10 Mysterious Grave Sites Discovered Through Google’s Satellite Imagery

Technological advancement has become a powerful asset to humanity. It helped bring people closer, gave scientists a new way to study the outer space, or made information more accessible than before. These are just few of the many wonders technology has given to human kind.

Google Maps and Google Earth, in particular, are two of the most useful tools we have nowadays. They help in finding locations from far away, even the most hidden ones.

According to Listverse, among the most interesting trends in recent memory is the discovery of tombs and/or cemeteries. And although they may look scary, one cannot help but get fascinated.

#10. Plymouth’s Forgotten Jewish Cemetery

Sometime in 2016, Jerry Sibley became the caretaker for the Hebrew congregation located in Plymouth, England. In his mind, he believed that a cemetery was developed in the location around 1850’s. But instead of sorting all the old documents, he decided to use Google Maps. To his surprise, he was able to find a hidden graveyard.

He went straight to the location and unearthed a hidden door, which was just along the stone wall. Inside, he discovered tons of gravestones written in Hebrew. Everything was overgrown with plants, but with the help of some friends, Sibley removed the obstructions. The hidden cemetery was then commissioned to a local-based theater troupe to document the discovery.

#9. Suffolk’s Bronze Age Burial Site

Looking at satellite images courtesy of Google Maps, Garry Champion noticed a mysterious outline shape that was only visible from an aerial view. The 48-year-old rushed to the local Suffolk County Council to report his discovery. Apparently, the shapes Champion saw were actually from burial mounts that existed between 2300 and 700 BC.

Unfortunately though, the burial site is situated in a private property. Hence archeologists cannot simply conduct archeological digging without asking permission from the land owner. If there is to be a treasure or valuable thing of sort, it will belong to the owner obviously.

#8. The Hidden Pyramids of Egypt

Almost all people know what the pyramids of Egypt are. They are after all one of the most extravagant tombs built in the history of mankind. But for Sarah Parcak of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, there is actually more left undiscovered. She was able to unravel at least 17 new structures somewhere in Tanis, Egypt, along with smaller tombs of around 1,000. It is worth noting that these tombs are not visible from an aerial perspective, though their very location can be tracked using Google Maps.

#7. Treblinka’s Mass Holocaust Graves

Treblinka has a very sad history. It became one of the many death camps in Poland during the existence of the infamous Holocaust. Fast forward to recent times, researchers used satellite images taken from Google Earth to study the location. Comparing the modern images to the old photos, they were able to discover what seemed to be a death camp.

In hopes to acquire any sign of burial sites beneath the ground, the researchers utilized ground-penetrating radar technology. Interestingly, they later on confirmed the existence of mass graves through archeological dig up. These were basically gas chambers that the Nazis used to torture their enemies.

#6. The Mongolian Tombs

If there was a leader known for ruthlessness, brutality and cruelty, it was none other than the infamous Genghis Khan. Believe it or not, he made sure that his death would never be made known to the public. Well, perhaps, during that time. It was believed that his tomb was filled with treasures. This eventually led to massive treasure hunting in modern times.

PLOS ONE, a well-known academic journal, decided to venture to Khan’s rumored treasure tomb. Through the help of satellite imaging technology, they were able to pin down around 55 promising tomb sites. All of these were reportedly burial mounds from the Bronze Age. Unfortunately, the Mongolians did not like the researchers’ work, as they believe it would tear the country apart. As a result, the journey to Khan’s own tomb is still a huge mystery.

#5. The Hidden Tombs Of The Titular Ancient Mayan City

When talking about the archaic times, it is almost impossible not to include the popular Mayan civilization. Actually, there were 117 known Mayan cities. And what is even more intriguing? These cities were perfectly lined up with our constellations and all have secret tombs, buildings and the alike. This discovery was courtesy of William Gadoury who hails from Canada.

He tested his theory using satellite images, but mostly were provided by the Canadian Space Agency. These images all pointed at Campeche, Mexico. Gadoury, however, explained that months or even years are needed to fully unearth the mystery behind these cities.

#4. The Mysterious Saudi Tombs

The said tombs can be located just outside of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. They were discovered by David Kennedy of the University of Western Australia. According to him, there were around 2,000 tombs, all acquired using Google Earth’s satellite images. Believe it or not, the area in which the tombs were discovered is somewhere in a dried lava field. This was the main reason why people would not want to go beyond the point.

It holds true that Saudi Arabia is among the oldest civilizations. But due to its geographical location, the amount of archaeological digging conducted was almost close to zero. This was also due to the fact that the country’s government does not approve of such activity.

#3. Dahshur Necropolis’ Hidden Tombs

Thanks again to Dr. Parcak, the hidden tombs in Dahshur Necropolis were discovered. The first discovery was a tomb of a certain man who is dubbed as the “Royal Stamp Bearer” in El-Lisht, Egypt. Together with her colleagues, Parcak uncovered a huge grave marker. It is basically a large stone slab, but with ancient markings.

This was deemed an important discovery, as it gives humanity insight to the careers and daily lives of people from the Middle Kingdom of 2000 to 17000 BC. Parcak iterated that their discovery showed that people from that time were also remembered and/or honored for their work.

#2. Bosnia’s Hidden Graves

The International Commission on Missing Person of Bosnia conducted a nationwide search for the remains of the victims killed during the Bosnia-Herzegovina war. It was during that time that plenty of people not only died, but they also went missing. But to honor them, in one way or another, the government gave them grave markers in a certain location in the country.

To make the search possible, the agency asked the help of anthropologist Amy Mundroff. She was also responsible for recovering the remains of people who died during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Using satellite images, she studied the reaction of plants on the country’s surroundings. This was managed through the use of a technology called Light Detection and Ranging Technology or LIDAR.

#1. The Colootolla Jewish Cemetry

This is, without a doubt, the most interesting in the list. In Calcutta, there have been various reports of missing cemeteries. However, there were no explanations as to why they disappeared in thin air. This inspired Quartz India writer named Deepanjan Ghosh to go after the mystery behind the said cemeteries. Basing the locations on an old map of the country, he used Google Maps to bring up the modern images of the entire streets and buildings. He even went to each of these places just to take pictures and study them onsite.

Apparently, the disappearance was due to older residents buying and selling the properties. They bought the lands, exhumed the bodies, and restructured everything. This became a huge controversy after Ghosh reported everything to the government.