These are Among the Biggest Archaeological Discoveries in History
For me, archaeologists do not discover the past; they work on what remains. Archaeology is about our relationships with what is left of the past. And more – archaeology is the discipline of things – the history of design, how people get on with the material world, materiality itself.
- Michael Shanks
For centuries, there have been countless prehistoric discoveries that give us a rare sight into the lives of our forefathers. Archaeology transforms our perception of the past. The more primeval grounds and artefacts that are found, the more legends unfold – from Gobekli Tepe to the Rosetta stone, the Voynich manuscript to the tomb of the sunken skulls.
Archaeological finds allow us to appreciate our ancestors’ ancient traditions and understand their way of life. Archaeological discoveries that interlace legend with science have allowed us to connect the past with our present. Excavators and archaeologists have uncovered hidden cities, ancient devices and even sacred burial grounds.
The people at Caherconnell Stone Fort made the infographic below which details ten of the most significant archaeological discoveries of all time. It includes the discovery in Mount Owen, New Zealand. During an expedition in 1986 deep into the cave system of Mount Owen, archaeologists discovered a large claw. Initially it was thought to be a recently deceased animal due to the good preservation of the claw, it was eventually determined that it had belonged to an Upland Moa – an ancient bird that had large, gruesome claws.
It also reveals the discovery of the Antikythera Mechanism which was found in a shipwreck off the coast of Antikythera, Greece. The ancient analogue computer is over 2,000 years old device and has become known as the world’s oldest surviving scientific calculator. The prehistoric device has several gears that can specifically measure the position of the moon, sun and planets. This is a particularly great archaeological discovery as it highlights to us that civilization 2000 years ago was already advanced in the field of mechanical engineering. Let’s check out the infographic below to learn more!
Comments
Very curious about the past.
They are missing King Tuts tomb, and Puma Punku from this list.