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What if a small wooden artifact from an ancient Egyptian tomb reflects an understanding of flight centuries before modern aircraft? The Saqqara Bird is one of the most unusual objects associated with ancient Egypt. Carved from wood and shaped like a bird in flight, it…

What if an artifact from ancient Mesopotamia could produce a small electrical current nearly 2,000 years before the modern battery? The Baghdad Battery is one of the most famous and debated objects associated with ancient technology. Discovered near Baghdad, Iraq, it consists of a ceramic…

What if a Roman drinking cup could change color centuries before the science behind the effect was understood? The Lycurgus Cup is one of the most remarkable surviving examples of Roman glassmaking. In reflected light, it appears green or greenish-gold. When illuminated from behind, it…

What if an artifact from an ancient palace represents one of the earliest known examples of lens-like technology? The Nimrud Lens is a small piece of polished rock crystal discovered among the ruins of the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud. Since its discovery, researchers have…

What if hundreds of objects from the Roman Empire survived for nearly 2,000 years, yet their original purpose remains unknown? Roman dodecahedra are among the most puzzling artifacts recovered from the ancient world. These small hollow bronze objects have twelve pentagonal faces, circular openings of…