Historical Relics: 2000-Year-Old Wonders Still Here

[matthyaouw]

There are quite a lot around the world that survives from times gone by. Some of these things are amazing, but it doesn't surprise me that they are still here (A pyramid isn't exactly going to just dissapear...) but some of it I'm really surprised still exists. For example, the city of York still has working Roman drains and sewers, almost 2000 years old.
What historical relics really astound you in that they are still here, and in as good a condition as they are?

 

[wolram]

There are quite a lot around the world that survives from times gone by. Some of these things are amazing, but it doesn't surprise me that they are still here (A pyramid isn't exactly going to just dissapear...) but some of it I'm really surprised still exists. For example, the city of York still has working Roman drains and sewers, almost 2000 years old.
What historical relics really astound you in that they are still here, and in as good a condition as they are?

The mosaic floors from the roman times, still being uncovered in the uk, so
delicate yet surviving the later agriculture that could have destroyed them.

 

[fuzzyfelt]

Just back from taking my family around where I lived in my student days. Fiesole is nearby, with ancient Etruscan and Roman ruins - Roman roads, temple remains, amphitheater, surrounded by sweeping views over Florence and the Doumo, and tuscan countryside. Up further is a 13th(?) century monastery and the monks were chanting within. My favourite artist came from Fiesole too. I'm astounded so many historic and beautiful things exist together like that.
The drains, sewers and mosaic floors do sound astounding too. We must get to York. Everyone tells us we must!

 

[wolram]

Also amazing are the "bio degradables", like leather and wood that have survived
from archeologists we know what people wore in times gone by.

 

[matthyaouw]

We must get to York. Everyone tells us we must!

They are right, you really must!

 

[arildno]

The Roman aquaducts&cloaca systems.
They are as good as sewers come, and are still in use.

 

[fuzzyfelt]

see!
I'll badger you for some tips on what else to see there when we arrange to go.

 

[matthyaouw]

I wouldn't recommend you try to see the sewers. they are still in use today, and things may be a little unpleasant down there :P

 

[hypatia]

Kensington Runestone in Minnesota,found by a Minnesota farmer in 1898. In 2000 it was closely examined and found to be "real". It is known King Magnus of Sweden sent that a party to Greenland in 1355. They never returned.
The stone bears the date of 1362. The transliteration of the text is generally accepted as:

"Eight Goths and 22 Norwegians on a journey of exploration from Vinland very far west. We had camp by 2 rocky islands one day's journey north from this stone. We were out fishing one day. After we came home we found 10 men red with blood and dead. AVM save us from evil."

 

[matthyaouw]

I'd never heard of the Runestone before now. It's pretty interesting.

Pompeii and Herculaneum are in an amazing condition considering their age and history. It's astounding to find two cities more of less in tact, with so many things showing their culture and way of life. The graffiti is really interesting. The most amazing things to me have to be the body casts, where you can actually make out what people were wearing when they died, and carbonised items like loaves of bread and fruit which are almost 2000 years old,

 

[TRCSF]

In Oregon, there isn't much old except for Native American petroglyphs and such. Some of it's quite old. There's a lot of obsidian in eastern oregon and the sights where stone tools are made date back something like 8000 years if I remember correctly.

Here's a weird one. In a small lake up in the mountains, there's this large rock, a basaltic lava flow, that extends out into the lake.

About two or three feet under the modern surface of the lake, there are human hand prints and foot prints set into the rock. There's no evidence of carving in the rock. The prints are far more anatomically correct than any contemporary carvings or images of hands and feet. The rock itself was formed only a few thousand years ago. Could somebody have been forced to make the prints while the lava was still malleable? It's a bit of a mystery.

 

[loseyourname]

You know what you have in Oregon? The world's largest known organism, the Formidable Fungus, which spreads over 2200 acres in the Malheur National Forest and is thought to be anywhere from 2500 to 7000 years old.

 

[arildno]

But something alive can't be a historical relic, or what?

Try calling your grand-dad a historical relic, and he'll thump you with his cane (assuming he IS alive, that is (which I don't know about)).