For millennia, humans have been making things, breaking things, and burying them in the ground. And over the past few centuries, archaeologists have been digging them up. Thanks to their work, we can travel the world's museums and marvel at some of the oldest objects ever found.

There's nothing quite like the feeling of a human connection across history, and there's nothing quite like being delivered the wrong grade of copper. At the British Museum you can see a 4000 year old complaint from one ancient Babylonian merchant to another.

It reads: "Tell Ea-Nasir: Nanni sends the following message: When you came, you said to me: "I will give fine quality copper ingots." You left, but you did not do what you promised me. You put ingots which were not good before my messenger…"

And in a room nearby, you can find one of the earliest mentions of beer. This clay cuneiform tablet was made around 3100–3000BCE in southern Iraq, known as Mesopotamia, and the text records how much beer was given to workers as part of their daily rations.

The oldest surviving wheel in the world is now kept in the City Museum Ljubljana, Slovenia, after being discovered in a marsh near the town of Vrhnika. We know it would have belonged to a two-wheeled cart, as it was found complete with its axle.

Çatalhöyük is believed to be one of the oldest settlements in human history. It dates to a time before civilisation as we know it: before writing, cities, or even agriculture. There were no temples or palaces. It seems the people here lived in unparalleled social equality.

This modern recreation of one of the Çatalhöyük homes shows how sparse and simple these little dwellings were. Each house had a simple oven, storage space, and bed platform made from clay, and was accessed from the roof by a ladder.

The remains of five bows dating to the Mesolithic era were discovered at Holmegårds Mose, Denmark, and are now held at the National Museum. By modern standards, the designs are simple and ineffective but unbelievably they would have been used to bring down enormous wild aurochs.

The curious stone structures of Göbekli Tepe, Turkey, have baffled archaeologists ever since they were uncovered in 1994. At the time, nobody expected to find megalithic monuments dating to a time before the existence of cities. This discovery has rewritten the history books.

The small German town of Blaubeuren is home to the oldest known human figurine. The enigmatic 'Venus of Hohle Fels' was discovered in 2008 in a cave in nearby Schelklingen, and is dated to between 28,000 and 33,000 years old.

The statue is small, only a few centimetres, and made of mammoth ivory. It depicts an exaggerated female body, with large buttocks, breasts, and prominent genitals. Similar figures are found across central Europe, and are believed to represent a shared matriarchal culture.

Even older than the Venus of Hohle Fels is this, the so-called Lion-Man of Hohlenstein-Stadel. Interestingly, this was found not far from the Venus, but dates to nearly 5000 years previously, showing that complex cultures have inhabited the area for an unimaginably long time.

At 3.3 million years old, tools unearthed at Lomekwi are the oldest stone tools ever discovered - older than humanity itself. The tools were used by an unknown and extinct, but advanced, species of hominin. They're now held at the National Museum of Nairobi.

Great art is able to convey so much more than just colour and form. It can communicate emotions and ideas, tell stories and even challenge and confuse. Not all of this is immediately evident and it can take time and effort to work out the true meaning of any work.    

For the most part, the artist wants the viewer to understand the context and meaning of any painting. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes artists include hidden messages in their work, hiding them away so that only a select few people can understand their true significance.
 
Below we look at five paintings and discover the hidden messages not everybody was supposed to see. 

Vincent Van Gogh, 1888

Painted in 1888, Van Gogh’s classic is one of his most recognizable works. The scene depicts a seemingly ordinary café on a cobbled street. A waiter stands to take an order while patrons sit around leisurely. 

However, scholars have begun to believe the painting features an homage to Leonardo da Vinci. The twelve figures at the back sit beneath what looks like a cross. It also transpires Van Gogh declared a ‘tremendous need for religion’ in a letter to his brother around this time. 

The 12 sit along one side of their tables, like Leonardo's disciples, and a shadowy figure departs the scene like Judas.

Leonardo da Vinci, 1490s

Of course, The Last Supper itself is said to contain hidden messages. As one of the most famous paintings in history, and a deeply important religious work, it's not surprising that people have often looked hard for deeper meanings.

In 2007, an Italian musician claimed to have found a selection of musical notes in the painting, hidden in bread rolls and other table features. When played they create a 40-second composition. It’s not impossible, given that Leonardo was a fine musician himself.

Frida Kahlo, 1929

Not all hidden meanings are meant to be publicly discovered. This is especially true of Kahlo’s El Autobus. What appears to be a simple depiction of Mexican society laid out on a wooden bench at a bus stop may have a more personal tone.

Four years before she painted it, Kahlo had been involved in a bus accident that left a permanent scar. The woman to the right of the picture appears to be Kahlo and the man in the blue overalls apparently bears a striking resemblance to the man who pulled an iron bar from her stomach after the accident.   

L.S. Lowry, 1926

L.S Lowry’s pictures are renowned for depicting working class life in the north west during the early to mid 20th century. His matchstick figures have entered the popular consciousness, even inspiring a song.

However, his pictures are more than just happy matchstick people going about their day. Many contain small scenes of hardship and despair. This is particularly true of 1926’s An Accident which may feature a scene inspired by a local tragedy – giving his works a much deeper social meaning. 

Michelangelo, 1477-1480

One of the great figures of the Renaissance, Michelangelo took years to create his masterpiece on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. However, there may be more on display than simply incredible beauty.

Art historians believe his work contains several hidden anatomical sketches, including an image of the human brain, disguised in the creation scene. This is believed to be a criticism of the Church’s attitudes to the science and discovery that was happening all around. 

The Colosseum, or the Amphitheatrum Flavium to any ancient Romans in the audience. This arena was built between 72-80CE, on the orders of Emperor Vespasian, to host the most important sports events of the calendar.

Emperors knew that they were safe when the Roman people had enough bread to eat and sport to watch. Amongst their favourites were gladiatorial matches, battle re-enactments, wild and exotic animal hunts, and public executions.

They say 'all roads lead to Rome', but which leads to the Colosseum? Stay on this slide, and point & click to explore the streets and find the Colosseum.

Here it is, how did we ever lose it? It might be looking a little shabby today, but that's what 2000 years of history tend to do to you. Let's take a look inside, you did bring the tickets didn't you?

Imagine stepping into this arena, 80,000 people cheering and chanting your name, underneath the floors are networks of tunnels and lifts to carry up beasts and men to the battlefield, and you await your fate.

Excuse me, did you say we're in the vomitorium? Yes! The Romans didn't actually like to throw up after meals, but they did use vomitoria. The word means 'a passageway that can be emptied quickly', like an emergency exit. So you can see where the confusion arose...