What are the Oldest Objects you Own?

[KILO NOVEMBER]

Ancient Greek and Roman coins and a few fibulae (not leg bones, but cloak pins).

 

[jkingrph]

A few pieces of mosaic tiles, from Philadelphia (Turkey), one of the seven churches of Asia Minor. These are from the floor of the ancient gymnasium.

 

[Matt Crunk]

Turns out the fiddles and watercolor aren't the oldest items I own. I'd forgotten all about this object until I read the above post about the ancient tiles. But I do have a certified Spanish silver coin from the Atocha shipwreck of 1622. I wear it as a pendent mounted in an 18k gold bezel.

 

[Vera Godfrey]

My great-grandmother's tarot cards. I'm not sure how old they are. All I know is that there are either from Russia or Ukraine and have been passed down through several generations.

 

[FuzzySabre]

A spinosaurus tooth.. Around 100 Million years old, and a fossilized plant from the Pennsylvanian period.

The oldest man made object is a prehistoric arrow head from the Sahara dated to about 10,000 BC

The oldest object I own from history (rather than prehistory), is a few Roman coins from around 100 ad.

 

[Grnidwitch]

You can send that damn thing my way......

 

[Grnidwitch]

Being a tarot card reader, please take good care of those cards. Wrap them in a piece of silk and keep them in a box or in a drawer. They hold so much energy of the lady that handled them (your great grandmother). It's wonderful thing you have there.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Personally, I don't see why rocks should be excluded. I have rocks that are approximately 3 billion years old.

But in the spirit of usable things, I have my great-grandfather's tool box, and numerous hand tools of his, dating to probably around 1910-1920. I use the tool box. I also use a cast iron skillet that my wife's grandmother gave her. My grandmohter in law swore it was ancient when she was a little girl and her grandmother used it. It makes the best cornbread.

 

[MissMittens]

Personally, I don't see why rocks should be excluded. I have rocks that are approximately 3 billion years old.

Surely you mean 6,000 yrs old? lol!! I think a good reason to exclude rocks is because anyone can own one

 

[HudsonHawk]

Surely you mean 6,000 yrs old? lol!! I think a good reason to exclude rocks is because anyone can own one

Well, the part about not excluding rocks was just a little levity on my part, being a geologist and all. As for the age of them, no way I'm going to touch that one.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Does anyone actually "own" a rock? It was here before you got here, and it'll be here long after you're gone. You're just a temporary caretaker.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Does anyone actually "own" a rock? It was here before you got here, and it'll be here long after you're gone. You're just a temporary caretaker.

You'll get my granite when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

 

[LizzieMaine]

When Ogg first said to Zogg, "ME OWN THIS ROCK," that's when the trouble first began.

 

[Renault]

Ok I'll play! Oldest "culturally altered" piece of rock I have in my possession as caretaker

Paleo point known as an Angostura point. Not as old as a Clovis, but almost!!



Fella that produced this point lost it about 2 miles north of the conflux of the Pecos river and Live Oak Creek in west Texas. There were still some megafauna lurking around the area then!

 

[Renault]

Of you like this kinda stuff, here are a few more items I found while looking for something else. These are quit as old as the last pic. Oldest Mebbe 1000-1100 years old up to about 500.



Dollar bill is for scale

 

[Shangas]

Does anyone actually "own" a rock? It was here before you got here, and it'll be here long after you're gone. You're just a temporary caretaker.

The best things in life,
To you were just loaned,
So how can you lose,
What you've never owned?

- Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries


Interesting conundrum, anyway.

 

[ChiTownScion]

I managed to put together a complete field amputation instrument set when I was engaged in my former hobby as a Civil War reenactor. Many of the items are period: some are faithful reproductions. As far as I can determine, the capital saw (my oldest piece) dates at least to the 1850's and thus predates the War.

As I am hitting 60 this year, portraying a 28 year old Union army surgeon went from sublime to ridiculous about a decade ago, and I knew that it was time to leave that party. I still retain my surgical instruments, however: they're great conversation pieces.

 

[Shangas]

Would it be possible to see photographs? Old surgery kits fascinate me.

 

[jhe888]

I have a couple of hydrogen atoms that were formed just a few seconds after the big bang.

In man-made objects, we have some paintings from the late 19th century.

 

[alanfgag]

I haven't carbon dated my possessions, but these beads from the Chumash people of the California Channel Islands are 500-1000 years old.