Historical Mysteries That Have Finally Been Solved This Year
A few mysteries from the past seemed unsolvable...until now. In some cases, experts required technology that hadn't yet been invented. In others, researchers had to locate hidden sites in the most remote parts of the world. But these revelations have been worth the wait. After being stumped for centuries, we finally have answers to these 30 enigmas, and they are forever changing how we understand humanity's origins.
1. The Bosham head
A 350-pound stone head was found in a remote area of Southern England, puzzling locals and scientists for 200 years. The nearly featureless stone head that appeared in Bosham village, outside of Chinchester, was twice as large as a normal human head. Many scientists tried in vain to uncover the model’s identity.
Who's that statue?
Two Bournemouth University professors — Miles Russell, a senior lecturer in prehistoric and Roman archaeology, and Harry Manley, from the School of Applied Sciences — scanned the head with a 3D laser. Their scan allowed the men to finally ID the head. It belonged to a larger statue of the Roman Emperor Trajan that guarded an ancient harbor.
2. Easter Island heads
The stone heads on Easter Island have long been among the world's most famous archaeological landmarks. Carved by the Rapa Nui people, the figures originate between 1,100 and 1,500 CE. These famous monoliths have a surprising secret that was only recently unearthed.
Revealing their secret
A team of modern Easter Island researchers examined the heads and discovered they were on top of larger figures that also had bodies! Over time, dirt and rocks slowly buried the bodies, until only the heads were visible. Since being fully excavated, the monoliths now stand about 30 feet tall.
![[Duncan] / Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emperor_Trajan_at_Tower_Hill_(9548613224).jpg){kind=link}