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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. 

Japanese parade helmet, made from iron, gilded copper, lacquered leather, silk
3 April, 2017 - 18:57 dhwty

More Than Metal: Amazing Historical Suits of Armor

Armor was commonly used by warriors for protection during combat. In the history of warfare, various types of armor have been used. Some of these, such as the lorica segmentata of the Roman...
Terra Cotta Soldiers (CC BY 2.0), and Qin Shi Huang in a 19th century portrait (Public Domain);Deriv.
2 April, 2017 - 14:06 Shibumi

The King Who Made War Illegal! Challenging the Official History of The Art of War and the Terra Cotta Army–Part II

Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor of a unified China. His remarkable success in ending 200 years of war and founding the empire through peaceful means had followed a methodology fully articulated...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Golden treasures that were found inside Tutankhamun’s tomb.
3 February, 2017 - 18:45 Kerry Sullivan

Everyone Knows the Mask of King Tut, but Have You Seen Any of the 5,000 Other Treasures from His Tomb?

To his subjects, King Tutankhamen was part man, part god. His death in 1323 BC signaled the end of an era - the end of Egypt as an imperial power. The circumstances surrounding King Tut’s death are...
Can you Believe these Gorgeous Globes are Painstakingly Hand-made and Illustrated?
31 January, 2017 - 22:50 Mark Miller

Can you Believe these Gorgeous Globes are Painstakingly Hand-made and Illustrated?

If you had a globe at home when you were a child, you may have played the game of spinning the globe, placing your finger on it lightly, and wherever the globe stops under your finger is where you...
No Gossiping, Gluttony, Lying, or Eavesdropping! European Metal Masks Would Shame You into Good Behavior
28 January, 2017 - 13:54 dhwty

No Gossiping, Gluttony, Lying, or Eavesdropping! European Metal Masks Would Shame You into Good Behavior

Shame masks were a type of embarrassing punishment device used in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. As its name suggests, the shame mask was meant to humiliate the person who was forced to...
Head and Partial Torso of a Horse' Jade figure China (Han dynasty 206 BC - AD 220) Victoria & Albert Museum (CC BY-SA 2.5)
27 January, 2017 - 22:52 Mark Miller

Dubious Ancient Jade and Copper artifacts of the Ancient Chinese

You might call ancient Chinese royalty of the Han Dynasty jaded. Some aristocrats of around 2,000 years ago enjoyed a lusty sex life that included bronze dildos and jade butt plugs. And the presence...
Detail of the hand section of the jade burial suit of Liu Sui, Prince of Liang, of Western Han
23 January, 2017 - 13:50 Natalia Klimczak

Fit for a King: Royals of Ancient China Buried in Jade Ceremonial Suits

Perceptions of the afterlife have inspired thousands of weird ideas for burial rituals around the world. One example comes in form of the remarkably beautiful and fascinating ceremonial suits created...

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