40 Historical Discoveries That Show Just How Brilliant Ancient Humans Were

Carved Red Lacquer On Wood Core; Height: 7/8 In. (2.2 Cm), Diameter: 7 3/8 In. (18.8 Cm). Los Angeles County Museum Of Art, Los Angeles, Gift Of Dr. And Mrs. Sam K. Lee (M.86.330)

This brooch, decorated with wire filigree and granulation, was made by a Danish goldsmith in the last half of the tenth century. It's now on display at the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen

The scarab has been deified during Ancient Egypt. Its shape was related to the god Jepri in the graphic representation (human body and scarab face). However, normally, people referred to the scarab as Ra, the creator of the universe, one of the most important gods in the Egyptian pantheon.

Photo: Geologic Gallery

The dress is of sheer green silk chiffon with narrow shoulder straps and a flared skirt. Decorative mistletoe motifs of bugle beads, clear stones and pearls adorn the neckline, left hip and skirt. The skirt is comprised of twelve triangular shaped panels decoratively stitched in a “lettuce leaf” design with a scalloped lower edge. Mrs. Post wore this to her daughter Eleanor’s debut dance at the Ritz Carlton. From Art Deco, Art Nouveau and 20th Century Decoratif Arts Group.

This early 7th century ship burial yielded a stunning array of artefacts, including an intricately designed ceremonial helmet and exquisite gold and garnet jewellery. Surprisingly, no human remains were left behind as the acidic soil had swallowed up the occupier’s traces, leaving his identity undisguised. Although many speculate that it may have been King Rádwald of East Anglia, based on the extravagance of the burial, we may never know for sure, adding to the allure of the story of Sutton Hoo.

Eisenstadt, Austria
2nd century CE
Landesmuseum Burgenland
source: Wolfgang Sauber, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Opposite them is a row of devas, benvevolent Hindu deities. Both the devas and asuras are perched on the back of a serpent, called a naga.
Angkor Thom (Khmer: អង្គរធំ [ʔɑŋkɔː tʰom], meaning "Great City"), also known as Nokor Thom (Khmer: នគរធំ [nɔkɔː tʰom]), is located in present-day Cambodia and was the final and longest-lasting capital of the Khmer Empire. Founded in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII, it spans an area of 9 square kilometers. Within its boundaries are monuments from both earlier periods and the reign of Jayavarman and his successors. At the heart of Angkor Thom stands the Bayon, Jayavarman’s state temple, surrounded by other significant sites near Victory Square to the north. Today, Angkor Thom is a major tourist destination in Southeast Asia.
Photo: National Geographic

His Most Notable Title Was Wer-Ibeḥsenjw, Meaning Either "Great One Of The Ivory Cutters" Or "Great One Of The Dentists", Which Makes Him The Earliest Named Dentist. Old Kingdom, 3rd Dynasty, Ca. 2686-2613 Bc. Now In The Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Cg 1427.

Artist: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (French, 1825-1905)
Date: 1897
Genre: portraiture
Movement: Academicism, Neoclassicism
Medium: oil on canvas
Location: private collection

The siege of Lachish in 701 BCE was carried out by the Neo-Assyrian Empire, resulting in the town's conquest. This event is recorded in various sources, including the Hebrew Bible, Assyrian records, and the Lachish reliefs—a well-preserved series of carvings that once adorned the palace of King Sennacherib in Nineveh.

The bigger of the two giraffes is 5.4 meters long and is the largest known petroglyph in the world.

He was the younger brother of the beloved Titus who only ruled for a brief period. This last emperor of the Flavian dynasty ultimately met his demise through his arrogant dismissal of the Senate's authority and his tyrannical pretensions, ordering his subjects to call him "dominus et deus" (master and god). Senators, who held the highest positions in the empire, started to boycott the regime, withdrawing from public life. Most of them were inspired by Stoicism, leading the increasingly paranoid princeps to prosecute Stoic philosophers. Domitian was eventually k****d in a coup which saw the rise to power of the old Nerva, whose reign ushered in the golden age of Rome under the Antonine rulers.

Depicting The Battle Of Plataea, The Decisive Victory By The Greeks Against The Persian Army Of Xerxes In 479 Bce, C. 420 Bce. British Museum.

Made in Austria in 1870. Walters Art Museum

Small Stone Seals Were Probably Used To Identify Merchandise Or Property, And Are Among The Most Numerous Objects Surviving From The Protohistoric Urban Sites Along The Banks Of The Indus River System. Pakistan, Indus Valley Civilization C. 2000 B.C.

This Frieze Depicts Nagaraja, A Deity, Common To Hinduism And Buddhism, Who Rules The Nagas, Half-Human, Half-Serpent Beings Residing In The Underworld (Patala). It Now Resides In The Berkeley Art Museum And Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, Ca, USA.

The Ziwiye hoard is a treasure hoard containing gold, silver, and ivory objects, also including a few gold pieces with the shape of a human face, that was uncovered in a plot of land outside Ziwiyeh castle, near the city of Saqqez in Kurdistan province, Iran, in 1947.

Diamonds are set in the skull’s eye sockets and nose, and in the crossbones. Memento mori Latin for ‘remember that you must die’ – were intended to remind the wearer of the brevity of life.