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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.

Bronze Corinthian helmet found in 5thcentury BC burial mound in, Taman Peninsula, Russia.
28 May, 2018 - 22:53 Ed Whelan

First Corinthian Helmet North of the Black Sea Has Been Discovered in Russia

The Russian RIA news agency has reported a remarkable find of an ancient Greek Corinthian helmet. The discovery was made in the Taman Peninsula in the southwest of Russia . The helmet was unearthed...
The Roman Tantalus Bowl, a Pythagorean Cup. (Journal of Roman Archaeology) Background: ‘Aeneas and a Sibyl in the Underworld’ by Jan Brueghel the Elder.
26 May, 2018 - 18:55 dhwty

More than a Sip and You Feel a Drip: A Morbid Motif for the Crafty Pythagoras Cup

The Pythagoras Cup (Pythagorean Cup) is the name given to a drinking cup attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher, Pythagoras of Samos. This cup is also known as the Greedy Cup and the Tantalus...
Scythians shooting with the Scythian bow, Kerch (ancient Panticapeum), Crimea, 4th century BC.
24 May, 2018 - 22:59 Cam Rea

Pick Your Poison: The AK-47 of the Ancient Near East

The Scythian bow was the AK-47 of the Ancient Near East and the weapon of choice to dominate the battlefield. Even though the bow was uniquely designed to deliver the utmost damage, the arrow itself...
Using Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI), this picture of the Antioch tablet was compiled. Source: Paula Artal-Isbrand, conservator at the Princeton Art Museums, with permission of Alexander Hollman
24 May, 2018 - 19:00 Ed Whelan

First Jewish Curse Found: Chariot Racer Hexed by Calling on Balaam’s Angel

Experts have made the remarkable discovery of a curse on a lead amulet from the Eastern Roman Empire. According to the Jerusalem Times, experts were shocked when they finally deciphered the message...
Wall fragment with Two Women Roman 1-75 CE Plaster and pigment fresco.
20 May, 2018 - 13:57 ancient-origins

Scientists Amazed to Discover 2,000-Year-Old Face Cream Still Containing Last Finger Imprints

When archaeologists came across a tin containing an unknown 2000-year-old ointment they were both pleased and bemused. It was not discovered in a home as one might think, but rather near an ancient...
"Three visits to the thatched cottage" (三顧茅廬), the second visit is depicted here. Portrait at the Long Corridor of the Summer Palace, Beijing. This is a scene from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
19 May, 2018 - 22:56 dhwty

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms - A Well-Loved Chinese Classic

When saying the names Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, although the surnames are different, yet we have come together as brothers. From this day forward, we shall join forces for a common purpose: to...
A photo of the sacred cat rug.
19 May, 2018 - 20:02 dhwty

Strange Tale of the 2,400-Year-Old Cursed Cat Fur Rug and the Mummified Appendage

A museum in St. Augustine, Florid has a rather unusual artifact – an ancient rug made completely out of cat fur. This rug is sometimes referred to as the ‘Sacred Cat Rug’ and has a claim on the title...
The charcoal drawings found at Chauvet show a high degree of detail. Copy of the Lions Panel of the Chauvet Cave.
16 May, 2018 - 23:02 ancient-origins

How Our Ancestors with Autistic Traits Led a Revolution in Ice Age Art

The ability to focus on detail, a common trait among people with autism, allowed realism to flourish in Ice Age art, according to researchers at the University of York. Around 30,000 years ago...
Cleopatra's Needle, NYC (CC BY-SA 3.0); Cleopatra's Needle Obelisk in the Hold of the Steamship Dessoug, 1880. (Public Domain); Bob Brier in Egypt. (Sharon Janet Hague)
15 May, 2018 - 19:01 Sharon Hague

Bob Brier and the Hunt for the New York Obelisk

Bob Brier is arguably the world's most famous Egyptologist. Professor at Long Island University in New York, where he has tenure, he teaches both philosophy and Egyptology. A popular host on Learning...
Side view of the Saqqara bird
12 May, 2018 - 14:07 Dr Massimo Bonasorte

The Saqqara Bird: Did the Ancient Egyptians Know How to Fly?

The pride of flying too close to the sun was a costly endeavor for Icarus. Mythology says he fled Crete on wings of feathers and wax built by his father Daedalus, of King Minos’ labyrinth fame. His...
Roma: Piazza del Popolo by Hendrik Franz van Lint.
8 May, 2018 - 13:58 ancient-origins

Rome’s Flaminian Obelisk: an epic journey from divine Egyptian symbol to Tourist Attraction

Nicky Nielson /The Conversation It’s a great place to sit in the shade and enjoy a gelato. The base of the Flaminian Obelisk in the Piazza del Popolo on the northern end of Rome’s ancient quarter...
Jain version Game of Snakes & Ladders called jnana bazi or Gyan bazi, India, 19th century, Gouache on cloth.
7 May, 2018 - 18:50 dhwty

The Origin of Snakes and Ladders: A Moral Guide of Vice and Virtue

The game of Snakes and Ladders is today considered a classic, and is loved by children from all over the world. Whilst the game itself is known my most people, its origin is less well-known. As a...
Engraving found in Crimean cave on flint flake from Kiik-Koba layer IV.
5 May, 2018 - 01:27 ancient-origins

Engraved Crimean Stone Artifact May Demonstrate Neanderthal Symbolism

A flint flake from the Middle Paleolithic of Crimea was likely engraved symbolically by a skilled Neanderthal hand, according to a study published May 2, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by...
The supposed St Clement relic that was found by Envirowaste workers in London, UK.
4 May, 2018 - 18:56 Ed Whelan

Bones of the First Pope Found in a London Rubbish Bin? It would have to be a Miracle

A rubbish removal firm in London has made a potentially staggering archaeological discovery, in a pile of waste. According to the respected Smithsonian Institute, Envirowaste workers, while looking...
The Kritios Boy.
3 May, 2018 - 01:58 dhwty

Kritios Boy: Damaged by the Persians, Buried for 2,400 Years, Resurrected for the World to See

The Kritios Boy is an Early Classical Greek sculpture with an eventful history. He began his life in the world-renowned Acropolis of Athens 2,500 years ago, was damaged during a Persian onslaught in...
The heart of Saint Laurence O'Toole, patron saint of Dublin, returned to Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.
27 April, 2018 - 13:50 Gary Manners

Tip-off leads Dublin Police to the Stolen Holy Heart of St Laurence

An 800-year-old relic that was taken from Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland, has been returned by the gardai (police) 6 years after it was stolen. The religious item is believed to be the...
The helmet of a gladiator
26 April, 2018 - 14:02 dhwty

Gladiator Helmets: Fit for Purpose, Not Just Protection

The gladiator is most likely the first image one calls to mind when thinking about entertainment in ancient Rome. As most would already know, gladiators fought either each other or wild animals, in...
Detail of a copy of the Doryphoros of Polykleitos.
23 April, 2018 - 14:03 dhwty

Doryphoros: Greek Art Imitating Ideal Form

Was perfection possible in the ancient Greek world? If you look at their art, you may think so. Doryphoros (translated from Greek as ‘Spear-Bearer), was a statue created during the 5th century BC...
Shaman, Shaman and Chief from Father Crespi tablets photos. Images provided by the author.
19 April, 2018 - 13:58 Clyde Winters

Representation of Sumerian Elites Detected in the Crespi Gold Tablets

It is becoming increasingly clear that the Sumerians had established a colony in South America called Kuga-Ki. Kuga-Ki was the "Tin Land of the West" or the "Sunset Land", in Sumerian inscriptions...
Part of the Corlea Trackway.
14 April, 2018 - 22:58 dhwty

Corlea Trackway Holds the Echoes of 2000-year-old Footsteps

The Corlea Trackway (known also in Irish as Bóthar Chorr Liath ) is a timber trackway dating to the Iron Age. This ancient trackway is located near Keenagh, a village to the south of Longford, in...
What did this ring with two wolf heads symbolize to the Viking who wore it?
14 April, 2018 - 01:46 ancient-origins

Two Wolves Entwined: What did this Viking Ring Symbolize?

By ThorNews In the autumn of 2015, a unique Viking Age spiral ring with two wolf heads was found in Goa in Randaberg, Western Norway. Does the ring show Odin’s two wolves, Geri and Freki – or is it...
This Medieval dice has two 4's and two 5's but no 1 or 2. Archaeologists believe that it was likely used to cheat while gambling. This photo shows the two 5's.
12 April, 2018 - 22:58 Alicia McDermott

An Altered Past: Modified Dice Tells Tales of Medieval Gambling in Norway

Is it true cheaters never prosper? Archaeologists believe that a 600-year-old wooden dice found in Norway was used in Medieval gambling. It was apparently a prized possession of a shifty player, who...
A photograph of the Ringlemere Gold Cup.
11 April, 2018 - 14:02 dhwty

Amateur Treasure Hunter Hit the Jackpot with The Ringlemere Cup Find

The Ringlemere Cup is a highly valuable artifact that was discovered by a lucky treasure hunter in the Ringlemere barrow, an archaeological site in the southeast English county of Kent. Dating to the...
A photo of the Pazyryk Carpet
30 March, 2018 - 23:03 dhwty

2,500-Year-Old Carpet is Stunning Reflection of Advanced Culture of the Pazyryk Nomads

The Pazyryk Carpet is the oldest known example of a carpet in existence today. Discovered in a state of almost perfect preservation, it was pulled from a royal tomb in the Pazyryk Valley of Siberia,...

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