5 Unsolved Mysteries from Around the World

Whenever I engage in a conversation about history, I always make a point to explain that the information I give is never the full truth, no matter how shiny the sources I bring up are.

That is because there are so many things that we aren’t yet able to fully comprehend, and perhaps never will, throughout our shared human history.

Ancient scrolls containing devilish secrets, tombs filled with treasures, bizarre signs drawn in remote areas. All of these things make for a fertile land where to plant the seeds of multiple conspiracy theories.

So, let’s take a look at some of the eeriest unsolved mysteries from around the globe.

The devil’s bible

The Devil’s Bible is a 13th-century massive tome supposedly written through a pact with the devil. Allegedly, a monk was imprisoned and sentenced to death for breaking his vows. In exchange for his life, he promised the monastery to write a book of all human knowledge — in a single day.

To fulfill this promise, the monk allegedly made a deal with the devil. The book contains over 160 different animal skins. It is so huge that it needs two people to even lift it.

Most importantly, it offers a complete translation of the bible (from Latin) and other texts (medical formulas, exorcism rituals, depictions of the devil, etc.)

The Hellenikon pyramid

It’s very common, and quite lazy, to label the Egyptian pyramids as the “ultimate mystery of the ancient world.” The main reason being that similar structures have been newly discovered all around the world in the past years.

This is also the case with the pyramids of Argolis, Greece. More specifically, the Hellenikon pyramid.

Experts have theorized that a battle once took place at the site of the Hellenikon pyramid and that the structure was erected in memory of the fallen.

The truth is that the real purpose of the pyramid is unknown, as there is no evidence that the pyramid is a tomb. What’s truly fascinating is that it dates back to 2720 B.C.E. and is significantly older than all Egyptian pyramids.

The Baghdad batteries

The Baghdad batteries were discovered in 1838 while the German archeologist Wilhelm Konig unearthed what seemed like clay jars. Each of the jars contained an iron rod enclosed in a copper cylinder.

Naturally, Konig theorized that the objects were ancient batteries used during the Parthian era, as they date back to 200 B.C.E.

An alternate theory suggests that the containers were used for protecting scrolls. This is based on the fact that a similar technique was discovered in neighboring ancient cities.

Dr. Marjorie Senechal, an Art History professor, made her students build replicas of the containers. To their utmost amazement, they produced voltage.

The bog bodies of Northern Europe

Hundreds of well-preserved bodies have been discovered in the bogs of Northern Europe since the 18th century.

The bodies forensically date to as far back as 8,000 B.C.E. and are so well preserved that the contents of their stomachs could help identify when they lived exactly.

The bodies are very different from one another in terms of age, sex, and even social standing. But, perhaps the most astonishing thing they have in common is that they all seem to have been deliberately executed then placed in the bogs. Some speculated that they were either human sacrifices or social outcasts.

The plain of jars of Laos

Believed to be over 2,000 years old, a collection of old and huge jars dots the countryside of Xieng Khuang, Laos. The site where they are located is called the Plain of Jars.

The best guess on the function of these bizarre objects is that they played a role in funeral rites.

Each one of these jars weighs at least a ton and is made of sandstone. Today, visitors are not allowed to visit the Plain of Jars as the area suffered heavily during the American “secret war.” Active cluster bombs are still scattered all over the place.

All these items, and many others, have been the object of wide speculations over the years. Some of them, like the Baghdad batteries, for example, force us to give the past a fresher look given the newfound data at hand. Others are simply there to blow our minds and anchor in us the conviction that history is truly bizarre.