18 Museum Exhibits That Will Change Your Perception of Ancient Civilizations (19 photos)

They lay in the ground for thousands of years. They were created by shamans, warriors, priests, and artisans, of whom not even memory remains. And now they are in museums, private collections, and in these photographs.





This collection contains artifacts that make archaeologists debate, historians rewrite textbooks, and us simply freeze. Some frighten (like that helmet with the demon's face). Others soothe (like the 5,000-year-old "Sleeping Lady"). Still others baffle with their incredible state of preservation or their unclear purpose. Scroll. Be amazed. And try to guess what all this was created for.

1. In 2015, during a routine construction project in Borujerd, Iran, an ancient aqueduct system hidden beneath the ruins of a castle was unexpectedly discovered.



It is believed to date back to the Sassanid period (224-651 CE), although some experts speculate it may be even older.

2. Gold box with 103 Colombian emeralds, India, Mughal Empire, 1635





3. Japanese banana carved from ivory, Meiji period (1868-1912)



4. Women's Fabric boots with phoenixes, peonies, and lotuses, Kangxi period, 1662-1722.



5. Wild boar. Floor mosaic at the entrance to the House of Vesbina (Casa del Singiale II). 50-79 CE. Pompeii, Archaeological Park.



6. Bronze door knocker with Taoist motifs. China, Warring States Period, Yan State, 4th century BC



7. Copper spoon, 100 BC, Greco-Indian period, exhibited in the National Museum, Delhi, India



8. Gold necklace and diadem from the Karpenisi hoard. Greece, 4th-2nd centuries BC



9. Wooden clan hat with shell inlays. British Columbia, Canada, Tlingit, late 1800s



10. Demon Helmet, India or Persia, 19th century



11. Terracotta Horse from the Tomb of Qin Shi Huang. China, 3rd century BC



12. A column element from the Kef Kalesi fortress is a basalt relief dating back to the 7th century BC. and is part of the base of a column from the ancient kingdom of Urartu.



13. Women's costume, silk, cotton, metal, linen, 19th century



14. Eskimo sculpture of a Norwegian, possibly a merchant. Baffin Island, Canada, 1250-1300



15. Iron half mask (menpo) with neck guard, Japan, Edo period, 1730



16. Ivory composition: octopus attacking a monkey, Japan, 1825-1875



17. The Maltese "Sleeping Lady" is a cult clay figurine estimated to be approximately 5,000 years old. Currently on display at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta, Malta.



18. Mahiole (wicker helmet) decorated with feathers, Hawaii, 18th-19th centuries