From the depths of the oceans, discoveries throughout time have been kept preserved for us to find today. Because of the unique conditions of the sea, things are preserved which may otherwise have deteriorated if they were on land. Here are just a few examples of incredible discoveries from underwater.10The Sea Monster Figurehead1- Gribshunden Photo credit: Orf3us In 2015, the terrifying figurehead of the 15th-century Danish warship Gribshunden was brought back up to the surface. The Gribshunden, or “Grip Dog,” had been at the bottom of the Baltic Sea since 1495, and the figurehead adorning it displayed an image that no doubt struck fear in the hearts of other sailors. It appears to be a sea monster bearing a dragon face and lion ears with a person being eaten in its crocodile-like mouth. It’s unclear what “Grip Dog” means, but “Gribshunden” was both the Danish word for a dog or hound and the mythical Greek griffon. The Gribshunden served as the flagship of King Hans of Denmark’s royal fleet until it caught fire off the coast of Sweden while King Hans was trying to negotiate a political union between other Scandinavian countries. Since then, the wreckage has remained under the ocean, but its figurehead was brought back after divers managed to heave the massive artifact up from the depths. 9The Pantelleria Vecchia Bank Monolith2- monolith Photo credit: E. Lodolo While mapping the sea floor near Sicily, researchers discovered an enormous monolith that was nearly 12 meters (39 ft) in length. According to archaeologists, the qualities of the monolith suggest that it was a man-made structure rather than naturally produced and that it was most likely constructed around 10,000 years ago. Discovered in the Pantelleria Vecchio Bank, the monolith serves as evidence that there was an archipelago in the area that no longer exists. As to the purpose of the strange object, it is believed that it served as a lighthouse because a hole had been carved into it which may have held a light. Before the Last Glacial Maximum, which began around 19,000 years ago, Europe was about 40 percent bigger, so the monolith was on land at one time before it sank into the sea. 8America’s Earliest Inhabitants3- pre-clovis site Photo credit: Brendan Fenerty When a sinkhole located near Florida’s Aucilla River was examined in the past few years, the divers made extraordinary discoveries: evidence of human occupation well over 1,000 years earlier than previously thought. The same sinkhole had been examined on a few other occasions from 1983 to 1997, but the findings—mainly, a mastodon tusk that had possible human-related cut marks—were too ambiguous to provide any real conclusions. However, from 2012 to 2014, remarkable artifacts were found that were undeniably human: stone tools, bone, and a biface, which is a sort of primitive human knife. It seems that the ancient people may have tried to scavenge a mastodon at the site, which was just a small pond at the time. All of these findings date back around 14,550 years, a good 1,000 years older than the Clovis people, the earliest provable inhabitants of North America. 7USS Conestoga4- Conestoga In 1921, a navy tugboat, the USS Conestoga, disappeared without a trace after setting sail from San Francisco. After an extensive search for the boat using air and sea resources, all that could be found was an overturned lifeboat marked “C” that had drifted hundreds of miles off course. In 2016, the 95-year-old mystery was finally solved. In 2009, the N.O.A.A. Office of Coastal Survey discovered an unidentified shipwreck in the sharp rocks of the Farallon Islands, but it wasn’t until 2015 that underwater remotely operated cameras managed to get a good view of the wreckage. The distinctive propeller and deck-mounted gun matched only one other vessel: the USS Conestoga. It seems that the tugboat encountered rough waters and sank while the crew was trying to steer it to a cove in the Farallons. 6Thonis-Heracleion And Canopus5- canopus Photo credit: Christoph Gerigk In the eighth century AD, the cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus were submerged underwater after a series of natural disasters like flooding and earthquakes. Since then, they gained near-legendary status and were considered lost until 2000, when they were rediscovered in Aboukir Bay near Alexandria. The site has since yielded almost perfectly preserved colossal structures, coins, and jewelry. The site still produces remarkable artifacts, and it seems that there could be even more to come, including a possible third city. According to Franck Goddio, the French mariner who discovered the cities: “We’ve probably excavated only 1 percent or 2 percent of the site—possibly less.” Historically, Thonis-Heracleion was important enough to warrant a mention from the historian Herodotus in the fifth century, who described the city’s magnificent temple and said that Helen visited the city before the Trojan War to visit her lover Paris.5The Ships Of The Fourni Archipelago 6- shipwreck The Fourni archipelago is a small and relatively insignificant collection of Greek islands today, but in ancient times, it served as one of the most important places for maritime trade. There are so many historic shipwrecks in the Fourni archipelago that it has been referred to as the “ancient shipwreck capital of the world.”Since 2015, 22 shipwrecks from Greek antiquity have been discovered in the Fourni archipelago. The wrecks range from as early as 480–700 BC to as late as the 16th century. These wrecks have yielded many artifacts and shed light on the life of a sailor hundreds of years ago. Going back in time, however, no important settlements existed in the area which means that the archipelago most likely served as a sort of shipping hub between Greece and other countries. Since so many ships went through the area, many shipwrecks must have occurred, but it is estimated that only one shipwreck occurred every 100 years. 4The Bald Cypress Forest7- underwater cypress forest After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf region of North America, a surprising find was made at the bottom of the ocean. Uncovered by the hurricane was a 50,000-year-old perfectly preserved forest known as the Bald Cypress Forest. It had been covered by ocean sediments in an oxygen-free environment, allowing the forest to remain intact. The primeval trees were so well preserved that when they were cut, they still smelled of fresh cypress. The forest, located off the coast of Alabama, was originally discovered by a diver soon after the hurricane, but the location wasn’t disclosed by the finder until 2012. By then, the forest was still pristine but had become a flourishing artificial reef for various aquatic species. The forest was last above water during the Wisconsin Glacial period, when sea levels were much lower than they are now. 3Madagascar’s Giant Bones8- Archaeoindris Photo credit: Ghedoghedo In Madagascar, prehistoric underwater graves were found containing the fossils of the giant animals that once dominated the island. Among these fossils were the remains of an extinct species of lemur weighing as much as 15 times its modern day relatives, elephant birds the size of basketball players, and enormous tortoises. Three sunken caves located at Tsimanampetsotsa National Park yielded an enormous amount of bones representing thousands of years of Madagascar’s history. One of the caves was so filled with fossils that every time divers felt the floor of the cave they found new bones—the most important find being the Archaeoindris, a species of lemur the size of gorillas. The most obvious theory about why Madagascar’s megafauna were found in the caves is that they were chased there by the arrival of humans. Many species would have hidden themselves to avoid being hunted, but over the past millennia, the majority were killed off. 2English Aristocratic Clothing9- dress Photo credit: Kaap Skil Museum Texel and Eyerland, which later merged to become the island of Texel, were important way points for traders going to and from Holland. But the Wadden Sea around the islands is a dangerous place, and many ships have sunk there over the years. From this treacherous area, a fantastic discovery was made: the 400-year-old possessions of an English noblewoman. The discovery was made from a 17th-century chest that contained a preserved silk dress, undergarments, a lice comb, and a leather-bound book stamped with the royal seal of King Charles I, suggesting a member of nobility. The silk dress was the most important discovery, and while it most likely was more of an everyday garment because of the lack of decorous beads and complex designs, it also reveals a wealth of information about how garments were made at the time. 1Britain’s Pompeii10- bronze age Photo credit: Chris Radburn Three thousand years ago, Bronze Age houses near the Peterborough quarry in Great Britain burned down but were preserved almost perfectly by silty fen. The near-pristine condition that the dwellings were found in have been compared to the conditions of Pompeii, and the findings at the Peterborough sight are just as impressive. The homes remain the best preserved Bronze Age dwellings in Britain. They are large wood dwellings built on stilts in a waterlogged area near the Nene River. Inside are artifacts ranging from delicate drinking cups to the last meal the owners had. It appears that whoever lived in the homes fled and left the meal, which had calcified in the cooking pot. The houses most likely belonged to wealthy people because of the amount of material goods found. The cause of the fire that burned the houses is unclear. It may have been an accident, intentional, or even a military attack.Gordon Gora is a struggling author who is desperately trying to make it. He is working on several projects but until he finishes one, he will write for Listverse for his bread and butter. You can write him at gordongora21@gmail.com.

The Roman Emperor Nero is enjoying a newfound respect these days. At this point, it’s almost common knowledge that the stories of him playing a fiddle while Rome burned are almost certainly untrue.

Still, there are stories about Nero’s excess and depravity that go beyond anything imagined in the most gruesome horror stories. Although there’s no way of knowing how many stories are true, you don’t earn a reputation like this one without doing something people didn’t like.

Featured image credit: Daderot

10He Burned Christians For A Source Of Light

Photo credit: Henryk Siemiradzki

Nero never had progressive policies when it came to Christians, but he got really hard on them after the Great Fire of Rome. When the people began turning against Nero, he used Christians as a scapegoat to get the heat off himself.

Christians were blamed for the fire and slaughtered en masse. But the really terrifying part was how they were killed. Slaughtering Christians was a spectacle that people would attend and cheer.

During parties, Nero would nail Christians to crosses and burn them alive as a source of light when the Sun went down. While his victims screamed and suffered, Nero would walk about in a chariot rider’s uniform making small talk with his guests.

9He Trapped People In Theaters To Listen To His Music

Photo credit: crystalinks.com

The story about Nero playing music while Rome burned doesn’t just come from nowhere. Nero loved the arts—from music to the theater—and performed every chance he got.

He even locked the gates of the theater when he performed. Then he put on incredibly long performances, requiring the audience to listen attentively and clap. People would leap over the walls or even fake their own deaths to get out of these performances. According to the Roman historian Suetonius, one performance went on so long that a woman gave birth while Nero played.

8He Regularly Cheated To Win The Olympics

Photo credit: Italy Magazine

Nero was an athlete, too. In fact, he still holds the world record for most Olympic wins, staking claim to 1,808 Olympic wreaths—the era’s equivalent of gold medals.

So how did he do it? By cheating, of course. In one ridiculous story about a chariot race, Nero allegedly ordered his competitors to use four-horse chariots and then showed up with a team of 10 horses.

Despite his massive advantage, Nero still didn’t make it across the finish line. He fell off his chariot and had to give up the race. Even though he didn’t make it around the track, the judges still declared their emperor the winner of the race.

7He Built An Orgy Palace With A Gigantic Statue Of Himself

Photo credit: Jaime Jones

One of Nero’s greatest accomplishments was building the Domus Aurea, a golden pleasure palace the likes of which the world had never seen. It was a massive building overlaid with gold, ivory, and mother-of-pearl. It was guarded by a 37-meter-tall (120 ft) statue of himself. It even had panels in the ceiling that would let a rain of flowers and perfume fall on his guests.

So what was it used for? Orgies, of course! Reportedly, people in the palace would eat until they vomited and then couple for massive sex parties while rose petals fell on them from above.

All the decadence might have been forgivable—except that Nero built his sex palace right after the Great Fire of Rome when people needed aid. The Domus Aurea was viewed as a symbol of his selfishness and, shortly after his death, was stripped of all its gold.

6His Sex Life Was Insane

Photo credit: Daily Mail

Stories about Nero’s sex life show up in every Roman history book because as weird as Roman emperors were in the bedroom, none of them compared to Nero.

Tacitus told a story about Nero throwing a massive orgy that went on for days. At the end, Nero threw a mock wedding ceremony in which he married a freedman named Pythagoras—one of two men whom Nero married throughout his life.

According to Suetonius, whenever Nero wanted to let off a little steam, he would tie naked boys and girls to stakes, dress up like an animal, jump on them, and pretend to eat them. This was most likely a recreation of how criminals were executed in that time, with Nero pretending to be a vicious animal devouring a sentenced man in front of an audience.

5He Sentenced A Woman To Death By Giraffe

In Nero’s time, there was a famous assassin named Locusta who specialized in poisoning people. According to some accounts, Nero’s mother, Agrippina, hired Locusta to murder Agrippina’s husband, Claudius, and then her stepson, Britannicus.

Sometime after Nero came to power, Locusta was made to pay for her crimes in a horrible way. According to a popular story, Nero had her publicly raped by a “specially trained giraffe” before she was finally torn apart by wild animals.

4He Crucified The Apostle Peter

Nero didn’t just kill nameless Christians—he executed Peter, one of Jesus’s disciples. In AD 64, about 30 years after Jesus’s death, Peter was trying to spread Christianity throughout Rome and that put him directly in Nero’s path. Nero captured and crucified Peter—and, according to the popular story, hung him upside down.

This was far from an isolated event. Peter was killed in a circus that Nero almost exclusively used to publicly execute Christians. Those live murders were such a popular sport that the streets alongside the circus’s racetrack were filled with tombs full of the bones of his victims.

3He Murdered His Own Mother

Photo credit: Arturo Montero Calvo

Nero killed a lot of people, but he didn’t stop at strangers. He murdered his family, too—including his own mother, Agrippina the Younger. Every historian gives a different account of how Nero killed her, but they all seem to agree that he was behind it.

According to historian Cassius Dio, Nero sent his mother off on a custom-designed ship. While she out at sea, a secret door under the ship opened up and sent her falling into the depths of the water. Agrippina survived and desperately swam to shore. But when she reached it, Nero had an assassin waiting for her.

When Agrippina saw her killer, she just said, “Smite my womb,” ordering the assassin to destroy the part of her body that had created such an abominable son.

2He Kicked His Wife And Unborn Baby To Death

Photo credit: Nanosanchez

Most people credit Nero’s decision to murder his mother to the influence of his second wife, Poppaea Sabina. Poppaea was a manipulative woman who charmed the emperor, convincing him to get rid of his first wife, Octavia, and his own mother so that Poppaea could take their places.

For a while, Nero and Poppaea enjoyed a period of marital bliss, but it didn’t last. In time, they started to argue.

During one fight, Nero beat his wife bloody. He threw her to the ground and repeatedly kicked her directly in the stomach, where his unborn child was growing. According to some versions of the story, he may even have jumped up and down on her womb until she died.

Apparently, he regretted it. A few years later, he found a young boy named Sporus who looked like her and did what any grieving husband would do: He forcibly castrated the boy, dressed him up like his dead wife, and married him in front of all of Rome.

1He May Literally Be The Antichrist

Photo credit: Luca Signorelli

Calling somebody “the Antichrist” is a pretty strong accusation. But in this case, it’s not just a judgment call. According to one theory, Nero may literally be the Antichrist described in the Bible.

Most people know that “666” is the number of the beast, but you might not have read it in context. The Book of Revelation treats the number more as a puzzle for the reader to solve than a prophecy. It says: “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six.”

The twist is that if you count the numbers that represent the Hebrew letters in “Nero Caesar,” you get 666. On top of that, Revelation says that the beast will rule for “forty and two months”—which happens to be about the length of time that Nero ruled after the Great Fire of Rome.

This means that John might not have been just predicting some vague future evil. He may have been trying to tell the people of his time that Nero would be coming back.