30 amazing artifacts that bring the ancient world to life (31 photos)

As children, many of us dreamed of becoming archaeologists. Inspired by history books and Indiana Jones and Lara Croft movies, we thought that archaeology was a never-ending adventure. But in reality, the work of archaeologists is more modest. Nevertheless, their discoveries are amazing. We have collected a collection of intriguing finds to pique your interest.





1. A 2,000-year-old gold ring with a 3D portrait was found in an ancient Roman tomb. The piece belonged to Aebutia Quarta, and her late son Titus Carvilius Gemello is depicted



2. 2,000-year-old Roman mosaic on the banks of the Euphrates River, Turkey





3. "Bison licking an insect bite." A deer antler item was discovered during excavations in France. The age of the find is 14,000 years



4. In 1963, a routine home renovation in Turkey led to the discovery of the ancient underground city of Derinkuyu. It was built in the 2nd-1st millennia BC and served as a shelter from enemies



5. In Thailand, locals believe that this stone formation used to be a giant snake. According to them, it once crawled on the Earth, but millions of years ago it turned to stone



6. Timgad or Thamugadi - the ruins of an ancient Roman city in the territory of modern Algeria



7. Lascaux Cave in Montignac, France. The rock paintings date back to the Upper Paleolithic period



8. A round gold Viking brooch from Hornelunde near Vardo in Denmark



9. The Library of Celsus in Ephesus, Turkey. Built between 114 and 135 BC. in honor of Tiberius Julius Celsus, the Roman proconsul of the Asian province of Rome



10. Caligula's 2,000-year-old sapphire ring. The portrait belongs to the fourth and last wife of the great pontiff, Caesonia



11. The 27-meter-deep "Well of Initiation" in Quinta da Regaleira, near the city of Sintra, Portugal. The well is said to have served as a religious ceremonial site for the Masonic fraternity



12. A 4,000-year-old cart made of oak wood was discovered in the village of Lchashen near Lake Sevan, Armenia.



13. Meganeura - a prehistoric insect similar to modern dragonflies, but much larger, with a wingspan of up to 70 cm



14. Hypocaust - an ancient Roman system heating



15. Stone mosaic from the 6th century, discovered in Antakya, Turkey. 1,200 square meters of geometric shapes and unique figures



16. Qasr al-Farid - a structure from the 1st century AD. in Saudi Arabia



17. Sumerian planisphere, 5,500 years old. The star map was discovered in the underground library of King Ashurbanipal in Nineveh, Iraq, in the late 19th century



18. A 4th-century mosaic floor at an ancient Roman villa in Sicily, Italy



19. The silver bucket from Vrap, Albania. It was part of a treasure hidden in the 6th-7th centuries by the Avars or the Bulgars who rebelled against them



20. Bronze head of Medusa Gorgon, dated 120 AD. Discovered at Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli, Italy



21. Roman artifact from the 4th century AD. BC, known as the Lycurgus Cup



22. Sarcophagi in the Egyptian Serapeum. These massive granite tombs, weighing up to 70 tons, were built over 3,000 years ago, beginning with the 19th Dynasty



23. An 1800-year-old iron mask of a Roman soldier was discovered in Turkey



24. A wooden statue of the priest Kaaper. The eyes are made of crystal and copper plates. Old Kingdom, 5,400 years old



25. Pakistan's Open-Air Gallery - Over 50,000 Intricate Paintings and 5,000 Inscriptions Stretched Over 100 Kilometers Between Shatial and Raikot Bridge (9th Century BCE - 16th Century CE)



26. Saint Sophia's Cave on Kythira Island, Greece. Her body is said to have been found here. In 1875, the villagers of Mylopotamos erected a chapel in her honor, which contains several icons and beautiful frescoes (dating back to the 13th century)



27. 24 perfectly preserved bronze statues dating back about 2,300 years have been found in Tuscany



28. The Royal Mound - the burial place of one of the rulers of the Spartocid dynasty, 4th century BC BC, Kerch, Ukraine



29. Tutankhamun's alabaster jar, used as a container for cream or perfume. The lid is decorated with an ivory lion



30. Gold masks found in the Kalmakarekh cave in Lorestan, Iran. Dated to the first half of the first millennium BC. and are kept in the National Museum of Iran