Tag Archives: Mysteries of History

Do Sea Serpents Exist?

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In August 1848, several crew members aboard the HMS Daedalus spotted a gigantic sea serpent measuring over sixty feet long in the North Atlantic. Were they correct? Did the Daedalus Sea Serpent actually exist?

The Daedalus Sea Serpent?

According to paleontologist Dr. Darren Naish, the answer is a qualified “maybe.” On July 12, the Zoological Society of London held an event called, “Cryptozoology: Science of Pseudoscience.” This represents the most recent attempt to provide a scientific basis for cryptozoology, the study of unproven animals.

The huge number of ‘sea monster’ sightings now on record can’t all be explained away as mistakes, sightings of known animals or hoaxes. At least some of the better ones – some of them made by trained naturalists and such – probably are descriptions of encounters with real, unknown animals. – Dr Darren Naish, University of Portsmouth

According to Dr. Naish, the Daedalus Sea Serpent is one of those not-so-easily explained monsters. It was spotted by Captain McQuhae as well as several of his officers somewhere between the Cape of Good Hope and St. Helena. They described it as exhibiting a four foot head and a body that measured over sixty feet long. It moved quickly, with little vertical or horizontal wavering and remained visible for about twenty minutes.

It passed rapidly, but so close under our lee quarter that had it been a man of my acquaintance I should have easily recognized his features with the naked eye…The diameter of the serpent was about fifteen or sixteen inches behind the head, which was, without any doubt, that of a snake; and it was never, during the twenty minutes that it continued in sight of our glasses, once below the surface of the water; its colour, a dark brown with yellowish white about the throat. It had no fins, but something like the mane of a horse, or rather a bunch of sea-weed, washed about its back. It was seen by the quarter-master, the boatswain’s mate, and the man at the wheel, in addition to myself and officers above mentioned. – Captain McQuhae

After it was reported, the accuracy of the sighting was questioned in The Times, a daily national newspaper based out of Great Britain. Biologists suggested that it might be an elephant seal or perhaps, an upside down canoe.  But Captain McQuhae and his men never wavered in their opinion that they’d seen a sea serpent.

Guerrilla Explorer’s Analysis

So, did the mighty Daedalus Sea Serpent exist? For that matter, do any sea serpents exist? It seems possible. After all, the ocean is a gigantic place and most of it remains unexplored. In addition, over the last twenty years, eight large marine species have been discovered, including a benthic ray in 1995 that measured over ten feet long.

I hardly ever trust eyewitness accounts of unknown monsters. However, due to their many years of experience and respected judgments, I find the testimonies of Captain McQuhae and his officers difficult to ignore. Until someone finds actual, living sea serpents, we can’t prove their existence. But in my opinion, accounts like the one from the Daedalus give us a reason to keep looking.

What’s inside the Lost Mayan Tomb?

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Three weeks ago, a team of archaeologists peeked inside a small hole hidden deep within the ruins of Palenque and in the process, became the first people in 1,500 years to see the inside of a lost Mayan tomb.  So, what did they find?

The Classic Maya City of Palenque

Palenque is a set of spectacular Mayan ruins located in southern Mexico.  They date from as far back as 100 BC.  After the decline of the Mayan civilization, they were swallowed up by the jungle and lost for centuries.

Many years ago, a royal necropolis, or cemetery, sat within the city limits of Palenque.  At some point, a step pyramid structure now known as Temple XX was built on top of the necropolis.  In the process, the builders covered up a vaulted tomb.  It is believed by some that this tomb belongs to Yohl Ik’nal, who ruled Palenque from 583-604 AD.  However, others believe that it comes from a slightly earlier time period.

Recently, a team of archaeologists from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History used a tiny video camera to peer into the tomb.  They discovered that the room contains a sarcophagus, pottery dishes, and pieces of a funerary shroud made from jade and mother of pearl.  They also discovered that the red-painted room contained remnants of an intriguing mural, depicting at least nine figures, painted in black.

Guerrilla Explorer’s Analysis

As many of you know, I will be releasing my first novel in the upcoming weeks.  Afterwards, I’ll be conducting a multi-week expedition to Palenque and other Mayan ruins scattered throughout southern Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala.  The chance to study these wonderful monuments from up-close is a very exciting opportunity for me.  I’m looking forward to visiting Temple XX and taking a closer look at this ancient tomb.  Hopefully, it will yield a wealth of new information.  And with any luck, it will allow us to shed light on many of the mysteries that continue to surround the ancient Mayan civilization.

Where is Cleopatra’s Tomb?

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Cleopatra VII is of the most significant women in history.  She ruled or co-ruled Egypt for over twenty years.  Her great beauty, enrapturing personality, and affairs with the likes of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony have become the stuff of legend.  On August 12, 30 BC, she supposedly committed suicide by inducing the bite of an asp (although one modern theory holds that she was deliberately poisoned).  For centuries, explorers have searched for Cleopatra’s tomb.  So, where is it?

Cleopatra’s Tomb?

Amazingly, after more than two millennia, Cleopatra’s tomb (which is believed to also hold Mark Antony) might be on the verge of being unearthed.  The expedition to find Cleopatra’s tomb is led by Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, and Dr. Kathleen Martinez who hails from the Dominican Republic.  They began initial work several years ago, focusing primarily on the temple of Taposiris Magna, which lies west of Alexandria.

Several circumstantial details point to the temple as a possible burial location.  It’s surrounded by a cemetery, which appears to hold people of some means.  This indicates the presence of an important nearby tomb, possibly one belonging to royalty.  Also, the expedition unearthed a separate temple dedicated to Isis, the deity from which Cleopatra claimed to be reincarnated.  Other clues, such as coins depicting Alexander the Great, provide evidence that the tombs in the area are of the right time period.

Guerrilla Explorer’s Analysis

Last month, the expedition completed a radar survey of the temple, which pinpointed three deep shafts.  They believe that one of these shafts might serve as the final resting place for Cleopatra and Mark Antony.  While the existence of Cleopatra’s tomb has yet to be confirmed, these three shafts represent the most promising lead in centuries.  If by some chance, the burial is discovered intact, it could prove to be one of the greatest treasure troves of all time…not just in terms of gold and artifacts but in terms of knowledge as well.

Did Russia build a Doomsday Machine?

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During the 1950s, Herman Kahn and Harold Brown proposed the concept of a weapon that could destroy all life on earth.  In the event of a nuclear attack from another nation, a computer would detonate multiple salted hydrogen bombs, covering the globe with lethal radioactive material.  They called it a Doomsday Machine.  Fortunately, such a device was never built…or was it? What was Dead Hand?

The Mysterious Dead Hand?

In 1985, the USSR completed the construction of a top-secret military installation known as Perimeter, or Dead Hand.  Its purpose remained closely guarded for years but in the early 1990s the truth came out.  Dead Hand was a semi-automated doomsday machine.

At the time, a doomsday machine was viewed as the perfect deterrent.  No sane leader would dare launch a nuclear attack if they knew it would bring mutually assured destruction.  A pure doomsday machine requires the complete removal of human decision-making.  So, Dead Hand didn’t quite fit into that category.  It required human activity…but not all that much of it.  Just four steps (two involving people) separated mankind from extinction.

  1. Activation: In the event of a crisis, a high official activated the system.
  2. Scan: Using seismic, radiation, and air pressure sensors, Dead Hand scanned Soviet-controlled territory for evidence of a nuclear attack.
  3. Communication: Upon finding evidence, Dead Hand checked whether it could still communicate with the Soviet General Staff’s war room.
  4. Switch of Launch Authority: If communications had ceased, launch authority transferred to three rotating duty officers who manned Dead Hand.  Ultimately, they would make the choice of whether or not to launch nuclear winter.

Why was Dead Hand Created?

Doomsday machines gained fame in fiction.  So, how did such a device ever become a reality?  In the 1980s, President Reagan and his staff initiated an aggressive campaign to convince Soviet leaders that they weren’t adverse to waging nuclear war.  The strategy worked well.  Maybe too well.

Over time, the Soviets began to believe that Reagan might actually initiate a nuclear war.  It seems clear that Dead Hand was originally intended as a deterrent in order to ensure that a nuclear attack would not go unpunished.  But a deterrent only works if others know about it.  And in shades of Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, it appears that the Soviet Union never told anyone about Dead Hand.

Some claim that Dead Hand’s true purpose was to be a self-deterrent.  In other words, it allowed Soviet leaders to avoid making hasty decisions since, in the event of an actual attack, reprisal was a near certainty.  Regardless of Dead Hand’s true purpose, its easy to imagine plenty of scenarios that could’ve led to the accidental launch of a literal doomsday.

Guerrilla Explorer’s Analysis

These days, the idea of nuclear war seems almost far-fetched.  And indeed, Dead Hand’s current location and situation remain closely guarded.  However, according to at least one source it still exists, remains fully operational, and continues to receive upgrades.  If that’s the case, nuclear doomsday may not be that far-fetched after all.

Did a Comet cause the Black Death?

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From 1347 to 1350, the Black Death ravaged Europe, reducing its population by somewhere between 30-60%.  It was one of the most lethal pandemics in history and as everyone knows, was caused by the bubonic plague.  Or was it?

Mysteries of the Black Death

Conventional wisdom holds that the Black Death was the third great outbreak of bubonic plague, following the Plague of Athens and the Justinian Plague.  Supposedly, infected rodent populations in Central Asia, or perhaps Africa, brought the disease to the Black Sea region and the Central Mediterranean, via trade routes.  However, the conventional theory is not without problems.  Here are just a few to consider:

  1. Extraordinary Kill Rate: The Black Death killed people at an extraordinary rate, far higher than that of a typical bubonic plague outbreak.  There is a pneumonic form of the disease which could explain the kill rate but its symptoms don’t match the descriptions of Black Death victims.
  2. Lack of Dead Rats: No written documents from that time describe the vast legions of dead rats required to carry the plague.
  3. The Iceland Problem: The Black Death killed over half of Iceland’s population but rats didn’t actually reach Iceland until the 19th century.
  4. Geographic Gaps: The Black Death moved in strange ways, including a leap over Constantinople on its way across the Mediterranean.
  5. Cold Temperatures: It continued to kill people during the winter months in northern Europe despite the fact that the plague requires relatively warm temperatures to survive.

Was the Black Death caused by a Comet?

So, what was the Black Death?  One intriguing possibility, according to Professor Mike Baillie’s book, New Light on the Black Death: The Cosmic Connection, is a comet shower.  Multiple sources tell us that there was a significant earthquake on January 25, 1348.  Other earthquakes soon followed.  Baillie believes that these were caused by fragments from Comet Negra, which passed by earth in 1347.  As the material descended from space, it fell on the northern Mediterranean Sea first, before branching outwards.

Through ground and sea-based collisions, these fragments injected dust as well as large amounts of carbon- and nitrogen-based chemicals into the stratosphere.  This poisoned the breathing air and the drinking water, causing most of the casualties associated with the Black Death.  Other deaths can be attributed to weakened immune systems, caused by the infected air and water, which made people easy prey for bubonic plague, anthrax, and other ailments.

Evidence for a Comet Shower?

But is there evidence to support this theory?  More than you might think.

“There have been masses of dead fish, animals, and other things along the sea shore and in many places covered in dust.  And all these things seem to have come from the great corruption of the air and earth.”

The above quote comes from a contemporary of the Black Death.  Documents of the time speak of earthquakes, tidal waves, rains of fire, foul odors, strange colors in the sky, mists, even dragons.  Historians generally dismiss these descriptions as colorful imagery or the ravings of religious fanatics.  However, Baillie suggests that they might be written accounts of what was happening at the time, as people tried to describe the startling things that they saw all around them.

Also, tree-ring data from Europe and the Americas indicates that there was a global environmental downturn during the years of the Black Death.  Ice core data suggests that there were increased amounts of carbon dioxide and ammonia in the air, suggesting ocean turnover.  All of this points to a corruption in the atmosphere.

Guerrilla Explorer’s Analysis

Can we say for certain that a comet shower caused the Black Death?  No.  However, Professor Baillie has accumulated an impressive body of evidence that deserves greater recognition.  In my opinion, his theory is the most compelling one yet to explain the true cause of the most nefarious pandemic in history.

Is Fort Knox Empty?

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A few weeks ago, CNBC announced that Ron Paul, the esteemed congressman from Texas, hoped to audit the supply and purity of the thousands of tons of gold stored in Fort Knox.  Of course, Paul’s wish makes one minor assumption…that there’s actually still gold in Fort Knox.

The Origin of Fort Knox?

The strange tale of Fort Knox, also known as the United States Bullion Depository, begins in 1933.  On April 5 of that year, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued Executive Order 6102 which, in effect, forced American citizens to turn in “all gold coin, gold bullion, and gold certificates” to the Federal Reserve.  The federal government built Fort Knox in 1936 in order to store its newfound treasure.

Citizens received $20.67 for each troy ounce of gold they turned over to the government.  Subsequently, President Roosevelt offered other nations the opportunity to buy or sell gold at $35.00 per ounce, an inflationary measure designed to end the rising Great Depression.  It didn’t work.  However, with most other assets undergoing deflation, the higher gold price attracted massive amounts of sellers from around the world.  As such, by 1949 Fort Knox held nearly 70% of the entire world’s known gold supply.

The End of the Gold Standard?

During the 1950’s, the tide began to swing the other way.  The U.S. continued to transact gold at $35 per ounce.  However, due to the declining value of the U.S. dollar, other nations were now buyers rather than sellers.  The sell-off lasted until August 15, 1971 when President Richard Nixon “closed the gold window.”  By ending the last remaining links between the U.S. dollar and gold, he also ended the need for a bullion depository.  Thus, Fort Knox became little more than a glorified, high-security warehouse.

Guerrilla Explorer’s Analysis

So, that brings us to the main question.  What, if anything, is still in the facility?  According to official records, Fort Knox holds 4,578 metric tons of gold bullion, or roughly 2.5% of the entire world’s known gold supply.  At the present spot price, that works out to $225 billion dollars.

However, that amount comes with an asterisk.  You see, no visitors have actually been inside the facility since September 1974.  And an official audit has not been performed since January 1953.  Even worse, that audit was flawed in numerous ways.  It lasted only seven days and tested just a small fraction of the gold.  With so much wealth and secrecy rolled into one location, it’s not surprising that Fort Knox has given rise to a flood of conspiracy theories.  The most popular theory is that the vault is empty or perhaps, filled with fake gold bars.

Personally, I doubt that Paul’s efforts will prove successful, at least in the near-term.  But one can always hope.  If he does manage to crack the facility’s cloak of secrecy, we will finally know the answer to one of the greatest mysteries of American history.  Does Fort Knox truly hold 4,578 metric tons of gold?  More?  Less?  Or is it just an empty warehouse?  And if it’s empty, more questions arise.  Questions that could prove just as difficult to answer.  Questions such as…

Who took the gold?  And what did they do with it?

Secret Shafts within the Great Pyramid

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The Great Pyramid of Giza is, in my opinion, the single most spectacular structure on earth. Constructed around 2560 BC, it has weathered over 4,500 years of natural disasters, wars, and modernization.

Secret Hieroglyphics inside the Great Pyramid?

Even today, with all of our modern tools and equipment, the Great Pyramid remains shrouded in mystery.  New discoveries and theories as to its purpose are common.

The latest chapter in its long saga took place just a few weeks ago.  The Djedi Project announced that it discovered ancient red hieroglyphs inside a secret air shaft that leads out of the Queen’s Chamber.  The shaft is one of two accessible from the room.  Mysteriously, neither one was originally connected to the Chamber and neither one exits the Great Pyramid.

The discovery was made using a micro snake camera engineered to fit through a small hole in a stone door at the end of the shaft.  In addition to the hieroglyphs, the camera also enabled the examination of two copper pins which have been used to support Christopher Dunn’s “power plant” theory.  According to the Project, the latest images indicate that the pins “were more likely ornamental rather than electrical connections or structural features.”  (You can read Dunn’s rebuttal here.)

The images also showed that the other side of the stone door was “finished and polished,” suggesting that it might have served a purpose beyond just blocking the shaft.  Next, the Project plans to examine the far wall to see if it is another door or a solid block.

Guerrilla Explorer’s Analysis

The Great Pyramid remains one of the greatest mysteries of history.  While commonly thought to be a giant tomb, not a single burial has ever been discovered inside of it (although that could be due to grave robbers).  In fact, out of more than eighty pyramids along the Nile Valley, (including the sealed Step Pyramid of Sekhemkhet) not a single body has ever been found.

In the absence of bodies, other theories have sprung up to explain the pyramids.  Some of these include: granaries, calendars, observatories, and public works to unite Egypt’s tribes.  Perhaps the most likely alternative theory is that the pyramids were cenotaphs, or monuments to the Pharaohs but not their actual tombs.

Regardless, one thing seems certain…the Great Pyramid has yet to give up all of its secrets.  And I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the best ones are still to come.

Where is Amelia Earhart?

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At 8:43am on July 2, 1937, Amelia Earhart vanished somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.  Seventy-four years later, her disappearance, along with that of her navigator Fred Noonan, remains one of the most spectacular unsolved mysteries of history.

Background on Amelia Earhart

07:42: KHAQQ calling Itasca.  We must be on you but cannot see you – but gas is running low.  Have been unable to reach you by radio.  We are flying at 1,000 feet.

Prior to her disappearance, Earhart was a famous aviatrix, best known for being the first woman to fly a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.  In 1936, she decided to plan a 29,000 mile circumnavigational flight around the earth.

07:58: KHAQQ calling Itasca.  We are listening (circling?) but cannot hear you.  Go ahead on 7500 with a long count either now, or on the scheduled time on half hour.

Her first attempt failed due to a blown tire (or according to some, pilot error).  A few months later, Earhart tried again.  With Fred Noonan as her navigator, she left California on May 21, 1937.  Thirty-eight days and 22,000 miles later, she landed in Lae, New Guinea.  On July 2, Earhart and Noonan took off from Lae in a Lockheed Electra 10E, heading for Howland Island.  Hours later, they vanished, never to be seen again.

What happened to Amelia Earhart?

08:43: KHAQQ calling Itasca. We are on the line 157 337. We will repeat this message. We will repeat this on 6210 kilocycles. Wait.

The above message is the last known transmission received by the United States Coast Guard cutter Itasca, which was tasked with helping Earhart land on Howland Island.

Official search efforts initially focused around Howland Island.  Later, the grid was expanded to include the Phoenix Islands.  Still later, Amelia Earhart’s husband, George P. Putnam, continued the search with no success.  So, what happened to her?  Here are a few of the most prominent theories:

  • Crashed into the Pacific Ocean: Howland Island is a very small piece of land in the very big ocean.  After running out of fuel, she and Noonan were forced to ditch into the ocean.  While perhaps the most widely accepted theory, there is no evidence to support it.
  • Crashed on Gardner Island: This is the favored theory of the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR).  Based on Earhart’s last transmission, they believe that she maintained her heading and crash-landed on the reef of this uninhabited island.  Some evidence supports this position.  A woman’s skeleton (now missing) was discovered on the island in 1940.  Most recently, TIGHAR found what could be a woman’s finger.  However, as of March 2011, DNA testing of the fragment remains inconclusive.
  • Captured by Japan: Earhart may have crashed on Saipan Island while under Japanese occupation.  After being captured, she and Noonan were executed.  Supporting evidence, while interesting, is scanty.
  • Spy Mission: This is often tied into the one above.  Essentially, it involves Earhart and Noonan deliberately vanishing in order to spy on Japan.  To the best of my knowledge, no evidence exists to support this theory.

Guerrilla Explorer’s Analysis

Personally, I prefer the second theory.  TIGHAR has done amazing work to uncover a significant body of anecdotal evidence.  You can read the short version of their theory here.  If they are correct, Amelia’s Electra “lies in deep water off the island’s west end.”

Next year, TIGHAR plans a “major underwater search” in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance.  Their goal is to find the Electra.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait.  Hey, if anyone connected to TIGHAR is reading this, let me know if you need an extra diver!