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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Ancient Technology

Dating back thousands of years are numerous examples of ancient technology that leave us awe-struck at the knowledge and wisdom held by people of our past. They were the result of incredible advances in engineering and innovation as new, powerful civilizations emerged and came to dominate the ancient world. These advances stimulated societies to adopt new ways of living and governance, as well as new ways of understanding their world. However, many ancient technology mysteries were forgotten, lost to the pages of history, only to be re-invented millennia later. Here we feature ancient technology history and dozens of amazing artifacts that reflect the brilliance of ancient minds.

Burial of tall medieval man with longsword in Sweden.          Source: Kulturmiljö Halland

Huge 500-Year-Old Longsword Recovered from Medieval Grave on Swedish Coast

Researchers digging at the Lilla Torg site in the western Swedish port city of Halmstad unearthed something extraordinarily rare. While excavating a grave in a medieval era cemetery, archaeologists...
Modern-day view of Kallanai dam in India. Source: Elamaran Elaaa / Adobe Stock

2,000-year-old Kallanai Dam: Timeless Engineering Marvel of the Chola Dynasty

Sometimes, ancient marvels of architecture simply defy all forms of logic. And even after many centuries pass, and the world enters the modern age, we are amazed to see these ancient jewels still...
Representational image of ancient amazing inventions. Source: Anna / Adobe Stock

Ancient Marvels: Ten Amazing Inventions Created Before Their Time

Dating back thousands of years are numerous examples of amazing inventions and ancient technology that leave us awe-struck at the knowledge and wisdom held by people of our past. They were the result...
Lake Titicaca, Bolivia, where some of the projectiles used to date the introduction of archery in the Andes were found. Source: SL-Photography/Adobe Stock

Rise of Archery in Andes Mountains Now Dated to 5,000 Years Ago

By Greg Watry/ UC Davis When did archery arise in the Americas? And what were the effects of this technology on society? These questions have long been debated among anthropologists and...
Left, Historic illustration of a nomadic Scythian archer; Right, leather items from the study.	Source:  Left, Lunstream / Adobe Stock, Right, Luise Ørsted Brandt et al. /PLoS ONE

Study Shows Scythian Warriors Crafted Human Skin Arrow Quivers

A team of anthropologists analyzing leather samples used to craft arrow quivers from Scythian settlements across Ukraine quite expected to see cattle, horse and sheep among their results. But what...
A computer-generated image of the battle that is thought to have taken place on a remote mountainside south of Chur around 15 BC between Roman troops advancing northwards through the Alps and local Suanetes. Source: Courtesy of Leona Detig

Lost Roman Battlefield in Switzerland Discovered Through Thousands of Artifacts

In 2019, a spectacular Roman dagger was metal detected in a remote region of the Swiss Alps. Now, a team of scientists and students have mapped a 2,000-year-old Roman battlefield representing the...
Copan Maya ruins in Honduras.	Source: Rafal Cichawa/Adobe Stock

The Ancient Maya: How Did Such An Advanced Society Collapse? (Video)

In 1839, John Lloyd Stevens embarked on a challenging expedition into the dense jungles of Honduras, fueled by tales of a magnificent Maya city, Copan . The ruins he discovered presented an enigma: a...
Menga Dolmen in Malaga, Spain. Source: Tony Makepeace/CC BY 2.0

Menga Dolmen Unveiled As “The Greatest Neolithic Engineering Marvel”

A team of archaeologists has deciphered the hidden Neolithic building dynamics within Spain’s 5,700-years-old Menga dolmen . Not only were sophisticated engineering and building methodologies...
Ancient China’s historic tradition and culture in a classic wall drawing in watercolor Asian style. Source: Matrioshka/Adobe Stock

Ancient China History Unveiled: Dynasties and Inventions (Video)

Ancient China's rich history, dynasties, and innovative spirit have left an enduring impact. From the mythical creation stories to scientific evidence of Homo erectus settling two million years ago,...
Archaeologists excavating in Çorum, the capital of the ancient Hittite Empire in northern Turkey, unearthed an Iron Age saw dating back 2,250 years. Source: Anadolu Agency

Iron Age Saw Unearthed in Ancient City Hattusa Resembles Modern Tools

Hattusa, the historic city, is an ancient site that keeps on producing wonderful finds. After the piece of ivory decoration with a sphinx found last month, archaeologists conducting digs in Hattusa,...
State archaeologist Dr. Detlef Jantzen holds examines a Bronze Age sword at the presentation of the find.Source: Mecklenburg Ministry of Culture

Fearsome Swords and Fascinating Hoards Unearthed in Pomerania, Germany

In an extraordinary display of historical significance, volunteer archaeologists in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have uncovered three remarkable finds from the past, as announced by the State Office...
A volvelle from a 14th century English manuscript is on display at the J. Paul Getty Museum. 	Source: The J. Paul Getty Museum/Getty

The Volvelle: The Medieval Equivalent of a Smartphone App?

Did you know that the ancestor of smartphone apps can be traced back to the Middle Ages? The volvelle, a paper-based interactive device, had a multifaceted role during its historical use. It...
Bronze Age gouge, Must Farm. Source: AncientCraftUK / YouTube Screenshot.

The Gouge: A Versatile Ancient Tool of the Bronze Age (Video)

Must Farm (a Bronze Age settlement at Must Farm quarry near Peterborough, England) has given British archaeologists a treasure trove of ancient artifacts to explore. This time the spotlight falls on...
Divers studying various underwater discoveries.  Source: nudiblue /Adobe Stock / ShashiBellamkon/flickr / University of Athens

Ten Incredible Underwater Discoveries That Have Captured Our Imagination

Out of all the amazing archaeological discoveries made each and every day around the world, my favorites have got to be those that emerge from the depths of the ocean. I think there is something...
Prehistoric slingstones used for warfare 7200 years ago in Israel. Source: Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority

Evidence of Earliest Warfare and Organized Arming Uncovered in Modern Israel

Researchers have unearthed the earliest evidence of warfare and organized arming in the Southern Levant, dating back approximately 7,200 years. This finding, centered in what is now modern Israel,...
The Copper Axe Craft of Ancient Scotland. Source: YouTube Screenshot / AncientCraftUK.

The Copper Axe Craft of Ancient Scotland (Video)

In the captivating landscapes of Kilmartin Glen , ancient rock art reveals a fascinating chapter of human expression. Dr. James Dilley, an expert in prehistoric archaeology, unveils the mysterious...
Must Farm razor. Source: YouTube Screenshot / AncientCraftUK.

Bronze Age Razor Discovery Raises Exciting Questions (Video)

In the exploration of Must Farm's (a Bronze Age settlement at Must Farm quarry near Peterborough, England) archaeological treasures , the revelation of a Bronze Age razor unveils a surprising facet...
Queen Adelaide wax bust from 1830. Ancient wax sculpture. Funeral effigy. Source: Timothy Millett/CC BY-SA 4.0, © Trustees of the British Museum /CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, Public Domain

Eerie Ancient Wax Sculptures For Hexing Enemies and Destroying Demons

The eerie, sightless stare of wax-figure mannequins disconcerts many an onlooker, but the famous wax museums of today which host hyper-realistic looking wax models of celebrities and historical wax...
Recreation of an Egyptian war chariot from the Early New Kingdom by Angus McBride

An Ancient Egyptian Arms Race (Video)

Seqenenre Tao , a determined pharaoh of the Seventeenth Dynasty in ancient Egypt, played a pivotal role in the arms race against the Hyksos during the Second Intermediate Period. Faced with the...
Dr Omer Aksoy and Giulia Edmond measuring the prehistoric hand axes. Source: The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)

Massive 200,000-Year-Old Hand Axes Rewrite Saudi Arabia History

Archaeologists digging at the Qurh site in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla Governorate uncovered a set of enormous stone hand axes that were made by ancient humans living in the region 200,000 years ago,...
Ancient Greek archer. Source: Stanislav / Adobe Stock.

Could an Ancient Greek Bow Outperform a Modern One? (Video)

In a recent experiment two historians, Theodore, and Christos, decided to find out which is better an ancient Greek bow or its modern equivalent. Theodore wielded a replica of the legendary bow of...
Roman manubalista. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Smithsonian Channel.

The Manubalista Was Rome’s Secret Weapon in Ancient Britain (Video)

The Manubalista , a formidable weapon from ancient Rome, played a crucial role in the Roman conquest of Britain . In the skilled hands of Roman soldiers, this weapon proved to be a deadly asset. It...
Interior of Nilometer in Cairo. Source: rninov / Adobe Stock.

Muslims Used the Nilometer to Tax the Ancient Egyptians (Video)

In 639, Arab Muslim forces arrived in Egypt, swiftly gaining control of the Nile and, within two years, the capital, Alexandria. Egypt fell entirely under their dominion. Notably, the first structure...
The Garisenda Tower and Asinelli Tower in Bologna, Italy. Source: Aliaksei/Adobe Stock

The Iconic Garisenda Tower of Bologna Has Leaned Too Much!

A leaning tower in Italy is at it again, and no, it’s not in Pisa! Rather, it is the Garisenda Tower in Bologna, and officials have now closed it off, along with the central square adjacent to it,...

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