1. The Shroud of Turin, Italy
The Shroud of Turin is a piece of linen that's approximately 14ft x 3ft, which bears the faded image of a man on it. Since he's got a beard, a crown of thorns, and wounds on his hands, feet, and sides, many people have claimed that the image is of Jesus Christ. However, scientific tests have determined that the cloth actually dates back to the Middle Ages, which is long after Christ's life on Earth. The real mystery that remains is how the image was actually placed on there. It's not paint, a trick, or a visual process, but part of the linen itself! One interesting explanation is that only a miraculous event, such as a resurrection, could've generated enough energy to capture a human image.
2. The Iron Pillar of Delhi, India
You'll find this 7-meter-tall column in the Qutb complex in Delhi. This giant pillar is over 1,600 years old and is made entirely out of iron, but it hasn't rusted at all in all those intervening years. Some scientists say that this is due to the mild climate in Delhi, while others have said it's because of the absence of manganese and sulfur in its make-up. What's also baffling is that nobody knows how such a massive pillar was forge-welded in the first place.
3. The Phaistos Disc, Crete
Probably one of the most popular archeological mysteries ever, this disk was found on the Greek island of Crete in 1908. It's made entirely of bronze, and has lots of small characters engraved on it in a clockwise pattern. Despite our best efforts, we still don't have a clue where it came from or what the symbols mean. Some people say it's fake, while others swear by its authenticity. Unless a translation key, similar to the Rosetta Stone, is discovered, we may never know!
4. Tiwanaku and Puma Punku, Bolivia
This strange archeological site is made up of many stone blocks that weight hundreds of tons, and dates back to 536 AD. According to Incan inscriptions, this is supposedly the place where the world began. No one has any idea how the gigantic blocks got there, and since they don't show any chisel marks, nobody even knows how they were shaped or carved!
5. Disappearance of the Sanxingdui People, China
Way back in 1929, a man was making some repairs in a sewage ditch in China's Sichuan province when he discovered a Bronze Age treasure trove of jade and stone artifacts. Experts believe that these might be relics from the Sanxingdui civilization, an ancient culture that vanished almost 3,000 years ago. Supposedly, they inhabited a walled city on the Minjiang River, until one day they just left, burying all of their treasure in pits.
6. The Wheel of Giants, Israel
This mysterious structure is located in the Golan Heights, Israel, and is estimated to be close to 5,000 years old. Comprised of over 42,000 basalt rocks, it forms a massive wheel that can be seen from space. There's a burial mound at the center, yet there are no human remains inside. Archeologists believe that it took over 70 years to build, but its purpose remains a mystery to this day.
7. The Starchild Skull, Mexico
This deformed child's skull was found in a Mexican mining tunnel in 1930. Some paranormalists have suggested that it's an alien's skull or the skull of a human-alien hybrid. On the other hand, some doctors have claimed that it's the skull of a child with hydrocephalus, a medical condition that causes the skull to swell. However, the skull itself doesn't show any signs of swelling, suggesting that this child was born with an incredibly large brain cavity.
8. The Phrygian Valley Cart Tracks, Turkey
These cart tracks found in the Phrygian Valley mightn't seem too strange at first sight. However, if you take a closer look, you'll see that these tracks are actually carved into the bedrock itself. There's no way that this is merely the result of wear and tear from repeated cart movements, as is the case with many other cart tracks around the world. What makes it even weirder is that, in some places, the tracks run vertically and horizontally along walls!
9. Damascus Steel, Syria
At the turn of the 11th Century, the knights of the Crusades returned to Europe with tales of the strong and mysterious swords that Islamic warriors wielded. They claimed that these swords were highly durable and flexible, and were sharp enough to slice through a floating piece of cloth. Over the centuries, many have tried to recreate the formula for Damascus steel, but none have been successful.
10. Nazca Lines, Peru
From the ground, these lines just look like ordinary tracks in the dirt. From above, however, they're pure art! Discovered by a commercial aircraft in the 1920s, these strange markings have remained a mystery ever since. There are hundreds of shapes, including animals, plants, people, and geometric shapes, and they're said to be over 2,000 years old! Some researchers have speculated that these were ancient attempts to communicate with deities. Others have suggested that they were marked by aliens for future reference and classification purposes.
