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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.

Neolithic jade Chinese cong relic from Shanxi Provincial Museum. Source: Public domain

Jade Mysteries of Ancient China: The Enigmatic Chinese Cong Relics

For decades, archeologists and historians exploring the enigmatic world of the ancient Chinese civilizations were simply stumped when discovering mysterious Chinese cong relics. These oddly shaped...
Bronze Age gouge, Must Farm. Source: AncientCraftUK / YouTube Screenshot.

The Gouge: A Versatile Ancient Tool of the Bronze Age (Video)

Must Farm (a Bronze Age settlement at Must Farm quarry near Peterborough, England) has given British archaeologists a treasure trove of ancient artifacts to explore. This time the spotlight falls on...
Divers studying various underwater discoveries.  Source: nudiblue /Adobe Stock / ShashiBellamkon/flickr / University of Athens

Ten Incredible Underwater Discoveries That Have Captured Our Imagination

Out of all the amazing archaeological discoveries made each and every day around the world, my favorites have got to be those that emerge from the depths of the ocean. I think there is something...
Two of the gems discovered along with thousands of Roman coins in the ancient Roman city of Claterna in Italy. Source: Soprintendenza Bologna

Massive Cache of Roman Coins and Gems Found in Ancient “Magical City”

Excavations at a spectacular ancient Roman site in northern Italy have produced some significant finds during the most recent archaeological season. The latest of these remarkable discoveries in the...

How The Rosetta Stone Revolutionized Egyptology (Video)

In 1799, amidst the ruins of Napoleon's failed Egyptian campaign, a French soldier unearthed a peculiar black basalt slab near Rosetta. Little did he know that this discovery would change the course...
Prehistoric slingstones used for warfare 7200 years ago in Israel. Source: Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority

Evidence of Earliest Warfare and Organized Arming Uncovered in Modern Israel

Researchers have unearthed the earliest evidence of warfare and organized arming in the Southern Levant, dating back approximately 7,200 years. This finding, centered in what is now modern Israel,...
The Book of Deer contains notes in the margin which are the first written examples of Scottish Gaelic and hinted at the location of the monastery where they were written. Source: The Book of Deer Project

Lost Monastery Tied to Oldest Scottish Text “Book of Deer” Unearthed

A monastery, where the earliest surviving Scots Gaelic text was once noted within the margins of a significant Scottish manuscript called the Book of Deer , disappeared from the pages of history...
The Copper Axe Craft of Ancient Scotland. Source: YouTube Screenshot / AncientCraftUK.

The Copper Axe Craft of Ancient Scotland (Video)

In the captivating landscapes of Kilmartin Glen , ancient rock art reveals a fascinating chapter of human expression. Dr. James Dilley, an expert in prehistoric archaeology, unveils the mysterious...
Must Farm razor. Source: YouTube Screenshot / AncientCraftUK.

Bronze Age Razor Discovery Raises Exciting Questions (Video)

In the exploration of Must Farm's (a Bronze Age settlement at Must Farm quarry near Peterborough, England) archaeological treasures , the revelation of a Bronze Age razor unveils a surprising facet...
Circles are also very common and in many cases were made to ward off evil. Source: Lincolnshire Medieval Graffiti Project

Mysteries of Medieval Graffiti in England Investigated

The Lincoln Medieval Graffiti Project was founded in England back in 2013 to record the plethora of medieval graffiti found in churches throughout the county. According to the BBC , the strange...
Queen Adelaide wax bust from 1830. Ancient wax sculpture. Funeral effigy. Source: Timothy Millett/CC BY-SA 4.0, © Trustees of the British Museum /CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, Public Domain

Eerie Ancient Wax Sculptures For Hexing Enemies and Destroying Demons

The eerie, sightless stare of wax-figure mannequins disconcerts many an onlooker, but the famous wax museums of today which host hyper-realistic looking wax models of celebrities and historical wax...
Ancient Egyptian woman. Source: Denis / Adobe Stock.

What Hieroglyphics Say About the Women of Ancient Egypt (Video)

In the midst of Karnak's grandeur and prosperity, there's a revelation that challenges conventional wisdom. Images etched on tomb walls unveil a remarkable narrative of female influence in ancient...
King Tut’s tomb was prepared in a rush. Source: Jaroslav Moravcik / Adobe Stock.

Why Was Tutankhamun’s Tomb Prepared in Such a Hurry? (Video)

King Tutankhamun's burial , typically a carefully orchestrated affair, deviates intriguingly from the norm. Anomalies emerge in the form of mysterious black mold patches adorning the tomb's walls, a...
Lady parading with followers bearing torches, at the ancient Celtic festival of Beltane, marking the beginning of summer.	Source: chrisdonia/CC BY NC SA 2.0

10 Ancient Festivals That Were Far From Innocent

Many ancient festivals had elements that were far from innocent, often involving rituals, practices, and customs that might seem strange or even disturbing by today's standards. From bloodletting, to...
Recreation of an Egyptian war chariot from the Early New Kingdom by Angus McBride

An Ancient Egyptian Arms Race (Video)

Seqenenre Tao , a determined pharaoh of the Seventeenth Dynasty in ancient Egypt, played a pivotal role in the arms race against the Hyksos during the Second Intermediate Period. Faced with the...
New excavations of the 1,300-year-old pre-Viking ship burial, referred to as Herlaugshaugen. Source: Hanne Bryn / NTNU Science Museum

1,300-Year-Old Pre-Viking Ship Burial Rewrites History

The identification of a pre-Viking ship burial unearthed in Norway is helping rewrite history. A previously excavated mound, containing remnants of the oldest large ship ever buried, on the island of...
The moment of the discovery of the wind chime in Viminacium.  Source: Ilija Danković, Archaeological Institute

Roman Winged Phallus Wind Chime Talisman Unearthed in Serbia

New research at the Viminacium site in eastern Serbia, once capital of the Roman province of Moesia Superior, has made a remarkable find. As soon as archaeologists began their latest exploration of...
Extensive floor mosaics uncovered at the site at İncesu, Cappadocia.	Source: Kayseri Municipality

Vast and Mesmerizing Floor Mosaic Unearthed in Cappadocian Villa

A floor mosaic covering a whopping area of 600 square meters has been uncovered during excavations in Cappadocia, in the heart of Turkey. Ongoing excavations at the site, believed to be the remnants...
Was this the world’s first zoo? Source: YouTube Screenshot / Smithsonian Channel.

Was This Ancient Egyptian Site The World's First Zoo? (Video)

In the world of ancient mysteries lies a peculiar Egyptian burial ground that challenges our understanding of the past. Archaeologist Dr Renée Friedman and her team have discovered a prehistoric...
Copper was central to King Solomon’s wealth. Source: PhotoGranary / Adobe Stock.

The Valuable Commodity Behind King Solomon's Wealth (Video)

In the quest to uncover the source of King Solomon's fabled riches, archaeologists have made a remarkable discovery in the arid landscapes of southern Israel, near Timna. These ancient mining sites,...
One of the Ram in a Thicket statues. Source: British Museum / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Ram in a Thicket: A Mesopotamian Legacy from the Ancient City of Ur

The treasures of ancient cultures are a source of never ending inspiration. It is such a wonder to see the magnificence of the art that was created in the dawn of civilization, so long before our...
Ancient biblical text. Source:  SVasco / Adobe Stock.

The Texts That Rocked the Foundations of Christianity (Video)

In 1831, Robert Curzon, an English nobleman, left Oxford without completing his studies, symbolizing the restlessness of his era. Disenchanted with England, he sought solace in Egypt , captivated by...
Largest Headhunting Massacre from Neolithic China Unearthed

Largest Headhunting Massacre from Neolithic China Unearthed

Evidence of the bloodiest decapitation and head-hunting in Neolithic Asian history, has been unearthed from China, from 4,100 years ago. In total, 41 skeletons were recovered, all belonging to women...
Security features in ancient tomb. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Smithsonian Channel.

What Maximum Security Meant for Ancient Tomb Raiders (Video)

The kings of the Han Dynasty went to extraordinary lengths to protect their tombs , and within these fortified resting places, ancient tomb raiders faced an imposing challenge. The tomb in this video...

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