We usually learn history through the written word. While those sources can tell us a great deal, there’s something different (and oftentimes more powerful) about seeing the actual objects that people once forged, carried, and treasured. Suddenly, distant events and long-gone civilizations become much easier to imagine.
Luckily for us nerds, there’s a subreddit dedicated to sharing fascinating historical artifacts from around the world. Whether we’re talking about ancient artwork and weapons or everyday tools and personal belongings, it’s packed with all sorts of remarkable gems. Here are our favorites.
#41 The Ancient City Of Hegra, In The Arabian Desert, C.50 Ce
This Rock-Hewn City Was Built By The Nabataeans, And It Originally Served As A Center For International Trade, But It Was Later Transformed Into A Necropolis With More Than 100 Monumental Tombs.
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31points
#42 On The Left Is A Photo Of Juana Maria, A Native Californian Woman Who Was The Last Surviving Member Of Her Tribe, The Nicoleño
And Who Lived In A Whalebone Hut (Pictured On The Right) On San Nicolas Island Alone For 18 Years Before She Was Found In 1853 And Taken To Santa Barbara.
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31points
#43 The Bracelet Of Pharaoh Amenemope Has Been Stolen By A Restoration Specialist At The Egyptian Museum And Melted Down
Dated Back To 1000 Bc, It Contained Spherical Lapis Lazuli Beads And Was Sold For Only $4,000 At A Gold Workshop In Cairo.
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30points
#45 This Is The Gaddi Torso, A Fragmentary Ancient Roman Marble Sculpture From The 2nd Century Bce
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29points
#46 A 1,500-Year-Old Byzantine Mosaic Has Just Been Uncovered In Modern-Day Turkey During A Clean-Up That Turned Into An Excavation
Featuring Geometric Panels And An Inscription Reading “Tittos Domestikos,” It Likely Belonged To A Civil Administrator’s Building.
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29points
#47 Roman Anthropomorphic Dice In The Form Of Squatting Figures
The Silver Dice Work Much Like Conventional Dice, With Their Various Sides Numbered With 1 To 6 Red Dots. 1st-2nd Century Ce, British Museum.
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29points
#48 Mirror Work Inside The 1,000-Year-Old Shah Cheragh Shrine In Shiraz, Iran
One Of The Holiest Sites In Shia Islam, It Is The Resting Place Of The Son Of The Seventh Imam, Known In Persian As Shah Cheragh (“King Of Light”).
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29points
#49 In 1994, Archaeologists Uncovered A Life-Sized Marble Statue Of Roman Emperor Hadrian, Clad In Full Armor
Remarkably Well-Preserved, The Statue Highlights The Importance Of Troy Under Roman Rule And Recalls Hadrian’s Visit To The City In 124 Ad, When He Sponsored Major Renovations.
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28points
#51 Part Of The Letter From Persian King Tahmasp To Ottoman Sultan Suleiman
It Was Written After The Ottomans' Swift Retreat From Iran In 1554: "The Roman Entered Here, Pooped Himself, And Left The Next Day. You Failed To Stay Even For A Single Day Here."
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27points
#52 Persian Cuneiform Lives On As Students Study And Write It At The Research Center For Cuneiform Studies, Iran
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27points
#53 Between 2008 And 2014, Scientists Rappelled Down Cliffs, In Southern Spain, To Reach A Dozen Bearded Vulture Nests And Begin Analyzing What Was Inside Them
They Discovered A 750-Year-Old Shoe, Along With More Than 200 Other Human Artifacts
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27points
#54 4000-Year-Old Ropes In An Egyptian Cave At Mersa Gawasis
Which Was Apparently Used As A Port In The Reigns Of Senusret I To Amenemhat Iv Of The 12th Dynasty, And Served As A Loading Point For Expeditions To Punt During The Reign Of Hatshepsut (C. 1479-1458 Bce)
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26points
#55 A Kimono Decorated With Skeletons, From Japan, 1840-1860 Ce, Now Housed At The Victoria And Albert Museum In London
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25points
#56 During An Invasion Of Naghadeh Around 1200 Bc, One Of The Soldiers Grabbed A Golden Bowl From The Treasury And Tried To Escape With It
He Fell And Died Clutching It, Bending The Bowl Under His Weight. Discovered Beneath His Skeleton In 1958, It’s Now Housed At National Museum Of Iran.
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25points
#57 Portrait Of Pigeon’s Egg Head
An Assiniboine Warrior Who Was Ended By His Tribesmen Because They Couldn't Believe His Stories About The Settlers' Cities. Painting By George Catlin, 1831.
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25points
#58 In A Stunning Find Deep In The Woods Of North Jura, Poland, Metal Detectorists Have Found A Roman Sword From 2,000 Years Ago
The Sword Was In Three Pieces, Which Researchers Think Might Mean It Was Part Of A Burial Or Ceremony.
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24points
#59 The Garmsar Salt Cave Features Massive Salt Pillars That Support Its Ceiling
Formed And Shaped By The Achaemenid Empire During Salt Extraction In 550–330 Bc. Located In The Iranian County Of The Same Name, The Cave Has 27 Mines, And The One Shown Here Is A Popular Tourist Attraction.
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24points
#60 Portrait Of An Unidentified Man That Was Placed Over The Face And Upper Torso Of His Mummy
Dated To 150-170 Ad, It Is Painted In Encaustic On A Panel Of Linden Wood, And It Was Originated In Roman Egypt.
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23points
