Artifacts

There are undoubtedly millions of ancient artifacts from the past that have served to shed light on the lives of our ancestors from many millennia ago. But some ancient mystical artifacts stand out for their uniqueness, their intrigue, or their ability to expand our knowledge about previously unknown aspects of our history. Here we feature many such ancient history artifacts, from amazing examples of ancient technology, to artistic masterpieces, unexplained objects, ancient texts, and mysterious artifacts that shed light on the daily lives of our ancestors.

The Cyrus Cylinder. Source: Prioryman/CC BY-SA 3.0

13 May, 2024 - 17:55 dhwty

The Cyrus Cylinder and the Ancient Proclamation of Human Rights

More than 2 millennia before the French Revolution introduced the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizens , an ancient Near Eastern monarch issued a charter that is considered to be the...

Mother, Daughter and horse too: the occupants of the Roman-era grave are not lovers, after all. Source: D Hagmann et al / Science Direct

12 May, 2024 - 17:40 Sahir

Mistaken for Lovers, Roman-Era Grave Holds Mother and Daughter (and Horse…)

When found in 2004, two embracing skeletons buried arm in arm in what is now Austria, were believed to be lovers from medieval times. Instead, modern scientific techniques have now helped...

Mountain River in East Siberia. Source: zhaubasar/Adobe Stock

11 May, 2024 - 21:01 Robbie Mitchell

Denisovan Artifacts Discovered in Siberian Ice (Video)

Archaeologists excavating the Siberian permafrost have uncovered a wealth of artifacts, shedding light on the enigmatic Denisovans and their ancient predecessors. Among the finds are finely crafted...

The Bent Pyramid in Dahshur, Egypt. Source: WitR/Adobe Stock

11 May, 2024 - 13:24 Niels Bjerre Jo...

The Bent Pyramid’s Light Magic - An Intentional Phenomenon?

King Sneferu (Snofru, Seneferu) was the father of Khufu and is famous for being responsible for two pyramids, plus finishing his predecessor’s at Meidum. His two pyramids at Dashur lie within sight...

Stellar rock art map from Sevsar astronomical observatory. Source: Courtesy of the author © Lilit Mkhitaryan

10 May, 2024 - 17:53 Lilit Mkhitaryan

Celestial Maps of Gegham Mountain: The Unique Rock Art of Armenia

In the volcanic Gegham and Vardenis Mountains of Armenia, architect Suren Petrosyan discovered unique and mysterious astrological rock art paintings. Experts have different opinions on the creation...

Gold torc stolen from Ely Museum, Cambridgeshire, UK. Source: © Trustees of the British Museum

9 May, 2024 - 22:57 Gary Manners

Priceless Bronze Age Treasures Stolen from Ely Museum

In a distressing turn of events, the Ely Museum in England has been the victim of a daring theft that resulted in the loss of invaluable Bronze Age artifacts. The theft, which occurred in the early...

The Bronze Age wooden structure found in Oxfordshire, England. Source: Oxford Archaeology via Oxfordshire County Council

9 May, 2024 - 17:55 Sahir

Remarkable Ancient Wooden Structure Unearthed in Oxfordshire

The discovery of a well-preserved wooden structure (1200-700 BC), dating back to the Bronze Age in Oxfordshire, England, has been deemed remarkable. Wood typically doesn't survive well over such...

Left; Ogham script on Bambie Thug cheek, Middle; translation, Right; Ogham stone found in Coventry. Source: Left, center; Reddit Right; The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum

8 May, 2024 - 22:55 Gary Manners

Ogham Script Not Only Found on Eurovision Contestants Bambie Thug

Bambie Thug have kicked up a storm for having a Palestinian protest message hidden in plain sight during their performances in the run up to the Eurovision final this Saturday. The messages were...

Side view of the colossal head of Decebalus. Source: Cazanele Dunării/CC BY-SA 4.0)

8 May, 2024 - 14:56 dhwty

The Colossal Head of Decebalus, King of the Dacians

In the heart of Rome stands a 38-meter tall (124.67ft) tall column built in the 2nd century AD. Carved in low relief spiralling around the monument are over 2600 figures, representing the combatants...

Left; One of the mound burials, Right; A selection of grave goods from the necropolis. Source: Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape

7 May, 2024 - 22:41 Nathan Falde

2,700-Year-Old Iron Age Pit Tomb Necropolis Unearthed in Italy

During excavations launched ahead of an upcoming electric power plant construction project, archaeologists unearthed an approximately 2,700-year-old necropolis about 31 miles (50 kilometers)...

Archaeologists work at the Wuwangdun tomb discovered in Huainan, east China's Anhui Province. Source: National Cultural Heritage Administration/Handout via Xinhua

7 May, 2024 - 18:00 Sahir

Lavish Chu State Emperor’s Tomb Unearthed in China, Dated to 2,200-Years-Old

A lavishly decorated tomb discovered in eastern China may be the resting place of the ruler of the Chu state, one of the dominant powers during China's tumultuous Warring States period, which...

Late 19th century drawings of the eagle and bull symbols published by French excavator Victor Place. Source: New York Public Library

7 May, 2024 - 14:17 ancient-origins

Unknown Assyrian Symbols Solved as ‘Tag’ of Sargon II

Ancient symbols on a 2,700-year-old temple which have baffled experts for over a century have been explained by Trinity Assyriologist Dr Martin Worthington. The sequence of ‘mystery symbols’ were on...

Pirate Henry Avery looking into the ocean at a pirate ship. Source: Dieter Holstein/Adobe Stock

7 May, 2024 - 01:15 Robbie Mitchell

Legacy of the Fancy: Henry Every's Iconic Flagship Powerhouse (Video)

The Fancy, Henry Every's formidable 46-gun flagship, stood as a symbol of pirate prowess during the era. Leading a formidable armada, it struck fear into the hearts of adversaries. Every, an English...

Ibn al-Haytham ("Alhasen") on the left pedestal of reason [while Galileo is on the right pedestal of the senses] as shown on the frontispiece of the Selenographia (Science of the Moon; 1647) of Johannes Hevelius. Source: Public domain provided by the author

6 May, 2024 - 17:51 ancient-origins

Study Reveals the Influence of 11th Century Scientist On Modern-day Physics

By University of Sharjah Scientists from the University of Sharjah and the Warburg Institute are poring over the writings of an 11th century Arab-Muslim polymath to demonstrate his impact on the...

A Roman love scene. Mosaic found in Centocelle (1st century AD). Source: Kunsthistorisches Museum/CC BY-SA 2.5

6 May, 2024 - 15:24 Martin Clemens

Silphium, The Ancient Contraceptive Herb Driven To Extinction

As an institution of spiritual authority, the Catholic Church wields much influence over the attitudes and beliefs of millions of people around the globe. From scriptural doctrine to less refined...

The Taj Mahal. Source:EugeneF/Adobe Stock

5 May, 2024 - 20:45 Robbie Mitchell

How Long Famous Landmarks Took to Build (Video)

From the monumental Great Pyramid of Giza to the mesmerizing Taj Mahal, the construction timelines of these iconic landmarks offer insights into the ingenuity and perseverance of ancient...

The Tyrian Purple pigment found at Carlisle Cricket Club Source: Wardell Armstrong

4 May, 2024 - 14:56 ancient-origins

A Regal Hue: The Discovery of Tyrian Purple in Roman Carlisle

In an extraordinary archaeological find at Carlisle, UK, researchers have unearthed what appears to be Tyrian Purple, a rare and historically significant pigment once reserved for the highest...

Archeologists and historians examining petroglyphs in the Zhambyl Region. Source: Department of Internal Policy of the Akimat of the Zhambyl Region

2 May, 2024 - 22:01 Nathan Falde

4,000-Year-Old Petroglyphs Discovered on Rock Outcropping in Kazakhstan

While laboring in southern Kazakhstan in the Karatau Mountains as part of a crew involved in an environmental restoration campaign, a group of volunteers were shocked but delighted to discover a set...

Left; Kin Klizhin is an ‘ancestral’ community consisting of a great house with tower kiva. Right; Strombus galeatus conch shell from the Sea of Cortez. Source: Van Dyke/Antiquity Publications Ltd

2 May, 2024 - 00:01 Nathan Falde

Ancient Chacoan Settlements Used Conch-Shell Trumpets to Keep in Touch

A team of archaeologists from universities in New York and Arizona have just published a fascinating new study that reports on the impressive auditory range of conch-shell trumpets used by Native...

The painted hieroglyphs unearthed in 2022 in the Yerkapı Tunnel in Hattusa, the capital of the Hittites, one of Anatolia's earliest civilizations. Source: AA

1 May, 2024 - 17:50 Sahir

Hieroglyphs at Hattusa Tunnel Reveal New Chapter in Hittite History

The discovery of painted hieroglyphs from 2022 in the Yerkapı Tunnel in Hattusa, the ancient capital of the Hittites, have now been deciphered. These Anatolian hieroglyphs have finally been unveiled...

Detail, the face of the Lady of Elche. Source: Public Domain

1 May, 2024 - 14:50 mrreese

The Enigma Surrounding the Stunning Lady Of Elche

In 1897, archaeologists uncovered a stunning artifact on a private estate at L'Alcúdia in Valencia, Spain. This find was a statue – a polychrome bust of a woman’s head. Believed to date back to the...

A the front of a copy of the bark shield. Source: University of Leicester/Fair Use

1 May, 2024 - 01:02 Robbie Mitchell

The Enderby Shield: A Bark-Made Artifact from the Iron Age? (Video)

In the annals of Iron Age history , the Enderby Shield emerges as a stunning revelation, challenging conventional notions of weaponry and craftsmanship. Discovered in 2015 near Leicester, this...

Images of the Ancient water clock, the Egyptian Clepsydra. Source: Left; Archivist/Adobe Stock, Right; Egypt Museum

29 April, 2024 - 14:45 dhwty

As Old As Time: Ancient Invention of the Water Clock

Today, the ability to keep track of time seems to be taken for granted. One just simply needs to glance at a watch, clock, or mobile phone to know the exact time, even down to the nearest second...

The tightly packed amphorae of the Ses Fontanelles Roman shipwreck. Source: Sebastià Munar Llabrés, Jaume Cardell, Carlos de Juan, Miguel Ángel Cau, Darío Bernal-Casasola, Llorenç Picornell & Enrique García Riaza / Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences.

28 April, 2024 - 22:10 Joe Green

Roman Shipwreck Reveals Entirely New Type of Amphora

Archaeologists excavating the hold of a Roman cargo ship off the coast of Mallorca have turned up something new. An entirely unknown type of amphora has been found inside the wreck, which is believed...

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