Stonehenge is now considered one of the official wonders of the world. It is believed to have been constructed 5,000 years ago, although the questions: “who built it, how, and why?” are still left unknown. It consists of several huge stones, each standing around 13 feet, and weighs around 25 tons. There are many speculations regarding why Stonehenge was built.
Over time, it has been used by pagan religions, especially druids, for their rituals and celebrations. Some also suggest that Stonehenge was once used as a sacred place for healing the sick, while others have suggested that it was a celestial observatory.
The Cochno Stone
The Cochno Stone is a large rock with dozens of different engravings, which include grooved spirals, carved indentations, geometric shapes, and mysterious patterns of many kinds. It was discovered in 1887 by a man named Rev James Harvey and is 42 feet by 26 feet. Tests conducted on this rock have shown that it is around 5,000 years old.
The purpose or meaning of the engraved patterns on the Cochno Stone remains unknown to this day. After its discovery, it was buried again to preserve and protect it from vandalism. It was then carefully uncovered again in 2015 for further research.
Frozen Mummies
Bodies of three Inca children were found frozen near a volcano called Llullaillaco, which is found at the border of Argentina and Chile. What was really amazing about this discovery is that their bodies were mummified because of the freezing cold. Tests were conducted, and they have shown that these three children were sacrificed around the year 1500.
Large traces of alcohol and coca leaves were also found in their bodies. It has been found out that these three children were sacrificed in the form of ritual. Substances that suggest that they were sedated before dying were also found in their tiny bodies.
Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army is a group of sculptures that are derived from the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. Archaeologists believe that these sculptures were created and buried near the location of the emperor’s burial site so that the army would be able to protect him in his next life.
Though not all of the sculptures have been unearthed, the total number of sculptures has been estimated to be over 8,000. 130 chariots and 670 horses were also found with them. There were still also some signs on these sculptures that indicate that they were once painted.
Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone is a big chunk of granodiorite steel that contains inscriptions of a royal decree during the Ptolemaic dynasty in three different languages: ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic script, and Ancient Greek. The stone was a very important tool that was used by archeologists to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and understand ancient Egyptian history even more.
The Rosetta Stone was found in 1799 and was dated as having been created in 196 BC. However, the ancient hieroglyphics written on it were not deciphered until 1822. Its discovery was essential to our understanding of ancient Egyptian literature and civilization.