All  

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

Asia

Ancient places can be found all over Asia. Their fascinating histories and impressive artifacts open intriguing glimpses to times past, and open up a window on Asian history. Visiting such historical places in Asia can be an unforgettable experience.

Science is constantly discovering new archaeological places and uncovering more evidence into what we once thought we knew about our history, therefore offering new pieces to the ever changing puzzle of humanity’s past and altering how we interpret it. This section will present the most interesting archaeological sites all over Asia, as well as new discoveries of ancient places that are worth paying a visit.

Trialeti Gold Goblet from ancient Georgia, 1700 – 1500 BC, when gold was still in fashion in every way.		Source: Steve Batiuk / ASOR Photo Collection

Caucasus Societies Developed an Aversion to Gold “Bling,” Says Study

New research has shown puzzling evidence of gold going out of fashion for hundreds of years in ancient societies, societies which been at the forefront of technological innovation in gold mining and...
The British Museum’s long misunderstood 3500-year-old Babylonian tablet reveals a male ghost image on the left led by a woman on the right.	Source: The British Museum

3500-year-old Babylonian Ghost Image Discovered in British Museum Vaults!

What is believed to be the world’s oldest depiction of a ghost has recently been found on a Babylonian tablet, neglected in the vaults of the British Museum in London since its acquisition in the...
Prehistoric wooden constructions from the Qujialing culture found at China’s Jijiaocheng Site in Hunan Province. Source: ChinaNews.com

Neolithic Qujialing Culture Wooden Structures Uncovered in China

Qujialing culture (3400–2600 BC) wooden structures dating back some 4800 years have recently been excavated at the prehistoric Jijiaocheng Site in Changde City in China’s Hunan Province. Some of...
A bronze statue of Lama, Lamma, or Lamassu, an Assyrian protective deity that became one of the Urartian gods.	Source: EvgenyGenkin / CC BY-SA 4.0

Who Were The Enigmatic Urartian Gods?

One of the more enigmatic entities of ancient history, Urartu rose to power in the 9th century BC, spreading its influence around illustrious Van Lake in present-day Turkey. From the start, Urartu...
The Graeco-Bactrian Kingdom forged its own Greek identity, far from Greece. Source: Ksenia Tassel / Adobe Stock.

The Graeco-Bactrian Kingdom: Alexander The Great’s Easternmost Legacy

Alexander the Great was one of the finest and most successful military leaders the world has ever seen. In the 4th century BC he carved out one of the largest empires in history, stretching from...
The ruins of Yamchun Fortress near Pamir, on the border of Afghanistan, where one can still see remains of the ancient classical culture of Bactria. 	Source: Jonny / Adobe Stock

Bactria - The Bountiful, Sought-after Region of Ancient History

Bactria was one of the more important historic regions of the ancient and classical world. A central point of more than one defining political event, Bactria experienced thousands of years of...
Looking up inside a Yakhchal

Ancient Advanced Technology: 2,400-Year-Old Yakhchals Kept Ice in the Desert

The ancients were cleverer than some people today assume. They didn’t have rockets or electricity, at least no indisputable proof has been found of such technologies, but they did come up with...
The Kesaria stupa in India. Source: charnsitr / Adobe Stock

Kesaria Stupa: Ancient Site Commemorating the Alms Bowl of the Buddha

Just 68 miles (110 km) from Patna, in India’s eastern Bihar province, the Kesaria stupa lies in the landscape partially hidden amongst vegetation. The original Kesaria stupa is believed to date back...
Is there Truth to the Bedouin Legend of the Great River in the Desert?

Is there Truth to the Bedouin Legend of the Great River in the Desert?

The Bedouin of the southern Arabian desert have a legend about a great river in the west, and an eighth century Arabic poem talks of wild cows living in the Empty Quarter. Can it be true? The Empty...
Two entrances to the Barabar Caves: Sudama Cave (small entrance, left side), and Lomas Rishi Cave on Barabar Hill.   Source: Klaus-Norbert / CC BY 3.0

The Architecture and Spiritual History of India’s Famous Barabar Caves

The Barabar Caves are a group of rock-cut caves located in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. The Barabar Caves contain a total of seven caves, the oldest of which date to the Mauryan period. The...
Church ruins at the “Ghost City” of Ani

Ani: The Ghost City of 1001 Churches

First mentioned in the 5th century by Armenian chroniclers, the “Ghost City” of Ani was described as a strong fortress on a hilltop that was a possession of the Armenian Kamsarakan dynasty. From this...
Leshan Giant Buddha is the world's largest stone-carved Buddha

The Leshan Giant Buddha: Largest Stone Buddha in the World

Not far from the city of Chengdu in Sichuan Province, China, sits the Leshan Giant Buddha statue. Carved into the side of Mt. Lingyun, the colossal statue is over 1,300-years-old and is considered to...
Ancient Stargate: Can Sakwala Chakraya Unlock Interstellar Travel?

Ancient Stargate: Can Sakwala Chakraya Unlock Interstellar Travel?

Located in the city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, the so-called “Stargate of Sri Lanka” is a mysterious place with much that is yet to be unveiled. There are many stories about UFOs and other strange...
Plain of Jars

The Plain of Jars: A Megalithic Archaeological Mystery in Laos

The Plain of Jars on the Xieng Khouang plain of Laos is one of the most enigmatic archaeological points of interest on Earth. The unusual scattering of thousands of megalithic jars across nearly one...
Rav ki vav stepwell, India

The Forgotten Stepwells: Masterpieces from India’s Past

Stepwells are magnificent architectural structures found in India that tapped into underground water tables, providing a year-round water supply. Thousands of the engineering masterpieces are dotted...
The Goryeo Dynasty: Buddhist Unifier of the Korean Peninsula

The Goryeo Dynasty: Buddhist Unifier of the Korean Peninsula

The Goryeo dynasty was a Korean dynasty that existed between the 10 th and 14 th centuries. The Goryeo dynasty was established following the unification of Korea’s Later Three Kingdoms and ended when...
Ruins of Shahr-i Sokhta, the “Burnt City,” in Iran.

Shahr-i Sokhta, Mysteries of the Burnt City of Iran

Located near Zabol in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, the ancient site of Shahr-i Sokhta (“Burnt City”) is one of the largest and richest Bronze Age sites in Iran and the Middle East...
Top left: Cuzco, Peru. Top right: Western Italy. Bottom left: Alaca Hoyuk, Turkey. Bottom right: Casing stones on pyramid on Giza plateau.

Did Megalithic Sites in Turkey and Peru Share the Same Architects?

6,500 years before Stonehenge and 7,000 years before the pyramids were constructed, a cult megalithic complex sat atop the hills near current day Sanliurfa, in southeast Turkey. Göbekli Tepe was...
The Afaq Khoja Mausoleum And The Legacy Of A Great Uyghur Leader

The Afaq Khoja Mausoleum And The Legacy Of A Great Uyghur Leader

The Afaq Khoja Mausoleum is a tomb complex located in Xinjiang, an autonomous region in northwestern China. For the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs (or Uighurs ) who inhabit the region, this mausoleum...
One of the Junapani stone circles in Maharashtra, India, which are now increasingly viewed as astronomically aligned burial sites.                   Source: Ganesh Dhamodkar, CC BY-SA 3.0

Junapani Stone Circles: India’s Astronomical Megalithic Tombs

India has a rich historical and archaeological record. Something that may be less known about the Indian subcontinent is its many megalithic sites. Many of these sites are found across India. The...
Magadha: Mighty Kingdom that Spawned Two of India’s Most Powerful Empires

Magadha: Mighty Kingdom that Spawned Two of India’s Most Powerful Empires

Magadha was one of the 16 Mahajanapadas, or ‘Great Kingdoms’ that existed in ancient India. This ancient kingdom was centered around southern Bihar, in the northeastern part of India. Much of the...
The History of the Tibetan Empire and Its Dazzling Rise to Prominence

The History of the Tibetan Empire and Its Dazzling Rise to Prominence

One of the overlooked regions in modern historiography is ancient Tibet, an area of great historical importance with a very rich and diverse heritage. Today, the historical area of Tibet is divided...
The Heian Era: Golden Age of Japan’s Imperial Court

The Heian Era: Golden Age of Japan’s Imperial Court

The Heian period, which lasted from the 8 th to the 12 th centuries AD, is considered to be the last division of Japan’s classical era. This period began with the establishment of a new imperial...
The Nara Period: Japan’s First Permanent Capital

The Nara Period: Japan’s First Permanent Capital

The Nara period lasted from 710 to 784/94 AD. This period in Japanese history is named after the seat of imperial government in the ancient city of Nara. This was the country’s first permanent...

Pages