Priceless Artifacts Destroyed by Human Stupidity



Uncovering History: From Schliemann’s Explosive Quest to Modern Day Destruction – Witness the race against time as ancient treasures fall victim to greed, negligence, and ignorance. Explore the shocking stories behind lost heritage.

Biographics: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClnDI2sdehVm1zm_LmUHsjQ
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Into The Shadows: https://www.youtube.com/c/IntotheShadows
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Highlight History: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnb-VTwBHEV3gtiB9di9DZQ
Business Blaze: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYY5GWf7MHFJ6DZeHreoXgw
Casual Criminalist: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCasualCriminalist
Decoding the Unknown: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdWrz8pF6B5Y_c6Zi6pmdQ

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40 thoughts on “Priceless Artifacts Destroyed by Human Stupidity”

  1. To be honest, aren't we always told to look ahead to the future than to wallow in the past? Metro station – yes please! Old musty tomb, nah unless it comes with a Lara Croft!

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  2. As a history enthusiast. As a man who loves to know and ponder the mysteries of ancient times as much as I read into recent eras scarcely a hundred years old.

    This whole episode made my soul scream with indignant rage. Just like when I heard ISIS was bombing Akkadian and Assyrian sites from some of the most ancient temples and cities in the Middle East. I mean. This was educational. But. Simon. I leave this episode deeply wounded.

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  3. Gee Simon, did you take the time to address Islam's dedication to destruction of priceless artifacts, artwork etc? The defacement of the Great Pyramids? Attacks on legendary works of art? Did you know that Islam has been doing this for over a thousand years, beginning with Mohammed himself?!

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  4. 5:54 this happens almost everywhere where 500+ stone monuments gather, and japanese people are repeat offenders despite their own historic sites being covered with signs stated everything that's forbidden to do at them (which is everything they do at other people's historical sites).

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  5. Archaeologists be like: "it must have taken hundred… no, thousands of years to carve this thing."

    Corporations be like: "Hey, look, I made a bridge. It only took me like, what? Ten seconds? Eleven tops."

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  6. Priceless is just another word for worthless, under most circumstances. Is it useful? It's worth something. Otherwise, it's probably priceless, especially to someone with more money than brains cells.

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  7. The one about Guangzhou is reflects the ancient chinese practice of not giving a single damn and just doing whatever you bloody want with blatant disregard for the people and world around you in complete ambivalence. They have 32 different ways to say "disregard", it's part of the culture

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  8. Simon, of the many many videos of your that I have watched, I don't believe I have ever been so disgusted as much as I am over this one. The unbelievable carelessness of people have destroyed not only ancient artifacts, but the incredible beauty of these items for millions of people who will view them in the future! Who wants to remember for the rest of their life "some a&$ clown destroyed this statue", rather than "WOW… what a beautiful work of art"?

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  9. Why didn’t ISIS destruction of Nimrud get mentioned and they did a lot more than that? While we’re at it the Cultural Revolution was completely ignored.

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  10. I watched so many people wanting to touch ancient artifacts. Just why? What do you gain from running hands along priceless works of art? Just why??? I felt mortified watching people do this, and then having museum people scream at them to stop. Why do this at all, please stop.

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  11. A big one that could be covered is the destruction of the Bonwit Teller Building Art Deco Friezes in New York City in 1980. An asshole real estate mogul bought the building and promised to donate the friezes on the edifice, one of the best preserved and important Art Deco pieces in the city to the Met. However, shortly after he used underpaid Polish illegal immigrants to intentionally destroy the friezes because he felt the $9000 it would've taken to take them down wasn't worth it on a $100+ million dollar construction project. It was a travesty.

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  12. I have a LOT more empathy – as re: destruction of works of antiquity – for those back in the day who simply didn’t know what they were doing/didn’t have the technology to excavate properly, etc., than those who today WILLFULLY destroy works through their narcissism, ignorance, or political/religious/climate terrorism.

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  13. Napoleon using the Great Sphinx nose for cannon target practice.
    A Turkish army using the Acropolis of Athens as an amunition store.
    The US military building a helicopter landing pad on top of the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon.

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  14. So what I learned from this is that the penalty for intentionally destroying significant historical sites is insufficient. I reccomend increasing the fine to something ridiculous like $300,000,000 that ought make people think twice about it I reckon

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