The Rongorongo manuscript, the disappearance of the city of Helike, who Robin Hood was… are mysteries that humanity has yet to solve.
The Great Unsolved Mysteries in Human History
1. The Rongorongo Manuscript
Considered another mystery of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Rongorongo is the name of a manuscript written in hieroglyphics by the island’s first inhabitants. Rongorongo appeared mysteriously in the 1700s while the residents of nearby islands had yet to develop writing. The language has long since vanished, making the manuscript’s decryption a hopeless endeavor. European colonizers prohibited this language due to the pagan origins of the islanders.
(Photo: Jeanhervedaude.com)
2. How did the city of Helike disappear?
The Greek writer Pausanias described the horrifying scene of a devastating earthquake that destroyed the city of Helike in one night, followed by a terrible tsunami that submerged all remnants of the once-prosperous capital.
(Photo: LiveScience)
The capital of the Achaean League was a center for worshipping the sea god Poseidon. Aside from ancient Greek texts, there is no evidence that this city ever existed until an archaeologist discovered a Helike coin featuring the head of Poseidon.
In 2001, two archaeologists identified the location of Helike beneath a layer of mud and gravel. Excavation efforts are ongoing, and scientists hope to uncover the rise and fall of this city, which some consider to be the legendary Atlantis.
3. The Bog Bodies
To date, hundreds of mummies—primarily from the Iron Age—have been discovered in the bogs of Northern Europe. Many of these well-preserved bodies date back over 2000 years and exhibit signs of torture and violence. These gruesome traces have led scientists to hypothesize that they were victims of ancient sacrificial rituals.
(Photo: Civilization.ca)
4. The Collapse of the Minoan Empire
While historians increasingly uncover various reasons for the collapse of the Roman Empire, the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Minoan Empire remains. About 3,500 years ago, an earthquake on the island of Thera wiped out all life on Crete, the origin of the tale of a king and the monster that devoured him. Clay tablets discovered by archaeologists indicate that this empire persisted for about 50 years after that before vanishing completely. Hypotheses regarding its collapse include a layer of volcanic ash ruining crops or a conquest by Greek forces.
(Photo: Accd.edu)
5. The Carnac Stones
The Stonehenge structure in England remains a mystery to scientists, but the Carnac stones on the northeastern coast of France are perhaps even more intriguing.
Over 3000 standing stones are arranged in a perfect line stretching more than 12 kilometers. Local legend says these stones are a Roman legion turned to stone by the wizard Merlin. A scientist who studied the site for over 30 years hypothesized that these stones were instruments for predicting earthquakes. The identity of the people from the Neolithic period who built this structure remains a mystery.
(Photo: Brittany-flats.com)
Who was Robin Hood?
Historians continue to search for the legendary figure of Robin Hood, a forest knight who robbed from the rich to give to the poor, and a list of suspects includes quite a few names. Among them are a fugitive named Robert Hod, Hobbehod, and a Robert Hood from Wakefield. The task of narrowing down these names becomes increasingly complex because “Robin Hood” signifies someone living outside the law, as in the case of William Le Fevre, who later changed his name to RobeHod, according to court records. The search for this legendary figure becomes more challenging as later storytellers embellished the tale with many characters, such as Prince John and Richard the Lionheart.
6. The Disappearance of a Roman Legion
After a weak Roman army led by General Crassus was defeated by the Parthians, it is believed that a small group of war prisoners wandered through the desert and eventually integrated into the army 17 years later. The historian Ban Gu, who lived in China during the first century, recorded an encounter with a peculiar army that fought in a scale-like formation, a characteristic of the Roman army.
A historian from Oxford University compared ancient documents and suggested that the remnants of the Roman legion established a small town named Liqian near the Gobi Desert (the Chinese term for “Roman”). Scientists are conducting DNA tests to support this hypothesis and explain certain traits of modern descendants: green eyes, blonde hair, and a penchant for bullfighting.
(Illustration: Varusbattle.com)
7. The Voynich Manuscript
The Voynich manuscript may be the most difficult book to read in the world. This 500-year-old artifact was discovered in 1912 in a library in Rome, containing 240 pages of completely unfamiliar writing and illustrations. Cryptographers have tirelessly attempted to decode this strange script, but none have succeeded. Some even suggest it could merely be an ancient joke. However, analyses of the book indicate that the manuscript seems to follow the structures and rules of a genuine language.
(Photo: Boingboing.net)
8. The Tarim Mummies
During an excavation in the Tarim Basin in western China, archaeologists discovered over 100 mummies dating back more than 2000 years. Victor Mair, a university professor, was astonished when confronted with blonde-haired, long-nosed mummies during a museum exhibition, so much so that in 1993 he returned to collect DNA samples.
DNA testing has reinforced the hypothesis that these mummies carry the genes of Europeans. Ancient Chinese texts from the 1st century BC mention groups of white settlers known as the Bai, Yeuzhi, and Tocharians. However, there has yet to be an explanation for why these people appeared here.
(Photo: Imageshack.us)
9. The Disappearance of the Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization stretched from western India to Afghanistan and had a population of up to 5 million people. This is the oldest known civilization of India. It wasn’t until 1922 that John Marshall excavated the city and discovered an extremely “clean” culture. It had a highly complex drainage system and perfectly designed baths. Strangely, there is no archaeological evidence of an army, a king, slavery, social conflict, or the common vices of ancient times.
(Photo: Indiana.edu)
10. The Star of Bethlehem
Many questions surrounding this star remain unanswered. (Photo: Wikipedia).
For followers of Christianity, the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem (the Christmas star) is a religious event that needs no explanation.
For nearly 2000 years, this brightest star has remained a mystery. For scientists and non-Christians, many questions surrounding this star still need answers.
Since ancient times, the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem has attracted the attention of researchers in astronomy, history, and archaeology.
The great German astronomer Johannes Kepler believed that the star was a combination of two planets forming a new star.
Modern scholars suggest it was an unidentified flying object. However, scientific bases have yet to be convincing. Therefore, the Star of Bethlehem remains a mystery.
