All  

Store Banner Mobile

Store Banner Mobile

Europe

Ancient places can be found all over Europe. Their fascinating histories and impressive artifacts open intriguing glimpses to times past, and open up a window on European history. Visiting such ancient places in Europe 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 Europe, as well as new discoveries of ancient places that are worth paying a visit.

You can find beautiful, fairy-tale like Christmas markets around Europe, with many dating back hundreds of years. The picturesque Gdansk, Poland Christmas market shown.          Source: Patryk Kosmider / Adobe Stock

Looking for Christmas Cheer? Six of the Oldest (and Best) Christmas Markets in Europe

If you visit any large European town or city during December, there’s a very good chance you’ll see a Christmas market. The traditional Christmas market is a centuries-old European tradition, and it...
The 13th century medieval Kelburn Castle in Scotland received a colourful graffiti makeover in 2007.	Source: Andreas Flohr / CC BY NC ND 2.0

Why is the 13th Century Kelburn Castle covered in Colorful Graffiti?

Kelburn Castle is one of the oldest castles still standing in Scotland. Located in Fairlie, North Ayrshire, Kelburn Castle has a rich history that dates back to the 13th century. Now, however, it is...
A chapel to worship St Erasmus has been discovered at Westminster Abbey, shown here. Source: Richie Chan / Adobe Stock

Lost Medieval Chapel Sheds Light on Royal Burials at Westminster Abbey

New evidence, helping to form a 15th century reconstruction of part of Westminster Abbey, demonstrates how a section of the building was once the focus for the royal family’s devotion to the cult of...
The 2022 excavations from the air, illustrating the scale and variety of the trenches examined, to enable a broader understanding of the villa complex. Source: © Historic England

Luxury Bath Spa At Rutland Villa Was A Roman Barn Conversion

Last year archaeologists in the UK unearthed a rare Roman mosaic at a luxury 3rd century villa. Now, further excavations have revealed an “early barn conversion” with underfloor heating and a bespoke...
Visiting mythical places, like the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland pictured, helps us connect with our past, as well as nature. Source: drimafilm / Adobe Stock

Live the Legend: 8 Mythical Places That Actually Exist

When it comes to ancient mythology it can sometimes be difficult to separate fact from fiction. While most myths are obviously fictional, they often contain at least a grain of truth. The ancients...
From the Old Colosseum, by Valdemar Irminger. Source: Public domain

10 Shocking Facts about the Ancient Romans

When studying ancient societies, it isn’t uncommon to experience some culture shock. Even after researching a society for years, you’ll come across something that will stop you straight in your...
Irish castle Source: Christie’s International Real Estate

10,000 Years of History Up for Sale: Fancy Your Own Irish Castle?

Southern Ireland is peppered with hundreds of historic stone castles from different time periods. While most are crumbling into the sea, Blackwater Castle has been maintained continuously for over...
The Falasarna archaeological site in Crete, with a representation of the façade of the temple dedicated to the Goddess Demeter. Source: Greek Ministry of Culture

An Abundance of Artifacts Unearthed at Falasarna Acropolis in Crete

Excavations at the acropolis in Falasarna (also Phalasarna) in the far west of Crete continue to produce rich archaeological bounty. Most recently, hundreds of artifacts including female clay...
Roman theater unearthed at the archaeological site of Lissos on island of Crete. Source: Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Timeworn Roman Theater Uncovered at Remote Site of Lissos in Crete

Even today, the Cretan town of Lissos can only be reached by sea or a seemingly endless hike across the stunning landscape and mountains that surround it. Despite previous excavations uncovering...
The Judean desert has numerous caves, which provided refuge for Jewish resistance to Roman rule. The Cave of Letters got its name from the recovered cache of documents related to the Bar Kochba Revolt  Source: Pavel Bernshtam / Adobe Stock

Cave of Letters: Probably the Most Important Cave For Ancient Jewish History

The Cave of Letters is quite literally a cave of secrets. Rediscovered by archaeologists in the 1960s, its contents told of uprisings as well as everyday life in ancient Israel. What at first...

Perfectly Preserved Byzantine Business and Gastronomy District Discovered in Turkey

Archaeologists have uncovered a “sensational” find in Ephesus (also spelled Ephesos), an ancient Greek city which was destroyed suddenly in 614-15 AD, located in modern-day Turkey’s Izmir province...
North gate of the city of Resafa, site of Hisham's palace and court. Source: Dario Bajurin / Adobe Stock

Hisham’s Palace: Insight into Early Islamic Architecture

Hisham’s Palace, or Khirbat Al Mafjar, is an important early Islamic archaeological site, and one of the few surviving antiquities of the Roman and Byzantine eras in the West Bank area. Located just...
The Roman Colosseum’s architecture remains awe-inspiring today, with more still to be learned. Source: daliu / Adobe Stock

The Mind-Blowing Architecture and Engineering of Rome’s Colosseum

The Roman Colosseum is one of the most famous and impressive ancient sites still in existence today. Every year, millions of tourists flock to see it, and it has been dubbed one of the ‘New Seven...
An ancient burial mound in Poland, Tumuli in Wesiory (representational image). Artur Henryk / Adobe Stock

Over 800 Ancient Monuments Found in Polish Forest with LiDAR!

One of the last primeval forests in Europe, Białowieża forest in Poland , is the subject of a fascinating new LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) survey. It has yielded a vast and incredible array of...
Drone photograph of the excavations of the royal hall unearthed at Rendlesham. Source: Suffolk County Council

1,400-Year-Old Royal Hall of East Anglian Kings Unearthed in Suffolk

An ongoing community archaeology project in southeast Suffolk, known as Rendlesham Revealed , has uncovered a royal hall “of international importance” dating back 1,400 years. Termed the “Hall of the...

Baby Slings Were a Thing 10,000 Years Ago, New Discovery Reveals

A team of archaeologists have studied the remains of a 10,000-year-old baby with high technology. Their new paper not only found signs of ritual burial, but it reveals that baby carriers, or baby...
Valley of the Tower of Tombs, ruins of ancient Palmyra in Syrian desert   Source: Monik-a / Adobe Stock

Piecing Together the Lost Mitanni Empire

The Mitanni Empire was established in 1475 BC and was disestablished in 1260 BC. It was one of the biggest and most powerful nations of its time, and its influence spread far and wide. Yet you’ve...
Reconstructed face of a medieval woman from the 14th century, who was buried at Whithorn Priory, Galloway, Scotland.	Source: Dr Chris Rynn / University of Dundee

The Medieval Faces of Whithorn Priory’s Cold Case Project Revealed

A three-dimensional likeness of a young woman buried at Galloway, Scotland’s Whithorn Priory, laid to rest at one of Scotland’s earliest Christian sites centuries ago, is about to be revealed. The...
The Neolithic mass grave found at Vráble, western Slovakia.	Source: Ivan Cheben, Slovak Academy of Sciences / Slovak Spectator

Mass Grave Found in Vráble: Slovakia’s Stone Age Decapitated Victims

Archaeologists digging at a Neolithic settlement site in Vrable, western Slovakia have unearthed a mass grave containing the headless remains of around three dozen people. The Vráble site is one of...
Massive Medusa heads under Istanbul lend support to the legend of the Medusa sarcophagus.	Source: Goinyk / Adobe Stock

Did a Sultan Find Medusa’s Sarcophagus in the Basilica Cistern?

Nestled beneath the winding streets of Istanbul, just 490 feet (149 meters) from the Hagia Sophia, lies an ancient cistern that may have been the final resting place of Medusa! The Basilica Cistern,...
: An artist’s depiction of what the 7,000-year-old Neolithic roundel structure found near Prague would have looked like.Source: Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Mysterious Roundel Older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids Found in Czech Republic

A stunning Neolithic roundel structure that is older than Stonehenge has been announced by Czech Republic archaeologists. The remains of this mysterious roundel structure have been dated to...
Archaeologists excavating a complicated triple burial at England’s Oakington Cambridgeshire site, which was used in the recent Nature study to determine the true impact of Anglo-Saxon migration on medieval eastern and southern England. Source: Nature

Anglo-Saxon Migration Created a ‘European’ Medieval England

The history of the British Isles is marked by several phases of migration and multiple periods of monumental change, including invasions by the Romans, Vikings and the Normans, and mass migration by...
The Pesse canoe, shown here, believed to be the world's oldest known boat, was made roughly 10,000 years ago in the Mesolithic period, from a Scots pine trunk, in the Netherlands region.

Europe’s Famous Mesolithic Pesse Canoe: Earth’s Oldest Known Boat

One of the most interesting artifact discoveries was the finding of the Pesse canoe in 1955. This unique boat is considered to be the oldest boat in existence and is estimated to be around 10,000...
Pinned to the side of its cliff face is the Xuan Kong Si, also known as the Hanging Monastery of Mount Heng. (Public domain)

15 Incredible Cliff Constructions from the Ancient World

Humans have created monumental constructions on cliff faces throughout the world. These striking architectural wonders have often times been inspired by the desire to come closer to the heavens or to...

Pages