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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 Starving of Saqqara sculpture.
9 January, 2019 - 13:59 dhwty

Elongated Skulls and Indecipherable Language: What Does the Mysterious Starving of Saqqara Sculpture Mean?

The Starving of Saqqara is the name given to an ancient Egyptian sculpture believed to date to the Pre-Dynastic period. Little is known about the origins and provenance of this statue, which is today...
The Hallaton Helmet
7 January, 2019 - 22:58 Ed Whelan

The Helmet That Shows Celtic Warriors Helped the Roman Army Conquer Briton

In 2001, there was a very important find at an old Iron Age shrine in England. It included coins and other items from both the Iron Age and the Roman era. Among the discoveries was a remarkable 2,000...
Early man looking up at the stars (Kovalenko I / Adobe Stock)
7 January, 2019 - 18:53 Derek Cunningham

Translation of 5,500-Year-Old Babel Text from China Reveals Oldest Known Map of Inner Solar System

It is obvious to any astronomer that some of the brightest objects in the night sky are the planets. It is thus mysterious that there are so few references to the planets in ancient literature. Prior...
Soaba Stone pillars
5 January, 2019 - 01:54 Ed Whelan

The Saoba Stone Pillars of Taiwan Present A Peinan Culture Conundrum

Taiwan is a modern and dynamic country, but it also has a rich culture and history, which is often forgotten by the wider world. The island has been home to a variety of communities and cultures...
One of the Tring Tiles.
4 January, 2019 - 22:41 dhwty

The Tring Tiles: Medieval Comics of Murder and Miracles in Jesus’ Childhood

The Tring Tiles are a set of earthenware tiles associated with the Tring Church in Hertfordshire, England. The tiles date to the Late Medieval period and depict scenes of Jesus’ childhood as recorded...
The Holey Jar restored.
27 December, 2018 - 14:00 dhwty

The Riddle of the Roman Holey Jar – Why Would A Vessel Be Full of Holes?

One of the most unusual pieces of Roman pottery around is a regular looking jar but for the feature of having many holes in its body. Since it’s restoration from a pile of broken pieces found in a...
Khopesh Design
26 December, 2018 - 13:59 Caleb Strom

Khopesh—The Egyptian Sword that Forged an Empire

Ancient Egypt has been very important in shaping modern Western civilization. For centuries, Egypt has occupied a place in the Western imagination as a mysterious land full of ancient wisdom, hidden...
Britain’s Oldest Door is in Westminster Abbey
23 December, 2018 - 14:01 dhwty

Britain’s Oldest Door is Westminster Abbey Relic that May Have Been Covered in Human Skin

Doors are an integral part of a building, and have been made commonly of wood or metal in the past. As an organic material, wood is highly susceptible to deterioration. Nevertheless, in some...
The Royal Game of Ur.
21 December, 2018 - 14:02 dhwty

The Enigmatic Ancient Royal Game of Ur – Will We Ever Understand It?

The Royal Game of Ur (known also as the Game of Twenty Squares) is a board game from ancient Mesopotamia. This two-player game is one of the oldest known board games and was immensely popular in the...
Note the separation between rocks in the Sacsayhuamán Archaeological Park.
19 December, 2018 - 18:56 ashley cowie

Mega Earthquake Caused Major Shift in Inca Construction Methodology

A major new scientific study revealed by Peru’s state-run news agency Andina has confirmed that construction of the ancient Inca city, Machu Picchu , located in modern day Peru, was interrupted in...
3D printed model of the ancient site of Puma Punku, Tiwanaku.
19 December, 2018 - 13:52 ancient-origins

Advanced Ancient Architecture of Puma Punku Site is Fully Recreated With 3D Printing

Part of the ancient archaeological site of Tiwanaku, Bolivia, believed by Incans to be where the world was created has been reconstructed using 3D printed models of fragments of an ancient building...
The Great Wall of China near Beijing
11 December, 2018 - 23:00 dhwty

The Great Wall of China Construction Project that Spanned Generations, Centuries and Dynasties

The Great Wall of China (known also as the ‘Wanli Changcheng’ or ‘10000 Li Wall’) is one of China’s most iconic structures . This is the longest wall in the world, and one of the largest construction...
Artist’s representation of the triple burial of Dolni Vestonice
8 December, 2018 - 14:01 Sarah P Young

The Prehistoric Triple Burial at Dolni Vestonice - New DNA Evidence Deepens the Mystery

Three decades ago, in the Spring of 1986, archaeologists uncovered the extraordinary burial of three young individuals in a common grave. What they found presented an archaeological mystery – the...
A 1593 edition of the Corpus Juris Civilis.
22 November, 2018 - 22:41 Mark Miller

Corpus Juris Civilis Law: Created by a Byzantine Emperor and Still Relevant in Courts Over 1,500 Years Later

By the time of Byzantine Emperor Justinian’s reign in the 6th century AD, the Western Roman Empire was kaput, lost to waves of Germanic invaders from the North. Justinian was determined to recapture...
The Dharma Wheel.
22 November, 2018 - 18:54 dhwty

Understanding the Dharma Wheel: This Ancient Symbol Holds Secret Meanings

The Dharma Wheel is an Ashtamangala, or one of ‘Eight Auspicious Symbols’, a set of sacred symbols found in Indian religions. Although the Dharma Wheel is found also in Hinduism and Jainism, it is...
An Eye of Horus pendant
18 November, 2018 - 19:06 dhwty

Eye of Horus: The True Meaning of an Ancient, Powerful Symbol

The Eye of Horus is one of the best-known symbols of ancient Egypt. Known also as the Wadjet, this magical symbol is believed to provide protection, health, and rejuvenation. Due to its powerful...
Hoodoos above the Milk River in winter.
18 November, 2018 - 01:50 Ed Whelan

Discover Insights Into Humanity’s Natural Spiritual Heritage at Writing-On-Stone Park

Geological forces have created many natural wonders throughout the world. Some of the most magnificent of these are the remarkable landforms at Writing-on-Stone Park, known as Áísínai'p in the local...
Ganesha (Niks Ads / Fotolia)
12 November, 2018 - 13:59 ashley cowie

Deep Mining the Mythology of Ganesha and the Ancient Temple Well

According to Joseph Campbell (1904 – 1987), the famed U.S. American Professor of Literature who wrote extensively about comparative mythology and religion: “Myths express characters and stories that...
A supposed Victorian tear catcher. The real use of this type of glass vial is debatable.
5 November, 2018 - 18:58 dhwty

Capturing Scents, Not Tears: Debunking the Myth of Tear Catchers

Victorians are often remembered for their obsession with death and mourning. It is not too surprising to discover that they had specific practices and even special objects created to further enhance...
Native American Tiny 'Elephant Stones', Mammoth Effigies, Carvings, Totems From Pennsylvania. Portable rock art such as this has been found globally.
31 October, 2018 - 18:05 Jul Jones

Life Before the Clovis: Portable Rock Art as Evidence of Pre Ice Age Humans in North America

The worship of carved stone dates back to man’s earliest evolution. Portable rock art is human made markings on movable natural rock or stone. A global phenomenon, these Stone Age objects have been...
Japanese samurai warrior (brunogm / Fotolia)
30 October, 2018 - 22:02 Samurai Swords Store

Medieval Japanese Weapons Influenced Culture Long After the Middle Ages

Weapons are important instruments and are essential during wars. This was especially true regarding Japanese weapons used during the Medieval period. The wars that were fought, won, and lost impacted...
Square faced mummy, The Louvre
26 October, 2018 - 18:59 Veronica Parkes

Mummy À La Mode: Elaborate Treatment of the Square-Faced Mummy with Intricate Décor

Everybody knows the traditional wrappings of a mummy; long strips of fabric are wrapped around the body from head to toe. But this mummy from the Louvre has an intricately woven square design on its...
King Midas's Feast in Honor of Bacchus and Silenus.
17 October, 2018 - 22:58 dhwty

Would You Like to Try the King Midas Feast? Chemical Analysis Revealed it was a Slap-up Meal

King Midas was a legendary figure in Greek mythology who ruled over Phrygia in western Anatolia. He is best-known for his ‘golden touch’, i.e. that everything he touched turned to gold. Behind this...
Spikes embedded in the main door of Shaniwarwada was meant to deter the use of elephants by the enemy to ram the gates.
14 October, 2018 - 18:59 ashley cowie

Ancient Trap Ideas to Protect Your Tomb or Catch Your Lunch

Take any good work of fiction with ancient ruins and the odds are it is booby trapped; whether its Dr. Jones running from a large boulder, Lara Croft leaping over a collapsing bridge floor or Fred in...

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