A 3200-Year-Old Egyptian Attendance Tablet

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Held by The British Museum, a limestone tablet or ostracon dating back to 1250 BCE offers a fascinating glimpse into the work-life balance of ancient Egyptian workers. 40 employees and their reasons for missing work are inked in red and black New Egyptian hieratic script. Among them are entries like ‘embalming brother’, ‘brewing beer’, and ‘scorpion bit him’.

A 1,500-Year-Old Pair Of Lady’s Sandals

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A 1,500-year-old pair of Byzantine-era lady’s sandals was discovered during digs associated with the Marmaray, a commuter rail line, Project in Istanbul. The sandals, which likely belonged to a Greek woman, bear the following message in Greek: “Use in health, lady, wear in beauty and happiness.”

A 121-Year-Old Time Capsule

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While replacing a bridge in Kingussie, Scotland, construction workers discovered a 121-year-old time capsule. Buried deep in the foundations of the bridge, the metal box held the following items: a newspaper dated 22 September 1894, a scroll and a bottle of whiskey.

A 1,500-Year-Old Byzantine Church

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During the expansion of the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway in 2015, construction workers made an interesting discovery: a 1,500-year-old Byzantine church. With a white marble floor and a cross-shaped baptistery, the condition of the elaborate church far surpassed other similar structures discovered in the Holy Land.

The Herculaneum Bread Loaf

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Stamped sourdough bread probably isn’t the first thing you think of at the mention of historical artifacts. The Herculaneum loaf was baked just before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and discovered in 1930 after the excavation of the House of the Stags. It is currently preserved in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

White Mountain’s Numerous Handprints

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At least 200 years ago, handprints were carved into the sandstone surface of the White Mountain in Wyoming. They are unlike any other petroglyphs because they’re deeply etched into the stone. While archaeologists are baffled by the prints, visitors feel a compelling connection to those who created them.

A Medieval Hospital In Madrid

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In 2013, construction workers unearthed a 15th-century hospital in Madrid during an excavation for a new Apple Store. Four years earlier, other construction workers at a neighboring site had uncovered the ruins of an adjoining church. It is believed the hospital was used to treat plague patients before being demolished in the 1850s. 

The Ancient Clay Tablets Of Akkadia

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Researchers from the Girsu Project uncovered more than 200 tablets at a site in Southern Iraq, dating back to the third millennium BCE. Written in Cuneiform, a Middle Eastern writing system, the tablets detailed all aspects of Sumerian life, including people’s names, their roles, state of affairs, blueprints, maps, and much more. The tablets reveal just how concerned the Akkadian Empire was with bureaucracy.

A 60,000-Year-Old Mammoth Tusk

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Property owner AMLI is credited for the discovery of a Columbian Mammoth tusk fossil at their apartment development site in Seattle. Regarded as the largest and most intact tusk discovered in Seattle, paleontologists estimated it to be over 60,000 years old, with its exact age to be determined using carbon dating. It was carefully removed for preservation by the paleontologists and eventually found a home at the Burke Museum of Natural History.

The Nazca Lines Of Peru

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The Nazca lines were constructed over 2,000 years ago by people of the Nazca culture. The drawings spanned kilometers and included geometric shapes, straight lines, plants, and animals. Since their discovery in the 1920s, their importance remains a mystery, but some hypothesize they were drawn for astronomical purposes or religious ceremonies.

The Antikythera Mechanism

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In 1901, the Antikythera mechanism was discovered among the remains of a shipwreck off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera. The hand-powered device is regarded as the first known analog computer and was used to predict eclipses and astronomical positions years in advance. It could also track the cycle of the ancient Olympics.

The Peculiar Roman Dodecahedron

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The Roman Dodecahedron is one of a few historical artifacts that still baffles people today. First found in 1739, over 130 have since been discovered all over Europe. They are small and hollow objects with 12 faces made from copper alloy. With no inscriptions, their purpose isn’t known, and as a result, more than 50 possible explanations have been published to date.

The Mysterious Dropa Stones

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Discovered in 1938 by Chinese professor Chi Pu Tei, the Dropa stones allegedly detail the story of an extraterrestrial spacecraft carrying Dropa people that crash-landed on Earth. Chinese archaeologists translated the stones’ hieroglyphic-type markings, and their findings were purportedly published in Tsum Um Nui’s academic journal. However, no records of this journal have ever been found, and others question the existence of both Chi Pu Tei and Tsum Um Nui.

1300 Year-Old Viking Skis

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In 2014, archaeologists uncovered a lone wooden ski on Digervarden Mountain in Norway. Fast forward to 2021, researchers discovered the second ski buried more deeply in the ice. Both skis were handmade over 1,300 years ago and were not identical due to their individual history of wear and repair.

The Pyramidion Of Amenemhat III

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Crafted around 1850 BC, the pyramidion (capstone) of the Pyramid of Amenemhat III in Dahshur, Egypt, was excavated from the sand on the east side of the pyramid in 1900. The pyramidion was carved out of black granite and was intricately inscribed on all four faces. It is now at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.