10 of the Strangest Things That Were Found in the Desert

by Akankha Mitra3 years ago

6 Concrete arrows in the middle of the desert

Hundreds of massive concrete arrows have been found in the American Desert in 2013 whose purpose was unknown for a long time. Later on, it was discovered that these arrows were created to guide the email pilots in the 1920s.

Concrete Arrows
Image credits: KRQE/Youtube

Hundreds of huge concrete arrows were discovered all across the American Desert. For a long time, the purpose of these arrows was unknown until a young couple, Brian and Charlotte Smith, stumbled upon these arrows after Brian received a mail about them and was instantly intrigued. 

Upon thorough investigation, the real purpose of these arrows was revealed.

The concrete arrows were built in the 1920s and 30s by the Air Traffic Control Association in order to guide the airmail pilots. Initially, they were illuminated by the beacons nearby but most of these light towers are no more. The arrows were initially painted yellow but with time, the color has faded. The Journal of Air Control has reported that the beacons were decommissioned in the 1970s.

The couple runs a website that revolves around these arrows and their significance. Several pictures can be obtained from the website which include both close-ups and aerial shots. (1, 2)

7 Prehistoric shapes in the Middle East

A number of unique shapes that lead to geometric patterns were first discovered in 1927 in the Middle East. The local tribes refused to talk about them and referred to them as “the works of old men.” These stone structures dated back to prehistoric times, and some were even 8,500 years old.

Thousands of stone structures that can be interpreted as geometric shapes have been discovered in the deserts of the Middle East. Archaeologists have found a couple of wheel-shaped structures that date back to approximately 8,500 years ago, making these geometric wheels older than the infamous Nazca Lines in Peru.

Local tribesmen, when asked, revealed nothing much about these structures except for referring to them as “works of the old men.” These structures include kites (stone structures for killing animals), pendants (lines of stone cairns), and massive, meandering walls.

The lines cannot be well perceived as shapes from the ground, however, the aerial view revealed a lot about them. It is still a subject of mystery since no balloons or gilder technology was introduced in prehistoric times. The wheels seem to have great astronomical significance since they reflected the alignment of the celestial bodies. (1, 2)

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8 The eye of the Sahara

The Richat Structure, popularly known as the “Eye of the Sahara,” was discovered in the western Sahara Desert in Mauritania in 1965. Currently, it is believed that molten rocks pushed themselves towards the surface of the Earth but did not make it up to the surface, thus creating a dome of layers of rocks.

Richat Structure
Image Credit : NASA.gov

For a long time, this massive bull’s eye in the sands of Western Sahara has been overlooked since it is nearly impossible to spot it from the ground. In 1965, the Gemini IV mission was being prepared and scientists were asked to take pictures of the Earth’s terrain. This is when the “Eye of the Sahara” caught their attention. 

For a long time, scientists believed that it was an impact of a crater since only a very small proportion of molten rock was found. The current theory about the formation is that molten rock pushed up towards the Earth’s surface and created a dome-like structure.

Canadian geologists suggest that the “Eye of the Sahara” was formed 100 million years ago when the supercontinent of Pangaea broke apart as a result of the shifting of tectonic plates. Another significant theory is that it is the remains of the City of Atlantis that Plato described as concentric rings of water and land. (1, 2)

9 Rock art amidst the Black Desert

Two-thousand-year-old rock art has been found amidst the Black Desert in the Jebel Qurma region of Jordan. Between 2012 to 2016, 5,000 pieces of rock art have been discovered by researchers. These petroglyphs were made in a unique script by ancient nomads and depicted several animals.

Over 5,000 pieces of rock art have been found in the Jebel Qurma region of Jordan’s Black Desert. Exhaustive research was carried out between 2012 and 2016, and it was revealed that the rock art was written in Safaitic which is an ancient script used by nomads of the region. Through the art form, several animals like ostriches and gazelles were depicted.

Some of the rock pieces depict the names of the people, while the elaborate ones portray the lives and lifestyle of the nomads of the time. It suggested that the desert region once supported a bountiful human population and wildlife. Thankfully, that time had been chronologically documented by the pieces of rock art.

Archaeologists have also found traces of camps and shelters in the region that strengthened the suggestion. (1, 2)

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10 The mysterious lines

Google maps users all over the world have spotted several white lines on a specific spot in the Gobi Desert of China. When investigated from space, these lines depict mysterious linings that are believed to be calibrating China’s spy satellites.

White Lines on Gobi Desert
Image Credit : Google via Dailymail.co.uk, Pixabay.com

Google maps have spotted a grid of white lines on a particular spot of the renowned Gobi Desert in China. These lines are visible to almost every user of the application. Upon thorough investigation, the grid has suggested that they were painted for calibrating China’s spy satellites. The aerial view has revealed that these lines have markings on them.

 The lines are not evenly distributed and satellite cameras have found out that they have little gaps in the places where they cross natural drainage channels. The lines are asymmetrical and have tiny streaks in between.

Some of the other sources suggest the presence of grounds for military testing. Other mysterious images have been captured in the desert which often portrayed movement, thus, increasing the chances of it being a military ground. (1, 2)

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