A forgotten street was discovered by National Library of Scotland officials in the 1990s when they broke down a small hatch on a wall behind filing cabinets, then crawled through it. The partially preserved street, Libberton's Wynd, gives a glimpse of how Edinburgh looked centuries ago 🏺 #history

William F.C. Nindemann (1850-1913), German-born Arctic explorer, survived 196 days on a drifting ice floe after his ship, the Polaris, was stuck in arctic ice. His next voyage, on the Jeannette, met the same fate. He then survived a 91 day trek across sea ice and marshland to reach help #history

On the Indonesian island of Flores, archaeologists discovered (in 2003) fossils of a diminutive humanoid species, standing only about 3.5 ft tall & weighing 35-79 lbs. Scientifically known as Homo floresiensis, these remains pose a challenge to our understanding of human evolution.
🏺🧪#anthropology

The Karez/Qanat is an ancient underground irrigation system thought to have originated in Persia ~2,500 years ago, eventually spreading east along the Silk Road to China & Pakistan. Vertical shafts, for ventilation and access, are striking in modern satellite imagery. Many are still in use today 🏺

The Göbekli Tepe, a Neolithic site in Turkey, features large T-shaped carved limestone pillars ~11,000 years old. The site predates agriculture, metal tools, and pottery. It also predates Stonehenge by 6000 years. Its purpose and how hunter-gatherers managed to build it are intensely debated 🏺

Descending the steps of San Clemente Church in Rome, one can view a "lasagna of history" due to multiple layers; a 12th-cent basilica on top, a 4th-cent church below, and ancient Roman ruins at bottom. The lowest level features a Mithraeum, housing an altar with a relief of Mithras slaying a bull 🏺

The Siberian Ice Maiden, aka Princess of Ukok, is a 2,500 year old well preserved mummified woman. The maiden was between 25 & 28 years old at death. Notable are intricate tattoos adorning her body and her burial with six sacrificed horses, suggesting she held high status in her nomadic society 🏺

Roopkund, or Skeleton Lake, is a high-altitude (16,470 ft) lake in the Indian Himalayas where ~800 human skeletons have been discovered. Cause of death remains a mystery; but research has found that the remains belong to three distinct DNA groups who died in two separate events around 800 & 1800AD 🏺