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.

The National Trust has bought land near Stonehenge to protect it from continued agricultural exploitation. Source: Nicholas / Adobe Stock

22 March, 2022 - 17:51 Nathan Falde

England’s National Trust Buys Threatened Land Near Stonehenge

The United Kingdom’s National Trust has been assigned to protect and maintain England’s most famous monumental site at Stonehenge , and the challenges they face are never-ending. The National Trust...

An aerial view of what remains of Boleskine House, owned by occultist Aleister Crowley from 1899 to 1913, which is the subject of a new film by Scottish filmmaker Ashley Cowie. Source: Ashley Cowie / www.thebeastoflochness.com/

21 March, 2022 - 21:58 ashley cowie

New Film Shatters 'Fake News' of Occultist Aleister Crowley’s Scottish Boleskine House

A filmmaker from the north of Scotland has vowed to dissolve decades of “fake news” surrounding a famous Boleskine House Jacobite era hunting lodge, and center of Aleister Crowley’s “magical...

Protruding ledge M.4555 (see Figure 4), roughly at the mid-point of the northern side of the ‘Kothon’; viewed from the west. Source: © Sapienza University of Rome Expedition to Motya / Antiquity Publications Ltd View of the refurbished ‘Kothon’ with a replica of the statue of Ba’al at its center (© Sapienza University of Rome Expedition to Motya / Antiquity Publications Ltd).

17 March, 2022 - 13:42 Nathan Falde

‘Harbor’ of Ancient Island City Was Really a Sacred Phoenician Pool

Excavations at the Iron Age Phoenician settlement of Motya have been ongoing for many decades. Located on a Mediterranean island just off the western coast of Sicily , this long-deserted ancient city...

Handprints are the key element of the children’s art contribution in prehistoric times revealed in this study. Source: Nattapol_Sritongcom/Adobe Stock

15 March, 2022 - 17:59 Sahir

A Whopping 25% of Prehistoric Rock Art Could Be Children’s Art, Study

Child artists are not just a modern reality. They have left their artistic fingerprints on countless ancient surfaces. Now, a new study published in The Journal of Archaeological Sciences points to...

Researchers over the last decade have narrowed in on the cause of Neanderthal extinction in prehistoric Spain and the answer is that they were unable to trap or capture smaller prey, especially rabbits. Source: Akkharat J. / Adobe Stock

15 March, 2022 - 13:59 Nathan Falde

How Rabbits Led to Neanderthal Extinction in Iberia and Elsewhere

There were undoubtedly many reasons why the Neanderthals finally went extinct in Europe 40,000 years ago. One hypothesis states that the inability of the species to adapt to hunting small animals...

Henry supervising the beheading of his rival Peter, thus firmly establishing the House of Trastámara that was a blend of the powerful kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, who eventually overthrew the Muslims in Granada. A manuscript page from the Grandes Chroniques de France. Source: Public domain

11 March, 2022 - 00:57 dhwty

The House of Trastámara: The Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon Take Spain

The House of Trastámara was a royal dynasty that ruled over Spain during the Late Middle Ages. The dynasty was a cadet branch of the House of Burgundy, and initially ruled over the Crown of Castile...

The caltrops the Ukrainian Art of Steel workshop has been manufacturing with traditional blacksmithing for the current war with Russia. Source: Art of Steel

10 March, 2022 - 17:39 Sahir

Medieval Caltrop Defense Weapon Coming to the Aid of Ukrainian Resistance

When nations go to war, the most tragic aspect is the disruption and annihilation of civilian lives. International media has been reporting the robust resistance put up by Ukrainian citizens in many...

The Roman inscription is still clear on this amphorae recovered with many other well-preserved artifacts from a 4th-century-AD Roman cargo ship found meters from a busy Mallorca, Spain beach in 2019. Source: Jose A Moya / Arqueomallornauta-Consell de Mallorca, Universitat de Barcelona, Universidad de Cádiz, Universitat de les Illes Balears

9 March, 2022 - 21:55 Sahir

1600-Year-Old Roman Shipwreck Found in “Perfect” Condition in Spain

In 117 AD, at the time of Caesar Trajan’s death, the Roman Empire had reached its territorial peak, stretching across the Mediterranean Sea to North Africa and Western Asia. And the Romans used ships...

A new research study has “proven” the Stonehenge solar calendar theory, and reveals that the solar calendar concept was likely “imported” from Egypt. Source: Vic / Adobe Stock

3 March, 2022 - 13:23 Nathan Falde

Stonehenge Solar Calendar Theory “Proven” by Study

Many scholars have suspected that the monuments of Stonehenge were carefully arranged to function as some type of calendar. Proof of this concept has been hard to come by, however, as even the most...

A plaque to the Black Death dead from 1349 and 1369 at Monmouth, Wales. Source: Jaggery / CC BY-SA 2.0

1 March, 2022 - 18:00 ashley cowie

Was Medieval Black Death Really That Bad? A New Pollen Study Says No!

Black Death is said to have killed over half of Europe’s population. However, a new pollen study suggests many parts of Europe were not affected by the bacterial onslaught. Black Death was a bubonic...

In this painting by Maarten van Heemskerck Helen, queen of the Greek city-state Sparta, is abducted by Paris, a prince of the Trojans. Source: Walters Art Museum / Public domain

26 February, 2022 - 17:52 Thanos Matanis

The Friend in the Foe: Trojans in Greek Media

Trojans are typically thought of as the archrivals of the Greeks. Their abduction of the beautiful Helen launched a thousand ships on Trojan shores, igniting a war that spanned ten years...

Sarmatia bronze dolphin coins, 5th-4th century BC, from the ancient city of Olbia, which was first Greek, and then Scythian and then Roman. Source: catawiki

25 February, 2022 - 21:51 dhwty

Olbia: Greek, Scythian, Roman Trade Center That Had Dolphin Money

Olbia (also spelled Olvia) began as an ancient Greek colony on the northern coast of the Black Sea, in the southern part of modern-day Ukraine. Olbia was famous as an emporium, and the importance of...

Examples of the bronze votive offering body parts given to the Veneti Pora Reitia nature goddess at her sanctuary in Este, Italy. Source: McDonald / House of Secrets

25 February, 2022 - 01:00 Jari Padoan

The Ancient Italian Adriatic Veneti and Their Pora Reitia Nature Cult

Between the eighth and seventh centuries BC, the first manifestations of the Italic people known as Veneti appear in the territory of today's Veneto, the main region of the northeast of Italy...

The compacted human excrement found inside a medieval barrel toilet at the Old Berwick Hospital site in Northumberland, England. Source: Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

24 February, 2022 - 17:33 Sahir

Medieval Loo and Strange Foundation Walls Found at UK’s Berwick Hospital

An archaeological dig prior to the demolition of the Old Berwick Hospital site, built in 1874 in the town of Berwick in Northumberland, continues to unveil interesting discoveries about the town’s...

A closeup of how the earliest ear surgery skull in history (from over 5,000 years ago) was discovered in a Neolithic tomb in Spain in 2018. Source: Fotógrafos Photography Study / Scientific Reports

23 February, 2022 - 20:59 Sahir

Evidence of Ear Surgery From 5,300 Years Ago Discovered in Spain

Modern science has lent a certain sophistication to human history, allowing for various genetic and acquired deficiencies to be addressed. Today, our eyes and ears can be repaired with simple and...

Archaeologists near London Bridge have discovered a large Roman mosaic in London. Source: Andy Choppin / MOLA

23 February, 2022 - 17:57 ashley cowie

Roman Mosaic in London is Largest To Be Uncovered in 50 Years

Archaeologists excavating near London Bridge have discovered the largest Roman mosaic to have been unearthed in 50 years. Dating back to the Roman period when the city was called Londinium, it was in...

Viking weapons were made and left all over England by the repeated invasions of early Britain by the Norsemen and their coalition of warriors. Source: PatSM / Adobe Stock

22 February, 2022 - 17:47 Sahir

Chemical Fingerprints of Viking Weapons Point to Their Origins

The University of Nottingham is leading a collaborative study that aims to identify the place of origin of iron Viking weapons, using their chemical fingerprints. For example, Viking weapons made...

The coffin of the high-status elite Roman Britain clan leader, who may have also been a major maker of illegal silver that the Romans couldn’t tax. Source: Pre Construct Archaeology

21 February, 2022 - 21:29 ashley cowie

Massive Illegal Roman-era Silver Site Discovered In Britain

Archaeologists in England have discovered a monumental ancient building. Not only was this the burial site of a powerful female clan leader, but it represents the largest illegal silver production or...

National Trust archaeologists have finally determined the age of the Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset, England using snail shells and the ancient Abbas Abbey “next door.” But questions remain. Source: PeteHarlow / CC BY-SA 3.0

21 February, 2022 - 17:13 Sahir

‘Missing Detail’ From the Cerne Abbas Giant Story Revealed

The Cerne Abbas Giant, a crude, naked, male-giant figure, drawn on an English hillside with chalk, measuring a whopping 180 feet (55 meters) tall has obviously been an eternal source of fascination...

Glastonbury Tor, Somerset, England. Source: gary / Adobe Stock

20 February, 2022 - 18:00 Joanna Gillan

Glastonbury Tor: The Mysterious British Hill Steeped in History and Legend

Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, where a very important hill exists known as the Glastonbury Tor. On top of the Tor stands the remains of St. Michael’s Tower, with a strange system...

Remains of the castle at Bilhorod Kyivskyi in the Ukraine. Source: Kiyanka / CC BY-SA 4.0

20 February, 2022 - 14:00 ancient-origins

The Largest Surviving Fortress of its Era: Bilhorod Kyivskyi in the Ukraine

The ancient city-castle known as Bilhorod Kyivskyi in the Ukraine, rose to prominence in the 10th century. With the fall of the Kievan Rus in the 13th century, it then lost its importance in the area...

The mysterious and elaborately carved walls of Royston Cave. Source: Sizbut / Flickr

19 February, 2022 - 18:12 mrreese

Enigmatic Symbols and Carvings in Man-Made Royston Cave

The Royston Cave is an artificial cave in Hertfordshire, England, which contains strange carvings. It is not known who created the cave or what it was used for, but there has been much speculation...

Earl of Derwentwater's bedsheet from the Tower of London, embroidered with a message made of human hair from Anna Maria Radcliffe in tribute to her executed husband will be part of the Dockland executions in London exhibition. Source: Museum of London Docklands

17 February, 2022 - 18:00 Sahir

Bedsheet Lovingly Embroidered With Hair Likely From A Severed Head

The Museum of London Docklands is preparing for a somewhat macabre exhibition entitled Executions [in London]. Slated to begin in autumn, the executions in London exhibits will feature some of the...

From upper left clockwise: Bronze Age sun pendant, 1000–800 BC, Source: © The Trustees of the British Museum; The world-famous Nebra Sky Disc of Germany from about 1600 BC. (Juraj Lipták / State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt); Bush Barrow gold lozenge of the Bush Barrow grave goods,1950–1600 BC Amesbury, Wiltshire, England, Source: David Bukach / Wiltshire Museum; Dagger from the Bush Barrow grave goods with replica handle, 1950–1600 BC, Amesbury, Wiltshire, England, Source: D

16 February, 2022 - 21:57 Sahir

World of Stonehenge Exhibition Is a Stunning Treasure Hall of Fame

A new Stonehenge exhibition at the British Museum in London, entitled The World of Stonehenge , will display a stunning collection of objects, artifacts and human remains from across Europe, dating...

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