artifacts

In 1731, the dey of Algiers, Baba Abdi, presented King Frederick I of Sweden with a lion, one of the first lions in Scandinavia. When alive, the lion was kept in a cage near Junibacken. When the lion died, it was stuffed and mounted. There are two main theories that give insight into an explanation of the exaggerated features of the restoration. A popular theory is that the taxidermist and the museum-keepers may have never actually seen a lion before, and did not know how they were supposed to look. This explains the liberties taken with the lion.

The badly stuffed lion has been widely mocked for decades.

CLAIRVAUX ABBEY, FRANCE—Hundreds of years ago, Cistercian monks in France protected their treasured literary works with covers made from exotic animal skins, Science News reports. Clairvaux Abbey was founded in 1115 and its literary collection today contains over 1,000 medieval books. Most of these were wrapped with deer, sheep, or boar skin, but ancient DNA analysis of several perplexing furry volumes from the twelfth and thirteenth century revealed that they had been covered with seal hides. “I was like, ‘that’s not possible. There must be a mistake,’” said researcher Élodie Lévêque. “Seals didn’t frequent France’s northern coast at the time. I sent it again, and it came back as seal skin again.” The skins were proven to come from harbor seal populations living along the shores of Scandinavia, Denmark, Scotland, and even Iceland or Greenland. Norse hunters may have caught the seals and brought their pelts to northern France for trade, although the researchers suggest that the monks may not have been aware of their origins.

See more info: https://archaeology.org/news/2025/04/11/medieval-books-were-covered-in-exotic-sealskins/

ANTIKYTHERA, GREECE––The Antikythera Mechanism, often called the world’s oldest computer, is one of the most enigmatic and intriguing ancient artifacts ever found. It was discovered in a first century b.c. shipwreck off the coast of Greece in 1901. Comprised of a hand crank and series of interlocking bronze gears, archaeologists believe that it could be used to predict astronomical phenomena such as eclipses and the movements of planets. However, according to Live Science, a new study suggests that in may not have worked very well. The issue may have been the mechanism’s triangular-shaped gear teeth. Computer simulation which reproduced the device’s current design suggested that the gear’s teeth may have routinely disengaged, causing the machine to jam. It is estimated that it could only be cranked about four months into the future before the gears slipped and required the object to be reset. However, the researchers do note that it is possible that current measurements of the gears and teeth are off and that two thousand years of corrosion may have warped or distorted the components far beyond their original state. To read about recent excavations of the Antikythera shipwreck, go to here: https://archaeology.org/issues/january-february-2017/collection/greece-antikythera-skeleton/top-10-discoveries-of-2016/

Picture taken from the Met

Phys.org reports that a pair of rare copper-alloy Bronze Age cymbals were uncovered at a site in Oman. The instrument has highlighted a shared musical connection between ancient cultures on both sides of the Arabian Gulf. “These cymbals are the first of their kind to have been found in good archaeological contexts in Oman and are from a particularly early context that questions some of the assumptions on their origin and development," said archaeologist Khaled Douglas. When the objects were first recovered from a third-millennium b.c. Umm an-Nar culture site in Dahwa, experts recognized their similarity to examples that had been found at contemporary sites in the Indus Valley, in modern-day Pakistan. However, isotope analysis of the copper indicated that the cymbals had been produced locally in the Oman region. Trade around the Arabian Gulf between different cultural groups during the Bronze Age is well attested in the form of ceramics, beads, and other objects. The recent discovery of the cymbals, though, suggests that cross-cultural connections were not solely based on trade. Musical traditions and cultural practices likely flowed between the Arabian Peninsula and Indus Valley as much as materials. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Antiquity.

To see more feel free to visit: https://archaeology.org/news/2025/04/09/bronze-age-cymbals-highlight-shared-arabian-gulf-musical-traditions/

During renovations at a former Tudor hunting lodge known as The Ashes, which is located in Inglewood Forest, Cumbria, workers exposed rare sixteenth-century wall paintings, according to a statement released by Historic England. The Grotesque-style artworks were brought to light upon removal of sections of more recent plaster work that had been covering up the 450-year-old images. The scenes, which were created using a secco technique in which pigments are applied to dry plaster, feature fantastical beasts and decorative foliage thought to imitate textile designs of the period. “The combination of motifs discovered here is unusual even by national standards,” said Historic England’s Myra Tolan-Smith. Scientific dating of the building’s timbers using dendrochronology confirmed that the roof covering the earliest part of the house was constructed from wood felled around 1561 or 1562, during the reign of Elizabeth I.

To read more see: https://archaeology.org/news/2025/04/10/rare-wall-paintings-revealed-at-tudor-hunting-lodge/

Two Polish metal detectorists combing a beach after a storm found a rare 2,500-year-old weapon embedded in a block of clay that had recently fallen from a cliffside. Although its exact location remains undisclosed, the 10-inch long, intricately designed dagger was found in West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Officials from the Museum of the History of the Kamień Land determined that it dated back to the Hallstatt period of the early Iron Age. “A true work of art!” said museum director Grzegorz Kurka. “I have not seen such a dagger in my experience with findings in Polish territories.” The blade is decorated with rows of small crescent moon–like symbols, crosses, and other star-like shapes connected by lines running down the object that may represent constellations. Due to its design and decoration, experts suggest it may have been associated with a solar cult and thus had special ritual significance. Further analysis is underway to determine the composition of the dagger’s alloy and identify signs of its usage. Researchers also hope to ascertain whether it was locally made, or cast—perhaps somewhere in southern Europe—and subsequently imported into the area.

See more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article303184996.html

Feel free to learn more here: https://archaeology.org/news/2025/04/07/house-of-life-school-discovered-at-the-ramesseum-in-luxor/

For more details see: Gold Coins Found In The Ancient City Of Notion Tell A Story Of Misfortune

POMPEII, ITALY—The Guardian reports that authorities from the Pompeii Archaeological Park discovered two near life-size funerary statues of a man and woman that were part of a tomb in Pompeii’s Porta Sarno necropolis. Experts believe that the female sculpture, which dates to the late Roman Republican period, may depict an important local woman who may have been a priestess of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, fertility, and motherly love. The figure is shown holding laurel leaves that were used to purify religious spaces by dispersing incense from aromatic herbs. She also wears a lunula, a crescent moon–shaped pendant hanging from her necklace. Although similar tomb sculptures found in the Roman world often represent a married couple, the researchers are not wholly convinced that is the case in this instance. “Sometimes you get two men, or sometimes they come in threes,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of Pompeii Archaeological Park. “This could be her husband, but it could also be her son. There was no inscription, so we don’t know.” Read the original scholarly article about this research in E-Journal Scavi di Pompei. To read about an ornate tomb recently excavated in Pompeii, go to "A War Hero's Grave," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2024.

TÅSINGE, DENMARK—A statement released by the National Museum of Denmark suggests that the iconic Sutton Hoo helmet may have its origins in Denmark, and not Sweden, as previously thought. In 1939, the iron- and copper-clad helmet was discovered in Suffolk, England, within the elaborate ship burial of a seventh-century Anglo-Saxon ruler. For decades it has been considered one of the greatest treasures of the Anglo-Saxon period. Experts have long believed that the object may have been made in Uppland, Sweden, since its decorative motif of mounted warriors has similarities to examples found there. This same motif, however, has now been traced back to the island of Tåsinge, Denmark. A special kind of stamp called a patrice was recently found there that has even closer resemblances to the Sutton Hoo helmet. Strikingly similar details of the characters include the cuff of the warrior’s wrist, the warrior’s hair, the almond-shaped harness fitting on the horse’s head, its reins, and the sword protruding below the warrior’s shield. This has led researchers to reevaluate where the helmet was made. “Despite being made in very different places, many motifs are clearly inspired by each other,” museum curator Peter Pentz said. “But when the likeness is as strong as it is here, it could mean that they were not only made in the same place but even by the same craftsmen. That could provide strong evidence that the Sutton Hoo helmet was actually made in Tåsinge, which would make it an incredible find.” For more, go to "The Ongoing Saga of Sutton Hoo."

HORVAT ‘ANIM, ISRAEL—Jewish Business News reports that Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) archaeologists working at the site of Horvat ‘Anim in the Yatir Forest uncovered a rare 1,200-year old ceramic vessel that is providing new details about trade and everyday life in the region during the ninth and tenth centuries a.d. The jug was decorated with painted red geometric patterns and features a caravan of animals, including a camel and possibly even an ostrich, the so-called “winged camel.” “In the Early Islamic period, camels served as the primary mode of transportation,” said IAA excavation director Oren Shmueli. “The fact that camels appear in the jug’s illustrations highlights their significance at the time. Camels transported goods across the empire and were essential to the economy. In the Roman and Byzantine periods, goods were typically transported by sea via ships or by land using carts, but in the Islamic period, the camel took precedence as the dominant land transport.” The ceramic artifact was found in a cave that had been converted into a dwelling. Previous archaeological work at the site revealed that the cavern originally held an impressive underground oil press. Excavations uncovered two massive stones that were part of the press mechanism. While it was in use, a wooden screw was installed between them, which was then used to press olives and extract oil that was collected in a central stone basin. To read about a seventh- or eighth-century a.d. mosque unearthed in Israel's Negev Desert, go to "Side by Side."

“Karnak was the largest and one of the most important religious sites in ancient Egypt. It was a massive collection of temples, shrines, and other buildings that were built by various pharaohs over a period of 1,500 years. The team was investigating the northwest sector of the precinct when they uncovered a ceramic vessel that contained a collection of gold jewelry and statuettes dating to the 26th Dynasty (664–526 b.c.)…”

More details can be found here: https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/541255.aspx

"Very little is known about the identities and ethnolinguistic affiliations of the creators of ancient settlements that predate the arrival of Europeans in the early 16th century," states Dr. Jan Szymański from the University of Warsaw. "This gets worse the further back in time we look." To fill this gap in our knowledge, Dr. Szymański and his colleague Gabriela Prejs excavated at the large, hitherto unexcavated site of San Isidro in the Department of Sonsonate, western El Salvador. At the top of the largest pyramidal structure at the site, the researchers made an unexpected discovery: a rich offering resembling a funeral deposit, but without any human remains. There they found five ceramic figurines, dating to c. 400 BC…”

More details can be found here: https://phys.org/news/2025-02-pre-columbian-puppets-ritual-central.html

According to a statement released by University College London, a collection of 27 fossilized bone artifacts made by hominins in Olduvai Gorge 1.5 million years ago represents the oldest known systematic production of bone tools. The objects, which were fashioned out of the limbs of large mammals such as hippos and elephants, may have been used to process animal carcasses into food. Although early human ancestors first began to make stone tools during the Oldowan age, which stretched from 2.7 million years ago to 1.7 million years, it was previously thought that toolmaking with bone material only began to develop around 500,000 years ago.

For more info see on this link: https://archaeology.org/news/2025/03/07/bone-tool-production-revealed-in-olduvai-gorge/

More details can be found here:

World’s oldest 3D map discovered

More info can be found here: https://www.ancientpages.com/2024/07/17/child-1800-year-old-ring-goddess-minerva-mount-carmel/

More details can be found in the following article:

https://www.ancientpages.com/2024/07/24/rare-gold-foils-ancient-egyptian-tombs-tel-el-deir-in-new-damietta/

Arm rings such as these, which are usually found in Ireland and date to between A.D. 880 and 930, were worn around the wrist and were also used as currency.

Full article can be found here: https://archaeology.org/issues/may-june-2022/features/scotland-galloway-viking-age-hoard/

"This is very rare. The sword was the greatest status symbol in the Viking Age, and it was a privilege to be allowed to carry a sword. It is not often that we, as archaeologists, get to experience something like this," says Lars Søgaard Sørensen in the county council's section for cultural heritage.

To the Vikings, a sword was much more than just a weapon. Sword production was complex and labor-intensive, making them scarce and costly. Consequently, they were not widely accessible or prevalent. They were primarily utilized by individuals of high status and rank, such as kings and elite Vikings.

It is probably the first time such a sword has been found in Rogaland. With the help of X-ray photography, conservator Hege Hollund has discovered the contours of inscriptions with a cross pattern and perhaps letters on the blade.

Full article can be found here: https://www.ancientpages.com/2024/05/31/rare-ulfberht-viking-sword-discovered-in-suldal-norway/

Aleksandr Podushkin of Ozbekali Zhanibekov University said that the recovered artifacts are thought to have been made during the period of the Kangju state, which was made up of groups of Sarmatian, Xiongnu, and Saki peoples who lived along the Great Silk Road between the fifth century B.C. and the fourth century A.D. The Kangju state is known to have traded with Rome, China, and the Kushan Empire to the south, he added. The objects include two gold crescent-shaped earrings, which have been dated to the first century B.C. and are inlaid with jewels and decorated with clusters of grapes, and a large, circular bronze mirror resembling those made in China during the Han Dynasty, which ruled from 206 B.C. to A.D. 220.

Full article can be found here: https://www.archaeology.org/news/12434-240603-kazakhstan-burial-mound

Ogham is a unique writing system consisting of parallel lines in groups of 1-5, making it highly unusual among world writing systems. These stones provide valuable insights into the Irish language before the adoption of the Latin insular script.

The earliest known ogham inscriptions date back to the 4th and 6th centuries AD, and over 400 ogham stones and fragments have been found, predominantly in Ireland and along the Welsh coast. While the main function of these stones is still uncertain, some historians believe they were used for legal purposes in land disputes, as they are often found on or near the boundaries of kin and bearing the names of ancestors.

More info can be found here: https://www.ancientpages.com/2024/05/18/coventry-mysterious-ogham-stone/