Recent Find Proves Marco Polo Never Really went to China

Marco Polo is one of history’s greatest explorers and his fame was established by journeys to China and the Far East. But modern day scholars feel Marco Polo never went to China. They think that the Venetian merchant adventurer picked up second hand stories about Japan, China and Mongol Empire from other Persian merchants he met during his voyage to the shores of Black Sea (which is thousands of miles short of the Oriental Empires). He put all the stories told by the Persian merchants together and used the information for his bestselling book “A Description of the World”. This is one of the first travel books of its type.

Marco Polo is a famous explorer for his travel to China and Far East

As a proof of their findings the archaeologists point to the inconsistencies and inaccuracies in Marco Polo’s description of Kublai Khan’s attempted invasions of Japan in 1284 and 1281. Scholars feel Marco confused two details – about the first expedition and second expedition. In his account of Kublai Khan’s invasion he states that the fleet left Korea and was hit by a typhoon before reaching Japanese coast. These events happened in 1281 and not in Kublai Khan’s first expedition. It is unbelievable that an eye witness could confuse events that were separated by seven years.

Manuscript of A Description of the World

Recently the remnants of Marco Polo’s fleet were found. There is a sharp contrast between the real ships and their description by Marco Polo. The Venetian described the ships as having five masts but the ships found have only three masts. Such contrast in facts raised doubts over Marco’s expedition.

Remnants of Kublai Khan’s lost fleet were found

Further, Marco Polo describes Kublai Khan’s fleet using pitch to make their ship hulls watertight. He used the word ‘chunam’ which means ‘nothing’ in Chinese and Mongol. But this same word means pitch in Persian. Most of the local names and place names are Persian terms for Chinese or Mongol place names.

Marco Polo claimed to be an emissary to the court of Kublai Khan but no records are found

Marco Polo had also claimed that he worked as an emissary to the court of Kublai Khan. But the Mongol and Chinese records from those times do not have Marco Polo’s name anywhere. In his book Marco maintained a first person narrative, but in the sections about China and Mongolia he reverts to a second person narrative as though he had heard about these from someone else.  Marco Polo is also known to be an acute observer of daily life and rituals. But some of the prominent customs in China such as chopsticks, tea drinking or the Great Wall find no mention in his work.

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Mysteries of Devil’s Bible

At times mythology is more interesting than true facts. According to a legend in the 13^th century in the present day country of Czech Republic a monk was condemned to be walled alive in a room of the monastery where he resided. The monk had violated some regulations and committed serious crimes.

Devil’s Bible or Codex Gigas

To get a retrieve from death he made a deal with the superiors. He promised to create a copy of Bible written by hand within one night. This was an astonishing task and the monks believed it could not be completed. So they approved. They decided that the monk would be set free if the task was accomplished. The monk set upon his task. Into his task he realised no matter how hard he tried the Bible could not be copied before morning. Around midnight the monk made a pact with the devil (the Prince of Darkness). He promised that if the task was completed devil could not only have his soul but a large and horrifying portrait of the devil will be included in the Bible.

Devil’s Bible is the largest surviving Medieval Manuscript

The devil agreed and the following morning when the other monks entered they found a massive book in the room. They inspected the book carefully and it contained all contents of Bible as promised. So the monk was released. This book came to be known as Codex Gigas (Giant Book) or the Devil’s Bible. The monastery soon became a site for pilgrimage. Scholars analysing the book claim that it is 36 inches tall, 20 inches wide and nine inches thick. The book weighs 160 pounds and holds the title for largest medieval manuscript known till date. The pages of this book are made of donkey skin.

Devil’s Image is found in the Book

But the Devil’s Bible very mysteriously is incomplete. Some pages of this book are missing. Some scholars feel these missing pages contained some information that would be too sinister to reveal. The book contains Testaments of the Bible, medical texts, ancient encyclopaedia and a calendar. The threads of this legend are contained within the book; there is a large portrait of the devil in the book. Scholars believe that instead of one night the book might have been compiled in 20 years.

The book remained at the monastery till 1594 after which it was presented to the Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II. It remained with the emperor till 1648. It was taken away by the victorious Swedes to Stockholm. When a fire broke out in the Swedish Royal Library in 1697 the book was thrown out of the upper story window to save it. Some of the pages got loose and were lost in the process.

Mural Found in Guatemala Contradicting 2012 Doomsday Prediction

Latest excavations into an unexcavated Maya city have brought forward a mural within a Maya house. But this is no simple mural. In addition to the image of a king and his subject, the walls of the room are filled with different calculations. These are calculations for vast amounts of time and they definitely outlive 2012. These markings suggest that Maya scholars made predictions many thousands of years in advance from where we stand. This room also offers a rare glimpse into the inner Mayan society.

 

Mayan mural found in forests of Guatemala

This mural and room were found within the 6 square miles spanning jungle floor. The site was found by a group of archaeologists in search of looters tunnel. They found the faintest trace of paint on a thin stucco wall. Soon the researchers cleared up the mud that had accumulated on the walls over 1200 years. And more red paint appeared from the walls.

 

Archaeologists cleared the mud from walls to find the mural

Soon the team confirmed that this was an ancient workstation for Mayan record keepers and scribe writers. Within this workstation people sat on the benches and worked. They painted books and maintained records that have been lost with time. These books could be filled with elaborate calculations that predict the city’s future. There fixed tabulations made on the walls which could be referred to by the scholars while carrying out calculations. It is just like the tables that are given at the back of a Chemistry book.

Calculations on the Walls of Mayan Workstation

 

The workstation was lost with time. Erosion and creeping up of plant life also led to the anonymous remaining of this Mayan workstation. This small building is located close to a Mayan plaza. This plaza in turn is encircled by pyramids where kings and priests conducted various types of ceremonies. There are fragments of slay pots found all through the forests that suggests existence of peddlers selling these clay pots. This city is just five miles from a prominent Mayan metropolis, San Bartolo.

 

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Search for Tomb of King Herod

Herod the Great was a fabled King of Judeaea. He died in 4 BC. Though this great king died more than 2,000 years ago but his final resting place was never found. Most experts narrowed their search for the tomb to Herodium, a grand complex that was designed by the King himself on a man-made hill which was located south of Jerusalem. There was a biography about Herod less than a hundred years after his death. This biography contained indepth details about where within the Herodium the great king was buried.

 

Herodium was mentioned as Herod’s final resting place

Though there were so prominent clues still searches for Herod’s tomb did not succeed until very recently. Herod died in Jericho to a nasty kidney disease that led to development of a nasty gangrene. After his death there was an enormous funeral procession and Herod’s body was carried on a golden briar to the edge of Judaean desert. He was buried within the beloved Herodium. Herodium is built on a volcano shaped hill which is located at about 8 miles south of the modern day city of Jerusalem. This white stone building was Herpd’s desert retreat. It had a fortified palace, administrative buildings, ritual baths and gardens.

 

Base of the Herodium

Accounts of Herod’s funeral made most experts believe that the tomb would be found at the base of Herodium. There were decades of search within the lower complex of Herodium but the tomb was not found. Then in 2006 researchers noticed an out of place section within the wall which is halfway up the hill. They started digging and hit upon a slab of high quality and highly ornamented pink limestone. After digging deeper they found an ornamented sarcophagus, which would be fit for a king as great as Herod.

 

Stairs inside the Herodium

There were remains of a huge staircase which lead to the burial site uncovered. Another section which was thought to be a hippodrome was also uncovered. Later this hippodrome was conceived as the area staging Herod’s funeral. There was also a monument about 80 feet tall that marked the King’s tomb.

 

Ornate Sarcophagus of King Herod

Most of the tomb is in ruins, may be due to damages inflicted by the Jewish rebels who disliked Herod. Such a revolt took place in the late 60s AD. Though the tomb and sarcophagus were found, but Herod’s bones were not. It is probable they were put away by some rebels.

 

Herodium still stands tall and is protected by Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority.

 

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True Origins of Shakespeare’s Hamlet Prince of Denmark

Was Hamlet really a Prince of Denmark? This question has intrigued researchers for many centuries. But recent studies have come up with new information. Most scholars till date have unanimously agreed that Shakespeare based his great tragedy on Hamlet of Amlethus, who is mentioned as a legend in the “History of the Danes”. This record was written around 1200. The name of Amlethus was tracked back from the word “Amlothi” which appears in the 10^th or 11^th century poem written by an Icelandic poet Snow Bear.

 

Hamlet The Prince of Denmark

But recent studies suggest that the roots of true Hamlet are even deeper than this. The source can be assumed as a little known Irish tale known as “destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel”. This Irish tale was written in the 11^th century. In this tale a king is killed in a hall filled with many uncanny figures. There are three prime figures in this tale Mael, Mlithi and Admlithi. There is particular resemblance between Admlithi and Hamlet. Admlithi of Eire became Hamlet of Elsinore when the tale travelled to Scandinavia through the sailor mouths. Snow Bear’s Amlothi can thus be stated as a corruption of Admlithi. Thus Admlithi can be easily replaced vy Amlethus or Amlothi.

 

Amlethus the base of Hamlet

Admlithi in this regard is related to the Gaelic word for grinding. This word was used by the navigators to describe grinding sea. Though Admlithi had a small role in the tale, but due to his strange name, Admlithi was used in different senses by the seafarers.

Shakespeare unknowingly based his tragedy on an Irish tale

 

Thus Shakespeare seems to have unknowingly used an Irish tale for the basis of his tragedy. This new dimension would add some new insights into Hamlet and Shakespeare.

Mysterious Causes for Lenin’s Death

Vladimir Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and a communist politician who was at the forefront of 1917 October Revolution. He headed the Soviet State during its initial years (1917-1924). He was a persuasive orator and led to the formation of a completely new Soviet Union. There are many mysteries regarding his sudden death at 6:50 P.M. on January 21, 1924. He died just a few months before his 54^th birthday. Generally known cause of his death was a massive stroke. Modern day medical experts opine that the cerebral arteries of the great leader had become so calcified that they sounded like stones when tapped. Let us check out the medical history of Lenin to find some clues for his sudden death.

Vladimir Lenin: A Prolific Orator

As a baby Lenin is reported to have had a large head that made him fall over numerous times. He used fall on the floor and bang his head, this made his mother worry that her child would grow up to be a mentally disabled person. But her fear did not realise. In his adulthood Lenin suffered from diseases such as toothaches, typhoid, influenza and erysipelas (a painful skin infection). He was immensely stressed at all times which led to other diseases such as migraines, insomnia and abdominal pain. When he was 38 years old he was shot twice in an assassination attempt. One bullet stayed in his collar bone after puncturing through his lungs and the other was caught up in the base of the neck. Both these bullets stayed within his body for the rest of his life.

Lenin’s Dead body

If we take a look at the medical history of Lenin’s family: his father died young at the age of 54 due to cerebral haemorrhage, but during death Lenin’s father also suffered from typhoid fever. All of Lenin’s seven brothers and sisters died young.

Lenin’s Corpse is undergoing medical research to authenticate the cause of his death

Two years before his death Lenin suffered three strokes. Some of the reputed medical practitioners in Europe were consulted and they suggested a variety of reasons such as nervous exhaustion, chronic lead intoxication (from the bullets within his body) and cerebral arteriosclerosis. When Lenin died he had suffered multiple seizures. This was an interesting fact for the medical experts and most of them were convinced that poison was the probable cause of Lenin’s death.

Lenin and Stalin sharing a moment together

But who would do such a heinous crime? And why? Most suspect Stalin of poisoning Lenin. Just a year before Lenin’s death Stalin had sent a secret letter to the Politburo suggesting that Lenin had asked Stalin’s help to commit suicide. But Stalin did not help and he decided to bring this thing in focus to the supreme authorities. Lenin was one of the main obstacles to Stalin’s supremacy and with Lenin’s death Stalin would be the main benefactor.

Another suspicious act was ordered by Stalin after Lenin’s death. Stalin ordered that no toxicological tests should be conducted on Stalin’s corpse. This made it impossible for the modern day experts to verify whether the real cause of Lenin’s death was poisoning.

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Did Edison Steal Some of his Inventions?

Thomas Alva Edison is claimed to be the greatest who ever lived and there is no doubt about this fact. He provided mankind with some of the most spectacular technologies. He held more than 1,000 patents which is a mean deed in no way. But some research about his life shows that he could go to any extents to claim credit for inventions done by others. There are some examples of this infamous deed.

Thomas Alva Edison: Greatest inventor or is he?

Edison is generally mentioned as the inventor of fluoroscope which was used for x-rays. X-rays are a huge boon for medical science. Invention and later distribution of these devices added significantly to the wealth of Edison. But the actual inventor of the x-ray device was a German scientist named Wilhelm Rontgen. Rontgen was the first to see the human bones. He took x-ray images of his wife’s hand many years before Edison. But Rontgen’s invention did not spread and Edison was more than happy to claim x-ray as his brainchild and mint money.

X-ray photograph of Wilhelm Roentgen’s wife’s hand

Edison is also credited for creating devices for recording speech and other sounds. But a French printer and bookseller named Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville had initially created a device known as “phonautograph”. This device was created more than 15 years before Edison’s invention of phonograph. In this instance too Edison made no mention of de Martinville while distributing his new device.

Thomas Edison with his Phonograph

One of the worst stories about Edison is his invention of motion pictures. Edison is known as the Father of Motion Pictures. But the first working motion pictures were invented by Louis Le Prince, who was an inventor himself. It was sure that whoever got the patents for motion picture would become very rich. In 1890, Le Prince started distributing the motion pictures in England. He would sail to America once he was done in England. He stepped on a train on September 13, 1890 and vanished from there. Even his luggage could not be traced. In 1892 Le Prince’s son was shot dead before testifying for hos father’s patent trial. The murder mystery was never solved.

A Still from Georges Melies’s A Trip to the Moon

Another story of Edison’s mischief can be sighted. A Trip to the Moon was a popular motion picture in England. Everyone liked this picture. So, Edison obtained a personal copy from a theatre owner. On making his way back to USA he made a lot of money showing this print to the motion picture lovers. This was the first act of piracy. When Melies arrived in USA with his picture he incurred heavy losses as the public had already watched the pirated copy. This led to Melies’ infamous bankruptcy.

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Mysteries Regarding Brazilian Stonehenge

If you thought that strange stone made structures existed only in England then you are wrong. Archaeologists have discovered a new site with Stonehenge like features near the Amazon Basin in Brazil. Most believe this was a stone temple used by the Pagans. It is located in the Northern region of Brazil. With further excavations it is becoming evident that the builders were more sophisticated then they were held previously. Though the exact timing of this stone temple is still unknown but some pottery found near the site date back to atleast 2000 years.

 

Brazilian Stonehange: A Stone Temple?

Researchers have claimed that the Brazilian Stonehenge is comprised of 127 giant stone blocks which have been neatly driven into the ground. They are evenly spaced and upright. Each stone weighs several tons and their height is about 10 feet. The structure is located on a remote hill top in the region of Amapa. Some scholars even feel this structures provides evidence of supreme sense of astronomy that existed among the native Americans before European colonisation.

 

Brazilian Stonehenge comprised of 10 feet tall stone blocks

December 21 is the shortest day in the northern hemisphere. On this day the sun appears directly over the stone blocks and the blocks do not throw any shadow. This makes the researchers believe that this structure was meant to signify the winter solstice. Most statements are still not backed by thorough analysis.

 

Aerial View of Brazilian Stonehenge

Many researchers have held the Brazilian Stonehenge as a proof for advanced ancient civilisation that existed in these parts. Legends such as El Dorado and other fabulous temples should be given a second thought after this finding.

Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

Disappearance of Amelia Earhart is one of the most intriguing mysteries. She was an ambitious woman pilot and a symbol of independent woman. Amelia held many records in flying but her final challenge was circumnavigation of the globe in her specially equipped twin engine plane named Electra. Howland Island which is a tiny island in the middle of the South Pacific was her final stop. But Amelia never reached this island. It was on July 2, 1937 that Amelia and her fellow navigator Fred Noonan went missing as they were flying over the Pacific. This was in the last leg of their aerial circumnavigation of the world. The mysterious disappearance of Amelia Earhart along with her fame led to various theories.

Amelia Earhart: First Woman Navigator

After earning quite fame as an ace navigator and a woman symbol she took the delivery of Lockheed Electra 10E which was financed by the Pardue University. She decided to use this special plane for her world tour. Though this was not the first instance of aerial world navigation but it would be a significant achievement for a woman navigator. She chose Fred Noonan as the second navigator because there were various additional factors to be taken care of while flying around the world. Noonan had significant experience in both marine and flight navigation.

Amelia Earhart with Lockheed Electra

On March 17, 1937 on the holy eve of St. Patrick’s day Amelia during the first leg of her tour flew from Oakland, California to Honolulu, Hawaii. Due to problems with lubrication and galling in the propeller hubs Electra needed servicing in Hawaii. She resumed her flight three days later.

Cockpit and Instrument Panel of Electra

Amelia was supposed to land in Howland Island, which is tiny coral island in the Pacific. There was a landing strip created especially for landing and radio was used to guide her to the landing strip. The pair took off from Lae, Guinea towards Howland on July 2. Though there were favourable weather reports but Electra flew into cloud cover and intermittent rains did not help. Amelia called the chief radioman at Itasca and asked for location. She did not report about her schedule and the transmissions got faint and irregular. Her last message to Itasca was “We must be on you, but we cannot see you. Fuel is running low. Been unable to reach you by radio. We are flying at 1,000 feet.” The responses from Itasca were not heard by Amelia and her colleague. After about an hour later came her questionable transmission which stated “We are on the line 157 337. We will repeat this message. We will repeat this on 6210 kilocycles. Wait… We are running on the line north and south.” After this message nothing was ever heard from Amelia Earhart. Though there were many attempts made by Itasca to get some messages across but these could not reach Electra.

Lighthouse at Howland Island built in memory of Amelia Earhart

Researchers feel that conditions and faulty chart went against the cause of Earhart and Noonan. The islands were marked at 10 kilometres further and this coupled with broken cloud cover led to confusions. Rescue missions were launched immediately. There were air and sea search through the area. Over the next couple of weeks Navy planes searched extensively through the area. One pilot reported that he had seen signs of recent human habitation on Gardner Island (near Phoenix Islands), he tried to aware the inhabitants but was not successful. There were no signs of aircraft wreckage found on the island too. With every passing day the search got more intensive but no trace of Electra or Amelia Earhart was found. Finally the mission was called off on July 19. The US government officially stated that Electra had sunk into the depths of sea without any trace. In 1938 there was a lighthouse created on Howland Island in memory of Amelia Earhart.

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Friedrich Wilhem von Steuben: A Dark Secret of Washington’s Army

The history of American Revolution is empty without mentions of the two European generals who assisted George Washington. Gilbert du Motier was one of the generals and he brought with him many invaluable things to the new American nation. These things were not only regarding warfare but about the general philosophy to guide the nation forward.

 

Portrait of Friedrich Wilhem von Steuben

The second notable European general in George Washington’s army was Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. He was a Prussian born military officer. He had prior served in the capacity of Major General for the continental army. He was designated as Chief of Staff in Washington’s army. When Steuben joined the army, American revolutionaries were in shambles. They had inadequate training, structure or discipline. Most of the soldiers were shopkeepers or farmers.  Steuben developed one of the first military manuals. He set up a training camp to train the revolutionaries as per European standards of warfare. He took a bunch of rag tags and converted them into a fighting force. After American freedom he made various other notable contributions.

 

Military Manual written by Friedrich Wilhem von Steuben

Steuben had a shady past previous to arriving in America. After his days in the continental army Steuben searched for a job. He travelled through various European countries to present himself as a capable military leader. There were various negative rumours surrounding Steuben. Many felt he was a homosexual and had sexual relations with several young boys. After leaving the continental army he had incurred a lot of debts and tried to improve his resume by using the title “baron” which was based on his father’s false lineage claims. In 1777 Steuben met Benjamin Franklin in Paris. Franklin prepared for Steuben’s journey to America. He reached Portsmouth in New Hampshire on September 26, 1777. He had a bunch of young boy servants with him.

 

Friedrich Wilhem von Steuben turned a group of rag tags into soldiers

Did his homosexual inclinations go unnoticed? No, it was not. But in regards to his contributions to the revolutionaries all his frailties were neglected. Homosexuality was not a cause of hatred back in those days as it is now.

 

After the war Steuben settled down in America and got a citizenship. He was given a pension $2,500 a year for the rest of his life.

 

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