Archaeological excavations in Sahara. Africa has revealed living millennia of the green Sahara Excavations in the Sahara Desert

Vast areas of our planet are covered with deserts. In total, they occupy 20 million km 2. There are many of them in Africa, Australia, Northern and South America. Also, large areas are occupied by Asian deserts - there are 22 of them in this part of the world. Among them are the sandy Karakum desert in Turkmenistan, the sandy-rocky Syrian desert in Syria, Iraq and Jordan, the rocky-clayey Dashti-Margo desert in Afghanistan and many others.

Geographical location of the Gobi Desert

But the largest in Asia and the second largest in the world is the Gobi Desert with an area of ​​1,300,000 km 2. Its territory covers the entire south of Mongolia and a good part of China. But the Gobi cannot be called completely deserted. Here 200-300 mm falls per year. precipitation, which is one and a half times more than in classic deserts. In addition, the height of the Gobi above sea level is 900 meters, and winters here are more severe than in the neighboring Kyzylkum and Karakum deserts. Also due to its high altitude position, areas of different appearance and climate were formed in it, completely different from each other.

Diversity of the Gobi

For example, the northern Gobi Desert begins south of Ulaanbaatar and stretches to the Mongolian Altai. This is an ordinary steppe, which is covered with tall grasses, among which herds of animals graze. To the east of Altai is the Trans-Altai Gobi, and dry rocky steppes dominate here, where only wormwood and semi-deserts with dry river beds and lonely wells grow. In addition, there is also the Gaushan Gobi, the Dzungarian Gobi, the Eastern Gobi Desert and the Gobi Altai - each of these areas has its own unique appearance. Tall ones meet here mountain ranges and flat plains, salty and fresh lakes, fast transparent rivers and salt marshes.

Historical role of the Gobi Desert

Also, the Gobi Desert played an important role in the history of mankind. Genghis Khan passed through it, seeking to conquer the Chinese Jin Empire. And in August 1945, the Soviet army passed through this desert and defeated the Kwantung Army, thereby ending World War II. Also, for many centuries, the Great Silk Road ran through the Gobi - it passed through small villages in oases and rare cities, the remains of which are still preserved due to the dry desert climate.

Gobi - former paradise of dinosaurs

The Gobi Desert is also a place where scientific discoveries can still be made. Here, for the first time, scientists were able to excavate not individual parts of prehistoric animals, but large cemeteries of perfectly preserved skeletons. So, in 1946, an expedition led by Ivan Efremov found the remains of dinosaurs here. During life, these lizards weighed tens of tons and reached 25 meters in length. During excavations, bones were found that weighed tens of kilograms, and in the process of research, paleontologists found out that 130 million years ago in these places there was not a desert, but a swampy lowland. And ancient mammals, turtles, crocodiles, predatory and herbivorous dinosaurs lived here. And their remains were so well preserved only thanks to the desert, heat and lack of moisture in it.

Gobi Desert - excavations continue

Efremov's expedition managed to excavate three large cemeteries with prehistoric animals. Now in the Central Museum of Ulaanbaatar and in the Moscow Paleontological Museum you can see huge skeletons restored by scientists. Excavations in the Gobi Desert are still ongoing; paleontologists recently managed to find almost the entire skeleton of Tarbosaurus, which lived 70 million years ago. Archaeologists have found treasures belonging to one of the Buddhist monasteries of the 19th century - in the 30s of the last century they were hidden from the communists who destroyed the monasteries.

Deserts are ideal natural hiding places and hiding places for the strangest and most incredible things. The weather here can be so harsh, dry and hot that not every traveler will dare to cross the endless seas of sand. Treasure hunters quickly lose their enthusiasm under the scorching rays within just a few hours. The absence of the simplest forms of life, in some deserts even bacteria, means that the most amazing objects can survive here much longer than in more familiar conditions for humans. In addition, extreme environments are an excellent opportunity for the emergence of completely new species of animals and plants. Deserts are also an ideal place for suspicious types to do their dirty deeds without worrying about uninvited observers. Get ready - in this collection you will find the strangest finds ever hidden in the sands!

10. Chinese patterns in the middle of the desert

In 2011, virtual service users Google Earth discovered unidentified objects on satellite images right in the middle of the sands of the Gobi Desert in the region 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, for a long time remained unsolved. 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 area of ​​Arizona since the 1960s.

9. 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 afterlife Don't 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 ship was made of wood High Quality, 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 world. quicksand Sugars.

8. 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 construction new road. Workers found here the remains of almost 40 prehistoric 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.

7. The unexpected discovery of a new lake in the middle of the sands of Tunisia

The appearance of the desired lake surface in the middle of the desert horizon is one of the most common hallucinations if you have long been lost in the hot sands and are severely dehydrated. The mind clings to the hope of survival, and the brain sends the person mirages, which ultimately turn out to be an optical illusion. However, this time, in the middle of the Tunisian desert, people discovered a real lake. In July 2014, 25 kilometers from the city of Gafsa, travelers discovered a new lake, and it turned out to be a small reservoir with an area of ​​approximately 10,500 square meters and a depth of 18 meters.

Naturally, having heard about the new oasis, many travelers were drawn to the reservoir. When you are in the desert, where the heat reaches 40 degrees Celsius and above, you really don’t want to miss the opportunity to relax and cool off in some water. However, the new lake turned out to be not the best place for swimming due to its proximity to phosphate mines. It was probably formed from underground sources, associated with old mines, which means that the water here is contaminated with carcinogens and potentially radioactive substances. The Tunisian authorities have not yet banned swimming in the new lake, but in the end everyone is responsible for their own health...

6. Egyptian sand cone geoglyphs

Now let's go back to Egypt. In 2014, the public was shocked by satellite images from the popular Google Maps service. Unusual spiral patterns were discovered near the Red Sea resort of El Gouna (El Guana), and they clearly consist of man-made conical shapes. In total, the pattern covers approximately 93,000 square meters, and the diameter of the central cone is about 30 meters.

To the great regret of lovers of mysticism, ufologists and other dreamers, the composition turned out to be the result of the work of a creative team that called the pattern “Breath of the Desert.” The sand masterpiece was built back in 1997 under the supervision of the Greek artist Danae Stratou, and its implementation took several years of work. It seems that people too quickly forgot about such a large-scale project of enthusiasts.

Then it was remembered in 2009, when Danai's references appeared in the press that a ditch had been dug around the central pyramid and filled to the very brim with water. Of course, in the desert, water does not stay for long, and therefore, during the rediscovery of this place already in 2014, only sand mounds and pits remained here, collected in an orderly sequence in the shape of a spiral.

5. Remains of a kangaroo with “horns”

IN Australian desert Nullarbor 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.

4. These magic circles haunted scientists for many years

Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? But don’t rush to imagine something completely fabulous. In fact, the whole mystery of this place is connected primarily with the fact that there is literally no life in the mysterious geoglyphs, and therefore the origin of these African patterns has been haunting the minds of researchers for a long time and does not give them peace.

Strange circles were discovered in the Namib Desert (Namib, a region of the southeastern coast of Africa, most of the dunes are located in Namibia) and in Australia. The patterns are located in a vegetated area where the ground is fertile enough for unpretentious flora, but for some reason no grass grows within these circles. Ufology enthusiasts immediately suspected alien intervention, but skeptical scientists have long linked their theories to the influence of wind and fires. However, the researchers’ versions could not explain why grass has not grown here for several decades. Nature abhors a vacuum, and a 75-year period for sharply defined lifelessness in the midst of lush grasses seems simply incredible and even fabulous. As a result, in 2012, experts admitted that they were unable to understand the reasons for the appearance and preservation of these mysterious patterns. No plausible versions existed until 2017.

Today, the most viable theory is that the combination of desert circles is the site of empty termite colonies, which are located at just the right distance from each other, given the insect species' penchant for competition and territoriality. There is also another one. Perhaps the vegetation disappeared in places due to the fact that the root system of nearby grasses greatly influenced the distribution of water from underground sources. Since shrubs draw out all the moisture available to them, areas are formed where there is no moisture at all, which means there are no conditions for grass to appear there either. Although none of these theories can explain why the circles have not been overgrown for so long. At least these versions are somewhat more plausible than fairy-tale conspiracy theories, the machinations of fairies, or that these are alien beacons.

3. Works of ancient people

For the first time these patterns are on earth's surface British pilot Percy Maitland noticed it in 1927, but for a long time the mysterious markings were of little 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 world's oldest pyramid, making 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 marks on the ground were also 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.

2. Giant Murray Man

This 4-kilometer white engraving in southern Australia near the city of Adelaide is a true masterpiece by unknown artists who painted a giant hunter throwing a stick in the middle of the desert. The geoglyph was discovered in 1998, and someone clearly had to work hard to create these outlines, because digging 30-centimeter trenches the width of an entire road in such a vast area is not an easy task. It was possible to view this extraordinary image of an ancient hunter only from the air at an altitude of 3000 meters, and experts still do not know who, how and when did it. By the way, Marree Man is so big that he even got into the Guinness Book of Records.

Most likely the author of the composition is Bardius Goldberg (Australian artist). This assumption is based on the fact that he himself once shared with the press his desire to portray something similar. The man claimed that his work would be visible from space, and that he had already begun consultations on the design of his new creative project. However, there is no information about the start of work, the hiring of performers or the rental of equipment, and Goldberg himself died back in 2002. There is no evidence of his involvement with the Murray Man, and the man himself will no longer be able to shed light on his relationship to this object. When researchers started asking local residents about the most gigantic geoglyph on the planet, many began to claim that they participated in its creation. But experts are still baffled by how this masterpiece managed to remain completely unnoticed and unknown for so long.

1. 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.

About 9,000 years ago, a humid climate prevailed in parts of the Sahara Desert - the New Stone Age (Neolithic), the time of the appearance of metal tools and weapons. For several thousand years, the Green Sahara has been home to many animals and people. Archaeologists and anthropologists during excavations established the presence of two cultures - Kiffian (8-6 thousand years) and Tenerian (5-3 thousand years). About two hundred burials were found, some of which contained bead jewelry, stone tools and ceramic vessels. During an expedition by paleontologist Paul Sereno in Niger in 2000, dinosaur fossils were found and hundreds of skeletons, including children's, were also discovered. Hunting tools, ceramics and bones of large land animals and fish were found.

A skeleton (6000 years old) was found in the Sahara Desert in Niger (a state in West Africa), its middle finger was stuck in its mouth for an unknown reason.

In the town of In Gall, Wodaabe men dance and sing at a fast pace during the Gerewol festival. Their movements perhaps imitate the suddenness of sandstorms. Gerewol is an annual courtship festival where men try to look as handsome as possible in order to be chosen by the opposite sex of the tribe. Women can choose up to four men, and the one who remains without a partner at this festival will be alone for the entire next year.
(see what others exist)

Archaeologists were excavating far away in Gobero. This region of the Sahara is completely deserted. A small group of archaeologists have set up camp here and are conducting research. It is difficult to imagine that just a few thousand years ago the Sahara was buried in greenery, which is why it received the name Green.

The Suchomimus dinosaur froze in its lunge. This valuable find was donated by paleontologist Paul Sereno to the people of Nigeria to mark the end of a five-year civil war. Suchomimus was a carnivorous crocodile-headed dinosaur that lived 110 million years ago. More than 20 species of dinosaurs were found by the expedition during its three months in the desert.

The Niger army ensured the safety of the expedition and valuable finds from possible looters in the Sahara Desert. Archaeologists are unearthing a 6,000-year-old human skeleton. More than 250 skeletons, thousands of tools, weapons, pot shards and various decorations were found at the excavation site.

Six thousand years ago, a mother and her two children were buried at this site, holding hands. Scientists discovered that flowers were carefully placed around the deceased. The cause of their death remained a mystery.

Frequent storms in the Sahara Desert, with wind speeds of up to 30 miles per hour, quickly covered the finds with sand and archaeologists had to clear them all over again.

The well-preserved Tenerian skeleton looks as if it simply fell asleep in the sand six thousand years ago.

Dr. Chris Stojanowski and a student from Arizona State University are studying a woman who died in her 20s in the Gobero region of the Sahara.

This Tenerian male skeleton was found with his head placed in a pot. At his burial site, a crocodile ankle bone and a boar tusk were also found.

The image of a giraffe carved into stone dates back eight thousand years. The giraffe had what looked like a leash in its nose. This indicates that in those distant times there was already a certain level of domestication of these animals. A unique find was discovered on the top of a granite hill by local Tuaregs; it is about 7,000-9,000 years old.

Two perfectly preserved Tenerian skeletons were among the first to be found. The skeleton on the right was found with the middle finger in its mouth, and the one on the left was buried in a grave that contained the remains of several other burials.

Interestingly, the ancient sand remembers the last time it saw the light. A scientific expedition took samples of this very sand, digging a hole several meters deep. Later, a US laboratory found out that there was a lake in this place in the desert 15 thousand years ago, during the Ice Age.

The boy Wodaabe leads a herd of cows to water at a well five miles from his house every night. It is possible that this is exactly what his ancestor looked like, whose remains were discovered by archaeologists.

Renowned paleontologist Paul Sereno of the University of Chicago battles a massive 80 mph sandstorm. Unfortunately, he lost and the expedition’s tents were torn from their place and carried across a lifeless part of the desert. Expedition members are accustomed to this set of circumstances; they often wake up with a centimeter layer of sand on their faces.

Two archaeologists cut burlap into strips, which will later be soaked in plaster and wrapped around a hippopotamus skull. This will strengthen and protect the remains of the animal during transportation. This find dates back 1.9 million years. Over the past fifty years, hundreds of different fossils dating back 1-4 million years have been found in these areas.

The photo shows the skeleton of a woman who lay in the sands of the Sahara for several thousand years. This excavation site contained a cemetery the size of two football fields, where 250 skeletons were discovered.

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 years, 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 packs of old ones, probably the first in the world 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 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 made a monotonous noise. 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.

A lot has been written about the Gobi Desert and its findings, but I would like to especially note one of them. In an extremely remote area of ​​this arid zone, a skeleton was discovered believed to be that of a giant-sized humanoid. During life, the height of this individual was 15 meters! So whose skeleton did paleontologists discover? giant man or a space alien?

At the end of the last century, a group of researchers led by Professor Higley carried out excavations in the Gobi Desert, the habitat of. The choice of the excavation site was influenced by legends about a huge giant who once lived in the local gorge. Among the Mongols, this place was considered cursed, and people avoided it.

All that's left of the giant

According to paleontologists, the legends could have a very real basis and, in the end, it was decided to begin excavations. It was assumed that it would be possible to find the bones of someone who the local ancient residents might have mistaken for a giant. But the find turned out to be completely unusual - scientists discovered the skeleton of a giant man.

Incredibly, his height was about 15 meters! Unlike the skeleton of an ordinary person, the giant’s bones turned out to be more elongated, and his skull had both monkey and human features. Based on the shape of the skull, scientists determined that the humanoid had organs of hearing and speech, as well as a fairly developed brain. It is possible that the intelligence of the creature was higher than human.

Perhaps the giant's bones fell to the surface during the process of soft rocks being washed away by rain, and this was the reason for the emergence of the legend about the huge giant. It is possible that the ancient Mongols could have encountered still living giants.

Local or alien?

The unusual-looking skeleton allowed one of the expedition members to make a statement about the discovery of the remains. As one might expect, the scientific world was skeptical about this statement.

The authoritative magazine “Nature” recalled the facts of counterfeiting of ancient statues, crystal skulls and many other “scientific” sensations. But who would need such a labor-intensive and far from cheap hoax? According to experts, it would take millions of dollars to bring it to life! The hoaxers would have to make the skeleton of a giant, age their craft, take it to a remote desert region and place it among ancient rocks. According to representatives of the intelligence services, keeping such an operation secret is an unrealistic task.

Some scientists still tried to explain the unusual find. Some researchers believed that the skeleton belonged to a space alien, others - to a biblical giant, and still others - to a representative of an ancient race of giants. The Englishman D. Stanford said that it is necessary to reconsider the entire history of mankind, since such a find contradicts the known order of things.

Stanford spoke of the earthly origin of the giant, whose skeleton was found in the desert. But the English professor Tones classified him as an alien. He stated that, most likely, such a creature did not develop according to the laws of our evolution. Ufologists rejoiced at this statement the most.

Canadian R. Wingley advised to take into account the results of the latest research. It turns out that in the past the earth rotated more rapidly, a day consisted of only nine to ten hours, and their number in a year reached 400. This could have caused the formation of natural gigantism. As an example, we can recall those who once inhabited our planet. The possibility of the existence of giant humanoid individuals cannot be ruled out.

As for ufologists, many of them still believe that the skeleton found in the desert belongs to a space alien. The remains of giants have been found on our planet more than once, but no one has come across specimens of this size before. To some extent, a humanoid of this type is unnatural for our environment. It is possible that this is really a space alien, for example, a Martian. In the meantime, the Gobi Desert is in no hurry to part with its mysteries.