History’s biggest mysteries
History’s biggest mysteries. The origins and meanings of some of the world’s most baffling historic places and events are the stuff of legend. Some involve theories about sorcery, alien encounters and unexplained structures.
Stonehenge
This huge stone monument in the English countryside has been puzzling people for centuries. There are working theories about
The Great Sphinx of Giza
The 240-foot-long limestone statue of this mythological figure overlooks the bank of the Nile (here), but exactly when it was built and why has been up for debate.
Lost Colony of Roanoke
A group of 16th-century British settlers and their dwellings are said to have completely vanished from their early Virginia colony
Easter Island
Eighteenth-century Dutch explorers stumbled upon this remote South Pacific island (find it on a map) and were stunned by the hundreds of huge stone statutes erected there. Natives died off — here’s one cause — before key questions about their origins and methods were answered.
Lost Island of Atlantis
A revered Greek philosopher told of an island that was once a seat of great power, but plummeted into the depths of the ocean
Chichen Itza
The ancient Mayans erected elaborate monuments in this city in the Yucatan Peninsula, then abandoned them.
The Shroud of Turin
Locked inside an Italian chapel is a cloth some say was placed on the body of Jesus Christ when he was buried. Some dismiss it as a forgery.
Puma Punku
This ancient Inca temple complex was constructed with puzzle-like pieces of stone cut with laser-like precision
Coral Castle
In this southern Florida town stands the 1920s home of a Latvian-American recluse. What makes it mysterious? He claimed to have built the vast “castle” all by himself using pieces of limestone that weighed tons.