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27 Artifacts That Might Make You Like History Even More If You Weren’t Interested Already (New Pics)
Have you ever wondered what life was like during the 1500s or what Olympic medals looked like in the early 1900s? You will likely need to do a lot of digging to find out.
We’ll save you all that research time by presenting a list of fascinating photos featuring unique artifacts that date back centuries. These images also come with a brief backstory that may stir your curiosity further.
If you enjoyed our previous pieces on remarkable ancient keepsakes, you will likely appreciate this one, as well.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
My Great Grandpop's 1912 Olympic Medal. He Placed 8th In Pole Vaulting. This Medal Is Just For Participating
RELATED:
#2
17th Century Silver Skull Watch, Louvre Museum
#3
Reticulated Ball, China, 19th Century
Despite the disparity in time, ancient history continues to have a perceptible influence on modern society. Lawyers, for example, still use Latin words from ancient times, while many landmark buildings still feature Roman architecture.
As the National Geographic Society points out, “it is no surprise that a once-booming empire was able to impact the world in so many ways and leave a lasting legacy behind.”
#4
The Sword Of Goujian Was Discovered Untarnished And Retains Sharp Edges After ~2500 Years
#5
3000 Year Old Trousers. The Oldest Known Existant Pair
#6
Photographed In 1974, Freshly Excavated 2000 Year Old Terracotta Warriors Still Showing The Original Color Scheme Before Rapid Deterioration
Ancient Egypt also developed many concepts that continue to influence our lives today. The hieroglyphics, for example, are widely regarded as a foundational element of the modern alphabet. Mummification, meanwhile, has provided valuable insights into human health, disease evolution, and prevention.
“Today, they remind us that plenty of impressive inventions are rooted in the ancient past,” archeology journalist Sam Walters wrote in an article for Discover Magazine.
#7
The Claw Of A Moa, A New Zealand Bird That Went Extinct 600 Years Ago, Has Been Preserved
#8
Preserved Loaf Of Bread From Pompeii
#9
Snapshot Of The Models For 'American Gothic'
Richard Graham 7 months ago
The woman is artist Grant Wood's sister, Nan Wood Graham, and his dentist, Dr. Byron McKeeby.
We often look at ancient history with fascination and awe, and these artifacts are a testament to that. However, many historians believe that these stories should be told as they happened, including the unsavory details.
University of Warwick professor Michael Scott points out how the Greek and Roman civilizations once normalized “a spectrum of misogynist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic, and homophobic ideas.”
#10
Hercules Armor Of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II, 1555-1560
BeKind&Rewind 7 months ago
What an absolute work of art! Imagine all of the sweat equity the maker put in. Just wow.
#11
Axe With Intact Shaft Uncovered At Rødbyhavn, Denmark. Dates To The Stone Age, About 5,500 Years Ago
#12
Strange And Beautiful
Scott believes modern-day classicists and ancient historians must challenge how stories about ancient civilizations are often presented, particularly as educational materials.
“[We must] highlight both the similarities and the differences between us and them, as well as pushing back the boundaries so that everyone can learn from the past,” he said in an interview with the University of Warwick online publication.
#13
One Of The Few Authentic Old Jolly Rogers In The World
#14
Ancient Greek Helmets, Classical Period, From Olympia Museum Store Room
#15
A 19th-Century "Cluster Of Rats" Carving From Japan
These artifacts and the snippets of information are bite-sized history lessons for everyone. Just by looking at them, we gain insight into how people lived their lives and how societies functioned.
Historian Stephanie E. Effevottu summed it up perfectly: “History is the study of both change and continuity.”
#16
The Engagement Ring Napoleon Gave To Josephine
#17
12,000 Year Old Petroglyphs Discovered In India That May Hold Clues To A Previously Unknown Civilization
#18
Tipu's Tiger, Life-Sized Wooden Mechanical Organ From 1793
#19
The Roman Wine Of Speyer Is The Oldest Wine Of The World That Is Still Liquid. The Bottle Has Been Dated Between 325 And 350 Ad. It Was Found In 1867 In A Grave And Is Today In A Museum
#20
Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron That Has Been Found In England (More Than A Hundread Of These Have Been Found All Over Europe, But Nobody Knows What Are They For)
Littlemiss 7 months ago (edited)
They just discovered a few hundred odd cat treat dispensers. That's what it looks like to me.
DowntownStevieB 7 months ago (edited)
I feel like these were for erecting their tents. Poles can pop into the holes for the frame and the other bumps hold the fabric parts in place.
LauraDragonWench 7 months ago
I don't see why they can't be anything more spectacular than children's toys. They look perfectly sized and shaped to entertain young kids.
Kira Okah 7 months ago (edited)
If they were just common children's toys, why are they made of bronze rather than something cheaper, and why aren't there more of them?
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JK 7 months ago
Most likely theory is that they were used for surveying/building roads, measuring distances and the like. The glove weaving has been pretty much debunked, especially as you'd expect to find more in populated areas if it was a standard knitting tool, plus the have been found in the warmest climates of the roman empire, but very few in the coldest (where gloves are usually more necessary)
Kira Okah 7 months ago
No they didn't, a single person speculated that they did, using a form of knitting that didn't exist prior to the 16th century. It's quite disproven.
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meliaarhrt 7 months ago
They were used in surveying. Each hole is slightly different size because they are sights for measuring distance.
John Cox-Woolven 7 months ago
They are used to make the fingers for gloves. The different hole sizes correspond to thumb and finger sizes.
Mary Kelly 7 months ago
no longer true...a female knitter took one look at them, and knew immediately they they were for making glove finger
zatrisha 7 months ago
Wikipedia says: Knitting tool specifically for gloves: Thread is woven around the studs; the hole in the middle creates a fabric tube (technique like a knitting doll). The differently sized openings are adapted to different finger diameters. The northern distribution of the tool further supports the theory, as no warming gloves were required in the south.
Kira Okah 7 months ago
Wikipedia on the Roman dodecahedra: The purpose of Roman dodecahedra has been much debated: more than fifty possible explanations have been published. Identifying their purpose with certainty is made more difficult as no mention of dodecahedra has been found in contemporary accounts or pictures. Speculative uses include as a survey instrument for estimating distances to (or sizes of) distant objects, though this is questioned as there are no markings to indicate that they would be a mathematical instrument; as spool knitting devices for making gloves (though the earliest known reference to spool knitting is from 1535, and this would neither explain the use of bronze, nor the apparently similar icosahedron which is missing the holes necessary for spool knitting); or as part of a child's toy." The knitting technique didn't exist for a thousand years after these were made.
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KDS 7 months ago
I saw something similar to this one on an episode of Mysteries at the Museum and it was used to make gloves but I don’t know if there were different ones for different types of stuff.
Kira Okah 7 months ago
Roman dodecahedrons weren't used to make gloves, the glove knitting technique people demonstrate didn't exist for over a thousand years after the dodecahedrons were made.
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Shakespeare's Last Surviving Handwritten Play Script
#22
19th-Century Mysterious Carved Coffins That Were Found In Edinburgh
#23
Enouy's Percussion Revolver
The patent was referring to a bizarre contraption that was later nicknamed the "ferris wheel". It is a rotating wheel of sorts which has eight spokes, each carrying an individual cylinder of six chambers. This amounts to 48 shots in total, making Enouy's revolver one of the highest-capacity revolvers in the world! Certainly, for the mid-1800s, this was an impressive feat.
#24
Agreement That Ended World War II, Showing That Canada Signed In The Wrong Place
#25
A 1,500-Year-Old Byzantine Church Was Found Beneath A Highway
#26
19th-Century Map Of A Woman's Heart
superfluous 7 months ago
OMFG! I don't know if I'm more offended or amused! By a lady??? Drain the purse??? Male traps in the Province of Deception?? I'm gonna go with eewww.
#27
An Islamic Artefact, The Black Stone, Was Found In Kaaba
It is said that it was white originally, but when Angel Gabriel brought it from heaven, it turned black from absorbing the sins of humans.
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