6 Quimbaya Artifacts 

The Quimbaya Artifacts are an array of gold artifacts unearthed in Colombia and likely dating to 300 and 1000 CE. While most of these figurines are shaped like animals and birds, some of them have been thought to resemble flying objects like airplanes. Additionally, some models recreated from these figurines were also found to be capable of flying.

The Quimbaya Artifacts are some gold figurines that were discovered in Colombia, likely dating to between 300 and 1000 CE. There are over a hundred relics in this collection, each of them measuring approximately two2 to three inches in length. While most of them represent figures of birds and animals, there are some sets of figurines that have baffled archeologists. 

Shaped like primitive airplanes, these figurines have been theorized to represent an ancient flying technology that later was lost. However, this theory has been criticized by various scientists, primarily because it is unlikely that the Quimbaya peoples would have had the resources to create large aircraft.

Nevertheless, many UFOlogists still believe that this ancient civilization knew about aircraft and flying before their actual invention in the 20th century. Some have also claimed that when tested, the recreations of these figurines were actually capable of flying. (1, 2)

7 The Ubaid Lizardmen

Archeological surveys at the Al Ubaid site in Mesopotamia have revealed strange humanoid figurines with reptilian features that are thought to be 7,000 years old. Although they all have elongated lizard-like features, some of them are depicted wearing helmets and shoulder pads, while others show breastfeeding female figurines. However, it is still unknown what exactly they represent.

The Ubaidian culture is one of the oldest that existed in Mesopotamia, dating to between 4000 and 5000 BCE. Although their exact origins are unknown, this civilization is said to have had large village settlements with mud and brick houses built in unique styles of architecture. But one of the most renowned finds at this site was perhaps a set of humanoid figurines with reptilian features. 

These sets of artifacts had both male and female figurines depicted with elongated heads, almond-shaped eyes, and lizard-like noses, standing in various postures. Some of them were also seen wearing helmets and shoulder pads while others held a scepter and staff. 

Given all these findings, some archeologists have suggested that these figures may represent religious idols that the Ubaidians used to worship. However, some figurines also represent breastfeeding female humanoids holding suckling babies to their chests, which has thrown some doubt on the validity of this theory. (1, 2)

8 The Sanxingdui Masks

During the 1920s, a farmer accidentally stumbled upon the Sanxingdui site in China, leading to the discovery of numerous mysterious artifacts. Of the finds there, the bronze and gold masks dating to the 12th and 11th centuries BCE are perhaps the most renowned. These masks vary in size, with the largest being 1.2 meters in width, and represent an art style that was previously unknown in China.

In 1929, a farmer accidentally discovered numerous mysterious artifacts belonging to an ancient civilization in the Chinese village of Sanxingdui. These relics contained impressive gold, bronze, and jade artifacts in an art style that had never been seen before in China.

They also appeared to have been broken, burnt, and then carefully buried by the inhabitants of this unknown civilization. Of these finds, there were also several bronze and gold masks that are perhaps the most well-known. 

These masks, along with the rest of the artifacts, date to the 12th and 11th centuries BCE and contain almond-shaped eyes, square faces, and straight noses. Since these features do not represent the features of Asian people today, archeologists are unsure of their origins.

Some of these masks are incredibly huge, with one measuring 1.2 meters in width and 0.71 meters in height. Since its initial discovery, this site has proven to house numerous other artifacts that are similarly incredible. (1, 2)

9 The Shigir Idol 

The Shigir Idol is likely the world’s oldest wooden sculpture, believed to be approximately 11,000 years old. The current sculpture is about two meters tall, but with its missing parts also taken into account, experts believe that it is likely to be about five meters in height. It also contains several ancient engravings in an unknown language that still remains a mystery. 

In the late 19th century, an ancient wooden sculpture was discovered in Siberia, with its body and carvings still intact. This sculpture, known as the “Shigir Idol,” has a distinct face at its top and several other faces at various sections of its body.

It also has a series of lines and squiggles that likely represent an unknown ancient language. The original sculpture was more than five meters tall but since then, some of its parts have been lost. Currently, it stands at about two meters in height.

Initially, the sculpture was thought to be 9,500 years old, but when it was tested again, it was found to be around 11,000 years old, making it older than the Great Pyramid of Giza. It still remains unclear what purpose this sculpture served, but some theories suggest that this may be a precursor to the totem poles used by Native Americans, who also originated in Siberia. (1, 2)

10 Indus Valley Seals 

The Indus Valley Civilization, one of the oldest known civilizations in the world, is said to have been discovered in the 1800s. At the site, archeologists came across numerous seals that depict animal figures with inscriptions in an unknown script. Although some theories suggest that the seals were used as trading insignia, their exact purpose is still unknown.

In the 1870s, archeologists discovered several ancient seals at the site of the Indus Valley civilization in present-day Pakistan and India. These stone seals depicted engravings of animal figures, along with inscriptions in an unknown language. The seals themselves are thought to date back to 2500 and 2400 BCE. 

These seals typically feature large animals such as buffalos, rhinoceroses, and elephants in profile or near feeding troughs. There have also been traces of ropes discovered on these seals, suggesting that they were used to tie something. Archeologists believe that the seals were used to fasten bundles of merchandise and that their insignia may have served as an indication of ownership of the items. 

Another one of the seals discovered shows a meditating figure, likely representing a religious entity. This has been theorized as an early form of the Hindu god Shiva, but it is still unclear what exactly it represents. (1, 2)