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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Artifacts

There are undoubtedly millions of ancient artifacts from the past that have served to shed light on the lives of our ancestors from many millennia ago. But some ancient mystical artifacts stand out for their uniqueness, their intrigue, or their ability to expand our knowledge about previously unknown aspects of our history. Here we feature many such ancient history artifacts, from amazing examples of ancient technology, to artistic masterpieces, unexplained objects, ancient texts, and mysterious artifacts that shed light on the daily lives of our ancestors.

The hoard of ancient weapons found near Hrubieszów, Poland. Source: B. Bartecki /©Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments

Weapons of Germanic Tribes from Roman Era Discovered in Poland

In the now serene landscapes of Hrubieszów, on the eastern border of Poland, a remarkable discovery has recently emerged, casting new light on the region's ancient history. The find of likely...
AI image of the three ships of Christopher Columbus: Santa Maria, Niña, and Pinta. Source: Charles/Adobe Stock

The History of Shipbuilding As We Know It

From the humble vessels of ancient civilizations navigating coastal waters to the majestic seafaring giants of the modern era exploring the farthest reaches of the oceans, shipbuilding has been an...
Mercury figurine was discovered in Kent, England and dates back 2,000 years. Source:  © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Excavations in Kent Reveal Mercury Figurine and Roman Settlement

Excavations at Smallhythe Place in England’s Kent have revealed both a medieval shipbuilding site and an earlier Roman settlement. The latter yielded the unexpected find of the head of a figurine...
Close up of the 4,000-year-old copper dagger found in Jarosław, Poland.	Source: Łukasz Śliwiński/PAP

4,000-year-old Copper Dagger Found in Polish Forest

By Science in Poland A copper dagger from over 4,000 years ago was found in near perfect condition in the forests of Jarosław, Poland. It is the oldest dagger made of metal ever to be discovered in...
The Braintree hoard of 122 Anglo-Saxon pennies, found in Essex, England.      Source: Noonans

Anglo-Saxon Pennies Auctioned For A Whopping $400,000

At a recent auction held at Noonans Mayfair in London, a hoard of 122 Anglo-Saxon pennies, discovered near Braintree in Essex by two metal detectorists in 2019, fetched a whopping £325,560, or just...
The ring found inn Jutland, Denmark whispers of unknown royalty from the Source: The National Museum Denmark

Gold Ring Hints At Unknown Royalty and an Alliance with the Kingdom of France

A metal detecting enthusiast has found a rare gold ring, which may reveal a new, unknown princely family in Denmark, which had close connections to the European great power of the time. The ring was...
Corn Husk Dolls. Source: Betty Sederquist/Adobe Stock

More Than Toys: The Five Oldest Dolls in History (Video)

Dolls are more than just toys, they can be artifacts of ancient civilizations, offering profound insights into the lives and beliefs of bygone eras. Among the oldest are Roman dolls , meticulously...
The ancient lipstick vial found in Iran. Left) the carved chlorite vial containing the cosmetic preparation. Right) image of mineral composition of the substance found. Source: Left: M. Vidale, Right: F. Zorzi /Nature CC BY 4.0 DEED

Ancient Red Lipstick Found in 4,000-Year-Old Vial Unearthed in Iran

Archaeologists studying a unique artifact obtained from an ancient cemetery in Iran have identified it as a small cosmetics vial made from chlorite. Most notably, inside the vial they found the...
A pit filled with heat stones from the rescue excavation in Heimberg. Source: Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern / Guy Jaquenod

Bronze Age Pits in Switzerland Reveal Secrets of Clay Production

Ahead of a new road building project in Switzerland, archaeologists excavated what they assumed was a Roman settlement. However, it was only when they discovered a series of pits filled with hearth...
Images of the exploration of the Bronze Age copper ingot shipwreck, at the Bay of Antalya. Source: Mateusz Popek/ Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

World's Oldest Copper Haulage Shipwreck Redefines ‘Wreck’

Scientists from the Center of Underwater Archaeology at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, have examined what is believed to be the world's oldest known shipwreck used for transporting...
Flint dagger found at the Bigarello Copper Age necropolis site in Lombardy, Italy	Source: YouTube Screenshot/ArchaeoReporter

Early Copper Age Tombs Unearthed From Italian City

Archaeologists in Italy are celebrating the excavation of a Copper Age burial site near the city of Mantua. Not only are the finely crafted blades and items of jewelry found there revealing ancient...
Artifacts and medallion of Emperor Caracalla found in the Roman tombs in Bulgaria. Source: Veliko Tarnovo History Museum

Rare Medallion of Emperor Caracalla Among Valuable Finds from Nova Varbovka

The Veliko Tarnovo Regional History Museum has presented to the media the valuable finds from the Roman graves discovered last December near the village of Nova Varbovka in Strazig. The rich grave...
Archaeologists discovered certain motifs in Patagonia, Argentina, dating back more than 8,000 years ago.	Source: Guadalupe Romero Villa/ Science Advances

Patagonia Rock Art Reveals Ancient Messages Transmitted Across Generations

Cave painting in the southern areas of South America may have started 8,200 years ago, several millennia earlier than previously thought. The cave art, located in Patagonia, Argentina, was thought to...
AI illustration of prehistoric tribe using their spears. Source: de Art/ Adobe Stock

Weapons of the Stone Age - How Throwing Evolved in Ancient Man (Video)

Ancient humans , in their quest for survival, honed their skills in weaponry, evolving from rudimentary tools to sophisticated arms. One pivotal development was the utilization of throwing rocks, or...
Advanced Ancient Inventions.	Source: danflcreativo/Adobe Stock, Public Domain, Public Domain, NearEMPTiness/ CC BY-SA 3.0)

6 Advanced Ancient Inventions Beyond Modern Understanding

By Tara MacIsaac , Epoch Times We’ve lost the secret to making some of history’s most useful inventions, and for all of our ingenuity and discoveries, our ancestors of thousands of years ago are...
Outside; Virgin Mary and Skull rosary bead, the star of the PAS 2022 Annual report launch. Center; Source: Portable Antiquities Scheme

UK Declared a Land Full of Hidden Treasure By British Museum

While Caroline Nunneley was exploring the Thames' shores in London, meticulously searching the mud on all fours for archaeological treasures, she encountered an unexpected find: a small, intricately...
Rongorongo Tablet D engraved with the undeciphered script.  Source: (© Museum Archives of the Congregazione dei Sacri Cuori di Gesu e Maria, 3D model Produced by ERC INSCRIBE Project, based at the University of Bologna)

Undeciphered Rongorongo Script Found on Easter Island Predates European Contact

There has long been an air of mystery and intrigue surrounding a set of wooden tablets with writing on them found on the tiny, remote South Pacific island of Rapa Nui (more commonly known as Easter...
Scene on the Gundestrup Cauldron. Source: British Museum

Does the Iconic Plate on the Gundestrup Cauldron Depict an Ancient Poem?

Amid the vivid imagery adorning the plates of the Gundestrup Cauldron lies an enigma that has captivated successive generations of scholars. The question lingers: What lies behind these scenes, so...
The project team at the start of work at the end of 2018 in the University Library's manuscript collection with (from left) Markéta Preininger, Korshi Dosoo and Edward O. D. Love. Source: Gunnar Bartsch / Universität Würzburg

Translated Egyptian Magical Texts Map Human Emotions

After five years of research two German scientists have published translations of a collection of Egyptian magical texts. Cutting through the love spells, curses and protection rituals, this work...
Excavations of a city wall belonging to the ancient city of Gan which existed near the modern-day city of Puyang in China. It was here that the bone slips were uncovered. Source: China News Service

Bone Slips Excavated in Central China Linked to Ancient Fortune-Telling

During excavations at a 2,500-year-old archaeological site in Puyang, China, a set of 10 polished and painted bone slips or sticks were unearthed, all of which were inscribed with an ancient Chinese...
The bone, black henbane seeds and tar plug used to keep it sealed. Source: BIAC Consult

For Pain or Pleasure? Poisonous Plant Henbane Used by the Romans

While digging at the site of a rural, first-century AD Roman settlement in Houten-Castellum in the Netherlands, archaeologists uncovered a most unusual artifact. Inside a hollowed-out animal bone,...
Replicas of the Treasure of Villena. Source: Public Domain

Treasure of Villena Reveals Traces of Extraterrestrial Iron!

A dazzling Bronze Age hoard, discovered 60 years ago in Spain, referred to as the Treasure of Villena, and dating back to the period between 2200 and 750 BC, has now been found to possess ‘extra-...
Left; One of the Herculaneum scrolls that are being deciphered. Right; Text from the Herculaneum scroll          Source: Vesuvius Challenge

AI Tool Deciphers Herculaneum Scroll, and It’s All About Pleasure!

A team of student researchers have combined 3D-mapping and AI to decipher a Greek scroll that was encased in ash during the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The philosophical musing reveals Greek...
Archaeologists at Déri Museum made a significant discovery: a fully intact lamellar armor was unearthed from a solitary Early Avar warrior burial, near the border of Ebes, Hungary. Source: Déri Museum/Hungarian Museums

7th Century Armored Avar Warrior Buried with Horse Uncovered in Hungary

Archaeologists from the Déri Museum have unveiled an exciting find: the burial of an Avar warrior accompanied by a fully intact ‘lamellar’ armor set within a solitary early Avar tomb. This discovery...

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