With all the knowledge and technology we have today, it’s mind-blowing to think about how ancient civilizations thrived without them. Yet, they built towering structures, crafted intricate jewelry, and created breathtaking art—some of which we can’t even recreate because the techniques have been lost to time.
So, let’s take a moment to appreciate the brilliance of the past. Below, you’ll find fascinating artifacts and relics that showcase the ingenuity of ancient societies. Scroll through and upvote your favorites!
#1 10,000-Year-Old Dabous Giraffes In Niger
Image credits: Minister_of_Trade
#2 A Bird Looking At Statue Of Griffin (Persepolis)
Image credits: Adventurous-Job-6304
There’s something about ancient history that pulls you in like nothing else. Though thousands of years separate us, people of the past lived, loved, built families, worked, created art, and tried to make sense of their world—just as we do today. The relics and artifacts they left behind serve as a bridge through time, preserving their craftsmanship and the stories they carried.
#3 New Discovery In Saqqara, Giza, Egypt, As It Was Painted Yesterday
Image credits: mahmoud50569
#4 William The Egyptian Faience Hippopotamus. Middle Kingdom, C. 1961–1878 B.c
Image credits: Beeninya
#5 Egyptian Faience Beaded Fishnet Dress Dating From The Fourth Dynasty, C. 2550 Bce
Image credits: Beeninya
In our search for glimpses of ancient history to share with you, we turned to two online communities—the Ancient Civilizations subreddit and the This Is Ancient Instagram page. Both have gathered hundreds of thousands of followers and are fantastic places for history enthusiasts. If you enjoy these posts, definitely show them some love!
#6 The Ancient Necropolis Of Powerful Persian Kings. Here You See Roman Emperor Philippus Arabs Kneeling In Front Of Persian King Shapur I, Begging For Peace, And The Standing Emperor Represents Valerian Who Was Taken Captive By The Persian Army In 260 Ad
Image credits: anon
#7 Gold Scythian Pectoral, Or Neckpiece, From A Royal Kurgan In Tolstaya Mogila, Pokrov, Ukraine, Dated To The Second Half Of The 4th Century Bc
Image credits: Effective_Reach_9289
#8 The Western Staircase Leading To The Roof Of The Temple Of The Goddess Hathor, Egypt. 2300 Years Old
Image credits: V391Pegasi
Curious to learn more about these communities, we reached out to their admins. Beeninya, one of the moderators of r/AncientCivilizations, kindly responded. He explained that the current mod team took over about a year ago, rescuing the subreddit from being overrun with misleading claims and sensationalized theories.
“The sub was infested with ancient aliens nonsense and all sorts of pseudo-history. Real history needs to be seen over fake history, which is being pushed on us constantly,” he told Bored Panda.
#9 The Ksar Draa In Timimoun, Algeria, Is An Ancient Ruin That Stands Out In The Middle Of An Ocean Of Dunes
Image credits: thisisancient
#10 Ceramic Water Pipes Found Near Epang Palace. China, Warring States, 5th-3rd Century Bc
Image credits: MunakataSennin
#11 Roman Mosaic Depicting The Trojan War Found In Syria Two Years Ago
Image credits: Akkeri
In fact, the subreddit’s very first rule is “No pseudo-history.” In an era where misinformation spreads easily, it’s refreshing to see a community so dedicated to accuracy. Perhaps that’s why the subreddit has built such a strong reputation, ranking among the top 50 history communities on Reddit.
#12 125 Ton Stone Perfectly Placed At Sacsayhuaman Peru — An Incredible Feat Of Megalithic Masonry
Image credits: anon
#13 Bellarijia, Jendouba, Tunisia
Image credits: Akkeri
#14 The Craftsmanship Inside Of The 11th Century Sas-Bahu Temple In Nagda, Rajasthan, India
Image credits: team-spartans
The moderation team is also strict about keeping posts relevant to ancient history, defining it as the period between 3000 BCE—750 CE across all human-inhabited continents. However, they remain flexible with dates and also allow content from the Pre-Columbian era of the Americas.
#15 The Top Of An Egyptian Pyramid. One Of Only A Few That Have Survive To This Day. Created Around 1840 B.c
Image credits: find_ing_myself
#16 It Is Quite Astounding To See The 600-Year Progression From Ancient Greek Sculptures! Ancient Sculptures Showing Evolution Of Greek Art From 600 Bc To 1st Ad, Not Typically Seen In History Textbooks
Image credits: theanti_influencer75
#17 A 1,550-Year-Old Byzantine Mosaic Found In Istanbul Depicts A Scene From Rural Life. It Is On Display At The Great Palace Mosaic Museum
Image credits: haberveriyo
But what is it about ancient civilizations that excites us so much? It almost feels like a rite of passage—at some point in childhood, you become fixated on Ancient Egypt, Greece, or Rome until it becomes your entire personality. For some, that enthusiasm fades into a passing curiosity; for others, it turns into a lifelong passion for learning and appreciation.
#18 Cross Section Of A Road In England (A303 Road)
Image credits: anon
#19 Memento Mori Mosaic Recovered From The Doomed City Of Pompeii, 30 Bc - 14 Ad. As The Wheel Of Fortune Turns, It Can Make The Rich Poor And The Poor Rich, With Death Never Far And Life Hanging By A Thread: When It Breaks, The Soul (The Butterfly) Flies Off. And Thus Are All Made Equal
Image credits: WestonWestmoreland
#20 An Iraqi Sumerian Birth Certificate Over 4,000 Years Old
Image credits: worldofarchaeology
“Every era of history is interesting in its own way,” Beeninya said. “I think people are especially fascinated by ancient history because it’s still largely a mystery and it’s our past. We always want to know of our past.”
“Some of the greatest historical figures we still remember today come from ancient times—Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and many others,” he added.
#21 The Lion Man Statue Is The Oldest Known Carving In The World. It Was Carved From Mammoth Ivory And Is Believed To Be 40,000 Years Old . Found In Germany 1939
Image credits: YasMysteries
#22 Ancient Roman Ruins In Tunisia
Image credits: team-spartans
#23 You Can Still See Traces Of The Vibrant Colors On The Alexander Sarcophagus From 330 Bce
Image credits: hhyyerr
In the sense of wanting to know our past, Beeninya is surely right. Beyond the famous names and monumental structures, our interest in history comes from something deeper: a need to understand ourselves. We’re always questioning where we come from, why we are the way we are, and what led us here. That search for answers is a natural and essential part of being human.
#24 The 2,000-Year-Old Mask Of The Bat God, Made Of Jade. Mexico, Zapotec Civilization, 200 Bc-200 Ad
Image credits: MunakataSennin
#25 Jade Cicada With Traces Of Red Paint. China, Western Zhou Dynasty, 1045-771 Bc
Image credits: MunakataSennin
#26 A Massive 2700-Year-Old, 18-Ton Statue Of An Assyrian Deity That Was Excavated In Iraq In November 2023
Image credits: kooneecheewah
“History is the greatest story ever told,” said Beeninya. “There are endless chapters and detours, all seeming never-ending, with plots and characters that would make any author envious.”
So, if there’s one thing to take away from this, it’s that even though the past is behind us, there’s always more to revisit, interpret, and learn. And that’s what makes history so incredible.
#27 Funeral Portrait Of An Egyptian Woman Named Aline, Found In An Ancient Egyptian Grave In Hawara From The Time Of Tiberius Or Hadrian, C. 42 Bc - Ad 138. She Would Be Found With 7 Others, Including Her 2 Daughters And Husband
Image credits: Beeninya
#28 Ancient City If Petra, Jordan
Image credits: HourReaction1781
#29 Poetry In Stone! 800-1000 Years Old Hypnotising Stone Temples Of Medieval Southern India
Image credits: shraddhA_Y
#30 In The 1980s, The Breathtaking Tomb Of Queen Nefertari, The Great Royal Wife Of Pharaoh Ramesses II, Underwent A Remarkable Restoration LED By Italian Restorer Lorenza D’alessandro And Her Team
Image credits: thisisancient
#31 2,000 Year Old Sapphire Ring Likely Belonging To Caligula: The Infamous Ancient Roman Emperor Who Ruled In 37 A.d. Carved Into The Sapphire Is A Portrait His Last Wife, Caesonia
Image credits: YasMysteries
#32 The Great Temple Of Ramesses II, Ca. 1264 Bc, Abu Simbel, Lower Nubia
Image credits: mahmoud50569
#33 The Kailash Temple At Ellora Caves, Carved From Top To Bottom From A Single Piece Of Rock Over A Span Of Hundreds Of Years, Starting In The 8th Century
Image credits: intofarlands
#34 Luxor, Egypt
Image credits: TamerDubai
#35 The Nebra Sky Disc (1800–1600 Bc) Is The Oldest Known Depiction Of Astronomical Phenomena In The World
Image credits: YasMysteries
#36 Mummy Portraits Of Three Men. Faiyum, Egypt, Roman Period, 2nd Century Ad
Image credits: MunakataSennin
#37 Lioness Devouring A Man, Phoenician Ivory Panel, C. 9th-8th Century Bce. From The Palace Of Ashurnasirpal II, Nimrud, Northern Mesopotamia, Iraq
Image credits: Beeninya
#38 The Swords Of Arslantepe Mound Dated To 3300 Bce. These Are Believed To Be The First And Oldest Known Swords. They’re Made From An Arsenic And Copper Alloy With Some Of The Swords Having A Silver Inlay
Image credits: TbTparchaar
#39 The Gold Collar From The Royal Tombs Of Tanis Is An Ancient Egyptian Piece Of Currently In The Egyptian Museum In Cairo. It Dates Back To Approximately 1070–712 B.c
Image credits: YasMysteries
#40 The North Entrance At The Minoan Palace Of Knossos, Crete (Restored). Circa 2000 B.c
Image credits: Kunstkurator
#41 Olmec Head - Mexico
Image credits: andruphotograph
#42 Persian King Mithridates Shaking Hands With Greek God Heracles
Image credits: Adventurous-Job-6304
#43 'boxer At Rest'. A Bronze, Life-Size Hellenistic Greek Statue, Made C.330-50 Bce. Discovered In Rome In 1885
Image credits: Beeninya
#44 The Moment Nefertiti’s Bust Was Unearthed On December 6, 1912
Image credits: thisisancient
#45 Eight-Sided Prism Inscribed With The Military Feats Of Tiglath-Pileser I. Assur, Iraq, Middle Assyrian Empire, 1114–1076 Bc
Image credits: MunakataSennin
#46 Elephanta Cave Temples, Mumbai, India | 5th Century Ce
Image credits: Kaliyugsurfer
#47 Angkor Wat Isn’t Just A Temple—it Was Once The Heart Of The Khmer Empire, The Largest Pre-Industrial City In The World!
Image credits: Waste_Score4842
#48 Neo-Assyrian Relief From The Palace Of Ashurnasirpal II Showing An Apkallu Tending The Tree Of Life. Photo Taken By Me At The Yale University Art Gallery
Image credits: Future-Restaurant531
#49 Newly Discovered Nazca Lines, Found With The Help Of AI. Outlined For Clarity. Peru, 100 Bc-650 Ad
Image credits: MunakataSennin
#50 Gold Ear Ornaments With Granulated Animals. Andhra Pradesh, India, Satavahana Dynasty, 100 Bc-100 Ad
Image credits: MunakataSennin
