Artifacts are objects that were created by people in the past, but have no practical purpose. They represent historical and cultural values that attract the attention of scientists, collectors and simply lovers of antiquities.
The earliest artifact is considered to be the Venus Ball. It was discovered in a coal mine in 1890. It is believed that the ball was made about 5 thousand years ago, and scientists still cannot determine exactly what it is made of. The artifact is spherical in shape and covered with an unknown material that changes color when heated or cooled. According to experts, the ball is approximately 600 million years old and may be the oldest homemade object.
Another of the most famous artifacts is the cup of King Pentufer of Ur. This artifact is ancient Egyptian and was found in South America in the early 20th century. Today the cup is kept in the National Museum of Archeology in Washington and is a national treasure of the United States. It contains gold, silver, bronze and precious stones