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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. 

The Joyeuse Sword of Charlemagne. Source: P.poschadel/CC BY-SA 3.0
16 April, 2024 - 14:52 Bryan Hill

Joyeuse: The Legendary Sword of Charlemagne

The sword of Joyeuse, which today sits in the Louvre Museum, is one of the most famous swords in history. Historical records link the sword to Charlemagne the Great, King of the Franks. If it did...
Picture of St. Hildegard near Bingen at Rhine River. Source: Philipp/Adobe Stock
13 April, 2024 - 14:52 Aleksa Vučković

Exploring the Masters: 10 Influential Medieval Artists You Should Know

The Medieval period, spanning roughly from the 5th to the 15th centuries AD, was a time of profound artistic expression that laid the groundwork for the Renaissance to follow. Despite the challenges...
The skull of the man found in Poland from behind. On the left the absence of a hard palate can be clearly seen. The photograph on the right shows how the gold prosthesis was fitted. Source: Anna Spinek; © 2024 Elsevier Ltd / Live Science.
13 April, 2024 - 00:58 Joe Green

300 Year Old “Exceptional” Prosthesis made of Gold and Copper Discovered in Poland

Archaeologists in Poland working on the excavation of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Krakow have found something new, described as the first discovery of its kind in the country. The body of...
The Roman bronze plaque measures only 26-28 mm in diameter. Source: Museum Vestsjaelland
12 April, 2024 - 22:32 Nathan Falde

Roman Era Bronze Plaque Showing Alexander the Great Found in Denmark

During explorations on the Danish Island of Zealand, a pair of amateur archaeologists unearthed a small but remarkable artifact. While using metal detectors to search for coins or other items at a...
The relics humans have chosen to worship over the course of human history can often help us understand the extent of belief systems and the anatomies of faith. Source: Top: Village Preservation Blog Bottom: epic_images / Adobe Stock; Public domain; Golden Palace Events
12 April, 2024 - 13:09 Aleksa Vučković

Footprints, Fairies and even a Foreskin: 9 Bizarre Relics from History

From time immemorial, people had the need to venerate objects of great significance: religious relics, mythical symbols or depictions of holy figures. As if in answer to this need, the religious...
Helen and Paris fresco, indicated in a Greek inscription placed between the two figures with his other name ‘Alexandros’. Source: Archaeological Park of Pompeii
12 April, 2024 - 00:53 ancient-origins

Spectacular New Frescoes Uncovered in Pompeii

A spectacular banqueting room with elegant black walls, decorated with mythological characters and subjects inspired by the Trojan War, is one of the rooms recently brought to light during the...
Alan Baxter with his detecting equipment. Source: Alan Baxter
11 April, 2024 - 14:17 Gary Manners

The Carrot Patch Hoard: A Detectorist's Dream Comes True

In a fortunate turn of events, a routine carrot harvest in Fife, Scotland, led to the remarkable discovery of a hoard of ancient coins dating back 500 years. Alan Baxter, a 44-year-old detectorist...
Left; Byzantine silverware, Right; Medieval silver coins from the study. Source: Left; Johnbod/CC BY-SA 4.0, Right; Antiquity Publications Ltd
9 April, 2024 - 17:12 Gary Manners

Medieval England’s Sudden Silver Currency Conversion Solved

After years of speculation, researchers have finally traced the origins of Europe's revolutionary adoption of silver coins in the mid-7th century, uncovering a tale of economic evolution and...
Huge 16th century statue known as the Apennine Colossus by Giambologna in the garden of the Villa Demidoff di Pratolino, Tuscany, Italy. Source: Antonio Scaramuzzino/CC BY NC ND 2.0
9 April, 2024 - 14:50 Riley Winters

Man Out of Mountain: The Striking Figure of the Apennine Colossus

At the feet of the Apennines, Aeneas and his men defeated the Latins in one of the first victories of the early Romans. Amid flying arrows and screaming men, the Latins laid down their weapons and...
The blue stingray’s disc-like shape would have made it ideal for tracing. Source: Kyle Smith/The Conversation
6 April, 2024 - 01:00 ancient-origins

Stingray Sand ‘Sculpture’ on South Africa’s Coast May Be World’s Oldest

By Charles Helm & Alan Whitfield /The Conversation South Africa’s Cape south coast offers many hints about how our human ancestors lived some 35,000 to 400,000 years ago during the Pleistocene...
Left: The tiny votive axes were probably utilized within an ancient ceremonial practice. Right: Rolled up lead Roman curse tablets found at the site. Source: Red River Archaeology Group
2 April, 2024 - 17:47 Sahir

Remarkable Roman Villa Unearthed from a Bronze Age Site in England

A Bronze Age site in England, housing a ‘richly decorated Roman villa’ from a later period, has revealed a bounty of artifacts and architectural evidence, which includes aisled buildings adorned with...
The copper axe seems to have been made by the Trypillia, but their culture never made it as far west as Poland. Source: Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments / Heritage Daily.
30 March, 2024 - 13:42 Joe Green

Lost in Time and Out of Place: Trypillia Copper Axe is Poland’s Oldest

A remarkable discovery has been made in eastern Poland. Archaeologists have unearthed a copper axe in Poland’s Hrubieszów district which looks for all the world like it belongs to the ancient...
King John’s final campaign in 1216 cost him his life and his crown jewels, but there is new hope the priceless treasure will be found again. Source: Charles A. Buchel / Public Domain.
29 March, 2024 - 16:47 Sahir

Search is On to Find King John’s Lost Crown Jewels

The year is 1216 and King John of England, made famous as the usurper who faced off against Robin Hood, faces open rebellion from his nobles across much of the country. The ailing king is forced to...
The excavation site of Herculaneum. Source: Jerónimo Roure Pérez/CC BY-SA 4.0
28 March, 2024 - 19:52 Robbie Mitchell

Wooden Furniture of Herculaneum Preserved by Vesuvius (Video)

The wooden furniture unearthed from the ruins of Herculaneum , preserved by the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius , provides an extraordinary window into the daily existence of ancient Romans...
An amphora at the bottom of Kerpe’s ancient harbor in the Black Sea. Source: IHA / Anatolian Archaeology.
24 March, 2024 - 22:02 Joe Green

First Ever Scientific Underwater Excavation of Black Sea Reveals Ancient Harbor

In 2020, the first ever scientific underwater excavation ever undertaken in the Black Sea was started. Now, the results of that expedition are coming to light, revealing millennia-old artifacts and...
Part of a tomb dating to the Jin Dynasty found in Changzhi city, Shanxi Province, China. Source: Shanxi Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology/ China Daily
19 March, 2024 - 16:59 Sahir

Three Jin Dynasty Tombs Discovered in Chinese Village Reveal History

Three brick-chamber tombs from the Great Jin Dynasty (1115 – 1234 AD) that were uncovered in China have been found to feature beautiful and intricate wall murals. Though subject to looting and damage...
Some of the 22 looted, historic items that have been repatriated to Japan Source: FBI Boston
18 March, 2024 - 21:44 Nathan Falde

Treasures Looted from Okinawa During WW II Returned Eight Decades Later

Seeking to correct an 80-year-old injustice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has returned a collection of looted cultural artifacts to the people of Okinawa, Japan. These artifacts were...
A Ming Dynasty tomb, remarkably preserved, was discovered in Xinzhou city, located in Shanxi province. Source: Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology
15 March, 2024 - 16:47 Sahir

Pristine Ming Dynasty Tomb Unearthed in China’s Shanxi Province

For centuries, the pale blue doors of a formidable stone Ming Dynasty tomb in China’s Shanxi Province have remained tightly shut, shrouded in mystery. Upon gaining entry, archaeologists were greeted...
left obverse and right reverse of the silver denarius from Rome, dated 113-112 BC. Source: American Numismatic Society
11 March, 2024 - 16:42 ancient-origins

Coin Reveals Ancient Rome’s Fight Against Voter Intimidation

David B. Hollander /The Conversation This silver denarius, minted over 2,000 years ago , is hardly the most attractive Roman coin. And yet, the coin is vital evidence for the early stages of a...
AI image of a cave. Source: ToonArt/Adobe Stock
9 March, 2024 - 19:55 Robbie Mitchell

Bizarre Archaeological Finds That Rewrote History (Video)

Archaeology serves as a key to unlock the mysteries of our past, offering glimpses into ancient civilizations that challenge conventional historical narratives. One such revelation emerged from a...
Gold items in situ on the floor of the Coclé lord’s tomb. Source: Panama Ministry of Culture
5 March, 2024 - 13:45 Gary Manners

Gold-Filled Tomb of Pre-Hispanic Lord Unearthed in Panama

For gold lovers, it doesn’t get much better than this discovery at the archaeological park of El Caño in Panama. Archaeologists have unveiled the tomb of an esteemed Coclé lord from the pre-Hispanic...
The Shroud of Turin: modern, digitally processed image of the face on the cloth. Source: Dianelos Georgoudis/CC BY-SA 3.0
4 March, 2024 - 19:49 Robbie Mitchell

Decoding the Enigma of the Shroud of Turin (Video)

In the tumultuous backdrop of Jerusalem in 33 AD, the narrative of Jesus Christ's final days unfolded dramatically. Following his triumphal entry into the city and subsequent confrontation within the...
The collection of 16 mostly Roman offerings found at the sacred spring site in Anglesey. Source: Museum Wales
1 March, 2024 - 13:54 ancient-origins

Roman Offerings at Sacred Spring Whisper of the Druids’ Last Stand

In a significant archaeological find, a collection of sixteen ancient artifacts dating back to the Iron Age and Roman periods has been officially declared treasure by H.M. Senior Coroner for North-...
Inscription on the Negau helmet B. Source: Peter1936F / CC BY-SA 4.0
29 February, 2024 - 22:06 Aleksa Vučković

Do the Runes on the Negau Helmet B Really Date Back Over 2,000 Years?

The exact origin of the runic alphabet is still an enigma for scholars, who continue in their efforts to deduce when it first appeared. Because of this, every new archaeological excavation that bears...

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