Archaeological excavations in Sahara. Lost City of Ubar Desert Excavations

She was just over twenty. One child is five, and the other is eight. Maybe they were suddenly overtaken by a sandstorm or a mysterious disease. Or maybe they just couldn't live without each other. And someone loving buried them in such a way that even after five thousand years the mother stretches out her arms towards her children to forever embrace them in her arms on a carpet of flowers.

Of course, we will never know for sure what happened to this family. But how interesting it is, armed with archaeological evidence, to try to restore a picture of the life of our ancestors!

Or rather, not quite ours. We are talking about the Sahara, where an international team of researchers is excavating Stone Age burials. Several thousand years later, a story about the vicissitudes of the fate of the ancient inhabitants of Africa was published in the journal PLoS ONE.

Bird's eye view of the excavation sites. In the foreground: Pleistocene dunes (that is, those that arose before the end of the last ice age about 10 thousand years ago), where settlements of Stone Age people were discovered. In the background on the right: the archaeological camp (photo by Sereno et al./PLoS ONE).

In those days, the Dark Continent was not yet divided into two parts by an endless desert, and in these places fertile lands bloomed, antelopes grazed and hippos frolicked. And people settled around large but shallow (up to 8 meters) lakes - with fish and crocodiles.

In total, about two hundred burials were found in Gobero, in the Niger River region. These excavations are a rare case when scientists were able to reconstruct in sufficient detail a picture of people’s lives over several millennia.

Ancient Africans left behind not only burials, but also garbage dumps (very valuable to scientists) and household items, in particular ceramics.

The desert, merciless to the living, has mysteriously preserved traces of a vanished civilization. Right down to the table sets of that time – mollusk shells neatly arranged by the housewives.

And there were quite a few people in these parts after the Sahara swallowed them up - which could not but affect the safety of the remains.

The numbers on the map at the top indicate excavation sites (13 in total). Below is a reconstruction of the relief in the Gobero area around 8 thousand years BC (illustration by Sereno et al./PLoS ONE).

A group of paleontologists got stuck in the local sands back in 2000 - in search of dinosaur bones. The work had already come to an end when one of the group members, Paul Sereno from the University of Chicago, convinced his colleagues to continue the excavations - he really liked the elusive outlines of something on the horizon.

The scientist almost let him down. Having gotten closer to the suspicious place, the researchers discovered human remains that were visible to the naked eye under a layer of sand. They look very ancient.

We managed to dig up about fifteen skeletons right off the bat. And almost like a dead man's chest - ancient artifacts that can be more valuable than any treasure.

In general, paleontologists were forced to give way to anthropologists and archaeologists. And some have retrained themselves.

Dr. Sereno managed to involve the National Geographic Society of the United States in the project, under whose patronage excavations began in 2003 (photo by Mike Hettwer/National Geographic).

Using their experience in finding dinosaurs, the researchers did not excavate in the traditional way - with a shovel and a brush, but resorted to a new technique: they fixed the sand around the remains with a special compound, and then used a plaster to make a “mummy” and remove the entire skeleton.

Despite the relative safety of the settlements, the desert climate also had disadvantages: dry winds pretty much battered the remains, ridding them of the smallest particles of tissue that archaeologists needed so much. The sands also created other difficulties: they are loose, which precludes dating the remains using rock deposits.

Scientists had to use strontium isotope analysis in intraosseous material - primarily taken from teeth. Another important source of information was the remains of plant pollen on pottery, stone tools, bones and in general.

In the end, despite all the difficulties, this is what we managed to find out.

A mid-Holocene garbage heap. In addition to the analysis of isotopes and pollen at individual sites, a comparative craniometric analysis of the remains with other sites was carried out. human remains, found in Africa, as well as luminescent analysis to date various objects, such as this garbage heap (photo by Sereno et al./PLoS ONE).

The “human” history of the Sahara began about 10 thousand years ago, when the last glacial period, giving birth to a new geological era - the Holocene.

The first hunter-gatherer-fishermen came to Gobero about 8 thousand years ago and lived there for one and a half thousand years - until approximately 6200 BC. Scientists attributed them to the Kiffian culture.

These were people of the so-called transitional period - from a nomadic to a settled way of life, and they were already burying their relatives. By the way, one of the burials became the oldest known object of its kind in Africa - it dates back to 7500 BC.

By the way, some scientists have suspicions that the Tenerian culture could have come under the influence of the ancient Egyptians: during excavations, minerals were discovered that can only be found in the northern Mediterranean (photo Sereno et al./PLoS ONE).

Although Agriculture had not yet penetrated the Kiffians, they were distinguished by a surprisingly impressive physique: the height of both men and women averaged about two meters.

Apparently, the Africans felt confident even on a fish diet - harpoons for hunting giant five-meter catfish were discovered at the excavation site. Things were completely different in the Sahara then. The retreating glacier filled the desert with life.

But then the great dryness came again and lasted for a thousand years: from 6200 to 5200 BC.

What happened during this millennium is not entirely clear, but after the drought, when the water returned to the desert, completely different people began to live there. They were less outstanding in stature, more slender and had elongated, narrow heads.

But the “kids,” whom scientists nicknamed Tenerians (named after the Tenere desert), have become more advanced. Hunters acquired sophisticated tools, and their homes were filled with objects of art, including Ivory and mollusk shells.

But the greatest surprise was the complexity and variety of funeral rituals. It was the Tenerians who so touchingly buried the young woman and her children.

“The Sahara is one of the most interesting laboratories for studying human responses to climate change,” says anthropologist Susan Keech McIntosh of the University of Houston. - IN in this case The quantity and quality of the remains give us an unprecedented level of detail in understanding the processes that took place at that time” (photo by Sereno et al./PLoS ONE).

On a fabulous carpet of fragrant buds. Dr. Sereno's paleontological skills came in handy: researchers discovered in the burial a large number of pollen, and of completely different colors.

However, impressive ritual practices are not the most surprising thing. For burials, people separated by several thousand years chose the same place: their graves, interspersed with each other, are scattered across two ancient dunes.

But not everyone is convinced of the independence of the two populations. Some researchers, on the contrary, see this as the main discovery and the main mystery at the same time.

For example, Joel Irish from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks believes that a more detailed comparative analysis of the “old” and “new” Goberians is needed. In his opinion, these could well be the same people who first left and then returned. True, slightly modified.

Deserts are ideal natural hiding places and hiding places for the strangest and most incredible things. The weather here can be so harsh, dry and hot that not every traveler will dare to cross the endless seas of sand. Treasure hunters quickly lose their enthusiasm under the scorching rays within just a few hours. The absence of the simplest forms of life, in some deserts even bacteria, means that the most amazing objects can survive here much longer than in more familiar conditions for humans. In addition, extreme environments are an excellent opportunity for the emergence of completely new species of animals and plants. And also deserts - perfect place for suspicious types to do their dirty deeds without worrying about uninvited observers. Get ready - in this collection you will find the strangest finds ever hidden in the sands!

10. Chinese patterns in the middle of the desert

In 2011, users of the Google Earth virtual service discovered unidentified objects in satellite images right in the middle of the sands of the Gobi Desert in the area of ​​the Chinese provinces of Xinjiang and Gansu. At first, amateurs believed the discovery to be paranormal markings similar to geoglyphs from the fields of England, which have attracted particular attention from ufologists since the 1970s. Some of the Gobi drawings turned out to be the outlines of large buildings, but a significant part of the strange compositions of white lines imprinted on the surface of the earth remained unsolved for a long time. What seemed especially mysterious was that these patterns were very large in size and were located in rather remote and practically lifeless areas. Some of the designs stretch from 800 meters to 2.5 kilometers in length!

The answer turned out to be not as sensational as many would have liked. These drawings in the middle of the Chinese desert once served as markings for spy satellites so that spacecraft could navigate and calibrate their lenses using them. Having at their disposal data on the distances and angles of specific sections of giant patterns, satellite pilots could compare their other calculations with them and correct the focusing of cameras. By the way, these satellites were not secret, and such a practice is not so unique for China. A similar system of satellite interaction with landmarks has existed in the Casa Grande, Arizona area since the 1960s.

9. Ancient Egyptian funeral boat

Among the ancient Egyptians, burying some type of vehicle along with a deceased person was a fairly common practice. For example, as many as 6 chariots were found in the legendary tomb of King Tutankhamun. Other members of noble families chose to be buried with the boats. However, even simple peasants and artisans tried to observe this tradition, buying the cheapest ships before death, so that in the afterlife they would not be left without a means of transportation. But the 4,500-year-old ship discovered in the Sahara Desert in the sands of the Abusir necropolis was completely extraordinary!

The boat, excavated in 2016, was 18 meters long, just a few meters shorter than the length of warships of the time. The ship was made of wood High Quality, and therefore it was perfectly preserved until the day of excavation. The strangest thing was that the craft was not buried in the grave of a noble Egyptian or military leader. On the contrary, the body of a common man was discovered at the excavation site. How could a poor man afford such a ship? How could the family of an ordinary Egyptian afford to buy a practically military ship or even pay for its transportation to the burial place of a relative? The answers to these questions may still be hidden somewhere in the shifting sands of the Sahara.

8. Cemetery of marine mammals in the middle of the desert

Since we're talking about tombs... Ships buried in the sands far from the sea or river banks, are not the most unusual objects ever found in deserts. IN Chilean desert Atacama is a hill symbolically named Cerro Ballena (Whale Hill). This place is located at an altitude of 40 meters above sea level, and it was discovered in 2010 during the construction of a new road. Workers found here the remains of almost 40 prehistoric and a collection of bones of other marine inhabitants (ancestors of modern dolphins, fur seals and even ancient relatives of billfish). The prehistoric natural necropolis was striking in its scale and raised many questions among paleontologists. How could several dozen animals be so different types die almost simultaneously in the same place and survive so well?

The most likely explanation is that whales, fish and other marine animals have been dying here for a long time, and the builders discovered such a massive accumulation of bones due to work in the high area. Apparently, this discovery has been waiting in the wings for about 6-9 million years. Scientists believe that the cause of this mortality could be poisoning from toxic algae. One way or another, as a result, the list of attractions in Chile was replenished with a very remarkable cemetery of prehistoric animals.

7. The unexpected discovery of a new lake in the middle of the sands of Tunisia

The appearance of the desired lake surface in the middle of the desert horizon is one of the most common hallucinations if you have long been lost in the hot sands and are severely dehydrated. The mind clings to the hope of survival, and the brain sends the person mirages, which ultimately turn out to be an optical illusion. However, this time, in the middle of the Tunisian desert, people discovered a real lake. In July 2014, 25 kilometers from the city of Gafsa, travelers discovered a new lake, and it turned out to be a small reservoir with an area of ​​approximately 10,500 square meters and a depth of 18 meters.

Naturally, having heard about the new oasis, many travelers were drawn to the reservoir. When you are in the desert, where the heat reaches 40 degrees Celsius and above, you really don’t want to miss the opportunity to relax and cool off in some water. However, the new lake turned out to be not best place for swimming due to its proximity to phosphate mines. It likely came from underground springs associated with old mines, meaning the water here is contaminated with carcinogens and potentially radioactive substances. The Tunisian authorities have not yet banned swimming in the new lake, but in the end everyone is responsible for their own health...

6. Egyptian sand cone geoglyphs

Now let's go back to Egypt. In 2014, the public was shocked by satellite images from the popular Google Maps service. Unusual spiral patterns were discovered near the Red Sea resort of El Gouna (El Guana), and they clearly consist of man-made conical shapes. In total, the pattern covers approximately 93,000 square meters, and the diameter of the central cone is about 30 meters.

To the great regret of lovers of mysticism, ufologists and other dreamers, the composition turned out to be the result of the work of a creative team that called the pattern “Breath of the Desert.” The sand masterpiece was built back in 1997 under the supervision of the Greek artist Danae Stratou, and its implementation took several years of work. It seems that people too quickly forgot about such a large-scale project of enthusiasts.

Then it was remembered in 2009, when Danai's references appeared in the press that a ditch had been dug around the central pyramid and filled to the very brim with water. Of course, in the desert, water does not stay for long, and therefore, during the rediscovery of this place already in 2014, only sand mounds and pits remained here, collected in an orderly sequence in the shape of a spiral.

5. Remains of a kangaroo with “horns”

In the Australian Nullarbor Desert in the coastal region in 2002, during excavations, a whole collection of skeletons was discovered, which local media dubbed “strange kangaroos.” The remains belonged to a species of large animal, much larger than ordinary kangaroos. These bizarre vertebrate creatures not only had massive claws specially adapted for digging, but also unusual processes above their eye sockets. At first, scientists decided that these were horns, but they were too small and barely protruded above the level of the forehead. The next version sounds more plausible - they were probably a kind of brow ridges that protected the eyes from foreign objects, injuries and the scorching rays of the sun. Experts also noted that the unknown species of kangaroo had a bulbous, bulbous nose. Be that as it may, a study of the skeleton indicates that the creature was a herbivore and would not pose any danger to people if it lived to the present day.

4. These magic circles have haunted scientists for many years

Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? But don’t rush to imagine something completely fabulous. In fact, the whole mystery of this place is connected primarily with the fact that there is literally no life in the mysterious geoglyphs, and therefore the origin of these African patterns has been haunting the minds of researchers for a long time and does not give them peace.

In the Namib Desert (Namib, a region of the southeastern coast of Africa, most of dunes is located in Namibia) and strange circles were discovered in Australia. The patterns are located in a vegetated area where the ground is fertile enough for unpretentious flora, but for some reason no grass grows within these circles. Ufology enthusiasts immediately suspected alien intervention, but skeptical scientists have long linked their theories to the influence of wind and fires. However, the researchers’ versions could not explain why grass has not grown here for several decades. Nature abhors a vacuum, and a 75-year period for sharply defined lifelessness in the midst of lush grasses seems simply incredible and even fabulous. As a result, in 2012, experts admitted that they were unable to understand the reasons for the appearance and preservation of these mysterious patterns. No plausible versions existed until 2017.

Today, the most viable theory is that the combination of desert circles is the site of empty termite colonies, which are located at just the right distance from each other, given the insect species' penchant for competition and territoriality. There is also another one. Perhaps the vegetation disappeared in places due to the fact that the root system of nearby grasses greatly influenced the distribution of water from underground sources. Since shrubs draw out all the moisture available to them, areas are formed where there is no moisture at all, which means there are no conditions for grass to appear there either. Although none of these theories can explain why the circles have not been overgrown for so long. At least these versions are somewhat more plausible than fairy-tale conspiracy theories, the machinations of fairies, or that these are alien beacons.

3. Works of ancient people

These patterns on the earth's surface were first noticed in 1927 by the British pilot Percy Maitland, but for a long time the mysterious patterns were of almost no interest to the public. On the territory of Jordan, in the area of ​​​​the Azraq oasis, hundreds of mysterious geoglyphs, the width of which is 25-30 meters, were discovered on the ground. Outwardly, they resemble patterns of wheels, and the Bedouins called these patterns “the work of ancient people.” There are 2 more of these giant wheels in the Black Desert region of Jordan, and archaeologists believe that they are about 8,500 years old. This means that the mysterious artifacts are older than the oldest pyramid in the world, which makes them even more mysterious objects.

The purpose of these objects is still unknown. One of the most popular versions is that there was once an ancient cemetery here, but this claim has never been proven and remains controversial. The patterns are built from stones and presumably represent some kind of symbols. According to the most popular opinion, these designs are associated with the astronomical knowledge of the ancient inhabitants of this region, since most of the spokes of the “wheels” of the Azraq oasis are extended towards the sunrise during the winter solstice.

Similar, but simpler marks on the ground were also found in Saudi Arabia. The huge stone triangles have been studied so little that scientists do not even know the approximate date of their origin. In addition to the triangles, other strange artifacts were also discovered here - man-made formations in the shape of the letter “U”, carved into the ground or assembled from over three hundred stones. The finds were later dubbed gates. It seems that these geoglyphs are completely unique, since such structures are not found anywhere else outside of Saudi Arabia. Scientists are still shrugging their shoulders and cannot explain the purpose of all these marks.

2. Giant Man Murray

This 4-kilometer white engraving in southern Australia near the city of Adelaide is a true masterpiece by unknown artists who painted a giant hunter throwing a stick in the middle of the desert. The geoglyph was discovered in 1998, and someone clearly had to work hard to create these outlines, because digging 30-centimeter trenches the width of an entire road in such a vast area is not an easy task. It was possible to view this extraordinary image of an ancient hunter only from the air at an altitude of 3000 meters, and experts still do not know who, how and when did it. By the way, Marree Man is so big that he even got into the Guinness Book of Records.

Most likely the author of the composition is Bardius Goldberg (Australian artist). This assumption is based on the fact that he himself once shared with the press his desire to portray something similar. The man claimed that his work would be visible from space, and that he had already begun consultations on the design of his new creative project. However, there is no information about the start of work, the hiring of performers or the rental of equipment, and Goldberg himself died back in 2002. There is no evidence of his involvement with the Murray Man, and the man himself will no longer be able to shed light on his relationship to this object. When researchers started asking local residents about the most gigantic geoglyph on the planet, many began to claim that they participated in its creation. But experts are still baffled by how this masterpiece managed to remain completely unnoticed and unknown for so long.

1. The disemboweled body of Ryan Singleton

The last item in this collection will not be as mystical as the previous ones, and is not related to archeology or the mysteries of antiquity. Instead, you will find the tragic story of a young American.

In 2013, in the Mojave Desert (Mojave, California), amateurs hiking The body of 24-year-old Georgia native Ryan Singleton (Georgia) was discovered. The guy worked in the modeling business and did not hide from anyone that he was homosexual. At the time of the discovery of his body, he had been wanted for 2 and a half months. The body was found in an unusual condition - the deceased Singleton was missing eyes, lungs, liver, kidneys and heart. No evidence was found at the scene that would help lead to the culprit or understand what happened.

Missing organs most often testify in favor of dealers working on the black market of transplantation. However, the police dismissed this option, since the official report of forensic experts indicates that the missing entrails were eaten by wild animals. But this version also has its drawbacks. For example, it is not clear why the model’s body is practically undamaged, which does not fit in with the habits of hungry animals. Ryan was gutted too neatly.

The victim's family suspects that either the guy made enemies in the modeling and entertainment business, or he was killed because of his sexual orientation in a fit of hatred. And if the guy died a non-violent death, then why in the middle of the desert and alone? The investigation is still ongoing.

Vast areas of our planet are covered with deserts. In total, they occupy 20 million km 2. There are many of them in Africa, Australia, Northern and South America. Also, large areas are occupied by the deserts of Asia - in this part of the world there are 22 of them. Among them sandy desert The Karakum desert in Turkmenistan, the sandy-rocky Syrian desert in Syria, Iraq and Jordan, the rocky-clayey Dashti-Margo desert in Afghanistan and many others.

Geographical location of the Gobi Desert

But the largest in Asia and the second largest in the world is the Gobi Desert with an area of ​​1,300,000 km 2. Its territory covers the entire south of Mongolia and a good part of China. But the Gobi cannot be called completely deserted. Here 200-300 mm falls per year. precipitation, which is one and a half times more than in classic deserts. In addition, the height of the Gobi above sea level is 900 meters, and winters here are more severe than in the neighboring Kyzylkum and Karakum deserts. Also due to its high altitude position, areas of different appearance and climate were formed in it, completely different from each other.

Diversity of the Gobi

For example, the northern Gobi Desert begins south of Ulaanbaatar and stretches to the Mongolian Altai. This is an ordinary steppe, which is covered with tall grasses, among which herds of animals graze. To the east of Altai is the Trans-Altai Gobi, and here dry rocky steppes predominate, on which only wormwood and semi-deserts with dry river beds and lonely wells grow. In addition, there is also the Gaushan Gobi, the Dzungarian Gobi, the Eastern Gobi Desert and the Gobi Altai - each of these areas has its own unique appearance. There are tall ones here mountain ranges and flat plains, salty and fresh lakes, fast transparent rivers and salt marshes.

Historical role of the Gobi Desert

Also, the Gobi Desert played an important role in the history of mankind. Genghis Khan passed through it, seeking to conquer the Chinese Jin Empire. And in August 1945, the Soviet army passed through this desert and defeated the Kwantung Army, thereby ending the Second world war. Also, for many centuries, the Great Silk Road ran through the Gobi - it passed through small villages in oases and rare cities, the remains of which are still preserved due to the dry desert climate.

Gobi - former paradise of dinosaurs

The Gobi Desert is also a place where scientific discoveries can still be made. Here, for the first time, scientists were able to excavate not individual parts of prehistoric animals, but large cemeteries of perfectly preserved skeletons. So, in 1946, an expedition led by Ivan Efremov found the remains of dinosaurs here. During life, these lizards weighed tens of tons and reached 25 meters in length. During excavations, bones were found that weighed tens of kilograms, and in the process of research, paleontologists found out that 130 million years ago in these places there was not a desert, but a swampy lowland. And ancient mammals, turtles, crocodiles, predatory and herbivorous dinosaurs lived here. And their remains were so well preserved only thanks to the desert, heat and lack of moisture in it.

Gobi Desert - excavations continue

Efremov's expedition managed to excavate three large cemeteries with prehistoric animals. Now in Central Museum Ulaanbaatar and Moscow Paleontological Museum you can see huge skeletons restored by scientists. Excavations in the Gobi Desert are still ongoing; paleontologists recently managed to find almost the entire skeleton of Tarbosaurus, which lived 70 million years ago. Archaeologists have found treasures belonging to one of Buddhist monasteries 19th century - in the 30s of the last century they were hidden from the communists who destroyed the monasteries.

Deserts cover about a third of the Earth's surface. These natural areas continue to reveal the secrets of our past and the unexplained phenomena of the present. At the same time, the deserts do not cease to expand, covering the history of the world with the sands of time. Well, archaeologists will never be left without finds that can change our understanding of the planet’s past.

15. Tarim mummies

In 1899, Swedish explorer Sven Hedin came across the ruins of the 4,000-year-old city of Loulan in the Taklimakan Desert. In 1980, in the vicinity ancient settlement A mummy was found, which was nicknamed the "Loulan Beauty". She belongs to a young Caucasian woman (tall 180 cm and strands of brown hair). Approximate age 3800 years. The burial of a 50-year-old “Cherchen man” was found next to the Loulan beauty. These finds indicate the widespread distribution of Caucasians in Inner Asia 2000-3000 years ago.

14. Shell Mystery in the New Mexico Desert

In the 1990s, one of Shell's pipelines suffered an oil spill, but the company quickly sold it. To avoid litigation, managers decided to bury 190 boxes of documentation at a depth of 12 meters in the New Mexico desert. But the secret always becomes clear. Information about the buried incriminating evidence was leaked to the authorities by a former employee of the oil giant.
13. Mysterious circles in the Namib Desert

An unusual phenomenon can be found in the Namib Desert - hundreds of miraculous circles with a diameter of 2 to 10 meters on rocky soil. The local population is sure that a dragon lives underground, and its breath burns out these circles. Scientists believe that the phenomenon is caused by termites, radioactive soil or toxins released by a certain plant.
12. Purple balls

In 2013, while walking, the couple discovered thousands of purple balls in the Arizona desert. They were sticky, watery and translucent. There was even a story about the mysterious spheres. Botanists suggest that these could be slime molds or jelly-like molds.
11. Giant Alien Brush

In 2016, a group of self-proclaimed paranormal investigators claimed to have discovered a three-fingered hand in a cave excavation in Cusco, Peru. In addition, the team discovered an elongated skull containing fragments of skin. An X-ray showed that there were what appeared to be metal implants in his arm. Scientists are still finding it difficult to answer who the three-fingered hand could have belonged to.
10. Marfa's Ghost Lights

For many years now, will-o'-the-wisps have been appearing at night in the Chihuahuan Desert, near Marfa, Texas. Indians consider them shooting stars, and ufologists consider them ghosts of Spanish conquistadors. Experts believe that this is how methane and phosphine come out and, for one reason or another, ignite.
9. Lake out of nowhere

Several years ago in Tunisia, 25 kilometers from the city of Gafsa, a lake formed in the middle of the desert. Scientists have not been able to explain how the mysterious reservoir appeared. Perhaps seismic activity is to blame.
8. Dead Sea Copper Scroll

"Copper Scroll" - a list of places in which various objects of gold and silver are supposedly hidden. The manuscript was created by the Essenes in 50-100 AD and was found in Cave No. 3 of Qumran on March 20, 1953. After deciphering the text, a treasure hunt began, but nothing was found.
7. Chinguette Libraries

Chinguetti, Mauritania, was once a medieval metropolis of 20,000 people and even a gathering place for pilgrims on their way to Mecca. In its heyday, this city in the western part of the Sahara had 30 libraries with the works of mathematicians, astronomers and doctors. Over time, only five remained, but today 6,000 valuable manuscripts have survived. Unfortunately, in 30 years these manuscripts will no longer exist due to climate change.
6. Bizarre patterns in the Gobi Desert

In 2011, Google Earth users saw bizarre patterns in the Gobi Desert in China. These objects on the border with the Xinjiang region and Gansu province seemed to some to be the creation of aliens, while others even suggested that China was preparing an air strike on the United States and was conducting exercises in the desert for this purpose. In fact, these drawings once served as markers for satellites so that spacecraft could navigate and calibrate their lenses using them.
5. Funeral boat

In January 2016, archaeologists from the Czech Republic excavated an 18-meter ship approximately 4.5 thousand years old in Abusir, Egypt. The Egyptian custom of burying boats near tombs dates back to the Early Kingdom. Until the recent discovery, not a single boat of this size had been discovered near a deceased person who was not from the royal family. Appearance The vessel speaks of the very high social status of the owner, but he was still one of the common people.
4. Whale Cemetery in the Chilean Desert

In 2010, scientists found 75 whale skeletons in the Atacama Desert. Species included the fin whale, minke whale, blue whale and even the long-extinct walrus dolphin. It was also possible to establish the cause of death of the mammals - toxic substances released during water blooms.
3. Geoglyphs in Jordan

These patterns in the Black Desert in Jordan were first discovered by British Air Force Lieutenant Percy Maitland in 1927. He published a report on what he saw in the journal Antiquity. Archaeologists have concluded that the two giant "wheels" from Wadi Al Qatafi and the Wisad Ponds are at least 8,500 years old, and predate the famous Nazca Lines of Peru by 6,000 years. However, the purpose of the drawings remains unclear.
2. Atacama humanoid

The Atacama humanoid is a small human mummy of 15 cm, found in 2003 in the abandoned village of La Noria in the Atacama Desert. This mummy has only nine pairs of ribs, as opposed to the usual twelve for humans, and a greatly elongated skull. DNA analysis showed that the find is a rare mutation in a male person. The boy suffered from a severe form of dwarfism and lived for about seven years.
1. Kangaroo with horns

In 2002, skeletons of animals resembling kangaroos were found in the Australian Nullarbor Desert. The species was distinguished by unusual processes above the eye sockets, resembling horns. Apparently, these were special brow ridges that protected the eyes from injury.

Around 9,000 years ago, during the Neolithic period, parts of what is now the Sahara Desert experienced a very humid climate. For several thousand years this "green Sahara" was home to many domestic and wild animals, as well as people. In 2000, a burial area was discovered in Niger containing hundreds of skeletons from two different archaeological cultures, each dating back thousands of years. In addition to human skeletons, hunting tools, fragments of ceramics, and animal and fish bones were found in the burials.

This dinosaur skeleton, found in Agadez (Niger), was presented to the country of Niger by paleontologist Paul Sereno at a ceremony to mark the end of a five-year civil war. This creature with the body of a dinosaur and the head of a crocodile is about 110 million years old.

Human skeleton with the middle finger inserted into the mouth.
Average daily temperature in this part Sahara desert(49 degrees) is far from the times of the “green Sahara” 4-9 thousand years ago.

Men from one of the local tribes of Niger dancing and singing at the annual festival. Representatives of this tribe may be descendants of those who lived in these places many thousands of years ago, during the existence of the “green Sahara”.

Aerial view of the camp by a small group of archaeologists excavating among the huge sand dunes in the completely deserted region of the Sahara. Looking at these places, it’s hard to believe that thousands of years ago everything here was surrounded by greenery.

Nigerian Army Soldiers, hired to protect archaeologists from a possible attack by bandits, are overseeing the excavation of an old skeleton, which is about 6 thousand years old. In this region of the Sahara, archaeologists have found many skeletons, tools, weapons, pottery shards and jewelry.

Six thousand years ago there were mother and two children buried. They lie in the grave holding hands. Someone carefully placed flowers at their head and at their feet, traces of which were discovered by scientists. How exactly these people died remains unclear.

Frequent sandstorms, whose speed reaches 30 miles per hour, greatly interfere with the work of archaeologists, falling asleep and destroying skeletons.

One of the best-preserved skeletons, lying in the sand for 6 thousand years, looks as if it was buried quite recently. The position of the skeleton suggests that the person was buried in a sleeping position.

Archaeologists are examining the skeleton of a woman who died at the age of twenty.

This man was buried with a pot on his head. Among the grave goods, archaeologists also found crocodile bones and wild boar tusks.

This 8,000-year-old rock carving of a giraffe is considered one of the best petroglyphs in the world. The giraffe is depicted with a leash on its nose, which implies the domestication of these animals by people. This image was discovered relatively recently on the top of Granit Hill by local Tuaregs.

These two skeletons are almost perfectly preserved and were found at the very beginning of the excavation process. The skeleton on the left was found with the middle finger inserted into its mouth. The skeleton on the right was buried in a grave where bones from a previous burial had been pushed to the side.

Interestingly, ancient sands can store information about the last time they “saw” light. To explore the original bottom of the former lake, it is necessary to carry out excavations on a moonless night. Optical luminescent studies of sand carried out in a US laboratory proved that the bottom of this lake was formed 15,000 years ago during the last ice age.