this post was submitted on 26 Dec 2025
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HistoryArtifacts

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Just a community for everyone to share artifacts, reconstructions, or replicas for the historically-inclined to admire!

Generally, an artifact should be 100+ years old, but this is a flexible requirement if you find something rare and suitably linked to an era of history, not a strict rule. Anything over 100 is fair game regardless of rarity.

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This oak door belonging to Westminster Abbey, London; England. It is the oldest and only Anglo-Saxon door in Great Britain. The door has been standing for over 950 years, dating back to the reign of Edward the Confessor during the 1050s CE.

The door was made from a single oak tree from eastern England in medieval times. The oak piece has 5 main boards, connected by iron strips and wooden beams, and is approximately 2m high.

https://bsky.app/profile/archaeohistories.bsky.social/post/3mauxmgyq2s2g

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[–] Ininewcrow@piefed.ca 23 points 4 months ago (4 children)

The carpenter who made this a thousand years ago probably complained that some part of the door didn't line up properly and that if they had more time, they could have done a better job.

[–] negativenull@piefed.world 6 points 4 months ago (3 children)

There is a striking air gap at the top. That poor carpenter died knowing he did a shitty job (that we are now admiring)

[–] scrion@lemmy.world 16 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The gap is not original, the planks were cut down and were most likely rounded at the top.

https://www.westminster-abbey.org/history/explore-our-history/britains-oldest-door

[–] negativenull@piefed.world 4 points 4 months ago

That's a great link with fascinating details!!

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