Personal glimpses into ancient lives tend to get lost among the dust and bones. Looking at faceless skeletons and ruins, it’s easy to forget that past humans were much the same as today. They lived and breathed, made toys for their kids, worried about their looks, and found ways to cope with fears and work. Artifacts valued by an individual can reveal much about how they played, relaxed, competed, loved, and celebrated.

10 Jawbone Jewelry

Wearing a late family member’s bones and calling it bling will lose anybody serious social points. Around 1,300 years ago, however, the opposite may have been the case.

In Mexico, families occupied a residential site in the Oaxaca Valley called Dainzu-Macuilxochitl for nearly four centuries. They were the Zapotecs, and they still exist in the region. A ceremonial quarter was found in 2015 and contained human jawbones as well as ceramic figurines and whistles. The entire clay collection had been purposely smashed, but the skeletal remains were lovingly carved and painted.

Even though some of the figurines depict the god Xipe Totec, a deity linked with human sacrifice, archaeologists believe that the jawbones weren’t from sacrificial victims. Instead, to solidify their right to be a part of the community, descendants showed their connection to earlier generations by digging them up and picking a piece to wear. Xipe Totec is sometimes shown with necklaces made of human bones, making it likely that the Zapotecs also wore their ancestors’ remains like neck jewelry.

9 Oldest Dentures

Italian archaeologists tend to hang around the San Francesco convent in Lucca. Over 200 ancient skeletons already held their interest, but in 2016, one family tomb delivered the oldest dentures ever discovered. Consisting of five incisors and canines, the real human teeth likely originated from the mouths of different people.

The somewhat gross device wasn’t an uncommon one for the Romans. Both the Romans and Etruscans created false pearly whites from the teeth of animals and humans as far back as 7 BC. There are texts from the 14th to 17th centuries that describe dentures, but the San Francesco artifact is the first to surface from that era, making it the historical star of dentistry.

The snappers were held together by a band of gold that also fit them to the lower gums of the user. Tests showed that the coating on the teeth contained gold, silver, and other metals. Tartar buildup proved that the device was used for a long time.

8 The Denisova Needle

A 50,000-year-old needle stunned scientists during an annual dig at Denisova Cave in Siberia’s Altai Mountains. The site is already famous for “X woman,” who only left behind a finger bone but alerted researchers to the existence of a new hominid species in 2008. Long extinct, they were called Denisovans, after the cave. Found in 2016, the 7-cetimeter (2.8 in) needle is the longest to come from the site and the oldest in the world. A Denisovan hand-crafted the tool from an unidentified bird’s bone and even shaped it with an opening for thread.

The needle supports previous finds suggesting that the Denisovans were technologically superior to Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. Found in the cave the same year as “X woman” was chlorite bracelet. Shaped and polished some 10,000 years after the needle, it’s remarkably modern, but what dropped jaws was a hole in the jewelry piece. Scientists determined that it was drilled with a precision tool, much like the high-rotation drills of today.

7 Disposable Cups

Throwaway ceramics were the vogue trend of 15th-century German elites. When archaeologists dug in the courtyard of Germany’s Schloss Wittenberg, they didn’t find the shards of a few cups; they found thousands of broken drinking vessels. The porcelain cups were richly decorated with stamps and mask-like images. To throw one of these over your shoulder after guzzling the contents was seen as a sign of affluence enjoyed only by the nobility.

Together with the disposable mugs, a lot of wild animal bones were found. Clearly, the feasts held in the courtyard included a lot of drinking and gorging on large quantities of venison. Sweeping up the next morning didn’t appear to be a priority, as layers of smashed porcelain and bones were found. Held in the summer, the courtyard parties continued for many years, the cups featuring as an exclusive item created especially for the event.

6 Bear Cub Rattle

One particular baby was much-loved during Bronze Age Siberia. He or she received a clay rattle shaped to resemble a young bear’s head. The cute cub still rattles, and future X-rays will determine what exactly causes the sound. Experts are guessing that the maker added small stones before sealing the beautiful toy. It was found in 2016, inside one of the homes at an archaeological complex where an ancient community once lived in the Novosibirsk region.

The 4,000-year-old rattle was created by hardening clay with fire and attaching a handle big enough for a child to grasp. The artisan also added a squiggle to the clay while the object was still drying, which archaeologists suspect could have served as some sort of personal signature. What’s being called the “find of the year” by Novosibirsk experts is also one of the world’s oldest playthings.

5 Disaster Eggs

One of Turkey’s ancient cities, Sardis was gripped by an earthquake in AD 17. The damage took decades to rebuild, and until now, there has been no indication of how it affected the citizens on a personal level. In 2013, an excavation at a reconstructed building revealed how the locals might have coped. Beneath the floor were two boxes, each containing identical items: tiny bronze tools, a coin, and an eggshell.

The people of Sardis lived during a time when eggs could both protect and curse a person. The coins date to AD 54–68, some time after the disaster, and one bears the image of a lion, which may represent the mountain and storm goddess Cybele. As the deity of these elements, she’d be the perfect protector from future earthquakes. What makes this discovery so heartfelt is that it appears to have been an individual’s way of dealing with uncertainty. The ritual was likely an attempt to protect the new building and its occupants from curses and natural disasters.

4 Ancient Cream

Two millennia ago, a Roman man or woman closed their cream pot, and it remained unopened until 2003. The pot was unearthed at Tabard Square, a temple complex in London dating back to around AD 50. The round artifact, 6 centimeters (2.4 in) in diameter, was remarkable for its quality and waterproof lid. The pot was made almost entirely of tin, a precious metal during Roman times, indicating that it belonged to someone in the uppermost crust of Roman society.

The pot was already unique for being a sealed container, and when archaeologists pried off the top, it became even more so. Inside was a white ointment smelling of sulfur. Usually, only the containers of ancient cosmetics survive, not their contents. In this case, the paste inside was pristine.

The pot had one final surprise. When researchers looked under the lid, they found the owner’s fingerprints in the cream. Further testing will determine the nature of the paste.

3 Down The Drain

Researchers have found a unique way to study the Romans: plumbing their bath drains. What sounds like a mucky job has retrieved long-lost details about what visitors did while relaxing at these social centers. Findings ranged from the expected to the highly surprising. Bath ruins from five European countries were examined, all from the first to fourth centuries AD. What the Romans did while sitting in the water varied incredibly.

Apart from things associated with bathing (perfume and oil vials, tweezers), a scalpel and teeth indicated medical procedures, and dice and coins betrayed some gambling. Oodles of jewelry showed that Romans took off their clothes but not their valuables. Aquatic meals led to lost pieces of cups and bowls down the drains. The plungers brought up mussels, shellfish, poppy seeds, venison, goat meat, pork, mutton, beef, and fowl. Unexpectedly, needles and partial spindles popped up. Not really a water sport, needlework most likely happened in the non-bathing areas. How those items ended up in the gutter is not clear.

2 Pocket Sundial

Pompeii’s neighbor, Herculaneum, also perished when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. In the 1760s, workers clearing volcanic debris from the Villa dei Papiri pulled an odd metal object from the ruins. It was identified as a pocket sundial and earned the moniker “pork clock” because it was shaped like a hanging ham. Recently, a plastic replica was made using a 3-D printer.

As it turns out, the humorous timepiece required a skilled hand to use. Dangling from a string, it was difficult to read because of a tendency to move in the wind. Once researchers learned to wield it properly, they could read the hour. This included keeping the Sun on the left, moving the dial’s shadow to the correct month (represented by vertical lines), and counting horizontal stripes from the top to where the shadow starts.

The quirky design is perhaps explained by Epicurean philosophy texts discovered at the Villa. Epicureans practiced humor, and the pig was one of their symbols. Only 25 such sundials exist, and the Herculaneum clock might be among the oldest.

1 The Secret To Chariot Racing

In the British Museum sits a 2,000-year-old toy chariot. Once the pride of a Roman boy, it was fished out of the Tiber Rivier in the 1890s. A recent reassessment provided much-needed information regarding the Roman version of Formula One. No racing chariots survive, but thankfully, the toy was a working model created by a craftsman with in-depth knowledge of the actual vehicles. Remarkably, it exposed the secret of how the charioteers prevented crashing during track turns.

The bronze miniature’s right wheel showed signs of having an iron tire. This made sense. Races were run counterclockwise on oval tracks. During a high-speed left turn, the right wheel faced enormous structural pressures. Made from wood and rawhide strips, failure would have been common for the wheels without the reinforcing strip of iron. It’s not certain if adding the iron was mandatory or a choice. However, it would have increased chances of winning by 80 percent, purely because it made the chariot more hardy. The competitors with only two wooden wheels would have thinned at every turn.

The unique appearance of each person on the planet is the cumulative result of generations of inherited traits, mixed with the traits of their chosen partners, to produce the next generation. But while is common knowledge things such as skin color, eye color and hair color are inherited, there are many other things that are passed through families, not always to good effect. There are many genetic diseases, for example, that we might wish were not passed on.

But genetics also has its lighter side. Some of the traits that have been passed from generation to generation without dying out appear to have little or no benefit to mankind from an evolutionary perspective.

But they do make a good talking point.

See Also: 10 Fruits, Nuts, And Vegetables You Did Not Know Were Man-Made

10 Tongue rolling

Around two thirds of people are able to roll each side of their tongue together to form a tube shape, without the least effort, whilst the rest are cursed with flat tongues. One of the more pointless genetic traits, the phenomenon was first noticed by pioneer geneticist Alfred Sturtevant in 1940. He maintained that the ability to roll tongues was a Mendelian trait, meaning that it needed only to be passed down from one of the parents rather than as a blend of both, hence its prevalence. Other Mendelian traits include eye colour and freckles.

Unlike freckles, however, tongue rolling can sometimes be managed. With a lot of practice non-rollers can learn to twist their tongue into a tube shape, though why they would want to is beyond us. A study at Delaware’s Department of Biological Sciences involving 33 non tongue-rollers showed that after a solid month of practice, 1 person managed to master the ‘skill’. Could it be that the other 32 just weren’t bothered?

It is also true that the ability to roll your tongue is not always down to genetics, as studies have shown that sometimes non-genetic causes can also affect the ability of the tongue to bend. And, it seems, there are a few unfortunate people who are neither rollers nor non-rollers, being able to curl their tongues just a little.^[10]

Weirdos.

9 Hairy knuckles

If you have hair on the upper part of your fingers, between your knuckles (on the mid-phalangeal joint), it may not be because of your latent Jekyll and Hyde tendencies, but because of your genes.

Anthropologists have studied these stray strands for nearly a hundred years. We can only surmise that it must have been a slow century. It is said to appear most often on the fourth finger, or ring finger, and never appears on thumbs. It is also said to be most common among Caucasians, though the reason for this is not clear.

Researchers believe that the cause may be related to prenatal exposure to androgens, the hormones related to the development of male characteristics. The trait is said to be dominant, meaning that it must be present in one or both of the parents, though the gene for hirsute digits has yet to be isolated.^[9]

Surely, there’s Nobel Prize right there?

8 Hand clasping

We may not always be aware of it, but every time we clasp our hands together, we are said to be following the hand-clasping traits of our ancestors. At least one of our parents is likely to fold their hands in the same way we do. Which would, perhaps, be impressive if there was a large number of options. Basically, however, you can clasp your right hand over your left, or your left hand over your right.

So, in a fifty-fifty choice it would be a fair bet that one of our parents clasped hands the same way we do, wouldn’t it? Researchers, however, have gone to great lengths to study this ‘phenomena’, and studies have shown that around 55% of people are left-hand-claspers, 44% are right-hand-claspers, while 1% refuse to be put in a box, and report having no preference.

Not satisfied with these results, researchers went further and researched the family genetics of their subjects, and discovered that the preference follows the same model of genetic inheritance that governs left or right handedness, but that their preference for hand clasping was not related to which hand was dominant.^[8]

Spooky!

The same research also discovered the link between hand clasping preferences and arm folding preferences, and the somewhat anomalous findings that menstruating women often changed their minds about which they preferred.

We are not even going to touch that joke.

7 Free Earlobes

If you ever really look at an ear, it starts to look weird. Ears come in all shapes and sizes, and one might think that the ears you get are just down to dumbo luck. But while the shape, size and sticky-outness may be down to chance, your earlobes, it seems, are the result of genetics.

Ears are unique. It is believed that no 2 ears are exactly alike (except, possibly, the one on the other side of your head). The shape of the earlobe, however, is determined by an allele gene, of which, as with all genes, we will receive 2 copies, one from each parent.

Earlobes may seem to have no real purpose, except, perhaps, as an appendage to hang jewelry from, but they are believed to help keep our ears warm due to their generous blood supply, and may even help us maintain balance. The lobe also contains an unusually large number of nerve endings, which is why it is often considered an erogenous zone.

There are 2 major types of earlobes, free and attached. Free earlobes are the most common, where a portion of skin hangs below the point at which it is attached to the side of the head. The free earlobe is thought to be the result of a dominant gene. Attached earlobes, however, tend to be smaller in size and do not hang freely. They are thought to be the result of a recessive gene. However, to date, no discernible benefit has been discovered in the possession of either type of lobe.^[7]

Because ears are weird.

6 Sneezing

Most sneezing, of course, is not genetic. Most often it is caused by a virus, an allergy, or environmental factors such as a dusty room. Some types of sneezes, however can have a genetic link.

Some people have an inherited sneeze reflex that is most often linked to exposure to bright light, but can be triggered by other causes too. This photic sneeze reflex, wittily dubbed ACHOO syndrome (which stands for “Autosomal dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst”, because “Genetically Induced Sneezing” just wasn’t funny enough), is thought to affect between 11 and 35 percent of the population, with Caucasian females being most affected.

The sneezing is a dominant trait, meaning that if one of your parents has the syndrome, there is a 50% chance that you will also have it. However, the syndrome often goes unrecorded because, well, people sneeze a lot. The exact gene responsible for these sneeze attacks has yet to be identified. People with the condition can expect to sneeze up to 40 times each time they walk into bright light, after which their body will adjust.^[6]

There is no treatment for the condition, though it can be managed with tissues.

5 A Bent Pinkie Finger

Although not always the result of genetics, a little finger that appears to be bow outwards, can often be said to be an inherited trait. If you want to find the reason your finger is a bit crooked, it may be worth checking out your parents hands first, since if one of your parents has a crooked pinkie, there will be a 50% chance that they will be passing that on.

As with a lot of ‘conditions’ the bent finger may have other non-genetic causes, including injury or disease, and the degree of ‘bentness’ has also been a matter that has concerned researchers. What angle does a finger need to be, in order to be considered ‘bent’? Is it the angle that is inherited, or just the bentness?

Clearly, much more work needs to be done in this vital area. The good news is that corrective surgery is available should the angle of bentness become acute.^[5]

4 A Widow’s Peak

It is generally known that male baldness can be linked to genes inherited from the mother. The X chromosome of the mother can contain a genetic predisposition to baldness, although it is not the only cause. Genes passed on from the father can also be a factor, although the chances are higher that the ‘faulty gene’ was passed by the mother where baldness occurs before the age of 40. Hair loss can also be caused by environmental factors, particularly smoking and drinking.

The case for a genetic cause of hair loss in a widow’s peak, however, is much stronger. The distinctive v-shaped hair-line is a dominant trait that can be passed on from father or mother, and both men and women can have a widow’s peak, although, it is much less noticeable in women because they do not tend to lose their hair.

The ‘peak’ refers to a triangular shaped hairline, which becomes more pronounced with hair-loss. Although the peak is hereditary, it does not necessarily mean that baldness will follow as a result.^[4]

Although, it probably will.

3 A Long Second Toe

‘Morton’s toe’ is an inherited condition where the second toe is longer than the big toe, and occasionally, the third toe is also elongated. Estimates vary on the number of people who have the ‘condition’, which is named after an orthopaedic surgeon, rather than a man with unusually long foot digits, but it can affect anywhere between 3% and 20% of the population.

Morton believed that the long toe may have been a throw-back to a prehuman era when our ape-like selves used a ‘grasping toe’. This theory, however, has never been proved. Shoe-fitters are apt to call this shape the ‘Greek foot’ after the classical sculptures from Ancient Greece where the long second toe was considered the most aesthetically pleasing. The Statue of Liberty boasts a Morton’s toe.^[3]

It is not known whether she inherited it from her mother or her father.

2 A Shock of White Hair

A white patch of hair, usually at the front of the head can be the result of an inherited trait. The streak is known as poliosis, or a ‘Mallen Streak’ after a family in a TV programme who all had a distinctive white patch of hair. Poliosis can affect not just the hair, but also the eyebrows, skin and even eyelashes.

Where the condition is not genetic, the patches may a symptom of an illness. Despite popular myths, however, hair cannot turn instantly white from shock.

For those with inherited poliosis, there appears to be no associated conditions, and no downsides, except a distinctive look that is particularly favoured by devilish women with a penchant for spotty dogs.^[2]

1 Tone Deafness

Tone deafness, and its antithesis, perfect pitch, can both be inherited characteristics.

Known as Congenital Amusia, (perhaps because it makes people laugh when you try to sing), inherited tone deafness is a condition in which sufferers are unable to recognize and distinguish musical pieces. They cannot recognize a song from its tune alone, and cannot detect when a song is sung out of tune. Studies have also shown that those with the condition are not able to detect a striking ‘bum note’ in a tune, an ability which most babies are able to demonstrate.

Although it can manifest as part of a brain injury, the vast majority of those who are tone deaf have no other symptoms, and suffer no hardships except being banned from Karaoke. Which is no hardship at all.

In particular, those with congenital amusia are unable to tell that they are singing out of tune themselves. Between 70 and 80% of people who are tone deaf have the inherited condition, and around 4% of the population are thought to be affected.^[1]

Which, perhaps, explains the popularity of dubstep.

Stuck in stories that are embellished or written with old facts, famous figures often do not bring their entire selves to the table. They may have been superb leaders or artists, but they had habits and made mistakes like any ordinary Joe.

New and rare facts can reintroduce a historical character on a more human level, revealing triumphs and struggles with family, signs of future greatness in childhood, and even devastating secrets. Most of all, personal tidbits enrich the linear story that made the person famous. How these well-known figures dealt with others, died, and hid images in their work or scandals in their lives can give us a better understanding of their authentic histories.

10 Newton’s Graffiti

When Sir Isaac Newton was a boy, he apparently had a habit of drawing on walls. Perhaps suitably, the discovery was made by employing technology that used light in a novel way. Newton became famous because of his experiments with light and prisms.

In 2017, researchers investigated Woolsthorpe Manor in England. This was where Newton was born in 1642 and spent his younger years. There was a reason why the team focused on the manor’s walls. Previous drawings dating to Newton’s lifetime had been discovered in the 1920s and 1930s.

His friend William Stukeley wrote in 1752 that Newton drew on surfaces in a prolific manner—even the ceilings did not escape his charcoal stick. He must have had very forgiving parents.

The walls were scanned with light from different directions simultaneously. This photographic technique, called RTI, detected an invisible carving. It showed a windmill, a first for the manor. The drawings described by Stukeley had included people, animals, plants, and mathematical and geometric figures.^[1]

It is believed that the young Newton, who was drawn to all things mechanical, was captivated by a mill being constructed nearby at the time.

9 Jane Austen Was Possibly Poisoned

Ever since famous novelist Jane Austen died in 1817, the reason for her death has remained a mystery. She died young, aged 41, and left letters behind which hinted at a more sinister demise. Mostly, cancer and Addison’s disease were suspected. Then somebody considered an unnatural cause.

When crime writer Lindsay Ashford wanted to write her next book, she did so in Chawton House, the old home of Austen’s brother. She read Austen’s letters and found symptoms the author mentioned months before she died. Tragically, Jane thought she was getting better. Thanks to her crime research, Ashford noticed a strong similarity to arsenic poisoning, especially the trademark skin discoloration.

A former president of North America’s Jane Austen Society also told Ashford that a lock of the writer’s hair had tested positive for arsenic. While experts do not agree with Ashford’s belief that murder cannot be discounted, they feel it is plausible that she might have ingested the poison in another way.

At the time, a medicine called Fowler’s Solution was prescribed for many complaints, including rheumatism. Austen’s letters revealed that she had rheumatism. One of the ingredients in Fowler’s Solution was arsenic.^[2]

8 Churchill’s Daughter Fought In World War II

Winston Churchill was known for his witty comments, but one delighted his teenage daughter, Mary. When General Pile complained to the prime minister that he lacked soldiers for the antiaircraft batteries, Churchill said, “No, I can’t spare any men, you’ll have to use women.”

Mary immediately joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service. Even though she had to face prejudice, she climbed the ranks. In this case, the prejudice had nothing to do with her gender but instead with the fact that she was the prime minister’s daughter.^[3]

Many expected Mary to behave like a pampered brat, but she scrubbed floors with the rest of them. Her modesty and hard work landed her the respect of her peers and leaders. In 1944, at age 21, she held the rank of junior commander. Mary led a battery of 230 women who fought at the front line, a fact her father was quite proud of.

She earned something of a celebrity status. But remarkably, she was more occupied with working hard and, like the young person she was, finding a party with friends every night. Mary retired from her army career in 1946.

7 Churchill’s Mother Stole His Inheritance

Jennie Churchill was a social butterfly who liked the high life. When her husband, Lord Randolph, died in 1895, he went down in the Churchill story as the father who hated the boys and left them no inheritance. Winston, 20, and Jack, 14, were told by their mother that there was nothing for them in the will.

Recently, historians uncovered the deception. They were allowed to study family letters kept by Jack’s descendants, which revealed that he was the first to realize what his mother had done.

While trying to help Jennie with the financial mess after the divorce from her second husband, Jack scrutinized his father’s will. Since he had to abandon his dream career and delay marriage because he had no money, Jack was shocked to discover that there was a fund for both him and Winston.

Jennie had stolen their inheritance, a sum worth about £1.1 million in early 2018.^[4] She spent it in the 1890s when she had a hectic social life as the mistress of Edward, Prince of Wales. The family letters also revealed that Lord Randolph was a caring father, contrary to his historical image.

6 Hemingway’s First Story

Ernest Hemingway, author of several classics, rarely threw anything away. This hoarding habit allows researchers to understand this great writer better as a person. In 2017, one of the most exciting discoveries was made—the first roots of his talent. Hemingway had left an archive of personal belongings with the Bruce family, who were lifelong friends.

After Hemingway’s death in 1961, they allowed his wife to take what she wanted and they kept the rest. During the past 15 years, historians began to catalog the Bruce collection in Key West, Florida. A damaged notebook caught their attention. Stored in a Ziploc freezer bag marked “Sep. 8, 1909,” it turned out to be Hemingway’s first known fiction.

Written when he was 10, the short story describes a trip through Europe with letters to his parents and journal entries. At first, researchers believed that it was a factual account. Then they realized that the young Hemingway had never gone on such a trip.

It was only then that the significance of the 14-page story became clear. Not only was it his earliest work, but it showed that Hemingway’s hallmarks of realism and imagery were already in place.^[5]

5 Walt Disney Was Mean

When biographer Neal Gabler was given access to the entire Disney archives, he discovered a very different Walt Disney. Mostly seen as a kind old man churning out touching movies, Disney practically became every kid’s uncle. In truth, Disney was a horrific boss. He saw communists everywhere and hated them with a passion. He even believed that the Screen Actors Guild was a communist cell.

He often humiliated his employees, and all hell broke loose when they tried to form a union. He posted armed guards, sacked organizers, lowered salaries, and ordered the studio coffee shop to keep shorter hours. When a strike loomed, Disney physically attempted to attack the man who led the unhappy workers. He wasn’t keen on hiring black employees at Disneyland, either.

Disney’s family was not exempt. He preferred to play with a train set instead of being with his wife. His brother Roy worked for Walt and was treated as badly as the rest of the employees. Walt Disney even missed his father’s funeral because he did not want to abandon a business trip.^[6]

4 Clement Initially Saved The Templars

The blockbuster novel (and subsequent movie) The Da Vinci Code helped to bring this mysterious order back from obscurity. The Knights Templar were military monks. They formed in 1118 to protect pilgrims traveling in the Holy Land. But the order’s growing wealth and furtive ways made rich grounds for medieval accusations of heresy.

Most historians believe that the Templars were only guilty of lending King Philip IV of France money that he could not repay. In 1307, the king arrested their leaders, and in 1312, Pope Clement V found them guilty. They were burned at the stake. Templars who survived the violent extermination disappeared into other orders.

In 2007, a remarkable document was found in the Vatican. The 700-year-old “Parchment of Chinon” revealed that Pope Clement found the Templars guilty of immorality but innocent of heresy in 1308. Far from wanting to execute them, Clement planned on reforming the order. However, pressure from Philip steered Clement into reversing the verdict. If it had not been for that, the Templars might still exist today.^[7]

3 The Nude Mona Lisa

A charcoal sketch sat in a French art collection for 150 years before somebody saw a similarity with Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Called the Monna Vanna, she was thought to have been produced by students from the artist’s studio.

In 2017, experts at the Louvre Museum in Paris declared that the master himself likely played a part in its creation. The portrait shows a nude woman sitting in a classic Mona Lisa pose. Her face is a little different, but the two women’s hands are identical. Both pictures are also around the same size.

Like the Mona Lisa, the charcoal drawing radiates the magnificent quality for which da Vinci was known. The Monna Vanna was dated to the end of da Vinci’s life. (He died in 1519.) This meant that both works were created at the same time.

Why they resemble each other so much is not entirely clear. Perhaps they were meant to be a pair, and the Monna Vanna, which was likely a preparatory piece for an oil painting, was never completed.^[8]

2 The Brain In God’s Throat

Michelangelo’s most famous works include a series of Sistine Chapel panels. The Renaissance master is renowned for nearly flawless depictions of human anatomy. But one panel is a bad misfit. Called the Separation of Light from Darkness, it features God. Otherwise perfect, God’s neck appears bulbous and is illuminated differently than the rest of the fresco.

Some wondered if Michelangelo gave God an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter). It simply does not look like a normal neck. However, it does resemble a brain stem. It sounds quirky that the painter planted an organ in God’s throat, but it is not the first time. In the past few decades, several doctors have identified brain and kidney motifs in other Sistine paintings.

In 2010, a medical team studied God’s awkward neck. Using the shadows as an outline, they digitally compared it with photos of a human brain. The result was a close fit with a ventral view of the brain stem.

So, what was Michelangelo’s game? Not everyone agrees that there are hidden images. However, Michelangelo sliced up cadavers his whole life. He knew the brain inside and out. It is possible that he understood the organ’s importance and, therefore, associated the brain with God.^[9]

1 Einstein’s Missing Daughter

In 1902, the unknown Albert Einstein had a child out of wedlock. Her name was Lieserl. During that time, an illegitimate birth was a scandal. But the mother, Mileva Maric, decided to keep the baby. A student in Zurich, she returned home to Serbia.

Any facts about Lieserl come from her parents’ letters. They assumed that the baby would be a girl and chose her name. They discussed nursing, how the baby fared, and how to be together as a family.

But Einstein never told his own family about Lieserl. He kept it so secret that Einstein experts learned of her only when letters surfaced decades after his death.

Einstein never appeared to have met his daughter. He married Mileva, but they moved to Bern without their child. Lieserl contracted scarlet fever at about 18 months old, and Mileva visited the infant in Serbia.

In Einstein’s letters, he first asked after Lieserl’s health. Months later, upon learning that Mileva (still in Serbia) was pregnant again, he spoke as if this other baby was a replacement, calling it a “new Lieserl.”^[10]

Nobody knows what happened to the original. She was never mentioned again. There are no records of her death, her adoption, or even her life. There is also no sign that her birth was registered.

People love to keep memorabilia that reminds them of sweet moments or helps them relive places they visited once upon a time. But while it’s human nature to become attached to objects, some people take it a little too far by building big collections that make them more than simple collectors. They take pride in their rare findings, and for those lucky enough to see them, they’re quite a sight. Whether they’re organized in rooms, boxes, and even large fields, personal collections can be as valuable as museum exhibits for those that create and adore them. If you are curious about strange personal collections, here’s a top ten list that will blow your mind.

10 Do Not Disturb Signs

The Do Not Disturb sign is popular in hotels and motels where guests use them to tell visitors or cleaners that they don’t need any interruptions. But did you know that one man from Germany became famous for his impressive collection of 11,570 Do Not Disturb signs?

Wherever you go, these signs guide people to maintain privacy and respect. Rainer Weichert is probably the only man on earth who recognizes the value of these signs. His weird obsession with Do Not Disturb signs made him a world record holder in 2014. Since 1990, Rainer has traveled to 188 countries. And on each of his trips, he collected signs of all shapes and designs.

From modern signs in English to sign language, Rainer’s collection offers great insights into world culture. Some of the most interesting signs in his collection include a wooden statue from a Bali beach resort, a 1936 piece from the Berlin Olympic Village, and a 1910 sign from the Canadian General Brock Hotel.

9span> Miniature Chairs

How big is your favorite chair at home? From the United States, Barbara Hartsfield has the largest collection of miniature chairs in the world, with no one to sit on them! In 2008, Barbara had about 3,000 chairs that she had collected over 10 years, an impressive achievement that made her a Guinness World Record Holder.

But once you know the story behind the chairs, it’s clear that Barbara had a good reason for getting into her passion. Working as a psychiatric nurse, Barbara had to write nursing articles. To get herself into the “writing zone,” she decided to purchase a small chair and a little doll to help her focus. While shopping for her miniature chair, she saw other collections, and in no time, it became a hobby.

In 2009, Barbara opened the Collectible & Antique Chair Gallery, a museum that featured her impressive collection. People travel from all over America to see her tiny functional chairs designed as lamps, clocks, salt shakers, and cookie jars. Who knew a strange hobby like that could turn into a business?

8 Air Sickness Bags

For most of us, airplane travel is the best opportunity to check out pictures of scenic landscapes or connect with strangers. But for Niek Vermeulen from the Netherlands, traveling can also be an opportunity to collect airsickness bags!

Niek Vermeulen’s passion for collecting barf bags was born when he made a bet with a friend to see who would collect the most. Since 1986, when Niek set out to build the greatest collection of airsickness bags, his collection grew exponentially, and 26 years later, he set a world record. In 2012, Niek Vermeulen won the bet when he made it into the Guinness Book with 6,290 barf bags collected from 1,191 airlines in at least 200 countries.

Niek’s favorite bag from the collection is a bag that spent 16 days in space while on board the NASA space shuttle, Columbia. For Niek, his sickness bags are more than waste disposables since they carry memories of both good and bad traveling experiences.

7 Hamburger Related Items

Hamburgers are classic, not because they have everything you want on one bite, but because they’re the most versatile meals on the planet. While it’s hard to gauge who loves this meal the most, Harry Sperl, a.k.a. Hamburger Harry, might be hamburger’s number one fan.

Hamburger Harry’s love for hamburger paraphernalia started when he was looking for props to sell a vintage drive-in tray. Purchasing plastic hamburgers that he felt might make the tray look more appealing, Harry felt that they looked incredible, and for the next 26 years, he would do it for fun. In 2014, the Guinness Book recognized Harry Sperl’s collection of hamburger-related objects, featuring 3,724 items.

Among his collection, Harry has multiple collectibles that include a customized burger Harley Davidson and a hamburger waterbed. In the future, Harry hopes to expand his collection by opening a museum that will be shaped like a double bacon cheeseburger.

6 Backscratchers 

Ever felt a little itch on your back and wished you could reach scratch it off as quickly as possible? Well, Manfred S. Rothstein can help you kick that itch with one of his 675 back scratchers from 71 countries.

Manfred Rothstein — a professional dermatologist — developed a fascination for backscratchers when he received a demo plastic scratcher from Atarax just as he was headed for his residency. Since then, Rothstein began to collect scratchers of all ilk on his travels. Later, Manfred even began receiving donations from patients, friends, and donors that learned of his unique obsession.

Some varieties of his back scratchers include an alligator claw, hand-carved rib bones, and kangaroo paws. These backscratchers all have one thing in common; they soothe the hard-to-reach places. Manfred believes that the key to having a big collection is having a unique collection that no one can beat. Despite his success, he has no plans of quitting any time soon.

5 Clocks

Do you ever find yourself staring at the clock at the end of a long day? Jack Schoff from the United States is a man obsessed with time. On his wall, he has the largest collection of clocks in the world. Jack, who started collecting clocks in 2003, made the Guinness World Book of Records in 2010, registering 1,509 functional clocks.

Jack Schoff, who worked as a Naval Shipyard pipefitter, started collecting clocks when health issues forced him to stay home. Back then, he felt that taking apart clocks and putting them back together was a good way to keep himself busy.

Jack’s little distraction turned into an obsessive hobby as he visited yard sales to buy clocks. Even neighbors chipped into his hobby by leaving clocks at his front door, helping him create one of the world’s biggest collections.  If Jack Schoff is ever late to an appointment, it won’t be because he didn’t know what time it was.

4 Pizza Boxes

There’s no doubt that a slice of pizza loaded with toppings is good for both hunger and the soul. But while most of us throw away the pizza boxes after finishing a meal, Scott Wiener from Brooklyn prefers to keep them in his apartment. In 2013, Scott held the world record for his collection of 595 pizza boxes.

But how do you begin collecting pizza boxes as a hobby? On a 2008 trip to Israel, Scott Wiener saw the most artistic pizza box he’d ever seen. It was then that he realized that pizza boxes could be interesting.

Since then, Scott has collected unique pizza boxes from around the world. With help from family, friends, and fans, he grew his collection, one box at a time. Recognizing his celebrity status, Scott even published a book, “Viva La Pizza! The Art of the Pizza Box,” to share his amazing collection with the world. With over 1,500 boxes and counting, Scott loans his boxes to museums and exhibits to share the love of pizza.

3 Celebrity Hair Collection

Many parents keep a little lock of their child’s hair after their first haircut as a memento. Keeping a few small strands is normal, but for John Reznikoff, collecting celebrity hair is even more exciting and valuable.

John Reznikoff has one of the weirdest hobbies on the planet as a collector of hair locks snipped from earth’s most famous heads. Now a world record holder, John has owned shaggy keepsakes from Elvis Presley, Beethoven, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and even Marilyn Monroe.  

The hair collection, which is now insured for $1 million, is John Renzikoff’s pride and joy since they tell important stories about the past. While hair collection seems strange today, it was the equivalent of owning an autograph and a true status symbol several decades ago. Which celebrity’s hair would you pay to keep?

2 Traffic Cones

Traffic cones, also known as safety cones, are important markers that direct road users and redirect traffic at every corner. But in the UK, one man, David Morgan, ignores all the road signs with a traffic cone collection that he swears warms his heart. With 500 traffic cones of all shapes, colors, and sizes, Morgan is one of the most captivating characters you’ll ever meet.

The passion for collecting cones started in 1986. Working for Oxford Plastic Systems,David Morgan was investigating a rival cone company’s claim. While searching for proof that Oxford’s cone was a new design and not a copy of the rival’s product, Morgan fell in love with the marker signs. Since then, he would collect the safety products everywhere he went, adding to his growing collection.

After having 500 cones, you would think Morgan is satisfied with his collection since he has two-thirds of all types ever made! Yet, Morgan is still looking for a rare five-sided cone from Manchester that would make his compilation complete. As far as strange collections go, cones are a winner obsession.

1 Fossilized Dinosaur Poops

The dinosaur is one gigantic museum exhibit that always stands out. While museum collectors prefer to display dinosaur bones, George Frandsen took the study a little further by collecting fossilized poop! 

Bragging ownership to at least 5,000 specimens of coprolite, the fancy name for ancient poop, George is a world record holder.

But how did George Frandsen get hooked on his poop passion?  When he was a young freshman, Frandsen visited a fossil shop in Utah and found an especially impressive specimen. After buying it, Frandsen developed a unique interest in coprolites, collecting different sizes, from tiny specks to samples weighing over 4 pounds!

Today, coprolites are important for scientists since they provide important clues about what the animals ate when they roamed the earth. As a famous collector, Frandsen even lent his collection to the South Florida Museum. It was so popular that it stayed up for over a year. These days, Frandsen runs his online website, Poozeum, which displays nothing but ancient poop!