When archaeologists study the secrets of our past, they use all sorts of clues about how ancient civilizations lived, how they worked and had fun.
But any archaeologist will tell you that they get real satisfaction from their work when they make completely unexpected discoveries. You can find an object and determine its origin right on the spot, but most of all scientists are fascinated by something that cannot be easily explained.
When a group of Bosnian villagers discovered a mysterious stone ball in the forest in Zavidovichi, they had no doubt they were faced with a mystery.
When villagers in a forest in Zavidovichi, Bosnia, discovered a huge stone ball, they quickly contacted archaeologists to investigate the strange object. The sphere was about a meter and a half in diameter and was mostly made of iron. How long she lay there, one can only guess.
While the sphere's origins remained a mystery, Bosnian archaeologist Semir Osmanagic thought it might be the key to unraveling the mysteries of an ancient civilization.
Semir argued that the sphere is more than 1500 years old, and it is not the only one. He said that similar areas met in the 1970s. But recently they have become a rarity, because people, as a rule, destroyed them - after all, according to rumors, there was gold in the middle …
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Known as the "Bosnian Indiana Jones," Semir became famous for making an unusual statement. For example, he previously claimed that in the Visoko Valley, Bosnia, there is a system of underground pyramids that is 12 thousand years old! But this claim has been completely debunked.
In fact, this sphere could have been miraculous at all. Dr. Mandy Edwards of the University of Manchester believes that the sphere was formed by "the precipitation of natural mineral cement through the pores of the sedimentary rock." This process is known as nodule. But, be that as it may, everyone agreed that careful research was needed.
Semir still believes that there are pyramids in the mountains of Bosnia. In 2005, he began serious excavations there and claims to have found bricks and mortar. The excavation process altered the hills, making them more like pyramids. But the European Association of Archeology issued a statement that the proclaimed pyramids were a hoax.
If this sphere is indeed the result of a nodule, this does not make it any less mysterious as if it had been abandoned by an ancient civilization. Geologists still don't fully understand the nodule process, so they rejoice when they find something like this.
Scattered around the world are other areas that have already become popular tourist attractions. Very often these formations are stronger than any of the other stones around. This explains why, over time, they take on such specific forms.
Tourists love to visit the Moeraki boulders, which are found on the beaches of New Zealand. They are a prime example of "cannonballs" - nodules, which, like the Bosnian sphere, are really similar in shape to these shells. Geologists believe they are over 60 million years old.
Does this area raise as many questions as the pyramids? Or is it just an unusual natural phenomenon? Only time can show that it really is….