Artifacts are man-made objects which represent the culture or history of their creator. From weapons to cooking utensils to even unexplainable objects, they come in different shapes, forms and sizes. They can also be natural objects such as the remains of an object, burnt ash from a cremated body, or plants from a specific location.
Artifacts developed throughout the evolution of man for several reasons. Perhaps the most prominent reason is to learn about the culture or history of its creator(s). Most ancient people that lived didn’t have a written record of their history. So, archeologists collect these objects to learn and write about how they lived. In more general terms, artifacts help us understand how man interacted with his environment in a particular period.
There are several artifacts in the world today that serve different purposes, from data collection to media or history. One such artifact, the Venus of Willendorf, is a Venus figurine that dates back to between circa 28,000 and 25,000 BCE. A workman named Johann Veran discovered it in Willendorf, Austria. The sculpture is round and about 4.4-inches tall. A braid or knit-cap-like adorns her head. In archaeology, Venus figurines metaphorically depict femininity, fertility, grandmother goddesses, or self-portraits by female artists. Venus of Willendorf now lives in the Natural History Museum in Vienna, Austria.
The Olmec Colossal Heads are a collection of 17 head sculptures. They represent men with unique expressions, headdresses, large eyes, and plump lips. This births the school of thought that they represented leaders from a particular place. It is believed that the Olmecs carved them. Mathew Stirling found the first head, Tres Zapotes Colossal Head One, in 1938. It was accidentally discovered at Tres Zapotes. At subsequent times, the remaining heads were found; another at La Zapotes, four at La Venta, ten at San Lorenzo, and one at La Cobata. They are huge sculptures and stand at about ten feet tall. The creators’ origin and means of transport of the heads remain a mystery. The Olmec heads are currently in different museums in Mexico, including the San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán Community Museum, Mexico City’s National Anthropology Museum, and Xalapa’s Anthropology Museum.
In 1936, Max Hahn and his wife, Emma, discovered The London Hammer. In some accounts, some people said Emma was his female friend. They were on a walk when they spotted a loose rock that enclosed a piece of wood. They took it home, and their son broke it years later and found the enclosed hammerhead. Afterward, archaeologists confirmed it to be a hammer that dates back to over 400 million years ago. A creationist, Carl Baugh, eventually bought it, and it began to spark attention. Carl used the iron hammer to start a study on how the atmospheric quality of the earth helped giants develop pre-flood.
Napoleon’s gold-encrusted sword is another expensive artifact. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte led his troops with this sword in 1800. The sword has a golden design, making it even more valuable. It is no surprise that it was auctioned in 2007 at $6.5 million.
Artifacts shape the world and recollect lost history. As the years evolve, important events are lost, and these objects help to rewrite them. This is why artifacts are so priceless.
Chase Pipes 