Astonishing artifacts: A glimpse into how people lived in the past

Artifacts offer a window into the past, giving us information about people and cultures that existed centuries to millennia ago. From hoards of gold coins found hidden beneath floorboards to handmade pottery buried in caves, these intriguing objects are often the only physical evidence that remains. In some cases, the purpose or meaning of an artifact is lost to time, but its presence still reveals hints of what cultures valued or ritualized.

Each week, we showcase a different astonishing artifact that gives us new insight into how our ancestors lived.

Explore more amazing artifacts

—30 incredible treasures discovered in King Tut's tomb

—32 haunting shipwrecks from the ancient world

—32 stunning centuries-old hoards unearthed by metal detectorists

Latest about astonishing artifacts

Croesus stater: The 2,500-year-old coin that introduced the gold standard

By Kristina Killgrove published

These 2,500-year-old coins are the origin of our monetary system.

Archaeology
Close-up of a wooden diorama showing five human figurines. Two are facing away from the camera, and three face the camera. They are carrying sacks of grain.

Ancient Egyptian 'granary with scribes' diorama: A miniature workplace found buried in a tomb from the Middle Kingdom

By Kristina Killgrove published

A small, wooden diorama found in an ancient Egyptian tomb reflects the importance of grain in an agricultural society.

Ancient Egyptians
A carved piece of walrus bone in the shape of goggles with narrow slits at the eyes and incised decorations sits on a thin cylindrical stand against a grey background

Thule snow goggles: 1,000-year-old Arctic eyewear carved from walrus tusks

By Kristina Killgrove published

These carved snow goggles were a necessary accessory for Arctic existence centuries ago.

Archaeology
Ivory portrait head of a Stone Age woman against a black background

Dolní Věstonice Portrait Head: The oldest known human portrait in the world

By Kristina Killgrove published

A tiny head carved from mammoth ivory looks back at us from the Stone Age.

Archaeology
A colorful embroidered scene from the Bayeux Tapestry depicts the death of King Harold

Bayeux Tapestry: A 1,000-year-old embroidery depicting William the Conqueror's victory and King Harold's grisly death

By Kristina Killgrove published

A long roll of cloth embroidered with key scenes from British history is a unique medieval chronicle.

Archaeology
Reconstruction of an animal-themed headdress worn by a Mesolithic woman

Bad Dürrenberg headdress: An elaborate 9,000-year-old headpiece worn by a female shaman in Europe

By Kristina Killgrove published

A lavish 9,000-year-old grave in central Germany revealed the burial of a powerful female shaman.

Archaeology
Anthropomorphic light brown clay tablet shaped like a domino with circular depressions scattered across it

Doban-kun: A 'cute' human-shaped counting tool from prehistoric Japan

By Kristina Killgrove published

This anthropomorphic clay tablet was likely used in an ancient ritual by the Jōmon culture in Japan.

Archaeology
Six-frame animated gif of a small white marble statuette of a dwarf; his arms, legs, and part of his head are missing

Dancing dwarf: A 2,300-year-old ancient Egyptian statue of a godlike man with a muscular 6-pack

By Kristina Killgrove published

This marble statuette is emblematic of Ptolemaic-era art: a mishmash of styles with a decidedly Egyptian twist.

Ancient Egyptians
A fragmented wooden tablet with Latin writing on it in charcoal ink on display against a neutral background

2,000-year-old RSVP: A birthday invitation from the Roman frontier that has the earliest known Latin written by a woman

By Kristina Killgrove published

This wafer-thin wooden tablet from a first-century Roman fort in the U.K. includes a heartfelt birthday party invitation.

Archaeology
Two people look at an ancient wooden lyre on display at a museum

Queen Puabi's lyre: A bull-headed music maker played for Mesopotamian royalty 4,500 years ago

By Kristina Killgrove published

A lyre in a treasure-laden royal tomb discovered in Mesopotamia is the earliest stringed instrument ever found.

Archaeology
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