Strange ancient artifacts, the origin of which no one can explain
The world is full of strange and mysterious artifacts. Some are almost certainly hoaxes, the others are connected with real stories. In our review of the 10-ka real artifacts, the…

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Riddles of the Etruscans, who do not give rest to scientists
The people who inhabited the lands of modern Italian Tuscany a little more than two millennia ago, who called themselves “raseny”, left traces of a surprisingly rapid flourishing, and also…

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The mystery of Mohenjo-Daro - the ideal ancient city, all of whose inhabitants died in a flash
This city in the Indus Valley on the territory of modern Pakistan attracted the attention of scientists in 1922. The walls of baked bricks, the perfect layout of neighborhoods and…

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Ambiguous facts from the Bible, about which today archeologists and religious scholars argue
Perhaps there is no other such book in the world in which so many contradictions are found as in the Bible. There are constantly heated debates between atheists, archeologists and…

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The mystery of the Roman Lycurgus Cup: Nanotechnology in the ancient world?

The British Museum holds a very beautiful ancient exhibit – the Roman Lycurgus Cup. But he is more famous for his unusual optical properties. Under normal lighting, the goblet appears yellowish-green, and in transmitted light it acquires a deep wine-red hue. Only in 1990, scientists were able to reveal the secret of these unique properties, but how could such an effect be achieved in ancient times? After all, these are the real nanotechnologies …
The cup is a so-called diatret – a double-walled bell covered with a figured pattern. Its height is 16.5, and its diameter is 13.2 centimeters.
The earliest found diatrets belong to the 1st century BC. n e., and their heyday reached its production in the III and IV centuries. Diatrets in that era were considered very expensive items and were available only to the rich. Continue reading

In Israel, found a ring with a seal that belonged to Pontius Pilate
An unexpected statement was made by Israeli experts after a detailed study of archaeological finds discovered during the excavations of Herodion, a fortress built by King Herod. According to scientists,…

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The Riddle of Easter Island: What Archaeologists Know About Gigantic Scenery
The mystery of Easter Island stirs the minds of historians and enthusiasts over the centuries. It has not yet been possible to explain the origin of the giant stone statues…

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