Mysteries

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Mythical Creature
A sphinx is a mythical creature with, as a minimum, the head of a human and the body of a lion. In Greek tradition, it has the head of a human, the haunches of a lion, and sometimes the wings of a bird.

Origin of Sphinx
The true origin and purpose of the Sphinx remains a mystery. Despite its fundamental enigma, the image of the Sphinx remains in the mind of history as the keystone of ancient Egyptian civilization and a part of its religious beliefs.

The Name “Sphinx”
The Western name “Sphinx” was given to it in antiquity based on the legendary Greek mythology sphinx, a creature with the body of a lion, the head of a woman and the wings of a bird, though Egyptian sphinxes have the head of a man.

Largest Sphinx
The largest and most famous sphinx is the Great Sphinx of Giza, situated on the Giza Plateau and adjacent to the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. It is also the largest free-standing sculpture.

Head
The head of the Great Sphinx of Giza was altered many times by the Pharaohs therefore it is best remembered with the head of a king wearing his headdress and the body of a lion. It is believed that the original head was that of the lion and the Sphinx dates to the Age of Leo – 12,000 years ago.

Missing Nose
The one-meter-wide nose on the face of the Great Sphinx of Giza is missing. It is presumed that the nose was broken off by a cannon ball fired by Napoleon’s soldiers.

Body
The paws are 50 feet long (15m) while the entire length is 150 feet (45m). The Sphinx has a tail which wraps around the right hind paw.

Breastplate
The Sphinx has a breast plate between its front paws. This breastplate contains many metaphors.

Enclosure Wall
In 2010, Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) announced the the uncovering of ancient walls surrounding the Great Sphinx of Giza after a routine excavation.

Ethnicity
Forensic experts as well as casual observers have characterized the face of the Great Sphinx of Giza as “Negroid”. One of the earliest known descriptions of a “Negroid” Sphinx is recorded in the travel notes of French scholar Constantin-François de Chassebœuf, Comte de Volney, who visited in Egypt between 1783 and 1785.

Melbourne sighting
In 2012 Melbourne, Australia, several people filmed aircrafts hovering over the city.

Los Angeles UFO appearance
In 1942, the city of Los Angeles experienced one of the most widely witnessed UFO sightings. The UFO sighting even got the military involved as they tried to figure out what was happening. This did not get the media coverage it deserved due to the second world took all the headlines.

Washington, D.C. sighting
In 1952, the CIA formed the Robertson Panel to investigate strange aircrafts hovering above Washington DC. The story fetched even more publicity when radar contacted three different signals from different airports. Later that year the US air force attributed this radar contacts to change in weather and temperature.

The Hill Abduction
The Hill Abduction is perhaps the scariest abduction story throughout history. The couple had been said to be driving when an alien spaceship pursued them and captured them. Inside the ship, they underwent physical exams before being released. The most interesting bit about this story is that even under hypnosis the couple still maintained the story.

Socorro Encounter
In 1964, New Mexico experienced one of the most bizarre UFO sightings in history. Many people say to have seen a blue flame in the sky, or an oval metallic spaceship. Mr. Zamora, an officer in-pursue had to abandon his chase to follow a blue flame that he saw shoot into the sky. Coming closer, he was able to see an aircraft that the flame was being emitted from. For a quick instance, he saw two small human-like creature that glanced at him and quickly disappeared. He was backed up by a fellow officer who saw the blue light in the sky after responding to Zamora’s call.

Trans-En-Provence sighting
In France 1981 a farmer is said to have spotted an aircraft not more than 100 feet away. The farmer says that the aircraft produced a whistling sound before hovering over the ground and eventually whizzing away. The government came in and did several experiments revealing a scorching on the soil and grass around the area. What was most intriguing was the metallic residue found that was unlike anything seen here on earth.

Kecksburg, Pennsylvania
In 1965 Kecksburg, Pennsylvania experienced one of the biggest UFO cover-ups in history. The locals could visibly see an object fly across the sky and crashing in the woods. Before they could rush and see what it was the government had already come in and secured the area before any onlookers could get a look. The government and NASA have since avoided any questions about the whole incident.

Operation Saucer
In 1977, the island of Color Brazil experienced one of the scariest UFO encounters. Over 400 people are said to have been attacked by a beam of radiant light from the UFOs. Some experienced significant burns and injuries.

Olympics – 2012 sighting
Apparently it’s not just our planet that enjoys good sports as in 2012 a UFO was spotted amidst the fireworks display. The aircraft was quite clear and many people at the event claim to have spotted the aircraft.

Piney Woods sighting
In 1980, two women and a seven-year-old were obstructed by a diamond like shaped structure emitting light from its bottom. The women came out to examine the object before it jetted up to the sky. What followed was several military helicopters appeared to escort the aircraft. The three people later showed symptoms of radiation, infection, and even one of the women hospitalized. The women sued the government on grounds of conspiracy and lost.

From the illuminati to the dollar bill, pyramids are great mystery. There are pyramids all over the world. Even under the sea in Japan there are pyramids. Their construction seems to be similar too. Who built them? What were they used for? Check out some facts that may help you on your way to solving the mysteries of the world.

Weight
The pyramid is estimated to have around 2,300,000 stone blocks that weigh from 2 to 30 tons each and there are even some blocks that weigh over 50 tons.

Temperature
The interior temperature is constant and equals the average temperature of the earth, 20 Degrees Celsius (68 Degrees Fahrenheit).

Materials
The mortar used is of an unknown origin. It has been analyzed and its chemical composition is known but it can’t be reproduced. It is stronger than the stone and still holding up today.

Pyramid Walls
The four faces of the pyramid are slightly concave, the only pyramid to have been built this way. The concave form of the walls was intended to increase the stability of the casing.

Architects
The pyramid architects included four shafts from the burial chamber that seemingly lead nowhere. Scientists have theorized that these shafts were designed to allow the pharaoh’s soul a direct route to the afterlife.

Boat Pits
In 1954, archaeologists did stumble across a 153 ft (47 m) long boat made from Lebanese cedar; and it was enclosed inside a sealed pit situated at the foot of the Great Pyramid. Known as the Khufu Ship, the marine-craft was laden with grave goods that were intended for the long journey of the deceased’s afterlife. It is thought to be one of the oldest, intact ships found.

Construction
If we tried to build an exact replica of this pyramid it would not be possible. We do not have the precise technology that the ancient Egyptians had that was necessary to build this pyramid.

Entrance
The Great Pyramid of Giza once had a swivel door at the entrance. It weighed about 20 tons and could easily be pushed open from the inside. On the outside it was very hard to find because it fit perfectly. There are only two other pyramids known to have had swivel doors. One was Khufu’s father’s pyramid and the other was his grandfather’s pyramid.

Star Alignment
The Pyramid of Menkaure, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Great Pyramid of Khufu are precisely aligned with the Constellation of Orion.

Alignment
The Great Pyramid is the most accurately aligned structure in existence and faces true north with only 3/60th of a degree of error. The position of the North Pole moves over time and the pyramid was exactly aligned at one time.

Economy
Constant invasions started a domino effect on the Roman Economy. The cost of defending the empire lead to overspending on the military, which lead to heavy taxation and unemployment among its people.

Barbarians
The Barbarians that were successful, which included Germanic tribes and the Huns, learned military tactics of the empire. They were treated cruelly by the Romans, and once the empire became unstable, they jumped at the chance to pursue their agendas.

Military
With the empire growing at a rapid pace, they needed a military that could keep up, so they recruited barbarians. The unfaithful barbarians weakened the force, along with civil unrest and the halt of technological advancement.

Inflation
With no regard to the empire’s failing economy, the leaders of Rome drained the treasury on personal luxuries. Along with the depleted treasury, Rome was no longer conquering, and the flow of gold and silver stopped. When the economic crisis hit, the government minted new coins, but they had little gold in them, which made them less valuable.

Christianity
The introduction of Christianity to the Romans shifted the glory and worship from the state and its emperors, to God. With the state already in political turmoil and confusion, the involvement of church leaders did not improve the situation.

Health
The impoverished of Rome lived in desolate conditions, dealing with war and revolts, plagues, famine and natural disasters. The wealthy led lavish lives, developing systems to supply the marble rooms in their houses with water. Unfortunately, this was done with lead pipes.

Civil War
After the division of the empire into East and West, there was constant civil war. When the two states weren’t murdering their own leaders, they were incessantly fighting over resources, territory, and military aid.

Population
In order to keep up with the empires expansion, slaves were imported for labor building roads, docks and aqueducts. Slaves made up 60% of the empire’s urban population and when the empire ceased to expand, they had nowhere to return.

Overexpansion
Rome had grown so large, it was unable to provide enough goods to everyone and during invasions, were unable to communicate quickly or effectively enough. It was decided by Diocletian that the empire was too large for one ruler, so he split it into East and West, keeping East and giving the West to Maximian.

Corruption
Rome never established a system for electing its leaders, and with the profits it was receiving from war, everyone wanted a shot at the throne. This led to auctioning off positions to the highest bidder, illegal behavior among governors and generals, and those in power using the war riches to live in the lap of luxury.