Diggin’ deeper

A 2,000-year-old computer? 10 archaeological finds that challenge history

Image: The Cleveland Museum of Art

Most of the time, archaeology uncovers little more than pottery shards and ancient tools—not that there’s anything wrong with those. But sometimes, when luck strikes, excavations can reveal bizarre, baffling, and downright eerie artifacts that challenge our understanding of history. Join us on a journey through 10 of the most fascinating mysteries and unexpected finds ever unearthed.

Image: Constantinos Kollias

Recovered from a shipwreck in 1901, the Antikythera Mechanism was a surprisingly complex artifact that used intricate bronze gears to predict eclipses, track planetary positions, and regulate calendars.

Advanced imaging techniques revealed it contained at least 37 interlocking gears, operated by a hand crank, earning it the title of the world’s first known analog computer.

Image: Seiji Seiji

Dating back to 500 BCE–500 CE, these lines cover over 400 square miles and depict animals, plants, and geometric shapes. Created by removing the top layer of reddish pebbles to expose the lighter soil beneath, they have remained intact thanks to the region’s dry climate.

While their full extent can only be appreciated from the air, scholars believe they served astronomical or ceremonial purposes at the time.

Image: Spencer Davis

Found across Europe, these hollow 12-sided polyhedra date to the 2nd–4th centuries CE. From the start, they puzzled scientists, who couldn’t determine their purpose.

Their size, ranging from 1.6 to 4.3 inches, and evenly spaced holes suggest they may have been measuring tools, religious artifacts, or even knitting aids. However, no ancient texts explain their use, and, so far, the mystery remains unsolved.

Image: F𝓪7𝓪𝓭 ✔️ .

This 2,000-year-old ceramic jar contained a copper cylinder and an iron rod, which some have speculated could have been part of an ancient galvanic cell.

It might have generated the electricity required for electroplating or medicinal purposes. Tests with modern replicas show it can produce a small voltage, though its true function remains unconfirmed.

Image: The New York Public Library

Drawn by Ottoman admiral Piri Reis in 1513, this early world map depicts parts of Europe, Africa, and the Americas with surprising precision.

Some theories claim it even shows Antarctica centuries before its official discovery. The surviving fragment is now kept in Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace.

Image: Mark Rasmuson

Carbon-dated to the early 15th century, this mysterious 240-page manuscript is written in an unknown script with even stranger botanical drawings.

Despite decades of cryptographic attempts, no one has cracked its meaning. It’s housed at Yale University’s Beinecke Library.

Image: Steinar Engeland

At the northernmost tip of the island of Newfoundland, Canada, lies the first confirmed Viking settlement in North America, dated to around 1000 CE. Excavations have revealed turf houses, iron-working remains, and Viking-style artifacts.

This UNESCO World Heritage site provides clear evidence that Norse explorers reached North America nearly 500 years before Columbus.

Image: Aaron Greenwood

Discovered in 1974, China’s Terracotta Warriors consist of over 8,000 life-sized clay soldiers standing in battle formation near Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb.

Buried with the emperor around 210 BCE, these warriors were created to serve as his protectors in the afterlife, reflecting the emperor’s power and beliefs about immortality. The site remains one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in history.

Image: Gabriel Garcia Marengo

Discovered in the Alps in 1991, Ötzi is a naturally mummified man from the Copper Age, over 5,300 years old. Found with a copper axe and clothing made from multiple animal hides, his body is so perfectly preserved that even multiple tattoos can be identified.

Curiously, analysis of Ötzi’s remains revealed he died from an arrow wound, offering rare and valuable insight into prehistoric life, violence, and death during the Copper Age. A literal cold case from millennia ago, eh?

Image: Matteo Vistocco

Discovered in 1799, the Rosetta Stone is a granodiorite stele inscribed with the same text in three scripts: Greek, Demotic, and hieroglyphic. This unique trilingual inscription provided the crucial key to understanding ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Thanks to the Rosetta Stone, Jean-François Champollion was able to crack the hieroglyphic code in 1822, unlocking centuries of Egyptian history. The artifact is now prominently displayed in the British Museum.

TIE GAME!

Who Won? 10 Historic Draws Explained

Image: easycross0

The spirit of competition lies in the competition itself, rather than in who is crowned victorious. But no one can argue that things are much sweeter for the one who claims the prize. That is why ties are such a rare situation: a moment in time when the powers that be decide that either both or none of the participants have done enough to deserve the crown. Read on and learn about ten such historical situations.

Image: michael weir

One of the semi-finals of the 1999 Cricket World Cup was a One Day International match played on 17 June 1999 at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham, England. The game was played between South Africa and Australia.

The whole thing ended in a tie after a run out between Allan Donald and Lance Klusener ended the match, which resulted in Australia winning a place in the final where they would play against Pakistan, due to finishing higher in the Super 6 score.

Image: Olga Guryanova

Rugby is a very popular sport in South Africa. The 2006 ABSA Currie Cup season was contested from June through October. The Currie Cup is an annual domestic competition for rugby union clubs in South Africa.

The final match ended in a draw between the Free State Cheetahs and the Blue Bulls with both teams scoring 28-all at Vodacom Park and with both names going into the famous trophy. It was the first drawn final since the 1989 season.

Image: Peter Glaser

Soccer matches don’t usually have that many goals per match. So, the chance of both teams scoring four goals each is an extremely rare one. But this is exactly what happened in 2008 when Arsenal faced Liverpool in the Football Association Premier League Championship.

After a vibrating match in which both teams exchanged goals, the marker finalized with the aforementioned 4-4, making this a historic day for the League.

Image: Will Porada

During the 2003 Presidents Cup, teams International and USA ended the scheduled matches tied at 17-17. Captains Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus picked Ernie Els and Tiger Woods, respectively to represent their teams in the playoff. Woods and Els proceeded to play three playoff holes, halving each of those three holes with pars. But, by the time the third playoff hole ended, Els and Woods were playing in a very dim light.

After the team captains discussed what to do, play into the night, or return the next day, they decided on a tie. No winner, or loser, with the two teams sharing the cup until the 2005 matches arrived.

Image: Carol Highsmith's America

Victory is a coveted trophy. Especially when the two contenders in a match share a known rivalry that spices up the whole situation. This was the case for the Rams vs. 49ers NFL game of 2012, but the odds had something different in store for the match.

After a series of electrifying plays that tilted the game numerous times in favor of one or the other, time expired, securing a tie game.

Image: Eugene Chystiakov

As in the story of John Henry vs. the steam-powered drill, Garry Kasparov was an undisputed champion of his craft, facing a challenge against a machine. The chess Grand Master faced Deep Blue, an IBM computer created for the express purpose of beating him.

In two separate events, in 1996 and 1997, the man and the computer played six games each time. The first round was won by Kasparov, the second one, by the machine.

Image: Frantzou Fleurine

During the 1966 FIFA World Championship, Uruguay and Mexico played a memorable match that ended in a 0-0 draw. Known for its intensity and physicality, the game became infamous as the "Battle of Florence" or "Battle of Santiago" due to the aggressive play and numerous fouls committed by both teams.

The game was heated, referees’s decisions were contested, players engaged in confrontations, and fights erupted everywhere.

Image: Paul Harris

Races can be won by a mere fraction of a second. But sometimes, even the most advanced time-measuring devices can’t tell the difference between competitors used to perform at such a high level.

One iconic Formula One race at the Monaco Grand Prix of 1967 ended in a photo finish, after Jackie Stewart (BRM) and Denny Hulme (McLaren) crossed the line so close it was impossible to determine a winner with the naked eye. Officials eventually declared a tie, the only one in Formula One history.

Image: Peter Robbins

A much disputed and controversial race, the Stockholm Olympics’s Men’s 100m Sprint Final of 1912 is, to this day, one of the most controversial ties in sporting history. American athletes Jim Thorpe and Don Lippincott were initially declared co-champions after finishing neck-and-neck.

However, Thorpe's victory was later revoked due to a disputed rule violation. Despite this, his title was eventually reinstated decades later.

Image: Sean Benesh

Most people would say that being able to accept a tie is easier than accepting a defeat. But, apparently, that is not always the case. We will end this list with the 1968 Yale vs. Harvard football game, which ended in a 29–29 tie. All was normal up to that moment. But then, the Harvard Crimson student newspaper famously printed the headline "Harvard Beats Yale 29–29".