Collectors and folks who are directly affected by scarcity will know exactly what it means to have just one of something in existence. Even more of a reason to celebrate what we have, right?
Well, there is a dedicated online community that does just that. r/UniqueArtifacts posts and shares pictures of one of a kind artifacts throughout history. Mostly, it’s stuff archaeologists had to dig out from the ground, but there are some more modern submissions there as well.
Whatever the case, scroll down, check it out, and share some of your insights into whatever you see in this list, or share some artifacts that should have made it up here!
More Info: r/UniqueArtifacts
#1 The Pons Fabricus Is The Only Ancient Bridge In Rome Still In Its Original Location And Condition. The Last Major Repairs Occurred In 23 BCE
Image source: reddit.com
#2 Terracotta Warriors With The Original Paint Scheme
Image source: ChewbaccaHasADogD**k
#3 The Lycurgus Cup: The Only Complete Example Of Ancient Color-Changing Glass
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#4 One Of The Last Two Preserved Jolly Roger Pirate Flags Left In Existence
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#5 The “Iron Man” Buddha – The Only Statue Carved From A Meteor
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#6 The Only Surviving Handwriting Of A Roman Emperor (Theodosius II)
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#7 The Sword Of Goujian Was Discovered Untarnished And Retains Sharp Edges After ~2500 Years
Image source: reddit.com
#8 The Barber Cup & Crawford Cup, The Only Two Examples Of Ancient Roman Vessels Carved From Fluorite
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#9 The Only Known Color Photograph Of The Russian Czar’s Fabled “Amber Room” – Looted By The Nazi’s This Unique, Priceless Work Of Art Was Lost For Ever (Maybe?). St Petersburg, 1943
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#10 One Of Only Three Papyrus Fragments Written In The Phoenician Language
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#11 Intact Bottle Of Ancient Roman Wine From 325ad
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#12 This Julio-Claudian Rock Crystal And Silver Spoon Is The Only Example Of Its Kind Known To Exist
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#13 The Only Surviving Example Of An Iconic Roman “Scutum” Shield
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#14 The Only Natural Fossil Of A Scorpion Made Entirely Out Of Copper
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#15 Ancient Roman-Egyptian Crocodile Armor
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#16 One Of The Two Coins Found Of The Roman Usurper Silbannacus, Who Would’ve Been Unknown Otherwise
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#17 The Only Surviving Example Of A Crest From A Roman Centurion’s Helmet
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#18 The Vergilius Augusteus, One Of Only Two Surviving Ancient Manuscripts To Be Painstakingly Written In Roman Square Capitals
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#19 First Ever Intact Ballista Arrow Uncovered In Utrecht (Augusta Treverorum), Netherlands
Image source: gravitone
#20 The Only Intact Bronze Lantern From Ancient Rome Next To A Reproduction. Housed In The Museo Archeologico Girolamo Rossi In Ventimiglia, Italy
Image source: reddit.com
#21 Tombstone Of Marcus Caelius, The Only Known Example Of Direct Reference To The Varus Disaster During Which 20,000 Men Were Lost To Ambush
Translation:
“To Marcus Caelius, son of Titus, of the Lemonian voting tribe, from Bologna, a centurion in the First Order of legio XVIII, aged 53; He fell in the Varian War. His bones – if found – may be placed in this monument. Publius Caelius, son of Titus, of the Lemonian voting tribe, his brother, set this up.”
Image source: reddit.com
#22 The Only Time A Monumental Column Was Erected And Adorned With A Statue That Was Not An Emperor Was The Early 2nd Century Gilded Bronze “Emona Citizen”. Housed In The Roman Lapidarium Of The National Museum Of Slovenia
Image source: reddit.com
#23 1961 Photo Of A Screw Press Used To Iron Clothes From The Bottega Del Lanarius Or Workshop Of Lanarius In Herculaneum. This Was The Only Artifact Found In The Shop, Along With Bourbon Tunnels. No Other Examples Exist
Image source: reddit.com
#24 The Only Surviving Example Of Roman “Cestus” Boxing Gloves
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#25 The Earliest Example Of A Proper “Book”, Written In A Totally Unique Style
Image source: RelaxedOrange
#26 The Misenum Statue Is The Only Surviving Bronze Imperial Image To Have Been Altered As A Result Of Condemnation. Domitian’s Facial Features Have Been Severed From The Back Of The Head And Replaced With A New Face Representing Nerva
Image source: reddit.com
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