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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.

The Nephilim Tradition From Ancient Sumer

The Nephilim Tradition From Ancient Sumer

The oldest literary tradition about great heroic kings claiming to have been scions of the gods dates back to the Sumerian King List in which the First Dynasty of Uruk is described as having been...
Representational image of Moors in Spain.   Source: Théodore Chassériau / Public domain

Deciphering the Truth Behind the Moors in Spain

Al-Andalus is the name given to the Iberian Peninsula when it was under Muslim rule. Islam arrived in that region with the arrival of the Moors during the 8 th century AD, and succeeded in conquering...

Legacies of Otherworldly Celtic Faerie Kings

The Fairy Queen is a famous mythological figure featuring in Irish and British folklore for at least 1000 years, who after Shakespeare's influence, was often named Titania or Mab. In Irish folklore,...
A Deadly Formula - Why Viking Weapons and Armor Were So Effective

A Deadly Formula - Why Viking Weapons and Armor Were So Effective

Nothing continues to be so inspiring and thrilling from early medieval history such as the Viking Age. This exciting historical period turned the nations of Europe upside down, and ushered in a new,...
How the German House of Hanover ruled Britain for 200 Years

How the German House of Hanover ruled Britain for 200 Years

The House of Hanover (formally known as the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Hanover line) is a German royal house that came to rule Great Britain. The Hanoverians, as they are known, gained the British...
Do Akhenaten’s Links With Shavuot Shed New Light on Moses? – Part 2

Do Akhenaten’s Links With Shavuot Shed New Light on Moses? – Part 2

Buried beneath the themes of first fruits and wheat offerings lie deeper connections between Shavuot and Akhenaten. These are suggestive and persuasive and go far beyond delicious foods and...
The origins of the Jewish festival Shavuot’s traditions are obscure. But what if they could be linked to Pharaoh Akhenaten, offering a new view on Moses? Pictures: Representation of Moses’ famous crossing of the sea. 	Source: Vlastimil Šesták / Adobe stock

An Akhenaten Connection to the Harvest Festival of Shavuot - Part 1

The Jewish festival of Shavuot is taking place around the world. It is an ancient celebration of the spring harvest of grains and first fruits. It is the year’s first wheat harvest, and Jews around...
The Crucifixion by André d’Ypres / Dreux Budé Master, (before 1440) Getty Centre (Public Domain)

Chronovisor: The Time Machine That Captured The Crucifixion of Jesus

Imagine a time machine , that could capture, among other things, three dimensional holograms of the crucifixion and death of Jesus; a speech by Napoleon; Cicero's first speech against Catiline; and...
Chinese Warrior Woman

The Dramatic True Story Behind Disney's Mulan

Hua Mulan is one of the most legendary women of ancient China. Her heroic actions were first recorded in ancient texts, retold in the famous poem Ballad of Mulan , and later popularized in the 1998...
The total solar eclipse of May 28 585 caused a cease in fighting between the Medians and the Lydians.           Source: zef art / Adobe Stock

May 28, 585 BC: The Battle Of The Solar Eclipse

On this day, 28 May, in 585 BC, a fierce battle was underway in Asia Minor when the light vanished in the middle of the day causing the warring armies to lay down their arms and declare a truce. This...
Orpheus and the Bacchantes by Gregorio Lazzarini (1710) (Public Domain)

The Maenads, Mad, Frenzied Priestesses of Dionysus

The Maenads are often written off simply as ‘mad women’ by historians. However, although the name Maenad literally translates as the ‘raving ones’, these women were much more than that. The Maenads...
The history of childhood and education in Western civilization has evolved significantly over the last 2000 years, from no education to child labor to formal schools, how exactly did it all change?     Pictured: Top left: The School of Athens, a famous fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael, with Plato and Aristotle as the central figures in the scene (Jorge Valenzuela A / CC BY-SA 3.0).         Bottom left: Group of child labor boys during the Industrial Revolution (Lewis Hine / Public domain).

“We Don't Need No Education!” – The History of Childhood

Over the last two millennia of Western civilization, the concept of ‘childhood’ has significantly evolved from one of a family-oriented perspective to that of the child-centered universe. Those of us...
Representation of Hengist and Horsa.           Source: Brambilla Simone / Adobe stock

Invasion of Britain by Brothers Hengist and Horsa: Truth or Legend?

Hengist and Horsa were a pair of brothers mentioned in British history. According to legend, they were the leaders of the first Germanic settlers (or Anglo-Saxons ) of Britain. They are believed to...
egypt, tomb, deir-el-medina, hieroglyphs, isis, horus, osiris, divinities, antique, culture (free photo)

Hieroglyphics Deciphering The Origin Of The One God

It is not possible to genetically identify any person living or past as a Jew. Gerald Massey, a Victorian self-taught Egyptologist, researcher and author, explained it thus: “To follow the Jews as...
Left: Portrait of Llywelyn the Great (Hogyncymru / CC BY-SA 4.0). 	Right: Stain glass window depiction of Llywelyn the Great (Llywelyn2000 / CC BY-SA 4.0).

Was Llywelyn the Great Wales’ Greatest Native Ruler?

Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, more commonly known as Llywelyn the Great (or Llywelyn Fawr in Welsh) was a Welsh prince who lived between the 12 th and 13 th century. Lylwelyn is considered to be the greatest...
The Old Kingdom, or more appropriately the ‘Age of the Pyramids’, was the first period the ancient Egyptians announced themselves as a colossal civilization. Pictured: ancient Egyptian corridor with hieroglyphs on the wall.       Source: boscorelli / Adobe stock

The Old Kingdom of Egypt – Dynasties That Changed the World

The Old Kingdom is the name given to the period in ancient Egyptian history that spans from the 27th to the 22nd century BC. This period begins with the Third Dynasty, and ends with the Sixth Dynasty...
The Upas, or Poison-Tree, in the Island of Java by Francis Danby (1820) (Public Domain)

Fruit Of The Poisonous Tree: Ducks and Lambs

There was a period in man’s history when science deeply influenced the literary production of sensitive souls, men and women of open and enlightened minds, such as that great mystic and visionary...
Scotland's Beheaded Queen, Mary Stuart, Made Immortal by Irish Digital Artist

Scotland's Beheaded Queen, Mary Stuart, Made Immortal by Irish Digital Artist

Earlier this week I wrote an Ancient Origins news piece about Irish based artist Matt Loughrey who runs a creative visualization studio and the website mycolorfulpast.com , which bridges a gap...
Representation of Cnut the Great.     Source: Nomad_Soul / Adobe Stock

Cnut the Great: the Myth, the Man, and the Multi-National Viking Monarch

Cnut Sweynsson, known also as Cnut the Great (sometimes spelled as Canute), was the ruler of England, Denmark, Norway, and parts of Sweden. His realm is often referred to as the North Sea Empire, or...
Archaeology shows the damaging impact of pandemic outbreaks and how the ancient Africans dealt with them. From social distancing to more extreme measures of burning settlements, what lessons can be applied today?    Source: Fxquadro / Adobe stock

Archaeology Shows How Ancient African Societies Managed Pandemics

Every so often, a pandemic emerges that dramatically alters human society. The Black Death (1347 - 1351) was one; the Spanish flu of 1918 was another. Now there’s COVID-19 . Archaeologists have long...
An opium den in 18th-century China through the eyes of a Western artist (18th Century) (Public Domain)

The Highs And Lows Of Ancient Heroin And Cocaine

For two centuries archaeologists and anthropologists have uncovered evidence of the ritual and medicinal application of mind-altering drugs which were central components in ancient human cultures...
Stonehenge sunset (Terry/ Adobe Stock)

Magical Landscapes: Monuments, Memories and Memorials

All over the world, historical records and local memory keep places alive with meaning even when the physical reminders of that meaning have been obliterated. This happens with both religious and...
The legendary Welsh dragon. Credit: warpaintcobra / Adobe Stock

The Legendary Welsh Dragon that Expelled the Saxons

The Welsh Dragon is a heraldic symbol of Wales, and arguably one of the country’s most recognizable symbols. The image is most notably seen on the flag of Wales. Additionally, this symbol is also...
The Mayflower by William Halsall, (1882) (Public Domain)

The Mayflower: England’s Doomsday Ship

Historically, before trains, planes or automobiles, sailing was the choice way to travel far distances and it was the sole method for transporting goods and supplies around the ancient world. At...

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