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Other Artifacts

Other Artifacts covers many items which have been recovered from the past and give us insights into ancient human worlds. From loaded Roman dice to the Shroud of Turin, these items help tell the stories of the varied culture and everyday lives of our ancestors. 

Urfa man
9 September, 2021 - 01:35 Alistair

Voices of the Dead: The Strange Origins of Eye Idols

Urfa man, known formally as the Balikligöl statue, is the oldest human-size statue of a man discovered in the world to date. He is currently housed in Şanliurfa’s Archeology Museum, Southeast Turkey...
The Vale of York Hoard, Yorkshire, 9th century AD. A truly British treasure. Source: Portable Antiquities Scheme / CC BY 2.0
8 September, 2021 - 14:59 ashley cowie

Governmental Data Confirms Britain Is A Real Treasure Island

British treasure-data released by the UK government has now been visualized in a series of modern-day treasure maps. You can now see at a glance where exactly in the UK you stand the best chance of...
Replica Roman slave collars, after Zoninus. Source: nikhg / Adobe Stock.
4 September, 2021 - 18:33 B. B. Wagner

“Hold Me Or I Will Run!” Roman Slave Collars Came With A Warning

Slavery was a large part of the Roman Empire. Military expansion brought captives, to compliment the material wealth taken back to Rome. And there is strong evidence that these slaves were not always...
The Prophet Nathan’, depicted in the stained-glass of Canterbury Cathedral. Source: Canterbury Cathedral / UCL
3 August, 2021 - 01:51 ashley cowie

Blood Stained Glass Panels At Canterbury Cathedral Saw Becket Die

The oldest known stained-glass windows in the world are traditionally associated with the late 11th century Augsburg Cathedral in Bavaria, Germany. Now, researchers from University College London (...
Latter Day Forgeries: The Hoax of the Kinderhook Plates
1 August, 2021 - 14:56 Kurt Readman

Latter Day Forgeries: The Hoax of the Kinderhook Plates

In the 19th century, golden plates were discovered in Kinderhook in the United States. They were meant to reveal an ancient pharaoh’s lineage, but all was not as it seemed. The first week in May 1843...
800-Year-Old Kakatiya Dynasty Statues Found Abandoned Near Indian Temple
24 July, 2021 - 01:59 Nathan Falde

800-Year-Old Kakatiya Dynasty Statues Found Abandoned Near Indian Temple

In the village of Duddeda in the southern Indian province of Telangana, amateur historians stumbled upon an astounding collection of ancient statues dating from the Kakatiya Dynasty, the Deccan...
King Akhenaten Offers Clues to Finding the Lost Ark of the Covenant
9 June, 2021 - 18:59 Jonathon Perrin

King Akhenaten Offers Clues to Finding the Lost Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant is perhaps history’s most famous archeological relic. I have been fascinated with it ever since watching Raiders of the Lost Ark , the movie that kick-started so many...
Security: The Long History of the Lock and Key
24 May, 2021 - 19:01 Bipin Dimri

Security: The Long History of the Lock and Key

The modern-era definition states that a lock is a mechanical device or innovation that is used for fastening any physical entity. This lock is triggered and released with the use of an object called...
The Triumphs of Tonyukuk the Wise, Supreme Commander and Kingmaker
23 May, 2021 - 18:58 Bipin Dimri

The Triumphs of Tonyukuk the Wise, Supreme Commander and Kingmaker

Today the steles of Tonyukuk the Wise are situated at an immensely popular and historical 1300-year-old memorial site. It is located northwest of Bayantsogt Mountain in Erdene Soum, Mongolia...
A view of the marble head of Augustus Caesar discovered last week in Isernia, a town in south-central Italy.
12 May, 2021 - 14:32 Nathan Falde

Marble Head of Augustus Caesar Discovered Outside the Realm of Rome

A construction crew performing restoration work on historic walls in the Central Italian city of Isernia discovered something ancient and remarkable. It was a buried, sculpted marble head that had...
A display of the Benin Bronzes in the British Museum.
1 May, 2021 - 01:27 dhwty

The Benin Bronzes: A Tragic Story of Slavery and Imperialism Cast in Brass

The Benin Bronzes is the name given to a group of artifacts produced by the Benin Empire, which occupied the area which is today Nigeria. The Benin Bronzes consist of several thousand commemorative...
The Protector of Kea Island: The Lion of Kea
17 April, 2021 - 18:38 Sarah Piraino

The Protector of Kea Island: The Lion of Kea

The Greek island of Kea has been a popular location since ancient times, given that it is the closest Cycladic Island to Athens . One of the most famous monuments of the island is the Lion of Kea, an...
The Quest to Understand Haliphat’s Speaking Handshapes
14 April, 2021 - 23:00 Patricia Raswant

The Quest to Understand Haliphat’s Speaking Handshapes

Over three decades ago, walking up a wide and elegant marbled staircase passageway in a museum, a funerary relief bust of Haliphat in a secluded alcove first caught my eye. From that moment I was...
Sanxingdui bronze heads wearing gold foil masks
24 March, 2021 - 00:38 Joanna Gillan

Gold Mask of Mysterious Sanxingdui Culture Inspires Memes

Amid the once-tranquil village of Sanxingdui, in a quiet part of Sichuan province in China, a remarkable discovery took place which immediately attracted international attention and has since...
Ready for the Afterlife: The Mummification Process in Ancient Egypt
8 March, 2021 - 18:04 Aleksa Vučković

Ready for the Afterlife: The Mummification Process in Ancient Egypt

When it comes to ancient Egypt and its long lasting and influential civilization, plenty of its unique characteristics can seem peculiar and otherworldly. Sure, it is no secret that ancient Egypt was...
The Curse of the Mijikenda Vigango Statues
28 February, 2021 - 22:08 B. B. Wagner

The Curse of the Mijikenda Vigango Statues

During the 1980s, Coastal Kenya experienced the largest heist of ancestral artifacts in history. Over 300 wooden Vigango statues were taken from the sacred grounds of several Mijikenda tribes. These...
Helle’s Toilet: Three-Person Loo Seat was Unusual Medieval Status Symbol
6 February, 2021 - 21:22 dhwty

Helle’s Toilet: Three-Person Loo Seat was Unusual Medieval Status Symbol

Helle’s Toilet is the name given to a Medieval toilet seat that was discovered during an archaeological excavation in London. It is most notable for being a rare example of a triple toilet seat...
Sex and love were major themes in classic erotic art, as they remain today. (Public Domain/Deriv)
5 February, 2021 - 23:40 ancient-origins

The Erotic Art of Ancient Greece and Rome

Craig Barker / The Conversation Rarely does L.P. Hartley’s dictum that “the past is a foreign country” hold more firmly than in the area of sexuality in classical art. Classic erotic art, erotic...
The Shroud of Turin: modern, digitally processed image of the face on the cloth [left] and the full body image as seen on the shroud [right].
19 January, 2021 - 20:22 lizleafloor

The Shroud of Turin: Jesus' Bloodstained Burial Cloth or a Fascinating Forgery?

The Shroud of Turin is believed by many to be the bloodstained burial cloth Jesus of Nazareth was wrapped in after his crucifixion. But skeptics say it is a forgery, or at best only a religious...
Illustration of a Viking shield wall (unknown artist)
19 January, 2021 - 20:21 ancient-origins

Dissolving Myths: Vikings Did NOT Hide Behind Shield Walls

By ThorNews According to Rolf Warming, an archaeologist and researcher at the University of Copenhagen, the Vikings did not use shield walls in combat. A typical Viking shield was relatively small...
Roman dodecahedra
12 January, 2021 - 22:58 Federico Cataldo

The Enigma of the Roman Dodecahedra

The Roman dodecahedron is a small, hollow object made of bronze or (more rarely) stone, with a geometrical shape that has 12 flat faces. Each face is a pentagon, a five-sided shape. The Roman...
A gold Claddagh wedding ring.
7 January, 2021 - 00:19 Kerry Sullivan

Legendary Claddagh Rings: What are the True Origins of these Symbolic Irish Wedding Rings?

The Claddagh ring design of two hands holding a crowned heart is a recognizable symbol of Ireland and enduring love. It is hugely popular as a fashion accessory and a symbolic gesture. While everyone...
Byssus, Secrets of a Shining Sea Silk Loved by Ancient Cultures
5 January, 2021 - 21:37 Maura Andreoni

Byssus, Secrets of a Shining Sea Silk Loved by Ancient Cultures

Byssus is an extremely fine, rare, and valuable fabric of animal origin. It is a sort of natural silk with golden and sparkling reflections that is obtained from the filaments secreted by a large...
Salt man - Iran Baastan museum.
3 January, 2021 - 13:54 dhwty

Preserved by Nature: Studying the Spectacular Salt Mummies of Iran

The saltmen are a group of natural mummies that were discovered in the Chehrabad Salt Mine in Iran. This mine is in the Zanjan Province and located about 340 km (211.27 miles) northwest of Tehran...

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