9. Stone Circles Of Senegal And Gambia
There are four massive stone structures spread over thousands of miles throughout Senegal and Gambia in West Africa, which are called the stone circles or the Senegambian stone circles.
8. Earliest Human Facial Piercing
Early this year, scientists announced the discovery of the first known facial piercing in a human, which they found while examining a 12,000-year-old skeleton from Tanzania. The man’s remains were originally discovered in 1913, but researchers didn’t notice his facial piercings until far more recently.
7. Great Zimbabwe Stone Houses
The Great Zimbabwe Stone Houses are a collection of three stone compounds that make up the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe. Perhaps the most perplexing aspect of them is the fact that they were constructed using advanced masonry and building methods that were not found in any of the surrounding areas at the time of construction, starting around 900 years ago.
6. Lalibela Churches
As Christianity became increasingly popular throughout parts of Africa during the 12th century, more churches were needed to accommodate the burgeoning number of worshipers. A complex containing 11 such structures, known as the Lalibela Churches, were carved out of rock in the mountains of Ethiopia during this time of growth, which was also during the Zagwe Dynasty.
5. The Lost City Of Meroe
Located in the East African country of Sudan, along the eastern bank of the Nile River, are the ruins of an ancient city called Meroë. Dating back to around 800 B.C., the site constitutes one of Africa’s most significant archaeological discoveries. The city was once a prominent trading post, embracing a sophisticated Egyptian culture, and filled with palaces, pyramids, and iron production facilities, owing to its rich iron deposits and fertile soil.
4. Lady Of Mali
While some researchers claim this is nothing but a naturally-formed chunk of rock, others believe that the Lady of Mali, is a gigantic carving of a woman’s face and figure. Some say that the Soninke of the Wagadu empire could have carved the lady some 12,000 years ago.
3. Bakoni Ruins
One of the world’s biggest unsolved archaeological mysteries, known as the Bakoni Ruins, can be found in the hills near the South African town of Machadodorp, which is located in the country’s Mpumalanga province. Made up of a collection of complex stone terraces, this reputed “lost city” dates back over 200,000 years, around the time when the first modern humans are thought to have evolved.
2. Oldest Tsunami Victims
This also comes from Tanzania -- more specifically, along the banks of the Pangani River. It was there, a few miles inland from the Indian Ocean, that a Swahili village once thrived around 1,000 years ago, until one day, an earthquake-triggered tsunami swept through, wiping everything in its path out of existence.
1. Ancient Pandemics
The ongoing global coronavirus pandemic has drawn widespread attention to how modern science and medicine manage disease. It has also sparked a popular fascination with how past pandemics started, and how past societies and governments handled rapidly spreading illnesses.
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