40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

ICYMI: Scientists recently announced that they’d discovered a massive underground city underneath the pyramids in Egypt. They claim it’s ten times larger than the pyramids themselves, and covers more than 6,500 feet. The Italian and Scottish archeologists have called their discovery “groundbreaking.” But not everyone believes them – and we’ll tell you why a little bit later.

In the meantime, if that sparked your curiosity and you love photos and facts about ancient history, you might be in for a treat. Bored Panda has compiled an epic list of posts shared by two Facebook pages dedicated to digging up intriguing stories from thousands of years ago. The Ancient History and Secrets of Ancient accounts have a combined following of tens of thousands of people. And a wall of intriguing pics and information that could keep you captivated for hours.

#1 A Lapis Lazuli Horse-Head Hilt Gleaming With Gold—this Khanjar Is No Ordinary Dagger. Likely Crafted During The Opulent Mughal Era, Its Curved Blade And Exquisite Detailing Mark It As Both Weapon And Artwork

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#2 In 1938, An Astonishing Discovery Was Made In Ife, Nigeria, When 17 Brass And Copper Heads, Along With The Upper Half Of A Brass Figure, Were Unearthed During House Construction

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#3 This Impressive Crinoid Colony, A 4×5 Meter Specimen Dating Back Approximately 195 Million Years To The Lower Jurassic (Toarcian) Period, Was Discovered In Baden-Württemberg, Germany

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#4 A 183-Million-Year-Old Plesiosaur Fossil Has Revealed An Astonishing Secret—Preserved Soft Tissue, Including Skin And Scales

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#5 Check Out This Awesome Falcon Sculpture That Shows Off The God Horus! It’s From Way Back In The 27th Dynasty, Around 525-404 Bc. This Piece Is Mainly Made From Lapis Lazuli And Gold, Plus It Has A Copper Leg And A Fancy Gilt Copper Headdress

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#6 Duntrune Castle, Located On The North Side Of Loch Crinan In Argyll, Scotland, Is Believed To Be One Of The Oldest Continuously Inhabited Castles In Scotland, With Origins Dating Back To The 12th Century

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#7 Built Between 2200 And 1500 Bc By The Ancient People Of Spain, The Motilla Del Azuer Stands As An Extraordinary Example Of Prehistoric Architecture

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#8 A Loaf Of Bread With A Stamped Imprint Found In Herculaneum And Dated Back To The First Century Ad, Bears The Name Of Its Baker

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#9 This Is The Head Of Seuthes III, A Bronze Sculpture From Around 310–300 Bc, And It’s One Of The Most Stunning Examples Of Ancient Realism You’ll Ever See

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#10 Carved Between 4000 And 3000 Bc, This Ancient Petroglyph By The Ancestors Of Today’s Finnic Peoples Shows Something Surprisingly Familiar—What Looks Like An Early Version Of Reindeer Skiing!

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#11 This 1875 Photograph Captures The Ruins Of Mitla, One Of The Most Sacred Sites Of The Zapotec Civilization

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#12 Dating Back To The 19th Dynasty During The Reign Of Ramesses II, This Exquisite Mummy Mask Serves As A Remarkable Testament To The Exceptional Craftsmanship Of Ancient Egypt

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#13 An Exemplary Manifestation Of Ancient Craftsmanship Is The Giant Griffin Of Persepolis, Located In Iran, Which Dates Back To The Period Between 516 And 465 Bc

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#14 This Golden Bronze Breastplate From The 3rd Century Bc Looks Like Something Straight Out Of A Myth

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#15 Standing Tall In Rome’s Piazza Colonna, The Column Of Marcus Aurelius And Faustina Is A Breathtaking Tribute To The Past, Erected Around 180 Ad By Emperor Commodus To Celebrate His Revered Parents

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#16 The Ingá Stone, Or Pedra Do Ingá, Is An Archaeological Wonder That Sits Proudly By The Ingá River In Brazil’s Paraíba State

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#17 The Statues Of The King’s Trinity, Discovered In 1908 In Egypt’s King’s Valley, Exemplify The Remarkable Preservation Of Ancient Artistry

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#18 Chasmosaurus Was A Large Plant-Eating Dinosaur That Lived Around 75 To 72 Million Years Ago During The Late Cretaceous Period. It Was Part Of A Group Of Dinosaurs Called Ceratopsians, Which Were Known For Their Distinctive Frills And Horns On Their Heads

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#19 A Mummy So Perfectly Preserved That No Technology Can Restore It Once Unwrapped—this Is The Enigma Of “Bashiri.” Found In 1919 By Howard Carter In The Valley Of The Kings, Its Linen Bindings Hold Secrets That Modern Science Cannot Replicate

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#20 In 1985, French Diver Henri Cosquer Made A Breathtaking Discovery Beneath The Waters Of The Calanques Near Marseille—A Hidden Prehistoric Cave, Now Known As Cosquer Cave. Accessible Only Through A Narrow Passage 121 Feet (37 Meters) Below Sea Level, This Ancient Sanctuary Holds Nearly 500 Artworks Dating Back To 27,000–19,000 Years Ago

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#21 Dive Into The Enigmatic World Of The Shatial Glyphs, Situated In Pakistan’s Indus Valley—a Staggering 62-Mile Canvas Of Ancient Petroglyphs Etched Into History Along The Legendary Karakoram Highway In Gilgit-Baltistan

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#22 The Helmet Of Skanderbeg, Crowned With A Gilded Goat’s Head, Blurs The Line Between War Gear And Royal Icon

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#23 Deep Beneath The Azure Waves Of The Mediterranean, A Team Of Intrepid Archaeologists Has Unearthed The Mesmerizing Sunken Temple Of Aphrodite Within The Ghostly Remnants Of Thonis-Heracleion

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#24 The Exquisite 2nd Century B.C. Mosaic Of Dionysus, Housed At The Archaeological Museum Of Ancient Corinth, Greece, Stands As A Remarkable Testament To The Skill And Artistry Of Its Creators

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#25 Quinta Da Regaleira, An Enigmatic Estate Located In Portugal, Features The Remarkable Initiation Well, Which Descends Nine Stories Into The Ground And Concludes In A Concealed Chamber

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#26 Discover The Remarkable 3,300-Year-Old Sandals That Belonged To Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Unearthed From His Tomb, These Sandals Represent More Than Just Conventional Footwear; They Are Exquisitely Designed Pieces That Exemplify The Artistry Of Ancient Egypt

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#27 The Roman Legionary Shield, Referred To As A Scutum, Is A Significant Artifact Dating Back To The 3rd Century Ad And Stands As The Only Complete Example Of Its Kind Ever Uncovered

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#28 Bastet, The Egyptian Goddess With Serious Range, Shows Up Here In Full Bronze Glory—Rocking Gold Earrings, Holding A Sistrum, And Rocking A Lioness-Headed Aegis

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#29 Tombstone On The Back Of A Turtle, 219-316 Ad. The Practice Of Using Turtles As Tomb Markers, Was A Unique Custom In Ancient China

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#30 The Oldest Known Plough In The World – The Lavagnone Plough -Comes From An Early Bronze Age Pile Dwelling On A Former Part Of A Lake Garda (Now A Drained Peat Bog At The Southern End Of Lake). Dating Back To Ca. 2200 To 1600 Bc

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#31 Archaeologists Have Unveiled A Newly Discovered Residence In Pompeii, Known As The House Of Phaedra. This Small Yet Exquisitely Decorated Home Was Uncovered During Excavations Along Via Dell’abbondanza And Showcases An Array Of Stunning Frescoes

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#32 The Dresden Codex, A Magnificent Artifact Born From The Brilliance Of The Maya Civilization Around The 11th Or 12th Century Ad, Stands As One Of The Most Significant Pre-Columbian Documents To Survive The Ravages Of Time

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#33 Scale Replica Of The Fossils Of A Giant Snake That Lived 65 Millions Years Ago. 48 Feet, 2,500 Pounds. Titanaboa

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#34 Believed To Be At Least 2,800 Years Old, This Bull Sculpture Is Attributed To The Sumerian Civilization Of The Ancient Near East

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#35 In The Desert Of Sudan Lies The Ancient City Of Meroë, Home To Over 200 Pyramids Built By The Kingdom Of Kush, Yet Their Full Purpose Remains A Mystery

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#36 This Roman Copper Infantry Helmet, Dating To Around 250 Ce, Remains Remarkably Well Preserved

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#37 The Sennacherib Prism, Also Known As The Taylor Prism, Is A Celebrated Ancient Assyrian Artifact That Sheds Light On The Reign Of King Sennacherib, Who Ruled The Neo-Assyrian Empire From 705 To 681 Bc

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#38 Found In 1867 In The Tomb Of A Roman Nobleman Near Speyer, Germany, This 1.5-Liter Bottle, Now Housed In The Historical Museum Of The Palatinate, Holds What Was Once Roman Wine From 325 Ad

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#39 Behold The Astonishing Artifacts Of The Mayan Civilization, Where The Enigmatic Figure Of Pakal Comes To Life. The Lower Piece Captivatingly Illustrates Him Clad In A Feathered Serpent Suit, Seemingly Piloting A Mysterious Flying Machine

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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#40 The Clacton Spear Point Is Regarded As One Of The Oldest Known Spears In Existence, With An Estimated Age Of Approximately 400,000 Years. It Is Believed To Have Been Fashioned By Neanderthals In What Is Now Recognized As England

40 Amazing Photos That Spill Secrets About Ancient Civilizations That Lived Before Us

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