The world is full of strange and mysterious artifacts. Some are almost certainly hoaxes, while others involve real stories. In our review of 10 real-life artifacts, the origin of which scientists cannot explain even today.
1. Sumerian list of kings
During excavations in Iraq on the territory of ancient Sumer, a manuscript was found, which lists all the kings of this state. Researchers initially thought that this was an ordinary historical document, but later it turned out that many of the kings are mythological characters. Some of the rulers who should have been included in the list were absent. Others were credited with incredibly long reigns or mythical events associated with them, such as the Sumerian version of the Great Flood and the exploits of Gilgamesh.
2. Codex Gigas (or "The Devil's Bible")
The most famous is the ancient manuscript "Codex Gigas", better known as the "Devil's Bible". Only 2 people can lift this book, made of 160 skins. Legend has it that the Codex Gigas was written by a monk who, after being sentenced to death, according to which the monk was to be walled up alive, made a deal with the devil. With the help of the Devil, the monk wrote a book in one night (moreover, a self-portrait was written by the devil). Oddly enough, the handwriting in the book is remarkably clear and consistent, as if it had actually been written in a short period of time. Nevertheless, scientists believe that such work would take from 5 years (if written without interruption) to 30 years. The manuscript contains seemingly incongruous texts: the complete Latin Bible of the Vulgate, "Antiquities of the Jews" by Josephus,a collection of medical works by Hippocrates and Theophilus, "Chronicles of Bohemia" by Cosmas of Prague, "Etymological Encyclopedia" by Isidore of Seville, exorcism rites, magic formulas and an illustration of the heavenly city.
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3. Writing of Easter Island
Almost everyone knows about the famous statues of Easter Island, but there are other artifacts associated with this place, the mystery of which has not yet been solved. 24 wooden carved tablets were found that contain a system of symbols. These symbols are called "rongorongo" and they are considered the ancient proto-written form. To date, they have never been deciphered.
4. Göbekli Tepe, Turkey
Usually archaeologists argue that religion, temple building, and the development of complex rituals are a by-product of human settlement. This conviction was shaken by the Göbekli Tepe temple discovered on the Urfa plain in southeastern Turkey. Its ruins may be the oldest organized place of worship known to man. The ruins of Göbekli Tepe date back to 9500 BC, meaning the temple was built 5,000 years before Stonehenge.
5. Roman dodecahedrons, Roman Empire
In regions that were once under the influence of the Roman Empire, from Wales to the Mediterranean Sea, small strange objects are found, which are called "dodecahedrons." They are hollow stone or bronze objects, 4-12 centimeters in diameter, with 12 flat pentagonal faces and holes of various sizes on each side. Small handles stick out from every corner. Twenty-seven theories have been put forward of what it is, but none of them have been proven.
6. Fulachtai Fia, Ireland
About 6,000 mysterious artifacts have been found throughout Ireland in rivers and swamps, which have become known as the Fulachtai Fia. In Great Britain, where they are also found, they are called "Burnt Mounds". Fulacht fiadh is a horseshoe-shaped embankment of soil and stone, in the center of which is a gutter filled with water. Fulachtai Fia are usually found singly, but sometimes in groups of 2-6. At the same time, there is always a source of water nearby. What they were built for remains a mystery.
7. Big Zayatsky labyrinth, Russia
Bolshoi Zayatsky Island, which is part of the Solovetsky Archipelago in northern Russia, hides another mystery. Back in 3000 BC. not only villages and places of worship were built here, but also irrigation systems. But the most mysterious objects on the island are spiral-shaped labyrinths, the largest of which is 24 meters in diameter. The structures are built of two rows of boulders overgrown with vegetation. What they were used for is unknown.
8. Witch's bottles, Europe and the USA
In 2014, archaeologists excavating the site of an ancient battle in Nottinghamshire made a strange discovery: they found a 15-centimeter "witch bottle". Similar vessels were used in Europe and America for black witchcraft in the 1600s and 1700s. They were usually made of ceramic or glass. In total, about 200 such objects were found, and they often contained the remains of needles, nails, nails, hair, and even urine. It is believed that witch bottles were used to protect the wearer from evil spells and the harmful effects of witches.
9. Lizard-like figurines of Ubayd, Iraq
Strange Ubaid figurines are found in Iraq. They depict lizard-like and snake-like people in various poses. All figurines have abnormally elongated heads and almond-shaped eyes. Many of these figurines are found in human burials, so they are believed to mark some form of status.
10. Rat King
Several museums around the world contain strange once living exhibits of the legendary beast from the Middle Ages, which is called the "Rat King". The rat king is formed when several rats intertwine or coalesce with their tails. As a result, a kind of "nest" of rats appears, the muzzles of which are directed outward, and in the center there is a knot of tails. The largest of these artifacts contains 32 rats. Today, such mummified objects are found, but not a single living such anomaly has been found.