25 Most Incredible Archaeological Finds

When an archaeological discovery is made, there are two stories to be told. One is the story of whatever's been found, and the other is the story of how it was discovered. Combine those two things and you ought to have some incredible stories to tell. Stories like the ones we have for you in this video. The Teocali of the Sacred War, also known as El Teocali de la Guerra Sagrada, is a remarkable pre-Columbian sculpture that resembles a miniature Aztec temple. It was discovered in the foundations of the National Palace of Mexico in 1831, but wasn't removed until the 1920s. Today, it is housed in the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City. The sculpture depicts various significant elements of Aztec iconography and mythology. It consists of a flat-roofed temple and a truncated pyramid with stairs at the front. The front of the sculpture features a solar disk with figures of Huitzilopochtli and Tepeyolotl, as well as the earth deity Tlaltecuhtli and military equipment symbolizing warfare. The sculpture's sides showcase figures representing Tlaloc, Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, Xochipilli, and Zayhuticuhtli. The back of the sculpture displays an eagle on a prickly pear cactus, symbolizing Huitzilopochtli and war. The Teocatli's platform features a zoomorphic earth monster. The sculpture is believed to be associated with the ruler Motocuzoma II, as it contains glyphs representing his name. Interpretations of the sculpture's symbolism vary, with some emphasizing its connection to human sacrifice and warfare, while others see it as representing cosmograms and the sacred nature of the Mexica people. Ancient Persian water clocks, known as klepsidras, were intriguing timekeeping devices that used the controlled flow of water to measure time. Dating back to 500 BCE, these clocks were widely used for over a millennium. In Persia, a typical water clock consisted of a bowl placed in a pot of water. As water gradually filled the bowl, it would sink, indicating the passage of time. A designated timekeeper would reset the clock by emptying the bowl and placing it back on the water's surface. Records indicate that the position of timekeeper was a prestigious one, and its holder would have enjoyed elevated social standing. The simple technology was also employed in irrigation systems, ensuring fair water distribution in arid regions like Persia and China. Another form of klepsidra used in ancient Rome features a graduated cylinder with a hole, measuring time by tracking the water level. Water clocks continued to evolve, incorporating gears and wheels, until they were eventually replaced by pendulum clocks in the 17th century. Nevertheless, these ancient Persian water clocks remain remarkable artifacts, showcasing humans' ingenuity in measuring time using the gentle flow of water. The stela of Akhenaten and his family is an extraordinary ancient Egyptian artifact that offers unique insights into the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten and his revolutionary religious reforms. Created during the Amarna Period, around 1350 BCE, this limestone stela depicts Akhenaten, his wife Nefertiti, and their three daughters in a distinctive artistic style. The stela stands at approximately six feet tall and showcases the royal family in intimate and affectionate poses, reflecting Akhenaten's emphasis on familial love and the worship of the son Disk Aten. The artwork also reveals the pharaoh's physical features, characterized by elongated facial features, a slender body, and exaggerated lips. The inscription accompanying the scene praises the pharaoh and highlights his role as the intermediary between the divine Aten and the people of Egypt. The stela serves as a significant historical document, shedding light on Akhenaten's religious revolution, the prominence of his family, and the artistic style of the Amarna Period, making it a vital artifact for understanding ancient Egyptian culture and the reign of one of its most important, yet enigmatic pharaohs. The Museum August Kessner in Hanover, Germany houses a remarkable Minoan sarcophagus, also known as a larnax, as one of its prominent antiquities. Dating back to the 14th century BCE during the late Minoan 3A period, this larnax is believed to have originated from the island of Crete. Larnaxes were pottery sarcophagi designed after wood coffins, and were commonly used in late Minoan funerary customs. Although too small for complete bodies, they served as ash chests for cremation remains. The Hanover larnax is largely intact, with some reconstructed parts, while the lid displays two wave bands and a flattened roof-like structure that securely fits on the sarcophagus. The sarcophagus itself exhibits a single brownish paint color on all four sides, a typical feature. The composition is intricate, but the painting technique appears crude compared to earlier Minoan palace paintings. The main side depicts a central tree with dogs chasing goats above them. Speared and pierced, one short side portrays two fighting wild goats, while the other short side and the reverse showcase floral motifs. The interior of the sarcophagus is less meticulously worked than the exterior, but functions perfectly well as a container. The image you're about to see comes from a vintage postcard and showcases a pair of remarkable golden gloves or arms from the Chimu culture, a pre-Columbian civilization in Peru. Crafted in gold, these ceremonial artifacts are a testament to the exceptional craftsmanship of the Chimu people. The reverse side of the postcard provides intriguing details about an exhibition at the San Diego Museum of Art, held from August 25 to November 30, 1980, during which various Chimu artifacts like these were on display to the public. The metalwork depicted in the exhibition portrays warriors adorned with plumed headdresses, breastplates and short skirts, representing the rich cultural heritage of the Chimu civilization. Residing on the northern coast of Peru, the Chimu were eventually conquered by the Inca Empire several decades prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. This tiny glimpse into the Chimu culture offers a glimpse into the artistic mastery and historical significance of pre-Columbian civilizations in Peru. Sadly, much of the history and cultural knowledge of these remarkable people was lost when the Spanish invaders tore through their territories. The winged horses of Tarkinia are a remarkable artistic marvel from ancient Etruscan civilizations. These exquisite winged horses, also known as pegasus, can be found depicted on the walls of tombs in Tarkinia, a city located in present-day Italy. The Etruscans, a sophisticated and enigmatic people who flourished in the region from the 9th to the 1st century BCE, held a deep reverence for these mythical creatures. The winged horses are depicted with graceful bodies, flowing manes and majestic wings, capturing the imagination and symbolizing power, beauty and divine connection. These stunning frescoes showcase the artistic skill and mastery of the Etruscans, who excelled in various forms of art. The significance of the winged horses of Tarkinia remains a subject of speculation, with theories ranging from their representation of the afterlife to their association with the divine realm. Today, these ancient artworks provide invaluable insights into the rich mythology and beliefs of the Etruscan civilization, leaving us in awe of their artistic legacy and their fantastic portrayal of these mythical winged creatures, perhaps we'll understand their meaning better if we, one day, succeed at fully translating their written language. The Monomachus crown is a fascinating and priceless artifact from the Byzantine Empire. It's a ceremonial crown, believed to have been created in the 11th century during the reign of Constantine IX Monomachus, who gave the crown its name. This intricate piece is made of gold and embellished with precious gems, including pearls, sapphires, emeralds, and garnets. The crown's design features intricate filigree work, delicate enamel, and religious iconography, including symbolic representations of humility and other traits, showcasing the exceptional craftsmanship of Byzantine artisans. The Monomachus crown is a symbol of imperial power and authority, as it was worn by Byzantine emperors during coronation ceremonies. Its opulence and beauty reflect the wealth and artistic sophistication of the Byzantine Empire. Today, the crown is housed in the treasury of the Aachen Cathedral in Germany, where it serves as a testament to the grandeur and cultural legacy of the Byzantine civilization. The Monomachus crown stands as a reminder of the enduring impact of Byzantine art and craftsmanship, amazing those who gaze upon it with its exquisite beauty and historical significance. The Luck of Eden Hall is a beautifully adorned enameled glass beaker, believed to have been made in Syria or Egypt in the mid-14th century. Decorated with exquisite arabesques in blue, green, red, and white enamel with gilding, it currently resides in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England. The beaker measures approximately 6.2 inches in height and 4.4 inches in width at the brim. It gained prominence in the 15th century when it was encased in a decorated stiff leather case with a lid featuring the Christian IHS symbol, ensuring its preservation over the centuries. This exceptional beaker is considered an outstanding example of luxury Islamic glass from the 14th century. Its original name is unknown, but it became known as the Luck of Eden Hall when it was mentioned in the will of Sir Philip Musgrave in 1677. The glass's enduring presence within the Musgrave family of Eden Hall, Cumberland led to its legendary status, believed to bring prosperity to its owners. The glass, unbroken throughout its lineage, was loaned to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1926 and acquired by the nation in 1958, where it continues to attract visitors in the medieval and renaissance galleries. The invention of the stethoscope happened over 200 years ago. Its origins can be traced back to Dr. René Laner at the Necker Hospital in Paris in 1816. At that time, the standard practice of listening to the respiratory system involved placing one's ear directly against a patient's chest. However, in a particular case where the patient was overweight, Dr. Laner sought an alternative approach. He rolled a piece of paper into a tube and placed it between his ear and the woman's heart, finding that it amplified the sound. This accidental discovery led to the creation of the stethoscope as we know it today. Dr. Paul Ferdinand Gatchett, who owned an early wooden stethoscope, was an extraordinary physician associated with the renowned artists of the Impressionism movement. Gatchett's unique healing abilities, including his interest in palm reading, attracted Vincent van Gogh, and they lived together in 1890. Unfortunately, Gatchett's care couldn't save van Gogh. Over time, inventors improved the stethoscope's design, and by the 1850s, the single-tubed stethoscope had evolved into a binaural device. Dr. George Kamen developed the widely available Kamen stethoscope in 1852, featuring two ivory earpieces connected to silver tubes and a conical-shaped piece for placing on the heart. This design closely resembles the modern stethoscope. Templo Mayor has already given us many fantastic ancient It was once the heart of a huge religious complex in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. What's left of it is now an archaeological site in Mexico City. Experts and archaeologists have been digging through the site for decades, and will continue to do so for several decades more. But in June 2022, they confirmed the discovery of more than 2,500 wooden objects believed to have been left at the site as religious or ritual offerings. There's no set pattern to the objects. They include figurines, headdresses, masks, jars, earrings, and scepters, all of which were probably deposited by priests during the 14th century as a means of consecrating the Templo Mayor to the gods that the Aztecs believed in. It's rare for wooden objects to survive for so many centuries in such good condition. But in the case of these artifacts, it seemed they were preserved by a combination of the high level of humidity in the region and the anaerobic conditions in the soil. It's not easy to tell what our next artifact is at first glance, but keep looking at it and pay close attention to the markings around its edges. Found inside Denisova Cave in November 2019, this is believed to be a figurine of a lion, and if it is, it's the oldest animal figurine ever discovered. Experts say that it's more than 45,000 years old. The small carved sculpture, made from a mammoth tusk, appears to show a lion's underbelly, hind legs, and upper torso. For some reason, there aren't any front legs and nor is there a head. Archaeologists aren't sure whether it was designed without a head or whether the head broke away and disappeared thousands of years ago. The multiple lines on the torso of the figure are thought to represent fur, and the piece was polished after it was finished. Whoever made it was presumably very proud of their work. This is yet another remarkable discovery in the Denisovan Caves. It seems that the more archaeologists look into the cave, the more evidence of an advanced ancient civilization they find. The Ardabil Carpet isn't one carpet, it's two. When most people use the term, though, they're referring to a very large Persian carpet that can now be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England. There's some controversy about this larger version of the carpet, though, as it was reconstructed in the 19th century, and it appears that sections of the smaller carpet were used to help reconstruct the large one. At its current shape and size, the carpet is 34 feet long and 17 feet wide. What's left of the smaller one is currently in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the United States of America. The style of both carpets is typical of the Tabriz design, with medallions at their center and ornate designs surrounding the central medallions. It's designed to reflect the appearance of Persian gardens, which are considered symbols of paradise by Muslims. Helpfully, there's a cartouche on the which dates it to 1539. That's the earliest verifiable date on any Persian carpet. Despite international campaigns to have either one of the carpets returned home, they both remain in their respective British and American museums. A hydrogeophysics training session conducted near Lancaster Castle in England by students from Lancaster University discovered a Romano-Celtic temple in March 2023. Using ground-penetrating radar, resistivity mapping and modeling, studies revealed a walled enclosure with a gateway leading to a processional way. The mapping data also suggests a roadside mausoleum outside the enclosure and what could be the base of an altar close to the temple. The Lancaster Roman Fort, first constructed around the year 80 atop Castle Hill in Lancaster to command a crossing over the River Loon, was rebuilt in stone near here during the early 2nd century. Evidence suggests that it remained active until the end of the Roman occupation of Britain in the early 5th century. The fort's Roman inscription records the rebuilding of a bathhouse and basilica in the middle of the 3rd century. Beyond the Castle Project's leading archaeologist, Jason Wood, explained that the temple would have served the fort and been dedicated to a god, probably associated with the sea or river. The inner sanctum would have been reserved for the priests, while the outer space would have been for elite members of society. Now we move to Egypt, where in March 2023, archaeologists confirmed they'd discovered a limestone sphinx near the Temple of Hathor in Dendera, south of Cairo. It dates back to the early Roman imperial era. Found inside a Roman-era shrine, the sphinx has a human face and wears a striped nemes-headdress with an urius on its forehead, symbolizing royal authority. A Byzantine-era water storage basin made of mud brick was found below the shrine, where the sphinx and a limestone stelae inscribed in hieroglyphics and demotic were discovered. The sphinx has a warm smile and dimples, and red and yellow paint can still be seen on its face. Experts say the sphinx's facial features are similar to those of Emperor Claudius, or to give him his full title, Tiberios Claudios Caesaros Sebastos Germanikos Autocrator, who is further referred to on a hieroglyphic inscription as the Son of Ra, Lord of the Crowns, King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Lord of the Two Lands, at the Temple of Isis. The inscription on the stelae may help archaeologists verify the possible connection between the emperor and the sphinx. Archaeologists from Poland excavating the ruins of Old Dongola in Sudan confirmed in March 2023 that they've made a significant discovery of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics inscribed on sandstone blocks. Old Dongola was the capital of the Nubian Kingdom of Makuria, situated in northern Sudan on the eastern bank of the River Nile. The kingdom emerged during the 5th century CE after the collapse of the Nubian Kingdom of Kush, and was at its peak during the 9th to 11th century. It extended from the area along the Nile from the Third Cataract to parts of northern Kordofan. The recent excavation has revealed over 100 blocks of white sandstone inscribed with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics dating back to the 25th Dynasty of Egypt, also known as the Nubian Dynasty. These blocks were originally part of a structure, possibly a temple, built in the first half of the 1st millennium BCE, which is the earliest example of human activity identified on the site. The discovery is significant because it pushes back the known history of Old Dongola by over 1,000 years. As this is an active archaeological site, there might be more to come from it. Archaeologists in Egypt have identified the location of one of the battles that occurred during the Great Revolt, a conflict between ancient Egyptians and the Ptolemaic Kingdom from 207 to 184 BCE, which is referenced on the Rosetta Stone. An excavation at Tell Timay in northern Egypt revealed traces of burned buildings, weapons, stones thrown by siege engines, coins, and a broken statue at the site of the ancient city of Timuys. The discovery was made by Nottingham Trent University's senior lecturer and project co-director Jay Silverstein and his team, who began excavating the site in 2009. Jay's team discovered the remains of a young man with his legs sticking out of a kiln, and the body of a man in his 50s sitting upright after an apparent fight to the death. They were able to determine the time period of the battle based on when the coins were minted. The site's findings were published in the Journal of Field Archaeology in December 2022. Archaeologists say that the archaeological evidence from the Great Revolt is rare, and this is the first time a specific location where conflict occurred has been identified. A discovery of 17th-century Lithuanian coins has been made on the outskirts of Zieniałka, Poland in March 2023. The hoard was found by Mikhail Lotis, who was scanning a field with his metal detector, searching for lost mechanical agricultural parts, when he came across some loose coins and a ceramic jug tightly packed with more coins. Lotis notified the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments in Lublin, which he had to do by law, as unlicensed metal detecting is illegal in Poland. Archaeologists were dispatched to the site and found that the hoard was deliberately buried in a layer of subsoil. The hoard contained around 1,000 coins, mostly Lithuanian crowns and shillings, with most of them inside a traditional Polish suwak vase. The jug and contents weigh 6.6 pounds. The coins were minted at a time when Poland and Lithuania were united in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a joint state with a multi-ethnic population of more than 12 million people. The hoard is now being fully excavated and will then be analyzed at the Archaeology Department of the Museum of Southern Podlasie in Biala Podlaska. Here's another discovery from March 2023. Archaeologists in Bjorvica district of Oslo, Norway, have discovered the well-preserved remains of a medieval wharf, which they believe to have been built by a Norwegian king. The wharf was constructed using large logs interlaced into bulwarks, which were then embedded into the seabed. The structures built on top of the foundations pressed them deeper into the clay, where they were preserved even when the surface structures were lost. Over 26 feet of the wharf's foundations survived in good condition under the clay of the Oslofjord seabed. Impressions of barnacles and mussels on the logs suggest that they were left exposed in the water. The discovery has come with unexpected questions regarding the wharf's construction, as there were several layers of dung, food waste, fish bones, and sod and peat inside the bulwark, and it ought not to have been possible to throw scraps of food into what was, theoretically, a closed construction. Researchers plan to dendrochronologically date the timbers to determine who built the wharf. Hakon V, who reigned from 1299 to 1319, is the most likely candidate, since the pier's foundations were found outside the remains of the royal palace he preceded. A cemetery from the Middle Ages has been discovered during excavation at the site of a planned future primary school in Marseilles, France. Archaeologists found an unusual cemetery containing three double graves, each containing the remains of an adult woman and a young child. They are thought to have been mothers and children who died and were buried at the same time, and were laid to rest with tenderness and care. In one of the graves, a child was even found still holding its mother's hand. The cemetery was in use from the 7th to the 10th century, but the double burials are from the earliest part of the range. The deceased were buried in shrouds and wore modest copper, bronze, and iron jewelry typical of the Merovingian era, dating the burials to the 7th or 8th century. Archaeologists discovered almost 95 burials in the cemetery, many of them children, interred in simple graves, tile burials, or cist burials. The site was occupied long before the Merovingian era, with evidence of Bronze Age settlement discovered during the excavation, including pits, post holes, and a mudbrick wall. A recent study published in the February 2023 edition of the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology has revealed that a middle-aged woman living in Longobard, Italy over 1,300 years ago underwent at least two invasive skull surgeries and survived them both. The woman's skull, found in the Castel Trocino Cemetery near Ascoli Piceno, central Italy, showed signs of a cross-shaped incision, as well as other drill holes made on the skull shortly before the woman's death. Macroscopic, microscopic, and computed tomography analyses were carried out on the skull by an international team of researchers from Sapienza University in Rome, the Macdonald Institute for Archaeological Research in Cambridge, and several other institutions. Researchers were also able to track specific changes in the woman's diet and mobility from early life to adulthood through a high-resolution biochemical investigation method applied to one of her preserved teeth. These findings indicate the care and assistance provided to the woman by her community. The specific surgical techniques used involved the scraping of bone from the cranium as part of trepanation, which is the first evidence of this type of medical treatment being performed on an early medieval skull. Next up, we have what may very well be the oldest tavern, restaurant, or drinking establishment in the world. The discovery of this ancient Sumerian tavern in Lagash, Iraq was confirmed in February 2023. Despite being approximately 4,700 years old, it still has food inside it. Back when the tavern was built, Lagash was an independent city-state with its own king. As such, it was one of the first urban centers in the ancient Near East. We can't confirm that this is the world's first tavern, but nor can we rule the idea out. Within its ruins, archaeologists have found 150 serving bowls, benches for diners to sit on, the bones of animals and fish, and even a primitive refrigeration system. There's also evidence that beer was brewed and drunk here, which is consistent with what we know about the Sumerians and their enthusiasm for beer. The evidence comes in the form of a cuneiform tablet, upon which a recipe for brewing beer is etched. Finding the tablet means that it's now possible to brew authentic Sumerian beer. We're sure there are some hipsters out there who'd love to try it! In February 2023, archaeologists in Ozwichem, Poland, uncovered a 300-year-old wooden mikveh, a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion to achieve ritual purity in Judaism. The excavation was conducted as part of preparations for an underground car park in the city. This discovery is one in a series of artifacts from the Middle Ages that have been found at the site. The mikveh is well-preserved, which is unusual for wooden structures as they tend to decompose and break down over time due to fungi and microorganisms such as bacteria. In this case, waterlogged conditions prevented bacteria from thriving by not allowing oxygen to penetrate the wood. The traditional rules regarding the construction of a mikveh are based on those specified in regulations laid down in the Torah and in classical rabbinical literature, which describe the requirements for a natural spring or well of naturally occurring water, as well as cisterns filled with rainwater, to supply water for the baths. Jewish people first settled in Ozwichem in the 16th century and the mikveh discovered by the archaeologists dates back to the 17th or 18th century. The find provides historical and architectural insight into the basic elements of Jewish life in Ozwichem. This is an especially poignant find, as the site of the discovery isn't far from Auschwitz. Archaeologists in Garmaring, Germany, made a fantastic discovery in January 2023. A Bronze Age well filled with ritual offerings, which is believed to be over 3,000 years old. The well is incredibly well-preserved, with its wooden walls still partly damp from the groundwater. This has ensured that the organic materials discovered within it have been equally well-preserved, including a total of 26 bronze garment pins, amber beads, two metal spirals, an animal tooth wrapped in metal to make a pendant, and over 70 ceramic vessels. The condition of the vessels indicates that they were carefully lowered into the water, rather than dropped or thrown. As such, it is thought that they were part of an offering to the gods, made during a time of drought when the water table had dropped significantly. The hardships faced by the settlers at the time may have spurred them to sacrifice their most valuable possessions to their gods in the hope that their fortunes might improve. As part of the ongoing archaeological dig at the site, around 13,500 artifact finds have been made, mainly from the Bronze Age and Early Middle Ages. It's expected that some of these finds will be made accessible to the public later this year in the Garmaring City Museum. We finish off in China with a discovery that took place in January 2022. If you've been watching this channel for a while, or even if you just have a keen interest in archaeology, you've probably seen battle armor made from almost every material imaginable, from teeth to coconut shells. However, you probably haven't seen armor like this before. It's been labeled fish-scale armor, and it's approximately 2,500 years old. The name is a little misleading, as the armor found inside the tomb in Turfan on the edges of the Taklamakan Desert isn't actually made of fish scales. Instead, it's made of more than 5,000 overlapping scales of leather, arranged in a pattern to make them look like fish scales. Experts think that it was imported from the Middle East, and so might represent a rare form of technological exchange between the two territories at that point in history. Armor like this would have been useful because it offers better protection from blunt force attacks than male armor and is also cheaper to make, but it lacks flexibility and coverage.