Vitrification is a phenomenon evident in deserts around the world, often believed to result from an intense blast of heat capable of melting sand and rocks to create glass-infused crust. Usually these types of blasts are attributed to meteor explosions just above the Earth's surface, given the right circumstances, although any such blast has not been observed first-hand. We also know vitrified glass can be the result of lightning striking sandy areas to create fulgurite root-shaped tube deposits of fused silica quartz, a very different looking vitrification when compared to vast areas encrusted in layers of glass. Some researchers now believe large areas of desert glass may be connected with ancient bomb testing or wars, and that the invention of the atomic bomb might have happened well before the modern age.
There are references to nuclear type events in ancient texts such as the Mahabharata, describing large explosive events with similar precision to how the modern age would describe a nuclear event. Billowing smoke clouds, shock-waves, flames, and vitrified glass surfaces. However, these melted glass surfaces don't stop in the desert. They've also been discovered in ancient cities such as Catal Huyukin, in the Province of Piaui, forts in England, Babylonia, Death Valley, Arabia, Gobi, Mohave Desert, Norway, Canary Islands, and the list goes on without sufficient scientific explanation in most cases.
A handful of researchers believe the ancient Scottish, English and Irish forts were possibly intentionally vitrified as a means of strengthening the fortifications, but they find problems with feasibility and resource allocation to achieve this type of castle defense. There are also quite a few solid stone structures similar to the forts that appear to be melted in some way with no reasonable scientific explanation. Pointing toward ancient atomic war does explain certain results such as glass crusting, but unfortunately there is not enough tangible evidence to support these claims. Even if, remotely, the vitrified forts and deserts were byproducts of meteor explosions in our atmosphere, why have they never been witnessed and why do we not have historical accounts of this but instead of mass destruction type events?
