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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.

Top image: Left; Anglo-Saxon Sword Belt End Ornament, Right; Anglo-Saxon Shoulder Clasp, both from Sutton Hoo Burial, 625-630
6 July, 2024 - 13:50 Nathan Falde

New Study Shows 6th Century Anglo-Saxon Mercenaries Fought in the Middle East

A fresh reexamination of artifacts recovered from ancient Anglo-Saxon burials has revealed some startling information about ancient Britain’s involvement in far-off military adventures in the sixth...
Dunhuang Silk Road History. AI illustration.
5 July, 2024 - 23:30 dhwty

Dunhuang Manuscripts: Insights into Ancient China

Dunhuang is situated in the northwestern part of Gansu province in the west of China. The ancient town occupied a strategic position at the crossroads of the ancient Southern Silk Route and the main...
Roman baths, Bath, England. Source: ctj71081/CC BY-SA 2.0
4 July, 2024 - 22:49 Robbie Mitchell

How Were Roman Baths Cleaned? (Video)

Roman baths were integral to daily life, serving as communal spaces for exercise, socialization, and relaxation. These baths were architecturally diverse, ranging from small sheds to grand complexes...
Rocamadour, France, with Durandal in position in the rock, before it vanished. Source: Patrick Clenet/CC BY-SA 3.0
4 July, 2024 - 18:16 Gary Manners

Durandal, France's Legendary Sword Stolen

In a baffling turn of events, the famed Durandal sword, which had been wedged in a rock in the southern French village of Rocamadour for the past 1,300 years, has mysteriously vanished. The sword,...
Dated Rock Art Panel at Leang Karampuang Source: Provided by Griffith University /Nature
4 July, 2024 - 14:22 Gary Manners

Earliest Narrative Cave Art Discovered in Sulawesi: A 51,200-Year-Old Marvel

A groundbreaking discovery in Sulawesi, Indonesia, has unveiled the oldest known narrative cave art, dating back at least 51,200 years. This revelation, published in the journal Nature , not only...
An enhanced view showing some of the rock art found in Venezuela. Source: José Miguel Pérez-Gómez/Simón Bolívar University
3 July, 2024 - 17:55 Sahir

4,000-Year-Old Rock Art From Unknown Culture Uncovered in Venezuela

An archaeological team in Venezuela has uncovered 20 ancient rock art sites in Canaima National Park, consisting of both pictograms and petroglyphs, estimated to be around 4,000 years old! Located in...
Remnants of a second ship found at the Antikythera site in Greece, and right, marble artifact. Source: Greek Ministry of Culture
2 July, 2024 - 14:58 Gary Manners

Second Ship Found At the Antikythera Shipwreck! Breakthroughs in 2024

The 2024 expedition to the Antikythera shipwreck marked a significant milestone in underwater archaeology. Between May 17 and June 20, under the framework of the 2021-2025 research program led by the...
Morphological variation in the size and shape of Late Pleistocene eyed needles. Source: Gilligan et al, 2024
1 July, 2024 - 20:58 ancient origins

The Beginnings of Fashion: Why Do We Wear Clothes?

From stone tools that prepared animal skins for humans to use as thermal insulation, to the advent of bone awls and eyed needles to create fitted and adorned garments, why did we start to dress to...
: Left, the reconstructed Bromeswell Bucket, and right, a newly found fragment. Source: © National Trust
30 June, 2024 - 17:29 Sahir

Ongoing Sutton Hoo Excavation Finds Missing Pieces of Byzantine Bucket

The conclusion of a month-long excavation by a renowned television archaeology TV show in Britain has revealed the uncovered missing fragments of a 6th century Byzantine bucket at the renowned Sutton...
Antikythera Mechanism on display at the National Archaeological Museum, Athens. Source: Joyofmuseums/CC BY-SA 4.0
30 June, 2024 - 14:48 ancient origins

Gravitational Wave Researchers Cast New Light on Antikythera Mechanism

University of Glasgow Techniques developed to analyze the ripples in spacetime detected by one of the 21st century’s most sensitive pieces of scientific equipment have helped cast new light on the...
: From 1967 to 1969, archaeologists excavated the Kyrenia shipwreck, which had been discovered off the north coast of Cyprus in 1965. Source: Cornell University
28 June, 2024 - 18:57 ancient origins

Almonds, Pottery and Wood Help Accurately Date Famed Kyrenia Shipwreck

Cornell University Researchers have identified the likeliest timeline of the famous Hellenistic-era Kyrenia shipwreck, discovered and recovered off the north coast of Cyprus in the 1960s. Historic...
Ivory fragments of the pyx arranged in the round on a white background. Source: © Universität Innsbruck
27 June, 2024 - 16:54 Gary Manners

Stunning 1,500-Year-Old Ivory Reliquary Discovered in Austria

Since the summer of 2016, archaeologists from Innsbruck have been excavating a late antique hilltop settlement in the municipality of Irschen in southern Austria. Their efforts have unearthed...
Worked human bones found on Janitzio island in an excellent state of conservation. Source: CINAH Michoacán
26 June, 2024 - 16:18 Gary Manners

Traditional Boat Find Reveals Pre-Hispanic Treasures in Mexico

A recent accidental discovery of a traditional boat, or tepari, on the island of Janitzio in Lake Pátzcuaro has led to significant archaeological findings, shedding new light on the region's pre-...
A recreation of the original Roman sandal. Source: Courtesy of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection.
26 June, 2024 - 14:40 pkoutoupis

Archaeologists Discover a 2,000-year-old Roman Military Sandal with Nails for Traction

Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a 2,000-year-old Roman sandal near an ancient military fort in Oberstimm, Bavaria in Germany. The discovery was made while conducting excavation work at a...
A collection of over 3,000 years old endangered prehistoric engravings Source: Author provided
25 June, 2024 - 21:38 AyaMayDayaoen

History Sleuth Explores Cordillera's Little Known 3,500-Year-Old Alab Petroglyphs

Carved on a boulder resting at Mt. Data of Alab Oriente, Bontoc, Mt. Province is a remarkable plethora of 2 nd millennium BC petroglyphs. The oldest and only kind of engravings that is discovered by...
Viking ship at Jarlsberg
25 June, 2024 - 14:14 Nathan Falde

Signs of Viking Age Ship Burial Found in Vestfold County, Norway

In 2018 metal detectorists in Norway found curiously shaped and obviously old iron rivets scattered around in the shallow soil of a field at Jarlsberg Hovedgård (Jarlsberg Manor), the ancestral home...
The only known Lorica Squamata model legionary armor in the world, discovered at Satala Ancient City, Source: Turkish Ministry of Culture/via IHA
22 June, 2024 - 16:31 Gary Manners

One-of-a-Kind Roman Lorica Squamata Armor Restored

One-of-a-Kind Roman Lorica Squamata Armor Restored In an unprecedented conservation triumph, the only known example of Roman legionary Lorica Squamata armor, dated to be around 1500 years old, has...
A carved and painted wooden coffin
20 June, 2024 - 15:13 ashley cowie

Image of Egyptian High Priest’s Daughter Likened to Marge Simpson

After is discovery in 2023, Reddit readers have just picked up on the depiction of a character resembling Marge Simpson on the inner lid of a 3,500-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus. The coffin,...
Top view of the world’s oldest liquid wine
19 June, 2024 - 14:58 Gary Manners

World’s Oldest Wine Found - Imbued with a Cremated Roman Aristocrat!

A n extraordinary discovery was made in a Roman tomb in Carmona, Spain. Among the skeletal remains of six individuals, researchers found a glass funerary urn containing a reddish liquid. At over 2,...
Images of the slate recovered
18 June, 2024 - 17:52 Gary Manners

New Paleo-Hispanic Alphabet Discovered in Spain

R esearchers in have announced a groundbreaking discovery at the Tartessian site of Casas del Turuñuelo in Guareña, Badajoz, Spain. A slate tablet inscribed with what appears to be a third southern...
Usermontu's Knee Screw Baffles Experts: 2,600-Year-Old Medical Marvel
17 June, 2024 - 23:35 Joanna Gillan

Usermontu's Knee Screw Baffles Experts: 2,600-Year-Old Medical Marvel

In 1971, the Rosicrucian Museum in California acquired a sealed ancient Egyptian coffin containing the well-preserved mummy of a high-status Egyptian male. More than two decades later, a team of...
Archaeologists Uncover Pre-Medieval Celtic Ritual Lake Site in Poland!
17 June, 2024 - 18:51 Sahir

Archaeologists Uncover Pre-Medieval Celtic Ritual Lake Site in Poland!

Archaeologists have uncovered the first-ever Celtic ritual lake site in Poland, a “revolutionary” discovery that dates back to the 3rd century BC. This find has been so termed as it has prompted a...
A silver communion set found at the Bench Abbey site in Hungary
17 June, 2024 - 18:05 Gary Manners

Medieval Treasures Unearthed Near Lake Tisza

In an extraordinary archaeological undertaking , specialists have uncovered remarkable artifacts near Lake Tisza, Hungary. This year’s findings at a medieval abbey first discovered last year include...
Rare Roman Artifacts Unearthed Beneath an Ancient Well
16 June, 2024 - 15:41 pkoutoupis

Rare Roman Artifacts Unearthed Beneath an Ancient Well

Located near the Temple of Hercules and in a sacred area of the site, archaeologists excavating a well in the ancient city of Ostia Antica, about 15 miles southwest of Rome, were surprised to find...

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