These eerie finds reveal the darker side of history, with artifacts and remains that tell unsettling stories. Imagine uncovering ancient curses, macabre relics, and mysterious ruins that send shivers down your spine.
1. The Screaming Mummy
2. The Grauballe Man Bog Body
European Peat Bogs have preserved many bodies, including this one of a man sacrificed in 400-200 BCE. He appears to be in pain at time of death, and has a broken leg and slit throat.
3. Mummy Juice
4. Otzi the Iceman
Otzi is the oldest preserved human body at around 5300 years old. Discovered in glacial ice in northern Italy, he has a fatal arrow wound to the shoulder, and a bashed skull. He was likely on the run in the mountains before his murder. There is also believed to be an “Otzi curse,” as several people involved in his discovery died.
5. Palaio Faliro Skeletons
6. Gassed Persian Soldier
The Persians and Romans each dug tunnels under the city of Dura while fighting. After discovering Roman tunnels, Persians released noxious petrochemical smoke into the tunnels which can destroy lungs. This Persian corpse appears to have succumbed to his own side’s attack, and appears to be frantically trying to remove his armor at time of death.
7. Vampires
8. Neanderthal Cannibals
Bones from 40,000 years ago suggest that Neanderthals were cannibals when necessary.
9. Pit of Remains
10. Aztec Skull Towers
Discovered at Tenochtitlan, towers and racks of skulls were discovered around temples. These just further emphasize the terrifying scale of Aztec human sacrifices.
11. Aztec Skull Mask
12. Zombie Tumor
The 1,600-year-old skeleton of a Romanian woman contained a tumor in her ovaries. But thanks to human egg cells, the tumor grew a few human features like these visible teeth.
13. Kenyan War Atrocities
14. Oldest Murder
Possibly the oldest discoverable murder victim, this 430,000-year-old Spanish skull has a wound through the forehead.
15. Incan Child
16. Decapitated Gladiator
Bones of gladiators or soldiers were found decapitated in York, England. Living from 400-200 BCE, the men all died before the age of 45, with their heads buried alongside the bodies.