Scientific discoveries happen every day, from new archaeological sites and potential new cures for diseases to the solar system and beyond. While these discoveries are certainly interesting, most of them don’t change our lives all that much.
However, these recent discoveries did just that. They changed our view of history in a way that can’t be undone! Let’s dive right in.
Ancient China’s Love For Beer
You love beer, we love beer, everyone loves beer! As it turns out, so did the ancient Chinese. We previously knew that this ancient civilization drank fermented beverages made from rice about 9,000 years ago.
In 2016, archaeologists discovered that the Chinese also made their own beer. Beer-making equipment was found at an excavation site in Shaanxi Province. The equipment dates to 2,400-2,900 B.C. To make it even more interesting, residue on the vessels revealed the presence of barley — more than 1,000 years before the Chinese used the grain for food.
King Tut’s Alien Knife
In 2016, scientists solved a 94-year-old mystery involving King Tutankhamen and his strange iron dagger. Found by Howard Carter in 1922, King Tut’s tomb remains the subject of many archaeological projects.
Among the items found at the young pharaoh’s tomb was a dagger made from iron. Iron working was rare in Egypt 3,300 years ago. Also, the dagger had not rusted. In 2016, scientists tested the dagger with an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer and found that the iron was of extraterrestrial origin. It likely came from a meteorite near the Red Sea.
Ancient Dogs Loved Ancient Man
It turns out, dogs and men have been best friends for more than 7,000 years! Archaeologist David Jacques found a dog’s tooth at Blick Mead near Stonehenge. While the find wasn’t strange, the origin of the tooth certainly was, since the animal belonged to an area known today as the Vale of York.
The ancient dog was a companion to a Mesolithic hunter-gatherer. The pair went on a 250 mile trip from York to Wiltshire. It is considered the oldest known journey in British history.
