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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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History

From the powerful civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley, to the fearsome yet sophisticated society of the Vikings, the ancient world was a surprising and challenging place. Here we feature some of the most seminal and influential events and people throughout history, that have helped shape the world we know today.

Representational image of a Chinese naval battle. Source: Public domain
12 March, 2024 - 13:50 Aleksa Vučković

The Battle of Lake Poyang and Its Pivotal Impact on China

The Battle of Lake Poyang stands as one of the largest naval engagements in recorded history, showcasing the might and strategic prowess of warring factions during the tumultuous period of the rise...
Lao Phonsavan Plain of Jars. Source: flu4022/Adobe Stock
11 March, 2024 - 19:52 Robbie Mitchell

Five Unique Burial Sites of the Ancient World (Video)

Across the ancient world, a mosaic of burial practices unveils the diversity of human cultures and their beliefs. Chambered cairns , scattered throughout the UK, intrigue scholars with their...
This decorative belt buckle is of a nomad horseman spearing a boar. The rider wears the steppe dress, his hair is tied into a hair bun characteristic of the oriental steppes, and his horse has characteristically Xiongnu horse trappings. Dated to the 2nd-1st century BC. Source: Public Domain
10 March, 2024 - 20:01 Robbie Mitchell

Five Most Influential Monarchies in Ancient Asia (Video)

The ancient monarchies of Asia left an indelible mark on history, shaping economies, cultures, and trade routes that endured for centuries. Among these, the Han Dynasty of China stands as a towering...
Did drugs fuel Viking social gatherings and make them formidable and fearless warriors? Source: ContentHub / Adobe Stock.
10 March, 2024 - 13:54 Robbie Mitchell

Viking Drug Use: From Riotous Parties to Berserker Fury

The Vikings stand as legendary figures, their exploits on the seas and battlefields shrouded in myth and mystery. Yet beyond their tales of conquest and exploration lies a lesser-known aspect of...
Left; A cacao tree with fruit pods in various stages of ripening. Right; Ripe cacao ready to pick. Source: Left, Public Domain, Right, Pantira/Adobe Stock
9 March, 2024 - 13:54 ashley cowie

Scientists Map the Genetic Evolution of Cacao to Chocolate

Researchers have mapped the ancient dispersal of the cacao or cocoa plant from South America to Central America. Not only did they discover the plant was a central commodity in ancient trading, but...
Women spinning and socializing. From Augustine’s La Cité de Dieu. Source: Museum Meermanno/The Conversation
8 March, 2024 - 16:56 ancient-origins

The Hidden Healers: Women's Secret Medieval Health Networks

Pragya Agarwal /The Conversation In the medieval period, medical science was still dominated by the ancient writings of Hippocrates from the fifth century and Galen of Pergamon from the second...
Image representing pirate in suit with gun and saber sitting on barrel. Source: Fotokvadrat/Adobe Stock
8 March, 2024 - 16:30 Robbie Mitchell

What the Media Gets Right About Pirates (Video)

Within the realm of pirate lore depicted in media, there exists a delicate balance between fiction and historical accuracy. Notably, Howard Pyle's evocative paintings stand as vivid portrayals of the...
The top of the Merneptah Stele includes a carving of Merneptah receiving a sword from the god Amun, but it is the text of the stele which is most fascinating. Source: Alyssa Bivins / CC BY-SA 4.0.
8 March, 2024 - 13:53 Aleksa Vučković

The Merneptah Stele: Proof Ancient Egypt Knew of the Israelites

The Merneptah Stele, also known as the Israel Stele or Victory Stele of Merneptah, in considered to be one of the most significant archaeological artifacts ever discovered in ancient Egypt. Carved...
Illustration of an ancient Mayan village. Source: jdross75/Adobe Stock
7 March, 2024 - 19:45 Robbie Mitchell

What Life Was Really Like for the Maya (Video)

Ancient Mayan life was a complex tapestry of ritual, innovation, and occasional brutality. Spanning Central America, their society thrived on advanced practices, from sophisticated dental care to...
The fragment of bread retrieved from an oven in Çatalhöyük. Source: Erbakan
6 March, 2024 - 21:48 Nathan Falde

World’s Oldest Fermented Bread, Dated to 6,600 BC, Found at Çatalhöyük

During excavations two years ago at the famous ancient Anatolian city of Çatalhöyük , archaeologists uncovered a large furnace-like structure that would have been used as a communal oven. They also...
Cinnabar powder on human bones and beads in Valencina, site of Copper Age Mercury abuse. Source: Álvaro Fernández Flores/ Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory
6 March, 2024 - 13:55 Sahir

Copper Age Settlement Shows Evidence of Accidental Ritual Mercury Abuse

Getting high off toxic solvents and chemicals to induce mind-altering effects is a public health concern today. But dial back 5,000 years, in the Iberian Peninsula, and groups of women adorned in...
Interior detail from the Florence Cathedral, Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy. Source: EnginKorkmaz/Adobe Stock
6 March, 2024 - 00:00 Robbie Mitchell

Everything You Need to Know About the Renaissance Period (Video)

The Renaissance , arising from the tumultuous aftermath of the Crisis of the Late Middle Ages, was a transformative period in European history characterized by unprecedented social, cultural, and...
Representational image of ancient healing medicinal practice. Source: dimensdesign / Adobe Stock
5 March, 2024 - 16:52 Rita Louise

Ancient Healing Methods Offer an Alternative Paradigm in Health

As long as life has existed on earth, so have issues associated with maintaining health and the remediation of disease. Today, when many of us get sick, our first course of action is to call the...
Left; Stele of a standing dignitary, with likely tobacco leaves his hair. Right; El Baul, acropolis site Cotzumalhuapa, Guatemala. under excavation 2006 Inset; 3 of the vessel tested in the study Source: Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos/Antiquity Publications Ltd
4 March, 2024 - 16:44 Nathan Falde

Proof Ancient Mesoamericans Drank Sacred Tobacco-Infused Liquids is Found

In a new chemical analysis performed on ceramic vases recovered during excavations at the ancient metropolis of Cotzumalhuapa in southwestern Guatemala, a team of researchers from Yale University and...
Painting: The Grapes of Canaan, c. 1896-1902. Source: Public Domain
3 March, 2024 - 19:48 Robbie Mitchell

What Really Happened to the Canaanites? (Video)

The Israelites' entry into Canaan around 1250 BC, following their forty-year journey through the desert, was a pivotal event shrouded in religious significance. According to the Old Testament, the...
Traditional farmers Ramón Nonato Tec Poot, Xuxcab, Yucatán. Source: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center/CC BY-NC 2.0 Deed)
3 March, 2024 - 13:54 ancient-origins

What Ancient Farmers Teach Us About Adapting to Climate Change

Chelsea Fisher /The Conversation In dozens of archaeological discoveries around the world, from the once-successful reservoirs and canals of Angkor Wat in Cambodia to the deserted Viking colonies of...
Greek Philosopher Pythagoras with overlay of woodcut showing Pythagoras with bells, a kind of glass harmonica, a monochord and (organ?) pipes in Pythagorean tuning. From Theorica musicae by Franchino Gaffurio, 1492 (1480?) Source: Khuram Ibn Sabir/Adobe Stock, overlay Bibliothèque nationale de France/Public Domain
2 March, 2024 - 21:42 Sahir

Pythagoras’ Claim of Universal Musical Harmony is Wrong, Finds Study

Ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras posited that "consonance," a harmonious combination of notes, arises from specific relationships between simple numbers like 3 and 4. While scholars have...
Left; Napoleon Bonaparte Before the Sphinx, by Jean-Léon Gérôme. Right; Bas-relief of Napoleon Bonaparte Emperor of France in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. Source: Left; Public domain, Right; Public domain
2 March, 2024 - 14:02 Ben Shehadi

Two Napoleons: The French Caesars of Modern History

The life of Napoleon Bonaparte, remembered as one of history's greatest conquerors, shares countless parallels with that of Julius Caesar. Fueled by a profound admiration for the classics, Napoleon,...
A wounded Knights Templar is on his knees praying to God. Source: Stephen Pierce/Adobe Stock
1 March, 2024 - 23:43 Robbie Mitchell

What Happened to the Knights Templar? (Video)

Originating in the fervor of the Crusades during the 12th century, the Knights Templar emerged as a dedicated order sworn to protect Christian pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. Founded by a small...
Representative image of warriors of the Khwarazmian Empire, from a 13th-century Mina’i bowl. Source: Public domain
1 March, 2024 - 21:47 Robbie Mitchell

The Epic Rise and Demise of the Khwarazmian Empire

The Khwarazmian Empire, spanning from the 11th to the 13th centuries, flourished as a formidable power in Central Asia. Situated along the Silk Road, its strategic location fostered vibrant trade and...
AI image of Roman senators deliberating in the Senate chamber, illustrating the political life of the Roman Republic. Source: Sebastian/Adobe Stock
1 March, 2024 - 19:56 Robbie Mitchell

The Five Greatest Ancient Roman Politicians (Video)

The Roman Republic , a crucible of political innovation, incubated the brilliance of figures whose legacies endure through the annals of history. Among these luminaries, Cicero stands as a colossus...
The discovery took place during works carried out in the north gallery of the monastery's Gothic cloister. Source: Department of Culture of the Generalitat of Catalonia
1 March, 2024 - 16:49 Sahir

Medieval Catalonian Nobility Unearthed in Santes Creus Monastery

As part of the restoration works of the Gothic cloister of the Royal Monastery of Santes Creus currently underway in Catalonia, archaeologists have uncovered the ‘totally unexpected’ intact remains...
Painting of the 1680 auto de fé, at Plaza Mayor in Madrid. Source: Public Domain
29 February, 2024 - 23:53 Robbie Mitchell

The Horrors of the Spanish Inquisition Explained (Video)

The Spanish Inquisition's enduring impact is evident in modern Spain, where regions affected by it still exhibit socioeconomic indicators reflective of its historical legacy. Originating from Pope...
Left, stacked bones of pre-Hispanic burial system; Right, complete skeleton. Source: Claudia Servín Rosas/INAH
29 February, 2024 - 16:51 ancient-origins

Stacked Skulls and Bones Show Intriguing Pre-Hispanic Funerary System

Investigators have uncovered a burial ground from the pre-Hispanic era in today’s Mexico, which exhibits unique burial practices and how they were carried out in the region. The discovery occurred in...

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