/r/ArtefactPorn
/r/ArtefactPorn is a community dedicated to posting the very best objects, from the very large to the very small, made or shaped by the mankind throughout history. These artefacts range from tools and works of arts to archaeological finds, and give us a better sense of life in various moments throughout history.
Artifact - something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, especially an object of archaeological interest.
For images of the heritage, art, relics and other remains of mankind.
Submission Rules
- Include the name of the Artifact in the title.
- Include the resolution in [brackets] in the title.
- If an image contains human remains, please add the "Human Remains" flair and mark it as NSFW so the thumbnail does not show up
- Only submit static images.
- Videos, collections, interactive images/websites, and articles are not allowed.
- Do not submit a shortened link using a URL shortener like tinyurl.
- Original source is allowed and preferred over the approved hosts. If your submission is not on the list of approved hosts, but it is an original source, please use the tag [OS] so your submission is not removed in error. If your image is rehosted from another approved host it will be removed.
- If you took the photo yourself, you can signify this by using the tag [OC] (original content) and after 24 hours you will be given special flair. If you don't receive flair after a few days feel free to message the mods.
As for comments - Keep the discussion on-topic. Comments that do not directly add to the discussion will be removed. And above all, follow reddiquette. Personal attacks, abusive language, trolling or bigotry in any form is not allowed and will be removed.
Great subreddits to check out:
- Ancient Civilizations
- AncientRome
- AncientGreece
- AncientWorld
- ArtHistory
- ArtistoftheDay
- Byzantium
- ChessPorn
- FossilPorn
- ImaginaryHistory
- MapPorn
- MegalithPorn
- Mesopotamia
- SculpturePorn
- Medieval Art
- Ancient Art
- African Art
- Old India
- Museum Porn
- Etruscans
- Trapped in amber
- Coin Eye Candy!
- SUBMECHANOPHOBIA
- History Videos
- JewelsofRussia
- DragonUtopia
- Mesoamerica
- MosaicPorn
- SarcophagusPorn
- Art Oil Paintings
- Historykon
- OutoftheTombs
- Forgotten Weapoms
- Bottle Digging
- Fashion History =NEW=
If you are interested in exchanging subreddit sidebox links, message the moderators.
/r/ArtefactPorn
3,180,161 Subscribers
Cross of the Scriptures (c. 900), Clonmacnoise, Ireland. [oc] [3024x4032]
Clonmacnoise is a monastic site in County Offaly on the banks of the River Shannon. The monastery was founded by Saint Ciarán in 544. One of the most remarkable artifacts from the site is this high cross (or Celtic cross) known as the Cross of the Scriptures, named for the carvings of biblical scenes carved into it. The cross stood west of the cathedral, but was moved to the nearby visitors center to better preserve it in 1991. A replica stands on the original site. Originally, the cross would’ve been brightly painted, though all the paint has worn off. It stands just under 4m tall.
21:48 UTC
Emerald cameo in high relief depicting a female bust within a rose-cut diamond and gold ring and detachable pendant hoop. Belonged to la Princesse Lobanoff de Rostoff —née Princesse Dolgorouky— until early 1919 [3465x3465]
19:59 UTC
The Vettweiss-Froitzheim dice tower [turricula]; a Roman anti-cheating device for throwing dice, made of copper-alloy. Found near Vettweiss, Germany & dated to the 4th c. CE. Now in the Landesmuseum, Bonn [2730 x 2040]
19:18 UTC
An example of erotic depiction that occasionally could be found among funeral items in an Egyptian tomb. [1080x853]
18:30 UTC
Plate with wife spanking her husband, Netherlands, ca. 1480 [967x985]
13:03 UTC
The entrance to Persepolis of Iran, ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire, 550–330 BC. [1080x1043]
12:41 UTC
An ivory statuette depicting a phoenix, 1610/1620 CE, now housed at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna [1578x1082]
11:28 UTC
A wooden showpiece made in the second half of the 16th century CE. Now housed at the Ambras Castle in Innsbruck, Austria [1080x2400]
11:17 UTC
A lectern made in 1570 CE in Nuremberg. Body: softwood, veneered and inlaid with walnut, boxwood, fruitwoods, ivory and mother-of-pearl; fittings: gilded and etched. Now housed at the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt am Main, Germany [2857x5723]
11:15 UTC
The Motor 250/400 is the first functional diesel engine. The workshop of the Maschinenfabrik Augsburg built in 1896 two units, the A-Motor, and the B-Motor. The latter has been on static display at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany, since testing it came to an end [719x1200]
11:13 UTC
Man standing next to Stela D, photographed by Alfred Maudslay in 1890. Quiriguá, Guatemala, Maya civilization, 766 AD [1320x1630]
05:57 UTC
Haniwa model of a kneeling figure. Japan, Kofun period, 4th century AD [900x1140]
05:57 UTC
Set of bronze bells with lacquered stand. Jingzhou, China, Warring States, State of Chu, around 400 BC [4900x3600]
05:57 UTC
1,700-Year-Old Writing Kit from Georgia (South Caucasus), c.250-350 CE: this writing kit was found in an unmarked grave located in the foundations of a cathedral, where it lay buried next to the body of a 40-50 year old woman; it's decorated with images of the Greek muses [4096x5337]
04:17 UTC
Carved ivory sculpture of Shōjō: The Drunken Sea Sprite, Japanese, c. 1825-1875. [1776x2100]
02:12 UTC
Pair of Chinese Lotus Shoes for the practice of foot binding, 19th century. Embroidered satin, wood, paper, 3 15/16 x 4 1/8 in. (10 x 10.5 cm) [1536x1150]
01:49 UTC
Pair of brooches, Gold plating on silver with inlaid garnet, glass, and enamel circa 430, Part of the Treasure of Untersiebenbrunn, from an East Germanic grave [2560x1712]
01:36 UTC
Polychrome figure found in Mexico. Created during Mixtec civilization, 1200-1500 AD [940x1100]
Figure is made of ceramic buffware with polychrome and likely represents a deity or an important individual in Mixtec society. The raised hand might signify a gesture of blessing, power, or communication.
It is currently housed in the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
23:54 UTC
An Iberian gold diadem from Jaén, Spain. 4th-3rd century BCE [2048x3627]
22:53 UTC
Garment study for a seated figure, by Leonardo da Vinci. 1470-1484 CE, brush and grey distemper on grey canvas. Now housed at the Louvre Museum [674x768]
22:51 UTC
The Uunartoq disc is an 11th century CE wooden disk fragment found in Uunartoq, Greenland. Annotations denote elements for its possible usage as a sun compass. When the shadow is aligned with the shadow lines, North is up. Incisions in that direction permit measuring the shadow length [850x960]
22:50 UTC
17,000-year-old paintings of horses at the Villars Cave in France. The horses were painted in manganese dioxide, and coated over the millenia with calcite, which has the effect of making the black manganese oxide appear blue [1065x677]
22:48 UTC
A painting of a Sikh couple with their baby and pets - circa late 1800s [720x893]
19:49 UTC
Wedding Headdress, China Beginning of the 20th Century Gilded Cardboard and Metallic Threads, Inlay of Kingfisher Feathers [1220 x 1624]
18:11 UTC
Funerary Mayan Jade Mask found in the ancient city of Noh Kah located in present day Quintana Roo, housed at the Museo Maya de Cancun [2007x2019]
16:52 UTC
A ninth century Talisman of Charlemagne. According to legend, the talisman was a gift from Caliph Harun al-Rashid to Charlemagne in 801. [800x931]
15:46 UTC
Terracotta bell krater with Hermes and Hekate leading Persephone from the underworld to her mother Demeter. Greek, Attic, ca. 440 BC. Red-figure decoration attributed to the Persephone painter. See link in comments for reverse with libation scene. Metropolitan Museum of Art collection [3459x3810]
14:12 UTC
The Corinthian capital from the Temple of Hadrian at Cyzicus, in Turkey, is the largest capital known to date. It is 2.5 metres in height, 1.9 metres in diameter and 20 tons in weight. It was unearthed in 2013 [1280x854]
12:45 UTC
Gandharan Stucco Head | 100-300 CE | Ancient Pakistan [1567x1042]
21 x 16 cm 8 1/4 x 6 1/4 in
Gandharan Civilization (Wikipedia) The ancient civilization of Gandhara was located in the region northwestern of Pakistan. Situated at confluence of trading paths along the Silk Route, th area was flooded in diverse cultural influence ranging from Greece to China. Gandhara flourished under the Kushan Dynasty and their great king, Kanishka, who is traditionally given credit for spreading the philosophies of Buddhism throughout central Asia and into China. This period is viewed a the most important era in the history of Buddhism.
After the conquests of Alexander the Great, the creation of Greco-Bactrian kingdoms, and the general Hellenization of the subcontinent, Western aesthetic became prominent. Greek influence began permeating into Gandhara. Soon sculptors based the images of the Buddha on Greco-Roman models, depicting Him as a stocky and youthful Apollo, complete with stretched earlobes and loose monastic robes similar to a Roma toga. The extraordinary artistic creations of Gandhara reveal links between the different worlds of the East and West. In the Buddhist religion, Bodhisattvas are souls who have attained enlightenment and no longer need to reincarnate, but forsake nirvana and choose to come back in order to alleviate the suffering of others. This stunning Gandharan stucco sculpture of the head of a Bodhisattva reveals that these spiritual beings were celebrated even then, as Buddhism began to spread from Pakistan region to eastwards.
12:34 UTC
A solar observation shield. German, probably from Augsburg. First quarter of the 17th century CE, now housed at the Forchtenstein Castle in Austria [831x1800]
12:20 UTC