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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.

The armor of Henry II, King of France, ca. 1555 AD. This is one of the most elaborate and complete French parade armors. The surfaces are covered by dense foliate scrolls inhabited by human figures and a variety of creatures that derive from the Italian. Weight: 53 lb. 4 oz. (24.20 kg). Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain.
22 October, 2022 - 18:55 Joanna Gillan

16 Insanely Cool Suits of Armor

We have likely all seen the stereotypical image of a knight in shining armor , but there is more to the world of armory than the steel plate armor we are often exposed to. Armor came in innumerable...
Intricate incense clocks were developed in Qing Dynasty China. Source: Science Museum Group / CC BY SA 4.0
20 October, 2022 - 01:55 Lex Leigh

Ancient Incense Clocks: A Timely Glow

Checking the time hasn’t always been as easy as glancing at your smartphone. In ancient times, humans would determine the time by using devices made of sand, stone, shadows, wheels, and more. One...
Detail of the palimpsest under multispectral analysis. Source: Museum of the Bible / CC BY-SA 4.0
19 October, 2022 - 18:52 ashley cowie

World’s Oldest Star Chart Discovered Hidden in Medieval Codex

In 2012, a student at Cambridge University identified what he suspected was an ancient Greek star map hidden behind text in a medieval codex. Compiled with astronomical data from the 2nd century AD,...
Thor’s Hammer amulet unearthed in Ysby, Sweden. Source: Patricia Torvalds/Radio Sweden
18 October, 2022 - 18:58 ashley cowie

“One Of A Kind” Thor’s Hammer Unearthed In Sweden

Archaeologists in Sweden have unearthed what they are calling a “one of its kind” Thor’s Hammer amulet. Loki's lies, Odin’s staff and Thor’s hammer (Mjölnir) are well known archetypes of Norse...
North gate of the city of Resafa, site of Hisham's palace and court. Source: Dario Bajurin / Adobe Stock
17 October, 2022 - 18:40 Robbie Mitchell

Hisham’s Palace: Insight into Early Islamic Architecture

Hisham’s Palace, or Khirbat Al Mafjar, is an important early Islamic archaeological site, and one of the few surviving antiquities of the Roman and Byzantine eras in the West Bank area. Located just...
The Roman Colosseum’s architecture remains awe-inspiring today, with more still to be learned. Source: daliu / Adobe Stock
16 October, 2022 - 22:50 Robbie Mitchell

The Mind-Blowing Architecture and Engineering of Rome’s Colosseum

The Roman Colosseum is one of the most famous and impressive ancient sites still in existence today. Every year, millions of tourists flock to see it, and it has been dubbed one of the ‘New Seven...
The emerald is known as the gemstone of lovers. Source: Balazs / Adobe Stock
16 October, 2022 - 18:52 Robbie Mitchell

The Bloody Legacy of Emeralds – The Gemstone of Lovers

People are a lot like magpies. We like shiny things. Since the beginning, we have ascribed value to pretty rocks with little practical value. To try and explain their obsession with these stones...
A Pompeii brothel mural.
15 October, 2022 - 22:58 Riley Winters

Spintriae, The Roman Sex Coins That Showed What Was on The Menu

There is a curiosity that belongs to ancient Roman history which historians are yet to solve; there exists a collection of Roman brass coins or tokens that depict sexual acts on one side and a...
Is thinking of the Vegvisir as a ‘Viking compass’ completely off course? Source: Tartila / Adobe Stock
14 October, 2022 - 01:57 Mark Brophy

Vegvisir: Was the ‘Viking Compass’ Originally a Christian Symbol?

Although the name Vegvisir may not be familiar to you, you may have seen its symbolic representation before. This emblem has gained iconic status largely due to its frequent use in the media...
Grave Naiskos of an Enthroned Woman With An Attendant dates from around 100BC. Source: Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program
13 October, 2022 - 22:52 Joanna Gillan

8 Truly Puzzling Artworks Showing Ancient People Using Modern Tech!

How do we make sense of old and ancient artworks depicting laptops with USB ports, smartphones, spaceships, astronaut suits, and wrist watches? Historians say it is easy and that every one of these...
Large boab tree with coiled snake carving, northern Tanami Desert. Source: Darrell Lewis / Antiquity Publications Ltd
13 October, 2022 - 14:52 Nathan Falde

Tracking Down Ancient Artwork Carved into Australian Boab Trees

Archaeologists and historians from Australian National University, the University of Western Australia and the University of Canberra recently teamed up with a group of First Nations Australian...
Part of the Novae Roman military camp. (Kleo73 / CC BY-SA 3.0) Insert: Ancient Roman fridge found at the site. Source: P. Dyczek / PAP
10 October, 2022 - 22:53 ashley cowie

Ancient Fridge Unearthed at Roman Military Camp in Bulgaria Kept Food Cool

Polish archaeologists excavating a Roman military camp in Bulgaria expected to discover some coins; and they weren’t really surprised by the hoards of day-to-day tools and the expansive ancient water...
The golden sarcophagus of Tutankhamun (David Biagi / Adobe Stock)
10 October, 2022 - 18:46 Joanna Gillan

20 Awesome Sarcophagi of the Ancient World

A s arcophagus is a receptacle, usually made of stone, that is made to hold a coffin or corpse. Unlike coffins, which are buried, sarcophagi are usually displayed above the ground and for this reason...
The UNESCO West-African Burkina Faso metallurgy site’s Tiwêga furnace, near Kaya. Source: Sébastien Moriset / © DSCPM/MCAT
7 October, 2022 - 22:45 Lex Leigh

Impressive Metalworking in Burkina Faso Goes Back 2,800 Years

One of the most fascinating World Heritage Sites is the Ancient Ferrous Metallurgy Sites of Burkina Faso. Metallurgy in Burkina Faso was a common practice throughout this area of Africa that dates...
A Scold’s Bridle used in Medieval Poland. Source: Fotokon / Adobe Stock
7 October, 2022 - 14:53 Joanna Gillan

Scold’s Bridles: 12 Torturous and Humiliating Shame Masks of the Middle Ages (In Pics)

There was no end to medieval creativity when it came to torture , punishment and humiliation! The ‘scold’s bridle’ or ‘mask of shame’ was a concept developed in medieval Europe to punish people,...
Hecate sculpture at Antalya Archaeological Museum in Turkey. Source: neurobite / Adobe Stock
6 October, 2022 - 01:57 dhwty

Hecate: Triple-Bodied Greek Goddess of Witchcraft and Keeper of Keys

Hecate the goddess of Greek mythology has been primarily remembered for her associations with magic and witchcraft. Throughout history however, her sphere of influence also included the moon, night,...
View of the Turtle Ship at Hallyeo National Marine Park in Tongyeong, South Korea. Source: CC BY-SA 3.0
5 October, 2022 - 22:55 Robbie Mitchell

The Turtle Ship: A Contender for the World’s First Armored Battleship

As a species, humanity has always been shockingly gifted at finding new ways to kill one another. As wars have raged over the millennia, armaments have had to evolve. This has led to some genuinely...
Gold Coin Hoard in Israel Tells the Violent Story of Muslim Conquest
4 October, 2022 - 14:50 ashley cowie

Gold Coin Hoard in Israel Tells the Violent Story of Muslim Conquest

Stashed in a wall in Israel around the time of the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem 1,400 years ago, this gold coin hoard was minted during one of the bloodiest and paradigm changing periods of history...
1889 painting of Circe by Wright Barker. Source: Public domain
4 October, 2022 - 01:53 Natalia Klimczak

The Spellbinding Story of Circe, Goddess of Magic in Greek Mythology

Circe is a complex character within Greek mythology. Feared and desired in equal measure, Circe was a goddess of magic, and even today she continues to be one of the most enchanting and deadly...
Zoroastrian Fire temple at Baku, Azerbaijan adapted practiced according to the Avesta and other Zoroastrian scriptures. Source: Konstantin / Adobe Stock
3 October, 2022 - 22:56 Robbie Mitchell

The Avesta and Zoroastrianism: The Creation, Disappearance and Resurgence of an Ancient Text

Of all the religious texts, the Avesta is perhaps the least familiar. This is unsurprising, since the Avesta was written in a now-dead language, before being lost for almost one thousand years...
2 October, 2022 - 19:01 ashley cowie

Baby Slings Were a Thing 10,000 Years Ago, New Discovery Reveals

A team of archaeologists have studied the remains of a 10,000-year-old baby with high technology. Their new paper not only found signs of ritual burial, but it reveals that baby carriers, or baby...
Skull funerary mask, Bhutan (Wellcome Collection / CC by SA 4.0)
1 October, 2022 - 18:59 Joanna Gillan

16 Bizarre, Impressive and Hilarious Funerary Masks of the Ancient World

Throughout history, many cultures and civilizations created funerary masks as part of their burial customs. The masks were used to represent a deceased individual, to honor them, and to cover their...
Ancient Roman refrigerator found at Novae Roman settlement, Bulgaria. Source: P. Dyczek / PAP
30 September, 2022 - 22:53 Nathan Falde

Archaeologists Unearth First Century Roman Refrigerator in Bulgaria

Over the last few decades, archaeologists from Bulgaria and Poland have been performing excavations at the site where the Roman legionary fortress of Novae once stood. The ruins of the fortress can...
The edge of one of 500 obsidian mine shafts found in Central Mexico recently, which is shedding new light on pre-Hispanic Teotihuacan commerce and trade.
29 September, 2022 - 18:57 Sahir

Over 500 Pre-Hispanic Obsidian Mine Shafts Uncovered in Central Mexico

Obsidian mines mined by the pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican tribes of Central Mexico, located just 31 miles (49.88 kilometers) northeast of the ancient city of Teotihuacan, were discovered by...

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