The mysterious Gobi Desert. Origin of the Sahara Sands Local or alien

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.

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 vessel was made of high quality wood, 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.

Cemetery of marine mammals in the middle of the desert

Since we're talking about tombs... Ships buried in the sands far from sea or river shores are not the most unusual objects that have ever been found in deserts. In the Chilean Atacama Desert there 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 whales 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 of such different species die almost simultaneously in the same place and be so well preserved?

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.

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.

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 ground markings have also been 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.

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, the body of 24-year-old Georgia native Ryan Singleton (Georgia) was discovered by hikers in the Mojave Desert, California. 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 in the black market of transplantology. 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.

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 in a ceremony to mark the end of the 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”.

An aerial view of a camp by a small group of archaeologists excavating among 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.

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 isotope and pollen analysis of individual sites, comparative craniometric analysis of the remains with other human remains found in Africa was carried out, as well as luminescence analysis to date various objects, such as this garbage heap (photo Sereno et al./PLoS ONE).

The “human” history of the Sahara began about 10 thousand years ago, when the last ice age finally ended, 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).

Despite the fact that 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 art objects, including those made of 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 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 a large amount of pollen in the burial, 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.

The Gobi Desert holds many secrets. According to legend, it contains the gate to the magical country of Agartha, ruled by the king of the world. The rare daredevils who went here returned alive. That is why the path to the mysterious underground kingdom is lined with the bones of the dead. At night, strange beasts of the desert come out to hunt - and the gates of Agartha open, revealing the spirits of darkness and evil demons.

According to an old Mongolian legend, once in the Gobi Desert, now almost deserted, there was a blooming oasis and the kingdom of Xi-Xia. Numerous Chinese troops once besieged its capital, but were unable to take it by storm. Then they blocked the river that supplied the city with water and diverted it to the side. The inhabitants were thirsty, and they dug a deep well, but never got to the water. Anticipating inevitable death, their leader Khara-Jiang buried the entire treasury in a dry well and cast a spell over this place. And then he killed his family and led the warriors into the last battle.

After the death of the city's defenders, the Chinese plundered it. They tried to find treasures, but instead they dug up two huge snakes with red and green scales. In superstitious fear, the occupiers fled, and the destroyed city was swallowed up by the desert sands. These events would have remained a legend if scientists had not found ancient manuscripts in the Tangut language in Altai.

In 1720, the envoy of Peter I, Major I.M. Likharev founded the Ust-Kamenogorsk fortress on the banks of the Irtysh River. About 70 kilometers away, a Cossack patrol found Ablainkit, a fortified complex of a Buddhist monastery, protected from enemies by powerful walls. For unknown reasons, the inhabitants left it, but did not destroy or take anything with them. The temple sanctuary was filled with statues of idols, and numerous handwritten scrolls were kept in a huge cabinet with drawers. On a black or blue background, some of them were crowded with gold and silver letters of an unknown alphabet. Several such manuscripts were delivered to Peter I, who handed them over to the Paris Academy of Sciences. Thus, for the first time, the attention of scientists was drawn to writings from Central Asia.

Without understanding the text, French scientists nevertheless compiled a translation. In truth, it was an outright “fake”, which was discovered by the Russian academician, the first Moscow archivist Gerhard Miller. In July 1734, he personally visited the unique temple of Ablainkita and described its premises in detail. And also amazing drawings, plot compositions, images of multi-headed and multi-armed male figures, naked female bodies... I also admired two miniature smelting furnaces. Perhaps with their help in the old days gold, silver or bronze figurines of Buddhist deities were made. These were the ones that usually stood in the yurts of nomads opposite the entrance.

Miller took some of the manuscripts, wooden tables with carved letters and mysterious frescoes on boards to Moscow for more careful study. Later it became clear: the texts of the manuscripts were written in the Tangut language. The question immediately arose - what kind of people are these Tanguts?

...Their state arose in the 10th century in the Gobi Desert, the climate in which at that time was much milder than now. The city of Khara-Khoto (in Tangut - Idzin-ai), located in the valley of the Etsing-gola River, was captured by Genghis Khan in 1227, but did not set it on fire and plunder. Almost two centuries later, in 1405, a Chinese army entered this flourishing oasis. Having broken the resistance of the inhabitants, it destroyed the local irrigation systems, which was tantamount to the destruction of the city. And he died. He was forgotten for several centuries.

In December 1907, General Pyotr Kozlov, a participant in the famous expeditions of Nikolai Przhevalsky, led a caravan through the spurs of the Mongolian Altai, along the Alashan desert to Lake Kukuno, sacred to many Asian peoples. He knew about the Tangut manuscripts from Ablainkit and about the dead city of Khara-Khoto. A strong wind carried sand mixed with snow. Clothes did not protect the hikers from the cold. Kozlov expected to get to the Gobi Desert in the spring. And so it happened. In March, the caravan was already crossing ridges of dunes and dry river beds, stopping briefly at rarely seen wells. The wind brought in almost unbearable heat. Dust creaked in my teeth and filled my mouth and ears. It gave travelers a sore throat and inflamed eyes. The expedition lost its way several times: the desert did not want to reveal its secrets.

But finally, traces of ancient irrigation systems appeared, and Buddhist stupas began to come across - monumental and religious buildings for storing relics. Soon, walls with protruding towers and domed buildings loomed above the sea of ​​sand. The horsemen rode into a lifeless city. Having set up camp, they began to explore the fortress. There was a gap in one of the walls through which a horseman could easily pass. Wasn't it mentioned in folk legend?
In ancient times, many caravan roads converged near Khara-Khoto, and life was in full swing here. Excavations confirmed this.

The travelers were delighted with the finds: silk paintings, scraps of ancient manuscripts and books, coins, fragments of statues made of beautifully polished rock crystal. There were even bundles of ancient, probably the world's first, paper money with hieroglyphs and red seals. General Kozlov sent a report to the capital about everything he saw and about the numerous finds. He hoped that the Russian Geographical Society would allow him to change the expedition plan.

Of course, it was necessary to stay here, because the excavations in the ancient city were very superficial. However, such permission was not forthcoming, and the caravan moved on.

The researchers walked through the Alashan desert for twenty-five days. It was hot during the day, and so cold at night that the water in the kettle froze. The Alashan ridge is a series of uplifted cliffs, followed by shifting sands. The sun heated them up to 70 degrees, and their legs burned even through the soles of their boots.

In August 1908, the caravan reached Lake Kukunor. Kozlov walked away from the camp and, lost in thought, sat on the shore for a long time. It was here that Nikolai Przhevalsky’s camp stood thirty-five years ago. As then, the waves of the lake splashed and the surf roared monotonously. A letter from St. Petersburg caught up with the expedition in the Guide oasis: “Don’t spare any effort, time, or money for further excavations of Khara-Khoto.” The head of the expedition was pleased, but it was not worth returning to the Gobi Desert in winter, and Kozlov headed to the northeastern corner of the Tibetan Plateau, to the mysterious country of Amdo. There, the expedition members had to fight off armed attacks from local tribes and sleep without letting go of their weapons. Many times their lives hung in the balance, and the travelers happily left this unkind country to return to Khara-Khoto and continue excavations there.

The real treasure was discovered in one of the suburgans, away from the fortress, on the bank of a dry river. There were many books, manuscripts, almost three hundred paintings on canvas, silk and paper, skillfully woven tapestries, bronze and gilded figurines of deities with unusually expressive faces, coins, silver and gold jewelry, various utensils... The dry climate of the desert preserved all these priceless for the history of the treasure. Work was interrupted only in the heat of the day, when one could get burned on the stones, and unexpected whirlwinds raised clouds of dust.

There were so many finds that it was not possible to take them all with us. Kozlov hid some of the treasures, hoping to take it back another time. Having packed the rest into boxes, the caravan headed to Russia.

...Petr Kozlov managed to get to Khara-Khoto again only in 1926, and upon arriving at the place, he did not find the things he had hidden the last time. Apparently, the spirits of the desert changed their minds about giving them away. But the collection taken out on the first expedition turned out to be so large that its research took many years. There were almost two thousand books and manuscripts alone! Experts in ancient writing, Mongol scholars, archaeologists and numismatists have worked for years to study the collection. Kozlov's findings made it possible to draw many important conclusions and decipher mysterious texts. As it turned out, the ancient Mongol legend about the forgotten kingdom of Xi-Xia was based on very real facts of the history of Central Asia.

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 our 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 of the 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 the 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. The appearance of the ship indicates a 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.