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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.

Papyrus (P. BM EA 10591 recto column IX, beginning of lines 13-17).
11 November, 2017 - 22:50 ancient-origins

Ancient Advanced Technology Reveals Itself in Egyptian Papyrus Ink

A new study shows ink on 2,000-year-old Egyptian papyri fragments contains copper. This means the assumption that carbon was the only basis for ink to write on ancient papyri is now a thing of the...
Gold miniature amulet (front and back) from the Åker farm in Hamar, Eastern Norway: Both male and female are depicted without hair, something that is unusual. (Photo: Vegard Vike and Jessica McGraw / Museum of Cultural History, Oslo)
10 November, 2017 - 13:51 ancient-origins

Old Norse Mystery: What Do the Couples Depicted on Thousands of Miniature Gold Amulets Symbolize?

By ThorNews In 2016, a miniature amulet made of gold was discovered on the Åker farm near Hamar in Eastern Norway – one of many thousands only found in Scandinavia. About three thousand Old Norse...
The tiny sealstone depicting warriors in battle measures just 1.4 inches across but contains incredible detail.
9 November, 2017 - 01:56 ancient-origins

Stunning Minoan Gemstone Owned by a Bronze Age Warrior Rewrites the History of Ancient Greek Art

In the more than two years since University of Cincinnati researchers unearthed the 3,500-year-old tomb of a Bronze Age warrior in southwest Greece, an incredible trove of riches has emerged,...
10 Ancient Relics Found in Unexpected Places
4 November, 2017 - 17:56 aprilholloway

10 Ancient Relics Found in Unexpected Places … and Some Fetched a Fortune!

Not all treasures are recognized for their historical significance or immense value, especially when spotted by an untrained eye. Such was the case of the Bronze Age ceremonial dagger that had been...
This bronze key from Heggum farm in Røyken in the Oslofjord is dated to the Viking Age.
4 November, 2017 - 00:49 ancient-origins

The Symbolic Key to a Viking Woman’s Independence

By ThorNews A large number of ornate keys from the Viking Age (c. 800-1066 AD) have been found in female graves and as individual findings. Bronze keys made with superb craftsmanship were used as a...
The findings included vases and a series of lamps, notably some included depictions of the Roman goddess Venus and two cupids.
3 November, 2017 - 01:02 Theodoros Karasavvas

Valuable Jewels, Ornate Lamps and Coins Unearthed from 2,000-Year-Old Tombs in Corinth

A team of Greek researchers has unearthed unique jewels, coins and other precious artifacts while excavating tombs near the ruins of the ancient city of Corinth. Experts estimate that the newly found...
Tutankhamum’s Golden Coffin
1 November, 2017 - 13:01 Kaya Johnson

5 Important Egyptian Archaeological Discoveries that Provided Leaps in Our Knowledge of the Past

When it comes to archaeological discoveries, very few countries can measure up to the wealth of Egypt. From the Rosetta Stone , to the Valley of the Kings, to the great ancient pyramids at Giza,...
Charcoal drawn face from a cave in Mona, Puerto Rico
30 October, 2017 - 21:55 Theodoros Karasavvas

Cave Art in the Dark: Thousands of Indigenous Pre-Columbian Paintings Brought to Light

A team of British and Puerto Rican archaeologists claim to have uncovered the long-lost art of a forgotten civilization on a tiny and remote uninhabited island in the Caribbean. Experts suggest that...
A cape made from Madagascar Golden Orb spider silk exhibited at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.
21 October, 2017 - 18:54 dhwty

World’s Rarest Textile is Made From the Silk of One Million Spiders

In 2009, what is believed to be the world’s largest and rarest piece of cloth made entirely from the silk of the golden silk orb-weaver was exhibited at the American Museum of Natural History in New...
Every major civilization added their own distinct imprint to the collection of rock art at Dus-Dag mountain.
19 October, 2017 - 01:53 ancient-origins

Mountainside Gallery Where All Civilizations Added Their Own Art from Bronze Age to Medieval Times

By The Siberian Reporters -Sergey Zubchuk and Olga Gertcyk On the border between Russia and Mongolia, we reveal awe-inspiring Kara-Turug petroglyphs, and they contain a BIG secret about ancient...
A Malakulan spider web mask.
18 October, 2017 - 18:56 dhwty

Museum Mix-up Creates a Sticky Mess: Spider Web Masks Did NOT Suffocate Widows

Spider webs are sticky, somewhat creepy, and generally not something you like to see in your house. But they are also intricate and beautiful when the right light hits them. Even more intriguing than...
King Haraldr hárfagri receives the kingdom out of his father's hands. From the 14th century Icelandic manuscript Flateyjarbók.
14 October, 2017 - 02:00 aprilholloway

Icelander Sagas May Have More Truth to Them than You Think

Myths and legends – purely the creation of creative and imaginative minds, right? Not necessarily. Numerous stories, sagas, and texts from the ancient past have been proven to hold facts. For example...
Ay as Sem Priest in tomb of King Tutankhamun. Note the leopard pelt – this is an example of the Imiut.
11 October, 2017 - 18:45 dhwty

The Enigmatic Imiut: Magical Gear for Ancient Egyptian Priests

The Imiut is a peculiar artifact which has puzzled Egyptologists for a very long time. It was worshipped for its supposed magical powers, making it a fetish, but no one is entirely sure what it was...
Luwian Hieroglyphic inscription by the Great King of Mira, Kupanta-Kurunta, composed at about 1180 BC.
11 October, 2017 - 13:46 Theodoros Karasavvas

3,200-Year-Old Stone Inscription Narrates the Tales of Sea People and a Trojan Prince

A group of Swiss and Dutch archaeologists have announced the rediscovery of a 29-meter-long (95 ft) Luwian hieroglyphic inscription that supposedly narrates the tales of mysterious “Sea People” and a...
Charles Hanson of Hansons Auctioneers with the plate
10 October, 2017 - 13:50 Theodoros Karasavvas

Granny’s Ming Dynasty Style Plate Sold for Nearly a Quarter of a Million Pounds

An ancient Chinese plate dating back to the 1700s has been sold in the UK for almost a quarter of a million pounds. That’s about £100,000 more than experts predicted for the almost 300-year-old piece...
relief at the ancient Persian city of Persepolis (now in modern Iran), including inscriptions in cuneiform, the world’s oldest form of writing.
6 October, 2017 - 22:56 ancient-origins

The Controversial Road to the Recovery of Cuneiform Texts

It is a little-known piece of history that Saddam Hussein was a great fan of ancient Mesopotamian literature. His enthusiasm for epics written in cuneiform – the world’s oldest known form of writing...
This iron helmet is the only one that is found in Scandinavia dating back to the Viking Age. Why are not more found? (Photo: Museum of Cultural History, Oslo)
30 September, 2017 - 18:51 ancient-origins

Why Is This the Only Existing Viking Age Helmet?

By THORNEWS In 1943, extraordinarily rich finds from the Viking Age were made in Haugsbygd in Ringerike, Eastern Norway. The finds included – among many other objects – the only helmet dating back to...
The Viking weaver’s sword found at the South Main Street dig in Cork
28 September, 2017 - 14:00 Theodoros Karasavvas

1,000-year-old Viking Sword in Extraordinary Condition Discovered in Ireland

A 1,000-year-old wooden Viking weaver’s sword has been unearthed by archaeologists at the historic site of the former Beamish and Crawford brewery in Cork city, Ireland. Experts describe the sword as...
A cowboy boot in a horse’s stirrup.
23 September, 2017 - 13:59 dhwty

Giddyap! How the Stirrup Revolutionized Horseback Riding and Helped Build Empires

Seemingly simple, yet oh so significant - the stirrup is an invention that changed the history of the world. The emergence of the stirrup revolutionized the way horses were ridden and consequently re...
The sarcophagus of Junius Bassus.
21 September, 2017 - 13:58 Riley Winters

The Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus: How a Coffin Defeated the Gods

Bacchus into Jesus. This is a topic seen many times before and its relevance continues here. As mentioned in a previous article , the attributes of the Greco-Roman god of wine, transformation and...
A vase-scene from about 410 BC. Nimrod/Herakles, wearing his fearsome lion skin headdress, spins Noah/Nereus around and looks him straight in the eye. Noah gets the message and grimaces, grasping his scepter, a symbol of his rule - soon to be displaced in the post-Flood world by Nimrod/Herakles, whose visage reveals a stern smirk.
19 September, 2017 - 13:59 Robert Bowie Johnson

Ancient Greek Vase Artists Painted Images of Biblical Figures Noah and Nimrod Over 2,000 Years Ago

The Book of Genesis describes human history. Ancient Greek religious art depicts human history. While their viewpoints are opposite, the recounted events and characters match each other in convincing...
The two lozenges found at the Bronze Age burial site Bush Barrow
19 September, 2017 - 01:56 aprilholloway

Are There Hidden Depths to the Golden Lozenge of Stonehenge?

Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England is famous throughout the world and it remains today a place of extreme reverence. The monument is constructed from huge megalithic stones,...
The 5th century BC Amathus sarcophagus found in Amathus integrates Greek, Cypriot, and Oriental features. (Public Domain) Background: Detail of the Idalion Decree, a Bronze plaque engraved on both faces with a Cyprian inscription.
15 September, 2017 - 13:59 pkoutoupis

Exploring an Ancient and Undeciphered Language: Eteocypriot and the Amathus Bilingual Inscription

An English architect by profession and self-trained in the discipline and studies of linguistics and ancient history, Michael Ventris would be the first to identify the Mycenaean written Linear B...
The interior of Duke Humphrey's Library, the oldest reading room of the Bodleian Library in the University of Oxford.
14 September, 2017 - 19:00 Theodoros Karasavvas

Year Zero: Ancient Indian Text Includes Oldest Recorded Zero Symbol

Scientists claim to have traced the earliest example of one of the most significant conceptual breakthroughs in arithmetic to an ancient Indian text, known as the Bakhshali manuscript. The specific...

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