The Shroud of Turin might be the most controversial archaeological artifact to date. It is a linen cloth that has the image of the face of what many believe to be Jesus Christ imprinted on it. This cloth is believed to be the cloth that was used to cover the face of Jesus after his crucifixion.
It was first shown to the public in France in 1357. However, carbon dating tests on the cloth have shown that this cloth was probably from the region of the years 1260 to 1390, which means that it could not have been the face of Christ.
The Great Sphinx of Giza
Located at the west bank of the Nile River in Giza, Egypt, the Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx. A sphinx is an Egyptian mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. It was believed to be built around 2,500 years ago and originally measured to be 73 meters long from paw to tail, 20.21 meters high, and 19 meters wide.
It is still surrounded by mystery as the underlying chambers and tunnels within and underneath have not yet been explored. Some evidence, like traces of pigment, also suggests that it was once painted with vivid colors.
Plain of Jars
Archaeologists have discovered thousands of stone objects that were believed to be used as jars and that are arranged in some kind of a significant order. Discovered in Laos, the purpose of these jars is still unknown, although some believe that they were used for burial.
This theory is based on the fact that human skeletons and tools that are known to be used for burial were discovered along with the jars. Tests have shown that these jars have been there from 500 BC to 500 AD. Some researchers have suggested that these jars were used to collect monsoon rainwater.
The Pilate Stone
The Pilate Stone is a block of limestone that has carved texts that were attributed to Pontius Pilate. He was most famously known for being the one who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He served under Emperor Tiberius as a prefect from AD 26 to 36. This huge stone was considered to strengthen the authenticity of the biblical texts.
This is because still no evidence has been found at that time that supports the idea that Pontius Pilate really existed. The Pilate stone was created to be used as a part of a set of stairs in Caesarea's Herodion theatre following the orders of Herod the Great.
Antikythera Mechanism
The Antikythera Mechanism is an ancient Greek analog computer. It was composed of more than 37 moving gears that are made of bronze. It was used by the Greeks to predict the positions of heavenly bodies and could predict when eclipses would next occur.
The Antikythera Mechanism was found inside a sunken ship in the seas near the Greek island of Antikythera in 1901. The tests conducted on the Antikythera Mechanism have shown that this instrument was created around 150 to 100 BC. The technology behind this device remained a mystery until the fourteenth century, when a similar device was found.