Located at the west bank of the Nile River in Giza, Egypt, the Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx. A sphinx is an Egyptian mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. It was believed to be built around 2,500 years ago and originally measured to be 73 meters long from paw to tail, 20.21 meters high, and 19 meters wide.
It is still surrounded by mystery as the underlying chambers and tunnels within and underneath have not yet been explored. Some evidence, like traces of pigment, also suggests that it was once painted with vivid colors.
Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army is a group of sculptures that are derived from the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. Archaeologists believe that these sculptures were created and buried near the location of the emperor’s burial site so that the army would be able to protect him in his next life.
Though not all of the sculptures have been unearthed, the total number of sculptures has been estimated to be over 8,000. 130 chariots and 670 horses were also found with them. There were still also some signs on these sculptures that indicate that they were once painted.
Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone is a big chunk of granodiorite steel that contains inscriptions of a royal decree during the Ptolemaic dynasty in three different languages: ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic script, and Ancient Greek. The stone was a very important tool that was used by archeologists to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and understand ancient Egyptian history even more.
The Rosetta Stone was found in 1799 and was dated as having been created in 196 BC. However, the ancient hieroglyphics written on it were not deciphered until 1822. Its discovery was essential to our understanding of ancient Egyptian literature and civilization.
Plain of Jars
Archaeologists have discovered thousands of stone objects that were believed to be used as jars and that are arranged in some kind of a significant order. Discovered in Laos, the purpose of these jars is still unknown, although some believe that they were used for burial.
This theory is based on the fact that human skeletons and tools that are known to be used for burial were discovered along with the jars. Tests have shown that these jars have been there from 500 BC to 500 AD. Some researchers have suggested that these jars were used to collect monsoon rainwater.
Shroud of Turin
The Shroud of Turin might be the most controversial archaeological artifact to date. It is a linen cloth that has the image of the face of what many believe to be Jesus Christ imprinted on it. This cloth is believed to be the cloth that was used to cover the face of Jesus after his crucifixion.
It was first shown to the public in France in 1357. However, carbon dating tests on the cloth have shown that this cloth was probably from the region of the years 1260 to 1390, which means that it could not have been the face of Christ.