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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.

The Iron Age comb found in Cambridge, UK. Source: MOLA
4 March, 2023 - 13:51 Nathan Falde

Iron Age 'Comb' Made from Human Skull Discovered Near Cambridge

While sorting through some 280,000 artifacts excavated from land reserved for a highway construction project running from Cambridge to the village of Huntingdon in eastern England, archaeologists...
Various photos of the statue of a man holding a large phallus. Source: Noonans
2 March, 2023 - 17:59 ashley cowie

For Sale In Britain: A Small Ancient Man With A Colossal Penis

While metal detecting in a field, a British couple thought they found an ancient cart wheel piece, but it turned out to be a small human figure with a large bronze, hinged penis. Noonans auction...
The 3,500-year-old bone ice skate were discovered in Xinjiang in a high-society tomb. Source: Xinhua/ Global Times
1 March, 2023 - 21:49 Sahir

Ancient Animal Bone Ice Skates Found in China’s “Birthplace of Skiing”

During a recent archaeological press conference in Xinjiang, known as the birthplace of skiing, experts announced the discovery of ice skates made of animal bone that are believed to be 3,500 years...
Roman defensive spikes found at Bad Ems. Source: Frederic Auth/Aktuelles Uni
1 March, 2023 - 13:49 ashley cowie

Caesar’s Savage Human Skewers Unearthed In German Fort

Was this German silver mine really defended by two Roman forts and a line of "spike defenses”? Or, were the Romans protecting something even more valuable than silver? Having spent several months in...
Stylized AI generated graphic of a Moai statue. Source: artefacti/Adobe Stock
28 February, 2023 - 17:45 Sahir

New Moai Statue Found on Chile’s Easter Island Excites Researchers

In the news last October for the damage inflicted by a forest fire over 100 hectares, Easter Island is now in the news again – for the discovery and addition of a new Moai statue on the Chilean...
The Bronze Age shoe, in situ where it was found on the river edge in Kent, England. Source: Steve Tomlinson
28 February, 2023 - 13:49 Nathan Falde

Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old!

A man exploring along a riverbank in northern Kent recently discovered the oldest shoe ever found on United Kingdom soil. Carbon dating tests proved the decayed but still recognizable leather...
A Byzantine ship using Greek fire against an enemy ship. Source: Public Domain
28 February, 2023 - 00:54 Lex Leigh

A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire

In the shadowy world of ancient warfare, one weapon stood out as a true marvel: Greek fire. In the 7th century AD, the Byzantine Empire harnessed the power of fire with the creation of Greek fire, a...
In Medieval burial ground, a rare embroidered Deisis depicting Jesus Christ was discovered. Source: Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences
27 February, 2023 - 17:55 Sahir

Mongol-Era Christian Headdress Reveals A Complex Medieval Russia

Archaeologists in Russia have discovered a rare embroidered Deisis depicting Jesus Christ in a Christian medieval burial ground containing 46 graves from the Mongol period. One of the graves...
Left; Replica of the Koh-i-Noor diamond. Right; The Hope Diamond, one of the largest of all blue diamonds. Source: Left; Public Domain, Right; Public Domain
25 February, 2023 - 13:59 Lex Leigh

The Dark yet Glittering History of the Cursed Golconda Diamonds

The history of the Golconda diamonds is steeped in rich tradition and legend. Dating back to the 16th century, the region of Golconda, located in present-day Andhra Pradesh, India, was renowned for...
The pyramid texts of ancient Egypt’s pyramids are a rich source of information on their beliefs and religion. Source: EvrenKalinbacak/ Adobe Stock
24 February, 2023 - 13:59 Aleksa Vučković

The Pyramid Texts: Incantations Carved in Stone

The ancient Egyptians were known for their elaborate funerary traditions and beliefs in life after death, with the pharaohs being the most powerful and religious rulers of their time. The Pyramid...
Replicas of the stone points made by the researchers using local flint, and incorporated them into spears and arrows. Source: Ludovic Slimak/Nature
23 February, 2023 - 21:56 Nathan Falde

New Evidence Shows Humans Were Using Bows and Arrows in 52,000 BC

Did the very first humans that reached Europe hunt with bows and arrows? A new study appearing in the journal Science Advances claims that they did, and that this happened 54,000 years ago in...
A crown from the Khmer Crown jewel collection that has been returned to Cambodia. Source: Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine Arts
23 February, 2023 - 13:52 Nathan Falde

Centuries-Old Stolen Khmer Jewel Collection Returned to Cambodia

A huge cache of stolen crown jewels dating back to Cambodia’s legendary Khmer (Angkorian) Empire resurfaced in London last summer, and have now been returned to Cambodia, the BBC has announced . Some...
Part of the 16-meter-long document from Saqqara that includes illustrations and text from the Book of the Dead of Ahmose. Source: Supreme Council of Antiquities
23 February, 2023 - 00:52 Joanna Gillan

First Public Display of 16-meter-long Papyrus Found in Saqqara Casket

The exciting discovery of a 16-meter-long (52.5 ft) ancient papyrus found in a sarcophagus in Egypt's Saqqara region has now been unveiled. A papyrus of this size and quality had not been discovered...
The mussel shell arrowheads have been found together with shafts and lashings. The scale in the lower edge of the image is millimeters. Source: Cultural History Museum
21 February, 2023 - 21:53 ashley cowie

Curious Mussel Shell Arrowheads in Norway’s Mountains Confound Archaeologists

It’s not the first time archaeologists in Norway have discovered ancient arrows melting out of mountainsides. But it is the first time arrows made from mussel shells have been found. Another Treasure...
The wooden phallus discovered at Vindolanda exhibited smooth surfaces on both ends, suggesting that it had been subject to repeated handling over an extended period. Source: Newcastle University.
21 February, 2023 - 13:48 Sahir

2,000-Year-Old Roman Phallus Could Be Oldest Known Sex Toy

In what is perhaps the oldest sex toy ever found in Britain, a 2,000-year-old Roman phallus is the subject of a new study. Found in 1992 near the Roman fort of Vindolanda near Hadrian’s Wall , the...
The artifacts are believed to have been used as deer antler instruments. Source: F. Z. Campos / Antiquity
21 February, 2023 - 00:01 ashley cowie

Ancient Deer Antler Instruments Discovered in Vietnam After 3,000 Years

Our prehistoric ancestors were very busy people, but they must have known how to chill in between chores, to relax and recharge. It’s well known to science that our cave dwelling forebears gorged on...
A photograph of a similar Roman-era lead coffin discovered in Spain in 2019. This is not the sarcophagus reported in this article, but is representational, based on its similar appearance. Source: Granada Hoy
20 February, 2023 - 21:54 Sahir

Roman-Era Sarcophagus Made of Lead Discovered in Gaza

Deep in the heart of the hotly contested Palestinian strip of Gaza, a 2,000-year-old lead sarcophagus has been unearthed, believed to hail from the illustrious Roman era. Located just 500 meters (0.3...
Broken parts of the flush toilet unearthed from the Yueyang archaeological site in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. Source: China Daily.
18 February, 2023 - 17:57 Sahir

The Royal Flush: 2,400-Year-Old Toilet Used by Emperors Unearthed in China

Archaeologists have unearthed the bottom half of a manual flush toilet that dates back 2,400 years in the Yueyang archaeological site in China’s Shaanxi province. Yueyang served as a capital city...
Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III. Source: Asta/Public Domain
17 February, 2023 - 18:00 Aleksa Vučković

The Majestic Medinet Habu and the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III

Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III was one of the last great Ancient Egyptian pharaohs of the New Kingdom period. The second ruler of the Twentieth Dynasty, Ramesses III was a notable warrior pharaoh,...
Representational image of a Viking-era boat. Source: Noel Cook / Adobe Stock
17 February, 2023 - 13:53 Sahir

Viking-Era Boat Has Been Discovered Under an English Pub

Archaeologists from the University of Nottingham are currently studying what locals believe to be a Viking-era boat that was discovered buried beneath a pub car park in Wirral, England. The boat was...
Image depicting the Inka tunic or Unku found in northern Chile from the wearer’s point of view. Source: Correa-Lau, J., et. al. / CC BY 4.0
15 February, 2023 - 17:56 Sahir

Chilean Inka Tunic Provides Insight into Inka Power & Cultural Fusion

A brilliant new study on unkus , a type of standardized Inka tunic, has shed light on a rather important matter of socio-political organization – that of centralization of power. Based on the unku...
Human remains of the burials found of the Huastec people of Mexico. Source: INAH
15 February, 2023 - 00:57 Nathan Falde

Archaeologists Unearth Trinket Filled Tombs from Mexico’s Huastec Culture

Archaeologists working on a site in southern Tamaulipas, Mexico, known as El Naranjo, have discovered tombs and ruins from Mesoamerica's Classic period (250 AD to 900 AD). The remains include...
'Song of Songs' illustrated by Florence Kingsford/Southern Methodist University. Source: Public Domain
14 February, 2023 - 01:00 ancient origins

Why is a Love Poem Full of Sex in the Bible?

By Jonathan Kaplan /The Conversation Many Americans have heard the expression “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine” – in fact, a quick Google search turns up myriad websites offering wedding...
The Book of Revelation. Source: Brian Jackson / Adobe Stock
13 February, 2023 - 14:00 Nathan Falde

The Book of Revelation is Filled with Ancient Curses, New Research Reveals

The Book of Revelation is filled with prophetic visions of apocalyptic events. But if the astonishing conclusions of a Biblical researcher from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) are correct,...

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