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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.

The Atacama Giant

The Puzzling Case of the Atacama Giant

The most well-known geoglyphs in the world are undoubtedly the Nazca Lines of coastal Peru. Yet, in the Atacama Desert of Chile, there is another group of geoglyphs that are equally as impressive...
Graham Hancock at Sacsayhuaman, Cusco, Peru.

Can Ancient Apocalypse Series 2 Convince Us of a Lost Ice Age Civilization?

Controversial Scottish journalist Graham Hancock’s hit TV show, Ancient Apocalypse , has just released its second season on Netflix, with a focus on the Americas. With Keanu Reeves signed onboard,...
AI Representation of a stone stargate, hinting at ancient advancement.

Was Humanity More Advanced in Prehistoric Times Than We Think?

When we think of our most distant ancestors, and prehistory in general, we often think of primitivity , of crude archaic humans who had no mastery over everything and were left to bare survival. We...
Pottery vessel made in Tel Hama, including child’s fingerprint, which is evidence of child labor in ancient Syria.

Child Labor Used in Syrian Kingdom to Fuel Ceramic Needs of Alcoholic Feasts

New research from Syria’s Tel Hama, a town at the edge of the Ebla Kingdom, shows that 4,500-years-ago, at the time of the Early Bronze Age, two-thirds of the pottery was made by children, starting...
Left; Officials examine a trough-like feature at the site. Right; Seals and cuneiform tablets.

Excavation Uncovers New Secrets in Ancient Babylon

An ongoing archaeological excavation in the Babylon Governorate of Iraq has yielded 478 artifacts, according to a recent site visit by the local excavation committee. The artifacts discovered at the...
Josh Gates and the team at the entrance of the tomb found at Petra.

Tomb Discovered Beneath Petra Holds Human Remains and ‘Holy Grail’ Cup

A hidden tomb containing the remains of at least 12 individuals and an artifact resembling the 'Holy Grail' has been discovered under Petra’s famous Al Khazneh, one of the Middle East's greatest...
An ancient Roman road at Leptis Magna, Libya

Ancient Journeys: What was Travel Like for the Romans?

It was not uncommon for the ancient Romans to travel long distances all across Europe. Actually during the Roman Empire, Rome had an incredible road network which extended from northern England all...
6,000-year-old Neolithic long house uncovered in Sandomierz-Mokoszyn, Poland.

First Longhouse From Neolithic Poland Unearthed, Dated to 6000 Years Old

Archaeologists working in the Sandomierz-Mokoszyn area of Poland have exposed an extraordinary find: the first longhouse from the early Neolithic period ever found in the Sandomierz Upland. This...
The script Linear B on a clay tablet, and a book containing decipherment notes.

Archive Tells of Cracking Ancient Greek Language

By Michael Miller /University of Cincinatti A retired Classics professor from Texas donated a collection of papers to the University of Cincinnati detailing the deciphering of an ancient Greek...
Reconstruction drawing of the house, and detail photo of the Neolithic cellar wall in Denmark.

Ancient Construction Technology Discovered Under a Neolithic House

A groundbreaking discovery in Denmark has revealed evidence of an advanced technological structure dating back 5,000 years. While excavating a Neolithic site on the island of Falster, archaeologists...
An edition of the Kangyur text.

The Kangyur: Written with 9 Precious Stones

Buddhism was founded over two and a half millennia ago in India by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha (Sanskrit for ‘awakened one’). Like the practitioners of Hinduism, Buddhists believe in the concept...
First published in 1487, the Malleus Maleficarum — or Hammer of Witches book title page.

How a Witch-hunting Manual & Social Networks Ignited Europe’s Witch Craze

The sudden emergence of witch trials in early modern Europe may have been fueled by one of humanity's most significant intellectual milestones: the invention of the printing press in 1450. A new...
Left;  Right; Experiment, one-handed spear and shield fight.

Bronze Age Spear Fights Recreated Through Simulating Ancient Combat Techniques

A new study has confirmed what we already suspected and knew, but in much more elaborate detail: the Bronze Age was a long, long bloodbath. The team of researchers, including experts from Göttingen...
Chariot exposing the wheels and copper pillar.

Machines of War from 2000 BC Unearthed in Elite Burial Ground in India

Archaeologists performing excavations at a site known as Sinauli in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India unearthed a most extraordinary set of Chalcolithic period (Copper Age) remains and...
Elamite Gold Masks Amongst Others Recovered in Iran Undercover Operation

Elamite Gold Masks Amongst Others Recovered in Iran Undercover Operation

In an almost sensationalist operation targeting antiquities smugglers in Bushehr province, southern Iran, the police chief announced the recovery of invaluable ancient artifacts. This booty includes...
Conrad Hass manuscript rocket description page.

Sibiu Manuscript: A Forgotten Document on 16th Century Space Flight (video)

This video explores the extraordinary Sibiu Manuscript, discovered in Romania in 1961. Written by 16th century Austrian military engineer Conrad Haas, the manuscript contains detailed descriptions of...
Ancient Technologies. Right: The Lycurgus Cup. Center: Iron Pillar of Delhi, Left: Replica of the Baghdad Battery.

10 Ancient Technologies That Are Still a Mystery Today

We often think about our distant ancestors as primitive, equipped with the crudest of tools and a limited set of skills. But more often than not, we are terribly mistaken. Ancient civilizations are...
An AI image of Anne Boleyn, Queen of England.

“Lady Bergavenny”: Joanna Neville, Anne Boleyn or Eleanor Stafford? Decoding the Mystery

On 10th April 2016 the article published in the Sunday Time s and Mail Online claimed that a nineteenth-century engraving of a lost portrait of Anne Boleyn had been found on eBay by the best-selling...
Castro San Vicenzo Excavations Unveil Celtic Symbols and Other Iberian Age Symbols

Castro San Vicenzo Excavations Unveil Celtic Symbols and Other Iberian Age Symbols

Excavations conducted over the month of September at Castro de San Vicenzo in Plane, Ourense, Spain, has led the uncovering of several well-preserved artifacts connected to the Castro culture from...
Viking Coin Hoard Find Includes a Fistful of Kings

Viking Coin Hoard Find Includes a Fistful of Kings

A stunning hoard of Viking silver coins that are over 1,000-years-old has been discovered on the Isle of Man, deepening the island’s rich Viking legacy. Unearthed in May 2024 by metal detectorists...
The Behistun Inscription, 520 BC, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Behistun Inscription, The Rosetta Stone of Persia

The Behistun Inscription is an engraving located on the cliff of Mount Behistun (said to have had the meaning of ‘place where the gods dwell’ in antiquity). This inscription was written in three...
Natural amber. A piece of yellow transparent natural amber on large piece of dark stoned wood.

Ancient Mycenaeans Wore Amber Jewelry to Symbolize Their Elite Status

In a new study carried out by the Director of the Polish Archaeological Institute of Athens, it has been revealed that the earliest Greeks carried amber to symbolize their connection to the Sun and...
: 'Lady in Muslin', painted by Francesco Renaldi, Dhaka, 1789.

The Lost Art of Dhaka Muslin: A Story of Beauty and Exploitation (Video)

Over two centuries ago, Dhaka muslin was the most coveted and expensive fabric in the world, gracing the wardrobes of royalty and the elite. Made in Bengal, now part of Bangladesh, this fabric was...
The three main Egyptian pyramids at Giza, together with subsidiary pyramids and the remains of other ancient structures

The Secrets of the Egyptian Pyramids: Were They More Than Just Tombs?

Built at the dawn of the Ancient Egyptian civilization, the great Pyramids continue to inspire awe, millennia after their construction. The fact that the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra lived closer in time...

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