Archeologists have used robots to uncover some new and strange symbols inside an unexplored portion of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The robots where able to fit inside a space that is too small people to reach.

“The big question is the purpose of these tunnels,” he added. “There are architectural explanations, symbolic explanations, religious explanations — even ones relating to the alignment of the stars — but the final word on them is yet to be written. The challenge is that no human can fit inside these channels so the only way to do this exploration is with robots.”

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By now, I’m sure you’ve all heard that archeologists are claiming to have discovered the city of Atlantis in a mud flat located in Southern Spain, but there are plenty more “lost” civilizations out there just begging for discovery. While most of these societies did not lose their entire culture due to a massive tsunami that wiped them off the face of the earth, they instead disappeared for unknown reasons that have yet to be discovered.

Top Tenz has a fantastic article about the top ten civilizations that mysteriously disappeared and the stories are all fascinating. While you may recognize some of the group’s names, like the Olmec (whose land was depopulated, most likely due to environmental changes or volcanic activity, although they may have been invaded) and the Mycenaeans (who may have been invaded, destroyed by class wars or destroyed by a natural disaster), many of the names of these cultures will be unfamiliar to all but the most dedicated history buffs.

The stories are not only fascinating in a historical context, but also a reminder that nothing lasts for ever. It’s always interesting to reflect on the fact that no matter how much power an individual society wields during its peak, it is still prone to collapse -often so suddenly that the cause of the destruction is lost to history.

The settlement of Copan is one of the most fascinating ancient ruins left behind in the world. In 1839, a traveler named John Lloyd Stephens remarked that "Copan lay before us like a shattered bark in the midst of the ocean".

The settlement at Copan, located between Honduras and Guatemala, achieved its greatest standing during the 5th century under the ruler the Great Lord Quetzal Macaw. The Great Lord was named after two of the most prominent birds in the area and he left a legacy of a settlement that thrived until the 12th century.

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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by lannaxe96.

“The earliest reports of the stones come from the late 19th century, but they weren’t really reported scientifically until the 1930s — so they’re a relatively recent discovery,” Hoopes said. “They remained unknown until the United Fruit Company began clearing land for banana plantations in southern Costa Rica.”

According to Hoopes, around 300 balls are known to exist, with the largest weighing 16 tons and measuring eight feet in diameter. Many of these are clustered in Costa Rica’s Diquis Delta region. Some remain pristine in the original places of discovery, but many others have been relocated or damaged due to erosion, fires and vandalism.

The KU researcher said that scientists believe the stones were first created around 600 A.D., with most dating to after 1,000 A.D. but before the Spanish conquest.

Hoopes says the stones are definitely man made, despite legends linking them to Atlantis or space aliens, but scientists don’t know why they were created. Link -via Digg

Of the many Emperors who ruled over this lifestyle, Nero stands out as one of the nastiest.  But you gotta give the guy points for trying to throw a serious bash.  At the time of his rule, a Roman historian named Suetonius chronicled everything, including the construction of a dining room that rotated.

Now, archeologists think they may have finally discovered this room, which was filled in and built-over in 80A.D.

Quite how the rotating dining room worked is still a bit of a mystery; some think it was by the motion of canals under the room and others think it more likely that it was manually cranked by slaves but hopefully the new funding will enable the archaeologists to confirm one way or the other.

In addition to the rotating floor, the opulent room featured fretted ivory ceilings which would pour flower petals and perfume down on Nero’s guests.  Jackie118 has more fascinating history of Nero’s Rome at the link!

Link | Image: Daily Mail

Say Peru and the wods Machu and Picchu will often spring to mind as the tourist destination.  Yet the north of the country, often neglected by tourists, has remarkable sites of its own.  From Chan Chan, the biggest adobe city ever built to the mysterious forest fortress of Kuelap, the north of this country is full of amazing reminders of its past.  Pyramids, Mausoleums and surf boards with a two thousand year history beckon.

Built around CE 850, the city was built by the Chimor civilization. It was conquered by the Incas in 1470 and it is thought that at its height over thirty thousand people inhabited the city, close to the Pacific Ocean. The site covers around twenty square kilometers – its vastness will take your breath away. Although some parts of the city are off limits (there are still threats from looters as well as the ravages of earthquakes and our old friend El Niño) the Tschudi Complex, open to the public, will more than sate your appetite for history and archeology at this remarkable place.

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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by taliesyn30.

More than 70,000 beads have been excavated on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, site of the northernmost outpost of the Spanish empire in the U.S. Consisting of French and Chinese blue glass, Dutch layered glass, and Baltic amber, the beads are enlightening archaeologists about past trade routes and comprise the largest repository ever discovered in Spanish Florida. Most of the beads were found in the cemetery under the church and were intentionally deposited with individuals as grave goods, indicating that it was a relatively wealthy outpost.

“This is the northernmost outpost of the Spanish empire, but we see evidence of ancient trade routes from China via Manila’s galleons to Mexico and Spain,” says Lorann Pendleton, Director of the Archaeology Laboratory at the Museum. “We also have found perhaps the first evidence of Spanish beadmaking, along with beads from the main centers of Italy, France, and the Netherlands.”

Link – via holeinthedonut

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by baweibel.

In China’s Henan province, a local resident found the remains of a turtle that is belived to be around 100 million years old according to an expert from a local institute. Reports also says that the organic remains were discovered in a river in Jiaxian, located in Pingdingshan City.

The turtle organic remains are around 15 centimeters long and seven centimeters wide, and weigh one kilogram. The fossil still has all four limbs and its tail, but lacks a head.

Source: english.cri.cn