These discoveries remain shrouded in controversy. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the historical discoveries that have been met with major skepticism from experts.
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00:00 The map was made at a time when Antarctica was ice-free,
00:05 which would be many millions of years ago.
00:10 - Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:11 And today we're counting down our picks
00:13 for the historical discoveries that have been met
00:15 with major skepticism from experts.
00:18 - You know, there's enough money to be made
00:20 by everyone who's involved in antiquities
00:23 that it doesn't need to make fakes.
00:26 But some people are too greedy.
00:30 - Number 10, Akambaro figures.
00:32 The discovery of these clay figurines in 1944
00:36 caused a debate on Earth's true age.
00:38 Some of the dolls even depicted humans
00:40 domesticating dinosaurs.
00:42 It was argued that the only way this could be possible
00:44 was if the two coexisted at some point.
00:47 Some were convinced this was proof
00:49 that the world wasn't as old as we thought.
00:51 However, an examination revealed the truth,
00:54 that they weren't ancient at all.
00:55 - Thousands of objects had been found
00:57 in exactly the same area,
00:59 excavated and suspiciously restored
01:01 by the same inexperienced person.
01:04 - Further testing estimated that they had been created
01:06 only a few decades or so before they were found,
01:09 and not in 2500 BCE as originally posited.
01:12 - There was no patination,
01:14 nor a coating of soluble salts
01:16 that characterized all ancient ceramics.
01:18 - Despite the proof falling through,
01:20 some are still asserting the validity of these to this day.
01:24 (speaking in foreign language)
01:28 - Number nine, Father Crespi's heirlooms.
01:43 Who knew that one man had access to years worth of history?
01:47 Father Carlo Crespi Croci was a priest
01:50 who had spent decades collecting heirlooms
01:51 that he was given while on mission trips.
01:53 Throughout his life, he collected over 50,000 pieces,
01:57 including a set of mysterious metallic plates.
02:00 They ended up causing controversy
02:02 due to some believers claiming they were made by aliens
02:04 and found in a golden cave.
02:06 However, researchers concluded
02:08 that they were modern day art pieces coated in metal.
02:11 The most likely case is that they were created
02:14 by those helped by Father Crespi
02:16 and given to him as a gift.
02:18 - A gift?
02:19 A gift for me?
02:22 - While not as thrilling as aliens,
02:24 it certainly makes more sense.
02:26 Number eight, the Shroud of Turin.
02:28 Since being unearthed in the 1300s,
02:31 the legitimacy around this piece
02:32 has been constantly questioned.
02:34 - Perhaps the most cherished ancient artifact
02:37 in the Western world, the Shroud of Turin.
02:41 - The Shroud of Turin seemingly bears an imprint
02:48 of a human form.
02:50 The assumption by many religious believers
02:52 is that it was depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
02:56 But while some regarded it as a holy icon,
02:59 others weren't so sure.
03:01 Even some religious leaders have agreed
03:03 that it is not what it is purported to be.
03:05 There have been countless tests done
03:07 to properly date the Shroud,
03:09 analyzing everything from the material
03:11 to the alleged bloodstains.
03:13 Radiocarbon dating has established
03:15 that the material was produced between 1260 and 1390,
03:18 but fringe theories continue to insist
03:21 that it's the real deal.
03:22 - How about the Shroud of Turin?
03:24 - No, I'm afraid not.
03:26 But we do have the Bathrobe of St. Peter.
03:31 - Number seven, ancient artifacts of Kimbaya.
03:34 The Kimbaya civilization existed in South America
03:36 around 500 CE.
03:38 And when some of its artifacts were discovered,
03:41 small golden statues seemingly depicting a flying vessel,
03:44 there was an initial wave of excitement.
03:46 Some conspiratorial modern sources are adamant
03:49 that this was proof of the culture's interest in aviation,
03:52 while others have seen them rather
03:54 as complex depictions of various animals.
03:57 So what's the truth?
03:59 While no one is sure,
04:00 serious historians and archeologists
04:03 believe these figurines hold no major significance,
04:06 that they were just art pieces common to that time,
04:08 and that modern people have projected
04:10 a larger story onto it.
04:12 - Pre-Columbian culture knew about aerodynamics.
04:16 - Number six, the jade disks.
04:19 If there's one thing we've gleaned about older civilizations
04:22 is that they took their burial rituals seriously.
04:25 One prime example is Chinese aristocrats
04:27 being buried with intricate jade disks,
04:30 presumably to help them on their path to the afterlife.
04:33 - They were clearly important to the society
04:36 that created them.
04:37 They're found in Chinese tombs, elite burials,
04:41 often in large number.
04:43 - These disks have left historians confused
04:46 as they were incredibly detailed for the time period.
04:49 Jade is notoriously hard to work with due to its hardness.
04:52 The fact that they were able to carve into it
04:54 without the help of modern tools is baffling.
04:57 The closest guess is that they were made via brazing.
05:00 - And we are quite sure they were largely worked
05:04 with mineral abrasives.
05:05 So through the abrasive process of rubbing the surface
05:09 of the jade one way or another.
05:11 - How they came to be may always be a mystery.
05:14 As they were created during a period
05:16 that preceded recorded history.
05:18 - And one more thing,
05:19 you must find the jade monkey before the next full moon.
05:24 - Actually, sir, we found the jade monkey.
05:26 It was in your glove compartment.
05:27 - Number five, America's Stonehenge.
05:30 The actual Stonehenge in England is mysterious enough.
05:34 The so-called privately controlled America Stonehenge
05:37 is not quite the same.
05:39 It's been claimed that the structures and stone formations
05:42 are proof of an ancient pre-Columbian European colony
05:45 or settlement.
05:46 - When viewed from the center of the site,
05:48 each standing stone lines up with the sun
05:50 on important days of the year, the solstices.
05:54 - But this site in its entirety,
05:56 while of some archeological and geological significance,
05:59 has been meddled with in numerous ways over the years
06:02 for commercial gain among other motives.
06:04 This of course has made it even more contentious.
06:08 But again, serious historians and archeologists maintain
06:11 this is not what its mystery hypes it up to be.
06:14 Number four, Talpiet Tomb.
06:17 Finding the final resting place of Jesus of Nazareth
06:20 would be the finding of a lifetime
06:22 for both religious and historical reasons.
06:25 While some stated to have found it,
06:26 they certainly haven't been able to prove it's the real deal.
06:29 The Talpiet Tomb was revealed in 1980,
06:32 and since then, the arguments have been ceaseless.
06:35 Some are adamant that names and details match up perfectly
06:39 to those in the New Testament,
06:40 with opposing voices proclaiming
06:42 that the names were popular for the time period
06:44 and therefore not substantive evidence.
06:47 - It's unlikely that the person or the family
06:50 that came to carve out the tomb
06:52 just carved these things at random.
06:54 They had to symbolize something.
06:58 - Some scholars have argued that there isn't enough proof
07:00 to verify any such assertions.
07:02 It is a fierce dispute that has been ongoing for decades,
07:06 and we may never know the truth.
07:08 Number three, Jehoash Inscription.
07:11 The existence of falsification in archival findings
07:14 is unfortunately common.
07:16 One well-known case of this was the Jehoash Inscription,
07:19 which claimed to have been renovation details
07:21 for a temple mentioned in the Bible.
07:24 If the inscription were found to be true,
07:26 then it would have been verification
07:27 of not only that temple,
07:29 but other historical aspects of the holy book as well.
07:32 - He said, "It's a boom box,
07:34 and on it, it says, 'James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.'"
07:39 Front page news around the world,
07:41 the first concrete carved in stone proof
07:46 that Jesus even existed.
07:48 - However, only one study later,
07:51 experts found it to be suspect.
07:53 This was evidenced by the sheer amount of spelling errors
07:56 and the usage of different forms of the alphabet.
07:58 - It's done beautifully.
07:59 If it's forged, it's by a genius.
08:02 - Some scholars are convinced
08:03 that the inscription is authentic.
08:05 However, the Israel Antiquities Authority
08:08 has declared it to be a forgery.
08:10 Number two, the Kensington Rune Stone.
08:13 There was a period of time
08:14 when Americans became enamored
08:15 with the idea of Scandinavians coming to the New World,
08:18 due to Leif Erikson's journey being widely popularized.
08:22 So when a Minnesotan found a stone
08:24 supposedly engraved with a message
08:26 from 14th century Europeans,
08:28 people were curious to say the least.
08:30 - Most of the rune stones we have are from the Viking Age,
08:33 and that would be a thousand years ago,
08:34 and they're memorials for dead people.
08:36 - However, a study done at a local college disputed this
08:40 and brushed it aside as a more modern creation.
08:43 Supporters of the stone refused to believe this,
08:46 and so it was continuously tested throughout the 1900s.
08:49 There is still a dedicated group
08:51 who are insistent about the stone's authenticity.
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09:08 Number one, Piri Reis' map.
09:12 - They didn't go to Antarctica and explore it,
09:15 but yet they were able to draw these maps of it.
09:18 - We often depend on artifacts to give us correct information
09:21 about a specific time period,
09:23 but they're not always trustworthy.
09:25 In 1513, famed cartographer Piri Reis
09:28 created his world map,
09:30 and it caused a sensation
09:31 after it was discovered in the 20th century.
09:34 Unlike other works from his period,
09:35 he depicted continents like Africa with some precision.
09:38 He also drew the coast of Antarctica.
09:41 Centuries later,
09:42 the realization of this led to further investigation.
09:45 Discrepancies were found, however,
09:47 such as the continent being drawn much further north
09:49 than it should have been.
09:51 There were also notes on the map
09:52 describing the location as warm,
09:54 which is the antithesis to Antarctica's climate.
09:57 - It shows the coast of Antarctica
10:01 as it exists under the current ice cover.
10:06 Now, that's really pretty amazing.
10:09 - This cast major doubt as to the firsthand knowledge
10:12 and accuracy of this important historical document.
10:15 Which historical discovery do you think
10:17 has been the most controversial?
10:19 Let us know in the comments below.
10:21 - This was all a big hoax.
10:23 - (laughs) Not a hoax, a publicity stunt.
10:26 - Did you enjoy this video?
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