About The Ten Files

The Ten Files collects strange stories ten at a time: unsolved mysteries, conspiracy theories, lost treasure, hoaxes, folklore and history that sounds made up. Each collection is a file, and each of its ten entries is a case.

What makes a file different from a list is the verdict. Every case ends with a ruling on what the evidence actually shows, and every ruling comes with the sources behind it, so you can check our work.

The five verdicts

• Confirmed. It happened, or it's real. The record is solid.
• Solved. Once a mystery. Strong evidence now explains it.
• Unsolved. Still open. No accepted explanation.
• Unproven. Some support, but not established. Could go either way.
• Debunked. False, a hoax, or no credible evidence behind it.

When a story has a famous version and a documented version, the verdict covers the claim in the headline. A real war fought over an imaginary cause, for example, can be stamped debunked, and the case explains which part is true.

How we source

We favor primary and authoritative sources: government archives and reports, court records, museums, universities, scientific papers and established newspapers. Wikipedia can be a starting point but never the only source for a case. Where accounts disagree, we say so rather than pick a version quietly.

Real people

Many cases involve real victims and families. We stick to the public record, avoid speculation about private individuals, and never present a person as a suspect unless they were charged or convicted.

Corrections

Found a mistake, or a case that has moved on since we wrote it? Email contact@thetenfiles.com with a source, and we'll review it. Corrected files show an updated date.