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Zinder old town Source: CC BY 2.0

Zinder Old Town, Celebrated Cultural Capital of Niger

The history of the Sahel in Africa is a rich and exciting one. Many remains of great empires and cultures have been found in the region, but one of the most remarkable sites is the old town of Zinder...
Çatalhöyük after the first excavations. (Omar hoftun/ CC BY-SA 3.0)

Turkey’s Catalhöyük: A Victim of Climate Change

These days, the dusty, sunbaked ruins of Çatalhöyük in central Turkey do not receive a lot of attention, except from tourists and archaeologists, but around 9,000 to 7,000 years ago it was a busy,...
Statue was reportedly illegally smuggled to Mexico.  Source: INAH

Experts Claim Artifact Ceremonially Returned to Nigeria is Fake

A bronze sculpture seized at a Mexican airport last week, and hastily returned to Nigeria, is now claimed to be fake. Last week the BBC reported on a supposedly ancient artifact believed to have been...
Representative image for Queen Mother of the West. Source: wichansumalee / Adobe Stock

Queen Mother of the West and Her Peaches of Immortality

Xiwangmu (西王母), whose name means ‘Queen Mother of the West’ is a goddess in the Taoist pantheon, and worshipped in Chinese folk religion. Xiwangmu is considered to be one of the most prominent female...
'Battle of Alexander versus Darius’ (1644-1650) by Pietro da Cortona. Darius III was Alexander the Great’s adversary at the Battle of Gaugamela. Source: Public Domain

Battle of Gaugamela: Alexander the Great Thrashes the Achaemenids

No name in world history rings more familiar than that of Alexander the Great. A man that managed extraordinary feats, conquering huge swaths of the world and placing his banner in many a kingdom and...
Remaining wall of Manyikeni, Mozambique             Source: eduviajante

The Fascinating Links between Manyikeni and Great Zimbabwe

Until recently, relatively little of the great civilizations of sub-Saharan Africa has been known. The archaeological site at Manyikeni in Mozambique has provided remarkable insight into the culture...
The Aboriginal rock art of Uluru that has been damaged, with stains of a dark fluid that can clearly be seen.    Source: Emma Haskin / ABC

Greasy Scumbags Vandalize Sacred Uluru’s Ancient Aboriginal Rock Art

Uluru, or Ayers Rock , is the massive natural sandstone monolith standing at the sacred heart of Australia’s Northern Territory’s ‘Red Centre’ and after years of abuse, now, ancient Aboriginal rock...
English authorities have petitioned for the public’s help in stopping nighthawks from “robbing the past.” Source: emerald_media /Adobe Stock

Nighthawkers are Robbing England of its Past

Illegal treasure hunters are increasingly raiding ancient sites in England and authorities have petitioned for the public’s help in stopping these deplorable “nighthawkers robbing the past.”...
Stained glass depicting Saint David. Source: Hchc2009 / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Miracle from the Womb: Saint David, Patron Saint of Wales

Saint David (known in Welsh as Dewi Sant) was a Welsh bishop who is recorded to have lived during the 6th century AD. Not much is known about Saint David and the main source of information about the...
A Parks Canada underwater archeologist works about eight meters (26.25 ft.) below the surface of the water. Source: Underwater archeology team/Parks Canada

Underwater Archaeologists Dive Into Doomed Arctic Ships

In 1845, HMS Erebus and her companion ship, the HMS Terror, set sail from Greenhite in England with the mission of crossing the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through the Arctic . But this ill-...
Human interaction accelerates innovation.   Source: (Image: beamue/ UZH)

Cooperation Between Hunter-gatherers Accelerated Human Evolution

Humans began developing a complex culture as early as the Stone Age . This development was brought about by social interactions between various groups of hunters and gatherers, a UZH study has now...
The bizarre face of one of the Mont’e Prama Giants. Source: Author provided

The Mont’e Prama Giants: A Massive Archaeological Mystery

1974, Sinis region, Sardinia (Oristano): the plow of a farmer being blocked by a piece of stone marked the beginning of a series of excavations in the area of Mont'e Prama, near the village of Cabras...
Nura Rupert, Australia, c.1933. Pitjantjatjara people, South Australia, Mamu (Spooky spirits) 2006, Ernabella, South Australia, synthetic polymer paint on linen 92x122cm. Ed and Sue Tweddell Fund for South Australian Contemporary Art 2006. Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.            Source: © Nura Rupert, courtesy of Ernabella Arts.

Aboriginal Monsters and their Hidden Meanings

Christine Judith Nicholls / The Conversation A rich inventory of monstrous figures exists throughout Aboriginal Australia. The specific form that their wickedness takes depends to a considerable...
An ancient Anatolian sword discovered in the cabinet of the Mekhitarist Monastery. Source: Ca' Foscari University of Venice.

5,000 Year-Old Anatolian Sword Was Discovered On Venetian Island

In 2020, a historian discovered one of the oldest Anatolian swords in existence, in a monastery’s cabinet of ancient curiosities. San Lazzaro degli Armeni, or Saint Lazarus Island, is a small islet...
Samson and Delilah by Domenico Fiazella (1650) Louvre (Public Domain)

Hair-Raising Status of Ancient Gods and Men

Human hair has always played an important role in culture and in society. For men and women alike, styling one's hair seems to be an innate human desire to emphasize their beauty and power. Thus,...
Big Bang and the hands of God representation.  Source: rolffimages / Adobe Stock

The Bible’s Big Bang, Creation of the Universe

The most profound mystery of mankind is the origin of the universe. In juxtaposition, its origin is also the most profound event known to man. Since about 1200 BC the Bible has declared in its first...
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, poses inside the newly-rediscovered secret passage.       Source: Jessica Taylor / UK Parliament

Secret Passageway Reveals Clues to UK Parliament’s Ancient Past

A secret passage has been found in the world-famous House of Commons in London . This passageway was forgotten for at least 70 years. Its rediscovery is allowing researchers to better understand one...
The archeological site of Antongona             Source: Photo by Tom Brouns

Antongona and the Mystery of the Early Madagascans

Madagascar is an island nation off the southeast coast of Africa and is most famous for its exquisite environment and unique wildlife, especially lemurs . It is the 4 th largest island in the world...
Close up of the marvelous design of the Great Dish of the Mildenhall Treasure.           Source: Ian

Controversy Erupts Over Mildenhall Treasure

A community in England is demanding that one of Britain’s finest treasure finds, famously written about by Roald Dahl , be renamed. It is angered that the treasure is called after a neighboring...
Image of human foot demonstrating the arch.          Source: Alessandro Grandini

Scientists Study 3.5-Million-Year-Old Origins of Unique Human Spring

Scientists have proven the arch running across the top of the human foot evolved in a 3.5-million-year old human ancestor, enabling us to walk and run upright unlike all other primates. Sports...
View at Machu Picchu, probably the most famous Inca settlement recorded by the big data archaeology model.          Source: fife76 / Public Domain

Big Data Used to Create Comprehensive Map of Inca Settlements

Parker VanValkenburgh, an assistant professor of anthropology, curated a journal issue that explores the opportunities and challenges big data could bring to the field of archaeology. PROVIDENCE, R.I...
The Ancient Greeks Had Alternative Facts Too

The Ancient Greeks Had Alternative Facts Too

By Joel Christensen / The Conversation In an age of deepfakes and alternative facts , it can be tricky getting at the truth . But persuading others – or even yourself – what is true is not a...
From the royal tombs of Ur, the Standard of Ur mosaic, made of lapis lazuli and shell, shows peacetime. (Public Domain)

Changing History: The Ferris Wheel of Lost Civilizations

Although history textbooks often present information as if it is set in stone and firmly established, recent research into ancient civilization reveals one embarrassing fact that continuously seems...
Representation of Greek wine under the sea. Source:  Christian Horras / Adobe stock

2500-Year-Old Submerged-Grape Greek Wine Recreated

Researchers have recreated a 2,500-year-old ancient Greek winemaking technique that uses submerged grapes in the process. Viticulture has existed in Greece since the late Neolithic period and the...

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