Archaeologists have unearthed some pretty amazing ancient artifacts in 2015, from a medieval castle to weird medical devices aboard pirate Blackbeard's sunken ship.
Such archaeological finds give us a complex and unprecedented glimpse into human history. Curious about what scientists have uncovered? Just scroll down for 14 eye-popping artifacts that made 2015 a fascinating year for archaeologists.
Mark Price
Researchers unearthed the remnants of a medieval castle dating back to the year 1110. The regal architecture was found underneath a men's prison in Gloucester, England.
Assaf Peretz/Israel Antiquities Authority
The remains of an extravagant 1,700-year-old mosaic floor were unearthed during the construction of a visitor center in Lod, a city east of Tel Aviv, Israel.
Kadir Kaba
Rare treasures, such as this gold wreath, were found in ancient tombs dating back 2,400 years near Soli, a city on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.
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Tulane Public Relations
Marcello Canuto (left), director of Tulane University's Middle American Research Institute, and Luke Auld-Thomas, happened upon a previously undiscovered but well-preserved Mayan stone monument while exploring in Guatemala.
Flemming Kaul/The National Museum of Denmark
Archaeologists discovered a trove of 2,000 delicate gold spirals in the town of Boeslunde, on the Danish island of Zealand. The spirals are 3,000 years old.
West Turkana Archaeological Project
Archaeologists working in northwestern Kenya unearthed the world's oldest stone tools yet, dating back 3.3 million years. The artifacts push back the archaeological record of tool technology by 700,000 years.
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Rauno Koivusaari
More than $150 million worth of gold coins and jewelry were found in a centuries-old shipwreck just south of the Finnish island of Jussarö. Archaeologists have been studying the shipwreck ever since.
Yoli Shwartz/Israel Antiquities Authority
Archaeologists unearthed pottery shards, including this piece of a bowl dating back to 3,500 B.C., in Tel Aviv, Israel. The discoveries suggest that the city was once home to an ancient Egyptian brewery.
Ministry of Antiquity, Egypt
Archaeologists in Egypt discovered two beautifully decorated ancient tombs near the historic city of Luxor. The tombs are believed to date back to the 18th Dynasty of the Egyptian New Kingdom.
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Cotswold Archaeology
An elaborate Roman tombstone that dates back 1,800 years was unearthed in England at the site of a former parking garage in the town of Cirencester.
Schmuel Magal/Israel Antiquities Authority
Cavers in northern Israel discovered 2,300-year-old rings, bracelets and earrings, as well as silver coins believed to have been minted in the late 4th century B.C. during the reign of Alexander the Great.
Denis Gliksman/INRAP
An opulent tomb was unearthed in France's Champagne region, along with a trove of artifacts including elaborate pottery, a sheathed knife and a chariot. A feline head adorns the tomb that dates back to the early 5th century B.C.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gold coins were found in the seabed in the Mediterranean Sea near the port of Caesarea National Park in Caesarea, Israel. The medieval gold coins date back to the 11th century.
North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
Archaeologists excavating pirate Blackbeard's sunken ship, named Queen Anne's Revenge, unearthed various medical devices from the wreckage, such as an urethral syringe used to treat syphilis. The items date back to 1718.