As of 2026-10-12, Cave of Altamira tops the list with 13,001 BC.
- #1 Cave of Altamira — 13,001 BC
cave with prehistoric paintings in Spain
The Cave of Altamira is a cave complex, located near the historic town of Santillana del Mar in Cantabria, Spain. It is renowned for prehistoric cave art featuring charcoal drawings and polychrome paintings of contemporary local fauna and human hands. The earliest paintings were applied during the Upper Paleolithic, around 36,000 years ago. The site was discovered in 1868 by Modesto Cubillas and subsequently studied by Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #2 Al-Masala Obelisk — 1,971 BC
Obelisk in honor of Senusret I in Heliópolis
source Wikidata - #3 Flaminio Obelisk — 1,401 BC
obelisk in Rome
The Flaminio Obelisk is one of the thirteen ancient obelisks in Rome, Italy, and probably either the most ancient, or second most ancient. It is located in the Flaminio quarter on Piazza del Popolo, and named not just for the quarter, but the Flaminian Way, which began near by. Initially it stood at the Temple of Re, in Heliopolis, before being moved to Rome after Caesar Augustus' conquest of Egypt, and previously stood in the Circus Maximus with another ancient Egyptian obelisk, the Campense... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #4 Karabel relief — 1,301 BC
bronze Age rock relief near modern Izmir, Turkey
The Hittite / Luwian Karabel relief is a rock relief in the pass of the same name, between Torbalı and Kemalpaşa, about 20 km from İzmir in Turkey. Rock reliefs are a prominent aspect of Hittite art. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #5 Karasu relief — 1,051 BC
monument, relief in Araban District
The Karasu relief, also known as the Süpürgüç relief after the earlier name of the nearby town of Akbudak, is a rock relief located on a tributary of the Euphrates and derives from the Neo-Hittite period. It depicts a protective god standing on a deer. Rock reliefs are a prominent aspect of Hittite art. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #6 Kirkuk Citadel — 801 BC
castle in Kirkuk, Iraq
The Kirkuk Citadel is a citadel and associated structures located in the center of Kirkuk, Iraq, and is considered to be the oldest part of the city. The citadel stands on a 40-metre-high (130 ft) tell, located on a plateau across the Khasa River. Although most of the citadel was demolished, parts of it, including mosques, tombs, and houses, still remain intact. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #7 Nike of Callimachus — 490 BC
ancient sculpture from the Acropolis of Athens
The Nike of Callimachus also known as The Dedication of Callimachus, is a statue that the Athenians created in honour of Callimachus. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #8 Strategheion, Cyrene — 401 BC
celebratory monument/triumphal arch; Temple/altar/polytheist building(s) in Libya
source Wikidata - #9 Lion of Amphipolis — 401 BC
4th-century BC tomb sculpture in Amphipolis, Macedonia, northern Greece
The Lion of Amphipolis is a 4th-century BC tomb sculpture near Amphipolis, Macedonia, northern Greece. According to Oscar Broneer and archaeologist Dimitris Lazaridis, the first person excavating in the area in the 1960s, it was set up in honour of Laomedon of Mytilene, an important general of Alexander the Great, king of Macedon. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #10 Philippeion — 338 BC
circular monument at Ancient Olympia, Greece
The Philippeion in the Altis of Olympia was a tholos made of in limestone and marble. Originally, it contained chryselephantine statues of the family of Philip II, including himself, his son Alexander the Great, one of his wives Olympias, his father Amyntas III, and his mother Eurydice I. It was made by the Athenian sculptor Leochares as a memorial celebrating Philip's victory at the battle of Chaeronea. It was the only structure inside the Altis dedicated to human beings rather than gods. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata