# What is the oldest artifact that has never been "lost" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 18, 2023, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-artifact-that-has-never-been-lost/985713 "2023-06-18T07:01:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-artifact-that-has-never-been-lost/985713/41 "2023-06-20T02:55:12Z")
The Ark, Owned By The Grrrrrr Family. Or, more seriously, extent cave painting, graffiti, monuments including wonders of the ancient world, old cities… if they count, which they might not. Are the Easter Island statues owned if the old owners aren’t there now and they are owned by a government? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-artifact-that-has-never-been-lost/985713/42 "2023-06-20T11:57:05Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Also, the Coronation Spoon, which dates from the 2nd half of the 12th century, was not in King John’s treasure. John’s treasure, along with most of his baggage, was lost in the Wash‡ in 1216, as he was crossing from King’s Lynn to Swineshead Abbey. > > [King John, his treasure and the Wash. – Historical Ragbag](https://historicalragbag.com/2020/06/22/king-john-his-treasure-and-the-wash/) > > . > > ‡ Including, I’m sure, many Royal Socks. As I’ve remarked many times on this board, after seeing the broadsheet “Did King John Lose His Treasure in the Wash?” in the Jackdaw on the Magna Carta, this scene popped into my head, and refuses to go away: King John trudges downstairs into the Royal Basement, =wearing his ermine-lined bathrobe and his crown. The Queen, her hair in curlers under her crown, a cigarette dangling from one lip, is weariung her own royal robe and bunny slippers as she moves laundry from the Royal Wasjhing Machine to the Royal DRyer. “Honey?” he asks “Yeah?” she says, around the cigarette “Have you seen my Treasure?” ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-artifact-that-has-never-been-lost/985713/43 "2023-06-20T12:12:49Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > The Queen, her hair in curlers under her crown, a cigarette dangling from one lip, Apparently, she was far too young to be smoking… (OK, there were no cigarettes back then, too.) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-artifact-that-has-never-been-lost/985713/44 "2023-06-20T12:59:13Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > Apparently, she was far too young to be smoking… > > (OK, there were no cigarettes back then, too.) Fortunately, they DID have Bunny Slippers. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-artifact-that-has-never-been-lost/985713/45 "2023-06-20T18:40:47Z")
Made from real bunnies. Just hollow 'em out and instant bunny slipper. I recall a great single panel cartoon that shows a far-sighted old lady without her glasses who’s grabbed her pet rabbit who’d been sleeping near her slippers. She’s got the critter in two hands and part of her foot stuffed up it’s a\*\*. The poor rabbit is bug-eyed and you know it’s gonna get worse before it gets better. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-artifact-that-has-never-been-lost/985713/46 "2023-06-20T19:31:59Z")
Like my loafers? Former gophers. It was that or skin my cat. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-artifact-that-has-never-been-lost/985713/47 "2023-06-20T20:42:27Z")
The thread has moved quickly > [@eburacum45](#): > > To my mind, the example in the OP is probably one of the most interesting. Which particular bowl are you referring to, and how do we know it has never been ‘lost’? Sorry I meant to include a [link](https://www.chinahighlights.com/beijing/article-top-treasures-in-palace-museum.htm). > **The _zun_ is a wine container** that was popular during the bronze age Shang era and the Warring States Period (475 – 221 BC). > > There are **only fifty** vessels of this kind found **in the world** , fifteen being in the [Taipei National Palace Museum](https://www.chinahighlights.com/taiwan/attraction/national-palace-museum.htm)’s collection, which was once also in the Forbidden City. > > On the inner mouth is **an inscription of nine characters** in a Shang Dynasty script, indicating that this vessel was a ceremonial object made by the Yaxu ethnic group for royal consorts and crown princes. > > This bronze vessel has a flaring square mouth and an elephant head decoration on each corner. On each side between the elephant heads is another strange animal head. The neck, body, and base are decorated with eight ridges running up the corners and faces. The body is covered with motifs of dragons and animal masks. > > - **Chinese:** 亚方尊 Yà Fāng Zūn ‘Ya (ethnicity) Square Wine-Vessel’ > - **Era:** [Shang Dynasty](https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/china-history/the-shang-dynasty.htm) (c. 1600–1046 BC) > - **Dimensions:** height: 45.5 cm, width: 38 cm, mouth: 33.6×33.4 cm, weight: 21.5 kilograms > - **Location:** Chengqian Palace Bronzeware Hall 承乾宫青铜器馆 That is pretty much all I can find out about it. I don’t know for sure that it was never lost, but the inscription says it was made for royalty, and it was housed in a place inhabited by royals so IMHO there is a pretty good chance that it was handed down as treasure rather than found buried somewhere. Also Sam’s link in post #39 says that the patina might indicate that it wasn’t buried. But again I admit I can’t know for sure. > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Around (as an artifact, rather than a hunk o’ rock) since at least 1296. But the Stone of Scone doesn’t qualify for the OP, as it was stolen and hidden by a group of young Scottish nationalist students on Christmas Day of 1950. Four months later, it was discovered sitting on the altar of Arbroath Abbey. In terms of what I had in mind when I wrote the OP this would count. Even though the thieves stole and hid it, they knew where it was, so at all times someone knew. This is different from say finding an original copy of the Declaration of Independence in the back of a painting where there was a period of time that no one knew where it was. > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I found a blogger post trying to answer the question. Here are his candidates: Thanks, I guess I wasn’t the first person to wonder this. Everything you think of there is always someone else on the internet who thought of it first. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-oldest-artifact-that-has-never-been-lost/985713.md?page=2)