All  

Store Banner Mobile

Store Banner Mobile

Latest News

All the latest news on finds, advancements, and research in archaeology and ancient history, from the No 1 Ancient History website in the world

News

Arles Amphitheatre. Photo source: emperorcosar / Adobe Stock.

Arles Amphitheatre – A Roman Treasure in the Soul of Provence

Arles Amphitheatre (known in French as Les Arènes d'Arles) is a Roman amphitheatre located in the southern French city of Arles. The city is situated in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the...
Saul and the Witch of Endor

The Biblical Witch of Endor: Contacting the Spirit of a Prophet

The Witch of Endor is also known as the biblical Medium of Endor. According to legend, she was a medium who apparently summoned the Prophet Samuel's spirit. She is known from the Old Testament but...
Stone carving believed to be of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Source: Milton Keynes Council.

Carving Believed to be Rare Depiction of Eleanor of Aquitaine Found in Abbey

A potentially historic discovery has been made in a medieval abbey in England . During a conservation project, the head of one of England’s most powerful queens was discovered, it has been announced...
Satan – the lead character in the poem ‘Paradise Lost’. Source: Jesse-lee Lang / Adobe Stock

350 Year Old Code Found In Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’

Has an undergraduate student discovered a secret message in John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost ? Miranda Phaal, an undergraduate from Tufts University in Massachusetts, discovered what is being...
The Icelandic walrus began extinct at the arrival of the Norse. Source: Calvin / Adobe Stock.

Norse Settlers Wiped Out Icelandic Walrus 1100 Years Ago

An international collaboration of scientists in Iceland , Denmark , and the Netherlands has for the first time used ancient DNA analyses and C14-dating to demonstrate the past existence of a unique...
Tin ingots from Hishuley Carmel.

Surprise Discovery That Ancient Tin Ingots Found in Israel Came From England

Researchers have made an astonishing discovery that is transforming our understanding of the Bronze Age . They have established that ancient tin ingots found in Israel actually came from what is now...
The island of Ischia seen from the sea, showing volcanic features. Colored etching by Pietro Fabris, (1776). (Wellcome Images/ Public Domain)

Pithekoussai: Ancient Greek Colony of Nestor’s Cup

Celebrated for its thermal springs and verdant landscapes, the volcanic island of Ischia, called Pithekoussai during its ancient Greek days —located in the Bay of Naples —harkens back to the...
Wheel of Torture device. Insert, skeleton of young man wh9 was the victim of torture on the wheel.

Deformed Medieval Man Found Broken By the Wheel of Torture

Archaeologists in Milan have uncovered the shattered remains of a young man believed to have been broken on a wheel of torture. In medieval Italy different methods of torture were assigned depending...
Large Pictish cemetery in The Black Isle. Credit: NOSAS/Tarradale Through Time / Andy Hickie

Huge 1,400-Year-Old Pictish Burial Ground Found in Scotland

In Scotland, one of the largest Pictish cemeteries ever found has been uncovered by archaeologists. It is believed to be at least 1400 years old. The find is expected to throw new light onto the...
The temple of the Capitolium

Ancient Capitolium Temple in Brescia Pleased the Roman Gods

Because Italy is so rich in archaeological and historical sites , visitors often do not have the time to visit as many as they wish. One site which should not be missed is the remarkable Capitolium...
HM Bark Endeavour replica in Cooktown (John Hill/ CC BY-SA 3.0)

Would the REAL Endeavour Shipwreck Please Stand Up?

Has Captain Cook’s shipwrecked ' Endeavour' , one of the most famous research ships in history, finally been identified off Rhode Island? The HMS Endeavour was built originally for the transportation...
Example of a “hand-shaped” knife during sharpening with a metal file after freezing. Source: Eren / Journal of Archaeological Science.

Scientists Recreate Inuit Knife Out of Their Own Frozen Poop

Recent hands-on experiments determined human feces cannot be made into frozen knives to dismember dogs. A new scientific paper opens with a story from the 1998 book Shadows in the Sun: Travels to...
The residents of San Miguel De Gualdape were overcome with sickness in the swampy environment. (NPS / Public Domain)

To the Shores of Distant Death: The Failed Colony of San Miguel De Gualdape

The year is 1526. Onto the wild and wooded lands of what is today Georgia in the United States, European feet had never permanently walked. These forests and river valleys, the wild rolling hills of...
Memorial to Stanley and Livingstone, Burundi 	Source: Poffer, D / CC BY 2.0

The Livingstone – Stanley Monument and The Famous Tale of Two Explorers in Africa

Without a doubt, European explorers in 19 th century Africa changed history. Two of the most famous are Dr David Livingstone, and the journalist and explorer Henry Morton Stanley , who opened central...
Experts have studied the skeletal remains of five bodies excavated in Ireland and tested the remains for strains of leprosy. Source: Suthiporn / Adobe Stock.

Did Scandinavian Vikings Carry Leprosy To Ireland?

The skeletal remains of five bodies excavated in Ireland suggest Vikings brought leprosy to the Emerald Isle. Leprosy , also known as Hansen's disease , is a chronic infectious disease that is caused...
Main: Blenheim Palace (Snowshill / Adobe Stock). Inset: The Gold Toilet (CC by SA 2.0)

Solid Gold Toilet Stolen from Blenheim Palace

A remarkable and slightly bizarre theft has been announced in Britain. An 18-carat gold toilet valued at £1 million has been stolen from the world-famous Blenheim Palace. The lavatory was part of a...
Giovanni Lanfranco’s Norandino and Lucina Discovered by the Ogre, 1624. In many societies giants were long part of received wisdom. Source: Amcaja / Public Domain.

Giants: Why We Needed Them

Think of any sizeable water gap. It might be that between you and the island many kilometers off the coast, a place like Kangaroo Island (South Australia) or Sri Lanka as viewed from nearby India. It...
Marcus Aurelius Distributing Bread to the People by Joseph-Marie Vien

The Philosopher-King of Ancient Rome: Marcus Aurelius' Imperium

Marcus Aurelius is famed for various accomplishments—his title as the last of the Five Good Emperors; his extensive study of and literary accomplishments in the field of Stoicism; and, last but not...
The skeletons buried in Italy have been holding hands for around 1500 years. Source: ArcheoModena

Hand-Holding Skeletons Were Both Men… And No, They Were Not Gay Lovers

Two skeletons intentionally buried hand-in-hand – the so-called ‘Lovers of Modena’ – were always assumed to be male and female. But a new study finds they were both men, raising questions as to their...
The Tai Hang fire dragon dance is performed in Hong Kong during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Explore the Legends and the Myths

Nearly everyone has heard of the Chinese New Year festival, but there is another festival that is very important in China and East Asia. This is the Mid-Autumn Festival , which is an enormous party...
Odysseus and the Sirens by Otto Greiner  (1869–1916) (Public Domain)

The Itinerary of Odysseus, an Ancient Treasure Map

Did Homer’s Odyssey contain a secret code, that would guide the Greeks to gain complete control over the Black Sea and the North Atlantic and access to the riches of precious metals and other...
The Harvest Moon. Source: klagyivik / Adobe Stock.

Rare Harvest Moon Occurs on Friday 13th

This year, the Harvest Moon rises today, Friday the 13th September. But why was this particular moon so special to ancient cultures? The brilliant Harvest Moon will appear tonight and will reach its...
A representation of what human teleportation could look like.

One Step Closer to ‘Beam Me Up’? Teleportation is Possible…At Least at the Quantum Level

Have you ever seen Star Trek? If so, you must be familiar with characters being ‘beamed’ from one spacecraft to another, or to a planet. While Star Trek is fictional, there are some concepts...
Several of the ancient pigments were deadly. Photo source: Ezume Images / Adobe Stock.

Poisonous Pigments: History’s Deadliest Colors

Throughout history, ancient civilizations have been using all kinds of ingenious ways to create pigments for the coloring of clothing, objects and even buildings. While some of the pigments were...

Pages