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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.

Largest handwritten family tree in the world. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Great Big Story.

The Largest Handwritten Family Tree in the World (Video)

In the sacred grounds of Haridwar, India, beside the flowing Ganges , lies an extraordinary marvel. This remarkable marvel is the largest handwritten family tree globally. Maintained by dedicated...
The Iron Age treasure found in an Anglesey field was made up of a hoard of 15 gold coins. Source: Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales

Welsh Metal Detecting Duo Strikes Rare, 2000-year-old Iron Age Treasure

A pair of metal detectorists exploring an open field in Anglesey, Wales, have discovered an Iron Age treasure trove of 15 gold coins. According to a statement from Museums Wales , the coins represent...
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...
Ceramic drainage pipe. Source: Yanpeng Cao./Nature

Archaeologists Find 4,000-Year-Old Ceramic Pipe Drainage System in China

A team of archaeologists from China who specialize in the study of ancient water management systems discovered the earliest ceramic pipe drainage system ever found on Chinese soil. This marvel of...
The golden mummy of Lady Isaious, at the Manchester Museum. Source: Allan Gluck/CC BY-SA 4.0

Golden Mummy of Lady Isaious and Her Lavish Journey into the Afterlife

Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie was one of the foremost Egyptologists and archaeologists of our time. Renowned for his discoveries in Egypt, as well as for pioneering systems of preserving...
Prehistoric Jomon dogu statue with large eyes and hips, Ebisuda Site in Tajiri, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.  1000–400 BC. Source: World Imaging/CC BY-SA 3.0

Ancient Dogu Figurines With Large Goggle-eyes Defy Scholarly Explanation

The Jomon Period is the earliest identifiable period in Japanese history and is broken into several categories—Incipient, Early, Middle, and Late. Comprised of a sedentary culture, the Jomon people...
Votive offerings have been unearthed in the Valley of Temples in Sicily, Italy. Source: Sicilian Regional Institutional Portal.

Huge Votive Deposits Emerge From Sicily’s Valley of Temples, Shed Light on the Exodus of 406 BC

An excavation campaign in the historic Valley of Temples (Agrigento) in Sicily has stumbled upon a huge votive deposit consisting of 60 terracotta statuettes, protomes and female busts, fragments of...
Representational image of the Ark of the Covenant. Source: pamela_d_mcadams / Adobe Stock

The Adventist Adventurer Who Claimed He Found the Ark of the Covenant

One of the greatest mysteries for believers of the Judeo-Christian religions is the present location of the Ark of the Covenant, a chest said to contain the two stone tablets of the original Ten...
The magic disc was discovered by an Israeli lifeguard near Tel Aviv. Source: Israel Antiquities Authority

Israeli Swimmer Finds 2,500-Year-Old Magic Disc in the Mediterranean Sea

While taking his regular morning swim in the Mediterranean, an Israeli lifeguard named David Shalom spotted something unusual on the sea bottom in shallow waters. After diving down to take a closer...
Dimitrios Katsikis pictured with one of his Greek armor creations. Credit: Dimitrios Karvountzis / Dimitrios Katsikis / Hellenic Armors.

Forging Forgotten Ancient Greek Armor (Video)

Dimitrios Katsikis, a self-taught master of the forgotten art of forging ancient Greek armor, is a time-keeper for the relics of yore. With his handcrafted tools and keen understanding of history, he...
Medieval saber sword found in Kyrgyzstan. Source: Siyatbek Ibraliev / Turmush

Unearthed Treasure: Saber Sword Found in Kyrgyzstan is a Medieval Marvel!

Amidst the serene village of Amanbaev in the Talas Region of Kyrgyzstan, a momentous discovery has come to light which has been dubbed the Kyrgyzstan saber. This ancient military saber sword boasts a...
An ancient automata replica, Switzerland. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Great Big Story.

Building Ancient Robot Automata in Switzerland (Video)

Dwelling in Sainte-Croix, Switzerland, François Junod has dedicated his life to crafting animated sculptures, or automata . His fascination with mechanics started during his childhood and grew...
The Creswell Horsehead. Source: Trustees of the British Museum / CC by SA 4.0.

The Cresswell Horsehead: The Oldest Art Ever Found in Britain (Video)

The Cresswell Horsehead stands as a significant archaeological discovery, representing the oldest example of art found in Britain. This ancient artifact, dating back to the end of the Ice Age over 11...
The Hohle Fels “horse” figurine with all its fragments. Source: Ria Litzenberg / University of Tübingen

A Case of Mistaken Identity: Hohle Fels “Horse” Was Not a Horse at All

The first example of ancient ivory artwork ever recovered from the World Heritage cave Hohle Fels in southwestern Germany was a piece of a broken figurine that depicted a horse’s head—or so...
The royal game of Ur. Source: Trustees of the British Museum / CC by SA 4.0.

Playing the 4,500-Year-Old Royal Game of Ur (Video)

What happens when a popular Youtuber takes on the British Museum curator at one of history’s oldest board games? That’s just what happened when Tom Scott challenged Irving Finkel to a Royal Game of...
Inga Stone. Source: Marinelson Almeida Silva/CC BY 2.0

Message from Outer Space? The Mysterious Indecipherable Script of the Inga Stone

Standing amidst the waters of the Inga River in Brazil, the mysterious Inga Stone of Paraíba, Brazil is an archaeological treasure of much ongoing controversy. Covering most of its 150-foot length (...
Blacksmith forging weapon. Source: helivideo / Adobe Stock.

Bronze Age Blacksmithing: From Liquid Fire to Sword in Minutes (Video)

In a fascinating video, the BBC’s Neil Oliver skillfully recreates the ancient art of fashioning a Bronze Age sword , using techniques and materials identical to those employed by our ancestors. The...
The cow’s head on the Silver Lyre. Source: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Bask in the Beauty and Melody of the Ancient Mesopotamian Lyres of Ur

It is unknown which culture was the first to create music, but a set of beautiful Sumerian instruments from the city of Ur provide us with some insight into the world of ancient music. Over 4,000...
The resulting reconstruction of the Neolithic necklace discovered in southern Jordan. Source: PLoS ONE / CC BY 4.0

Elaborate 8,000-year-old Necklace from Child Burial Reveals Ancient Culture

A team of researchers from various European countries painstakingly reconstructed a decayed Neolithic necklace. The beads had been unearthed from an 8,000-year-old child's grave found at the renowned...
Famous phalluses in history. Source: Hannes Wiedmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, saiko3p / AdobeStock, Dorset Council / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, Vindolanda Charitable Trust, Árbore Arqueoloxía S.Coop.Galega, David Perez / CC BY 4.0

8 Famous Phalluses from History and What They Represent

When it comes to phalluses, a lot of people think it’s the size that matters. Others think it’s how the phallus is used. But any archaeologist or historian worth their salt knows the truth, it’s the...
Overview of the Mörigen arrowhead. Source: Thomas Schüpbach/Science Direct

Swiss Scientists Identify Bronze Age Iron Arrowhead Made from a Meteorite!

A team of scientists recently completed a study of prehistoric metal artifacts collected in Switzerland over the past couple of centuries, with a very clear purpose in mind. They were looking to see...
From Sumerian time to modern-day clocks, the number 60 has stood the test of time. Source: (Samantha/CC BY 2.0), nebula NGC 1788 Orion constellation (ESO/CC BY 4.0), Zodiac of Dendera (Alice-astro/CC BY-SA 3.0)

Sumerians Invented the System of Time 5,000 Years Ago – And We Still Use It Today!

One might find it curious that we divide the hours into 60 minutes and the days into 24 hours – why not a multiple of 10 or 12? Put quite simply, the answer is because the inventors of time did not...
Damaidi rock art at Helan Mountain in Ningxia, China. Source: Rita Willaert/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Is 8,000-year-old Damaidi Rock Art the Origin of Chinese Writing?

The Chinese writing system is by far one of the most complex in the world, and its origins are truly ancient. In fact, ​​Chinese characters are the oldest continuously used system of writing in the...
Representational image of a magical Viking rune or Viking Code. Source: Artur / Adobe Stock

Unlocking the Cryptic Viking Code Using Runic Writing and Ancient DNA

Runic script is an alphabetic system based on a non-alphabetical order row. This means that it has letters, like in many languages, but the letters are not arranged in a standard alphabetical order...

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