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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.

A Sri Lankan version of the urumi, with multiple blades.
29 March, 2017 - 18:59 dhwty

A Flexible and Deadly Blade: The Dangerous Urumi

The urumi (which may be literally translated as ‘curling blade’,) is a type of weapon from India. This weapon is known also as ‘surul vaal’, which means ‘spring sword’). As its name suggests, this...
Drinking Horn by Brynjólfur Jónsson of Skarð, South Iceland – 1598
29 March, 2017 - 01:58 ancient-origins

Icelandic Drinking Horn Changes Our Historic Understanding of Saint Olav

After the Reformation, Norway's Olav Haraldsson was no longer supposed to be worshipped as a saint. An Icelandic drinking horn offers some clues on how the saint's status changed over time. Drinking...
This rare ritual mask fuses together the exotic beauty of Luba with the hypnotic power of Songye art.
26 March, 2017 - 18:56 ashley cowie

Half A Million Dollar Mask With Otherworldly Origins

Deep in the Congo, at the darkest moment within a three-day long drug enhanced ritual, this mask is revealed to initiates as representing a being from another dimension, a collision of man, animal...
A 13th century, double-edged sword, possibly of German manufacture but discovered in England in the 19th century (British Museum 1858,1116.5)
25 March, 2017 - 17:50 ashley cowie

The Encoded Crusader Sword: Can You Solve the Cryptic Code?

Can you solve the cryptic code engraved into the blade of this 13th century sword? The curious inscription continues to baffle historians, cryptographers ad linguists and last year the British...
The 130-million-year-old fossil.
23 March, 2017 - 21:57 ashley cowie

The 130-Million-Year-Old Human Fossil Heist

In 2016, a telephone interview with an artefact collector led me to uncover a scientific conspiracy of Biblical proportions. Professors are the high priests of our technology driven society, but as...
Old Symbols, New Feelings: How Did the Cup of Ptolemies Become a Chalice of Christ?
21 March, 2017 - 18:00 Kerry Sullivan

Old Symbols, New Feelings: How Did the Cup of Ptolemies Become a Chalice of Christ?

It is always interesting to see how ancient traditions persist even up to the modern era. Whether it is the resurgence of Eastern meditation practices in modern healthcare or the lingering presence...
The Mysterious Lithophones of Vietnam: Descendants of the First Musical Instruments?
20 March, 2017 - 21:57 dhwty

The Mysterious Lithophones of Vietnam: Descendants of the First Musical Instruments?

The word ‘lithophone’ is derived from two Greek words, ‘lithos’ and ‘phone’. The first can be translated as ‘stone’, whilst the second means ‘sound’. Therefore, a lithophone may be said to be a ‘...
Herbs to Kill or Heal? Was this 17th Century Faux-Book for a Poisoner or Apothecary?
20 March, 2017 - 17:58 Kerry Sullivan

Secret Stash of Lethal Poisons Hidden in 17th Century Book. Was This Really an Assassin's Cabinet?

When photos of the faux-book first began to circulate online it was considered a hoax. The image was featured on the ArtefactPorn subreddit and commenters quickly denounced it as a fake, a mere...
Tutankhamun’s silver trumpet with wooden insert. Tutankhamun’s War Chest by Asaf Braverman
16 March, 2017 - 17:58 Caleb Strom

Instruments of Mass Destruction: Do Tutankhamun’s Trumpets Really Summon War?

In 1922, the tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered in Egypt by an expedition led by the archaeologist Howard Carter. The discoveries made in uncovering the largely untouched tomb provided a wealth of...
Can You Solve the Mystery Behind This Intricately Carved Skull?
15 March, 2017 - 17:53 Kerry Sullivan

Can You Solve the Mystery Behind This Intricately Carved Skull?

Experts from a wide array of organizations are examining an intricately carved skull discovered in an antique shop in Vienna in 2011. The skull, believed to be 300 years old, is completely covered...
Common Tools or Ancient Advanced Technology? How Did the Egyptians Bore Through Granite?
13 March, 2017 - 17:48 Caleb Strom

Common Tools or Ancient Advanced Technology? How Did the Egyptians Bore Through Granite?

Ancient Egypt is known for many technological and artistic achievements, constructing pyramids and temples, inventing a system of writing, hieroglyphs, and making advancements in medicine, astronomy...
The Mastermyr Chest.
12 March, 2017 - 01:48 Caleb Strom

Perfected Designs 1000 Years Ago? The Mastermyr Chest and the Timelessness of Everyday Tools

In archaeology, the most enduring and ubiquitous artifacts are often everyday items such as pots and simple tools. These items also tend to be used for the longest period of time. Even though the...
Bluetooth Before the Internet: What Ideas Are Transmitted by the Jelling Stones of Denmark?
11 March, 2017 - 22:50 Riley Winters

Bluetooth Before the Internet: What Ideas Are Transmitted by the Jelling Stones of Denmark?

Harald Bluetooth survives history as among the most famous Viking chieftains, primarily because his personal rune stone has been repurposed for the Bluetooth software programmed into our phones, cars...
How Were They Made? Unlocking the 500-Year-Old Secret to Gothic Miniature Boxwood Carvings
10 March, 2017 - 18:55 Theodoros Karasavvas

How Were They Made? Unlocking the 500-Year-Old Secret to Gothic Miniature Boxwood Carvings

A mystery that lasted for nearly five centuries was finally solved with the assistance of modern technology. The magnificent 16th century miniature boxwood carvings that had been puzzling viewers and...
Leaving an Impression: Revealing the Intricate Story of Sumerian Cylinder Seals
9 March, 2017 - 18:57 dhwty

Leaving an Impression: Revealing the Intricate Story of Sumerian Cylinder Seals

A cylinder seal is a small cylindrical object with images, words, or both, engraved onto it. Sumerian cylinder seals would be rolled over wet clay to make an impression. When the clay dried, a seal...
A Stitch in Time Saves Nine: The Crafty Story of Embroidery in Medieval Manuscripts
2 March, 2017 - 18:59 Veronica Parkes

A Stitch in Time Saves Nine: The Crafty Story of Embroidery in Medieval Manuscripts

Even though paper would eventually come to be more popular, parchment was the preferred material for book making, and eventually printing, throughout the middle ages. Parchment, used before the rise...
Reconstruction of a polybolos, ancient Greek repeating ballista.
2 March, 2017 - 13:55 dhwty

An Ancient Greek Machine Gun? The Innovative Catapult of Dionysius

The polybolos (which may be translated literally as ‘multiple thrower’) was a type of weapon used in the ancient world. The polybolos has been described as a sort of ballista / catapult that was...
Luminous red nova star - V838 Monocerotis, courtesy NASA, STScI, ESA (Public Domain); Eye of Providence (Public Domain); Deriv.
1 March, 2017 - 13:58 Graham Phillips

Secret Societies and Hidden Knowledge: The Explosive Star that Inspired the Modern World

A few weeks ago, astronomers announced that in 2022 something truly spectacular is to occur: a new star will appear in the heavens. It will be the first such event visible with the naked eye for over...
The Braganza Brooch.
27 February, 2017 - 13:34 Natalia Klimczak

Celtic Secrets in Enchanting Gold, What is the Story Behind the Braganza Brooch?

The story of a warrior and animals depicted in a small but gorgeous ancient fibula increases the pulse of researchers and others who are passionate about Celtic history. Of the dozens of precious...
From the same 1429 Persian manuscript. Sañjīvaka/Schanzabeh.
26 February, 2017 - 14:10 dhwty

What Pearls of Wisdom are Held in the Animal Tales of the Panchatantra?

The Panchatantra (which means the ‘Five Principles’ in Sanskrit) is a collection of interwoven short stories from India. The tales in the Panchatantra are told in both prose and poetry, and consist...
Sweet Ancient Melodies of the Ney: One of the Oldest Musical Instruments Still in Use
17 February, 2017 - 01:52 Kerry Sullivan

Sweet Ancient Melodies of the Ney: One of the Oldest Musical Instruments Still in Use

For proof that the ney (also spelled nay) is one of the oldest musical instruments still in use, you need look no further than the great Sumerian city of Ur. Archeologists have found the delicate...
Did You Know that Tutankhamun Was Buried in Not One but THREE Golden Sarcophagi?
14 February, 2017 - 18:57 Veronica Parkes

Did You Know that Tutankhamun Was Buried in Not One but THREE Golden Sarcophagi?

The discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922 by Howard Carter and his archaeological team was highly significant due to the intact nature of the tomb. Entering the tomb, the team found four...
Sword in a Stone and Fairy Tale forest
8 February, 2017 - 13:50 Graham Phillips

Who Pulled the Sword from the Stone? The Truth of the Swords of King Arthur

This spring a new movie, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword , is to hit the big screens. Staring Charlie Hunnam as the fabled warrior, the film title suggests that the central theme is Arthur’s...
Hagia Triada sarcophagus
4 February, 2017 - 14:16 Natalia Klimczak

Does the Hagia Triada Sarcophagus Hold the Key to Discovering the Secrets of the Minoan History?

The sophisticated decoration of the 3,500-year-old sarcophagus of Hagia Triada has provoked huge discussions and debates among researchers, as it seems to provide evidence for a mysterious...

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