17 Amazing Artifacts That Will Change Your Perception of History (18 photos)

What could the heavy ankle bracelets of the ancient Khmer, a surprised ivory bird from the Peruvian jungle, and an Easter egg that survived the Revolution have in common?





Perhaps only one thing: each of these objects was created not simply as decoration or a tool. They are time capsules, symbols of power, technological progress, and expressions of love. And, of course, reasons to reflect on how humanity has strived to leave its mark on eternity.

1. Marble funerary structure at Loutrophoros, 330-320 BC.



Currently housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

2. Robe with embroidered dragons. China, 19th century





3. "Laurel Tree" - a Fabergé egg decorated with jade and precious stones, with a small bird inside



Presented to the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna for Easter by her son, Emperor Nicholas II. St. Petersburg, 1911.

4. Eggplant-shaped sake bottle. Japan, 19th century



5. A pair of George III-style flower bouquets, late 18th century, sold at Sotheby's in 2010



6. Ink prints of cat paws on a Flemish manuscript from the 15th century century



7. A metal detector exploring the ancient Greek ruins of Behemoth (Sussita) in the Golan Heights discovered this 2,100-year-old sling bullet.



The ominous inscription on it reads: "Learn your lesson."

8. Stone figures with large eyes are carvings found on the island of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands, part of French Polynesia.



These figures, carved into a stone block around the 11th century AD, are distinguished by large round eyes and stylized human forms.

9. Granite sculpture of King Ramesses III flanked by Horus and Seth



From Medinet Habu, circa 1186-1155 BC, housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

10. The only four surviving Aztec feather shields, dating from the 16th century AD



They are currently housed in the Weltmuseum in Vienna (top left), the National History Museum of Mexico (top right), and the rest are in the Württemberg State Museum in Stuttgart.

11. Large bronze anklets from Cambodia, 3rd–6th centuries AD



12. Ceramic rollers for applying patterns to textiles. Thailand, Ban Chiang culture, 300 BC – 300 AD



13. Helmet and mask with long moustache. Japan, Edo period, 1603-1868.



14. Carved bone owl, possibly part of an atlatl (spear thrower). Peru, Moche civilization, 3rd-6th centuries AD.



15. Ancient Roman sofa and footstool, 1st-2nd centuries AD.



16. Oak cradle for Samuel Colt's baby, designed by Isaac Stewart, made by John Most, Hartford, Connecticut, 1857



17. Mycenaean daggers, 16th-14th centuries BC