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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.

Statuettes recovered from the Chapultepec Forest site, Mexico City. Source: Mauricio Marat / INAH
2 September, 2022 - 18:39 ashley cowie

Oldest Artifacts In Mexican Basin Were Walked Over Daily at Chapultepec

Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered a layer of tools, utensils, and otherworldly figures in an ancient ceramic layer. For more than three thousand years, the artifacts remained undisturbed under...
Puriel is an angel who appears in the apocryphal work of the Testament of Abraham, the 2nd century AD apocalyptic tale of Abraham's journey to heaven. Puriel is described as “fiery and pitiless”, and is one of the two angels (along with Dokiel) charged with the task of examining the soul of each person brought to heaven after death. Source: chiaralily / CC BY NC 2.0
2 September, 2022 - 14:51 Robbie Mitchell

Apocalyptic Apocrypha: What was Removed from the Bible - and Why?

‘Biblical Apocrypha’ sounds like something out of a conspiracy theorist's darkest dreams. Books that have been hidden away from us. Books that contain secret information on the origins of...
This clay tablet, part of the Louvre Museum collection, covered in an ancient language is actually one of the few known Linear Elamite texts, which a research team has claimed to have deciphered almost completely. Source: Zunkir / CC BY-SA 4.0
2 September, 2022 - 01:58 Nathan Falde

Iranian 4,000-Year-Old Ancient Language Decoded But Questions Remain

Linguistics experts have been trying to decipher and translate an enigmatic type of ancient language known as Linear Elamite for more than 100 years. This writing system was used by people who lived...
The Pacopampa priest’s tomb in its cleaned-up state, which was found by Peruvian and Japanese archaeologists in the Cajamarca of Peru. Source: Peruvian Ministry of Culture
1 September, 2022 - 18:58 Sahir

Newly Discovered 1000 BC Pacopampa Priest’s Tomb in Peru Is Turning Heads

A team of archaeologists have discovered what they believe to be the tomb of a religious leader from ancient Peru at the Pacopampa site, a priestly figure, who was baptized as the “priest of the...
Folding chair from circa 600 AD grave unearthed in Central Franconia, Germany. Source: Bayerisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege
31 August, 2022 - 22:57 Sahir

Ancient Folding Chair Found in Bavarian Grave Only Second Such Find Ever

Comfort in the afterlife was apparently a medieval concern. Gravesites can reveal aspects of past cultures and values, and are therefore a rich source for archaeologists and historians. An iron...
An artist's illustration showing how a now-defunct arm of the Nile River known as the Khufu branch once reached the pyramids, which the Giza pyramid builders used to great advantage to move heavy construction materials according the recent PNAS pollen core study. Source: Alex Boersma / PNAS
31 August, 2022 - 14:50 Nathan Falde

How Egyptian Pyramid Builders Moved Construction Materials by Water

Regardless of how they were constructed, the Egyptian pyramids of the Giza Plateau represent one of mankind’s most astonishing engineering achievements. The logistical challenges of moving millions...
Chinese knife money. Source: sytilin / Adobe Stock
27 August, 2022 - 18:51 Mark Johnston

Chinese Knife Money: Making Markets feel Murderous?

The days of ‘cash as king’ are fading. Today, credit, debit, and digital currency have begun to slowly replace cash as the primary forms of payment, but it was not always so. For centuries, paper...
Stone disc alluding to the young maize god corroborates the common religious base of Toniná and Palenque. Source: INAH
26 August, 2022 - 23:00 Nathan Falde

Stunning Stone Disk Shows Ancient Maya Enemies Worshipped Same Corn God

In the year 687, a terrible war broke out between the ancient Maya kingdoms of Lakamha’ and Po’p. From their capital cities of Palenque and Tonina respectively, they fought each other for an...
The Valknut symbol has transcended time, remaining popular today. Source: danlersk / Adobe Stock
25 August, 2022 - 14:49 Mark Brophy

The Enigmatic Valknut: Odin’s Symbol Shrouded in Mystery

Norse mythology is a rich and vibrant source of tales, myths and legends. It has provided us with some iconic gods, monsters, and even symbols. One of the most controversial and mysterious of these...
Early medieval weapons and jewelry found in southwestern Germany near the Danube River near Tuttlingen, Germany.
23 August, 2022 - 22:48 ashley cowie

A Rare Stone Age Burial Found Amongst 140 German Medieval Graves

Archaeologists have discovered a rare Stone Age burial containing 5,000-year-old pottery in the Danube valley of southwestern Germany. The Neolithic burial site was found in an area where 140...
A Secrets of the Ice team member proudly holding up the latest ice patch arrow released by Norway’s melting Langfonne ice patch.Source: Secrets of the Ice
21 August, 2022 - 18:56 ashley cowie

1,300-Year-Old ‘Perfect’ Arrow Found in Norway Ice Patch

Norway’s Secrets of the Ice team have found a perfectly-preserved, ancient arrow in the Langfonne ice patch, which dates to the north European Iron Age period (500 BC-800 AD). Rapid melting and...
Medieval medicine manuscript with drawings of urine flasks, illustrating the different colors of a patient's urine, with their ailments described alongside, 15th century. Source: © University of Cambridge
20 August, 2022 - 15:01 Nathan Falde

Curious Cures: Cambridge to Publish Astonishing Medieval Medical Manuscripts

The Cambridge University Library has just launched an ambitious new initiative that will result in the public release of an extensive collection of manuscripts from medieval times. The Curious Cures...
The rare and exceptionally preserved Dutch wooden ship figurehead found off the island of Texel in the Wadden Islands in early August 2022. Source: Victor Ayal
18 August, 2022 - 18:56 Sahir

400-year-old Ship Figurehead from 80 Years War Caught By Dutch Shrimpers!

An exceptionally well-preserved ship figurehead, in the form of a wooden statue, was “caught” by a shrimp boat crew off the coast of Texel Island in the Dutch Wadden Islands. This super-rare ship...
Glassblowing processs, with a ball of glass being heated by a kiln. Source: SvetlanaSF / Adobe Stock
17 August, 2022 - 18:59 Lex Leigh

Heat, Blow, and Roll: The History of Glassblowing

One of the most fascinating crafts in the art world is the practice of glassblowing. Glassblowing is the art of creating beautiful pieces of glassware by blowing air into semi-molten glass through a...
These knucklebones from the Hellenistic period, from roughly 2,300 years ago, were recently unearthed in central Israel in an area closely connected with the First Temple period. Source: Israel Antiquities Authority
17 August, 2022 - 14:58 ashley cowie

2,300-year-old Knucklebones Used for Divination Found In Israel

Scientists in Israel have discovered ancient animals' knucklebones used to foretell the future and as a form of spiritual protection in the wild and unpredictable ancient world. They were also the...
Montage of votive offering finds from San Casciano dei Bagni, Italy. Source: Emanuele Mariotti/SABAP-SI / Municipality of San Casciano dei Bagni
16 August, 2022 - 18:54 Sahir

Treasure Trove of Perfect Votive Offerings Found at Etruscan Thermal Baths

It’s amazing what treasures people will throw away in the hope of winning the favor of the gods. Rare items used as votive offerings found in an “exceptional state of preservation” have been...
An unusual Tiszapolgár culture grave filled with gold rings and beads is shedding new light on this Late Neolithic (Copper Age) culture of the Romanian region. Source: Tarii Crisurilor Museum
16 August, 2022 - 15:00 Nathan Falde

Romanian Archaeologists Unearth Gold-Filled Grave from 4,500 BC

While performing excavations near the city of Biharia, Romania, archaeologists working for the Tarii Crisurilor Museum in Oradea unearthed a prehistoric grave that dates far back into antiquity,...
Thanks to 21st-century technology we are now able to examine ancient artifacts, like those found with a Judean shepherd, to learn fascinating details about his life. Source: sajis / Adobe Stock
15 August, 2022 - 14:59 Nathan Falde

Fascinating Details of Judean Shepherd’s Life 6,000 Years Ago Revealed by New Tech

New technology has allowed scientists to discover fascinating details about the life of a Judean shepherd that lived and died around 6,000 years ago. In the 21st century the deductive power of...
Ceramic vessels recovered from medieval burgher kitchen. Source: František Kolář / National Heritage Institute
12 August, 2022 - 22:56 Nathan Falde

Exceptionally Preserved Medieval Kitchen Excavated in Czech Republic

Archaeologists in the Czech Republic recently made an unusual and exciting discovery that dates back many centuries. While digging up a medieval house in the historic center of Nový Jičín in the...
Evidence of gladiator tombs found at the ancient city of Anavarza, which was controlled by the Roman Empire for many years. Over the centuries, Anavarza was either controlled or attacked by the Byzantine Empire, Abbasid Caliphate, and the Mamluks of Egypt. Source: Anadolu Agency
11 August, 2022 - 22:54 ashley cowie

Roman Gladiator Tombs Found By Team of 54 “Dig Hunters” in Turkey

A team of fifty-four specialists in Turkey have been excavating in and around an ancient Roman amphitheater. They recently discovered an ornate burial area devoted to gladiator tombs. The setting of...
The Russian Compound excavation site in central Jerusalem and the Roman siege engine ballista stones found there, which were then used to plot the launch location of the projectiles. Source: Yoli Schwartz / Israel Antiquities Authority
11 August, 2022 - 18:53 ashley cowie

Roman Siege Engines Tracked and Traced in Jerusalem

An Israeli archaeologist has been digging up and plotting the location of big roundish rocks in a specific area of ancient Jerusalem. But these are no building blocks, quite the opposite. They were...
Left; 1660 chart illustrating Tycho Brahe’s model of the universe Right; Portrait of Tycho Braha, Skokloster Castle, Source: Left; Public Domain, Right; Public Domain
10 August, 2022 - 14:59 Sahir

Tycho the Psycho? Meet One of History’s Maddest Scientific Minds Ever!

Tycho Brahe, the 16th century Danish astronomer, alchemist, astrologist, and scientist (1546-1601) was a force to be reckoned with – the true epitome of the brilliant, mad scientist. In the backdrop...
This Chinese knife coinage from the Eastern Zhou dynasty was used in the remarkable Chinese bronze alloy analysis study that finally revealed the hidden alloy formulas. Source: Lui et al / Antiquity Publications Ltd
10 August, 2022 - 00:00 Nathan Falde

Innovative Study Reveals the Genius of Ancient Chinese Bronze Makers

After decades of effort by scientists and historians around the world, a pair of researchers from the United Kingdom have finally identified the mystery ingredients used by Chinese metallurgists in...
This is one of the two rare huge Olmec reliefs from 900-400 BC found in the province of Tabasco, Mexico, which signal the transitional Mayanization of Olmec motifs, according to INAH archaeologists. Source: INAH
9 August, 2022 - 18:56 Sahir

Two Huge Stone Olmec Reliefs Depict Rulers in Divine Trance Pose

Massive monuments and two carved limestone Olmec reliefs of local rulers have been recovered from the municipality of Tenosique in south-eastern Mexico. The rulers in this extremely rare Olmec relief...

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