Unexplained History: What Historians Still Don’t Understand

Caroline Winterer / Stanford University

Despite what the song “Wonderful World” says, there’s a lot we know about history. But there are still some pretty big gaps in our knowledge, for the simple reason that a lot of information about the past gets lost over time. Wars, fires, floods, deliberate destruction, or just plain carelessness—all of these factors and more contribute to some pretty fascinating historical mysteries.

Together, we’ll discuss the latest reliable evidence and theories for some major events, people, and buildings that fascinate all of us. Who were the first Americans, and when—and how—did they arrive? How on earth did Stonehenge get built? What did Cleopatra look like? What caused the Salem witchcraft outbreak of 1692? All of these, and more, will be examined during this fun and fascinating talk.