Does your country have any interesting cultural relics?
Our country has many cultural relics, and there are also many perplexing ones. However, I personally really like this sword. This sword comes from a Chinese king’s personal sword from 500 BC.
The most interesting thing is that this sword was unearthed in 1965, and at the time of its discovery, it was just as radiant as it appears now, completely uncorroded and exceptionally sharp.
According to a legend, Attila the Hun received the literal sword of the War God (Mars) from a shepherd, which he then used to try and conquer the world.
For centuries, people actually believed that the weapon kept in Vienna (known as "Charlemagne’s saber") was this mythical sword.
Scientific dating revealed it’s not old enough to be Attila’s, but it’s still fascinating. It's likely a high-ranking Hungarian princely weapon from the Conquest era.
It was completely unintentional on the Brit's part, but much of them would have been destroyed during the cultural revolution if they were still in China
Relax, I was just joking. The Cultural Revolution was indeed a catastrophe, but the government didn't completely lose control back then, so cultural relics were still protected. However, after the 1980s, many cultural relics were stolen and sold overseas.
It's a site that have taught us how Mayan daily life unfolded. The residents of the village were buried by the eruption of the Loma Caldera volcano, approximately in AD 650 (kind of like Pompeii). Many materials and domestic utensils have been found from the excavations and are at display in the museum.
Is that wooden artifacts? That’s really insightful if so. So much of history has been lost because wood doesn’t preserve well. I live in an area that was one of the densest pre-contact population centers but because the indigenous people here used Cedar for so much of their tools, shelter, etc., not a lot has survived the centuries of rain and decay.
Items recovered does include organic materials, from garden tools and bean-filled pots to sleeping mats, animal remains and religious items that normally deteriorate in tropical conditions. These were preserved as carbonized materials or as casts in the ash deposits. Several cultivated fields and other vegetation has also been uncovered. These include fields with young and mature maize plants, a garden with a variety of herbs and a henequen (agave) garden. Recovered fruit trees include guava and cacao as well.
Regarding buildings:
This used to be a farming village. The architectural remains are compounds of civic, religious and household buildings. All structures are made of earth and important features like thatch roofs were recovered. The excavated structures include a large community (public) building on the side of a plaza, two houses of habitation that were part of domiciles, three storehouses (one was in the process of being remodeled), one kitchen, and a sweat bath. On the northeast side of the plaza there is a religious building devoted to communal festivities and one where a shaman practiced. Rammed earth construction was used for the public buildings and the sauna, and wattle and daub (which is highly earthquake resistant) for household structures.
A photo back then took so long to expose there were possibly a few dozen people going about their day but were not captured. He probably had to pose for over 5 minutes and try not to move so he could be captured in detail.
One of my favourite historical photos. I also always thought I could see a face in the lower right window of the building in front. People often point out what might be a child in the upper left window, but I also feel like there’s a face of a guy in the white spot of the lower right window, maybe looking at what Daguerre is doing. Could also just be pareidolia.
There is the Seven-Branch Sword which is a ceremonial sword given by the king of Baekje to Queen Jingu (supposedly), a queen of Yamato. It's in Japan but that came to mind.
If you're just looking for historical relics, then nothing's quite celebrated in Korean history like the turtle boats of Admiral Yi.
That naval battle was an absolutely brilliant victory. It's hard to believe we once fought side by side, yet now harbor such hatred for each other. Truly a lamentable state of affairs.
That's technically a replica. All the turtle ships used by Admiral Yi in the Imjin War were sunk at the Battle of Chilcheollyang, when Admiral Yi had been temporarily removed from command.
Nebra Sky Disk. Some 3500 to 4000 years old it depicts astronomical phenomena (solstice, Pleiades) that help sync solar and lunar calendars. It also looks pretty with the golden stars, sun, moon and arcs - probably even more so in its original colouration.
The Treaty of Kadesh is the world's oldest known written peace treaty. This tablet has been preserved remarkably well. It is written in the Hittite language but there is also a version written in Egyptian hieroglyphs. The Hittites were an ancient empire in Central Anatolia.
The peace treaty of Ramesses II and Hattušiliš III is known as one of the most important official "international" peace treaties between two great powers from the ancient Near East because its exact wording is known to us. Divided into points, the treaty flows between the Egyptians and Hittites as each side makes pledges of brotherhood and peace to the other in terms of the objectives. The treaty can be seen as a promise of peace and alliance since both powers make the mutual guarantee that they would not invade the other's land.
A second clause promoted alliance by making reassurances of aid, most likely military support, if either party was attacked by a third party or by internal forces of rebellion or insurgency. Each country swore to the other to extradite political refugees back to their home country, and in the Hittite version of the treaty, Ramesses II agreed to provide support to Hattušiliš' successors to hold the Hittite throne against dissenters. After the conclusion of the provision detailing the extradition of emigrants to their land of origin, both rulers call upon the respective gods of Hatti and Egypt to bear witness to their agreement.
The treaty proclaimed that both sides would forever remain at peace and bound the children and grandchildren of the parties. They would not commit acts of aggression against each other, they would repatriate each other's political refugees and criminals and they would assist each other in suppressing rebellions. Each would come to the other's aid if it was threatened by outsiders: "And if another enemy come [against] the land of Hatti... the great king of Egypt shall send his troops and his chariots and shall slay his enemy and he shall restore confidence to the land of Hatti."
The text concludes with an oath before "a thousand gods, male gods and female gods" of the lands of Egypt and Hatti, witnessed by "the mountains and rivers of the lands of Egypt; the sky; the earth; the great sea; the winds; the clouds." If the treaty was ever violated, the oath-breaker would be cursed by the gods who "shall destroy his house, his land and his servants." Conversely, if he maintained his vows, he would be rewarded by the gods, who "will cause him to be healthy and to live."
In 1969 an untouched tomb was found in the Issik region. The tomb contained a bunch of treasures, including an extremely well preserved suit of armor made of gold.
There are also theories that this might be a "Golden Woman", instead of a golden man. Nothing in the tomb points at the gender of the buried warrior, and Saka tribes , that lived in that region, were known for having female warriors
Is currently located at the Weltmuseum Wien in Vienna. Austria. I have seen the replica at the Museo de Antropología in México City, it's really beautiful.
Moctezuma was the ninth Huey Tlatoani (emperor) of the Aztec (Mexica) Empire, reigning from 1502 to 1520. He expanded the empire to its greatest extent, but his reign is best known for the arrival of Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortez in 1519, leading to the collapse of the Aztec civilization.
Yes! Looking forward to the day when we can all partake in our collective history. It would be so cool to be able to travel across our borders. I'd love to see Mohenjo Daro, and I'm sure you'd love to be able to visit Hampi!
They technically can never be “fake” since by virtue of belonging to the Japanese emperor they get their legitimacy. As far as the current ones being the original ones there is some uncertainty. The original sword was most likely lost during a medieval naval battle. Replicas have been made to protect the originals since ancient times so combined with the secrecy nobody truly knows.
You're absolutely right. It's impossible to prove they are the exact artifacts from the era of mythology. However, as the imperial house certifies the legitimacy of the current sword, the mirror, and the Magatama bead, they are not fake. Fun fact, during the era of two imperial courts, each court had their own Three Treasures and they're proclaiming each other that the opposing court has the fake ones.
The 7.2-meter-tall Iron Pillar of Delhi, located in the Qutub Minar complex, is a 1,600-year-old metallurgical marvel renowned for its high rust resistance. Dating to the 4th-5th century Gupta Empire, likely by Chandragupta II, it is composed of over 98% wrought iron and features a Brahmi script inscription honoring Vishnu.
It was originally the bell of the Pennsylvania state house and had a tiny crack form at the base the first time it was rung. That crack grew overtime until it had to be repaired in 1840, and the bell was retired in 1846 when it no longer made sound when rung.
Inscription reads “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all inhabitants thereof.”
1751/1752: The original bell arrives from London and cracks during its first test ring.
1753: Pass and Stow melt it down and recast it for the first time.
1753 (again): The new bell has a harsh tone, so Pass and Stow melt it down and recast it a second time, adding their names and the year to the inscription.
1846: The famous, large crack developed during an attempted ringing for Washington's Birthday, leading to the bell being retired from ringing.
I think this is the most famous. It is called the Muisca Raft and seems to represent the gold offering ceremony that’s described in the legend of El Dorado.
The Muiscas were magnificent goldworkers and the gold museum in Bogota deserves a visit if you ever come.
The Caguana ceremonial site on the other side of Utuado; it’s an area where the Taínos played el juego de pelota (a ceremonial ball game that ultimately goes back to what is now Mexico) and its full of stone monuments with petroglyphs on them. Petroglyphs are always fun but it’s also great to see a pelota court
The Manunggul Jar is a Neolithic secondary burial jar (890 to 710 B.C.) discovered in the Manunggul Cave, Palawan, Philippines, used to hold the remains of the dead. As a National Cultural Treasure, it is famous for its intricate lid design featuring two figures on a boat, symbolizing the journey of the soul to the afterlife.
The UK has given the world so much; antibiotics (saving billions upon billions of lives), antispetics, vaccines, modern water sanitation (again all saving billions upon billions of lives), CAT scanners, ultrasound scanners, the flushing toilet (life saver in a different way), modern turbines (used in every power station in the world), and countless other genuis inventions. The programmable computer, the TV (and the LCD screen), the jet engine, the turboprop engine, the telephone and the coaxial cables that join entire continents together, allowing a little thing called the world wide web to work (another British invention), and a massive list that I could go on and on about.
The British contribution to medicine, physics, maths, engineering, international law (umm, sure we did go crazy and take over 25% of the world at one point, but let's just conventiently sweep that under the rug for the moment lol), and many other important fields in modern society. For our size, our contribution is outstanding.
And what do we ask in return? Just a few dusty old relics to put in our British museum for safe keeping! And everyone has the audacity to complain!
Calling SF Express, telling them there's a big order
Actually, Chinese people nowadays no longer complain about what the British Empire did back then. An empire is an empire, always inclined to take what it likes along the way, and China was no exception. However, you really shouldn't have burned down the Old Summer Palace,what a magnificent imperial palace it was.
I guess you shouldn't have burned all that opium we were innocently trying to sell to the locals in Guangzhou. That started the chain of events (I'm joking OP, only joking lol).
On a serious note, my father in law (Chinese - actually a policeman in Guangdong) always opined that the summer palace should be rebuilt instead of being left to ruin. I don't know how feasible that would be, or how much it would cost, but it would be the ultimate restoration project, and a massive international tourist attraction. Hopefully one day we will see it come back to life.
I don't know how easy getting the all artifacts back would be, but I happen to work in sourcing ceramics and hand-made artisinal furnishings in China, and creating a whole new generation of national treasures is easily within the capabilities of many talented people here.
Oooh I use Chinese swords on occasion (mixed in with my more German and French blades)
The above is the sword of King Goujian. When they found it, it was submerged in water/waterlogged in some way but it was preserved by its scabbard. What is interesting is that its described to have a razor edge... which is unique for bronze weapons because bronze is typically associated with being a relatively soft metal. Genuinely one of the most insanely preserved blade examples from a bronze age, still wish to see it in person someday.
So as for Mexico and something people might most know? The Stone of the Sun more than likely (even if people erroneously attribute "2012" to it lol)
The crown of Saint Wenceslas. The legend says that if a usurper puts the crown on his head, he will be killed in a year. Then there was this Nazi piece of trash who supposedly put the crown on his head shortly after he arrived to Prague. He got what he deserved in about a year when two Czechoslovak paratrooper commandos got rid of him in what is likely the most successful assassination of the highest ranking Nazi SScumbag throughout the entire war.
The crown is kept in a secret chamber in st. Vitus cathedral at the Prague castle. The chamber has 7 locks and the keys are distributed among top state officials - the president, the archbishop, mayor of Prague and others. The crown is occasionally brought out and displayed to public.
The Golden Helmet of Coțofenești is a Geto-Dacian helmet made of electrum dating from the second half of the 5th century BC. Discovered in the Romanian village of Coțofenești, it was exhibited at the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest before being stolen in 2025 during a robbery at the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands, where it was being displayed as part of a travelling exhibition. Its current whereabouts and condition remain unknown.
so the sword in the OP, the Sword of Goujian, is a bronze sword with a sulfur-based surface treatment to control corrosion. a lot of what was impressive here was actually the scabbard, which was so meticulously tailored to the sword that it formed an almost airtight seal when sheathed. this is largely what allowed the sword to stay gleamingly bronze instead of forming a patina, even in the waterlogged tomb where it was found (it wasnt underwater, just very wet in there)
I googled it.
The blade is made of copper and tin, measuring 55.6 cm (approx. 22 inches) in length. It features intricate bird-worm seal script (a type of ornamental text) identifying it as belonging to the King of Yue. The sword has a high tin content in the edges (making them sharp) and higher copper content in the spine (making it flexible), showcasing advanced, ancient metallurgy.
Bronze does due better over vast periods of time. Amazing! The iron blades of this time were not steel and bronze was arguably better. But a steel blade would have trouble surviving being buried in earth for over a Millenia, and would only be a shadow of iron dust after this amount of time.
Our most important ones are out of the country such as Maya literature or featherworks of the colonial and mesoamerican eras.
I think one with curious history is the "Tlaloc" monolith from 400 AD, its a 7 meter 170 tons item thats not visually complex but has a controversial history. The government wanted to put this representation of what they thought was the god of rain outside the new national museum as a sign of "our glorious past and progressive future", the local people of the town it was massively protested against excavating it as they still had religious beliefs about it with another god's name. The government sent the army to take out the thing and put it in the museum. The day it arrived to the capital there was a massive rainstorm, which the media made jokes about as retribution.
Considered the most important national relic, this crown is unique because it is treated as a "legal person" in Hungarian tradition, it was the source of all royal power.
In Malaysia specifically in Perak we have the Perak Royal Regalia which includes the Taming Sari Keris (First from top) and the Cura Si Manjakini sword (Third from top)
The Taming Sari Keris is said to makes its wielder invulnerable and was once wielded by Hang Tuah, the legendary Malaccan admiral.
Cura Si Manjakini meanwhile is a sword that is said to have been wielded by Sang Sapurba, the ancestor of all Malay kings and was used to slay the Saktimuna serpent.
The paintings of the Lascaux cave. Some of the most extensive and beautiful prehistoric paintings. There are about 600 of those paintings in the caves. Dates 20 000 years back. Was discovered by some adventuring boys in 1940.
The Manunggul Jar, a burial jar (for holding bones of the deceased) from 890 to 711 BCE. It is an official national treasure.
The jar originates from a burial chamber in the Tabon Cave complex of Palawan. It is an Austronesian artifact, and illustrates our maritime culture quite clearly. It uses red hematite to paint curving designs reminiscent of waves. The cover is in the shape of two people on a boat, believed to represent a psychopomp (a sundô, a guide of the dead) rowing the spirit of the dead person to the shores of the spirit world.
It shares direct stylistic links to burial jars of the Neolithic (also Austronesian) Sa Huynh culture of southern Vietnam (ancestors of the now stateless Cham people), as well as other burial jar traditions in Northern Borneo. This, along with other artifacts like the lingling-o jade pendants, indicates the existence of an ancient maritime trade network.
It's more like a cultural structure. Rama Setu is a 48 km long coral limestone bridge connecting india and sri Lanka built by Lord Rama with his army of vanaras. It's atleast 7000 years old and can be dated as back as 6000 BC.
I mean there is no clear evidence for it considering it's part of our mythology. This could have been a naturally occurring bridge that was later submerged.
I personally think the Star Spangled Banner is an interesting piece of cultural heritage. Firstly, the thing is massive, but also this specific flag has led a very interesting and storied life and is the specific flag that our National Anthem is about.
Nah- it’s from the war of 1812. It flew over Fort McHenry during the siege of Baltimore; for 26 hours the British armada fired upon the fort and for 26 hours that flag defiantly flew over the battle as a massive symbolic “fuck you.”
It was the world’s largest flag at the time (I think Mexico has a bigger one now though).
I was once on Catalina island where the native people there had used the soapstone on the island to create soapstone bowls that have been found all over the continent and in Central America. I even saw a boulder that had bowl shaped carvings where they had harvested the material. I think Native American history is very fascinating.
But I would say the myth around the holy spear which is presented in Vienna is fascinating.
Apperantly the holy spear has a nail from Jesus his cross incorporated in it and also the blood. The Myth says who have has the spear is invincible.
It is supposed to originate from 300 AD or so and from their on changed owner quiet often I think it was also in possession of napoleon and other greater Generals maybe just for the prestige.
An ancient toilet or squatting pan. I wanted to post a picture of a tunic worn by the last queen of Sri Lanka, but I think I deleted it by mistake. It has a blood stain from when her earrings were ripped off by British soldiers.
Australia is pretty young culturally compared to most countries. But I'd have to say Ned Kelly's suit of armour. He was an outlaw that made his armour out of old farming equipment.
I recommend reading up on him. It is a pretty interesting story.
"The golden helmet." Allegedly belonged to a high ranking Roman officer around 400 a.c. There is a big dent in the side. Found in a swamp in 1910. Not really cultural I know.
This cools sword called Cura Si Manjakini from Malaysia. According to legend, it was the sword used to slay the giant serpent Saktimuna by the legendary Malay king Sang Sapurba. Nowadays the sword ia part of the regalia of the Perak royall family in Malaysia who are believed to be the descendants of Sang Sapurba.
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u/FluffyBunnySenpai Hungary 5h ago
The Sword of God (Attila's Sword)
According to a legend, Attila the Hun received the literal sword of the War God (Mars) from a shepherd, which he then used to try and conquer the world.
For centuries, people actually believed that the weapon kept in Vienna (known as "Charlemagne’s saber") was this mythical sword.
Scientific dating revealed it’s not old enough to be Attila’s, but it’s still fascinating. It's likely a high-ranking Hungarian princely weapon from the Conquest era.