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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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The Man in the Iron Mask. Source: Igor Normann / Adobe Stock

The True Story of the Man in the Iron Mask

L'Homme au Masque de Fer (the French for “The Man in the Iron Mask”) is the name given to a prisoner arrested in about 1669 and condemned to the cruel fate of having his head clamped within an iron...
Crafted by the Fang people in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon, Fang masks are intricate wooden creations known for their stylized designs.

Elderly Couple 'Cheated' On Rare Fang Mask, Resold for $4.4 Million

Much of the erstwhile colonized world is still in legal and ethical tussles with their former colonizers, in an effort to retrieve precious artifacts and treasures that belong to their people. France...
Opole-Ostrówek, wooden "mask" from the mid-12th century. (Karol Szott/Kamil Kajkowski, "Masks from Opole in the context of Medieval Slavic rites", Archaeologia Polski 66, 2021, fig.3). Source: Archaeologia Polski/ CC BY 4.0

Mask or Masquerade? Skeptic Totally ‘Trashes’ Magical Pagan Masks

For over six decades, it was believed that two wooden objects discovered in Opole, Poland were pagan Slavic masks used in mystical ceremonies held in cemetery woods. However, recent research by a...
Ornamented Skull. The shell and pyrite insets into the sockets must bring some life back into these skulls, but the blades pushed into the nasal cavity and mouth have been suggested to cut off the human's vital breath. The skull covered with stones was probably worn by a priest as a mask. (Denis Jarvis / CC by SA 2.0)

16 Creepy Masks Made from Real Human Skulls

How would you feel placing a mask on your face that was made from a real human skull? Would you feel differently if it were the skull of a family member, or perhaps an enemy? For many ancient people...
A Scold’s Bridle used in Medieval Poland. Source: Fotokon / Adobe Stock

Scold’s Bridles: 12 Torturous and Humiliating Shame Masks of the Middle Ages (In Pics)

There was no end to medieval creativity when it came to torture , punishment and humiliation! The ‘scold’s bridle’ or ‘mask of shame’ was a concept developed in medieval Europe to punish people,...
Skull funerary mask, Bhutan (Wellcome Collection / CC by SA 4.0)

16 Bizarre, Impressive and Hilarious Funerary Masks of the Ancient World

Throughout history, many cultures and civilizations created funerary masks as part of their burial customs. The masks were used to represent a deceased individual, to honor them, and to cover their...
The rare, gold Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BC ) funeral mask recently recovered from a noble’s tomb at Zhengzhou, China. Source: Xinhua

3,000-year-old Gold Funeral Mask Illuminates Yellow River Civilization

A 3000-year-old gold funeral mask dated to the Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BC) has been unearthed by archaeologists on the Yellow River about 600 kilometers (373 miles) northwest of Shanghai. Found in...
A terrifying Golden samurai helmet with a tiger mask (warmtail / Adobe Stock)

12 Jaw-Dropping Helmets from the Ancient World

Helmets of the ancient world could be dazzling, terrifying, intimidating or sometimes simply practical. Here we look at 12 incredible helmets from across the ancient world. A Japanese Samurai helmet...
The rare 69-AD Batavian mask find. Source: City of Krefeld, Press, and Communications

Rare Batavian Calvary Mask Worn in Revolt Against The Romans Found

Archaeologists excavating an ancient Roman site near the German city of Krefeld, just a few miles west of the Rhine, uncovered a rare Batavian mask, face-fitted for the elite Batavian cavalrymen,...
One of the skulls from the Nahal Hemar Cave. KEYWORD Source: Clara Amit / IAA

Fascinating Asphalt-Coated Skulls Excavated in Israel Date to 7,000 BC

Nahal Hemar cave in Israel’s southern Judean Desert has proven to be one of the most artifact-rich excavation sites in the region. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has provided details of a new...
Noh-Arashiyama by KOMPARU Zempo (Public Domain)

The Art Of Noh: 14th-Century Japanese Dance Drama

Since the 14th century AD, Noh has been a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama. It is the oldest major theatre art form that is still performed on a regular basis to this day. Noh , which is...
Sanxingdui bronze heads wearing gold foil masks

Gold Mask of Mysterious Sanxingdui Culture Inspires Memes

Amid the once-tranquil village of Sanxingdui, in a quiet part of Sichuan province in China, a remarkable discovery took place which immediately attracted international attention and has since...
Ancient Greek theater (Segesta).

Ancient Greek Theater and the Monumental Amphitheaters in Honor of Dionysus

To the Ancient Greeks, theater was a form of entertainment taken very seriously. People would come from all across the Greek world to attend the popular theaters held in open air amphitheaters. In...
No Gossiping, Gluttony, Lying, or Eavesdropping! European Metal Masks Would Shame You into Good Behavior

No Gossiping, Gluttony, Lying, or Eavesdropping! European Metal Masks Would Shame You into Good Behavior

Shame masks were a type of embarrassing punishment device used in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. As its name suggests, the shame mask was meant to humiliate the person who was forced to...
The three statues unearthed by archaeologists in Peru.

3,800-Year-Old Statues from Advanced Caral Civilization found in Peru

Researchers in Peru have discovered three statues and two faces believed to be from the ancient Caral civilization located on the coast north of the capital, Lima. According to a report on the...
Golden Masks from Sanxingdui

New research may solve mystery of enigmatic Sanxingdui civilization of China

Amid the once-tranquil village of Sanxingdui, in a quiet part of Sichuan province in China, a remarkable discovery took place which immediately attracted international attention and has since...
Ancient Ritual Wand in Syria

9,000-year-old ritual wand etched with human faces discovered in Syria

Archaeologists made an incredibly unique and unusual discovery during excavations at Tel Qarassa, a site in southern Syria, when they unearthed an ancient wand carved with two realistic human faces...
Neolithic spirit masks - Jerusalem

Incredible collection of Neolithic spirit masks revealed for the first time

More than 10,000 years ago, ancient people living in the Judean Desert and Hills abandoned their nomadic lifestyles and established permanent settlements. Around this time, art, culture, and...
Hopi Mask Returned

US charity bought Hopi masks for $530k then returned them to tribe

The Hopi tribal mask is revered as a sacred ritual artefact by the Native American Hopi tribe in Arizona. The masks are worn by dancers during religious ceremonies and are considered as living beings...