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The perfectly preserved bronze mirror found in a shallow grave alongside the Hellenistic escort. Source: Yoli Schwartz / Israel Antiquities Authority

High-Class Hellenistic Escort Remains Found At Roadside

The body of a Greek Hellenistic woman has been discovered in a shallow grave beside the highway to Jerusalem. Laid to rest with a rare box mirror, this was no ordinary female, as she was a highly-...
Aranmula Kannadi Mirror. Source: SREEDAS / Adobe Stock.

Aranmula Kannadi: This Mirror Reflects Your Truest Self (Video)

It is said a transformative experience awaits when you peer into the depths of an Aranmula Kannadi – a profound reflection of your true self. Crafted in the heart of Aranmula, a quaint town in India...
An X-ray showing the relative size of the giant sword found in the Japanese tomb. Archaeological Institute of Kashihara in Nara Prefecture.

Giant 7-Foot Sword and Mirror for Demon Slaying found in Japan Tomb

Researchers in Japan were excavating an ancient kofun burial mound when they found an enormous shield-shaped bronze mirror and a giant 7-foot iron sword, the largest that have ever been discovered on...
Demonstration of Buddhist Bronze Mirror reflecting its image at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Source: Rob Deslongchamps/Cincinnati Art Museum

Magic Mirror With Hidden Image Discovered At Cincinnati Museum

Hiding in plain sight – in the storage of Cincinnati Art Museum’s East Asian art collection, a seemingly unremarkable bronze mirror from the 15th and 16th century China. Part of a vast collection of...
John Dee, his obsidian mirror and Aztec design of obsidian mirrors.	Source: Antiquity Publications Ltd

New Study Verifies Aztec Manufacture of John Dee’s Obsidian Spirit Mirror

Archaeologists from the University of Manchester have just completed a new analysis of several alleged Aztec artifacts currently on display at the British Museum in London. Of special interest was a...
Bronze Mirrors Unearthed in China Still Reflect After 2,000 Years

Bronze Mirrors Unearthed in China Still Reflect After 2,000 Years

More than 80 exquisite bronze mirrors in excellent condition have been discovered in a large Han Dynasty tomb in China, after being hidden underground for over two millennia. Not only do some of them...
Delving into the Depths of Japan’s Mysterious Tonkararin Tunnels

Delving into the Depths of Japan’s Mysterious Tonkararin Tunnels

Within the sloping mountains of Japan lies a mysterious ruined tunnel structure known as the Tonkararin Tunnels. This ancient ruin likely dates to the 5th or 6th century of Imperial Japan, although...
Peering Through Time: Early Mirrors in Mesoamerica - Elite Item and Divination Tool

Peering Through Time: Early Mesoamerican Mirrors for Grooming and Divination

Mirrors are known to have been used by human beings for thousands of years. The earliest examples of manufactured mirrors come from Anatolia (known today as Turkey). These were made from pieces of...
This Chinese-made mirror from the Yayoi Pottery Culture period (300 BC- 300 AD) was unearthed whole from an archaeological site in Fukuoka, Japan.

Rare 1,900-Year-Old Chinese Mirror Has Mysterious Inscription, Which is Coming True

An extremely well-preserved 1,900-year-old bronze mirror has been unearthed in Fukuoka, Japan. The artifact stands out for its fantastic condition and an intriguing description engraved on its...
Detail of ‘Himiko, Queen of Yamataikoku.’ It is said this mysterious shaman queen of Japan had magic mirrors.

Researchers in Japan Discover the Secrets Behind Magic Mirrors and a Mysterious Shaman Queen

Magic mirrors are not just objects found in fairy tales. An experiment conducted on a replica bronze mirror in Kyoto’s National Museum shows that the original may be an example of an actual magic...
The remains of the ancient warrior.  Picture: Channel12

Ancient Warrior Unearthed Marching to Afterlife with his Dagger Drawn, Wearing Stylish Earrings

By Anna Liesowska A fighter from almost 3,000 year ago was ready to impale his enemies, expecting battles after death, with a 'mirror' on his eye. The extraordinary find of this Bronze Age warrior -...
Roland Risse (German, 1835) - "Snow White"

Who Was Snow White? When Old Stories and Real Women Combine

One of the most famous fables of all, variations of Snow White appear in more than 400 versions of fairy tales around the world. The most well-known version is actually called “ Snowdrop ” and comes...
A group of iron-age treasures buried around AD 50 along with their owner, housed in the City Museum and Art Gallery, Gloucester

Is Celtic Birdlip Grave the Final Resting Place of Queen Boudicca?

Over a century ago, a group of workmen stumbled upon three ancient Celtic graves near Birdlip in Gloucestershire, England. The central grave contained the remains of a woman, along with a hoard of...
Magic Mirror - Japan

The magic mirror of shaman Queen used in ancient Japanese rituals

An experiment conduced earlier this year on a replica of an ancient bronze mirror held at Kyoto’s National Museum revealed that the original may have been used as a so-called magic mirror to conjure...