Many strange and mysterious artefacts exist in our world. Like the infamous Roman dodecahedron. Since the early 18th century, more than a hundred of these small hollow structures have been found across Europe. Cast from a copper alloy, the objects are hollow. And have been dated to imperial Rome. They differ only slightly in shape, and are unquestionably man made. The problem is, we don’t know why. Their purpose is entirely unknown, and all kinds of theories have been put forward. But the most common one is that they are ammunition for some kind of ancient mysterious weapons.
This might explain why they have been found in former territories of the Roman empire, but never in Italy itself. Perhaps it was a weapon so destructive, it was only ever used on the enemies of Rome. Or maybe they are just really badly designed shoes. But either way, this would be but one of many unexplained, mysterious weapons.
Sword of Goujian
For two and a half thousand years, this sword lay hidden inside a mysterious tomb. The tomb was in poor condition, full of water and forgotten by time. And yet, it remains razor sharp. Not a trace of rust on it. Known as the Sword of Goujian, it was discovered in 1965. When an archaeological mission uncovered a burial tomb. All were stunned when the blade was unsheathed. They could not have expected it to be so well preserved. In fact, they were expecting it to be crumbling to metallic dust. What they found though was a perfect blade. Strong, and sharp enough to cut paper.
It’s condition is so good that the Chinese characters on it’s flat were soon translated. This revealed it’s owner to be Goujian, king of the ancient Chinese Yue State. Thanks to this association, and the blade’s seemingly impossible condition, many claim the Sword of Goujian is magical. Also that whoever wields it will be victorious in battle. Maybe that’s why the Chinese government has banned it from ever being displayed outside of mainland China.
Claw of Archimedes
But not all mysterious weapons are so well preserved. Among those lost to history is the Claw of Archimedes. It’s creator and namesake was perhaps the greatest mathematician of the ancient world. Admirably, he decided to use this talent to protect his home town of Syracuse. Being a wealthy coastal city state, hostile creeps were constantly turning up in ships to attack. So our boy Archimedes did the only logical thing. He built a giant metal claw to grab onto them. The exact details of the claw’s mechanics are a mystery. But it would then either drag the ship onto the rocks, or overturn it. According to Roman accounts, the claw was still in use when they eventually attacked the city. Causing great losses.
They also mention a heat ray, where mirrors were specially calibrated to burn ships using sunlight. This one is considered less likely to have been real. But that’s never stopped me before, so let’s include it anyway. In revenge, Archimedes was killed by the Romans when Syracuse was finally taken. We can only imagine how many mysterious weapons were lost along with him.
Durendal
Since Medieval times, this sword has been said to possess supernatural power. According to legend, it was wielded by Roland, a famous knight known across Europe for his martial skill. Considering he was French, that’s quite an achievement. But even he needed some help from time to time. Sone one day, he was gifted a special sword by an angel. Harder and sharper than any other weapon on earth, it’s power comes from what it contains. A tooth from saint Peter. The blood of saint Basil. And some hair from saint Dennis. Simply put, it was a super-weapon. Like a medieval nuclear bomb. There are stories of Roland killing thousands of men with it. Holding back entire armies by himself.
Word of it spread, and soon the invading enemy grew desperate to get their hands on Durendal. With it, they could crush all resistance and conquer Europe. Capturing the sword was priority number one. Wave after wave of men were sent to their deaths in an attempt to slay Roland. Eventually he grew tired and vulnerable, making him sure he could not last much longer. So using his remaining strength, Roland launched the sword into the sky. Launched it so strong he embedded it in a cliff edge high above ground. If local legend is to be believed, that magical sword has remained here ever since. Or at least it did until June of 2024, when it was stolen. So let’s hope it’s not really magical, otherwise we might all be in trouble.
Tutankhamun’s Dagger
Less magical is Tutankhamun’s meteoric iron dagger. Until entering the iron age, humanity’s only source of iron came from meteorites. Being unlike anything else, and having fallen from the sky. They were often seen as gifts from the gods, and fashioned into weapons. Typically, only small amounts were found. Enough to make an arrow head, or a small hook. But the most famous example is a dagger found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. Overshadowed by the curse said to plague the tomb’s excavators, the meteoric dagger has always been the true mystery.
For decades it has been suspected to be of cosmic origin. This is thanks to it’s purity and total lack of rust. Nobody at the time was able to forge such a blade. Then in 2016, special x-ray testing confirmed this theory. So much remains a mystery, though. We don’t know where the meteorite landed, or when. Or what part of the galaxy it originated. We don’t know quite how people at the time felt about the blade. But I like to imagine they knew it was not of our world. Given how obsessed with astronomy the ancient Egyptians were.