The Olmec were a society of villagers that lived along the Gulf Coast of Mexico. These people were mostly known for the special statues they carved out of stone, often weighing around 20 tons each. These stone heads were carved to commemorate their rulers and are still well preserved today.
The boulders were brought by the Olmecs from the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas mountains in Veracruz. The heads they sculpted out of them were arranged in lines at important Olmec locations. Like many archaeological mysteries, it remains unknown just how they managed to move these massive boulders from one place to another.
Thracian Horses and Carriages
Archaeologists have found these 2,500-year-old remains of two horses and their chariot, along with perfectly preserved wheels, a seat, and boot. These are believed to have belonged to the Thracian nobility. This discovery was made in a Thracian tomb along with other expensive artifacts of the time. The tombs were located in northeast Bulgaria in the village of Sveshtari.
These are the single most well-preserved remains of horses and a chariot, and it's unlikely that a better one will ever be discovered. The Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes that spread across Eastern Europe. It's believed that the first Greek Thracian colonies were founded in 800 BC.
Ancient Egyptian Sandals
Ancient Egyptians wore almost exclusively sandals in the Egyptian hot deserts. These sandals were recently discovered, and they were attributed to the late King Tutankhamun, who presided over Egypt many centuries ago.
King Tut’s sandals featured incredible carvings and decorations in every which angle. If you’re ever in the market for new sandals, today, you can search through eBay and get the same kind of shoes worn by King Tutankhamun. In his time, these took weeks to handcraft.
A Mummified Monk
Monks have been known to perform near-superhuman feats of mind control on more than one occasion. In 2015, archeologists in the Netherlands were stunned when they discovered what is perhaps the greatest monk prank of all time.
More than 1,000 years ago, one monk decided to drink a highly poisonous tea to appear as dead in a full lotus position. He was then turned into a real-life mummy. The dead monk was then cast into a statue and remained hidden inside it for almost twenty generations.
A Mysterious Tibetan Skull
Millions of people are fascinated with the idea of looking for bargains at markets and antique shops. One such story of success happened in Vienna back in 2011, when a 300-year-old skull was found in a small antique shop.
According to the Austrian store owner, this skull belonged to a man who provided medical assistance to Tibetan monks. The man's teeth and skull were perfectly preserved, and his head was carved with various depictions of the macabre. The true origins of the skull remain a mystery, but it is still considered a rare piece of history.