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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Brihadeeswarar Temple. Source: krishna / Adobe Stock.

India’s Mysterious Brihadeeswarar Temple Doesn’t Cast a Shadow

India's history boasts numerous architectural masterpieces. Among them is the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Tamil Nadu, known for a very unique feature : its shadow seems to completely vanish at noon! An...
Acanthus leaves on Corinthian columns. Source: Aslan / Adobe Stock.

Acanthus: Why Old Buildings Use the Same Leaf Design (Video)

The leaf design found on old buildings, especially Corinthian columns , holds a fascinating secret. These leaves, known as acanthus leaves, are woven into the architecture, symbolizing the endurance...
Analysis of Roman house design in virtual reality, with eye-catching areas highlighted. Source: Campanaro & Landeschi / Antiquity Publications Ltd

VR Explores Pompeii to Understand the Tricks of Roman House Design

Ancient Roman houses—at least those of the wealthy—were built not just for comfort but also to impress. Many design elements and “tricks” were employed to enhance or hide specific parts of the house...
Mythological Bridge of Scylla & Charybdis Would Unite Italy with Sicily

Mythological Bridge of Scylla & Charybdis Would Unite Italy with Sicily

Desperate to jump-start a stalled economy, in 2020 Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte revived a long-dormant infrastructure project. If approved, it would lead to the construction of the longest...
Ancient Muslim man

Ismail al-Jazari: Medieval Muslim Inventor and "Father of Robotics"

The medieval period saw the rise of many new inventions all around the world. Emerging out of the so-called Dark Ages, many prominent scholars and learned minds came up with new inventions to make...
A Buddhist monk creating a mandala

Intricacy and Reflection: Transforming Mandalas from Sacred Designs to Art Therapy

Although the word ‘Mandala’ simply means “circle” or “discoid object” in Sanskrit, the significance is far more complex. Traditionally, mandalas represented the intricacy of the universe and served...
Göbekli Tepe’s construction secrets may be tied to the stars. (Deriv.) Source: Brian Weed /Adobe Stock

Scrutiny of Göbekli Tepe’s Construction Reveals Celestial Secrets

Recently, it was announced that two Israeli archaeologists have detected what they consider to be an underlying geometry included in Göbekli Tepe’s construction. Gil Haklay and Avi Gopher, from Tel...
Koh Ker, Cambodia. Source: karinkamon /Adobe Stock

Back to Angkor: Researchers Unlock Why Khmer Kings Left Koh Ker

The largest water management feature in Khmer history was built in the 10th century as part of a short-lived ancient capital in northern Cambodia to store water, but the system failed in its first...
The Pictish stone was reused as a horizonal grave slab in the 1790s - hence the inscription in the corner. Source: NOSAS

‘Once-in-a-Lifetime’ Pictish Stone Discovered In Scotland

The rare discovery of a Pictish symbol stone has been uncovered deep in the Scottish Highlands, and it is truly marvelous. 1,200 years old and originally standing more than two meters (6.56 ft.) high...
The Egtved girl. Source: Robert Fortuna/National Museum of Denmark

Egtved Girl Origins Keep Getting More Complicated

The Egtved girl’s remains were found in an oak coffin in a peat bog at a Bronze Age archaeological site near Egtved, Denmark in 1921. Her remains have been dated to 1370 BC, but the story of where...
The Abora IV, based on the ancient Egyptian reed boat

Golden Varna Plate Linked To Daring Sea Voyage Between Black Sea and Egypt 7,000 Years Ago

There’s an odd-looking design on an ancient ceramic vessel that was found in Varna, Bulgaria that one expert believes is linked to another kind of vessel – a woven, seafaring kind. Many years ago,...
Teotihuacan, Mexico.

A Unique Mesoamerican City: How the Urban Design of Teotihuacan was Lost and Found

Name one civilization located in the Americas that pre-dates the arrival of Europeans. You probably replied with the Aztecs, the Inca or perhaps the Maya. A new paper, published in De Gruyter's open...
Tree of Life

Oldest Examples of ‘Tree of Life’ Designs Discovered in Domuztepe Mound, Turkey

Archaeologists have unearthed vessels portraying “tree of life” motifs during excavation works in the Domuztepe Mound in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş, which is considered to be the biggest...
Two views of the Parade Armor of Henry II of France.

Renaissance Aesthetics at its Finest: The Exquisite Parade Armor of Henry II of France

The crowded, dusty square was full of excitement. Even the heat and the cramped space served as no deterrent to the people who continued trying to push their way into the already full meeting place...
Secrets of the Four Gold Rings from the Tomb of the Griffin Warrior Revealed

Secrets of the Four Gold Rings from the Tomb of the Griffin Warrior Revealed

The story behind four magnificent ancient Greek gold signet rings is finally coming to light. One year after they were found in the grave of a Bronze Age Greek warrior, the rings are now taking...
Great Pyramid of Giza in the rays of the sun.

Unraveling the Mystery of the Great Pyramid Air-Shafts – Part II

[Read Part I] The Design There are two air shafts each going out towards the North and the South direction in both King’s and Queen’s chamber. While, the King’s Chamber shafts go all the way to the...
Unraveling the Mystery of the Great Pyramid Air-Shafts

Unraveling the Mystery of the Great Pyramid Air-Shafts

The Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza near Cairo in Egypt is the last of the surviving Seven Wonders of the World. For more than forty centuries until the 19th century, it was the tallest and the most...
Pentagon

Was the U.S. Pentagon inspired by ancient monumental architecture?

Architectural shape and design featured strongly in the prehistoric design of ancient sites. We are all familiar with the pyramid structures of Egypt and South America and the distinctive megalithic...
Solar Ancient Cities - Greece

Solar-designed cities of Ancient Greece

Most people have heard of Socrates, the classical Greek writer and philosopher (469 – 399 BC), but few are aware that he was also responsible for the first solar-designed city in Greece . Socrates...