Archaeology aims to answer our questions about the past and, with any luck, give us some perspective on our present and future. But sometimes, artifacts raise mysteries that may never be solved. Like reading an engrossing novel with an ambiguous ending, you're left to savor the possibilities without ever being fully satisfied.

The Temple People Structures Malta And Gozo

The Temple people existed on the islands of Malta and Gozo in the Mediterranean for about 1,100 years (from 4000–2900 B.C.) then simply vanished without a related culture to succeed them. As far as archaeologists can tell, the cause of their disappearance wasn't invasion, starvation, or disease. It's possible that religious extremism and environmental factors contributed to their demise, but no one really knows.