Mysteries of History Trivia

1. The location of the Ark of the Covenant has eluded researchers for over 3,000 years. The Ark is made of aracia wood covered with gold. Inside are two tablets of the covenant, manna, and the Rod of Aaron. Who can touch the Ark?

From Quiz Priceless Treasures - Where Are They ?

Answer: no one

Jewish and Christian holy scriptures dictate that the Ark of the Covenant can be carried only by Levites. They must carry the Ark by using two wooden poles inserted through rings on its sides. Touching the Ark itself will result in death at the hands of God. The Ark was taken to Jerusalem by King David, and was eventually placed in the innermost sanctum of Temple of Jerusalem by King Solomon in the 10th century BCE. This space was accessible only to the Israelite high priest and only on Yom Kippur. In 586 BCE the Babylonians overran Jerusalem. after which the Ark disappeared. It hasn't been seen since.

From Quiz Swept Under the Rug

Answer: Carnac Stones

The Carnac Stones, all 3,000 of them, were set up in rows and groups near Carnac, France, between 3,300 BC and 4,500 BC. One of the largest groupings, twelve rows, is over a kilometer in length. They may have astronomical significance but no one is really sure. One popular myth is that the wizard Merlin turned a Roman legion to stone. Another is that Pope Cornelius turned some pagan soldiers to stone. The guesses go on and on. Johnny Carson, a long-time host of the U.S. TV program "The Tonight Show" had as a character Carnac The Magnificent, a seer who could divine answers to questions in sealed envelopes.

From Quiz All You Need is Another Clue

Answer: John Wilkes Booth

Boston Corbett is the man credited with shooting and killing John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. At the time he was a soldier for the Union Army. His fame as the killer of Booth led to his appointment as the assistant doorkeeper of the Kansas House of Representatives. He had been a hatter before the war. He went insane a few years later, possibly from exposure to mercury during his previous occupation. In 1888 he escaped from the Topeka Asylum for the Insane and was never seen again. There has been much speculation as to what happened to him after his escape, but it is likely we will never know.

From Quiz Desperate for Answers

Answer: Atlantic Ocean

In 1872, the brigantine Mary Celeste was discovered abandoned while crossing the Atlantic Ocean. One lifeboat and the seven people on board were gone, while the cargo and the ship remained intact. Considered one of the greatest maritime mysteries in history, what exactly happened to the crew has remained a matter of much conjecture. Theories range from alcoholic fumes from the cargo, to waterspouts to UFO abduction. The ship was rumored to be cursed and was intentionally wrecked off the Haitian coast in a case of insurance fraud.

From Quiz Star, Comet, Fireball

Answer: Russia

The Tunguska Event occurred in central Siberia near the Tunguska River. This is a desolate area with subarctic weather. Much of it is difficult to access and can be reached by outsiders only for a few months a year during the summer. This inaccessibility hindered study by Russian scientists as well as others.

From Quiz Lost Treasures

Answer: William Shakespeare

In one of those ironic twists of fate, almost no actual handwriting by the world's greatest writer has survived. There are said to be six surviving signatures of Shakespeare, three on legal documents, and three on his will, but even the authenticity of these has been questioned (many people believe the signatures on a property deed and a court deposition are just his name written by law clerks). There is also a manuscript of a play called "Sir Thomas More," which was written by at least six people; some believe that "Hand D" is Shakespeare's, but there is very little evidence to support this. If you could find an authentic signature of Shakespeare's, it has been estimated that it would fetch at least $5 million at auction. A letter or poem would bring much more, and if you should stumble across a lost play - such as "Cardenio" or "Love's Labor's Won" - written in his hand, the sky's the limit! Checked those boxes of old papers in the attic lately?

From Quiz It's All Egyptian to Me

Answer: Arabs

Attempts to decipher the hieroglyphics of old may have started less than a century after they fell into disuse, by a person using the name Horapollo. Little is known about this person, the translations given are almost entirely wrong, and even the authenticity of the work has been questioned. Better-established translation attempts were made by Arabic historians Dhul-Nun al-Misri and Ibn Wahshiyya during the 9th and 10th centuries. By comparing hieroglypics to Coptic (which was in use at the time), they were able to correctly identify a handful of symbols. Further attempts over the centuries were also able to link Coptic with hieroglyphics, and a little bit of progress was made in translating them.

From Quiz Unsolved Mysteries

Answer: Richard Cox

In 1985, retired school teacher Marshall Jacobs began an extensive investigation into the disappearance of Cox. The result was the book "Oblivion" written by Harry Maihafer. Jacobs believes Cox's disappearance was staged so he could serve the government in a different capacity. So much time has elapsed since Cox's disappearance that it's unlikely the full story will ever be known.

From Quiz All You Need is Another Clue

Answer: His plane disappeared

The nephew of the fabulously wealthy steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, Whitfield disappeared while on a 15 minute plane flight from Mineola to Brentwood, Long Island NY. The short flight was only 22 miles (35km) long, and was over land. His plane never landed, and no reports of a plane crash were ever reported. All his personal property was left in his hotel room and no one claimed to have ever heard him talk about disappearing nor committing suicide. He was newly and happily married and was not reported to have had personal nor business problems. Neither Whitfield nor any parts of his plane have ever been recovered.

From Quiz Desperate for Answers

Answer: Flannan Isles

In 1900, all three of the lighthouse keepers disappeared from the lighthouse on one of the Flannan Isles, a small group of islands situated in the Outer Hebrides located to the north of mainland Scotland. The newly built lighthouse had been erected because of the history of ships sinking in the dangerous waters off-shore. After a heavy storm, when a regularly scheduled crew ship landed with supplies they found the lighthouse abandoned. The whole island was searched, but the men were never found. Everything at the lighthouse appeared to be in working order and the mystery of what happened to these three men has never been discovered.

From Quiz Swept Under the Rug

Answer: Helike

Helike was an important Greek city located near the Gulf of Corinth. In 373 BC an earthquake caused a tsunami that completely destroyed the city and all of its inhabitants and caused it to sink below sea level. It was an important city, a member of the Achaean League, had two colonies in the Mediterranean Sea and had its own coinage. The lagoon it was in eventually filled with river silt; for a while it was considered just a legend. Over time, though, dozens of people searched for it until it was finally uncovered in 2001. There is conjecture that Helike's submergence might have been the basis for Plato's story about Atlantis.

From Quiz It's All Egyptian to Me

Answer: the walls of a fort

When Napoleon was on a military campaign in Egypt, his soldiers came across Fort Julien. The fort was not far from the city of Rosetta, and had been built by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. While doing renovations on the fort, soldiers unearthed the stone. The stone was immediately recognized as a potentially important artifact, and was transported to Cairo for study. Shortly afterwards, French forces were defeated by the British and Ottomans. Part of the terms of surrender were for the French to surrender all Egyptian artifacts they had discovered to the British. The Rosetta Stone came into British possession in 1802; copies of its inscriptions were made, and the original stone was transferred to the British Museum.

From Quiz All You Need is Another Clue

Answer: Aruba

While on vacation to Aruba, Natalee Holloway went missing and her body has never been found. Multiple arrests were made and all suspects were released due to a lack of evidence. Her disappearance caused a media frenzy in the U.S. Despite the help of the Dutch Air Force, the FBI, and hundreds of volunteers, no sign of Holloway was ever found. She was declared dead by a court in in the state of Alabama at the request of her father. What happened to Holloway will likely never be known.

From Quiz Star, Comet, Fireball

Answer: Leonid Kulik

Leonid Kulik (1883-1942) was a noted Russian mineralogist who specialized in the study of meteorites. He studied the area intensively and interviewed all the local witnesses. He was honored for his work in 1978 when a newly discovered asteroid was named 2749 Kulik. There is also a crater on the moon named after him. He died of typhus in a German prisoner of war camp at the age of 59. The other options are 20th and 21st century presidents of Russia.

From Quiz Swept Under the Rug

Answer: astronomical computer

The device, which was about the size of a mantel clock, was an analog astronomical computer, which had at least thirty bronze gears. It could not only show astral positions but attempted to describe the elliptical orbits of some astral bodies. As well, it could predict solar eclipses and keep track of the timing of the Olympic games. It appears, from some of the settings, that it was built to be used in Corinth, Greece. Built between 100 and 200 B.C., it shows the knowledge (and engineering capability) of the Greeks and for a long time was considered a representation of what the Greeks knew about the universe. But in the 21st century, some scientists and scholars have noticed that some of the mathematics involved appear to be more Babylonian arithmetic than Greek trigonometry. They now wonder if perhaps much of what we credit the Greeks for, in knowledge of the universe, might first have been determined by the Babylonians. As for the engineering skills involved in the device, which had at least 82 separate pieces, nothing that complex has been found until the development of astronomical clocks in Europe in the 14th century.

From Quiz Lost Treasures

Answer: 7

Seven of the eggs are missing; they may have been destroyed and melted down following the Russian Revolution, but one was discovered as recently as 2014! Known as the Third Imperial Easter Egg, it was made in 1887. It was purchased at a flea market by a scrap metal dealer who had intended to melt it down for its gold value. Fortunately, he did a little research online, and realized that he might have something more valuable than scrap gold. The find was authenticated by experts, and was rumored to have been sold to a private collector for a whopping $33 million dollars! The moral of this story? Check grandma's curio cabinet - who knows what you might find there.

From Quiz Desperate for Answers

Answer: Bela Kiss

Bela Kiss was a Hungarian serial killer who was believed to have killed at least 24 young women whom he had lured to his home with promises of marriage. After strangling the women he stored their bodies in large metal drums of gasoline. Police were told he was in a Serbian hospital, but when they arrived they found the dead body of another man in Kiss' bed. Speculation abounded as to where he went. Some theories put forward were that he died of yellow fever in Turkey, imprisoned in Romania for burglary, or escaped to the USA. The number of his victims and his eventual fate remain unknown to this day, leaving police and family members desperate for answers.

From Quiz Star, Comet, Fireball

Answer: A small area of upright, blackened trees with no limbs

For over 12 miles from the epicenter of the explosion every tree in the pine forest had been leveled and/or all the trees were uprooted. They all lay parallel to one another with their tops pointing away from the blast. Mysteriously, in the center of the area, stood upright trees. They were completely blackened and their limbs burned off, but unlike the miles of forest around them they were still erect.

From Quiz All You Need is Another Clue

Answer: Mary Celeste

Captain Briggs and his family disappeared along with the crew of the Mary Celeste while they were crossing the Atlantic Ocean and were never heard from again. The ship was found fully intact, along with all personal property of the crew and of the captain's family still aboard. The cargo was still intact and no damage to the ship was found. The fate of all those aboard has been a matter of great speculation, and is one of the strangest maritime mysteries of all time.

From Quiz Swept Under the Rug

Answer: Longyou

The Longyou caves were excavated by hand around 2,000 years ago. The first was found when a local villager pumped water out of one of several caves in the area. They turned out to be man-made rather than natural. Two dozen have been found and pumped out so far. Most are large grottoes, 10,700 sq ft (1,000 sq m) and 100 feet (30 m) high. It's estimated it would have taken 1,000 people working non-stop six years to make them. Most every surface in each cave is covered with parallel lines of the same size and depth so the work probably took much longer. They were carved out of siltstone but no one knows how, since no tools or construction materials were found in any of the caves and no one knows where the 30,000 square meters of stone went to. There is no mention of them in any old text. Many of the cave walls have a consistent 18 inch (50 cm) thickness between any two caves, indicating advanced construction knowledge. No one has any idea what they might have been used for.

From Quiz It's All Egyptian to Me

Answer: Ptolemy

With the Greek inscription translated, it was known that the decree was made by Ptolemy. On a suggestion from de Sacy, who had stopped working on the translation, Young focused his attention on a group of hieroglyphics surrounded by a cartouche, believing that those could signify a proper name. Assuming that a famous name like Ptolemy would be pronounced approximately the same across most languages, he correctly determined the pronunciation of the symbols in the cartouche with an equivalent for Ptolemy. By comparing the inscriptions, Young was able to fully translate the partially-understood Demotic text, and correctly identified other proper names in the hieroglyphic inscription. However, he lost interest in translating the hieroglyphics and falsely concluded that the progress he had made was incorrect.

From Quiz Star, Comet, Fireball

Answer: Nikola Tesla

Tesla's experiments on a "death ray" can be traced all the way back to the late 19th century. In 1918 Tesla attempted to send laser pulses to the moon. He claimed for years to have invented a "death ray" that would put an end to war.

From Quiz The Lost Tale - Cartographers to the Incas

Answer: Dialect

That these two civilisations built pyramids is quite well known (and we could also add the Far East to the "pyramid constructing" civilizations). Hancock found that the ancient boats used by the Pharaohs on the Nile, as depicted in the hieroglyphic paintings in Egypt, were remarkably similar to the traditional boats made in the Suriqui Island near Lake Titicaca. A version of the 'Viracocha' tale told here - Viracocha is known as 'Thunupa' in this tale - is quite similar to the Egyptian Osiris story. Of course, I am ignoring the all too obvious heliocentric theology (Ra and Inti). Hancock also presents us the mysterious case of Lake Titicaca and the city of Tiahuanaco [Note that this is the place from Viracocha was supposed to have made his entry]. Though Tiahuanaco was a port, presumably on the coasts of Lake Titicaca, it is now 12 miles south of the Lake. Geologists point it to either of the possibilities - either the water level of Lake Titicaca fell or the Altiplanos rose.

From Quiz Priceless Treasures - Where Are They ?

Answer: lost at sea

In the 1838 an English army officer and amateur archaeologist, Howard Vyse, explored the pyramid, found the sarcophagus, and tried to ship it to England aboard the merchant ship Beatrice. The ship sank, however, and took the ornate sarcophagus down with it. There was no body in the sarcophagus. It didn't contain any inscriptions or hieroglyphics. Menkaure's remains were never found. The Beatrice set sail from Alexandria. It arrived on the island of Malta and was to sail to Liverpool, England. Once there, it was to be sent to England's British Museum in London. On October 13th, 1838 the Beatrice encountered a storm and the ship sank somewhere in the Mediterranean.

From Quiz Swept Under the Rug

Answer: Baalbek

Baalbek is located about midway between Beirut and Damascus. There are some Roman ruins there but the area may have been inhabited for 9,000 years. It got its name from the god Baal, worshipped by the Phoenicians; the Greeks renamed it Heliopolis. As part of the complex there are huge foundation stones; archeologists do not know for certain how they were quarried and transported a kilometer to their final destination. More curious is that the foundation stones, some weighing 1,100 tons, were two to three times larger than they needed to be. Why drag all that extra weight around the countryside? This led to the wild theory that the extra weight was needed because the ruins were a spaceship landing pad. The Romans built three temples there, starting in 15 BC, to honor Jupiter, Venus and Bacchus. They are the largest Roman temples outside of Rome, and larger than some there. The complex took about 300 years to complete. Another temple, dedicated to Mercury, was built nearby. No one knows why such large temples were built so far from Rome, or why Roman emperors traveled so far to receive guidance from oracles. No Roman or Greek records (or any other) have been found explaining why such large-scale construction took place there.

From Quiz Unsung Heroes - Why Did History Forget?

Answer: Attila the Hun

In 452 AD, after pillaging much of modern Germany and France, Attila led his horde into Italy. After sacking several cities he was met outside Rome by envoys from Emperor Valentinian, one of whom was Pope Leo. Following a discussion between the Pope and the leader of the Huns, Attila's forces withdrew from Italy into Eastern Europe where he died the following year. It's not known what Leo said to Attila that convinced him to spare the Roman capital. Theories range from divine intervention to payment of a large bribe. Many historians think that Attila decided to leave because Italy was suffering from two years of famine and Attila's army simply wasn't able to continue to feed itself. Leo received credit for the salvation of Rome, whatever the reason. Three years later Leo was unable to prevent the sack of Rome by the Vandal tribe.

From Quiz Priceless Treasures - Where Are They ?

Answer: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

The Isabella Gardner Stewart Museum offered a $10 million dollar reward, the largest ever offered by a private museum at that time. In 2013, the FBI announced that they had identified the thieves, but that the statute of limitations on the theft had run out. Noticeably, the FBI didn't identify the thieves other than to say they were part of a criminal organization operating in the mid-Atlantic area. These treasures have never been recovered.

From Quiz Swept Under the Rug

Answer: Indus Valley

The Indus Valley was located in parts of Pakistan, northwest India and some of Afghanistan. It was an early culture, along with Egypt and Mesopotamia. Its roots go back as much as 3,300 years ago. It was centered along the Indus and Sarasvati Rivers and had several major urban centers which showed sophisticated planning and infrastructure. Over 1,000 cities and settlements have been found which may have been home to as many as 5 million people. They apparently had a hieroglyphic language, which has yet to be deciphered. Around 1,800 BC the civilization began to decline. Scholars are not completely sure why. The Sarasvati River began to dry up but the people of the area didn't do much farming; they bought most of what they needed from others. Another explanation is an invasion by an Indo-European tribe known as Aryans. Climate change has also been put forth as a possible explanation and it may be that all of these played a part. But a once-flourishing civilization has left us with many guesses and few answers.

From Quiz Unsung Heroes - Why Did History Forget?

Answer: Paul Revere

In April of 1777 the British moved to punish Connecticut for supporting the revolution. The 7th Regiment of the Dutchess County Militia commanded by Sybil's father, Colonel Henry Ludington, had temporarily returned to their homes to complete spring planting. Upon learning of the British approach, Ludington sent his daughter out on horseback to notify the soldiers to muster for battle. Sybil rode sidesaddle for over 40 miles, single-handedly notifying all 400 members of the regiment who gathered under her father's command. Too late to stop the British burning Danbury, the regiment joined the rest of the army to chase the British out of the colony at the Battle of Ridgefield. George Washington himself thanked Sybil for her act of bravery. Perhaps if Longfellow had found a word to rhyme with 'Ludington,' Sybil would be as well known as Paul Revere. The famous silvermith, by the way, was assisted by 40 other riders and was captured and questioned by the British in the course of his much shorter ride.

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Last Updated Apr 13 2024 5:47 AM

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