15 Things From the Past That Made Us Go, “What on Earth Is This?”

Old things can often look both primitive and genius at the same time. Without the technology of today, people used to make things that we don’t even understand how to use now. Some users found these things and shared their pictures online.

We at Bright Side had absolutely no idea what these things were before more knowledgeable people explained what they were in the comments. And in the bonus, you will see a demonstration of what time can do.

“Picked this up at a local antique shop. The left side is copper-lined, the right side is not, and the center divider is concave.”

“It looks something like an old ‘smokers table.’ The copper could be an ashtray and the curved area could be for bottles as well.” © JasnahKolin / reddit

“What kind of pie was this aluminum pan used for? It was found in a house built in 1910 in rural Utah.”

“It’s a nut dish used for cracking open nuts. It’s missing a matching hammer.” © darkcactusflowers / reddit

“My friend got this from a pawn shop. They have no clue what it is. Any help? The middle is rough yarn, similar to the kind on cat scratchers.”

“[It’s a] rolling pin footrest.” © jackrats / reddit

“Ok, I know it’s a chair, but what’s with the extended arms?”

“It looks like a plantation/planters chair. You’d put your sore swollen legs up on the arms after sitting on a horse all day.” © Chester*** / reddit

“Found this hidden in the ceiling of my basement with a bunch of others.”

It’s a magic lantern glass slide. © -_-BaDgEr-_- / reddit

“Lethal, metal, ornamental comb-type thing bought in a market many years ago. I’ve never found out what it is, so any help would be appreciated!”

It’s called a miao comb that most likely originated in Indonesia or China. It’s meant to be worn in a horizontal fashion. © Pewper / reddit

“My mother-in-law has had this thing for years and no one in the family can figure out what it is.”

It’s an old beekeeping tool. It’s for removing honey from honeycombs. © Janedough02 / reddit

“1 through 300 metal tags found in an old box. The copper wires are there just to hold the whole stack together.”

“They look like locker numbers.” © phraca / reddit

“This house on my running route is partially sunken into the ground.”

“Just a guess, but maybe it was built during the ’70s energy crisis. A home near where I grew up was built with a berm around most of it to save on heating and cooling.” © Imnotarobot12764 / reddit

“Found this washed up on a beach in Massachusetts. It’s wooden and looks handcrafted.”

“Wow! It looks like a Davis Quadrant or a Backstaff, a navigational instrument that was the predecessor to the sextant.” © hopscentric/ reddit

“My mom bought this from a pawn shop thinking it looked cool and hung it on the wall, but she doesn’t know what it is.”

“It’s a horse racing game!! Played with a deck of cards and dice. All based on dice roll probability.” © Coldside_bestside / reddit

“Found it in a river, have no clue what it is.”

“Black powder flask/horn.” © shockzone / reddit

“Strange clogs with a hoop. Can’t imagine how they could be properly worn.”

“It looks like a wine bottle holder.” © tijntjeb / reddit

“What are these wooden structures I stumbled upon in a state forest?”

“It’s a blast wall. They’re generally full of large rocks and packed dirt.” © Wanderer_67 / reddit

“A silver utensil. When you press the button on one end the grips open.”

“It’s a sugar cube holder. For tea parties with scones. Or coffee and cake.” © cheesysnipsnap / reddit

Bonus: The stone on this Italian castle is completely worn down by 700 years of rainfall dripping off the roof onto the exact same spot.

Do you have any ancient things that you don’t know the purpose of? Share your photos in the comments and we’ll try to figure it out together!