7 most unique and interesting medieval artifacts

One can never get enough of medieval artifacts as they are one of the most intriguing things in the world. We can get a good idea of the historical and ancient times through rare and unique middle-age artifacts.

You have come to the right place if you are interested in medieval artifacts. In this post, we have curated some of the most unique and interesting medieval objects to discover and learn about. Check them out below and learn about them:

1. Book coffer 

The popularity of physical books is decreasing every year as more people prefer reading e-books and online articles on their smartphones, tablets, or laptops. As such, today’s generation isn’t very familiar with book coffers.

A book coffer is a compact-sized storage box designed for storing several books. Similar to suitcases, people in ancient times would use a compact book coffer to carry their favorite books during long journeys. It’s sort of like modern people consuming online content on their laptops, tablets, or smartphones when traveling. 

2. Golden wine straw

Reusable metal straws have become highly popular over the past couple of years. They have become a trend, especially among people who live eco-friendly and are concerned about the environment. 

However, the concept of using reusable straws isn’t new. This is because there’s a rare and unique medieval artifact, a golden straw. Golden straw was designed for drinking wine. In ancient times, wealthy, upper-class families would use reusable wine straws made out of gold which would symbolize their prosperity. The ancient golden wine stores often used to have a certain kind of embroidery design on them. 

3. Incense stick holder

Incense stick holders have been used today, especially in India. However, the origin of the incense stick holders dates back to as early as the 15th century. One of the most interesting facts to know is that instant incense stick holders were large and had large holes to accommodate large-sized incense sticks. 

Back then, due to the lack of machinery and technology, incense sticks would be hand rolled, and therefore they used to have a large size. As such, most ancient incense stick holders were large compared to modern alternatives. 

4. Cheating dice

It comes as no surprise that gambling was present from very early on, during ancient times. However, what’s most interesting to know is that ancient people already knew how to cheat when gambling to gain a competitive advantage over others.

There were many tools and methods that Indian people would use to cheat in the game. One such tool is a cheating dice; The days would have been made in such a way that it wouldn’t include a single or double dot. 

Depending on the game, the person using the cheating dice would eventually work his or her way around putting the absence of the single or double-digit to their advantage. It is therefore safe to say that cheating dice is one of the most unique medieval artifacts.

5. Stone toilets

Modern toiletry has become highly advanced, especially in countries like Japan and China where modern toilets are equipped with technological features. Toilets have had their origins since the dawn of human beings.

And in the world of toiletries, ancient stone toilets are one of the most unique medieval artifacts. In ancient times, ancient people only had stones and dry wood as materials to build all types of things that would meet everyday requirements. As such, due to the lack of advanced materials such as ceramic, medieval people would use stone and tree wood to make toilets for single and multiple people. 

6. Mosquito-proof beds

Mosquito-proof beds are one of the most unique medieval objects, and there is no doubt about it. At its very core, an ancient Mosquito-proof bed is a special type of bed. It was designed to prevent mosquitoes from biting people who would sleep on it. 

These types of ancient mosquito-proof beds would have specifically designed casings on the sides and top that would allow air for breathing but prevent mosquitoes from entering inside. Many mosquito-proof beds would also contain specific materials that would deter the mosquitoes and keep them away the entire night. 

7. Celestial maps

Celestial maps are another rare and unique medieval artifacts that deserves attention. Long before there were satellites in low orbits, ancient people used to rely on the stars, moon, and star patterns to map out the sky. 

Advanced astrologers would make celestial maps that would predict seasons with the star and moon patterns and alignments. These celestial maps proved to be highly useful tools for ancient astrologers to learn more about the celestial bodies.