Architects never stop searching and always have new, extraordinary artifacts to surprise us with. But for usual people, who are not connected with the field it is quite difficult to see how exactly old these objects are. Here are some of them, which are not displayed in the museums and date back to really ancient times:
Piece of gum. This piece of Neolithic chewing gum is made of birch bark tar and was discovered by a British archaeology student. It is believed to be 5, 000 years old and originally was found in Finland. After further investigations, the teeth marks were found as well. It is believed that ancient people used to chew stuff to treat mouth and gum infections.
Footwear. So far this is the oldest example of footwear ever discovered. Found in the caves of Armenia, this 5, 500 year old moccasin-like shoe was crafted from a single piece of cowhide leather and rubbed with a vegetable oil. Moreover, it contained shoe laces as well, which were tied the same way as you do now your sneakers.
Mask. And not even one but a collection of nine stone masks was found in Israel’s Judea hills, and are around 9, 000 years old. The masks were supposed to be used in important ancestral rituals. Since there were no writing forms in that time, the mask served as the only proof that a farmer owned a land.
Purse. After excavating a site next to Leipzig, Germany archaeologists have found more than a hundred dog teeth neatly aligned in a grave that dates back to 2, 500 B.C. Supposed to be the teeth served as a decoration to the ancient purse. The material used was either leather or textile, but it didn’t survive the test of time, as all the decoration was left in the soil.
Skirt. In the same Armenian cave, along with the oldest shoe an oldest skirt was found as well. This cave has been under the researches since 2007, as there were many objects found, including mummified remains of a goat, who was around 5, 900 years old.
Musical Instruments. The award of the oldest musical instrument in the world was given in 2012 to two flutes made from mammoth ivory and bird bone, where the carbon dates back to 43, 000 years old. The instruments were found in Germany and are considered to be the early evidence of modern humans occupying Europe.
Prosthetic. The discovered false toe in Egyptian mummies buried 3000 years ago is believed to be the oldest prosthetic device and one of the weirdest objects of that time. It was crafted from wood and leather and was buried with a woman who lived between 950 B.C. And 710 B.C. But some experts say that probably this toe was used more of a practical walking device rather than a prosthetic.
Written song. The oldest sheet music ever discovered are clay tablets excavated in the Syrian city of Ugarit. The songs date back to 1, 400 B.C and have a whole hymn written as a tribute to Nikal, the moon good’s wife.
Swiss army knife. It was found in the early 1990 in the Mediterranean. It is not Swiss in origin, but looks very similar to those produced by companies like Leatherman and Victorinox. It originates from the second century Roman Empire and probably was used for eating only.
Marijuana Stash. Yes, even marijuana was used before and the oldest stash was found in 2, 700 year old grave in the Gobi Desert. After a number of tests, the weed was proved to have potent psychoactive properties, which doubts the theory that ancient people used to grow it only for clothing, ropes and other materials.
Sex toy. The oldest phallic device was discovered by German scientists and it was crafted around 28, 000 years ago. It is eight inches long, three centimeters wide and is hard like a rock. It also turned out that poor object endured over the millennia used to be reconstructed a number of times, if to take into account the fact that it was composed from 14 fragments instead of one solid piece.
The oldest material. Found in 2001 on a sheep ranch in Western Australia, the ancient zircon crystal is the oldest material formed on earth. It’s aged to 4.4 billion years ago, meaning that it has been around pretty much the same time the planet was formed.