Important Archaeological Discoveries in World History

Whenever it matters anywhere in the world If archaeological discoveries were madeThese give us important information about the settlements and people that existed before us and laid the foundations of the lives we live today. Archaeology, It brings together history with these revealed places and artifacts and sheds light on the past.

Dozens every year archaeological discovery It is thought that our built world still hosts thousands of undiscovered places and artifacts. Today for you, ever made most important archaeological discoveries We listed and answered questions such as what is archaeology. Now let’s move on to our article without wasting any time.

Let’s start from the basics; What actually is archeology?

Archaeology, It is the branch of science that deals with the examination of various ruins, artifacts and other ruins in order to understand human history and cultural heritage. The most important aspect of archeology is that it sheds light on the lifestyles, social lives and developments in daily life of people who lived thousands of years ago.

Archeology emerged as an academic discipline in the 19th century, during the period of state development in Europe. This is not a coincidence, because archeology has been a field directly linked to politics since its beginning. Although various kings and queens in past centuries have studied archaeological remains, none of this has been done professionally.

Especially During the Renaissance Interest in ancient culture and artifacts has increased. One of the most important reasons for this is the discovery of various artifacts from the Roman period. Nowadays, archaeological studies are carried out more smoothly and faster with different methods, along with the development of technology.

The most important archaeological discoveries in world history:

• Tomb of Tutankhamun: Egypt
• Moai Statues: Chile
• Rosetta Stone: Egypt
• Benin Bronzes: Nigeria
• Pompeii: Italy
• Earth Soldiers: China
• Machu Picchu: Peru
• Göbeklitepe: Türkiye

Tomb of Tutankhamun: Egypt

Probably archaeology One of the most famous and magnificent discoveries in history Tutankhamun’s tombIt was discovered on November 4, 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter, after seven years of work. Although a lot of information was obtained after the discovery of the grave, no clear information could be found about how he died. While some archaeologists and historians think he died from injuries sustained during a hunting accident, other experts suggest he was killed by his enemies.

From the tomb discovered in the Valley of the Kings, approximately 100,000 artifacts have been found, ranging from a granary, chariots, chairs, sandals, a shield made of cheetah skin, and the bodies of the pharaoh’s two stillborn daughters. 5,000 objects found. The most famous of these ancient masterpieces is the 3,300-year-old golden mask of King Tutankhamun.

Moai Statues: Chile

Discovered on Chilean Easter Island, located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Moai StatuesIt was built by the natives of this island, also known as Rapa Nui. The statues, thought to have been built between 1400-1650 AD, were toppled by believers in the 1860s, as the region accepted Christianity.

Approximately 95% of the approximately 1000 statues, weighing approximately 86 tons and reaching a height of 10 meters, Rano Raraku It was built by carving tuff from the volcano. If we need to explain tuff a little more, it is a substance composed of ash and silt emitted by volcanoes and is easy to carve. It is thought that these mysterious statues were built to honor important people who died.

Rosetta Stone: Egypt

In 1799, Napoleon’s It was found by French soldiers during the invasion of Egypt. The writing on the stone is about the king decree It is an official letter called. This decree was copied on large stone slabs called ‘steles’, which were found in every temple in Egypt at the time. Although there is only one copy of this ordinance, it appears to have been written in hieroglyphs, cursive, Egyptian script and ancient Greek. The biggest advantage of this situation is that scientists can use the knowledge they have about the other two languages. hieroglyphs their meaning was revealed.

Benin Bronzes: Nigeria

Another remarkable archaeological discovery is Benin BronzesThese are objects looted by British soldiers in 1897 from the Kingdom of Benin, located within the borders of today’s Nigeria. Due to an argument, British explorer James Phillips, who was working in the region, was killed along with 200 African workers working with him. The British Empire, upon receiving this news, decided to take revenge for this incident. from Benin Kingdom He sent troops to steal important works. Late last year, these magnificent works were returned to Nigeria by Germany.

Pompeii: Italy

A holiday city south of ancient Rome Pompeii, It was located next to the world-famous Mount Vesuvius. According to estimates, it took place in 79 AD. volcano eruption, It left Pompeii, one of the most famous cities of its time, in volcanic ash ruins. After the explosion, approximately two thousand people living in the city died and it became unusable.

The discovery of this historical city took place in 1748, thousands of years after the event took place. While the experts of the period were working on the city, they were very surprised to see that this city, located under the layer of dust and rubble, was intact.

Earth Soldiers: China

Considered one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century Earth Soldiersfirst Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang It consists of life-sized figures made of terracotta found in his grave. The tomb containing this great army figure was discovered in March 1974 by a man who was trying to drill a well in the area. farmers It was discovered by. So far, more than 7000 warriors, 600 horses and 100 chariot figures have been found during the work carried out inside the tomb.

Machu Picchu: Peru

In 1911, the famous American archaeologist Hiram Bingham carried out one of the most important works in the history of archeology. Ancient Inca settlement discovered. With its magnificent natural environment and admirable ruins Machu PicchuIt is a place visited by more than 300,000 people on average every year. To reach this magnificent place, located within the borders of today’s Peru, you have to climb more than 3,000 stone steps.

Göbeklitepe: Türkiye

10,000 BC It is the oldest man-made place of worship ever discovered, dating back to GöbeklitepeIt is located approximately 18 kilometers northeast of Şanlıurfa city center. This place, which still hosts dozens of mysteries, according to research Also from Mesopotamia is older. Archaeological remains found show that the inhabitants of this city were hunter-gatherers.