People Share 50 'Ancient Marvels Of Mankind' That Continue To Fascinate Them To This Day

Archaeologists excavate areas in which ancient cultures lived and use the artifacts found there to learn about the past because many ancient cultures did not have a written language or did not actively record their history, so these finds sometimes provide the only clues about a particular group or site.

For example, artifacts have provided essential information about life in ancient Egypt. There, people believed in an afterlife and buried the dead with things they would need after they left their bodies behind.

As a result, the tombs of ancient Egypt provide a wealth of artifacts that give insight into the culture.

The tomb of King Tut is perhaps the most famous. In 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter came upon the tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, more commonly known as King Tut.

His tomb had been undisturbed since he was buried around 1323 B.C.E. Murals on the wall of the tomb told of King Tut’s funeral and journey to the afterworld. The tomb also included more than 5,000 artifacts, including perfumes and oils, jewelry, statues, and toys from Tut’s childhood.

Carter led a team of archaeologists in cataloging the items from King Tut’s tomb. This took them over a decade, but the artifacts continue to help historians better understand life in Egypt.

Even though specialists have a good grasp of what most historical objects were created for, every now and then they unearth a few exceptions.

Take the neolithic stone balls for example. They were found predominantly in Scotland and date back to the later Neolithic period (circa BC 3,200-2,500).

So far, more than 425 of these balls have been discovered. They are generally the size of a cricket ball and made from a wide variety of stones. Their surfaces are sculpted, sometimes into raised circular discs and sometimes with deep incisions defining knobs and lobes in high relief. Decoration takes the form of spirals or concentric shapes, echoing those found in pottery and monumental stones of the era.

Some have been found in burials, others in settlements, and they are rarely, if ever, identical. Most are also found alone, so don’t seem to have been part of a set. Some appear to have been heavily handled during their lifetime.

The original use of these stone balls has been a source of much debate, right back to their earliest discovery in the 19th century. It doesn't help that many were chance finds or circulated with little provenance in art collections and have rarely showed up in an archaeological context.

"Were these stones missiles for deterring predators and pests?" asks Natasha Harlow, an honorary research fellow at the Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Nottingham. "Weapons of war? Toys? Or perhaps measuring weights, household ornaments, mnemonic devices, and ball bearings to move megaliths or holders for yarn? The answer still escapes us."

Another mysterious example is the bronze age "lock-rings." The period was a time of exceptional craftsmanship, and highly decorative personal ornaments were made from gold sheets and wire.

These small penannular (open) rings date from the late bronze age (circa BC 1,000-800) and are found in Ireland, Britain, and parts of France.

They are frequently unearthed in matching pairs and can be plain or have delicate, geometric engravings.

"Recent interpretations have suggested they could have been nose rings, earrings, or hair ornaments," Harlow explains. But, "none of these explanations is terribly satisfactory, as various elements of their design would make the rings difficult or uncomfortable to wear.

What we lack is context – like the recent discoveries at Boncuklu Tarla, in Turkey, of burials with facial jewelry found close to skulls.