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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.

Plates vi and vii of the Edwin Smith Papyrus
15 April, 2019 - 19:01 dhwty

Edwin Smith Papyrus: 3,600-Year-Old Surgical Treatise Reveals Secrets of Ancient Egyptian Medical Knowledge

The Edwin Smith Papyrus is a medical treatise from ancient Egypt. This papyrus is named after Edwin Smith, the American collector of antiquities who purchased the papyrus. The Edwin Smith Papyrus is...
Cherokee inscriptions found in Manitou Cave, Alabama.
12 April, 2019 - 13:56 ancient-origins

Cherokee Inscriptions in Alabama Cave Speak of Sacred Sport, Nose Bleeds, and the Old Ones

For the first time, a team of scholars and archaeologists has recorded and interpreted Cherokee inscriptions in Manitou Cave , Alabama. These inscriptions reveal evidence of secluded ceremonial...
Four of the Tucson Artifacts Source: The Tucson Artifacts / Photographs by Robert C. Hyde. © Donald N. Yates, 2013. All rights reserved. Used by special permission.
9 April, 2019 - 18:52 Gary Moran

Genuine Ooparts Crucial to History or a Colossal Hoax? A Thorough Examination of The Tucson Artifacts [Exclusive Images]

The Tucson Artifacts created quite a sensation when they were discovered in the 1920s. Over 30 crosses and other relics were recovered, and they tell the story of a group of Roman colonists who were...
Ancient Peruvian mask made of gold (Carlos Santa Maria / Adobe Stock)
6 April, 2019 - 22:55 ancient origins

From Medicine to Nanotechnology: How Gold Has Quietly Shaped our World

The periodic table of chemical elements turns 150 this year. The anniversary is a chance to shine a light on particular elements – some of which seem ubiquitous but which ordinary people beyond the...
Codex Gigas Devils Bible
5 April, 2019 - 22:53 Alicia McDermott

What You Should Know About the Codex Gigas, aka the Devil’s Bible

Codex Gigas, also known as ‘the Devil’s Bible,’ is the largest and probably one of the strangest medieval manuscripts in the world. Dark legends surround the tome and its origins and the full page...
Meet the 800-Year-Old Golden Rhinoceros that Challenged Apartheid South Africa
4 April, 2019 - 17:09 ancient-origins

Meet the 800-Year-Old Golden Rhinoceros that Challenged Apartheid South Africa

It may be small enough to sit in the palm of your hand, but even now – nearly 800 years after it was lost to sight in what is now South Africa – the Golden Rhinoceros of Mapungubwe has powerful...
A box bed from the 18th century
1 April, 2019 - 00:30 Sarah P Young

The Medieval Box Bed Returns: Closing Yourself in for a Good Night’s Sleep

The box bed, sometimes known by its French name of lit clos, is a bed built into a piece of furniture. It looks curious to us today and it’s somewhat of a novelty to climb into bed and shut the doors...
The Janus figures of Boa Island
31 March, 2019 - 18:51 Caleb Strom

Mysterious Janus Figures of Ireland Reflect Pagan - Christian Fusion

Tucked away on two tiny islands in Northern Ireland – Boa Island and White Island – are a series of ancient anthropomorphic figures that are regarded as the most enigmatic and remarkable stone...
Copy of the 8th century Tara Brooch.
27 March, 2019 - 16:51 dhwty

Unravelling the True Story of the Beautiful Tara Brooch: A Masterpiece of Celtic Metalwork

The Tara Brooch is an ancient Celtic metalwork masterpiece. Stories say it came from the Hill of Tara - traditionally regarded as the seat of the Irish High Kings. Although that is a fabrication...
I Ching disk.
23 March, 2019 - 12:55 dhwty

The I Ching: Ancient ‘Book of Changes’ That Provides A Personal Path of Balance and Harmony AND Predicts Your Future!

The I Ching (commonly translated as ‘Book of Changes’ or ‘Classic of Changes’) is an ancient philosophical Chinese text and one of the most important books in world literature. It is the oldest of...
Detail of ‘Christ in the House of Martha and Mary’ (1886) by Henryk Siemiradzki. Questions abound on the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife and the relationship between Mary and Jesus.
21 March, 2019 - 13:04 Jack Wilkin

Forgery or a Lost Account? Examining the Authenticity of the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife

...not [to] me. My mother gave me life... The disciples said to Jesus,... deny. Mary is (not?) worthy of it. ... Jesus said to them, "My wife... she is able to be my disciple... Let wicked people...
The Norimitsu Odachi.
18 March, 2019 - 23:58 dhwty

Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword?

The Norimitsu Odachi is a huge sword from Japan. It is so large, in fact, that it was said to have been wielded by a giant. Apart from the basic knowledge of it having been forged in the 15th century...
Two small figures guard the table holding the Buddha’s relics. Are they spearmen, or robots?
18 March, 2019 - 12:59 ancient-origins

Robots Guarded Buddha’s Relics in a Legend of Ancient India

As early as Homer, more than 2,500 years ago, Greek mythology explored the idea of automatons and self-moving devices. By the third century BC, engineers in Hellenistic Alexandria, in Egypt, were...
‘I dreamed I went shopping in my maidenform bra.’ The history of bras goes back much further in time.
11 March, 2019 - 17:42 Sarah P Young

The Ancient History of Modern Bras: Fashionable and Functional Female Underwear for Over 600 Years!

Until recently it was thought the bra as we know it evolved in the 1900s as a garment known as a bust improver. But a surprising discovery was made that pushed back the existence of the bra 600 years...
Mudlarking on the exposed foreshore at low spring tide.
6 March, 2019 - 14:00 dhwty

Mudlarking the Thames: How a Riverbed Became the World’s Biggest Archaeological Site

A mudlark is the name given to a person who scavenges in the foreshore of a river for objects that could be sold. This term applies specifically to those operating along the Thames River in London...
Clay homunculus model placed on a lawn
5 March, 2019 - 01:36 dhwty

Homunculus: The Alchemical Creation of Little People with Great Powers

Although science has made much progress in the last century, there are still numerous ethical issues that need to be addressed by the scientific community. One such issue is that of the creation of...
This deviant burial is a Medieval murder mystery.
21 February, 2019 - 22:57 Ed Whelan

Stabbed in the Back and Buried Face-Down: A Deviant Medieval Burial Found in Sicily

Researchers have announced a grisly find in Sicily, Italy. They have discovered a bizarre 1000-year-old Medieval grave. It contained the skeleton of a man who met a violent death and was buried face-...
"Ladies in Blue" fresco at Knossos Palace, Minoan archaeological site in Crete, Greece.
21 February, 2019 - 01:59 dhwty

Controversy Over the Ladies in Blue: Is Most Famous Fresco of the Minoans Just a Modern Interpretation?

The Ladies in Blue is the name given to a fresco from the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete. This fresco (or rather, fragments of it) was discovered during the excavation of the site by the...
UNESCO World Heritage Obelisk of Axum.
20 February, 2019 - 18:52 J.P. Robinson

The Axum Stelae: Multi-Story Buildings of Antiquity?

For those of you already familiar with the remarkable monoliths which stand in Axum, Ethiopia, you will no doubt be aware of their uncanny resemblance to modern tower block apartment buildings. Along...
Standard of Ur mosaic, 26th century BC.
19 February, 2019 - 01:55 ancient-origins

Both a Princess and a Priestess, What Did the First Known Author Have to Share with the World?

Louise Pryke / The Conversation The world’s first known author is widely considered to be Enheduanna, a woman who lived in the 23rd century BC in ancient Mesopotamia (approximately 2285 – 2250 BC)...
In the Heliand, Jesus wasn’t a dark-skinned Palestinian but a Germanic chieftain. Hans Zatzka
17 February, 2019 - 18:56 Caleb Strom

The Heliand: A Germanic Account of Jesus Written to Suit the Saxon World

One thing that can be said about the history of Christianity is that it has always been multicultural and multi-ethnic. Christianity is not tied to any one ethnic group or cultural tradition but has...
The three Figurines – Cycladic Art
7 February, 2019 - 01:52 dhwty

Pre-dating the Minoans: The Cycladic Civilization and Their Unusual ‘Modern’ Art

The Cycladic culture (known also as the Cycladic civilization) is an early Bronze Age culture located in the Cyclades. This culture thrived from around 3200 to 1100 BC, and predated two other major...
The bed could be a possible English National Treasure.
4 February, 2019 - 23:01 Ed Whelan

Bed Bought Online for £2200 May be 15th Century Bridal Bed of King Henry VII

A bed bought online by an antiques dealer in Britain for just £2200 (US$ 2500) may actually be the only surviving example of royal furniture from the Tudor Era. It is believed that the ornately...
Agrasen ki baoli.
4 February, 2019 - 13:51 Ed Whelan

Agrasen Ki Baoli: A Subterranean Architectural Wonder

When we think of architectural wonders, we do not typically think of the water supply. However, in the heart of modern New Delhi, near one of its most popular tourist sites, is a remarkable...

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