SHOCKING DISCOVERY

this is so weird oh my God they're so strange such a strange strange animal scientists just opened a cave that was sealed for millions of years but made a shocking Discovery you might be wondering what a million year old cave could possibly be hiding but let's just say that life has an interesting way of cropping up in places you'd least expect and it's not just this cave that holds ancient Secrets join us as we take a journey through 15 shocking things found in the caves of the Earth but what could those be could it be ancient artifacts remains of a long-lost civilization or even an entirely new species let's find out 15. mobile cave Romania a cave that has been isolated for 5.5 million years was finally opened by researchers this cave known as the movile cave is home to a treacherous environment no sunlight and filled with toxic air yet somehow there's a remarkable ecosystem inside it the cave was initially discovered in 1986 by workers searching for a site to build a nuclear power plant and since then access has been restricted by authorities the depths of the mobile cave reveal an environment unlike any other on Earth the air within the cave contains less than half the oxygen found in the open air and is rich in carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide additionally complete darkness has enveloped the cave for millions of years devoid of any sunlight the extreme conditions of the cave have attracted the attention of biologists who have explored this fascinating ecosystem in a study conducted in 1996 by a team of biologists from the University of Cincinnati 48 species were identified with 33 of them being unique to the movile cave the inhabitants of the cave include various species of spiders pseudoscorpions wood lice centipedes leeches snails and more the cave-dwelling organisms have adapted to their dark environment most lack vision and pigmentation as these traits are unnecessary in the absence of light they possess elongated Limbs and antennae enabling them to navigate effectively in the Darkness what makes the mobile cave even more remarkable is that it represents the first land-based ecosystem known to rely on chemosynthetic bacteria While most ecosystems on Earth depend on photosynthesis to derive energy from sunlight the bacteria within the cave obtain energy and carbon through chemical reactions such as the oxidation of sulfide or ammonium in some ways the mobile cave ecosystem Bears a resemblance to The Peculiar ecosystems found near hydrothermal vents in the depths of the ocean however it lacks the symbiotic relationships between chemoautotrophic microbes and animals typically observed in deep sea vent communities despite Decades of knowledge about the cave numerous Mysteries remain within its depths researchers believe that there are still countless undiscovered inhabitants some of which may hold valuable insights into evolutionary biology and the nature of life itself meaning we still have a lot to learn about where life can thrive in the universe if organisms can crop up in these harsh conditions who knows where else we could find life on Earth or even in the solar system 14. altamora man in the depths of an Italian cave a remarkable find has unveiled the mysteries of our ancient relatives meet altamora man a 170 000 year old skeleton discovered in the lamalunga caves back in 1993 this extraordinary Discovery amazed researchers it was the oldest piece of Neanderthal skeleton from which DNA could be extracted sadly due to the fragile state of the skull and its confinement within stalactites and stalagmites a thorough analysis was challenging The Remains were left undisturbed to prevent any damage but that wasn't the end the Breakthrough came when scientists managed to extract DNA from altamora man's right shoulder blade these ancient molecules potentially dating back 170 000 years hold the promise of revealing a comprehensive picture of Neanderthal life as never seen before altamore a man is no ordinary fossil in fact one paleontologist involved in the research claims it to be the most intact non-human skeleton ever found from head to toe nearly all the Bony elements have been preserved giving us an unparalleled glimpse into the past however unraveling the mystery of altamura man's lineage wasn't easy while displaying typical Neanderthal characteristics in the face and skulls back it also boasted some peculiarities massive brow ridges unlike any scene in other neanderthals complicated the identification process but to add to the challenge the skeleton remains partially encased in rock making it harder to examine radiocarbon dating provided astounding results pinpointing the skeleton's age between 130 000 to 170 000 years it's worth noting that these bones aren't the oldest Neanderthal fossils known to us though [Music] 13. 170 000 year old roasted vegetables who knew that 170 000 year old roasted root vegetables could provide us with fascinating insights into the diets of our ancient ancestors deep inside the Border cave in South Africa scientists stumbled upon charred fragments of vegetables buried in layers of Ash and these produce are the oldest roasted root vegetables ever found early humans weren't just feasting on meat from mammoths and saber-toothed tigers the real paleo diet included a healthy dose of roasted vegetables packed with precious carbohydrates archaeologists believe that our ancestors had a well-balanced diet that combined both carbs and proteins they had a knack for culinary diversity but how did they uncover this ancient treasure it wasn't easy the team of researchers had to sift through countless charred remains and scrutinize them under microscopes it took years of dedicated detective work to identify the charred bits as rhizomes from the hypoxis genus rhizomes for those unfamiliar are the Subterranean stems of plants think of them as the hidden gems beneath the earth's surface but you might be wondering what these hypoxis rhizomes taste like they're not quite like your average potato they have a yam-like flavor giving them a unique twist and it seems early humans couldn't resist their starchy goodness turns out they used to eat these roasted vegetables quite regularly this is shown by the fact that a lot of rhizome fragments were found making it commonplace in their diets this discovery challenges the notion that our ancestors were all about meat forget the misconception that they were solely carnivorous beasts they had a real appreciation for produce balance is key when it comes to a healthy diet even for our ancient predecessors however not all hypoxis rhizomes are created equal there's a particular species known as hypoxus hemerocalidia or the African potato which is bitter in taste and used more for medicinal purposes than as a food source the Border cave people probably feasted on a different species with white fleshed rhizomes like hypoxis and gustafolia which was far more palatable 12. 175 000 year old stalagmite cave in a cave in the south of France there lies an ancient fire scorched rings of stalagmites dating back a staggering 175 000 years it turns out that our long-lost cousins the Neanderthals were quite the construction workers this cave is full of fascinating details that will blow your mind this cave site is located 30 miles from Toulouse France here archaeologists found around 400 stalagmites meticulously stacked to create not just one but two circular structures all of this was located at a mind-boggling distance of 1102 feet into the cave what did these structures look like one of them was a perfect seven foot circle while the other had a quirky oval shape measuring around 15 feet wide and 22 feet long but the real odd find was this they showed signs of being scorched by fire why on Earth were these rings set Ablaze it's a puzzle that still has experts scratching their heads what's truly mind-blowing about this discovery is how it's turning our understanding of Neanderthals upside down we used to think they were just rough cave dwellers but these ancient Architects were way more sophisticated than we gave them credit for according to the researchers this wasn't just a one-person job it was a collective effort involving social organization and teamwork imagine the conversations the planning and the assigned roles some neanderthals carried torches While others moved materials and arranged them just so like a prehistoric construction project now we can't say for sure what these structures were used for they might have served as temporary shelters or held some spiritual significance for neanderthals but what's clear is that their creation required skill organization and an eye for design these cavemen and women were true architects of their time this shows us that the Neanderthals were on par with early humans in terms of their technical prowess hunting and fishing skills and even their artistic expression who knew our ancient relatives had such a flare for construction and creativity 11. Chauvet cave France a set of footprints found inside a cave in France told a fascinating story about the origin of human dog companionship these Footprints dating back 26 000 years suggest that our bond with dogs could actually predate the last ice age it turns out that the conventional belief that dogs were domesticated around 15 000 years ago might need a major update the footprints were found side by side indicating that a young child and a wolf or dog walked together through the cave these ancient tracks covered a distance of 150 feet and were preserved in hardened clay for thousands of years these Footprints were discovered back in 1994 by Jean-Marie Chauvet the person who gave the cave its name as the story unfolds we can picture the scene vividly in the depths of the Chauvet cave a Paleolithic child around 8 to 10 years old was exploring the dark passageways with a wolf or dog as a companion evidence suggests that the child carried a torch as a charcoal stain was found where they had stopped to clean it but this discovery goes beyond a simple companionship between a child and a canine it challenges our understanding of when and how dogs became man's best friend previously it was thought that wolves began spending time around human farms at the end of the last ice age leading to domestication however new archaeological finds and advanced DNA testing tell a different story according to the latest theories humans and dogs evolved together the ancient Footprints in Chauvet cave provide evidence that our relationship with dogs goes back much further than we thought rather than humans taming and breeding wolves it seems that our bond with dogs was built on mutual benefits and respect the cooperation between early humans and wolves would have been based on similarities in social structure and hunting objectives as well as a deep understanding of each other's intentions and moods it's fascinating to think about the implications of this new understanding the idea that dogs were our partners and friends over thirty thousand years ago opens up a whole new perspective on our shared history the absence of dog or wolf images in the cave paintings might indicate that these early wolf dogs held a special symbolic significance for our ancestors separate from other animals the bond between humans and dogs is a Timeless tale that has spanned thousands and thousands of years oldest wine ever they say wine only gets better with age so imagine stumbling upon what could possibly be the oldest wine ever found researchers found something completely unexpected in a fascinating cave in Sicily they Unearthed evidence suggesting that wine making was happening in Italy over 6 000 years ago contrary to our understanding of its ancient Roots what makes this even better is that it wasn't just grape farming they discovered it was actual wine residue the researchers hit the jackpot when they found five organic samples of wine in terracotta jars from the copper age these jars were left in a limestone cave on Sicily's southwest coast for centuries dating back to the fourth millennium BCE but how did they know it was truly wine they discovered the presence of tartaric acid and its salt affectionately known as cream of tartar these elements are key components found in grapes during the wine making process it was the Holy Grail of evidence confirming that these jars were without a doubt used to store wine this discovery has many implications it is the earliest known evidence of wine residue in all of prehistoric Italy scientists thought that winemaking started in Italy in 1200 BC after the colonization by the ancient Greeks but now they have to push that date back by 3000 years history is being Rewritten here we've been given a glimpse into the rich wine-making Heritage that has evolved over the centuries Sicily a land renowned for its wine production can now proudly claim an even more ancient wine culture 9. bird carving back in 2003 a small carving of a bird was Unearthed in the depths of the holophel's cave in Germany but his wasn't just any old bird carving this little beauty was over 30 000 years old and it was carved from mammoth ivory it is quite possibly the earliest representation of a bird ever found this art is ancient but besides its impressive age what else is so special about it this has shed some light on migration and the beliefs of our early human ancestors this finely crafted piece gave us a glimpse into the world of shamanism how by depicting a water bird with the head of a horse and the Majestic Mane of a lion quite the Fantastical creature Birds especially water birds were highly regarded as symbols in shamanic practices and this little carving was a solid piece of evidence supporting that belief plus this bird on the ivory is no amateur artwork it looks so lifelike it could almost take flight the head the eyes and that gracefully stretched out neck all contribute to its real holistic appearance the artist behind this masterpiece would be proud to know that their creation has become the oldest known representation of a bird ever discovered but this little bird was not alone it was found alongside an owl figure in a cave over in France seems like our early human ancestors had a fondness for Avian art even though this is similar to cave paintings made by our rugged neanderthals cousins they weren't responsible for this researchers have concluded that they were actually made by early modern humans thanks to carbon dating the researchers determined the age of these remarkable carvings the technique revealed that these artistic wonders were carefully carved somewhere between 28 000 to 35 000 years ago these bird figurines may be small but their significance is huge they offer us a fascinating window into the past 8. extinct bird back in 1987 a crew of archaeologists from the speleological Society of New Zealand Unearthed a claw from a bird that had long vanished from our planet the Moa bird but it wasn't just bone and Talons muscles and flesh were still sticking onto the claws bony remains these MOA birds were no laughing matter they used to roam the lands in New Zealand and there were eight different species of them some were like your average turkey in size While others were massive reaching Heights of 12 feet and weighing as heavy as 500 pounds experts were able to date the claw and it turned out to be around 3 300 years old confirming that this bird was an ancient Native of New Zealand naturally when pictures of this flesh-covered claw made their way onto the internet it caused quite a stir on social media people were going crazy commenting about how it looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie this is understandable seeing as it's not every day you come across a preserved Creature From the Past even actor Mark Hamill who played Luke Skywalker in Star Wars chimed in on Twitter he jokingly said that the claw resembled the hand of a Rancor a massive reptile-like alien creature from Return of the Jedi 7. translucent snails a group of cavers and biologists found something never seen before while they were exploring deep in the mysterious lukina Jama trojama cave systems of Croatia they discovered a brand new species of snails but these weren't your typical Garden variety snails they were translucent these translucent snails belonging to the zospium genus are a sight to behold they call the dark depths of the cave home staying put at a depth of 3200 feet below the surface and you might not believe it but they're completely blind living in total darkness but it wasn't easy discovering these snails the cave these explorers and biologists were exploring isn't your average spelunking Adventure it's one of the deepest caves on Earth ranked among the top 20. it's the kind of place where you'd expect to stumble upon some rare creatures and that's exactly what happened as the team ventured deeper into the cave collecting animal specimens along the way they came across a tiny snail that was like nothing they'd ever seen before they named it zospium thalosum and it looked nothing short of extraordinary the snail boasted a beautiful translucent shell like a little dome-shaped work of art in typical snail fashion these snails were slow they travel at a few measly millimeters or centimeters per week and even then they often move in circles they like to graze at their leisure in their comfortable cave abode when the team brought their Newfound snail to taxonomist Alexander weigand in Germany he confirmed that this species was a total newcomer to the scientific world it really is a whole new world deep inside our planet 6. oldest bow and arrow the oldest Bow and Arrow Technology ever found was located in a cave in Sri Lanka this incredible Discovery dates back 48 000 years making it the earliest evidence of archery in this part of the world the Explorers were digging around fahi and Lena a cave in Southwest Sri Lanka until they found something the cave not only had arrowheads in it but also some fancy decorative beads made from mineral ocher and Marine snail shells the interesting thing about this discovery is that not only is this a massive Revelation for South Asia it might actually be the oldest evidence of archery across the whole of Eurasia showcasing how technologically advanced these people were according to the researchers this discovery tells us something pretty interesting about our early human ancestors it seems like they knew how to adapt to different environments and had a diverse tool kit up their sleeves we can't help but give them credit for being resourceful the projectile points they found made from animal bones were a solid 48 000 years old but they were discovered in a layer that was slightly younger just around 14 years and the fashionable beads they uncovered turns out they were attached to the arrows using a bow and arrow technique can you imagine hunting squirrels and rabbits with arrowheads made from beads archaeologists are excited about this discovery as it goes against the idea that all human Innovation originated in Africa and Europe they're realizing that places like South Asia are also a serious Contender when it comes to inventive techniques our ancestors in Sri Lanka were definitely way ahead of the Curve five nine thousand year old skeleton imagine discovering an ancient skeleton and finding out it's your long dead relative from Generations ago that's exactly what happened to this history teacher in 1903 the ancient remains of a 9 000 year old skeleton were discovered in a cave in cheddar England little did anyone know that this extraordinary find would later lead to an astonishing revelation years later a history teacher named Adrian Target residing just a stone's throw away would be recognized as the deceased's direct relative spanning an astonishing 300 Generations this remarkable connection has earned the skeleton the title of the world's most distant confirmed relative through DNA analysis along the maternal line Adrian targets genetic makeup was found to align with that of the cheddar man the oldest complete skeleton ever discovered in Britain remarkably the cheddar man lived during 7150 BC predating the Advent of agriculture this genetic connection between a modern individual and an ancient ancestor raises intriguing questions about the preservation and continuity of human genetic heritage the surprising Revelation emerged during the production of a television series called Once Upon a Time in the West which delved into the archeology of Somerset as part of the show DNA tests were conducted on 20 local individuals with ancestral ties to the region Oxford University's Institute of molecular medicine performed the analysis comparing the genetic material recovered from the pulp cavity of one of cheddar man's molar teeth with the DNA of the participants the golf's cave in cheddar Gorge where the skeleton was initially found holds a place of prime significance in uncovering Paleolithic human remains in England this remarkable Discovery has provided valuable insights into the early stages of human Agriculture and challenges previous assumptions about the spread of farming in Western Europe the remains of the cheddar man suggest a fascinating Narrative of farming practices developing within the local population itself counter to the prevailing belief that farmers migrated from Eastern Europe This groundbreaking Revelation forces a reconsideration of the complex interactions and cultural exchanges that shaped the trajectory of human civilization in prehistoric times the life of the cheddar man would have been intimately connected with the dense forests and abundant wildlife of the era as a hunter-gatherer he would have relied on hunting deer rabbits waterfowl and perhaps even fish while also foraging for nuts fruits and edible roots cheddar Gorge with its ready-made shelters nearby forest and natural spring likely offered a bountiful and secure environment for his community which likely consisted of extended families physically the cheddar man would not have appeared out of place in our modern world his resemblance to contemporary humans would be striking as he could easily blend in wearing tailored clothes crafted from sewn together leather or animal skins while he lived too late to witness woolly mammoths he existed before the dawn of Agriculture and the radical shifts it would bring to human societies consider the fact that primitive Homo sapiens first showed up 300 000 years ago but the most distinct anatomical difference they had was the size of their brain boasting craniums as large as or larger than ours scientists believe that a fully modern human brain size only appeared roughly one hundred thousand years ago when taking these facts into account nine thousand years is a small amount of time evolutionarily speak this is why cheddar man would blend right into the current year the remarkable familial link between cheddar man and Adrian Target surpasses any previously recorded connections to distant ancestors even the Royal Family's lineage can be traced back only to King expert who reigned from 829 to 830 A.D in contrast the genetic connection between cheddar man and Adrian Target spans an awe-inspiring expanse of time revealing the enduring threads that connect us to our ancient roots 4. the giant Crystal Cave Chihuahua Mexico a cave full of crystals sounds like something out of fantasy but our wildest imaginations have a tendency of coming to reality deep beneath the Sierra denaika mountain in Chihuahua Mexico a hidden Wonder lies that captivates the imagination the giant Crystal Cave nestled 984 feet underground this cave is a mesmerizing realm adorned with extraordinary gypsum crystals that defy belief these magnificent crystals in the form of colossal pillars have silently grown undisturbed for over half a million years some are so vast that they stretch across the cave people have compared this to Superman's mythical Fortress of Solitude regrettably accessing this crystalline Marvel is impossible for tourists it's perhaps for the best as it's a very hazardous location being humid and hot even scientists don't get a free pass into it but how did such a wonder even come about beneath the Mountain Regional fault lines served as conduits for magma to ascend toward the Earth's surface nearly 26 million years ago this process gave rise to the mountain itself and laid the foundation for the birth of The Magnificent crystals groundwater flooded the Crystal Cave for tens of thousands of years this water driven upward by a deeper magma chamber contained a mineral called anhydrite at temperatures above 136 degrees Fahrenheit and hydrite remains stable however at lower temperatures it dissolves and reforms as gypsum a reversible transformation the presence of the magma beneath the cave maintained the water's temperature at an ideal level But as time passed the water gradually dipped below the critical threshold of 136 degrees Fahrenheit this shift caused the anhydrite to break down releasing calcium and sulfate into the water these particles began to recombine and crystallize forming a unique type of gypsum known as selenite the cave became a mesmerizing realm of white tinted selenite crystals immersed in water and shielded from drastic temperature changes these crystals grew continuously defying the bounds of time 3. crystallized human sacrifice an archaeological site in Belize called actoon tunakil muknal or the Cave of the crystal Sepulcher is home to a treasure Trove of Mayan artifacts and some disturbing discoveries this is no ordinary cave it was one where people were sacrificed in rituals when you explore the cave you'll come across skeletons lying among ceremonial artifacts and decorations they even placed some of the skeletons on altars these bones range from young kids to adults and some of them have strange skull shapes but the remains of the crystal Maiden are what stands out this poor 17-year-old boy initially mistaken for a girl had a seriously brutal end his bones are completely covered in calcium crystals making him look like the most Twisted sculpture you've ever seen the cave dates back to around 250 A.D to 909 A.D and the ancient Maya believed it was a hot spot for God's controlling Agriculture and Rain they must have thought sacrificing humans would please those deities while Human Sacrifice is thankfully a thing of the past getting to the cave is still no walk in the park you need to be in good shape to swim your way through to the entrance and only two tour operators are allowed to guide visitors to this National Monument if you're up for a spine tingling adventure and have the stamina to swim octoon tuna chill muknal might just be the place for you just be prepared for some spine chilling sights and a history lesson you won't soon forget 2. Israel's Cave of Horror the Dead Sea Scrolls weren't found all at once like some ancient treasure instead they're made up of thousands of scroll fragments that keep popping up over the years archaeologists have been stumbling upon these fragments since the 1940s and they're still discovering more in 2021 they found some new pieces in a cave in Israel called the cave of horror this cave got its awful name back in the 1960s when they found the bodies of 40 Jews who were killed by Roman soldiers in the second century researchers decided to revisit the infamous cave in 2021 and what do they find not just the Dead Sea Scrolls but also the mummified remains of a young girl who lived around 6 000 years ago these new scroll fragments are written in Greek but the name of God is written in Hebrew apparently these Scrolls belong to Jewish Rebels who went into hiding after their revolt against Roman rule went down the drain in the second century now the fragments they found contain verses from the books of Zechariah and Nahum which are part of a collection known as the book of the 12 Minor Prophets it's like finding a piece of an ancient puzzle but that's not all alongside the Scrolls they also discovered some rare coins from the time of the Jewish revolt and even an intact basket that's about 10 500 years old getting to the cave itself is not as easy as you'd think it's located about 260 feet beneath a cliff top so they had to send in repelling teams to access it this whole operation was part of an effort to protect the caves from looters who are after these precious artifacts the Judean desert has given us so much from the famous Dead Sea Scrolls to these new finds it's like a real-life archaeological Adventure uncovering the secrets of the past one scroll fragment at a time one an Ax Murderer Joseph Henry Loveless was no saint back in 1916 he was hauled off to jail on suspicion of ax murdering his wife Agnes but this man was cunning using a sneaky little saw blade hidden in his shoe Loveless made a daring escape from jail and vanished Into Thin Air but he was discovered in 1979 by a family just not in the way you'd expect the family stumbled Upon A seriously disturbing find in Buffalo cave Idaho they discovered a headless torso lying in a burlap sack twelve years later in 1991 someone came across a matching hand nearby that Sparks a search that eventually uncovers the missing legs and one arm bit by bit the pieces of the puzzle start coming together finally after 18 long years they decide to put the body to a DNA test and it turns out to be Loveless his own grandson who's pushing 90 provided his own DNA to confirm it for sure solving the mystery for good but nobody knows exactly how Loveless met his grisly end some speculate that Agnes's family fueled by Vengeance might have tracked him down and served him Justice but the details remain shrouded in uncertainty the ongoing exploration of caves around Earth is Monumental to understanding more about our planet in history who knows what we'll find next maybe it'll be the key to answering the details of evolutionary processes and the boundaries of life