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.
#1 Preserved Loaf Of Bread From Pompeii
Image credits: Jebulon
#2 Strange And Beautiful
Image credits: DeathSalon
#3 The Claw Of A Moa, A New Zealand Bird That Went Extinct 600 Years Ago, Has Been Preserved
Image credits: Ryan Baumann
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 3000 Year Old Trousers. The Oldest Known Existant Pair
Image credits: forte2
#5 The Engagement Ring Napoleon Gave To Josephine
Image credits: hamshahrionline.ir
#6 Tipu’s Tiger, Life-Sized Wooden Mechanical Organ From 1793
Image credits: Victoria and Albert Museum
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 17th Century Silver Skull Watch, Louvre Museum
Image credits: tumblr.com
#8 Hercules Armor Of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II, 1555-1560
Image credits: Thesupermat
#9 Snapshot Of The Models For ‘American Gothic’
Image credits: Grant Wood Archive
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 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
Image credits: hjalmar111
#11 One Of The Few Authentic Old Jolly Rogers In The World
Image credits: catnap2015
#12 A 19th-Century “Cluster Of Rats” Carving From Japan
Image credits: nyctaeus
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 Photographed In 1974, Freshly Excavated 2000 Year Old Terracotta Warriors Still Showing The Original Color Scheme Before Rapid Deterioration
Image credits: edward stojakovic
#14 Reticulated Ball, China, 19th Century
Image credits: imgur.com
#15 My Great Grandpop’s 1912 Olympic Medal. He Placed 8th In Pole Vaulting. This Medal Is Just For Participating
Image credits: imgur.com
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 Shakespeare’s Last Surviving Handwritten Play Script
Image credits: British Library
#17 19th-Century Map Of A Woman’s Heart
Image credits: D. W. Kellogg & Co. / The Newman S. Hungerford Museum Fund
#18 The Sword Of Goujian Was Discovered Untarnished And Retains Sharp Edges After ~2500 Years
Image credits: Windmemories
#19 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)
Image credits: Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group
#20 12,000 Year Old Petroglyphs Discovered In India That May Hold Clues To A Previously Unknown Civilization
Image credits: Disastrous_Option630
#21 Ancient Greek Helmets, Classical Period, From Olympia Museum Store Room
Image credits: innuendoPL
#22 Agreement That Ended World War II, Showing That Canada Signed In The Wrong Place
Image credits: World Imaging
#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.
Image credits: firearms.96.lt
#24 19th-Century Mysterious Carved Coffins That Were Found In Edinburgh
Image credits: اقتباسات من هنا وهناك ""
#25 Axe With Intact Shaft Uncovered At Rødbyhavn, Denmark. Dates To The Stone Age, About 5,500 Years Ago
Image credits: Macuahuitl
#26 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.
Image credits: Amerrycan Muslim
#27 A 1,500-Year-Old Byzantine Church Was Found Beneath A Highway
Image credits: Israel Antiquities Authority Official Channel