• MAIN PAGE
  • LATEST NEWS
    • Lost Cities
    • Archaeology's Greatest Finds
    • Underwater Discoveries
    • Greatest Inventions
    • Studies
    • Blog
  • PHILOSOPHY
  • HISTORY
  • RELIGIONS
    • Africa
    • Anatolia
    • Arabian Peninsula
    • Balkan Region
    • China - East Asia
    • Europe
    • Eurasian Steppe
    • Levant
    • Mesopotamia
    • Oceania - SE Asia
    • Pre-Columbian Civilizations of America
    • Iranian Plateau - Central Asia
    • Indus Valley - South Asia
    • Japan
    • The Archaeologist Editor Group
    • Scientific Studies
    • Aegean Prehistory
    • Historical Period
    • Byzantine Middle Ages
    • Predynastic Period
    • Dynastic Period
    • Greco-Roman Egypt
  • Rome
  • PALEONTOLOGY
  • About us
Menu

The Archaeologist

  • MAIN PAGE
  • LATEST NEWS
  • DISCOVERIES
    • Lost Cities
    • Archaeology's Greatest Finds
    • Underwater Discoveries
    • Greatest Inventions
    • Studies
    • Blog
  • PHILOSOPHY
  • HISTORY
  • RELIGIONS
  • World Civilizations
    • Africa
    • Anatolia
    • Arabian Peninsula
    • Balkan Region
    • China - East Asia
    • Europe
    • Eurasian Steppe
    • Levant
    • Mesopotamia
    • Oceania - SE Asia
    • Pre-Columbian Civilizations of America
    • Iranian Plateau - Central Asia
    • Indus Valley - South Asia
    • Japan
    • The Archaeologist Editor Group
    • Scientific Studies
  • GREECE
    • Aegean Prehistory
    • Historical Period
    • Byzantine Middle Ages
  • Egypt
    • Predynastic Period
    • Dynastic Period
    • Greco-Roman Egypt
  • Rome
  • PALEONTOLOGY
  • About us

5 Most Mysterious Artifacts Discovered in Ancient Shipwrecks

December 13, 2023

Archaeologists have made several significant underwater discoveries, including a gold ring featuring an image of a young boy with a sheep or ram on his shoulders, which may be one of the earliest depictions of Jesus Christ. The ring was found amongst a trove of ancient Roman coins and other treasures on the seabed off Israel's Mediterranean coast.

The Israel Antiquities Authority led the underwater expedition to explore the wrecks of two ancient ships near the former Port of Cesaria, which had broken open, spilling their contents across the seabed. The treasures uncovered included hundreds of silver and bronze coins, figurines, jewels, bronze bells, and a red gemstone adorned with the image of a liar. The most priceless discovery, the Good Shepherd ring, may have belonged to one of the earliest Christian followers, but doubts have been raised due to the imagery of shepherds not being exclusive to Christianity.

In another discovery, archaeologists excavating an ancient shipwreck off the coast of Tuscany during the 1980s found small tin containers that held well-preserved pills dating back over 2,000 years, providing a glimpse into ancient pharmacology. The pills were composed of natural ingredients such as resins, waxes, animal fats, and starches, along with various inorganic compounds and zinc, which was known to treat skin and eye conditions. The site also yielded other items with medical applications, including 136 wooden vials designed to hold medicine, a mortar, an iron probe, a bloodletting device, and a surgical hook.

In contrast, the discovery of Chinese Thunder crash bombs, also known as Heaven shaking Thunder bombs, represented a significant advancement in early military technology during the Mongol invasions of Japan in the 13th century, leading to the rapid adoption and widespread use of these weapons. This marked a monumental milestone in the history of gunpowder warfare.

← 1 HOUR OF STOIC QUOTES - LIFE CHANGING QUOTES YOU NEED TO HEAR!The Trans-Saharan Slave Trade Was WAY Worse Than You Thought →
Featured
9914 (1).jpg
Jul 25, 2025
Will Future Generations Bother to Unearth Our Traces?
Jul 25, 2025
Read More →
Jul 25, 2025
imgi_10_v333aaAypWPnDYcGoJW8iX (1).jpg
Jul 25, 2025
Bronze Age Warrior Tomb Unearthed in Azerbaijan Reveals 3,800-Year-Old Elite Burial
Jul 25, 2025
Read More →
Jul 25, 2025
collage (1).png
Jul 25, 2025
Crete: The Six Minoan Palaces That Have Been Added to the UNESCO World Heritage List
Jul 25, 2025
Read More →
Jul 25, 2025
collage (1).png
Jul 25, 2025
100,000-Year-Old Skeletons in Israel Suggest Early Spirituality and Group Identity
Jul 25, 2025
Read More →
Jul 25, 2025
Gemini_Generated_Image_pd1afspd1afspd1a.png
Jul 24, 2025
The Myth of the Yeti: Ancient Legends of the Himalayas
Jul 24, 2025
Read More →
Jul 24, 2025
Gemini_Generated_Image_cn4p9gcn4p9gcn4p.png
Jul 24, 2025
The Worship of Baal in the Ancient Levant
Jul 24, 2025
Read More →
Jul 24, 2025
read more

Powered by The archaeologist