The idea that human civilization has been around for thousands of years can seem pretty abstract until you come face to face with material evidence of something made a millennium before you were born.

So to help give you a little perspective, we have gathered a collection of interesting, fascinating, and downright cool archeological discoveries from around the world. So get comfortable as you scroll through this list of museum-worthy discoveries, be sure to upvote your favorite posts and share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below. We also got in touch with archeologist Arie Amaya-Akkermans to learn more.

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#1

Letter By A Woman To Her Deceased Husband, Discovered In The Man's Grave Along With A Lock Of Her Hair. Korea, 1586

Letter By A Woman To Her Deceased Husband, Discovered In The Man's Grave Along With A Lock Of Her Hair. Korea, 1586

The letter says: "You used to always say to me, 'Let’s live together until our hair turns white and die on the same day.' So how could you go ahead and leave me behind?" 

Andong National Univerisity Museum Report

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#2

A Mammoth Tusk Just Found In The Arctic

A Mammoth Tusk Just Found In The Arctic

taykaybo Report

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#3

A 2000-Year-Old Glass Mosaic, Founded In The City Of Zeugma, Turkey

A 2000-Year-Old Glass Mosaic, Founded In The City Of Zeugma, Turkey

zeugma.packhum.org Report

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#4

Archaeologists In Northern Spain Accidentally Uncovered A 2,000-Year-Old Roman City That Had Been Completely Lost To History

Archaeologists In Northern Spain Accidentally Uncovered A 2,000-Year-Old Roman City That Had Been Completely Lost To History

The researchers were shocked by their discovery of this "monumental" city with no known name and no mention in any historical record.

Gobierno de Aragón Report

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#5

This Silver Pendant I Found While Metal Detecting Is Dated 227 Years Ago Today

This Silver Pendant I Found While Metal Detecting Is Dated 227 Years Ago Today

Silver_Winged Report

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#6

Amid A Drought, The Dinosaur Valley State Park Has Discovered Dinosaur Footprints That Have Historically Been Covered By Water And Sediment. They Date Back More Than 113 Million Years

Amid A Drought, The Dinosaur Valley State Park Has Discovered Dinosaur Footprints That Have Historically Been Covered By Water And Sediment. They Date Back More Than 113 Million Years

Dinosaur Valley State Park - Friends Report

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#7

A Roman Bead That Was Recently Found By The Vindolanda Trust At The Ruins Of Vindolanda Fort In Northern England

A Roman Bead That Was Recently Found By The Vindolanda Trust At The Ruins Of Vindolanda Fort In Northern England

VindolandaTrust Report

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#8

A 1,700-Year-Old Roman-Era “Good Shepard” Gold Ring Bearing An Engraving Of A Boy Holding A Sheep On His Shoulders, An Image Used By Early Christians To Symbolise Jesus

A 1,700-Year-Old Roman-Era “Good Shepard” Gold Ring Bearing An Engraving Of A Boy Holding A Sheep On His Shoulders, An Image Used By Early Christians To Symbolise Jesus

Israel Antiquities Authority Report

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#9

Archaeologists Have Made A Rare Find In Nördlingen, Bavaria: During Excavations, Experts Discovered A Bronze Sword More Than 3,000 Years Old

Archaeologists Have Made A Rare Find In Nördlingen, Bavaria: During Excavations, Experts Discovered A Bronze Sword More Than 3,000 Years Old

 This is so well preserved “that it almost still shines”.

It is estimated to belong to the late 14th century BC and thus to the Middle Bronze Age.

The sword now discovered came from a grave provided with rich bronze objects. A man, a woman, and a youth were buried in it. It is still unclear what relationship the people may have had with one another.

arkeofili Report

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#10

This Is A 3200-Year-Old Attendance Sheet Found In Deir El-Medina, Egypt. Reasons For Worker Absence Include "Embalming Brother", "Brewing Beer" And "Bitten By Scorpion"

This Is A 3200-Year-Old Attendance Sheet Found In Deir El-Medina, Egypt. Reasons For Worker Absence Include "Embalming Brother", "Brewing Beer" And "Bitten By Scorpion"

Alison Fisk Report

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#11

2000-Year-Old Green Serpentine Stone Mask Found At The Base Of Pyramid Of The Sun, Teotihuacán, Mexico

2000-Year-Old Green Serpentine Stone Mask Found At The Base Of Pyramid Of The Sun, Teotihuacán, Mexico

Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia Report

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#12

My Friend Just Found This Little Statue While Digging In His Own Garden

My Friend Just Found This Little Statue While Digging In His Own Garden

The archeologists from the museum told him that it is probably from a grave dating back to 3-4000 years ago. It has been found in Castell' Arquato, PC, Italy. He proceeded to give it to the Museum Of Parma.

lodeluxMeaLux Report

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#13

In 2000, Archaeologists Discovered A Long Lost Egyptian City Heracleion That Was Abandoned And Sunk Into The Sea For More Than 1200 Years

In 2000, Archaeologists Discovered A Long Lost Egyptian City Heracleion That Was Abandoned And Sunk Into The Sea For More Than 1200 Years

Among the underwater ruins were 64 ships, 700 anchors, a treasure trove of gold coins, statues standing at 16 feet, and most notably the remains of a massive temple to the god Amun-Gereb, and a tiny sarcophagus for an animal. 

These magnificent statues were recovered from the depths of Aboukir Bay by the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology, under the direction of Franck Goddio. With the support of the Hilti Foundation, these statues have found their rightful place.

Christoph Gerigk Report

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#14

My Buddy Threw His Detector Down And Started This Wild And Crazy Dance. I Asked Him What He Found, But He Couldn't Speak. He Had To Point To It

My Buddy Threw His Detector Down And Started This Wild And Crazy Dance. I Asked Him What He Found, But He Couldn't Speak. He Had To Point To It

Buck_Thorn Report

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#15

A Ceramic Jar Filled With Thousands Of Bronze Coins Was Unearthed At The Site Of A 15th-Century Samurai’s Residence Just North Of Tokyo, Japan

A Ceramic Jar Filled With Thousands Of Bronze Coins Was Unearthed At The Site Of A 15th-Century Samurai’s Residence Just North Of Tokyo, Japan

Saitama Cultural Deposits Research Corporation Report

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#16

This Is A 2000-Year-Old Dog Paw Print

This Is A 2000-Year-Old Dog Paw Print

This is an approximately 2000-year-old Roman roof tile with a dog paw print on it. After being formed it was left to dry on the ground and a dog stepped on it while the material was still wet.

Found this in the Roman bathhouse museum in Heerlen, The Netherlands, while on holiday.

It's a museum built around the excavation site of the oldest building on Dutch soil. A bathhouse was used by the wealthy to enjoy hot and cold baths, pools, saunas, steam rooms, and massages. This particular one was discovered about 150 years ago in the Southern part of The Netherlands. The south part (up until the river the Rhine) was occupied by the Romans during the time of the Roman Empire.

tthirzaa Report

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#17

Some Of The Numerous Handprints That Were Carved Into The Soft Sandstone Surface Of The White Mountain, In Wyoming, By The Ancestral Eastern Shoshone, 1000-1800 CE

Some Of The Numerous Handprints That Were Carved Into The Soft Sandstone Surface Of The White Mountain, In Wyoming, By The Ancestral Eastern Shoshone, 1000-1800 CE

Report

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#18

17th Century Boots, Certamen Equestre

17th Century Boots, Certamen Equestre

Göran Schmidt Report

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#19

We Found A Sword While Making A Road Next To Our Property

We Found A Sword While Making A Road Next To Our Property

It was found in Slovenia where used to be the Habsburg monarchy / Illyrian provinces people have been saying there were stables on the place where the sword was found.

KizziQ Report

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#20

Viking Ice Skates, Made From Leather And Horse-Bone, Found In York

Viking Ice Skates, Made From Leather And Horse-Bone, Found In York

We discovered 42 pairs of Viking-age ice skates in York - the majority were made from horse leg bones although cattle leg bones were also used.

JORVIK Viking Centre Report

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#21

This Is Why We Love Glacial Archaeology! See How Happy We Are When We Get To Hold An Arrow, Which Has Been Lost In The Ice For 1500 Years

This Is Why We Love Glacial Archaeology! See How Happy We Are When We Get To Hold An Arrow, Which Has Been Lost In The Ice For 1500 Years

The arrow was discovered between the stones in the scree. It was found near the lower edge of the ice, but was probably lost in the snow further up the slope. When it later melted out, it was transported downslope by meltwater and ended up on the ground where we found it.

The arrow has probably been exposed a few times after it was lost in the snow, as the fletching is gone and the sinew and tar are not perfectly preserved. Still, the preservation is pretty awesome.

secretsoftheice Report

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#22

Executioner's Sword With An Inscription That Reads "When I Raise This Sword, So I Wish That This Poor Sinner Will Receive Eternal Life". Germany, Late 17th Century

Executioner's Sword With An Inscription That Reads "When I Raise This Sword, So I Wish That This Poor Sinner Will Receive Eternal Life". Germany, Late 17th Century

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance Report

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#23

First-Time Metal Detecting. Found An Over 100-Year-Old Time Capsule

First-Time Metal Detecting. Found An Over 100-Year-Old Time Capsule

Gtclem0 Report

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#24

Found This Fossil Today

Found This Fossil Today

Im-A-Scared-Child Report

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#25

Mosaics Of A Roman Villa Were Found Under A Vineyard In Negrar, Italy

Mosaics Of A Roman Villa Were Found Under A Vineyard In Negrar, Italy

Comune di Negrar di Valpolicella Report

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#26

I Actually Found A Medieval Silver Treasure Yesterday. 1 Penning From About 1165. It's A Lifetime Find. I Contacted My Archaeologist About It

I Actually Found A Medieval Silver Treasure Yesterday. 1 Penning From About 1165. It's A Lifetime Find. I Contacted My Archaeologist About It

reddit.com Report

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#27

Incredible Rare Roman Statues Found In HS2 Rail Construction Dig

Incredible Rare Roman Statues Found In HS2 Rail Construction Dig

High Speed Two Limited Report

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#28

Medieval Gold Ring I Just Found

Medieval Gold Ring I Just Found

I am not 100% sure of the age but believe it to be the 15th century, although it could be a lot later.

tombalol Report

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#29

This Archaeological Wall Of Engravings I Found While Hiking

This Archaeological Wall Of Engravings I Found While Hiking

MohammadJacob Report

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#30

Back In 2014, The Secrets Of The Ice Program Found An Exceptional Pre-Viking Ski, 1300 Years Old, At The Digervarden Ice Patch In Norway

Back In 2014, The Secrets Of The Ice Program Found An Exceptional Pre-Viking Ski, 1300 Years Old, At The Digervarden Ice Patch In Norway

The ski was complete, including the binding – one of only two skis from prehistory in this condition. Ever since, we have monitored the ice patch, hoping and praying for the second ski of the pair to melt out. Now it has happened! The new ski is even better preserved than the first one! It is an unbelievable find.

secretsoftheice Report

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#31

I Found This Elizabeth I Penny While Metal Detecting Yesterday. It's Only 14 Mm In Diameter

I Found This Elizabeth I Penny While Metal Detecting Yesterday. It's Only 14 Mm In Diameter

poshjosh1999 Report

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#32

A Gallic Bronze Helmet In The Shape Of A Swan, Found By Archeologists In Tintignac, France, In 2004 (4th-2nd Century BCE)

A Gallic Bronze Helmet In The Shape Of A Swan, Found By Archeologists In Tintignac, France, In 2004 (4th-2nd Century BCE)

reddit.com Report

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#33

I Found This Arrowhead While Digging A Hole In My Backyard

I Found This Arrowhead While Digging A Hole In My Backyard

Jonahw8 Report

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#34

An Ancient Clay Tablet Found In Uruk (Warka), Southern Iraq

An Ancient Clay Tablet Found In Uruk (Warka), Southern Iraq

Inscribed with a Cuneiform script and 3 geometric circles containing astronomical calculations, dated to the ancient Babylonian period (2004-1595 BC). Iraqi Museum, Babylonian Gallery.

The-Arabian-Guy Report

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#35

A Centuries-Old Wooden Statue Was Recently Discovered By A Group Of Dutch Shrimp Fishermen Off The Coast Of Texel

A Centuries-Old Wooden Statue Was Recently Discovered By A Group Of Dutch Shrimp Fishermen Off The Coast Of Texel

A municipal archaeologist for that region believes that the statue came from a warship, possibly during the 80 Years' War, which stretched from the mid-1500s to mid-1600s.

VictorAyal82 Report

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#36

The Capstone Of The Pyramid Of Amenemhat III, 1860 BC - 1814 BC

The Capstone Of The Pyramid Of Amenemhat III, 1860 BC - 1814 BC

Chirphy Report

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#37

Ukrainian Soldiers Dug Trenches And Discovered Ancient Amphoras Dated To Around 4-5 Centuries BC. Artifacts Were Transferred To The Odessa Archaeological Museum

Ukrainian Soldiers Dug Trenches And Discovered Ancient Amphoras Dated To Around 4-5 Centuries BC. Artifacts Were Transferred To The Odessa Archaeological Museum

126brigadatro Report

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#38

A Gold Bar With Mint Marks, Recovered From The Spanish Treasure Ship "Atocha" Which Sank In 1622

A Gold Bar With Mint Marks, Recovered From The Spanish Treasure Ship "Atocha" Which Sank In 1622

itsbissell Report

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#39

Found An Arrowhead In A Dried-Up Stream

Found An Arrowhead In A Dried-Up Stream

Many people recommended that I contact an archeologist, so I did! Here’s what he had to say about my find. The point is a variant of a Waubesa Contracting Stem. The point type was typically made during the Woodland time period (500 BC – 1700 AD).

awkwardlytallguy Report

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#40

I Found This American Coin Far Away From Its Country, In A Quiet Field While Metal Detecting In Scotland

I Found This American Coin Far Away From Its Country, In A Quiet Field While Metal Detecting In Scotland

randomWIGHT9000 Report

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#41

Today, I Found A 1893 Wedding Ring In Virginia

Today, I Found A 1893 Wedding Ring In Virginia

dcraun Report

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#42

A Viking Sword Found At A High Altitude

A Viking Sword Found At A High Altitude

Secrets Of The Ice Report

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#43

This German-Made 12th Century Blade, Adorned In Sweden, Was Discovered In 1975 Buried Under A Tree In Siberia, Russia

This German-Made 12th Century Blade, Adorned In Sweden, Was Discovered In 1975 Buried Under A Tree In Siberia, Russia

It's theorized that it could have belonged to Ivan the Terrible, and came from the royal armory as a gift at the time of the conquest of Siberia.

TSiberian Times Report

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#44

Some Things I Found While Metal Detecting The Mountains Of Vermont

Some Things I Found While Metal Detecting The Mountains Of Vermont

Highlights include a musket part, a pair of 1700's shoe buckle frames, and a 1806 Spanish silver half-reales!

Silver_Winged Report

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#45

Archaeologists In Alexandria, Egypt Discovered A Tunnel That May Lead To The Long-Lost Tomb Of Cleopatra

Archaeologists In Alexandria, Egypt Discovered A Tunnel That May Lead To The Long-Lost Tomb Of Cleopatra

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Report

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#46

At The Penn Museum Excavations At Nimrud, Iraq, Archaeologists Uncovered A Door Threshold Of The Assyrian King Adad-Nerari III (811-783 BCE) With A Well-Preserved Cuneiform Inscription

At The Penn Museum Excavations At Nimrud, Iraq, Archaeologists Uncovered A Door Threshold Of The Assyrian King Adad-Nerari III (811-783 BCE) With A Well-Preserved Cuneiform Inscription

Michael Danti Report

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#47

The Earliest Swords So Far Known In The World, Found At Arslantepe Mound In Turkey

The Earliest Swords So Far Known In The World, Found At Arslantepe Mound In Turkey

The swords, which are dated back to between 3300 and 3000 BCE, are composed of arsenic-copper alloy and among them, three swords were beautifully inlaid with silver.

Klaus-Peter Simon Report

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#48

The Mask Of Agamemnon Found In Tomb V In Mycenae By Heinrich Schliemann In 1876

The Mask Of Agamemnon Found In Tomb V In Mycenae By Heinrich Schliemann In 1876

Gold mask known as the "Mask of Agamemnon". This mask depicts the imposing face of a bearded nobleman. It is made of a gold sheet with repoussé details. Two holes near the ears indicate that the mask was held in place of the deceased's face with twine. The authenticity of the mask has been formally questioned due to the high level of detail, such as the beard and ears. No other mask of its type has a similar amount of detail.

Xuan Che Report

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#49

British Archaeologist Leonard Woolley And His Wife Catherine At The Moment Of The Discovery Of Pottery Pipes

British Archaeologist Leonard Woolley And His Wife Catherine At The Moment Of The Discovery Of Pottery Pipes

The pottery pipes were used as a sewage and rainwater network in what is considered the first water drainage system in history before about 4000 BC.
Within the archaeological excavations of the ancient city of Ur (Mesopotamia) in 1930.

Take The History Pill Report

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#50

The Horned Helm Of Henry VIII. Commissioned In 1511 As Part Of A Suit Of Armor That Was Gifted To King Henry VIII By The Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I

The Horned Helm Of Henry VIII. Commissioned In 1511 As Part Of A Suit Of Armor That Was Gifted To King Henry VIII By The Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I

Geni Report

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