Ten of the world’s famous historical figures are buried in places that have never been found, ever.
But the discovery of the remains of King Richard III in 2013 on a site in Leicester, England, where a car park used to be, shows that these figures could be buried anywhere, reports the Listverse.
1. Famous historical figures – Ginghis Han
Chinese and Persian sources suggest that Ginghis Han died in 1227 during a campaign in China, and his son brought his body to Mongolia. He did not want it known where he was buried and it seems that the soldiers granted his wish. They managed to hide his grave by trampling it with 10,000 horses until the ground was well trodden, then diverted a river over it. They also killed anyone who saw the burial so that no one could reveal the site.
Now, it’s one of the most sought-after tombs, with many historians believing Ginghis Han was buried in the Khentii mountain range in Mongolia.
2. Famous historical figures – Cleopatra and Mark Antony
The two chose to end their lives around 30 BC. While it is known for certain that Mark Antony stabbed himself in the stomach, there is still debate about Cleopatra’s death. Legend has it that she let a venomous snake bite her, while some claim she was known to carry poison in her hairpins, which she could have used.
The ancient chronicler Plutarch said the two were found in a tomb near Alexandria. In 2009, archaeologists explored the Taposiris Magna temple in Absuir, Egypt, and found a bust of Cleopatra’s face, a mask believed to belong to Mac Antony, and coins.
3. Famous historical figures – Alexander the Great
After leading a ten-year conquest mission from Greece to India, Alexander the Great died in Babylon in 323 BC. He was initially buried in a gold sarcophagus in Memphis, Egypt, then moved to Alexandria between 293-283 BC.
Because he was often robbed, Emperor Septimius Severus decided to seal Alexander the Great’s tomb in 190 AD. But wars, riots, earthquakes and tsunamis destroyed the tomb. After 140 searches, most historians believe Alexander the Great’s tomb is still in Alexandria.
4. Famous historical figures – Attila the Hun
Attila was one of the greatest enemies of the Roman Empire. According to records, in 453, Attila died on his wedding night after blood came from his nose and mouth. The warriors honoured his death with a day of mourning.
Attila the Hun was buried in a trio of coffins, made of iron, silver and gold, and, as with Ginghis Han, a river was diverted over the grave and all those who dug it were killed so that the site would remain secret. Although no trace of Attila’s coffin has been found, it is believed to be buried in Hungary.
5. Famous historical figures – Leonardo da Vinci
Da Vinci died at the age of 67 in 1519, and was known to have been buried on a site where a church was later built. During the French Revolution this was destroyed.
In 1863, excavations found fragments of a tombstone and the remains of bones believed to have belonged to da Vinici.
His official resting place is the Chateau d’Amboise (France).
Scientists wanted to do DNA tests on da Vinci’s remains, but because he never had children, this was not possible.
6. Famous historical figures – Harold II
Harold II died in 1066 during the Battle of Hastings, fighting William the Conqueror. His body was supposedly so badly battered that only his wife, Edith Swannesha, could identify him.
In order to give Harold a Christian burial, Gytha, his mother, is said to have offered the weight of his body in gold in exchange. But William the Conqueror did not want to give it to her because he did not want Harold’s burial place to become an altar for the Saxons.
Although it is unclear what happened to the body, Rosemary Nicolaou of the Battle Abbey Museum said various stories circulate, including that Harold II’s mother recovered it from the monks at Waltham Abbey Church.
7. Famous historical figures – Queen Boudica
The Celtic queen led a revolt against the Romans. She died in 60 AD and is believed to have committed suicide to avoid capture.
Richard Hingley states that Boudica is unlikely to have had a grave, but there are rumours that she was buried under platforms 8,9 or 10 at King’s Cross Station, London, but no remains of her have been found here or elsewhere.
8. Famous historical figures – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mystery still hangs over the great composer’s death. In 1791, aged 35, he died in Vienna of a mysterious illness.
He was buried in St. Mark’s Cemetery, Vienna.
The burial ceremony was organised by his friend and patron, Baron Gottfried Van Swieten.
The body was placed in a wooden coffin in a common grave.
According to local law, coffins were dug up and reused after 10 years, which is supposedly what happened to Mozart. In 1801, a gravedigger claimed to have recovered the skull, and in 1902 it was given to the Salzburg museum named after the composer. In 2006, scientists tested the skull to determine whether it belonged to Mozart, but the results were inconclusive.
9. Famous historical figures – Alfred the Great
The only English king to be called ‘the great’, Alfred of Wessex plays a significant role in the history of the British monarchy, but his body has been moved from one place to another.
He was first buried in 899 in Winchester, but was moved to a church built by his son Edward between 903-904.
In 1110 his body was moved again to Hyde Abbey, along with his wife and son.
After Henry VIII severed ties with Rome and the Pope, the abbey was destroyed and the tomb looted. Some claim that the three were moved back to the parish church of St Bartholomew, while others claim that 18th century workmen scattered the bones on the site of Hyde Abbey.
There have been several attempts to find the grave, but without success. Winchester City Council commissioned excavations, but only one body was found, belonging to a woman.
10. Famous historical figures – Nefertiti
Very little is known about this queen of Egypt. In the 1880s, a multi-roomed tomb, later named Amarna 26, was discovered in Amarna, Egypt. Archaeologists are confident that the tomb belongs to Akhenaten, an 18th dynasty pharaoh, and his daughter Meketaten.
Some archaeologists believe the third tomb belongs to Akhenaten’s wife, Nefertiti. But archaeologist Barry Kemp said nothing found in the tomb indicates the queen was buried there.
