History

Incredible Ancient Artifacts That Still Amaze Us Today

2 September 2024312 Views

The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.
L.P. Hartley

Throughout human history, ancient peoples have left behind indelible traces of their genius and craftsmanship. These artifacts, which have stood the test of time, are mute but eloquent testimonies to the civilizations that created them. From majestic pyramids to buried treasures, from exquisite sculptures to monumental architecture, each artwork or artifact transports us on a fascinating journey through the past.
In this photo gallery, we will explore some of the most extraordinary wonders of antiquity, masterpieces that continue to amaze and fascinate modern viewers.
Prepare to be transported to a time when human ingenuity reached unimaginable heights, shaping raw materials into creations that celebrate beauty, skill, and spiritual devotion. These artifacts are not mere relics of the past, but rather windows that allow us a glimpse into the life, culture and soul of the civilizations that created them.
Be enchanted by this extraordinary collection of ancient treasures, a tribute to human creativity that has spanned the centuries, defying the inexorable passage of time.

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It is not a real rope net, but it is meticulously carved in marble. “Disenchantment,” Francesco Queirolo, 1753-1754, Sansevero Chapel (Naples, Italy).

A Roman ring with a “hologram” effect found in the tomb of a first-century AD noblewoman, Aebutia Quarta. The ring is thought to depict her son, Titus Carvilius Gemellus, who died at the age of 18. Found in the Grottaferrata necropolis near Rome.

Fall of the Rebel Angels, carved in a single piece of marble in 1740 by Italian sculptor Agostino Fasolato, depicts 60 fallen angels

This Roman bridge is more than 2,000 years old and is still accessible on foot. Cecco’s Bridge is a Roman bridge located in Ascoli Piceno that connects the Porta Maggiore district to the Malatestian fortress, spanning the Castellano stream. It is the oldest bridge in the city and is still open to the public.
For many years the Cecco Bridge was mistakenly identified as a medieval construction. However, architect and archaeologist Giambattista Carducci recognized it as a certain Roman structure from the Republican period, noting similarities in its construction with other coeval bridges built along the Via Salaria.

In ancient Rome, streets were dotted with white stones that reflected moonlight, acting as lampposts to help people walk down the street after dark. Pictured is a Roman street in Pompei.

This 14th-century door in Exeter Cathedral, UK, is believed to be the oldest cat door in existence

Marble masterpiece by Gaetano Cellini: ‘Humanity versus Evil’ at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome

Abuna Yem’ata Guh in Ethiopia. To reach this church carved into the rock and located at an elevation of 2,580 meters, one must climb on foot. It is remarkable for its architecture, dome and wall paintings dating back to the 5th century

Roman army knife (AD 201-300); has a spoon, knife, fork, spike, spatula, and a kind of toothpick that allowed the user to clean even the spaces between the teeth after eating. It was part of the equipment of the Roman legions.

Pictured is a lace neckerchief carved in marble by French sculptor Louis-Philippe Mouchy (1734-1801), who masterfully created the statue in 1781. The statue was commissioned as a posthumous tribute to the Duke of Montausier, Charles de Sainte-Maure. The nobleman was one of the guardians of the Grand Dauphin of France, Louis, son and heir of the Sun King, Louis XIV.

The Ishtar Gate, built by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II in Mesopotamia in 575 BCE, using blue lapis lazuli and clay bricks. Pergamon Museum Berlin

A fabric womb made by Angélique Du Coudray, a French midwife commissioned by King Louis XV to reduce infant mortality. From 1760 to 1783 he traveled throughout France, visiting poor women living in the countryside and sharing his vast knowledge with them. It is estimated that he trained about 10,000 women.
Du Coudray also invented the first life-size obstetrical dummy, to practice mock births, and published a well-received midwifery textbook.

Roman bronze colander from Pompeii, Italy, 1st century B.C.

A small alpine hut built more than 2,700 m above sea level in the Italian Dolomites (Monte Cristallo) is among the most dramatic relics of World War I. This incredible shelter was built inside one of the peaks of the massif, with brick walls, a sloping roof, two doors and four wood-framed windows.

An ancient Greek or Roman glass bowl, 100-1 B.C., now housed at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles

A large Egyptian amulet made of rock crystal depicting a large hippopotamus, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2050-1650 B.C.

Gold ring, Roman Egypt, 1st century AD

A 17th-century Ottoman tent, collected during the Battle of Vienna in 1683. Made of linen, silk, silvered and gilded leather. On display at the Royal Wawel Castle in Krakow, Poland

Albion collection ring Art. 1620. Ivory, enamel, gold

A steam elevator in the house of guard captain S. Muyaki in St. Petersburg, Russia. Circa 1902-1903

Detail of a Roman mosaic depicting a mouse eating a walnut. 2nd century AD, Vatican Museums

14,000-year-old bison sculptures found in Le Tuc D’audoubert cave. Ariège, France

Roman brick from Cherchell, Algeria, with a perfect 2,000-year-old human handprint. The handprint is apparently that of a large Roman man, pressing his hand on the brick as it was allowed to dry before firing. Closer examination reveals the man’s fingerprints and skin texture.

A ray of sunlight entering the room on the east side of the inner sanctuary of Amun-Ra in the Temple of King Ramses II (1186-1155 BCE), Luxor , Egypt

A megalithic monument in Spain, older than the pyramids, was recently discovered from its watery cache due to a dry spell. The “Spanish Stonehenge” is about 7,000 years old, about 2,000 years older than Stonehenge itself.

Toys from ancient Greece. About 2300 years old. Children in ancient Greece had a variety of toys to play with in their free time, including dolls, rattles, spinning tops, swings, etc. Along with these, many other play objects have been unearthed by archaeologists. These were a fundamental part of ancient Greek childhood.

Chenonceau Castle, Indre-et-Loire, France. Probably one of the most impressive inhabited bridges still standing, today’s 16th-century structure was built over an arched bridge spanning the Cher River. This unique design allowed the owner access to hunting grounds located on the opposite bank of the river.

Gilt silver and rock crystal vase, made in Nuremberg, Germany, around 1580.

Ancient 3,700-year-old clay tablet containing applied geometry. A millennium before the birth of Pythagoras

In 1965, excavations in Mezhyrich, Ukraine, revealed the presence of four huts consisting of a total of 149 mammoth bones. These dwellings, dating back about 15,000 years, are some of the oldest known shelters built by prehistoric man.

In 1975, a secret room under a church in Florence, Italy, decorated with drawings made by Michelangelo, was found and is now open to the public. During some renovation work, under layers of lime on the walls, a number of drawings, sanguine and charcoal sketches, many of which can be attributed to Michelangelo, resurfaced. The discovery of the secret room sparked renewed interest in Michelangelo’s lesser-known works. Today, the room is considered a hidden gem of Renaissance art, offering a glimpse into the private world of one of history’s greatest artists and the influential patrons who supported him.

Ivory and ebony chess pieces in the shape of insects. Italy, 1790

A lovely otter statue dating back to ancient Egypt! Dating from c. 640-30 BCE, it depicts a bronze otter on its hind legs, with its front legs raised in praise of the sun. The solar disk of Ra rests on its head.

A 2400-year-old black cup. Southern Italy

Bison carved in mammoth ivory. Found in Zaraysk, Russia. About 20,000 years old

A 1,800-year-old ceramic horse. Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-9 A.D., 25-220 A.D.), now on display in the Sanxingdui Museum in China

From the Viking era, 10th-11th century, before and after the discovery

2,000-year-old clothes belonging to the mummy of a woman (known as the Huldremose woman) recovered in 1879 in a peat bog near Ramten in Denmark. It consists of a plaid wool skirt, a plaid wool scarf and two leather capes. Now on display at the National Museum of Denmark.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s personal manuscript copy of his Mass in B minor, preserved by the Berlin State Library and added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. The Mass in B minor (completed in 1749) is widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements of classical music.

A 2,000-year-old serpentine stone mask was found at the base of the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico. It is believed that these offerings were left behind as part of a ritual to inaugurate the pyramid’s construction, hence its placement on the lower level. The mask itself is extremely realistic, which has given rise to the theory that it is actually a portrait. This would be incredible, as archaeologists have little information about the people who built Teotihuacan. There are also conflicting theories about the exact use of the pyramid.

For the first time in 12,000 years, the teeth of a leopard statue saw the light of day in 2021 in Karahantepe, Turkey.

Thonis-Heracleion was one of the largest ports in Egypt, but it was slowly submerged by the sea from about 100 BC to 800 AD. Here we see a stele from the reign of Pharaoh Nectanebo I (r.380-360 B.C.) excavated in 2000 A.D., the same year the city was rediscovered.

Wedding dress worn by Helena Slicher, over 2 meters wide. Netherlands, 1759.

Great Zimbabwe was a medieval African city known for its large circular walls and tower. It was part of a wealthy African trading empire that controlled much of the East African coast from the 11th to 15th centuries CE. Great Zimbabwe is the name of the stone ruins of an ancient city near modern Masvingo, Zimbabwe. People lived in Great Zimbabwe from about 1100 AD, but abandoned it in the 15th century AD. The city was the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which was a Shona (Bantu) trading empire. Zimbabwe means “stone houses” in Shona.

Frog, by Japanese artist Matsumoto Hoji. 1814 AD.

Robe and axe of Giovanni Battista Bugatti, who was the official executioner of the Papal States from 1796 to 1864. During his tenure he executed 514 people.

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