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No matter our origins, the religious paths we follow, or the belief systems we embrace, we are all exposed to sacred relics from an early age. Relics are, in fact, an essential part of our collective human legacy. The term 'relic' often evokes images of revered physical remains or specific items connected to Christianity.
Yet, relics can be any notable object that has survived from an earlier period, bearing historical significance. This can include ancient tools, manuscripts, and vessels. In this article, we present the ten most controversial ancient relics ever discovered—some of which might surprise you.
10. The Big Shigir Idol
In 1894, gold miners working in a peat bog near Yekaterinburg, Russia, uncovered an extraordinary find: a colossal carved wooden statue measuring over 16 feet (5 meters) in length. After being carefully polished, the statue revealed distinct human faces and hands on both its front and back, along with geometric patterns and other intriguing design features. The mouth of its human-like face is open in an 'o' shape. For more than a century after its discovery, the statue was showcased as a curiosity at the Yekaterinburg Museum, initially believed to be only a few thousand years old.
In 2018, it was revealed that the statue was not carved from a single log of Larchwood, but rather it dates back 11,600 years, around the conclusion of the most recent Ice Age. This new dating of the statue has overturned many common assumptions about prehistoric art left behind by hunter-gatherers of the Ice Age. While its true meaning remains unknown, we should never underestimate the creators of this statue. They possessed the necessary resources, skills, and a sophisticated understanding of the world.
9. The Piri Reis Map
In 1929, German historians stumbled upon the Piri Reis map in the Topkapi Palace library in Istanbul. Drawn on gazelle skin, the map was confirmed to have been created in 1513 by Piri Reis, a renowned admiral in the Turkish navy. In an inscription, Piri Reis explained that the map was based on several older Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic maps, including those made by the famous explorer Christopher Columbus.
The surviving portions of the map show the world as understood by 15th-century mapmakers. It includes all known landmasses at the time, but one mystery remains. The map features the northern coastline of Antarctica at its southern edge, a region historians assert wasn't discovered until 1773. To make matters even more puzzling, Antarctica is connected to South America and depicted as ice-free, despite being covered in ice for the past 6,000 years. Some historians argue that the depiction of Antarctica is accurate and reflects the continent's layout before it became encased in ice.
8. The 'Fasting Siddhartha' Sculpture
The Fasting Siddhartha sculpture, also known as the Fasting Buddha, originates from the third century B.C. This remarkable piece of Gandhara art was discovered in Sikri, Pakistan, during the 19th century and continues to stand as one of the most significant artifacts from Pakistan’s Classical era. The sculpture is renowned for its exceptional detail, including high reliefs depicting arms, armpits, ribs, and even veins.
Strictly speaking, the sculpture should be referred to as the 'Fasting Bodhisattva,' since it captures an event that occurred prior to the Buddha’s enlightenment. On his spiritual journey, Siddhartha Gautama sought out various forms of self-imposed deprivation, including 49 days of fasting and meditation, until he appeared to be a living corpse. Eventually, he realized that wisdom and insight, rather than physical suffering, were the true paths to enlightenment. The sculpture was gifted to the Lahore Museum of Pakistan in 1894, where it remains on display.
7. The Nebra Sky Disc
The Nebra Sky Disc has generated considerable controversy. From the initial discovery by looters using metal detectors to subsequent legal disputes and ongoing disagreements among archaeologists, the disk is considered one of Germany’s most remarkable prehistoric artifacts. Many scholars believe it is the oldest known accurate representation of the cosmos, potentially serving as an ancient astronomical tool used to track time and determine the best times for planting and harvesting crops.
The relic was reportedly found in 1999 near Nebra, Germany, by looters who tried to sell it to black market traders. Due to the inconsistencies in the looters' accounts of how they obtained the artifact, historians are still investigating its origins and background. However, it is widely believed to date back to the Bronze Age, approximately 3,500 years ago. Law enforcement agents, disguised as buyers, eventually retrieved the sky disc, and the looters faced legal consequences. The artifact is now on display at the Halle State Museum of Prehistory.
6. The Ancient Planes of Quimbaya
While mysterious artifacts are commonly discovered in Egypt, several relics resembling aircraft designs have also been found throughout Central and South America, much like the famous Saqqara bird. The Quimbaya artifacts, in particular, were uncovered in Colombia. The Quimbaya civilization, which existed around AD 1000, crafted numerous gold items that resemble modern aircraft. Some of these artifacts even featured detailed tail struts and propellers, sparking speculation that the ancient Colombians understood aerodynamics and that these objects could be scaled-down models of aircraft or gliders.
The presence of so many similarities to contemporary aircraft has fueled the “out of place artifact” theory, popularized by pseudo-archaeologists and ancient alien theorists. They argue that these items appear too advanced for the Quimbaya civilization. Although the Quimbaya people created many other types of gold artifacts (more than 120 were recovered from looters by the government), the public's attention has largely focused on those believed to be too sophisticated for their time.
5. The Jade Discs
The Jade discs, also known as bi discs, are circular, flattened rings that originated during the Late Neolithic period. These discs appear to have held great significance, as they were typically found on the bodies of aristocrats and have been discovered in nearly every major tomb of the Hongshan culture, continuing through the Liangzhu culture, dating from 3800 BC to 2000 BC. Given that these discs were made from jade, an exceptionally hard stone, it is puzzling that the ancient Neolithic people of China would choose such a material, especially since metal tools or instruments were unavailable at the time.
Some archaeologists have suggested that the discs might have been created by brazing and polishing, although this method would have required an extraordinary amount of time. Others believe the appearance of the Jade discs might be connected to the enigmatic Dropa stones—similar disk-shaped artifacts that reportedly predate the Jade Discs and were found in a cave near the China-Tibet border. The purpose and significance of the Jade Discs remain a mystery, as they come from an era before the invention of writing systems, and have perplexed archaeologists for decades.
4. The Devil’s Bible
The Codex Gigas holds the title of the largest known ancient manuscript in the world, with its name literally meaning 'giant book.' This colossal work was created in the 13th century and was initially housed in a monastery in Podlažice. It contains the Old and New Testaments along with several smaller texts that address practical concerns of the time, such as exorcism, medical knowledge, and a calendar. It is often called the 'Devil’s Bible' due to a striking, full-page illustration of the Devil, and because of the legend surrounding the monk believed to have created the manuscript.
Numerous theories abound regarding how the infamous depiction of the Devil ended up in such a sacred text. Despite the diverse and logical speculations, no definitive explanation has emerged. The intrigue surrounding this unholy feature has contributed to the manuscript’s allure, and it is for this reason that the Codex Gigas—also known as the Devil’s Bible—continues to captivate people. The manuscript was eventually brought to Stockholm in the late 16th century after the Swedish army seized it from the Castle of the Holy Roman Emperor during the Thirty Years’ War.
3. The Ubaid Lizards
During excavations at the Tell Al’Ubaid archaeological site in Iraq in the early 1900s, archaeologists made a remarkable discovery. They unearthed several 7,000-year-old figurines featuring humanoid forms with lizard-like characteristics, such as elongated heads, small, contoured faces, and amygdaloid eyes. Some of the sculptures seemed to sport modern headgear, while their intricately carved clothing suggested padded or insulated shoulder areas. The figurines, which depict both male and female figures in various poses, reflect an everyday life not so different from our own, with some figures holding scepters, perhaps symbolizing justice or righteousness.
The origins of the Ubaidian people, much like the Sumerians, remain unclear. Nevertheless, the Ubaidians are regarded as the first advanced civilization in Sumer, with their culture dating back to between 5500 and 4000 BC. They lived in substantial villages, drained fertile marshlands, and fostered trade, leading to the rise of industries such as leather and metalworking, stone carving, pottery, and weaving. The Ubaid culture eventually gave birth to the pre-Sumerian civilization, influencing future innovations in language, writing, architecture, and even politics, all of which laid the groundwork for modern society.
2. The Venus Figurines
The Venus figurines are a group of prehistoric sculptures depicting women, created during the Paleolithic era. Over 200 such figurines have been discovered, mostly in Europe but as far away as Siberia. These figurines, dating from 30,000 to 10,000 BC, share similar physical traits: curvaceous bodies with prominent breasts, hips, abdomens, and thighs. Their heads are typically small and lack detail, with many also missing hands and feet. The oldest known Venus figurine is the Venus of Hohle Fels, which dates to between 35,000 and 40,000 years ago.
There is considerable disagreement among archaeological and paleoanthropological scholars regarding the potential functions and significance of these artifacts. Several theories have emerged, including the idea that these figurines might have been intended as symbols of fertility, representations of self-portraits, simple Stone Age dolls, or even realistic depictions of everyday women. Other possibilities include that they were designed to embody the idealization of female sexuality, serve as religious icons, or represent a form of erotic or pornographic imagery.
1. The Judean Stone Masks
The 9,000-year-old stone masks discovered in the southern desert of Judea rank among the most remarkable ancient artifacts from the region. To understand their age, it helps to consider that King Solomon is thought to have lived around 3,000 years ago, with Abraham predating him by over a millennium, placing these masks as the oldest ceremonial objects we have ever found. Notably rare, only 16 of these masks have been verified as authentic. These ancient Neolithic masks are also historically important, marking the era when human societies began to form into organized communities. However, the precise purpose of these masks within the society 9,000 years ago remains a subject of intrigue.
Much of the uncertainty surrounding these masks stems from the fact that most of them come from private collections, leaving their origins unclear and devoid of any concrete archaeological context. Some researchers suggest that these masks could be connected to ancestor worship, as they share distinct features and may have been worn during specific rituals or ceremonies. To date, only two of the 16 masks have clear archaeological provenance: one was discovered in a cave at Nahal Hemar, and the other was acquired by Israeli general Moshe Dayan.
