# What's the Oldest Human-Made Object You Own? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 16, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472 "2015-09-16T14:32:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/21 "2015-09-16T15:59:39Z")
Mrs. Jackmannii. **OW!** ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/22 "2015-09-16T16:00:58Z")
Probably the oldest coin in the change bowl on my dresser. I feel so American right now. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/23 "2015-09-16T16:08:12Z")
I have a book; The History of Duelling, from 1770. I did own a 17th century cottage, built from the timbers of the 15th century cottage that stood in its place, but I sold it last year ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/24 "2015-09-16T16:27:02Z")
I have a spear head that was excavated on St. Paul Island in the Pribilof Island group. I have zero idea about how old it may be, as I don’t know how long the Aleuts have been frequenting the place. Several hundred to several thousand years. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/25 "2015-09-16T16:38:09Z")
I have a a Roman coin my mother brought me from Bath, England which is 1800-ish years old. Somewhere in this house is a tiny light blue faience ushabti that a friend gave me as a gift years ago. It was sold to her as being approximately 2,000 years old. That may actually be true or, perhaps more likely, it is a counterfeit that is (now) approximately 25 years old. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/26 "2015-09-16T17:04:14Z")
A wooden cane, carved into the shape of a caduceus, given to my great- (or possibly great-great-) grandfather in the 1880s. Supposedly, he declined to testify against a man accused of being a Molly Macguire (19th century coal-field labor activists), and was subsequently given the cane as a keepsake. Pretty cool story, and it doesn’t really matter if it isn’t true. ---
**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:** [September 16, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/27 "2015-09-16T17:10:40Z")
I have some shards from Roman sites in France and Italy which are probably circa 2000 years old. I have fossils that are much older, but, of course, they’re not human-made. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/28 "2015-09-16T17:36:17Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I have fossils that are much older, but, of course, they’re not human-made. Yeah, I forgot about a rock I have that I got from an archaeologist. It has the imprint of the mollusk that occupied it, and some of the nacre that was deposited. She told us the rock is from the late Cretaceous Period and about 70-72 million years old. Very cool. ---
**Author:** ![Oops\_I\_Went\_Poopies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Oops\_I\_Went\_Poopies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oops_I_Went_Poopies)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/29 "2015-09-16T17:58:10Z")
I have a shirt that’s about twenty years old. It still fits! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/30 "2015-09-16T18:05:54Z")
I’m waiting for someone to admit they have herpes. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/31 "2015-09-16T18:24:17Z")
I have a 2 volume set of _The Student’s Cyclopaedia_, by C.B. Beach, copyright 1893 that were my grandfather’s. Not in good enough condition to sell but still fun to read. Interesting historical figures I’ve never heard of. Lots of US Civil war articles about the various generals and battle sites. Roman historical and mythical figures. Shit I would probably never been exposed to otherwise. Very comprehensive for a 2 volume set. A lot of stuff that has been edited out of newer history instruction, because, hey there is a lot of history! And rather amusing descriptions of why certain things, like flying machines, will never be anything but a fantasy or a child’s toy. Grandpa and grandma were married in 1896 and this was the major source of information he had. Other than the Bible since he was an old fashioned travelling country preacher and farmer for most of his life. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/32 "2015-09-16T18:45:01Z")
This drinkware: [http://imgur.com/vBzaZUn.jpeg](http://imgur.com/vBzaZUn.jpeg) I think they’re _so_ fancy and love them. Anyone else have any of these lying around? My mom said they’re from the Great Depression. ---
**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/33 "2015-09-16T18:54:47Z")
Fossils,US Civil War era bullets, and books from the 1800s. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/34 "2015-09-16T19:42:24Z")
I have a 1799 U.S. silver dollar. And I have a set of hand-painted wooden bowls that my grandfather had brought over from Russia in 1909. They had belonged to his grandfather. And I have a Singer treadle sewing machine that my grandmother brought over at the same time. It still works! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/35 "2015-09-16T20:44:52Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Arrowheads. Ditto. No idea how old they are, could be hundreds of years, could be thousands. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/36 "2015-09-17T06:09:19Z")
> [@Nefario](#): > > Arrowheads, a tomahawk my Dad found plowing the family farm. Did it have a metal or stone head? Was it attached to the handle with leather? ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/37 "2015-09-17T06:16:12Z")
Stone tools - axe heads, grind stones, spear points etc. Could be anywhere between 5,000 to 30,000 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/38 "2015-09-17T14:46:22Z")
> [@Oops\_I\_Went\_Poopies](#): > > I have a shirt that’s about twenty years old. It still fits! I don’t know if you’re just funnin’, but here’s a true story: My middle child is 22 years old and recently had a child of her own. Of course there are many pictures of me holding my first grandchild shortly after he was born. My wife went searching through old pictures and found one of me holding my daughter shortly after she was born. I’m wearing the same shirt in both pictures. ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/39 "2015-09-17T15:09:40Z")
I have a couple of Roman coins in a drawer somewhere, so it is probably those. I used to have a small broken bronze animal statute I found whilst wild camping on a trek through Greece, it was probably a bull, but the head was missing. I had it dated when I got back to London to the middle Bronze Age around 1700 BC. Apparently I should have declared to the Greeks before I left and they would have probably taken it off me but I was only 23 at the time and not that worldly. It sat on the mantelpiece in the dining room until about ten years ago and disappeared following a party once Xmas - a presume someone stole it. I guess I cannot complain. Still ☹ ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472/40 "2015-09-17T15:17:01Z")
I’m pretty sure it’s a German Mauser .32 pistol from the 1920s, supposedly brought back by my grandfather from WWII (which is slightly weird because he served in the Philippines, not in Europe). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-human-made-object-you-own/731472.md?page=3)