What Scientists Just Uncovered Under the Sands of the Sahara Desert Shocks the Entire World
Our planet has many diverse and harsh environments, including the desert – a place with scorching heat, limited water resources and endless sand dunes. Of all the deserts in the world, the Sahara is the largest and most mysterious. Despite its extremely harsh living conditions, this place has witnessed amazing discoveries, from ancient relics to unexplained phenomena.
1. Saharan Horned Viper
The Sahara is not only a desolate land but also home to many unique animals. One of them is the Saharan Horned Viper – an extremely venomous snake. They have the ability to camouflage themselves by burying themselves in the sand during the day to avoid the intense heat and only emerge at night to hunt. If you are unlucky enough to encounter this snake, it is best to stay away because its venom can be fatal.
2. Shocking discovery under the Sahara sands
Recently, scientists made a shocking discovery when they found hundreds of strangely preserved bodies under the hot sand. These bodies had dark, hardened skin and were covered with mysterious patterns. What made researchers shudder was that all the bodies were neatly arranged, as if they had been buried in some kind of ritual. Were these victims of an ancient disaster or a mystery beyond human understanding?
3. Ténéré impact crater
One of the most interesting discoveries in the Sahara is the Ténéré crater – an ancient impact crater that dates back to before the dinosaur era. Initially, scientists argued about its origin, some thought it was a trace of a volcanic eruption. However, when they analyzed the rock samples there, they determined that it was actually a meteorite impact crater, proving that the Sahara had been hit by many cosmic impacts over the past million years.
### 4. The Lost River
The Sahara may be a dry land today, but it used to be home to large rivers. A Japanese satellite used radar to discover a system of underground rivers that stretched more than 500 kilometers under the desert, flowing all the way to the African coast. The discovery raises many questions about what the Sahara looked like in the past and how these rivers influenced ancient civilizations. If one river exists, how many others remain undiscovered?
5. Buried Fortresses
During a survey of the desert using satellite imaging technology, researchers found more than 100 ancient fortresses in the Libyan region, once inhabited by the Garamantes people. Surprisingly, all of these fortresses were completely buried by the desert sands over the centuries.
6. Gobero Skeletons
Gobero, an area once known as the “Green Sahara,” was once a fertile land before turning into the desert it is today. Here, archaeologists have discovered many well-preserved human skeletons, showing that this area once had a developed civilization before being transformed by climate change.
7. Giant Dinosaur Bones
The Sahara not only has traces of humans but is also a treasure trove of dinosaurs. A famous fossil hunter has found many new dinosaur skeletons here, including species that have never been known before. In 2022, he set out on an expedition to excavate 25 tons of fossils from the sand. However, the excavation was extremely dangerous due to the harsh environmental conditions and the strong antiquities gangs operating in the area.
8. RAF P-40 Kittyhawk
In 2012, an oil company accidentally discovered the wreckage of a World War II RAF P-40 Kittyhawk aircraft buried under the sand. The aircraft was believed to have belonged to the Royal Air Force, used in the North African campaign. It seems that the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing here, but no one knows what happened to him afterwards.
9. Spinosaurus – a giant carnivorous monster
One of the most terrifying dinosaurs ever found in the Sahara was Spinosaurus – the largest carnivorous dinosaur that ever existed, even larger than T-Rex. Scientists have discovered that Spinosaurus may have been an amphibious predator, living both on land and in water.
10. The Lost Army of Cambyses
According to legend, during the Persian Empire, King Cambyses II sent an army of 50,000 men into the Sahara, but they never returned. For centuries, no one knew what happened to them. It was not until 2009 that archaeologists found remains that may have belonged to this army, suggesting that they may have been completely buried by a sandstorm.