Table of contents:
- 1. White Temple of Uruk (3200 BC)
- 2. Temple of Tarshin (3250 BC)
- 3. Sechin Baho (3500 BC)
- 4. West Kenneth Long Barrow (3650 BC)
- 5. Nap-of-Howar (3700 BC)
- 6. Sardinian Ziggurat (4000 BC)
- 7. Bugon necropolis (4700 BC)
- 8. Tomb of Barnenes (4800 BC)
- 9. Jericho Tower (9000 BC)
- 10. Tel Abu Hureira (11000 BC)
Video: 10 mysterious landmarks older than British Stonehenge
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
When it comes to ancient civilizations, the Egyptian pyramids and British Stonehenge are traditionally remembered first of all. But in fact, many architectural monuments of much earlier eras have survived on the planet. In our review, 10 mysterious buildings that were built much earlier than the stone megalithic structure in Wiltshire.
1. White Temple of Uruk (3200 BC)
During excavations of ancient Uruk (the modern village of Warka in Iraq), the White Temple was discovered, which stood at the top of the ziggurat. The small (only 20 meters long) ancient temple got its name from the white brick walls that were erected 5 thousand years ago. What makes the White Temple especially intriguing is its explicit dedication to Anu, the oldest god of the Sumerian pantheon (and one of the main figures in the epic of Gilgamesh).
2. Temple of Tarshin (3250 BC)
The Tarshin Temple is just a half hour drive from Valletta, the capital of Malta. Less famous than the Ggantija Temple and the Hal-Saflieni underground sanctuary, this structure is nevertheless the most complex of all ancient temple complexes in Malta. There are three temples in Tarshin, all of different ages. The oldest of these dates back to 3250 BC. The main secret lies in the beliefs of the people who built these temples. This still remains a mystery to archaeologists.
3. Sechin Baho (3500 BC)
Everyone has heard of the legendary Inca empire and their mountain citadel Machu Picchu. But few people know about the remains of Peruvian civilizations, which are much older. Sechin Baho was built by ancient peoples in the New World five thousand years before the heyday of the Inca empire. The temple complex, which was built around a circular area 14 meters in diameter about 370 kilometers north of present-day Lima, around 1600 BC. was completely abandoned for unknown reasons. Archaeologists suggest that even more ancient structures are hidden under Sechin Baho. The excavations have not started yet.
4. West Kenneth Long Barrow (3650 BC)
Seven hundred years before Stonehenge, West Kenneth Long Barrow was already built - a long mound with megalithic chambers. It was a burial site for the dead and is one of the best preserved of its kind in Britain. The mound towering over the surrounding valley (which is more than 100 meters long and 12-24 meters wide) was high enough for a person to stand inside. It has been used as a burial place for noble people for almost 1000 years. The bones of 50 people were found there. Why the mound was abandoned remains unclear.
5. Nap-of-Howar (3700 BC)
The two stone structures that make up the Nap of Hawar may seem insignificant at first glance, but they are actually 5,700 years old and are the oldest known stone houses in northern Europe. The walls of these houses rise more than 1.6 meters in height, but they were only discovered in the 1930s. The houses stand at the northern tip of Scotland, the Orkney Islands, an archipelago of more than 70 islands, of which only 20 are inhabited.
6. Sardinian Ziggurat (4000 BC)
If you ask where you can find a truly ancient pyramid, few people will answer that you need to look for it on the northwestern coast of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea. But it is here that the Sardinian Ziggurat is located, a 6,000-year-old building whose real purpose is still a matter of debate. Its first foundations were erected around 4000 BC, and this site is not only older than Stonehenge, but also older than the oldest Egyptian pyramids, which only began to be built 1000 years later.
7. Bugon necropolis (4700 BC)
The Bugon necropolis is considered one of the few remaining structures in the world that was already ancient even at the time of Stonehenge. The Kurgan is an artificial hill that was built on the burial site. The Bougonne necropolis, which is located near the French city of La Mont Saint-Eray, consists of no less than six mounds. The largest of them is 72 meters long. In addition to the fact that this necropolis is considered one of the oldest burial places, this 7000-year-old structure is surrounded by other mysteries. A human skull with traces of trepanation was found inside.
8. Tomb of Barnenes (4800 BC)
Mysterious symbols are engraved on stone slabs inside the megalith, which has stood for 68 centuries. Barnenese's tomb in northern Finistere (Brittany, France) is full of mysteries. Barnenes is not a public burial site, but there are 11 different tombs that were built one at a time over the centuries, starting in 4800 BC. The grave is 75 meters long and 25 meters wide. The estimated mass of the stones from which it was built is 12,000 tons, which makes this pyramid the largest megalithic mausoleum in Europe.
9. Jericho Tower (9000 BC)
The Tower of Jericho became famous thanks to the Bible. The 8.5 meter high stone tower, which is just an incredible 11,000 years old, is described as the oldest skyscraper in the world. The tower is an important milestone in the history of human progress and was completely different from other buildings of ancient Jericho. The tower was one of the first advances in the construction of people who for tens of thousands of years previously led a nomadic lifestyle. For what purpose the tower was erected remains unknown to this day.
10. Tel Abu Hureira (11000 BC)
The rectangular walls of Tel Abu Hureyr's houses dominate northern Syria. This is one of the first settlements of the most ancient farmers. The age of the village, which was inhabited by about 200 people, was determined by radiocarbon analysis at 13,000 years. These ancient structures were deliberately flooded, and now they keep their secrets deep under the waters of Lake Assad.
Truly unique antiquities, perfectly preserved antiquities can be seen today in China. One of them is the ancient defensive wall in the city of Xi'an, which, like a giant dragon, stretches from west to east of the country.
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