Ancient Artifacts & Technologies That Baffle Modern Historians

Over the years, archaeologists and historians have been befuddled by numerous anachronistic artifacts from across the globe. These items seem to contradict our perceived model of human technological evolution. Indeed, many of these discoveries convey the possibility that ancient civilizations possessed technologies many hundreds, even thousands, of years ahead of their time. Unverified accounts have surfaced of devices similar to spark plugs buried within solid rock, metallic tubes surrounded by multi-million year old chalk deposits, as well as iron implements which predate the dawn of the Homo sapiens. One of the more extraordinary examples of this are the “grooved stone spheres” which have been repeatedly found by South African miners. The spheres are an average of one inch in diameter and come in both solid and hollowed-out varieties. They are most commonly found in Precambrian, that is 2.8 Billion year-old, rock. However, many of these claims have been readily refuted by experts who understand the plethora of geological process involved. Nonetheless, several examples of unexplainable ancient technologies continue to confound researchers. Is it possible that ancient human cultures were nearly as technologically advanced as modern man? If so, why was this information lost? Do they provide evidence of alien intervention, time travel, Atlantis…or merely that we have been unable to adequately track the progress of our own species?

This most perplexing of artifacts is widely regarded as one of mankind’s first analog computers. Indeed, its complexity puts Stonehenge to shame. The device was discovered within a shipwreck by sponge-divers in 1900 off the coast of Antikythera, just northwest of Crete. Among a plethora of marble and bronze statues, the divers unearthed a mass of corroded bronze which contained some form of internal gears and wheels. At first, it was believed to be an astrolabe, a primitive astronomer’s tool, as it has been dated to sometime in the 2^nd Century B.C. However, x-ray examination of the mechanism revealed it to be far more complex than anything known to the world at the time of its creation. Historians know of no other device of equal complexity having existed for at least one thousand years after the manufacture of the Antikythera mechanism. Today, it is understood that the device is in fact an astrological “computer” as it efficiently tracks the cycles of our Solar System.

In modern days, batteries can be found at just about any corner store. This wasn’t the case around 248 B.C.; at least, not according to our accepted model of the technological evolution of mankind. A 1936 excavation in Parthian, just outside of Baghdad, Iraq revealed several devices which became known as the Baghdad, or Parthian, Batteries. The design is rather simple; wherein an iron rod is placed inside a copper cylinder. This entire apparatus is then housed within an earthenware jar capped by an asphalt stopper. When an acid or alkaline liquid, even grape or orange juice, is poured into the jar, it will produce up to around two volts of current. Most agree that the devices were likely used for electroplating objects with gold. Some scientists refuse to believe that such ancient people developed a battery over 2,000 years before electricity was invented in Europe. However, the fact that the device is able to produce electrical current with only raw archaic materials would make it a remarkable coincidence that the Baghdad batteries served a different purpose.

Most of us accept the notion that the Wright Brothers completed the world’s first heavier-than-air flight in 1903. However, archaeological findings are rapidly placing doubt on our commonly held beliefs. The most infamous piece of evidence is the “wooden bird model” discovered near Saqqara, Egypt in 1898 which was dated to around 200 B.C. Decades later, researchers realized that the “bird” model was actually a sophisticated replica of a pusher/glider. This was determined after several structural abnormalities revealed that it was certainly not a representation of a living flying creature. Most notable are the reversedihedral wings which allow the glider to remain in the air almost indefinitely, especially if engine-propelled, and makes it particularly adept at carrying heavy payloads. The contemporary Concorde airplane utilizes a similar design which maximizes lift without compromising speed. It is noteworthy that the ancient Egyptians are widely known by historians to have created scale models of their projects and concept objects which they intended to build.

Numerous gold trinkets were found throughout Central America and coastal South America which bear an uncanny resemblance to modern day space shuttles. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to accurately date gold. However, the objects are known to be at least 1,000 years old. Originally thought to be zoomorphic, representing animals, the objects were later determined to be inarguably different from similar animal artifacts from the same cultures which were generally much more obviously related to a particular creature. Close inspection reveals that the trinkets do not depict any known class of animal. The objects convey several components of modern aircraft such as forward-curved elevons attached to a fuselage as opposed to the wings as well as the presence of delta wings.

The Sumerians created one of the earliest civilizations on Earth seemingly out of nowhere (3500-1750 B.C.). Like many ancient civilizations, as well as Native American tribes, the Sumerians professed a belief that their culture had been advanced by knowledge handed down to them by entities from the sky. In Sumerian text, “those who from heaven to Earth came” were known as the Annunaki. Evidence has surfaced which substantiates the claims of various “alternative” archaeologists who proposed that ancient Sumerians were far more technologically advanced that we previously believed. In fact, there are even theories that this most ancient of all human races may have understood the composition of our Solar System as we know it today. If true, this would put Sumerian astronomers thousands of years ahead of their time since Westerners did not discover the entirety of this information until recently. Many Sumerian illustrations depict a system with a Sun at the center surrounded by 9 primary planets and up to 3 additional exo-planets. Those who would point to this as an inconsistency should note that scientists have only very recently refined the definition of a “planet.” In fact, at one point our own official planet count was as high as 15. However, in 2006, Pluto was officially aggregated into the Dwarf Planet category along with Ceres, Eris, and the rest of the Kuiper Belt objects, leaving us with 8 certified planets.

In 1938, Dr. Chi Pu Tei led an archaeological expedition into the Baian-Kara-Ula Mountains of China. He discovered several cave dwellings which had been inhabited by an ancient culture as many as 12,000 years in the past. Most astonishingly, careful excavation revealed that the cave floors were littered with hundreds of stone discs, which are now known as Dropa stones. The discs measured approximately nine inches in diameter with a circle cut out of the center. Various spiral grooves were etched within the discs, making them appear as ancient phonograph records. Closer inspection revealed that the tiny grooves were actually composed of tiny hieroglyphics that tell an amazing story of spaceships from a distant world crashing into the mountains. The ship pilots (in the story) called themselves the Dropa. As fanciful as this ancient science-fiction seemed, more evidence was uncovered that continues to baffle experts. Dr. Chi Pu Tei unearthed neat orderly rows of tombs, which contained the skeletal remains of short (approx. 4’ 4” tall) hominids.

For scale: The tether in the video is roughly 12 miles long. Some of the objects (UFOs) appear to be over 2 miles wide.