Even in the new millennium, artifacts are still being discovered and excavated throughout the world, priceless testaments to mankind’s religiosity, innovativeness, and even dark past. Here are some of the more recent artifacts that have been unearthed.
Image source: huffingtonpost.com
Earlies buddhist shrine in Nepal
Archeologists digging through a central shrine in Nepal were surprised to find an old wooden structure beneath the modern, brick-building monument. The design is very similar to the new version atop it, but the discoverers were intrigued that there was much foot traffic on the clay floor and that there were post holes on the tree roots. The finding was dated to about 550 B.C. and is now thought to have huge implications on when Buddha was actually born.
The Beardless Jesus
An excavation in the ancient city of Castulo in southern Spain revealed images in discovered glass shards that, after collation and assembly, showed a truly intriguing plate. This plate is believed to serve the eucharistic bread and showed a beardless Jesus donning a Roman toga. The apostles Paul and Peter were also depicted clean-shaven, their hairs cropped short. It’s now considered one of the earliest images of Christ to have been discovered.
Image source: holylandphotos.org
The Crucifixion bone
For decades, there have been no physical evidence discovered of the popular and well-documented Roman execution method of crucifixion. But archeologists recently found the bones of a man in a museum in Israel that now serves as the only documented proof of this harrowing punishment. The young Jew was in his twenties, and there is an iron nail embedded deeply into the man’s heel bone.
Sadigh Gallery is a New York-based art gallery specializing in ancient artifacts, artwork, and coins. For related reads, check out this blog.
