13 Historical Events Once Considered Myths But Later Verified

The City of Troy: From Homer’s Epic to Archaeological Reality

For centuries, scholars dismissed Troy as purely fictional, a poetic creation of Homer’s imagination in the Iliad. His work lent weight to the idea that Homer’s Iliad reflects historical events. The first excavations at the site were undertaken by the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in 1870, and those excavations could be considered the starting point of modern archaeology and its public recognition. While his methods were controversial and destructive, the real breakthrough came in 1870, when the German businessman and self-taught archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann travelled to Anatolia with the purpose of uncovering the city and proving the Iliad was based on fact.

Later archaeological work at both Troy and on the Greek mainland, particularly at the site of Mycenae (one of the most important settlements of Bronze Age Greece), makes it clear that any feasible background for the story of the war must have been at least a thousand years later than the Troy that Schliemann claimed as ‘Priam’s Troy.’ Only then was Mycenaean Greece in contact with Troy, and powerful enough for the story to make sense. Modern archaeologists now recognize that during the Late Bronze Age, Troy was called Wilusa and was a vassal of the Hittite Empire. Troy, with its 4,000 years of history, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. In scientific terms, its extensive remains are the most significant demonstration of the first contact between the civilizations of Anatolia and the Mediterranean world. Moreover, the siege of Troy by Spartan and Achaean warriors from Greece in the 13th or 12th century B.C., immortalized by Homer in the Iliad, has inspired great creative artists throughout the world ever since.

The Plague of Justinian: First Pandemic Finally Proven

Scientists have finally uncovered direct genetic evidence of Yersinia pestis – the bacterium behind the Plague of Justinian – in a mass grave in Jerash, Jordan. This long-sought discovery resolves a centuries-old debate, confirming that the first recorded pandemic was indeed caused by the same pathogen responsible for the Black Death. For decades, historians argued whether this sixth-century plague was truly pandemic or merely regional.

The discovery represents a breakthrough in paleogenomics, providing concrete proof that what was once considered exaggerated historical accounts were accurate descriptions of a global catastrophe. This finding transforms our understanding of early medieval population decline and economic collapse across the Byzantine Empire and beyond.

Viking Settlements in North America: Beyond Newfoundland

While the Vinland sagas were long dismissed as mythical tales, archaeological evidence has steadily mounted to verify Viking presence in North America centuries before Columbus. From the wreck of the royal Danish-Norwegian flagship Gribshunden, archaeologists have uncovered a rare glimpse into the naval power of the late Middle Ages. This warship, lost in 1495, carried an arsenal of small guns designed for close-range combat, demonstrating the sophisticated maritime technology that enabled such long-distance voyages.

Recent discoveries have expanded beyond L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, with potential evidence of Norse activity found at various sites along the North American coast. These findings suggest that Viking exploration was more extensive than previously imagined, validating what were once considered fantastic stories of transatlantic voyages.

Pompeii’s Buried Treasures: Mythological Scenes Come to Light

In Pompeii, the Roman city razed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E., ongoing excavations have revealed a trove of archaeological treasures, including frescoes of such mythological figures as Phaedra, a Cretan princess who falls in love with her stepson Hippolytus; the twins Phrixus and Helle; and Helen of Troy and Paris, the doomed lovers whose romance sparked the Trojan War. Frescoes lining the room’s black-painted walls depicted mythological characters and subjects from the Trojan War. Guests would have been entertained in the “Black Room” in the evening, where burning lamps brought the paintings to life in the shimmering light.

The room’s well-preserved white mosaic floor comprised more than one million tiles. These discoveries have verified historical accounts that once seemed too elaborate to be true, showing that wealthy Romans indeed lived in extraordinary luxury, surrounded by artistic masterpieces that modern museums would treasure.

Biblical Hezekiah’s Tunnel: Engineering Marvel Confirmed

Archaeological excavations in Jerusalem have repeatedly confirmed biblical accounts that scholars once viewed skeptically. The discovery and thorough examination of Hezekiah’s Tunnel, mentioned in the Bible as an engineering feat to bring water into the city during Assyrian siege, proved that ancient peoples possessed remarkable technical capabilities that historians had underestimated.

Modern engineering analysis has shown that this eighth-century BCE tunnel was indeed carved from both ends simultaneously, meeting in the middle with remarkable precision. The project’s complexity and accuracy validated biblical descriptions that scholars had dismissed as exaggerated religious propaganda. The tunnel continues to function today, demonstrating the sophistication of ancient hydraulic engineering.

The Maya Collapse: Drought Evidence Finally Found

Chemical evidence from a stalagmite in Mexico has revealed that the Classic Maya civilization’s decline coincided with repeated severe wet-season droughts, including one that lasted 13 years. For generations, the sudden abandonment of magnificent Maya cities puzzled historians, who proposed theories ranging from warfare to disease but lacked definitive proof.

This geological evidence has finally verified what Maya oral traditions and codices suggested – that environmental catastrophe played a central role in their civilization’s collapse. The discovery shows that ancient peoples were far more vulnerable to climate change than previously understood, and that their historical accounts of environmental disasters were accurate rather than mythological.

King Thutmose II’s Lost Tomb: Royal Burial Finally Located

Early this year, archaeologists working in Egypt’s famed Valley of the Kings announced what may be the burial site of King Thutmose II, who ruled from approximately 1482 to 1479 BCE. The discovery was hailed as the first royal tomb to be found since King Tut – and as the last missing royal tomb of the New Kingdom’s 18th Dynasty. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, described the royal tomb as “one of the most important archaeological discoveries in recent years,” as it was the first time the funerary furniture of this particular king had been identified.

This finding validates ancient Egyptian records that historians had questioned regarding the burial locations of pharaohs. The tomb’s discovery provides crucial evidence about royal burial practices and confirms the accuracy of ancient administrative documents that listed royal burials in the Valley of the Kings.

Leprosy in Pre-Columbian America: Disease History Rewritten

Long considered a disease brought to the Americas by European colonizers, leprosy may actually have a much older history on the American continent. Scientists reveal that a recently identified second species of bacteria responsible for leprosy, appears to have existed in the Americas before European contact. This discovery overturns the long-held belief that Europeans introduced all major diseases to the New World.

The finding suggests that pre-Columbian societies dealt with complex disease challenges that historical accounts had either ignored or misunderstood. It validates indigenous oral histories that described various ailments affecting their communities long before European arrival, stories that colonizers and later historians dismissed as mythical or confused memories.

Roman Britain’s Hidden Splendor: Luxury Villa Mosaics

In London, experts painstakingly reassembled over 400 fragments of Roman frescoes into a decorative mural featuring birds, lyres, ivy leaves, and a Greek inscription in graffiti. Dating back to the 1st or 2nd century CE, the frescoes once decorated the walls of a Roman townhouse or public building in Londinium. Their vivid colors and refined composition demonstrate expert craftsmanship and the influence of Mediterranean artistic traditions in Roman Britain.

Continuing the aquatic theme, archaeologists exploring Viroconium Cornoviorum, a Roman city in what is now northwestern England, excavated a colorful mosaic featuring dolphins and fish, which was likely installed in a wealthy family’s home to impress important visitors. “It’s very much in line with the taste of the time, so this is someone who knows about fashion and what to put on your mosaics,” archaeologist Roger White said. “They’re culturally attuned.” These discoveries prove that Roman Britain was far more sophisticated and culturally connected than earlier historians believed.

Ancient Egyptian Medicine: The Healer’s Tomb Revealed

A joint French-Swiss archaeological team uncovered the richly decorated tomb of Tetinebefou, a high-status healer or “wizard doctor”, dating to Egypt’s 5th Dynasty, near the Saqqara necropolis, revealing rare medical instruments and inscriptions indicating his role as a priest and physician. This discovery validates ancient texts that described sophisticated medical practices in early Egyptian society, which modern scholars had often dismissed as primitive superstition mixed with basic remedies.

The tomb’s contents reveal that ancient Egyptian medicine was far more advanced than previously understood, with specialized medical instruments and detailed anatomical knowledge. The find confirms that what Greek historians wrote about Egyptian medical expertise was accurate rather than exaggerated, reshaping our understanding of ancient healthcare systems.

The Lost Sanctuary of Odysseus: Myth Becomes Reality

Additionally, the presence of both Mycenaean and Hellenistic artifacts suggests that worship at the site spanned many centuries. While the Sanctuary of Odysseus may not prove the existence of the Homeric hero, it does demonstrate how the myth shaped reality in ancient Greece. Archaeological excavations have uncovered what appears to be a sanctuary dedicated to the legendary hero, complete with votive offerings and religious inscriptions.

The discovery shows that ancient Greeks treated Homer’s characters as historical figures worthy of religious worship, blurring the lines between mythology and history. The site’s long period of use indicates that what we consider fictional characters had very real religious and cultural significance in the ancient world.

Ancient Pathogen Evidence: Disease History Revealed

Scientists have uncovered DNA from 214 ancient pathogens in prehistoric humans, including the oldest known evidence of plague. The findings show zoonotic diseases began spreading around 6,500 years ago, much earlier than previously documented. This research has verified historical accounts of ancient plagues that scholars had dismissed as exaggerated or mythical descriptions of natural disasters.

The genetic evidence proves that prehistoric societies faced complex disease challenges that shaped their development in ways historians had never fully appreciated. Ancient texts describing devastating plagues are now understood to be accurate historical records rather than dramatic literary devices or religious allegories.

Moche Culture’s Hidden Complexity: Female Power Revealed

Another chamber was decorated with paintings of large serpents with human legs, as well as images of warriors and an unidentified mythical creature. The motifs featured here are unlike those seen in previously discovered Moche art, reinforcing experts’ consensus that Moche culture was not, in fact, male-dominated. These recent discoveries have overturned decades of archaeological interpretation that portrayed ancient Andean societies as rigidly patriarchal.

The artwork suggests that women held significant power and religious authority in ways that Spanish colonial accounts had systematically ignored or misrepresented. What conquistadors dismissed as primitive idol worship is now understood to represent sophisticated religious and social systems where gender roles differed dramatically from European expectations. These findings validate indigenous oral traditions that spoke of powerful female leaders and goddesses.

The archaeological record continues to vindicate historical accounts once dismissed as pure fantasy. These discoveries remind us that the line between myth and history is often thinner than we imagine, and that ancient peoples were frequently more accurate historians than we gave them credit for being.