Secret HistoryS


Archaeology

The Jeddas: Algeria's ancient pyramid tombs still shrouded in mystery

Amal Belalloufi
PhysOrg
Mon, 14 Jan 2019 20:02 UTC
Algerian pyramids
Archaeology students and their teachers are trying to shed more light on the history of Algeria's ancient pyramid tombs, known as the Jeddars
Dating back centuries, Algeria's pyramid tombs are unique relics of an ancient era but a dearth of research has left the Jeddars shrouded in mystery.

The 13 monuments, whose square stone bases are topped with angular mounds, are perched on a pair of hills near the city of Tiaret, some 250 kilometres (155 miles) southwest of the capital Algiers.

Constructed between the fourth and seventh centuries, the tombs are believed by some scholars to have been built as final resting places for Berber royalty-although nobody knows who truly laid within.

But Algerian authorities and archaeologists are now pushing to get the Jeddars listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, in the hope of assuring their preservation and study.
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Airplane

Inquiry: Who or what brought down Dag Hammarskjöld

Joseph Majerle III, Matthew Stevenson
Counterpunch
Fri, 11 Jan 2019 00:00 UTC
Dag Hammarskjöld
© blog427NYTimesDag Hammarskjöld
Background to the Crash

A plane carrying the Secretary General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjöld, crashed while approaching the Ndola (Zambia) airport on September 18, 1961. The exact time of the crash is unknown, although it was around midnight. The DC-6, named Albertina, had flown a circuitous route from Kinshasa, the capital of the Congo, to Ndola, a large town in what was then Northern Rhodesia. The purpose of the flight was to bring Secretary Hammarskjöld to a meeting with Moise Tshombe, the president of the breakaway republic of Katanga, in which many western (British, French, Belgian and American) investors had large stakes in various mineral deposits.

Those corporate interests had supported independence for Katanga after the Congolese leadership, notably Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, had advocated closer relations with the Communist bloc. (Lumumba, himself, was assassinated in January 1961, in what some researchers now believe was part of a Central Intelligence Agency plot to get rid of him.)

For his part, Hammarskjöld believed that the Congo ought to remain one country, and toward that end he was flying to Ndola (just over the border of Northern Rhodesia from Katanga) to have ceasefire talks with Tshombe, in the hope of mediating a settlement to the conflict. Instead, his plane crashed in the darkness, killing fifteen of the sixteen passengers and crew aboard the DC-6. One security officer for Hammarskjöld survived for about eight days.

Ndola, Zambia Dag Hammarskjöld’s crash site
© UnknownNdola, Zambia, showing the roof of the memorial museum and Dag Hammarskjöld’s DC-6 as it would have appeared coming through the trees onto the crash site.
Since the fatal crash, various investigative instruments, including UN committees and independent aviation groups in the United Kingdom and Sweden, have looked into the cause of the crash. The initial investigation, conducted by colonial authorities in 1961, concluded that the pilots of the DC-6 (an experienced Swedish crew) had misjudged the night landing on an unfamiliar approach and flew the plane into the ground. A UN inquiry at the same time, however, failed to reach the same conclusion, although it was at a loss to explain the crash.
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Umbrella

Rare photos: European refugee camps in Syria during height of WWII

Vandita
ANONHQ.com
Mon, 23 May 2016 00:00 UTC
German refugees
© UnknownGerman Refugees
The whole world is aware that Europe is buckled under the biggest refugee crisis since World War II, with millions of people fleeing civil war and oppression in the Middle East, North Africa, and Western Asia, and landing on the continent's shores by land and by sea. The UN estimates that more people have been displaced than at any time since the Second World War - there are close to 60 million war refugees, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

While there is no denying the fact that the current humanitarian crisis is the worst refugee crisis of our generation; with continuous comparison to World War II, it is imperative that we share a small yet important fact with you: at the height of World War II, the Middle East Relief and Refugee Administration (MERRA) operated camps in Syria, Egypt and Palestine, where tens of thousands of people from across Europe sought refuge.

Yes, you read it right. Refugees crossed the same passageways [which the Syrians, the Africans, and the Asians are taking to reach Europe TODAY] 70 years ago - BUT they were the Europeans (largely from Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Turkey and Yugoslavia) trying to find solace in the Middle East.
Refugee map
© UnknownRefugee map
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Dig

Could mysterious death of Alexander the Great be explained by an infection?


Phys.org
Tue, 22 Jan 2019 12:00 UTC
Alexander great
© wikiAlexander Mosaic (c. first century AD), ancient Roman floor mosaic from the House of the Faun in Pompeii showing Alexander fighting king Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Issus
It may have happened more than 2300 years ago, but the mystery of Alexander the Great's death could finally be solved, thanks to a University of Otago, New Zealand, academic.

Dr. Katherine Hall, a Senior Lecturer at the Dunedin School of Medicine and practising clinician, believes the ancient ruler did not die from infection, alcoholism or murder, as others have claimed. Instead, she argues he met his demise thanks to the neurological disorder Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS).

In an article published in The Ancient History Bulletin, she says previous theories around his death in 323BC have not been satisfactory as they have not explained the entire event.

"In particular, none have provided an all-encompassing answer which gives a plausible and feasible explanation for a fact recorded by one source-Alexander's body failed to show any signs of decomposition for six days after his death.

Comment: It may be possible to see if traces of this infection can be detected, were his remains to be found:
See also:

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Dig

ANOTHER one! Skeleton with elongated 'alien' skull discovered in southern Russia


Sputnik
Thu, 24 Jan 2019 20:12 UTC
Skeleton With 'Alien' Egg-Shaped Skull Discovered in Southern Russia
© YouTube/ing.arheologiyaTech
Deformed skulls and necks have previously been found in the graves and burial sites of many ancient nations, such as the Alans, Huns, and Samaritans, with archaeologists believing that the remains belong to elite members of their societies.

Archaeologists from the Institute of Caucasus Archaeology have unearthed a strange-looking skeleton of a woman, who is believed to have lived sometime between the 4th and 6th centuries, near the Russian city of Nazran in the Caucasus Mountains. Her skull appears alien-like, as it was severely deformed and egg-shaped.

The strange shape of her skull and incredibly full rows of white teeth led scientists to believe that she belonged to a noble class of citizens. This is not the first time that archaeologists have found such skulls - several other nations, like Alans, Huns, and Samaritans, used special techniques to change the shape of skulls and necks. This was allegedly done by the nobility to underscore their status.

Comment: Wow. There have been so many finds like this in recent years. Assuming this find in Russia isn't an elaborate hoax, the elongated skull likely wasn't a result of artificial deformation. It's just too big a 'deformation'.

For more evidence of some para-human species that once lived among humans, check out:

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Bad Guys

The British roots of the deep state and how its round table infiltrated America with the 'The Integrity Initiative'

Matthew Ehret
The Duran
Wed, 23 Jan 2019 00:00 UTC
Rhodes Scholar William Yandall Elliot
Rhodes Scholar William Yandall Elliot surrounded by a few of his leading disciples: Sir Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski Samuel Huntington and Pierre Trudeau
Kissinger's takeover of the State Department ushered in a new era of British occupation of American foreign policy.

With the nearly weekly revelations that the British Foreign Office, MI6, and GCHQ have been behind the long standing agenda to undermine the Presidency of Donald Trump and undo the peaceful alliance between nationalist leaders in America, Russia, China and elsewhere, a new focus on the British hand in undermining the United States has become a serious thought for many citizens. In the first week of the new year, fuel was added to this fire when internal memos were leaked from the British-run Integrity Initiative featuring a startling account of the techniques deployed by the anti-Russian British operation to infiltrate American intelligence institutions, think tanks and media.

For those who may not know, The Integrity Initiative is an anti-Russian propaganda outfit funded to the tune of $140 million by the British Foreign office. The January 2019 leak, featuring documents dated to the early period of Trump's election, demonstrate that this organization, already active across Europe promoting anti-Russian PR and smearing nationalist leaders such as Jeremy Corbyn, was intent on spreading deeply into the State Department and setting up "clusters" of anti-Trump operatives. The documents reveal high level meetings that Integrity Initiative Director Chris Donnelly had with former Trump Advisor Sebastien Gorka, McCain Foundation director Kurt Volker, Pentagon PR guru John Rendon among many others.
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Magnify

4,500 year old stone circle discovered in Aberdeenshire, Scotland - UPDATE

Alison Campsie
Scotman
Mon, 17 Dec 2018 14:53 UTC
Aberdeenshire stone circle
© ContributedThe stone circle in Aberdeenshire has come to the attention of archaeologists for the first time - despite it being up to 4,500-years-old.
A 4,500-year-old stone circle has been identified by archaeologists for the first time.

The Recumbent Stone Circle has been recorded on a farm in Aberdeenshire, in the parish of Leochel-Cushnie.

The complete stone circle has been known and respected by those farming the area over time but the ancient formation has been unknown to archaeologists until now.

The site, which sits between Aboyne and Banchory, has now been recorded after it was reported to Aberdeenshire Council's archaeology service by Fiona Bain, whose family have farmed in the area for generations.

Experts from the local authority and Historic Environment Scotland have now visited the site and believe the stone circle is a slightly unusual example of its kind.

Comment: For an idea on the people behind these fascinating ancient structures, Laura Knight-Jadczyk writes in "Where Troy Once Stood: The Mystery of Homer's Iliad & Odyssey Revealed":
Aristotle considered Gaul to be the "teacher" of Greece and the Druids to be the "inventors of philosophy." The Greeks also considered the Druids to be the world's greatest scholars, and whose mathematical knowledge was the source of Pythagoras' information.

What we can discern from Wilken's work is that there was an ancient and noble civilization associated with the European Megaliths that no longer exists and even its high knowledge and nuanced philosophy has been forgotten - except for the clues left in the Iliad and Odyssey.

[...]

It is a fact that the Earth is literally blanketed with megaliths from some ancient civilization. Tens of thousands of them! There are variations in placement and style, but the thing they all have in common is their incredible size and their undeniable antiquity. It is now understood by the experts that the megalithic structures demanded complex architectural planning, and they propose that it was the labor of tens of thousands of men working for centuries. The interesting thing about the megalith builders is that the peoples who were able to perform these utterly amazing feats of engineering are still, in most circles, considered to be barbarians because they did not build cities, engage in agriculture, develop the wheel, or writing. Yet, they did something that clearly cannot be, and was not, done by "civilized" peoples who did all of those "civilized" things. They had some sort of "power" that we cannot replicate and do not understand. We also note that another of the famous megalithic arrangements is called "Carnac," suggesting that Karnak in what we now call Egypt is but an echo of an ancient reality, a name transferred by peoples on the move from their ancient homes following a catastrophe, perhaps a terrible war such as that recorded of Troy.
See also: UPDATE Jan 21, 2019: Turns out these particular stones weren't infact, the real deal. From the New York Post:

This is about as much of an artifact as the Spice Girls.

A stone circle in Scotland - which sparked a rush of interest last year when it was said to be thousands of years old - has turned out to have actually been built sometime in the 1990s, Scottish officials said on Monday.

The "recumbent stone circle" found on a farm in the Northeast section of the country was celebrated by a local archaeology service as an authentic discovery last November.

The researchers noted unusual features in the circle's construction after they studied it, including its small diameter and relatively small stones.

But a former owner of the farm contacted the archaeologists and said he had organized the stones as a replica some 20 years ago.

"It is obviously disappointing to learn of this development," said Neil Ackerman, historic environment record assistant at Aberdeenshire Council.

"These types of monument are notoriously difficult to date," he added. "For this reason we include any modern replicas of ancient monuments in our records in case they are later misidentified."


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Archaeology

Million $ treasure trove unearthed: Items owned by disgraced Russian princeling found in Uzbekistan


RT
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 14:53 UTC
Treasure
© RIA Novosti / Maxim Blinov
Archeologists in Uzbekistan have unearthed a treasure estimated to worth at least a million dollars, which includes some items owned by a controversial member of the Romanov royal family, an exile who became a patron of the arts.

The trove of items, including coins, bullions, books, paintings and other works of art, was discovered in a secret chamber under the basement of an old house in Tashkent, the Uzbek capital, local media reported.

The house was built in 1870. The owners or somebody with access to the cellar - most likely wealthy people who fled to Uzbekistan during or after the Bolshevik revolution - stashed the treasure away some eight decades ago.

Photos of the treasure published by Kun.us news website show handwritten books of poetry and religious studies by Medieval Uzbek authors, old European manuscripts, somewhat newer printed books, Orthodox Christian icons, coins, bars of silver and gold and an intricate microscope, which the historians believe was made in Austria in the 19th century.
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Star of David

Memos reveal: Israel began nuclear weapons program without telling government or Knesset


Sputnik
Sat, 19 Jan 2019 20:38 UTC
Dimona Nuclear Facility
© AFP 2018/Jack GuezIsrael's Dimona Nuclear Power Plant in the southern Israeli Negev Desert
Israel's longstanding policy has been to neither admit nor deny that the country has nuclear weapons. However, estimates by reputable intelligence companies suggest the country has between 80 and 400 nuclear warheads, making it the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East.

Tel Aviv began work on the Dimona nuclear reactor in 1958 without informing members of the government or the country's parliament, Israeli historian and Haaretz contributor Adam Raz revealed, citing a trove of primary documents he reportedly received from a secret source at an academic event.

The papers, which include notes, memorandums, drafts and summaries by senior Israeli officials of the time, including Israel Galili, an adviser to prime ministers Levi Eshkol and Golda Meir, Eshkol himself, cabinet member Yigal Allon and IDF commander Moshe Dayan, defence chief-turned prime minister Shimon Peres, and senior diplomat Abba Eban, helped Raz piece together important details about the clandestine project.

Moral Qualms and Cost Concerns

The papers revealed that Galili had several concerns about the nuclear endeavour, known as "the enterprise," including its potential to undermine Israel's "moral status," or cause then-Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser to attack Israel to try to take out a "justified target." Finally, he feared that the program could incite Cairo to start work on its own nuclear program.

Comment: See also:

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Info

DNA computational analysis identifies an unknown human ancestor

Tim Sandle
Digital Journal
Sat, 19 Jan 2019 10:41 UTC
By applying artificial intelligence to genomes of Asian individuals has enabled scientists to identify an unknown human ancestor - a hominid who cross bred with its ancestors tens of thousands of years ago.
Littlefoot
© Yoav Lemmer, AFP/FileA picture taken on September 1, 2002 shows "Littlefoot", an almost complete hominid skeleton believed to be some 3.3 million years old, in a rock at the Sterkfontein Caves in South Africa.
The new research comes from Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE), the Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG-CRG) of the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and the Institute of Genomics at the University of Tartu. In studies researchers have applied deep learning algorithms and statistical methods to establish the footprint of a new hominid.

The application of human DNA computational analysis indicates that the extinct species was a hybrid of Neanderthals and Denisovans. At some stage this hominid cross bred with 'Out of Africa' modern humans within the region of the world that is now Asia. The scientific theory of recent African origin of modern humans is the most widely accepted model of the geographic origin and early migration of anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens).
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