The African region is a source of many discoveries that are currently on the planet. Some of these discoveries include new species of humans, new kinds of underground minerals or stones. Researchers have also found some strange unexplainable unsettling discoveries in the region that we will highlight in this article.
Sky Blue Stone of Sierra Leone
Angelo Pitoni, an archaeologist and geologist, discovered an odd type of bluestone in Sierra Leone. He later sent the strange stone to several labs around the world for investigation. Scientists conducted the tests in labs of the University of Geneva, Utrecht, Rome, Germany, and Tokyo. All the experts agreed that the stone is not the same or similar to any other type of rock, and so it has to be artificial. The Italian geologist believed that this is an unusual piece.
Sky Stone has a composition that comprises oxygen, carbon, calcium, silicon, and sodium. The makeup makes the Sky-Blue stone the same as a kind of stucco and seems that people colored it artificially.
The Gedi Ruins
Colonialists discovered the Gedi Ruins in 1920. The ruins are an archaeological site close to the Indian Ocean coast of eastern Kenya. The Gedi is one of the many Swahili-Arab coastal settlements that stretch from Somalia and Mogadishu to the R. Zambezi. The historical site includes a walled town.
There are big open regions in the settlement which had thatch and earth structures. The Gedi ruins was a vital trade post back then. Its architecture and loads of imported material culture give proof of the city’s flourishment throughout its occupation from the 11th century to the 17th century.
History documents that the Swahili inhabitants deserted the town mysteriously, approximately around 600 years ago. To date, it is among the best places to visit in case one wants to have a perfect experience with wildlife. Indigenous trees of different types have grown in the region. As such, different types of birds, ranging from hawks to kingfishers, to Turacos have all inhabited the area.
Therefore, the Kenyan government has made it a national museum owing to its spectacular scenery. It is quite amazing how the Swahili occupants built the town, how they organized people of different social strata.
The Discovery of Homo Naledi
Naledi is a species of archaic human found in the Rising Star Cave, Cradle of Humankind. The earlier discovery comprises over 1500 specimens, representing more than 730 different constituents and about 15 individuals. The H. Naledi brain structure seems to have been like modern Homo.
The paleoanthropological site self-proclaimed as the Cradle of Humankind is in South Africa. UNESCO declared it a Heritage site in 1999. The site has a complex of limestone caves. The registered name of the place or site in the list of World Heritage sites is Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa.
The Senegambian Stone Circles
This discovery lies in The Gambia north of Janjanbureh and in the central region of Senegal. According to UNESCO, these stone circles are the biggest concentration of stone circles in the globe.
The sites of Kerbatch and Wassu in the Gambia and Sine Ngayene and Wanar in Senegal characterize an unusual concentration of over 990 stone circles. Many researchers do not know when and who built this extraordinary structure.
Old Tools in Kenya
Lomekwi 3 is the name of an archaeological site in the land of Kenya where researchers found old stone tools dating to over 3m years ago. In July 2011, a group of archaeologists that Sonia Harmand and Jason Lewis of Stony Brook University-led were going to a site near Lake Turkana. The group went the wrong way and ended up at an unmapped area and surveyed it. They discovered stone artifacts on the place, which they referred to as Lomekwi 3.
Archaeologists have excavated about 20 well-maintained artifacts at Lomekwi 3, including cores, anvils, and flakes.
The Great Pyramid of Giza
The Pyramid of Khufu is the oldest of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. According to estimates, the Great Pyramid weighs more than 5.5 million tonnes and comprises over 2m blocks of limestone and granite. Ancient Egyptians built the fascinating structure by getting enormous stones from a quarry and lifting them into place. There are 3 chambers inside the Great Pyramid.
MORE:
Other Discoveries
Apart from the above discoveries, there are other unsettling discoveries in Africa. Some of these discoveries are the Bakoni Ruins, which appeared to be a lost city of Africa. And the Namib Desert Fairy Circles, which is an amazing discovery that scientists are yet to uncover.
Moreover, the most interesting of Africa’s discovery is the rare exotic pets that the wealthy residents of Hierakonpolis kept. Some of these unusual pets that they kept were hippos and elephants. There is also evidence of animal abuse that archaeologists have discovered through injuries on the skeletons of the exotic animals.
The Fairy Circles Of Namib Desert
Like the other phenomenal sceneries, the Namibia desert has mysterious fairy circles, which have sparked arguments among ecologists. The latter have submitted different hypothetical analysis, as to what might be the causes of the circles. However, after a thorough debate, researchers have come up with two possible causes.
One research group claimed that the circles are aftermaths that termites cause as they clear vegetations above their nests. When the termites clear the fauna, they make the soil more porous, allowing it the ability to keep more water to sustain their growth and ecosystem.
Another alternative, however, is the possibility might be because of the water competition theory. When plants in the desert compete for survival, the older ones deprive the young ones of nutrients and water. As a result, the younger plants die, leaving room for the circles to form. Although both of the arguments seem valid, the termite ones have more evidence because of the existence of termite nests in the circles. However, there is not much knowledge about why the patterns are so regular.
Nonetheless, some discoveries reveal that termites move in circular motions. In case the termites come across any small colonies during such movements, they destroy them and take control over them. However, when two similar termite colonies confront each other, they both overcome each other and establish a boundary. Meanwhile, research shows that the conflict between the termite colony might have contributed to the regular circles in the desert. Tarnita, a researcher, states that they have observed similar partners in termite colonies in Kenya, Arizona, Brazil, Mozambique, and Australia.
The ecologists then concluded that the big circles were caused by the big plants, while the small ones by the competing plants.
MORE:
- France Museum Displays Makay Massif to Honor Its Breathtaking Beauty
- Choose Happiness: 5 Happiness Apps to Help with Anxiety
The Bakoni Ruins Of South Africa
The ruins of Bakoni are a South African epic beauty, found in the modern town of Machadodorp, in Mpumalanga Province. Another name for Machadodorp is eNtokozweni, which means a place of happiness. Most of these ruins, comprising remains of stone walls, are scattered all over the hills.
The presence of these remains proves that indeed humans existed millions of years ago. Two scholars, Professor Peter Delius and Dr. Alex Schoeman believe that technological and agricultural innovation existed long before colonization. This is because while studying the ruins, they have discovered that the early occupants of the region practiced advanced agriculture and livestock keeping. The early inhabitants would take the livestock to graze during the day and drive them in the cattle sheds at night.
Professor Delius stated that the inhabitants of Bakoni practiced an intensive farming system that was unique and also one of the largest farming systems in southern and eastern Africa. The region consisted of stone terracing designs and cattle kraals. He also says that:
” The region connected to systems of long-distance trade which span the interior that linked to the east coast and the vast and ancient Indian Ocean trading system. So this was not an isolated society, an isolated world. It was part of a much bigger regional system.”
According to researchers, Bakoni can be dated to around the 16th century. And its culture many more years past the 16th century. As such archeologists, scientists are interested to conduct more studies in the area, hoping to uncover more about the early man. However, it is quite unfortunate as the South African government has neglected the site. This has led to the destruction of some archeological evidence in the region. As we are speaking, some landowners are the ones taking responsibility to salvage some of the evidence.
It is the responsibility of a country’s governing body, to protest the public resources, more so the historical sites. This is because such sites revive a past account, making learners or even nationals have a better understanding of their country. For instance, with Bakoni ruins, the government should formulate legislation to protect it from encroachers. Such that any time one tampers or removes objects from the site, he or she will face prosecution. We should all strive to preserve the historical evidence of our countries.
