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.
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.
Stonehenge
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.
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.
The Great Sphinx of Giza
Located at the west bank of the Nile River in Giza, Egypt, the Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx. A sphinx is an Egyptian mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. It was believed to be built around 2,500 years ago and originally measured to be 73 meters long from paw to tail, 20.21 meters high, and 19 meters wide.
It is still surrounded by mystery as the underlying chambers and tunnels within and underneath have not yet been explored. Some evidence, like traces of pigment, also suggests that it was once painted with vivid colors.