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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.

Le Tuc d’Audoubert Bison Sculptures and the Ancient Need for Art
14 September, 2024 - 21:10 Aleksa Vučković

Le Tuc d’Audoubert Bison Sculptures and the Ancient Need for Art

Our very distant ancestors are often portrayed as nothing more than hunters - toughened survivors in a primitive and crude world. But the truth is far from this - they were skilled hunters, sure, but...
Untouched Viking Silver Treasure Unearthed in Norway
14 September, 2024 - 14:38 Gary Manners

Untouched Viking Silver Treasure Unearthed in Norway

Archaeologists from the University of Stavanger have uncovered an incredible Viking treasure on a mountainside in Årdal, Hjelmeland municipality. Buried for over 1,000 years, the hoard consists of...
20 Clovis tools and hundreds of pieces of manufacturing and refurbishment debris at the Belson Clovis Site in St. Joseph County.
13 September, 2024 - 15:49 Nathan Falde

Clovis People Created Seasonal Hunting Camp in Michigan 13,000 Years Ago

Recent archaeological excavations produced evidence showing that the first humans to live in the Great Lakes region of North America built a summer hunting camp in southwestern Michigan,...
History Fuzz Logo
13 September, 2024 - 12:30 ashley cowie

Podcast: History Fuzz: Episode 02: Professor Stephen Lekson. Chaco Pt 1. America's most controversial meridian

In this latest episode of our podcast, we delve into the intriguing concept of the Chaco Meridian, a north-to-south alignment that traverses the southwestern United States and is marked by the...
Most of the artifacts found in the treasure hoard stolen by the metal detectorists are now missing, but police have recovered a ring, crystal pendant and ingot found in the haul.
12 September, 2024 - 19:49 Gary Manners

Five More Prison Years For Metal Detectorist Jailed for Stealing $3.6million Hoard

Layton Davies, a metal detectorist already serving time for stealing a valuable Viking treasure hoard, has had his sentence extended by five years after failing to repay £600,000 made from selling...
Left; Drawing by B. Meissner in Babylonien und Assyrien, 1925. Right; Babylonian Map of the World with false color.
11 September, 2024 - 23:25 Robbie Mitchell

The Lost Worlds of Babylon’s Ancient Map (Video)

The Babylonian Map of the World , often referred to as the Imago Mundi , is a fascinating artifact from ancient Mesopotamia, dating back to the 6th century BC. This clay tablet, now housed in the...
A Baidara, a traditional leather skin boat of the Chukchi and Eskimos
11 September, 2024 - 17:49 Gary Manners

Scandinavians Were Building Advanced Boats Way Before the Viking Era

The Neolithic Pitted Ware Culture (PWC), which thrived in Scandinavia around 3500–2300 BC, has long fascinated archaeologists due to its reliance on marine resources, particularly seals, while...
Detail of Minoan painting, from Akrotiri, the Ship Procession.
10 September, 2024 - 22:30 Nik Aed

3,500-Year-Old Advanced Minoan Technology Was ‘Lost Art’ Not Seen Again Until 1950s

The Minoans employed advanced construction methods using natural materials to create seaworthy composite ship hulls which would not be out-of-place in a modern-day marina. The construction method...
Two of the intact millefiori panels recovered at Andriake Port
10 September, 2024 - 20:19 Gary Manners

Hundreds of Stunning Millefiori Glass Panels Unearthed at Andriake Port

Excavations at the ancient port of Andriake, in the Demre district of Antalya, Turkey, have revealed an extraordinary discovery of millefiori glass panels, a luxurious and intricate form of...
Egyptian Fort Including Barracks & Weapons to Ward off Invading Sea Peoples Discovered
10 September, 2024 - 17:42 Gary Manners

Egyptian Fort Including Barracks & Weapons to Ward off Invading Sea Peoples Discovered

A thrilling new discovery in Egypt has unveiled the remnants of a once-vital military fortress used to defend the shores from attackers such as the ‘sea people’ and dating back to the New Kingdom era...
Pythagorean cup isolated on white background.
10 September, 2024 - 12:30 Alicia McDermott

Pythagorean Cup: Turning Greedy Partygoers into Wet Blankets

The Pythagorean Cup ( also known as the Pythagoras Cup) is one of Pythagoras’s lesser-known inventions. Depending on who you speak to, this rather plain looking cup was either meant to teach people a...
Piece of 1,300-Year-Old Wood Came from Japanese Multiplication Tablet
9 September, 2024 - 21:34 Nathan Falde

Piece of 1,300-Year-Old Wood Came from Japanese Multiplication Table

A strip of wood unearthed during 2001 excavations at the site of the ancient Japanese capital city of Fujiwara-kyo is a far more sophisticated artifact than it appears at first glance. After more...
Nine Ancient Patolli Games Found During Maya Train Construction
9 September, 2024 - 17:50 Gary Manners

Nine Ancient Patolli Games Found During Maya Train Construction

Nine patollis —Mesoamerican game boards—were recently uncovered during excavation work for the Maya Train project in southeastern Mexico. The findings, believed to be more than 1,000 years old, were...
2,700-Year-Old Bronze Shields and Helmet Dedicated to Chief God Haldi
9 September, 2024 - 14:49 Sahir

2,700-Year-Old Bronze Shields and Helmet Dedicated to Chief God Haldi

Three bronze shields and a ceremonial bronze helmet, dedicated to Haldi, the chief god of the Urartians, were recently discovered during excavations at the historical Ayanis Castle in Van province,...
The Neanderthal bone spear point discovered at the Abric Romaní rock shelter in Spain.
7 September, 2024 - 14:20 Nathan Falde

Unique 50,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Bone Spear Point Recovered in Spain

Excavations at Neanderthal sites in Europe have produced many eye-opening finds that have forced scientists to re-examine previously held beliefs about the capabilities of this long-extinct human...
The remains of a kurgan burial mound found in Kazakhstan with two stone ridges known as "mustaches."
6 September, 2024 - 14:51 Gary Manners

‘Mustached’ Burial Mounds Discovered in Kazakhstan

Archaeologists have uncovered ten ancient burial mounds, known as kurgans, in Kazakhstan's Ulytau region, with some displaying distinctive "mustaches." These kurgans, which likely date back to the...
Pont Du Gard, Nimes, France.
5 September, 2024 - 20:31 Aleksa Vučković

The Wonders of Ancient Engineering: 15 Most Amazing Ancient Aqueducts

Throughout history, aqueducts have stood as monumental testaments to human ingenuity, engineering prowess, and the enduring quest for survival and prosperity. These marvels of ancient and modern...
Henry VIII Portrait, 1539-40, Hans Holbein the Younger
5 September, 2024 - 20:05 ancient origins

How Henry VIII Accidentally Changed the Way We Write History

By Raphaëlle Goyeau /The Conversation In 1534, King Henry VIII infamously broke away from the Catholic Church, becoming the head of the Church of England. Following this, two lesser-known acts were...
Equipment including bent sword, shears, and umbo from the center of a shield found at the Vandal cemetery.
5 September, 2024 - 17:15 Gary Manners

Graves of Vandal Warriors Discovered in Poland

The graves of two warriors from the Germanic Vandal tribe have been unearthed in a cemetery in Poland. These warriors, buried with their weapons and artifacts, offer a rare glimpse into the funerary...
The Pictish ring photographed by National Museums Scotland
4 September, 2024 - 17:51 Gary Manners

'Remarkable' Pictish Ring Uncovered at Burghead Fort After Over 1,000 Years

A ‘remarkable’ Pictish ring, untouched for over a millennium, has been discovered at the ancient Burghead Fort in Moray, Scotland, during a dig led by the University of Aberdeen. Found by volunteer...
Donkey Motif At Karahan Tepe Adds New Layer to Life at the Site
2 September, 2024 - 15:32 Gary Manners

Donkey Motif At Karahan Tepe Adds New Layer to Life at the Site

A recent excavation at Karahan Tepe, a significant Pre-Pottery Neolithic site in southeast Türkiye, has unveiled a fascinating artifact: the figure of a running wild donkey carved on a stone. This...
Unveiling the Distant Origins of the Galloway Hoard’s Lidded Vessel
2 September, 2024 - 14:49 Gary Manners

Distant Origins of the Galloway Hoard’s Lidded Vessel Unveiled

In 2014, a stunning discovery in Scotland's Galloway region unveiled a Viking-age treasure trove that has since captivated archaeologists and historians alike. Known as the Galloway Hoard, this...
Close up of ancient carved stone.
2 September, 2024 - 12:30 Aleksa Vučković

The Origins and Development of Alphabets in Ancient Cultures

In the course of early human development, there appeared the distinct need to write. To protect thoughts and ideas and tasks from the passing of time, to remember and keep for posterity. Oral...
Newly Discovered Euripides Fragments: A Happy Day for Greek Tragedy
31 August, 2024 - 17:54 Gary Manners

Newly Discovered Euripides Fragments: A Happy Day for Greek Tragedy

In a significant development for the study of ancient Greek literature, two scholars from the University of Colorado Boulder have identified previously unknown fragments of works by the famed...

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