ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES

THE BABY DISPOSAL

Long ago as several archaeologists were searching through the

sewers beneath a Roman/Byzantine bathhouse in Israel, they came

across something terrifying…baby bones, and lots of them. For

whatever reason someone in the bathhouse above apparently felt

compelled to dispose of hundreds of babies in the sewer below.

THE VENETIAN VAMPIRE

Although these days the most sure fire method used to slay a

vampire is a stake through the heart, hundreds of years ago that

was not considered sufficient. Allow us to introduce you to the

ancient alternative – the brick through the mouth. Think about it.

What’s the easiest way to keep a vampire from sucking blood? Cram his

face full of cement no doubt. The skull you are looking at here was found

by archaeologists just outside Venice in a mass grave.

AZTECS SACRIFICES

Although it has been known for years that the Aztecs hosted

numerous bloody sacrificial festivals, in 2004 a grisly discovery

was made outside of modern day Mexico City. Numerous decapitated and

mutilated bodies of both humans and animals shed some light on

just how horrific the rituals could get.

TERRA COTTA ARMY

While it may not be intense in the same way as the last few discoveries,

this vast terracotta army that was buried with Qin Shi Huang, the first

Emperor of China, is certainly intense in its own right. Apparently the

intention was for the soldiers to protect the emperor in the afterlife.

THE SCREAMING MUMMIES

Unlike modern burials, Egyptians didn’t take into account the fact that

if you don’t strap the chin to the skull, it will fall open in a permanent

scream. Although most mummies exhibit this sort of profile, it can get

significantly more terrifying. Every once in a while archaeologists

discover mummies that seem to have truly been screaming at their

death due to some sort of ritual torture. The one above is name

Unknown Man E and was found by Gaston Masparo in 1886.

THE FIRST LEPER

Also known as Hansen’s disease, leprosy is not contagious but its

victims have often lived on the fringes of society due to extreme

disfigurement. Because Hindu tradition calls for cremation the skeleton

above, often cited as the first leper, was found buried just

outside the city limits.

ANCIENT CHEMICAL WARFARE

In 1933 archaeologist Robert du Mesnil du Buisson was searching

beneath the ruins of an ancient Roman/Persian battlefield when he

came across some siege tunnels that had been dug under the city.

In the tunnels he found the bodies of 19 Roman soldiers that

seemingly died while trying to desperately escape from something

and one Persian soldier clutching his chest. Apparently when the

Romans heard the Persians digging under their walls they began

digging a tunnel of their own with the idea of dropping in on the

Persians from above. The trouble for them was that the Persians

heard it and set a trap. As soon as the Roman soldiers dropped

through they were met with burning sulphur and bitumen which has

the unfortunate effect of turning to acid in your lungs.

ROSETTA STONE

Discovered in 1799 by a French soldier sifting through the

Egyptian sand, the Rosetta Stone has been one of archaeology’s

greatest discoveries to date and the primary source for the modern

understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs. The stone is a actually a

fragment of a larger stone that contained a decree issued by

King Ptolemy V around 200 BC with the decree inscribed in 3

languages – Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic script, and Ancient Greek.

DIQUIS SPHERES

Known as the stone spheres of Costa Rica, scientists believe these nearly

perfect spheres were carved around the turn of the millennium.

Although there is much speculation as to what they may have been used

for, no one is completely sure.