Top 10 Final Resting Places We Will Never Find

Top 10 Final Resting Places We Will Never Find

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Rest in peace…wherever you are. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Final Resting Places We Will Never Find. For this list, we’ll be examining the famous and/or historical figures whose graves or last resting places are unlikely to ever be definitively identified.

The Hunnic ruler and conqueror so famous he put every other Attila to shame, Attila the Hun’s death is as mysterious as his final resting place. His actual cause of death is a matter of debate, although the most popular explanation is that he choked on his own blood during a nosebleed. The Hun was reportedly buried inside three coffins, composed of gold, silver, and iron, in a ceremony so secret that the slaves who buried him were killed to avert any grave robbing. Although Attila’s grave is believed to be somewhere in Hungary, the fact that it hasn’t been found means it may have been robbed after all.

#9: Alexander the Great

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A famed and brilliant general and king, Alexander the Great died young at 32 of an unknown disease. Although he expressly did not wish to be returned to be buried alongside his father in Macedonia, Alexander’s body was sent there despite his wishes. On the way there, it was stolen by one of Alexander’s generals and buried in Memphis, Egypt, which was the center of his government in the region. It was later dug up again and reburied in Alexandria. The current location is unknown though, and wild theories place it everywhere from Venice to even Australia.

The last ruler of the Hellenic period of the Egyptian dynasty founded by Alexander, Cleopatra is generally believed to have killed herself by having an asp bite her shortly after the death of her lover Mark Antony. According to some accounts, the two of them were buried together in a tomb outside of Alexandria. Where Cleopatra’s remains are today is a matter of debate and speculation. Some believe that her resting place sank to the bottom of the sea after earthquakes destroyed or relocated parts of Alexandria. Others believe she is one of many anonymous mummies that have been found in large mausoleums. Wherever she lies, her legacy remains a memorable one.

Founder of the Mongol Empire, Genghis Khan may have made his mark on history, but his grave went completely unmarked. Although the cause of the Great Khan’s death has been attributed to everything from falling off his horse to illness to wounds from battle, it’s generally believed that he was returned to his birthplace in Mongolia to be buried. According to legend, anyone who witnessed the funeral procession was killed, to protect the secret of its location. But to make extra sure, the soldiers than killed themselves as well, ensuring the warlord’s resting place would remain a shrine lost to time.

The infamously brutal prince of the region now called Romania, Vlad the Impaler, also called Vlad Tepes or Vlad Dracula, died in an appropriately violent way in battle. After his defeat, the cruel ruler was supposedly cut into pieces, with his decapitated head displayed on a spike. Vlad’s final resting place is unknown. If he was butchered, it’s likely that his scattered pieces were buried without ceremony. However, some accounts suggest he was buried in one of several monasteries, including a monastery he established himself that was located near the site of his death.

This world famous composer and musician died after an illness, although whether it was sudden or protracted is a matter of scholarly debate. In spite of his fame, Mozart was interred in an unmarked grave with no special trappings. At the time, nobility were the only people to warrant grave markers. It’s assumed that his grave was later dug up, which was common procedure for those not of the noble class. A monument was raised in the cemetery where he is popularly thought to be buried, but even that marker was moved to a different graveyard, leaving Mozart’s true resting place uncertain.

One of the world’s most infamous terrorists and a founder of Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden’s death is among the most well-known events in the recent history. Killed in a compound in Pakistan by a team of US Navy SEALs, bin Laden’s body was identified briefly in Afghanistan before it was taken out to sea and given a burial there. This has been criticized as going against Islamic custom, as land burial is prescribed if at all possible. Osama bin Laden was among the most elusive of criminals in life, and finding his body in the wide ocean will likely prove even more so.

#3: Jimmy Hoffa

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A leader in the American labor union movement with ties to organized crime, Jimmy Hoffa’s final resting place is among the most mysterious of all the modern entries on our list. Hoffa disappeared in 1975 after apparently going to meet two members of the mafia. His whereabouts and eventual fate have been a matter of extensive speculation in the forty plus years since he vanished. Most accounts seem to agree that Hoffa was killed, either by the mafia itself or by one of his political enemies; although where his body ended up, we may never know.

Leader of Germany during and prior to the Second World War and head of the Nazi party, Adolf Hitler is believed by most to have killed himself during the final days of the war, alongside Eva Braun. What happened afterwards to the bodies is less clear, in large part due to questionable information from the Soviet Union. That government took custody of the bodies after seizing the bunker in which Hitler had spent his final days. Most accounts seem to indicate the dictator’s body was burnt and either buried or scattered into a river.

#1: Amelia Earhart

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This female aviator, author, and feminist icon is one of modern times’ most enduring popular figures, in no small part due to her mysterious disappearance. During her last known flight in an attempt to circumnavigate the Earth, Earhart vanished somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. A host of theories abound about what happened to her, including simply running out of fuel and crashing into the water, landing on an island, being captured or shot down, or even simply retiring from the public eye. Earhart’s fate, like her final flight, will forever be up in the air.