To date, a huge number of valuable discoveries have been made that allow you to touch the history and lift the veil of secrets of its different periods.
Terracotta Army
These excavations allowed scientists to take a fresh look at the reign of the first emperor of China.
In 1947, a farmer from Shian Province was digging a well and discovered this huge army. It was buried right in front of the grave of the great emperor Qin Shi Huang, so that the warriors could guard him in the afterlife. For researchers, this huge structure became an indicator of the unprecedented progressiveness and humanism of the ruler, since his predecessors preferred to bury a living army with them for "settling" in the other world. Surprisingly, despite the fact that the guarding army was discovered almost 60 years ago, the tomb of the emperor itself has not yet been found.
Dead Sea Scrolls
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The oldest Bible fragments were found for the first time
A whole collection of ancient manuscripts has been found in several places at once on the northwest coast of the Dead Sea. Scientists have found that these scrolls were created 1,000 years earlier than the oldest manuscript in the Old Testament. In addition, thanks to these texts, we now know how life developed in those distant times.
Behistun inscription
Description of historical events of the 6th century BC e.
This inscription was discovered by the Englishman Robert Shirley back in 1598 during his diplomatic mission in Persia. It is a multilingual text, carved by order of King Darius the Great. The inscriptions on the rock tell about the events of 523-521 BC. e. From these inscriptions, archaeologists have better studied such famous civilizations as Mesopotamia, Sumer, Akkad, Persia and Assyria.
Olduvai Gorge
Previously unknown habitat of primitive people and animals
This gorge is the territory of many finds from the prehistoric period at once. Olduvai was discovered by the German entomologist Wilhelm Kattwinkel in 1911: the scientist literally fell right into the gorge while hunting for a butterfly. There were found 3 different species of ancient people, including Australopithecus, Homo sapiens and Homo erectus, the remains of the extinct three-toed horses of the hipparion.
Angkor Wat temple
The largest religious building in the world
The first mentions of huge stone structures date back to 1601. Then Marcelo Ribandeiro from Spain accidentally stumbled upon a strange Angkor Wat temple in the jungle of Cambodia. Then, failing to solve the mystery of the temple's origin, everyone forgot about the stone structure for more than 200 years.
Temple Angkor Wat ("city-temple") - the largest religious building in the world. It is a complex 3-level structure with many stairs and walkways, topped with 5 towers. The temple is called the soul of the Khmer people for a reason, because Angkor can be confidently called the heart of a great civilization.
Troy
As a result of the excavations, 46 cultural layers were revealed
The ancient city of Ilion, known to all of us from the poems of Homer and Virgil, was discovered in the 1870s by the German self-taught archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. After excavations, the history of the ancient city was divided into several periods - from Troy I to Troy IX. Homeric Troy is believed to be Troy VI (1900-1300 BC).
Antikythera mechanism
The device, created in ancient Greece, was far ahead of its era
This mechanical device was found on an ancient sunken ship in 1901. The mechanism itself dates back to around 100 BC. e. According to scientists, the mechanism contained at least 30 bronze gears in a wooden case, on the front and back sides of which were placed bronze dials with arrows, and was used to calculate the movement of celestial bodies. Scientists believe that the mechanism served to determine the start date of the Olympic Games: the device had to count down a 4-year cycle with high accuracy.
Ancient man's tooth
The remains belonged to a previously unknown species of ancient man
In Denisova Cave near Biysk, a tooth and a finger bone of an ancient man were found. Scientists are convinced that these archaeological finds are at least 50 thousand years old. After conducting research, scientists came to the conclusion that a hitherto unknown species of ancient man once lived on the territory of Altai. Researchers are inclined to believe that Denisovans had dark skin, dark eyes and hair.
Pompeii
Famous ancient Roman city
As a Roman colony, this city was a thriving port and resort, as evidenced by its numerous mansions, temples, theaters and baths. Pompeii also housed an amphitheater, a forum and a basilica. About 20,000 inhabitants lived here. August 24, A. D. 79 e. during the eruption of Vesuvius, the city was completely covered with ash and ash. Pompeii was discovered in 1599 by Domenico Fontana, but excavations of the city did not begin until 1748. Pompeii's exploration has allowed archaeologists to recreate the life of the Romans. It is noteworthy that the finds from Pompeii largely contributed to the emergence of the Empire style in art.
Lasko cave
The most important late Paleolithic monument with rock carvings
The cave was discovered by four teenagers on September 12, 1940. There are over 2,000 images of animals, people and abstract symbols inside the rock. Deer, bison, cats, birds, rhinos and bears are found among the animals. Researchers believe that people did not live in the Lasko cave, but they often visited it in order to leave their drawings here.
Rosetta stone
The stone slab that gave the key to deciphering the Egyptian writing
This granodiorite slab was found in 1799 in Egypt and dates from around 196 BC. e. An inscription of thanks to Tsar Ptolemy V is engraved on the stone, written in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Egyptian demotic script and in ancient Greek. The stone was exhibited in the temple and later was moved and used as building material for a fortress in the village of Rosetta.
Machu Picchu
The most mysterious monument of Inca culture
The famous Inca fortress, a sanctuary city in Peru, was founded around 1440 and existed until 1532. It was discovered in 1911 by the American historian from Yale University Hiram Bingham.
The picturesque ruins of Machu Picchu are the best example of stone construction from the Late Incan period. The monument includes about 200 rooms and individual buildings, located on a plot measuring approximately 365 by 300 meters.