stones. It was probably plundered long ago.
Göbekli Tepe is the site of an immense stone structure in Turkey. It was discovered in 2008 and is believed to be the first man-made temple, built around 11,000 B.C. It predates Stonehenge, another stone structure with mysterious origins, by 6,000 years. This massive monument of pillars and rings was built during a time before humans were using metal tools. The largest pillar weighs roughly 50 tons. Rather than moving the rocks around, the builders carved into the existing rock to create this structure.
Amelia Earhart is famous for the records she set as a pilot. However, she was also a pioneer in the fight for women's rights. She received the Distinguished Flying Cross for being the first woman to make a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Five years later, in 1937, she disappeared during an attempt to fly all around the world. She was attempting to set another world record. This aviator's life is the basis for numerous conspiracy theories. Some people believe her plane was shot down while she was flying over the Pacific Ocean. Others believe she returned to the U.S. under a new identity.
If that makes you concerned about air travel, consider this anomaly. In 1872, a deserted ship was found drifting in the Atlantic Ocean. This vessel was the Mary Celeste. Although she was seaworthy and well-supplied, it seems she was abandoned by everyone on board. Was this ghost ship the result of a mutiny by the sailors? But why did the mutineers leave the ship? Was the ship attacked by pirates? But why would they take the people and not the plunder?
Many tales about pirates involve the treasure they've hidden and left behind. This opens up an opportunity for new treasure-seekers. People believe that there is a secret money pit in Oak Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. Theories abound as to what the treasure actually contains. Captain William Kidd was a pirate-hunter who was eventually executed in 1701 for piracy himself. Treasure-hunters since his death have combed the island for the treasure.
These are all mysteries that remain unsolved. Human history is full of wonderful mysteries and undiscovered secrets. What other mysteries do you know about?