History Main / AncientArtifact

* ''Film/TheEvilDead'': The Necronomicon is noted to be the oldest written document known to man.

* ''VideoGame/TombRaider'': Lara Croft's enthusiasm for dungeon delving often brings her in contact with mystical artifacts, many of them [[PublicDomainArtifact commonly sought relics]], usually leading to her having to keep them away from bad guys.

* ''Manga/DeathNote'': The eponymous notebook is a book used by shinigami to kill mortals and claim their life force for their own. It is possible for humans to use these notebooks to kill humans (and Ryuk [[ItAmusedMe helpfully]] includes a brief list of rules for their use), but doing so to trivially kill people seems to inevitably erode one's sanity and morality, and any mortal who uses a Death Note to kill someone will eventually be killed in turn by the notebook's original owner by writing that mortal's name.

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* ''Manga/DeathNote'': The eponymous notebook is a book used by shinigami to kill mortals and claim their life force for their own. It is possible for humans to use these notebooks to kill humans (and each one helpfully offers a list of rules for their use), but doing so to trivially kill people seems to inevitably erode one's sanity and morality, and any mortal who uses a Death Note to kill someone will eventually be killed in turn by the notebook's original owner by writing that mortal's name.

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** Two classic artifacts are the Hand and Eye of Vecna, which are literally the mummified hand and eye of the lich god Vecna. It offers the user access to heightened magical senses and spells, but tends to drive them crazy or evil and leaves them open to possession by Vecna himself.

* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreed'': The Pieces of Eden at the heart of the Assassin/Templar conflict are, collectively, ancient Precursor technology that can control people. The Templars want to control them to get rid of that [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill minor problem of free will]].

** Two classic artifacts are the Hand and Eye of Vecna, which is literally the mummified eye of the lich god Vecna. It offers the user access to heightened magical senses and spells, but tends to drive them crazy or evil and leaves them open to possession by Vecna himself.

* ''Film/DoctorStrange2016''': Doctor Strange's Cloak of Levitation is an ancient relic that offers its wearer the ability to fly and is also independently intelligent enough to be considered more of a partner than a garment or magical tool.

* ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}'': All relics are based on ancient super technology from various points in human history --therefore becoming part of several culture's mythologies--, allowing a team of [[MagicalGirlWarrior magical girls]] to fight otherwise intangible enemies called the Noise.

* ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}'': all relics are based on ancient super technology from various points in human history, allowing a team of [[MagicalGirlWarrior magical girls]] to fight otherwise intangible enemies called the Noise.

** To defeat Valtor, the Winx seek the Water Stars, which contain the Dragon's Flame opposite magic and the only substance in the universe able to actually extinguish it. At some point during the early years of the Magix Dimension, the Dragon's Flame and some sort of ancient water magic constantly clashed against each other, unleashing all sorts of destruction in the universe. A group of magical beings then decides to enclose the water magic in a series of containers, the Water Stars, and send them to a timeless dimension: the Golden Realm. The Winx earn them by passing a test of character from the Council of the Elders. Unfortunately for Bloom, the only thing able to activate the Water Stars is the Dragon's Flame, which means she will be affected by their power too.

** ''Recap/WinxClub3DMagicalAdventure'': The Ancestral Witches give the Ancient Hourglass to the traitorous King Erendor so he can't protect his planet from the destructive magic waves the witches plan on unleashing on the neighbor planet Domino. The Hourglass contains a sprout of positive magic from the Tree of Life. It's implicit that the Ancestresses crafted it with this express purpose in mind.
** In season four, there are two opposite artifacts: the White Circle, created by Earth's fairies as a key to their secluded [[NarniaTime realm of Tir Nan Og]], and the Black Circle, created by the hunter wizards during the Great Fairy Hunt. The former enhances a fairy's magical capabilities and serves as a communication device. Meanwhile, the latter cuts a fairy's wings to absorb her powers.

* ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub:

** The Ring of Solaria is a royal heirloom so old that nobody remembers when it was forged. To make it, ancient Solarians carved a stone from the Spring of Light, a magical fountain originated from the Dragon's Flame. It's been passed down for generations and it's the birth right of Solaria's princess of the sun and the moon.
** {{Implied}} with the Trix's Vacuums (or Whisperian Crystals) as their primary function is to identify magic traces and levels to help in the search for the Dragon's Flame. Since the Trix share the same goal as their ancestresses the Ancient Witches (who have existed since near the beginning of the universe), it's very likely they inherited the Vacuums from them.

* The eponymous notebook in ''Manga/DeathNote'' is a book used by shinigami to kill mortals and claim their life force for their own. It is possible for humans to use these notebooks to kill humans (and each one helpfully offers a list of rules for their use), but doing so to trivially kill people seems to inevitably erode one's sanity and morality, and any mortal who uses a Death Note to kill someone will eventually be killed in turn by the notebook's original owner by writing that mortal's name is said note.
* In ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}'', all relics are based on ancient supertechnology from various points in human history, allowing a team of [[MagicalGirlWarrior magical girls]] to fight otherwise intangible enemies called the Noise.
* ''Franchise/YuGiOh'' has the Millennium items, seven items created in AncientEgypt to protect the kingdom from its enemies and to grant its users access to magic for use in the Shadow Games.

* The Orb of Ra is an artifact made from a radioactive meteorite that turned AdventurerArchaeologist Rex Mason into ComicBook/{{Metamorpho}} the Element Man. [[BlessedWithSuck He's not too happy with the Aesthetic side effects.]]

* The movie ''Film/{{Amazons}}'' focuses on the quest for the Sword of Azundati, in order to slay an evil king that has made a DealWithTheDevil.
* ''Film/TheDemonChild'' features a sword used by a prehistoric race of giants, which the protagonists use to fight the titular baby demon.
* ''Film/DemonKnight'' (unrelated to the above) centers around an artifact called the Key which, if filled with blood (originally Jesus' own blood) can harm or kill demons, but if emptied of blood can be used to destroy the world.
* [[Film/DoctorStrange2016 Doctor Strange]]'s Cloak of Levitation is an ancient relic that offers its wearer the ability to fly, and is also independently intelligent enough to be considered more of a partner than a garment or magical tool.
* The Necronomicon from ''Film/TheEvilDead'' is indicated to be the oldest written document known to man.
* ''Film/IndianaJones'' spends most of his time not teaching (translation: most of his time) in pursuit of these artifacts, mainly to keep them out of the possession of the bad guys. Across four movies, he has sought out:

* The titular item in ''Film/TheMask'' is an ancient Norse artifact that, when put on, grants the wearer cartoon-like abilities. In the film and animated continuity, Stanley Ipkiss becomes a living Creator/TexAvery cartoon, with all the physics-bending craziness that goes with it, while in the comics continuity, it also made his alter ego psychopathically violent.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': The Deathly Hallows are a group of extremely powerful artifacts even by Wizardly standards, supposedly created by Death itself; owning all three was supposed to make the wielder the Master of Death.

* The ''Franchise/{{Arrowverse}}'':

** The Totems of Zambesi are a group of six artifacts created by the gods to help the six tribes of the village of the same name defeat a demon called Mallus; individually, they also offer the user control over different elements and related abilities.
* ''Series/TheSandman2022'' offers both major and minor artifacts:

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has boasted a number of both major and minor artifacts over the course of its history, with a number of traits in common. First, they are rare and uniquely powerful. Second, they cannot be created or destroyed by normal means. Third, most (major) artifacts are unique.

* In ''TabletopGame/HunterTheReckoning'', the mythical "Lamp of Constantine" is an ancient relic dating back to the 300s A.D., whose light is rumored to cure the Curse of Caine (vampirism).

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' offers us the Eye of Magnus (which does double-time as an ArtifactOfDoom), a relic associated with the architect of the mortal plane. Unfortunately, nobody is sure what it does, but it contains enough raw power to potentially destroy the world, and indirectly doomed the ancient Falmer civilization.
* Like her SpearCounterpart Indiana Jones, [[VideoGame/TombRaider Lara Croft's]] enthusiasm for dungeon delving often brings her in contact with mystical artifacts, many of them [[PublicDomainArtifact commonly sought relics]], usually leading to her having to keep them away from bad guys.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats1985'': The Sword of Omens is the legendary sword of the [=ThunderCats=], wielded by their Lord [[OnlyTheChosenMayWield after proving himself worthy]]. In addition to changing size and being nigh-invulnerable, it offers the wielder NewPowersAsThePlotDemands thanks to the Eye of Thundera, which provides power not only to the sword but also to the [=ThunderCats=] in general. Depending on the continuity, it cannot be used or even touched by those of evil intent.

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!! Examples
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[[AC: Films - Live-Action]]

[[AC:Live-Action Television]]

* The eponymous notebook in ''Manga/DeathNote'' is a took used by shinigami to kill mortals and claim their life force for their own. It is possible for humans to use these notebooks to kill humans (and each one helpfully offers a list of rules for their use), but doing so to trivially kill people seems to inevitably erode one's sanity and morality, and any mortal who uses a Death Note to kill someone will eventually be killed in turn by the notebook's original owner by writing that mortal's name is said note.

* Like her SpearCounterpart Indiana Jones, [[VideoGame/TombRaider Lara Croft's]] enthusiasm for dungeon delving often brings her in contact with mystical artifacts, many of them [[commonly sought relics PublicDomainArtifact]], usually leading to her having to keep them away from bad guys.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has boasted a number of both major and minor artifacts over the course of its history, with a number of traits in common. First, they are rare and uniquely powerful. Second, they cannot be created or destroyed by normal means. Third, most artifacts are unique.

* Like her SpearCounterpart Indiana Jones, [[VideoGame/TombRaider Lara Croft's]] enthusiasm for dungeon delving often brings her in contact with mystical artifacts, usually leading to her having to keep them away from bad guys.

** A classic artifact in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' is the Eye of Vecna, which is literally the mummified eye of the lich god Vecna. It offers the user access to heightened magical senses and spells, but tends to drive them crazy or evil and leaves them open to possession by Vecna himself.