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.
#61 James Vi Of Scotland's Earliest Surviving Letter, Thanking His Foster Mother For Sending Him Some Fruit (1570s)
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23points
#62 An 18th Century Bce Old Babylonian Letter Written By The Student Iddin-Sin To His Mother Zinu
In Which He Complaints About The Poor Quality Of Clothes His Mother Sent Him Compared To Those Of His Peers, Noting That Even The Adopted Son Of One Of His Father's Servants Had Better Clothing.
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23points
#63 90 Years Ago Today, Local Villagers In Shami Accidentally Unearthed A 2-Meter Statue While Digging In The Area
Shortly After, It Was Moved To The National Museum Of Iran And Dated To 50 Bc. The Shami Statue Is Now Considered The Single Most Important Work From The Parthian Empire.
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23points
#64 The Display Of A Reproduction Of The Parthenon Or Elgin Marbles
Here Shown Is The Outward Facing Frieze. At The New Acropolis Museum. The Original Marbles Are At The British Museum
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23points
#65 The Giant Bath Tub For Alexander Of Russia In Babolovsky Palace, St. Petersburg (1801-1825)
The Tub Was Originally A Chunk Of Granite From A Finnish Island, Weighed Over 160 Tonnes. A Team Was Given The Task Of Turning The Rock Into A Bathtub, And It Took A Decade To Get The Job Done.
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23points
#66 Cylindrical Hematite Weights From Warka In Iraq. Old Babylonian Empire, 2000-1600 Bce, Now Housed At The British Museum
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22points
#67 The Criel Mound In West Virginia, Built In 250–150 Bc. Inside The Mound, There Was 2 Skeletons Near The Top, And 11 At The Base
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22points
#68 Unmaintained Portion Of The Great Wall Of China Slowly Being Reclaimed By The Gobi Desert
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22points
#69 Workers Excavating Persepolis For The First Time, Winter 1930, Iran
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22points
#70 A 17th Century Emerald (Colombian) Carving Of A Hindu Saint, With Ruby And Gold Inlays. Part Of The Lord Glenconner’s Collection
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22points
#71 A Remarkable 2,000-Year-Old Parthian Statue, Likely Depicting A Queen, Has Been Seized By Iranian Police While Being Smuggled
Experts Are Currently Analyzing The Statue To Determine Its Exact Date And Identity, Which Is Expected To Provide Significant Historical Insights.
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21points
#72 Lock Of Lucrezia Borgias Hair On Display At The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana In Milan, Italy
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#73 An 8th-Century Quran Manuscript Being Restored In Egypt
Considered One Of The Oldest Surviving Quran Manuscripts, It Has 1087 Leaves Weighting Around 80kg, Each Made Of One Entire Animal’s Skin.
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21points
#74 Two 500-Year-Old Persian Helmets Crafted From Gilded Steel, Featuring Ornate Metal Face Masks
These Remarkable Helmets Were Gifted By Iran To Russia In 1534 Ad, And They Remain Preserved At The Kremlin Armoury Museum In Moscow.
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21points
#75 Napoleon's Private Bathroom, Featuring A Unique Recessed Bathtub, Located Within His Apartment At The Villa Pisani In Stra, Northern Italy
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20points
#77 A Woman Is Attacked By The Kamikiri ("Hair-Cutter") On Her Way To The Toilet. Translation In Comments. Print By Utagawa Yoshifuji. Japan, 1868
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19points
#78 Close Up Of Pictograph Of European Man, Probably A Spaniard, At Vaquero Alcove In Texas
This Was Obviously Painted By A Native Who Had Personally Witnessed The Man. Photo: The University Of Texas At Austin Texas Archeological Research.
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18points
#79 The Canadian Ice Man Is A Naturally Mummified Body Of A Young Man, Found In British Columbia In 1999
With A Well-Preserved And Woven Hat, An Iron Knife With A Wooden Handle And A Coat Made Of 100 Small Pelts Of The Arctic Squirrel With Sinew From A Moose. C. 1450–1700 Ce.
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18points
#80 Priceless Illyrian Gravestones In North Macedonia Are Kept Hidden From The Public, Smoked On, & Damaged By Trash And Other Objects
Museum Curators Turned Away A Reporter Who Wished To See The Gravestones, Telling Him - "This Has Nothing To Do With Illyrians"
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18points
