What is this thing? 25 Strange Things and Their Purposes (26 photos)

Curiosity is a wonderful thing. And thinking outside the box is an integral part of the process of creating useful devices. Over the past 100 years, humanity has come up with so many gadgets that it is quite difficult to remember and understand their purpose. So if you come across something incomprehensible, you can always ask for help on the forums. The collective mind will always find an answer!





1. Carved stone figures



Chinese set of seals and stamps. If the bottom of the part is smooth, then you can carve your name (nickname) on it.

2. Found this door in the kitchen of our new house





For storing baking sheets next to the oven.

3. What are the little finger sized pockets on this leather jacket for?



For ammo. It's a hunting jacket.

4. A strange brick room in our 1860s house



Maybe this is a home cheese dairy? A room where cheese and butter were made.

5. Found under the bathtub during renovation. Small glass tubes filled with liquid



Vintage perfume ampoules.

6. What's That on the Wall in The Office?



A Black and Decker SpotLiter rechargeable flashlight from the early 1980s.

7. A Metal Sphere from the Ocean, Found Off the Coast of Alaska



A special ball that blocks the ship's ventilation so that water does not get in. It is usually located on the bottom of the ship under a special grate. If water starts to leak in, the ball rises and covers the vent.

8. A small, intricately carved item I found at a garage sale



Cricket cage lid, China, Qing Dynasty, 19th/20th century. Possibly ivory.

9. Large concrete "steps" in Somerset, England



This is a protection against erosion in case of a river flood.

10. A miniature thing in a ring box, at the bottom is an electric coil



A crystal radio that works on a galena crystal.

11. Warped window glass in pubs, shops and homes in the UK



A tribute to how sheet glass was made in the past.

12. Found on a sunken ship, does anyone know what it is? A small bottle with a clear liquid inside! In a leather drawstring pouch



Soviet perfume "Jasmine".

13. A hinged block in the floor of an old house. There's another one opposite the wall



A device for opening doors without using your hands.

14. Saw this in a second-hand store



A device for storing catches in water.

15. What's that round device on the stand in front of the Olympic shooter?



This is a microphone that records when the shooter gives the command to launch the target.

16. Wooden item



This is a "laukh" or "lavkh", a sliding book stand from Uzbekistan. It is carved from a single piece of wood.

17. Found in my garden, soft pink granules with no smell. I have 2 dogs and a child



This is poison for rodents.

18. Men with devices attached to their shoulders. Is this scanning equipment?



No, these are screens with commercials.

19. A small (4-5 cm) rusty piece of metal. Found in a river in central France



The logo from the handlebar of an Ajax bicycle. This model was produced in Albert, France, from 1906 to 1913.

20. Rubber cones hanging from the bumper



Gas detectors.

21. What is this thing? Bought at a flea market in Germany



A lead bottle used to transport radioactive materials.

P.S. Traces of thorium were found inside the bottle.

22. Pipes exit into the ocean in the Cayman Islands



A cooling system, and many buildings located near the beach use it to keep cool.

23. A device that makes a high-pitched sound when something approaches



This is an ultrasonic animal repeller.

24. A round black electronic device in a Spanish hotel. The ball in the center moves slightly



This is the air conditioner temperature sensor.

25. Moved to another house and found a red case. There's some kind of metal rod in it



A hand warmer from the mid-20th century.