Some Of The Oldest And Fascinating Things In The World That Still Exists
Let us unravel some of the oldest and most fascinating things that still exist on our planet.
Have you ever wondered why archaeologists and researchers look for extremely old and seemingly useless artefacts or engage themselves in decade-long excavations in some of the remotest areas in the world? Well, they are hunting these age-old objects to assess and comprehend our past through geological and material culture. Read on to explore some of the oldest man-made artefacts and natural ecofacts in the world.
The Oldest Garment: Tarkhan Dress
The Tarkhan dress is over 5,000 years old - perhaps it is the oldest linen garment to exist on earth. The garment was excavated from the Tarkhan cemetery of Egypt in 1913. The University of Oxford, in 2015, carried out a radiocarbon test on the garment to evaluate its age and confirmed it to be over 5,000 years old. The Tarkhan dress is currently on display at London's Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology.
The Oldest Trophy: Carlisle Bells
The Carlisle Bells may not look spectacular, but it is a historic trophy. This trophy was awarded for the first time in 1599 and is still in use. Whoever wins the Carlisle Bell horse race, taking place in England's Cumbria gets this age-old trophy. The bells are very fragile and are handled by the museum curators only.
The Oldest Tree: Methuselah
The Great Basin bristlecone pine or Pinus longaeva is a species of tree which is specifically known for its long life and is found mainly in the western states of the US like Nevada, California and Utah. A tree named Methuselah, a member that belongs to this tree species, is considered the oldest surviving tree on earth, and researchers have verified it to be 4,850 years old.
The Oldest Photograph: View from the Window at Le Gras
The oldest existing photograph is called the "View from the Window at Le Gras", and it was captured by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, the French inventor, sometime between the years 1826 to 1827. Although the photograph is not as sophisticated and clear as contemporary photographs, this masterpiece played a crucial role in the development of modern photographs and camera technology.
The Oldest Stone: Zircon
A team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin made an astonishing discovery. They perhaps discovered a piece of rock that is believed to be the oldest to exist on earth. The mineral is known as zircon, and it was extracted from the Jack Hills range in Australia. Radiometric data has revealed that the stone is 4.37 billion years old, and this finding is quite remarkable as our planet is 4.5 billion years old.
If you get a chance, which artefact would you like to see to get a glimpse of our past?
