These historical mysteries endure...but for how much longer? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down historical enigmas that could potentially be solved in the foreseeable future by advances in technology, or new conjectures that have emerged.
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00:00This is the story of how these creatures found that imagination and became us.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down historical enigmas that could potentially be solved in the foreseeable future by advances in technology or new conjectures that have emerged.
00:16But it's important to note that the vast majority of purported evidence for these enduring mysteries is still being debated and yet to be definitively proven.
00:25It continues. It goes in the direction of the temple.
00:34I think a lot of times we think of people that live in simple cultures as we define them don't have a science because it's not written down or it's not formulaic, but these people's technology is their science.
00:46Discoveries are providing more insights into Stonehenge's purpose and origins.
00:50Geophysical surveys and targeted excavations have uncovered evidence of human activity in the area dating back to the early Mesolithic period, long before the stones were erected.
00:59This suggests Stonehenge was a special place for hunter-gatherer communities thousands of years ago.
01:05Many of the people buried in these mounds were very mobile and moved across Britain and even indeed came from the continent.
01:13Additionally, an analysis of the altar stone claims it did not originate from South Wales as previously thought and instead may have come from Northern England or Scotland, prompting a re-evaluation of how stones were sourced and transported.
01:27Moreover, ongoing research is exploring the astronomical alignments of Stonehenge, reinforcing theories that it served not only as a ceremonial site, but also as an astronomical observatory.
01:38They also had to carve these giants to fit together. How did they achieve such precision?
01:469. The Disappearance of the Sodder Children
01:49In 1945, five of George and Jenny Sodder's ten children disappeared after a fire destroyed their home in Fayetteville, West Virginia.
01:57Despite extensive searches, no remains were found.
02:00Theories ranged from kidnapping to foul play, as strange events occurred before and after the fire, including a cut phone line and reports of the children in a passing car.
02:10Jenny tries to call the fire department using their home phone, but the line is dead.
02:15Recent advancements in forensic science include the re-examination of bone fragments previously overlooked.
02:21Efforts also focus on analyzing DNA from these fragments to determine if they belong to the missing children.
02:27Additionally, investigators are exploring potential sightings and re-evaluating historical records to uncover new leads.
02:35Do we believe the thief's story? Sure, he could have just been there to steal the block and tackle, but why would somebody go all the way out to George's property to steal that one small thing?
02:468. The Identity of the Babushka Lady
02:49The unidentified woman who was present at President John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963 remains a mystery despite numerous investigations.
02:58She was seen filming the event and appeared in several key films of the assassination, including those by Abraham Zapruder and Marie Muchmore.
03:05Her calm demeanor amidst the chaos has fueled various theories about her identity and intentions.
03:11Facial recognition technology and digital enhancement of archival footage are potentially providing avenues for identifying her.
03:17Researchers are applying AI-based facial recognition software to the existing images and cross-referencing them with records and databases.
03:25This modern approach aims to match her facial features with known individuals from the time.
03:307. The Mystery of the Indus Script
03:33The development of long-distance trade led the Indus merchants to forge alliances and to invent the concept of the contract.
03:42To seal the contract, they used finely carved stone cylinders, similar to those in Mesopotamia.
03:48Deciphering the script of the ancient Indus Valley civilization, which thrived around 2500 BCE, remains a major challenge for researchers.
03:57Researchers are leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze the script's symbols and patterns.
04:03AI algorithms are being used to identify character frequencies and similarities, which could help create a key for decipherment.
04:10For example, AI models have been trained to compare Indus script symbols with those from known languages like the Brahmi script and the Phoenician alphabet, revealing potential connections.
04:19Another approach involves using cryptographic methods, looking for statistical patterns and applying mathematical theories to decode the script.
04:26Will these nine stone figures keep their secret forever?
04:326. The Meaning of the Voynich Manuscript
04:35Alchemy was considered to be an extremely arcane topic, meaning the information that was recorded in these texts was often considered to be extremely secret.
04:47A medieval text filled with mysterious symbols and illustrations has also long baffled researchers.
04:52The incredible growth of artificial intelligence is now offering promising leads.
04:57An AI algorithm compared the manuscript's characters to those in 380 different languages, controversially suggesting that the text was most likely written in Hebrew.
05:07So what we found was that the ink is in iron gall ink, and we found that it was made in several different batches because the constituents vary somewhat from batch to batch.
05:18The initial translations produced by the AI were not immediately coherent, prompting skepticism from medieval scholars, who questioned the utility of currently available technological tools.
05:29Nevertheless, the AI-generated translations could provide a potentially valuable starting point for deeper ongoing linguistic and historical analysis, though the manuscript's full decipherment remains tantalizingly incomplete.
05:42When you touch the original, it awakens so many emotions and questions.
05:46You want to know who touched it, who could have made something like this, how many people were involved in making it.
05:535. The Fate of the Ark of the Covenant
06:01Break out the whip, Indy. Archaeological efforts have reignited interest in the fate of the Ark of the Covenant.
06:08Excavations at Kiryat Yerim, a site mentioned in the Bible as a resting place for the Ark, have uncovered purportedly significant artifacts and structures.
06:16We scanned the courtyard of the peristyle, and as we got close, we just clipped the edge where the 33 tons of gold were buried, and the readings just went off the charts.
06:27Archaeologists have used high-tech methods, including aerial surveys and digital elevation models, to identify promising dig locations.
06:36These technologies helped uncover a massive Iron Age platform, which may have supported a structure housing the Ark.
06:42Additionally, excavations at Shiloh, another significant Biblical site, have revealed structures matching the dimensions of the tabernacle where the Ark was said to reside.
06:51So now we have a possible escape route for the Ark of the Covenant.
06:56The discovery of this tunnel connects a lot of the Biblical dots of the story of the Ark.
07:024. The Disappearance of the Neanderthals
07:17What happened to the Neanderthals around 40,000 years ago remains one of anthropology's great mysteries.
07:23Recent advances in genetic research and archaeological findings are providing a new window into this ancient puzzle.
07:30Genetic analysis of Neanderthal DNA indicates that interbreeding with early modern humans played a significant role.
07:36Studies show that up to 2% of some humans' DNA is derived from Neanderthals, suggesting extensive interaction and interbreeding.
07:44We see traces of Neanderthal DNA in all modern non-African individuals.
07:51In other words, there are parts of their genome that remain in some of us.
07:56Climate change also appears to have been a critical factor.
08:00Environmental pressures likely led to competition for resources with Homo sapiens, who may have had more adaptable survival strategies.
08:06Ongoing research in paleogenomics and archaeology continues to refine our understanding of their extinction.
08:193. The Location of Cleopatra's Tomb
08:30As befitting the last of so many noble rulers.
08:37Recent archaeological work has provided promising clues about the location of Cleopatra's much-sought-after tomb.
08:43Dr. Kathleen Martinez, who has been searching for it since 2005, has focused her efforts on the Taposiris Magna Temple near Alexandria, Egypt.
08:51In 2022, Martinez and her team discovered a 4,300-foot-long tunnel beneath the temple, which they believe may lead to the long-lost tomb.
08:59She was a warrior, and she achieved the impossible.
09:03And this is why she is my heroine, and I will try to do everything I can to find her tomb.
09:10This tunnel, located 43 feet underground, is considered a geometric miracle that is claimed to resemble the ancient tunnel of Eupolinos in Greece.
09:20Further excavations have unearthed significant artifacts, including coins depicting Cleopatra and Mark Antony, as well as statues and other objects from the Ptolemaic era.
09:29These findings support the hypothesis that Cleopatra and Antony might be buried in this temple.
09:462. The Lost Colony of Roanoke
09:49This was a group of people who showed up and were ready to settle, but what happened to that colony is one of the big, unanswered questions of American history.
10:00There have been more clues uncovered about the fate of the Roanoke Colony, which disappeared in 1590.
10:06The First Colony Foundation has uncovered English pottery fragments at two sites in Bertie County, North Carolina.
10:12These artifacts suggest that some colonists may have relocated and integrated with local Native American tribes.
10:18A hidden map in the British Museum, examined in 2012, revealed the outline of two forts, one located approximately 50 miles west of Roanoke, where the colonists reportedly planned to move.
10:30Expecting to find the colonists there to welcome him back, but to his surprise, there was no sign of them.
10:36Further evidence seemingly supports the theory that the colonists dispersed into smaller groups, possibly integrating with the Croatoan tribe on Hatteras Island.
10:44These findings align with records indicating that the settlers intended to move to the mainland and join friendly Native American communities.
10:53We get this word, Croatoan, but did people actually make it there? Where did they go? What happened?
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11:16Number 1. The Disappearance of Amelia Earhart
11:20We are transmitting constantly on 7500 and we cannot hear you on 500.
11:27In 1937, Amelia Earhart vanished while attempting to circumnavigate the globe.
11:33In January 2024, a sonar image captured by an independent company's underwater autonomous vehicle was claimed to reveal an object resembling the shape and size of Earhart's Lockheed Electra aircraft.
11:45Romeo's company, Deep Sea Vision, used multi-million dollar sonar technology to capture this image 16,000 feet down, even deeper than the Titanic.
11:54The object was found approximately 100 miles from Howland Island, resting 16,400 feet below the ocean surface.
12:02Although the current images are absolutely not definitive proof, the next phase involves returning to the site to capture more detailed images and potentially identify the aircraft.
12:13Investigators have also conducted DNA tests on bones found on the island.
12:17She felt like if she doesn't come back, she'd lived a full life and she was also concerned about getting old and this would be an all right way for her legend to find a conclusion.
12:31What other potentially solvable mysteries could have made this list? Let us know in the comments.
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