Atlantis Online
March 28, 2024, 04:25:00 am
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: Scientists to drill beneath oceans
http://atlantisonline.smfforfree2.com/index.php/topic,8063.0.html
 
  Home Help Arcade Gallery Links Staff List Calendar Login Register  

The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries

Pages: [1] 2 3   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries  (Read 1987 times)
0 Members and 13 Guests are viewing this topic.
Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« on: June 17, 2012, 04:52:59 pm »


The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries
By: Adam Wears,  S. McClelland-Crosby May 30, 2012 1,325,776 views



No professional position, aside from perhaps police officer and **** pizza delivery boy, is more frequently misrepresented in film than archaeologist. In movies, archaeologists are all dashing figures, risking life and limb in the pursuit of knowledge while arcane artifacts and ancient traps besiege their efforts. Or else they're perpetually opening sealed, cursed tombs and stumbling into the haunted caves of unspeakable evils in the name of science. But in reality, we all know archaeology is nothing like that. Obviously.

It's way more terrifying.
#7. The Screaming Mummies



Getty

In 1886, Gaston Maspero, the head of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, was doing like he do -- just taking mummies out of their sarcophagi, unwrapping them, dictating all kinds of boring notes -- when he came across an unusually plain burial box. Unlike the kings and queens he'd been working with for most of his career, this particular box didn't give any information as to the identity of the stiff inside. Even stranger, the body was wrapped in sheepskin, which was considered unclean by ancient Egyptians. When he finally uncovered it, Gaston also found that the corpse's hands and feet had been bound for some unspeakable reason. And then, as he slowly panned his gaze upward -- presumably while violins screeched out a dramatic, building score -- he found this screaming, undead face looking back at him:

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5dMLVDH
Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2012, 05:07:43 pm »



anubis4_2000.tripod.com

Because of the strange coverings, the bound hands and the seemingly tortured expression, experts theorized that the body (creatively named Unknown Man E) had been poisoned, buried alive or otherwise tortured before his untimely death. Now that we've done extensive studies on mummification and seen quite a few more intact examples, however, we understand how silly that theory was. Not because the "screaming mummy" was just a fluke, but because they're all screaming all the time.

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5hYonNC
Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"
Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2012, 05:08:18 pm »



Or having the most horrific orgasms known to man.

If the jaw isn't strapped shut when a body is mummified, it naturally falls open during the process of decay, leaving a permanent "scream." Most modern burial practices account for this -- the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's business partner in A Christmas Carol, is always shown with that weird headband/chinstrap for precisely this reason. But not all cultures take closing the jaw into account, or sometimes the knots tying the mouth shut just slip. That's why, since Unknown Man E, there have been several more "screaming" mummies found in various digs all around the world.

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5hhsr7l
Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"
Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2012, 05:09:07 pm »



Yep. Apparently the screaming torment of the undead just ain't a thing.

But really, when you think about it, the rational explanation for the screaming mummies doesn't actually make the finds less impressive. If anything, we have more respect than ever for archaeologists, who we now realize are constantly stumbling into strange, sealed tombs to find stuff like this thing staring at them from the shadows:


Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5iU79IL

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5huJsrH
« Last Edit: June 17, 2012, 05:11:52 pm by Valerie » Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"
Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2012, 05:11:04 pm »



"Not without my makeup!"

And when they come face to face with the scariest props from Raiders of the Lost Ark, said archaeologists not only inexplicably refrain from exploding in a big salty ball of fear urine, but calmly stride over, grab the damn thing by the neck and drag the bastard out into the sun for science to take a good, long gander at.

And that's why we propose a new field of study that devotes all of its research hours just to figuring out how to measure balls that size.
#6. The Mass Grave of the Headless Vikings

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5huJsrH
Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"
Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2012, 05:14:09 pm »

#6. The Mass Grave of the Headless Vikings



Getty

Archaeologists were digging up the side of a boring old roadway in Dorset when suddenly, instead of "more cobblestones" and "maybe part of a plow," they unearthed something a bit more exciting: a mass grave containing the headless remains of 54 Viking mercenaries. Instead of rightfully interpreting the pit as some kind of ancient "Caution: Predator Hunting Grounds" warning sign and getting the hell out of there, the archaeologists set about carefully recording the positions of the bones. As they did so, the researchers began to notice something unusual about the placement. Namely, that the leg and arm bones, heads and torsos were all neatly arranged into their own separate piles.

So what happened?

Our leading theory is that the Vikings found a Hellraiser-style puzzle box and accidentally unleashed a horde of Middle Ages cenobites.

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5j3txxb
Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"
Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2012, 05:15:44 pm »



You're welcome, Hollywood.

The archaeologists' (substantially less plausible) initial theory was that, after being captured by the occupants of a local village that somehow survived the Viking attack, the assailants themselves were murdered, with their corpses then being stripped naked and dismembered by the villagers, who also took a few heads with them as, like, fun-time souvenirs or something.

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5jZJukH
Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"
Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« Reply #7 on: June 17, 2012, 05:16:24 pm »



We're trying not to pass judgment here.

But that doesn't explain why the unfortunate Vikings were beheaded by strange, precise sword blows delivered from the front, instead of the usual hack-jobs to the back of the neck that accompany normal beheadings. In fact, the archaeologists themselves later revised their theory, admitting that the Vikings were probably not torn apart by a brutally violent mob bent on revenge, but may have been sacrificed in a highly controlled and ritualistic manner not consistent with the surrounding culture of the time. As seems to be the case in this nightmare-inducing photo:

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5jjQrUG
Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"
Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« Reply #8 on: June 17, 2012, 05:16:58 pm »



So yeah, in short: Viking Hellraiser.

Cracked: 1

Archaeology: ... probably like a hundred million (but not this one, bitches).
#5. The Mount Owen Moa

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5jqzaX4
Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"
Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« Reply #9 on: June 17, 2012, 05:17:28 pm »



In 1986, an expedition descended on Mount Owen in New Zealand with the intention of exploring the vast network of caves that dwell deep beneath the mountain.

Huh.

Ominous setting, isolated expedition, vast network of unexplored caves. Yep, sounds like somebody's filming a sequel to The Descent, all right. And true to horror cliche form, the team was excavating a path between two caves when they found something ... disturbing:

A pile of strange bones.

Still connected to shredded fragments of skin, as though fresh.

And attached to this thin

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5jzjzek
Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"
Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« Reply #10 on: June 17, 2012, 05:17:58 pm »



Seen here, clearly giving Mother Nature ... ugh, the bird.

Imagine peering through the darkness, with only the tiny, wavering beam of your flashlight picking out the world in front of you, when you're confronted by that: a very large, very claw-happy foot from some sort of hell-beast that looks like it probably died recently. And you're down there, trapped in an underground cave system, not knowing whether its bloodthirsty relatives are nearby. We mean, best case scenario, it's going to grant you four ironically cursed wishes that will ultimately kill you, right?

It turns out that the team had stumbled onto the 3,000-year-old remains of an upland moa, a flightless bird that somehow went extinct despite possessing claws that would make a velociraptor jealous. Here's the naturally mummified, 600-year-old head of a different moa:

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5k7wVRv
Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"
Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« Reply #11 on: June 17, 2012, 05:18:28 pm »



Gah! It's like The Dark Crystal come to terrible un-life!

And just like the devil's claw above, the background story behind this discovery reads like a classic horror movie plot line: It was originally discovered in another New Zealand cave back in 1863, by James Campbell. And then, with no explanation, the specimen up and vanished for a number of years, until it resurfaced and was sold to the director of Wellington's Dominion Museum by Campbell's great-great-grandson for the suspiciously low price of 5 pounds. Not listed on the receipt were: peace of mind, the remainder of his soul and a promise from the corpse that it would stop tormenting every single generation of the family that disturbed its slumber.
#4. The Tomb of the Sunken Skulls

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5kFhDl3
Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"
Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« Reply #12 on: June 17, 2012, 05:19:00 pm »




In 2009, archaeologists were excavating the bottom of a prehistoric dry lake bed in Motala, Sweden, when they stumbled upon the foundations of a mysterious stone structure ... sealed at the bottom of an ancient friggin' lake. Rather than turning tail and running away so fast their legs spun uselessly in the air for a few minutes like a Scooby-Doo cartoon, the stupidly brave scientists started digging. They eventually unearthed the exact kind of stuff one expects from primitive mystery structures: animal bones, stone tools and, oh yeah -- the 8,000-year-old skulls of 10 people, ranging in age from small children to the elderly.

And then they found an 11th skull buried deep within the ancient mud of the lake bottom.

And then they found fragments of one of the other skulls ... deliberately lodged inside the cranium of the 11th skull.

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5kOYLgO
Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"
Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« Reply #13 on: June 17, 2012, 05:19:26 pm »



Congratulations, all of you are now cursed.

Let's recap: For reasons that are unclear to us, some ancient society probably butchered 11 people in a stone hut at the bottom of a lake bed, and then put the pieces of one dead person's skull inside the brain space of another person, like the world's most godawfully horrifying nesting doll.

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5kUaJ5r
Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"
Valerie
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4942



« Reply #14 on: June 17, 2012, 05:20:00 pm »



But the horror doesn't end there: Not only had somebody perhaps bashed one person's skull in with another person's skull, but, before being interred inside the tomb, several of the bodies had stakes driven through them and were then set alight. This didn't take careful deduction on the part of the excavators to discover: Two of the skulls were found with the stakes still embedded (and in one case, entirely melded with) them.

Read more: The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html#ixzz1y5kdcLLV
Report Spam   Logged

Neart inár lámha, fírinne ar ár dteanga, glaine inár gcroí
"Strength in our arms, truth on our tongue, clarity in our heart"
Pages: [1] 2 3   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by EzPortal
Bookmark this site! | Upgrade This Forum
SMF For Free - Create your own Forum
Powered by SMF | SMF © 2016, Simple Machines
Privacy Policy