Featured Ancient ... but not a coin! Artifacts thread! Post 'em!

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Those are very nice ushabtis! Thanks for sharing the link to them, @DonnaML. It's great that you have the translation of the inscription that is on one of them. I would like to know how mine reads! I like your bronze Osiris also.

While we're on an Egyptian theme, here are a couple of Eyes of Horus- one made of faience (circa 1400-1100 BC) and one of steatite that is carved on both sides (circa 600-300 BC):

 

@Orange Julius, the ring appears to be in very good condition and has a nice portrait. Does it fit any of your fingers?

@lordmarcovan, I like the style of Egyptian art- and I expect that your sister does too, since you selected for her the two fine gifts of an ancient ushabti and an Egyptian Revival scarab. The scarabs are reminiscent of computer mice- right or left click on the wings!

Here's a photo of the base of my steatite scarab [circa 1650 BC, 2nd Intermediate Period (Hyksos)]. The seal is engraved with a scarab at the center that is flanked by two Egyptian crowns and two falcons. Similar to ancient coins, it's amazing how much information and artistry is sometimes squeezed onto a very small surface. The base of this scarab is only 0.82 inches long.

 

@Carl Wilmont, those are great! You can see a photo of my own Eye of Horus (Uzat eye) -- along with a number of other Egyptian amulets I have, including Bastet, Sekhmet, a Triad amulet, Pataikos, Amset, and a Djed pillar -- at https://www.cointalk.com/threads/do-you-display-any-of-your-coins.356922/page-3#post-4273864. I posted a photo of my amulet of Bes at https://www.cointalk.com/threads/lost-out-in-the-cng-auction-this-morning.356504/page-2#post-4251177. For photos of some more of my antiquities of various kinds, see https://www.cointalk.com/threads/do-you-display-any-of-your-coins.356922/page-2#post-4271612 and the final six photos at https://www.cointalk.com/threads/do-you-display-any-of-your-coins.356922/page-2#post-4271559

 

Steatite stone Scarab. This is from a collection I have been researching for a coin dealer friend of mine. Can anyone give me a ballpark value on this artifact? Or point me in a direction were I can find some information for such things.
This is 17 X 12 X 8 mm in size.
The paper that came with it says, 18th to 26 dynasty.
Labyrinth design, Possibly Hyksos 1600 BC.

 

Since there are so many members here with experience in artifacts, I wanted to show this and ask what you think it is. It's listed as 1st-3rd century Roman fire tongs, 22-1/2" long, but I've never heard of that. If not fire tongs, what might this be, and how would it have been used?

 

22.5 inches long! Large!! Fire tongs would almost certainly be iron. No idea what this is though.

 

You're right - I forgot to note that this is bronze. Tongs, that I've seen, have a hinged end where the "gripper" part is (like a pair of pliers), so I don't see this as traditional tongs. It's apparently meant for grabbing something, but I'm also confused as to how they would have done that with this. It's almost like a giant set of tweezers, but with a closed end?

 

Very odd things were put in late bronze age and iron age graves. Witness the huge versions of bronze fibulae, really ornate and over-sized necklaces and pectoral plates, etc.

 

ROYAL SCARABS:

They were used as charms, talimans, amulets, honor to the Pharoah, etc. as a necklace or other ornamental piece.


Egypt Scarab RAMESSES II cartouche 19th Dyn 1292-1189 BCEwinged uraeus cobra 4.1g 19mm Gustave Mustaki coll acquired fr Egypt in 1948



Egypt 21st Dynasty Scarab 16x11mm Pharoah Neterkheperre 986-967 BCE ex DeVries collection George Fraser pg 41 #329 Plate XII



Egypt 15th Dyn Hyksos 1650-1550 BCE Scarab Sobek kneel R 16x12mm ex DeVries Collctn Flinders Petrie 942-943 Plate XIV



Egypt Amenhotep III Scarab 1390-1352 BCE cartouch Neb Maat Ra 43.37g 45mm ex Gustave Mustake



Egypt Scarab Pamai Pamay 830 - 773 BC 8th Pharaoh of the 22nd Dynasty 960 - 766 BC High Priest of Ma'at.



Egypt SCARAB Thuthmosis III ca 1504-1450 BCE ex CNG ex Hendin



Egypt SCARAB Seti I ca 1291-1278 BCE 19th Dynasty ex Zuzim

 

.

 

Ok, I will limit my contribution to just 3. All of these I found metal detecting in NE Florida / SE Georgia.

The first one I stumbled upon while digging a metallic target. It is a tiny bowl, carved out of bone.

The second was a pocket watch. The hour marks are emeralds outlined with gold and the minute marks are dots of gold. Too bad they used a steel case with such a face.

the third has won me a number of awards and was published in magazines in the US, UK and Scotland.

originally I thought this was a can lid because it was so heavily coated in hard as a rock dried black mud. I was about to toss it into a recycle barrel when the mud broke and I saw the loop (bail) coming through. Curious I started to clean it with a toothbrush and when I got to bare metal I saw 1) it was tarnished (silver) 2) engraved and 3) had the Gaelic phrase I MAK SICKER.

I MAK SICKER is MY family’s motto, awarded to Sir Roger Kirkpatrick in 1306 By Robert the Bruce after Kirkpatrick helped Bruce murder Red Comyn in the Greyfriars Church. The phrase means I Make Sure. Bruce had stabbed Comyn without killing him and fled the church. My ancestor said the phrase before entering the church and finishing the job. Our family crest features a hand holding aloft a bloody dagger with the motto following.

Bruce was crowned 9 days later.

There is a second family motto on the opposite side. TOUCH AND I PEARCE (Pierce) was used during the Wallace Wars.

Speaking of Wallace, the date August 23, 1299 and the initials WW refer to William Wallace. The date refers to his execution except the year is wrong.

I have shared photos and asked questions of many of the predominate historians, universities and museums that specialize in that time period of Scottish history. What I am relating here came from them.

How did it end up where I found it? Probably due to James Ogilthorpe, the first leader of Georgia, bringing a number of Scots to the new colony to ward off the Spanish in Florida. There is a crease on it, possibly caused by a bladed weapon in combat and causing it to be lost. I found a 1718 Spanish Reale not far from where I found the medallion.

Who knows?

if you want more info there is a video of a presentation I gave on it on YouTube. Search CHIP KIRKPATRICK SHED. ( Scottish Heritage Education Day)

 

I got my "lesson learned" 1st-2nd century AD Roman bronze patera handle in the mail today. Lesson learned: when watching a live auction online, never hit the "bid now" button if you don't want the item! I won it on June 9 at Timeline Auctions, it was shipped June 12, and as I said it just arrived at my house in Pennsylvania today, so 12 days en route from the UK - not too shabby. And yes, I've already put it on ebay, because I never intended on winning it. But, in all fairness, it is pretty cool anyway.

 

..grade A large pair o tweezers...

 

I dil-don't think I have ever seen one of those before

 

>< (handle with care)

 

Words of wisdom and a great song!

 

I bought a Roman ring for around $20 bucks on eBay. I wore it for about 4 days before I flexed my finger too hard and one of the places where the decoration attached to the band broke. I superglued it.

3 days later, I was picking up a heavy plastic bag and the band broke in two more places.

RIP