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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.

Location of bilingual inscription, which helped linguists crack the ancient Kushan language, in Tajikistan. Source: Bobomullo Bobomulloev / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

2,000-Year-Old Unknown Kushan Language Is Finally Deciphered

Since the 1960s, archaeologists in Central Asia have found rocks carved with a mysterious unknown language. Now, a team from the University of Cologne has deciphered the unknown script, revealing it...
Medieval armored gauntlets. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Tracing the Evolution of Armored Gauntlets (Video)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Armor Conservation Lab houses an intriguing collection of armored gauntlets . Among them is an early 16th-century German mitten-style gauntlet, impressively weighty...
Carved giant sloth bones indicate humans in South America. Source: ©Mirian Pacheco/The Royal Society Publishing

Historical Timeline Shook: Human Arrival in South America Pushed Back to 25,000 Years Ago

Human arrival in the Americas has a long-disputed timeline, and new evidence supports pushing back the date for human arrival in South America to at least 25,000 years ago. The evidence? Remains of...
Restoration work at Kulubà in Mexico, the Maya site where a sacrificial altar has now been uncovered. Source: Mauricio Marat / INAH

Chilling Maya Murder Tools Unearthed Near Kulubá Sacrificial Altar

Mexican archaeologists excavating in the central square of the ancient Maya city of Kulubá identified a curious cubic stone with all the hallmarks of having served as a sacrificial altar. Cementing...
Entrance to Te’omim Cave, or Twins cave, near Jerusalem which has produced evidence of a necromancy cult. Source: Yair Aronshtam/CC BY-SA 2.0

Human Skulls from Roman Necromancy Cult Found in Cave Near Jerusalem

In Te’omim Cave in the Jerusalem Hills of central Israel, excavations that took place between 2010 and 2016 recovered a huge collection of Roman oil lamps, weapons, pieces of pottery and actual human...
Representational image of gold coins in the ground. Source: QuietWord / Adobe Stock

Civil War Surprise as Kentucky Farmer Unearths Valuable Coin Hoard

A Kentucky farmer was digging in his corn field earlier this year when he discovered over 700 coins. About 95% of the unexpected stash dated back to the American Civil War. This chance finding of a...
HMS Victory in a storm. Source: Josephine / Adobe Stock.

How an 18th Century Sailing Battleship Worked (Video)

An 18th-century sailing battleship like Lord Nelson’s HMS Victory was a marvel of naval engineering , representing the pinnacle of naval warfare technology during that era. At its core was a robust...
Image of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, representation of how it would have appeared. Source: Civilization. Wiki /CC BY-SA )

The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus: What Made the First Mausoleum a Wonder?

The word mausoleum is nowadays defined as “a special building made to hold the dead body of an important person or the deceased bodies of a family”. This word is derived from the name Mausolus, for...
Schöningen Spears. Source: Forschungs Museum Schoningen.

The Schöningen Spears: The Oldest Weapons in Human History (Video)

The Schöningen Spears , excavated in Germany in the 1990s, provide remarkable insights into the lives of Neanderthals, challenging the notion of them being unintelligent scavengers. These wooden...
A fragment of the stone stele from the Ishtar temple. It depicts the goddess Ishtar inside a starburst with rosettes. Source: Penn Museum

Assyrian Relics Resurrected at Nimrud, Defying Terrorist Destruction

During recent excavations in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud in Iraq, a team of archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology uncovered an exciting...
The Ryedale Hoard. Source: Finds.org.uk / CC by SA 2.0.

Roman Treasure Unveiled: York’s Ryedale Hoard (Video)

The Ryedale Hoard, a group of four stunning bronze objects, has become the focus of a captivating exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum. Unearthed near Ryedale, North Yorkshire, this discovery offers a...
The two burial chambers found near Kibbutz Tlalim in Israel. Source: Emil Aladjem / Israel Antiquities Authority

Negev Desert Tombs Linked to Ancient Trafficking of Sacred Prostitutes

While exploring in the remote Negev Desert in southern Israel in 2021, archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) stumbled upon something quite unexpected. Right along the route of a...
Detail of a bull diadem unearthed in elite tomb in Cyprus. Source: P. M. Fischer / Public domain

Swedish Expedition Strikes Gold Within Royal Tombs in Cyprus

An archaeological expedition from the University of Gothenburg has announced the finding of underground tombs in Cyprus. Initially, the Swedish archaeologists identified a set of mysterious chambers...
Sutton Hoo helmet. Source: British Museum / CC by SA 2.0.

The Sutton Hoo Helmet: An Anglo-Saxon Treasure (Video)

The Sutton Hoo helmet, discovered in 1939 at the Sutton Hoo dig site in Suffolk, England, is a remarkable archaeological find from the early 7th century Anglo-Saxon period. Found in a ship burial,...
The Monolith of Tlaloc. Source: Public Domain

The Monolith of Tlaloc: Did Moving This Massive Stone Statue Incite the Fury of the Aztec God?

The Monolith of Tlaloc is a giant stone carving of the Aztec god of rain, water, lightning, and agriculture, Tlaloc. This monolith was once located near the town of Coatlinchan (which translates as ‘...
Ancient hunting bow. Source: serikbaib / Adobe Stock.

How to Make a Neolithic Longbow (Video)

In this YouTube video, the host takes viewers on a journey to create an English longbow using primitive technology. Starting with a big chunk of flint, the host carefully chips off a tool to craft...
The largest giant handaxe found at the Maritime Academy School site in Frindsbury, Kent, UK.	Source: Ingrey et al/Internet Archaeology

Giant Handaxes Are Among Largest Prehistoric Stone Tools Ever Unearthed in Britain

Researchers from the UCL Institute of Archaeology have discovered some of the largest ever prehistoric stone tools unearthed in Britain. A thorough excavation conducted in Kent unveiled ancient...
Skulls showing battle injuries. Source: Jan / Adobe Stock.

Skeletons Show Horrific Injuries from The Battle of Towton (Video)

The Battle of Towton , fought on March 29, 1461, during the Wars of the Roses , was a gruesome and decisive conflict in English history. Archaeological excavations at Towton have revealed a mass...
Divers at the site of the Phoenician ship. Source: Jose A Moya / Regional Government of Murcia

Spanish Archaeologists Plot Remarkable Rescue of Ancient Phoenician Ship

A Phoenician trading vessel that sank off the coast of Spain around 2,500 years ago has been rendered in high-resolution 3D maps. As a precursor of plans to rescue the shipwreck, piece-by-piece, in...
Unicorns and their alluring influence in ancient civilizations.  Source: Pradeep/Adobe Stock

Beyond Myth and Legend: Tracing the Footsteps of Unicorns in Ancient Cultures

Throughout the annals of history, the unicorn has captivated humanity’s imagination, leaving traces of its existence in the art and artifacts of ancient civilizations. Join us on a fascinating...
Roman hoard of pewter items from the Euston find site in Suffolk. Source: Suffolk County Council

Metal Detecting Event Uncovers Significant Roman Hoard in UK

A ‘significant hoard’ of Roman items discovered in England last year by an amateur detectorist has gone on display, much to the delight of history enthusiasts and archaeologists involved in the dig...
The Lekdijk Bovendams bond from 1624. Source: https://www.beursgeschiedenis.nl/

The Dutch Bond that's Still Paying Interest After 375 Years (Video)

In 1648, the Water Board of Lekdijk Bovendams faced the challenge of raising funds for essential embankment repairs. They decided to issue a unique bearer bond, promising annual payouts to its holder...
Anne and Oddbjørn Holum Heiland have discovered a Viking age burial with weaponry and jewelry from about 1200 years ago during a home renovation. Source: Joakim Wintervoll/Science Norway

Viking Burial, Sword, and Treasure Unearthed During Home Remodeling Excavation

Little did Oddbjørn Holum Heiland know what he would find when he embarked on a Friday night project, commencing excavation work behind his 1740 Setesdalshouse alongside his wife, Anne. Long story...
Pergamon Altar of Zeus in modern-day Turkey. Right; one of the friezes from the altar.	Source: Left; cem/Adobe Stock Right; Miguel Hermoso Cuesta/CC BY-SA 4.0

The Pergamon Altar: Where Legends Come to Life

Nestled in the serene landscape of ancient Pergamon, a city that once flourished in the Hellenistic and Roman eras, lies a remarkable testament to human craftsmanship and religious devotion: the...

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