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Other Artifacts

Other Artifacts covers many items which have been recovered from the past and give us insights into ancient human worlds. From loaded Roman dice to the Shroud of Turin, these items help tell the stories of the varied culture and everyday lives of our ancestors. 

Modern model of the Antikythera Mechanism ( CC BY-SA 3.0 )

Antikythera Shipwreck and the Discovery of Ancient Tech That Shocked the World

Around 60 BC, a ship was wrecked off the northeast coast of a small island called Aigila in the straits between Crete and the Peloponnese. The exact character of the ship is not known, but it was...
A fake shrunken head.

Headhunting and Shrunken Heads: Gruesome Ancient War Trophies

Headhunting is a practice that has been carried out by numerous cultures throughout the world. For instance, during the Qin dynasty in ancient China it is claimed that soldiers collected the heads of...
Meteorite swords came from the heavens. Credit: mdorottya / Adobe Stock  By Aleksa Vučković

Meteorite Swords Forged from the Fire of the Heavens

From the earliest conscious moments of the human race, we looked up into the distant night sky in wonder and amazement. Our early ancestors glanced at the same skies we see today and pondered the...
The removal of meat from a bone using a replica of the Revadim tiny flake tool. Source: Professor Ran Barkai, Tel Aviv University

Acheulian Culture Had ‘Surgical’ Skills in Butchery

The Acheulian culture endured in the Levant for over a million years during the Lower Paleolithic period (1.4 million to 400,000 years ago). Its use of bifaces or large cutting tools like hand axes...
Trajan's Column and The Church of the Most Holy Name of Mary at the Trajan Forum, Rome, Italy.

Trajan's Column: An Unyielding Pillar of Imperial Strength

A pillar of Emperor Trajan's military victories, the Column of Trajan is as much a benchmark of Rome's strength as an empire as it is a monument to Trajan's success as a leader. Situated at the...
The discovery of the sarcophagus was made during redevelopment work. Source: Département du Lot / Facebook.

Sarcophagus From the Frankish Merovingian Era Found in France

In France a very significant early medieval tomb has been uncovered in a chance find from a key period in the history of France, under the Franks . Construction workers came across the sarcophagus of...
The discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun is one of the greatest archaeology achievements in history. Source: merydolla / Adobe Stock.

Unearthing the Ancients: Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun

The ancient age of Egypt, the enigmatic pharaohs and the rich history of the Nile valley , are without a doubt one of the most exciting and wondrous aspects of modern archaeology. Filled with several...
The Bhagavad Gita. Source: General Press / CC BY-SA 2.0.

The Ancient Philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita, Song of God

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most important religious texts in Hinduism as well as one of the most seminal religious texts in the world, alongside the Bible , the Quran , the Torah and the...
Peering Through Time: Early Mirrors in Mesoamerica - Elite Item and Divination Tool

Peering Through Time: Early Mesoamerican Mirrors for Grooming and Divination

Mirrors are known to have been used by human beings for thousands of years. The earliest examples of manufactured mirrors come from Anatolia (known today as Turkey). These were made from pieces of...
Archeologists have identified about 40 previously unknown monuments near Newgrange. The Boyne to Brodgar Project is examining connections between the Boyne Valley and the Orkney Islands. Source: Dr. Davis / UCD School of Archaeology.

Survey Identifies Neolithic Monument Aligned With the Winter Solstice at Brú na Bóinne

The Newgrange Stone Age monument in Ireland is of great archaeological importance and it’s extent keep reaching new bounds. In recent years many historic remains have been identified in the area...
Viking Drinking Hall Unearthed On Orkney Provides ‘Unparalleled’ Insights Into Chieftain’s Life

Viking Drinking Hall Unearthed On Orkney Provides ‘Unparalleled’ Insights Into Chieftain’s Life

Archaeologists excavating on a tiny island off the north coast of Scotland have discovered an 800-year-old Viking ‘Bu’, or drinking hall , once serviced by a high-ranking Orcadian Norse chieftain...
The Acropolis of Athens. Source: moofushi / Adobe Stock.

The Acropolis Of Athens: A Golden Age Legacy

The Acropolis of Athens is the most famous of the many acropolises from ancient Greece. The Acropolis we know today was initially constructed in the 5th century BC under Pericles , a governor of...
Example skull of Neolithic people. Source: (Author provided/ The Conversation)

Who Were the Mysterious Neolithic People That Enabled the Rise of Ancient Egypt?

By Joel D. Irish , Czekaj- Zastawny Agnieszka , and Jacek Kabacinski / The Conversation To many, ancient Egypt is synonymous with the pharaohs and pyramids of the Dynastic period starting about 3,100...
View of the 2019 construction site and the alignment of steles, standing stones. Source: © SBMA - ARIA SA.

Rare Stone Steles With Unknown Figures Found At Neolithic Site in Switzerland

A remarkable series of standing stones have been found near one of the most important Neolithic sites in Switzerland , and indeed in the entire Alpine region of Europe. The unearthed stones are...
The 350-year-old gold signet ring found on the lakeshore of Loch Lomond in Scotland.

Detectorist Finds Falsely Executed 17th-Century Courtier’s Gold Signet Ring

Metal detectorists have made a number of extraordinary finds in recent years. A detectorist on vacation in Scotland discovered a ring that belonged to a 17th-century English courtier who was unjustly...
Surface model of the Xiahe mandible after digital removal of the adhering carbonate crust. Source: Jean-Jacques Hublin, ResearchGate.

The Teeth Have It: Tracing the Denisovan Legacy Around the World

A dental trait found in the Xiahe Denisovan jawbone as well as in some ancient and modern human populations now provides a rare opportunity to track the geographical reach and perhaps even the final...
Horned figure on the Gundestrup Cauldron

The Gundestrup Cauldron: Largest and Most Exquisite Iron Age Silver Work in Europe

The Gundestrup Cauldron is an ancient silver vessel that was discovered in a peat bog in Denmark. This cauldron is notable for being the largest known piece of European Iron Age silver work. Thus,...
This rural mosque likely served nearby farmers sometime between 600 and 700 AD. (Emil Aladjem / Israel Antiquities Authority)

One of the Oldest Islamic Holy Sites in the World Discovered in Israel

The remains of a 1,200-year-old mosque have been unearthed in Israel’s Negev desert and it’s being celebrated as one of the earliest known mosques in the world. Hidden beneath the sands of Rahat,...
Mask of pharaoh Tutankhamun. Source: Dieter Hawlan / Adobe Stock

The Boy King Behind the Mask: Tutankhamun’s Life and Legacy

The incredible golden mask with its dark blue stripes of lapis lazuli and serious young face is probably the most famous ancient artifact in the world. It is instantly recognizable, and the iconic...
Vikings arriving in North America at the Newfoundland site. Source: Nejron Photo / Adobe Stock.

Dispute Over Evidence Of Cannabis Use By Vikings In North America

Cannabis pollen discovered near an ancient Viking settlement in Newfoundland is generating differences in opinion as to whether or not the Vikings were smoking and eating the weed while they explored...
Photograph (top) and tracing (bottom) of an engraved human bone fragment found at Lingjing in China’s Henan Province. Source: Francesco d’Errico and Luc Doyon / Fair Use.

Oldest Human Bone Engraved and Painted By Hominid Found In China

In China a team of archaeologists has made a significant discovery after examining a human bone that may be up to 125,000 years old . They found a small bone that shows signs that it was cut and then...
Plastico di Roma imperiale at the Museum of the Roman Civilization. Source: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra / CC BY-SA 2.0.

The Plastico di Roma Imperiale Wasn’t Built in a Day: Accurate Mini Rome Model Took 35 Years

The Roman Empire dominated most of Europe and parts of Africa and the Middle East for over thousand years, evolving from a monarchy to a democracy and finally a militaristic dictatorship. The empire...
Catacomb Saint - Saint Gratian. Source: Xenophon / CC BY-SA 4.0.

A Beauty in Darkness: The Hidden Secrets of the Catacomb Saints

Death was always a source of mystery for people around the world. But what happens when we erase that invisible border and make the dead a thing to worship? Never too far from every major turn of...
Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii. Source: dbvirago / Adobe Stock.

Pompeii: The Ancient Roman City Frozen in Time

In the Campania region of Italy near the modern day city of Naples , there was once a prosperous Roman city - Pompeii. As a thriving center for trade, the inhabitants of the city were a mixture of...

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