The age of exploration inspired many mariners to search for the Northwest Passage, which was believed to be a viable shipping route from the west to Asia. It would take more than 300 years and many mistaken Asian landfalls, mutinies, and the lives of sailors before the route was successfully traversed.

After the ancient Sumerians likely started the Bronze Age by becoming the first humans to smelt tin with copper, the metallurgical process spread across early civilizations, helping to move early man toward centralized rule, writing, animal husbandry and agriculture.

According to the Hebrew Bible, the Ark of the Covenant was constructed of gold and wood by Moses and the Israelites after they fled Egypt. The location of the Ark is unknown today, despite many theories of its location, making the Ark of the Covenant one of the most important missing artifacts in Judeo-Christian history.

Stonehenge is located on the Salisbury Plain of southern England and was started more than 5,000 years ago using primitive tools and unknown methods for moving and erecting multi-ton, non-native stones.

The Neolithic Revolution is considered the last period of the New Stone Age and a critical turning point in humanity, witnessing the staggered birth of agriculture and animal husbandry, while converting nomadic hunter-gatherers into sedentary villagers.

The history of ketchup dates back to a fermented fish sauce in 300 B.C.E. China, becoming popular due to its long shelf life. Tomato-based ketchup debuted in 1812 and later grown into a billion-dollar business by Heinz.

Despite the Silk Road’s obvious link to the trade of Chinese silks, the term “Silk Road” wasn’t coined until 1877. From commodities like vegetables and leather to intangibles like language, culture and philosophy, the Silk Routes were operational from 130 BCE to 1453 when trade with China was banned by the Ottoman Empire.