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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.

King Tut’s tomb was prepared in a rush. Source: Jaroslav Moravcik / Adobe Stock.

Why Was Tutankhamun’s Tomb Prepared in Such a Hurry? (Video)

King Tutankhamun's burial , typically a carefully orchestrated affair, deviates intriguingly from the norm. Anomalies emerge in the form of mysterious black mold patches adorning the tomb's walls, a...
Lady parading with followers bearing torches, at the ancient Celtic festival of Beltane, marking the beginning of summer.	Source: chrisdonia/CC BY NC SA 2.0

10 Ancient Festivals That Were Far From Innocent

Many ancient festivals had elements that were far from innocent, often involving rituals, practices, and customs that might seem strange or even disturbing by today's standards. From bloodletting, to...
Recreation of an Egyptian war chariot from the Early New Kingdom by Angus McBride

An Ancient Egyptian Arms Race (Video)

Seqenenre Tao , a determined pharaoh of the Seventeenth Dynasty in ancient Egypt, played a pivotal role in the arms race against the Hyksos during the Second Intermediate Period. Faced with the...
New excavations of the 1,300-year-old pre-Viking ship burial, referred to as Herlaugshaugen. Source: Hanne Bryn / NTNU Science Museum

1,300-Year-Old Pre-Viking Ship Burial Rewrites History

The identification of a pre-Viking ship burial unearthed in Norway is helping rewrite history. A previously excavated mound, containing remnants of the oldest large ship ever buried, on the island of...
The moment of the discovery of the wind chime in Viminacium.  Source: Ilija Danković, Archaeological Institute

Roman Winged Phallus Wind Chime Talisman Unearthed in Serbia

New research at the Viminacium site in eastern Serbia, once capital of the Roman province of Moesia Superior, has made a remarkable find. As soon as archaeologists began their latest exploration of...
Extensive floor mosaics uncovered at the site at İncesu, Cappadocia.	Source: Kayseri Municipality

Vast and Mesmerizing Floor Mosaic Unearthed in Cappadocian Villa

A floor mosaic covering a whopping area of 600 square meters has been uncovered during excavations in Cappadocia, in the heart of Turkey. Ongoing excavations at the site, believed to be the remnants...
Was this the world’s first zoo? Source: YouTube Screenshot / Smithsonian Channel.

Was This Ancient Egyptian Site The World's First Zoo? (Video)

In the world of ancient mysteries lies a peculiar Egyptian burial ground that challenges our understanding of the past. Archaeologist Dr Renée Friedman and her team have discovered a prehistoric...
Copper was central to King Solomon’s wealth. Source: PhotoGranary / Adobe Stock.

The Valuable Commodity Behind King Solomon's Wealth (Video)

In the quest to uncover the source of King Solomon's fabled riches, archaeologists have made a remarkable discovery in the arid landscapes of southern Israel, near Timna. These ancient mining sites,...
One of the Ram in a Thicket statues. Source: British Museum / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Ram in a Thicket: A Mesopotamian Legacy from the Ancient City of Ur

The treasures of ancient cultures are a source of never ending inspiration. It is such a wonder to see the magnificence of the art that was created in the dawn of civilization, so long before our...
Ancient biblical text. Source:  SVasco / Adobe Stock.

The Texts That Rocked the Foundations of Christianity (Video)

In 1831, Robert Curzon, an English nobleman, left Oxford without completing his studies, symbolizing the restlessness of his era. Disenchanted with England, he sought solace in Egypt , captivated by...
Largest Headhunting Massacre from Neolithic China Unearthed

Largest Headhunting Massacre from Neolithic China Unearthed

Evidence of the bloodiest decapitation and head-hunting in Neolithic Asian history, has been unearthed from China, from 4,100 years ago. In total, 41 skeletons were recovered, all belonging to women...
Security features in ancient tomb. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Smithsonian Channel.

What Maximum Security Meant for Ancient Tomb Raiders (Video)

The kings of the Han Dynasty went to extraordinary lengths to protect their tombs , and within these fortified resting places, ancient tomb raiders faced an imposing challenge. The tomb in this video...
Dr Omer Aksoy and Giulia Edmond measuring the prehistoric hand axes. Source: The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)

Massive 200,000-Year-Old Hand Axes Rewrite Saudi Arabia History

Archaeologists digging at the Qurh site in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla Governorate uncovered a set of enormous stone hand axes that were made by ancient humans living in the region 200,000 years ago,...
Ancient Greek archer. Source: Stanislav / Adobe Stock.

Could an Ancient Greek Bow Outperform a Modern One? (Video)

In a recent experiment two historians, Theodore, and Christos, decided to find out which is better an ancient Greek bow or its modern equivalent. Theodore wielded a replica of the legendary bow of...
Three stacks of French love letters bound together by a ribbon, were finally opened by Cambridge University professor Renaud Morieux at the national archives, Kew. Source: The National Archives / Renaud Morieux

18th Century Love Letters Written to French Sailors Finally Opened and Read

More than two-and-a-half centuries after they were originally composed, more than 100 letters sent to members of the French navy by their loved ones have finally been opened and read. The messages...
Close up of Old Croghan Man’s nails (National Museum of Ireland)

Why Does This Ancient Corpse Have a Manicure? (Video)

In central Ireland, beneath the looming presence of Croghan Hill, lies a mystery shrouded in history. Known simply as the Old Croghan Man , his true name remains a riddle lost to time. Archaeologists...
Pyramids acted as beacons to tomb raiders. Source: sit0108 / Adobe Stock.

Why Pyramids Were Effective Advertisements for Tomb Raiders (Video)

The ancient pyramids of Egypt, exemplified by the Great Pyramid of Giza , stand as remarkable structures in human history. Renowned Egyptologist Dr. Mark Lehner explores their construction and the...
Etching by Francisco Heylan depicting the discover of the Lead Books of Sacromonte. Source: Public domain

The Lead Books of Sacromonte: Historic Forgery or a True Christian Relic?

The Lead Books of Sacromonte, also known as the Libros Plúmbeos or the Sacromonte manuscripts, are a collection of purportedly ancient religious texts that were supposedly discovered in the 16th...
Mesopotamian clay balls have been unearthed in Iran. Source: Fair use

Mesopotamian Clay Balls: Ancient Relics or Prehistoric Hard Drives?

Research conducted in late 2013 offered intriguing clues to decoding the secrets of the Mesopotamian clay balls, which date back 5,500 years. The study, which used CT scanning to look inside the clay...
This ancient Egyptian tomb may have been ransacked by priests. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Smithsonian Channel.

Was This Ancient Egyptian Tomb Ransacked by Priests? (Video)

In the heart of the Valley of the Kings lies a mysterious tomb, designated as KV64. This mysterious burial site unveils a tumultuous chapter in ancient Egypt's history. The tomb , untouched and...
San Jose shipwreck. Credit: Presidency of the Republic of Colombia.

Holy Grail of Shipwrecks With $20 Billion of Treasure to be Raised from the Deep!

A Spanish galleon lying off the coast of Colombia has become a top priority project for the Colombian government, whose president is eager to recover as much as $20 billion in gold, silver, and gems...
The Pyramid texts discovered within the tomb of Unas at Saqqara in Egypt. Source: EvrenKalinbacak / Adobe Stock

The Pyramid Texts: Evidence for Hypnosis and Trance

There has been a long history of Egyptologists denying that the Egyptians had any mystical doctrines and practices connected with the world of the living, despite everything to the contrary said...
Ancient ballista weapon. Source: Viacheslav / Adobe Stock.

This Roman Weapon of Mass Destruction is 2000 Years Old (Video)

In the heart of northern Britain, a monumental structure once divided the land into two distinct territories. Emperor Hadrian commissioned its construction in 122 AD, and in just six years, Hadrian's...
Headless Bronze Statue found in Egyptian tomb. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Smithsonian Channel.

Headless Bronze Statue Connected to Saqqara Pyramid (Video)

This significant discovery illuminates the glorious era of ancient Egypt when they erected some of the world's most iconic structures. The uncovered bronze statue near Pinomis’s tomb in Egypt’s...

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